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Israel’s Struggle for Survival in the North Is Existential
People rush to a soccer field hit by a Hezbollah rocket in the majority-Druze northern Israeli town Majdal Shams Photo: Via 924, from social media used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law
Recent weeks have seen a spate of vigorous Israeli defense measures against the Lebanon-based terror group Hezbollah, which have drawn interest from around the world.
Just last week, the IDF bombed Hezbollah headquarters in Beirut, killing Hassan Nasrallah, the secretary-general of Hezbollah.
Nasrallah’s bloody reign over the past 40 years led to the death of not only Israelis, but also Americans, Syrians, and Lebanese people.
While many people know that Hezbollah is a military proxy of Iran, and that it has targeted Jews around the world, the Israeli actions over the past few weeks caught many by surprise.
So what are the roots of this conflict, and why is it coming to the fore now?
On October 8, 2023, Hezbollah launched rocket and mortar attacks on Israel, in what it called “solidarity” with the Gaza-based Hamas. On the previous day, Hamas murdered approximately 1,200 Israelis and kidnapped another 240, in the largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust.
Israel, it must be repeated, is a small country about the size of New Jersey.
From the Mediterranean near Tel Aviv to Judea and Samaria, Israel’s width is about 9 miles — walkable in two hours at a brisk pace.
From a military perspective, Israel has no strategic depth. This means that Israel cannot withdraw behind its frontiers and absorb an enemy blow before gathering its strength and responding, as a large nation might.
What is sometimes forgotten overseas, but never in Israel, is that Hezbollah’s continuing attacks on Israel’s North affected the country’s lived reality over time — perhaps even more than Hamas’ attack in the South.
In the past year, Hezbollah has launched more than 8,000 rockets at Israeli cities and military targets. More than 21,500 acres in the Galilee and Golan Heights, much of them forest preserves, have been burnt by fires sparked by Hezbollah rockets.
As a result of the incessant bombardment, more than 60,000 Israelis are internally displaced from Israel’s North, down from 100,000 earlier this year.
Agriculture is devastated in this region, which accounts for about a third of Israel’s agricultural lands, and about 73% of its domestic egg production. Kiryat Shmona, with a prewar population of over 20,000 and a major incubator for food tech startups, is down to 20% of its population from last year, with those remaining hunkered down against the incoming Hezbollah missiles.
Worst of all, Hezbollah is also targeting and killing civilians on the Israeli side of the border, including 12 children playing soccer in the Golani village of Majdal Shams.
Unfortunately, every Israeli also knows that this situation could worsen. In 2006, Israelis spent a wartime summer in bomb shelters, reminding many of the London Blitz. Hezbollah is still believed to possess an estimated 150,000 rockets and missiles, and is specifically training its “Radwan Forces” for a ground invasion of northern Israel, intended to be similar to October 7.
Israel has responded with a series of highly targeted strikes to downgrade Hezbollah’s ability to commit atrocities against Israeli civilians, short of a full-scale war.
On July 30, Israel eliminated Fuad Shukr, who played a central role in Hezbollah’s 1983 bombing of the US Marine barracks in Beirut, which killed 241 US servicemen and women. For his long standing crimes against Americans and others, the US State Department was offering a reward of up to $5 million for tips on Shukr’s whereabouts, which the US government can now use for something else.
On September 20, 2024, Israel conducted an airstrike in Beirut, eliminating senior Hezbollah commander Ibrahim Aqil, along with 15 other top commanders. Aqil had been orchestrating immediate plans for a large-scale Hezbollah invasion of northern Israel, and had ties to the 1983 US embassy bombing in Beirut.
Most dramatically of all, in a move right out of a spy thriller, on September 17 and 18, a series of explosions rocked Hezbollah’s communications network. This surgical strike exclusively impacted devices belonging to members of the terror network.
Thousands of pagers (on the 17th) and walkie-talkies (on the 18th) equipped with explosives detonated, killing at least 37 Hezbollah operatives and wounding thousands more. Though Israel didn’t claim responsibility, Hezbollah vowed retaliation.
Another crucial element here is the weak Lebanese state.
After Hezbollah assassinated Lebanon’s Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri in 2005, the Syrian army was forced by popular outrage to withdraw from its occupation of Lebanon.
However, Hezbollah refused to budge, and started a war with Israel the following year. In 2011, Hezbollah saved Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad from being overthrown by his people, helping him brutally slaughter over 500,000 Syrian civilians.
Israel is a small country, Lebanon is a weak one, and Iran — Hezbollah’s master — believes that this is a moment of Western weakness and navel-gazing, the perfect chance to commit atrocities that would never be possible in ordinary times.
As Hamas did on October 7, Hezbollah has indicated that it would commit genocidal acts against Israeli civilians, given the chance.
Israel is defending itself to ensure that this never happens — as any other country in the world would do, and as every other country in the world should support.
Hen Mazzig is an Israeli writer, speaker, and Senior Fellow at the Tel Aviv Institute. He’s appeared as an expert on Israel, antisemitism, and social media in the BBC, NBC News, LA Times, Newsweek, and more. Follow him on: @henmazzig
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Here Is the Documentary on Campus Antisemitism That Harvard Doesn’t Want You to See
An “Apartheid Wall” erected by Harvard University’s Palestine Solidarity Committee. Photo: X/Twitter
There is nothing like a 999-page court subpoena to make you realize just how important your work truly is.
In the aftermath of October 7, 2023, a disturbing reality has emerged on American university campuses: that of antisemitism running rampant, and Jewish students fearing for their safety and their lives. US colleges and universities allowing students and professors alike to not only side with terrorists — but also to allow for the harassment of Jewish students and the violation of their civil rights — demanded to be documented, shared, and addressed.
As a producer who has worked at HBO and CNN, I’ve always believed in the power of storytelling to illuminate truth and inspire action. Frontline Warriors, my second documentary with AISH, represents exactly this kind of vital storytelling. But because we made it, we are now being subpoenaed by Harvard in the ongoing lawsuit against them, executed by Shabbos Kestenbaum, who was featured in the film. We have retained a lawyer regarding the subpoena, which, due to its length and character, seems far more like a scare tactic, rather than a genuine request for information.
This subpoena also came just two weeks before Harvard itself published the findings of a task force that concluded Jewish students had “faced bias, suspicion, intimidation, alienation, shunning, contempt, and sometimes effective exclusion from various curricular and co-curricular parts of the University and its community — clear examples of antisemitism and anti-Israeli bias.”
For over six months, my co-producers Rabbi Steven Burg, Rabbi Elliot Mathias, and I worked tirelessly to bring this urgent project to life. What began as a deep concern over rising antisemitism on college campuses evolved into a compelling documentary that follows three extraordinary Jewish student leaders at Harvard (Kestenbaum), Columbia (Eden Yadegar), and UCLA (Eli Tsives), as they confronted hatred with remarkable courage. Tsives, just this month, was physically assaulted on the UCLA campus and not for the first time — all of it caught on camera.
What makes Frontline Warriors stand apart is our unwavering commitment to truth. Every shocking claim made in the film, and there are many that viewers might find almost unbelievable, is meticulously backed by documentation, clips, or other evidence. This verification process consumed countless hours of our production time, but it was non-negotiable. In an era where truth is increasingly contested, we refused to give critics any grounds to dismiss these students’ experiences.
We accomplished this on what I can only describe as a “shoestring budget” — a true independent documentary effort without major studio backing. The distribution has been equally grassroots, with premiere screenings and events organized across the country. Our team, including the students featured in the film, has traveled extensively to share this story, driven by the conviction that these voices must be heard.
Now, for the first time, the film is available online for everyone to see. This accessibility marks a crucial turning point in our mission to raise awareness about campus antisemitism. But importantly, this isn’t merely a depressing chronicle of hatred. Unlike many documentaries that simply expose problems, we deliberately included solutions and a hopeful future outlook.
One of the most powerful moments in the film comes when it’s noted that what we need isn’t just punishment for antisemitic acts, as necessary as accountability may be. What we truly need is “educated, literate, strong, empowered Jews at the earliest age possible.” The film ultimately makes the case for embracing and educating the next generation as the most effective response to hatred. There is a mission for all Jews that is bigger than simply fighting antisemitism; we must show others that being unabashedly Jewish, inwardly and outwardly, is what will inspire others. By showing those who hate us that they cannot diminish our flame, we will eventually win.
For me personally, stepping back into a producer role for this project has been deeply fulfilling. It’s where my training and expertise lie, and where I’ve consistently found my greatest professional satisfaction throughout my career. The opportunity to apply these skills to such an urgent cause, in my position at AISH, has been especially meaningful.
As we now move into pre-production on our third documentary (with the topic to be announced soon), I reflect on the importance of Frontline Warriors not just as a film, but as a call to action. It stands as testimony to the bravery of Jewish students who refuse to be silenced, and as an urgent message to all who value tolerance and truth on our nation’s campuses.
This is more than a documentary, it’s a movement. And in today’s climate, I can think of few things more important to watch, share, and act upon. After all, with the recent subpoena, this seems to be the documentary that Harvard doesn’t want you to see.
To watch Frontline Warriors, click here.
Jamie Geller is an award-winning producer who launched her career at HBO and CNN. As Chief Communications Officer and Global Spokesperson for Aish, she develops and produces groundbreaking documentaries, including October 7: Voices of Pain, Hope and Heroism and Frontline Warriors: The Fight Against Campus Antisemitism.
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How We Should Respond to Kanye and Other Acts of Antisemitic Hate
Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, dressed in a full black leather KKK outfit during his interview with DJ Akademiks that was shared on YouTube on March 31, 2025. Photo: Screenshot
Kanye West just released a “Heil Hitler” song — another one of the antisemitic incidents we’ve had to face recently.
Anger, hate, and disgust are all words that come to mind when considering the current situation in the US and abroad. We are being pushed to these emotions, and we lack the appropriate response. I have been advocating for this cause every week for two years now, since Oct. 7.
Nazi-level Jew hatred is making a resurgence, and is rising at alarming rates. What can we do about it other than be students of history?
The immediate reaction might be to seek vengeance and fight back. Many individuals have demonstrated this on the UCLA campus and elsewhere. Jews are also arming themselves to protect themselves and our community from violence, while adhering to local laws.
But for the vast majority of us, who cannot fight back at this time, it is imperative that we mobilize. We must actively engage with our Jewish communities and continue to grow them. Power is in numbers. We must illuminate them and bring them into the mainstream. We must find people who are not involved, and spread our light with them, and bring them into our community.
For those unable to physically engage in defense, I urge them to understand that the pen is mightier than the sword, and that a calculated group-wide response can be the adequate response. Although it may sound clichéd, it is not. We must remain united, informed, and continuously support and connect with local and Federal politicians. We must fight and combat antisemitism and antisemites wherever they may lie, and tell the truth about the Jewish people and Israel. That is the only way we can ensure our survival.
We have witnessed the fall of empires in the past, and with this, disgusting, viral, vial, steady, and exponentially increasing Jew hatred. I do not see why our time will be an anomaly. We are seeing Congressmen and women who actively support radical Islamic jihadist groups, either directly or indirectly. It is not entirely out of the question that in our lifetimes, the America we know as a safe place for the Jewish community will cease to exist — when the people who hate us will be more numerous than those who believe in our rights, and take over.
Therefore, it is imperative that we take a stand and actively engage with our local Jewish communities and local politicians. We must harness the power that we possess in numbers to mobilize, strengthen our unity, influence policy, and ultimately safeguard our democracy and preserve our Jewish identity and freedom.
Isidore Karten is a Jewish community leader at Park East Synagogue, and founder of Club 3g.
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Hasan Piker: How an Israel-Hating, Terror Supporting Streamer Seduced The New York Times
The New York Times building in New York City. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Hasan Piker is among the most popular personalities on the gaming-video streaming platform Twitch.
Piker — whose significant career break came conveniently via his uncle, Cenk Uygur, founder of the left-wing commentary show The Young Turks — brands himself as a “political commentator.” Over 2.5 million viewers regularly tune in, though it’s unlikely they’re seeking nuanced political insight. After all, Piker’s brand of “commentary” has included dismissing Hamas’ documented atrocities from October 7, praising Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah as “a pretty brilliant person,” and even laughing during Hamas’ gruesome display when releasing the bodies of the Bibas family.
Yet none of these disturbing actions have deterred mainstream media outlets like The New York Times from publishing an inexplicably flattering profile of Piker. Remarkably, the article spends more words lauding his gender-bending fashion sense, fitness regimen, and “handsome” appearance than critically examining his troubling ideological views.
Titled “A Progressive Mind in a Body Made for the ‘Manosphere’,” the article enthusiastically proclaims in its subheading: “Hasan Piker pumps iron, likes weapons, and wears pearls. His brand of masculinity has won him many fans online — and has been a useful vehicle for his politics.”
Indeed, the NY Times appears genuinely captivated, initially depicting Piker as a provocative renegade who appeals to a legion of young male followers entrenched in the so-called “manosphere” — a digital subculture known for hyper-masculine content:
Hasan Piker thinks being a man is simple.
Like many successful internet personalities targeting a generation of young men, Mr. Piker, a 33-year-old Twitch and YouTube streamer, embraces a typical ‘bro’ persona: he likes weapons, inhales supplements, uses nicotine pouches, and endlessly debates the legacy of LeBron James. Yet unlike many contemporaries, Piker—an avowed socialist—is equally comfortable donning French maid drag as playing basketball.
The first hints of Piker’s troubling views surface subtly, with the article merely stating he “criticizes … the Israeli government,” juxtaposed oddly alongside his support for organized labor, universal healthcare, and LGBTQ rights.
It’s only midway through — after considerable focus on Piker’s fitness routines and intermittent fasting diet consisting of “precisely chicken breast with low-carb pita, mezze, and sauces” — that the Times bothers to hint at what this “criticism” entails:
A vocal critic of U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, Mr. Piker has been labeled anti-American across the political spectrum for saying the U.S. ‘deserved’ the September 11 attacks. His recent accusations that Israel is committing ‘genocide’ in Gaza and his diatribes against the Zionist movement have led supporters of Israel, including liberals like Representative Ritchie Torres of New York, to call Mr. Piker antisemitic.
Predictably, the Times immediately offers Piker a convenient rebuttal: “I find antisemitism to be completely unacceptable,” along with his disingenuous claim that “I find the conflation of antisemitism and anti-Zionism to be very dangerous.”
Yet the Times is evidently aware of Piker’s Jewish and Israeli problems — initially publishing a photo of his “bulking” chicken meal consumed in his studio, inadvertently showing a viewer comment on Piker’s Twitch stream stating in block capitals: “I’D F*** THIS IDF BITCH TO DEATH.”
In writer Jack Crosbie’s rush to flatter Piker, it seems he didn’t bother examining the photos closely. And in typical New York Times fashion, the image was quietly edited later to crop out the damning viewer comments, leaving only the innocuous chicken meal behind.
And yet, the Times’s profile of Piker is merely the latest example from an outlet seemingly intent on rebranding Palestinian extremists as progressive. Just weeks ago, the paper dedicated its opinion page to an impassioned defense of the Oscar-winning joint Israeli-Palestinian documentary No Other Land, which HonestReporting had criticized for misrepresenting facts on the ground.
While the essay argued for a so-called joint “co-resistance” between Israelis and Palestinians, we revealed how one of the writers had a starkly different interpretation of “resistance” on October 7. That day, as Hamas terrorists, aided by Gazan civilians, invaded Israel, massacred over 1,200 people, and took 251 hostages back to Gaza, the writer shared footage of terrorists paragliding into Israel and opening fire, accompanied by a text overlay likening them to Jews smuggling weapons into Nazi ghettos during the Holocaust.
Hasan Piker isn’t merely another controversial figure pushing boundaries — he’s emblematic of a deeply troubling trend: the glamorization of extremism through superficial charm and savvy branding. And, disturbingly, The New York Times is leading the way.
The author is a contributor to HonestReporting, a Jerusalem-based media watchdog with a focus on antisemitism and anti-Israel bias — where a version of this article first appeared.
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