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Joseph Taught Us How to Turn Our Enemies Into Allies
US President Harry Truman receives a menorah gifted by visiting Israeli Prime Minister David Ben Gurion and Abba Eban, Israel’s envoy to Washington. Photo: National Photo Collection of Israel / Government Press Office
World War II was so cataclysmic that even now, when someone says “The War,” no one has to ask them which one they mean. The villains of that dreadful conflict—Germany and Japan—unleashed horrors that defied human imagination, leaving entire countries, including their own, in ruins. Millions died, and millions more had their lives shattered.
The Allies won, but just barely—and not before being brought to their knees, literally, by blitzkriegs, kamikaze pilots, and some of the most heinous war crimes and terrifying military strategies ever devised. Unsurprisingly, the victory celebrations didn’t last long. As the world exhaled a collective sigh of relief, one daunting question lingered: What now?
The last time the world tried to clean up after a global war in 1919, it hadn’t exactly gone to plan. The Treaty of Versailles didn’t just punish the Germans; it humiliated them, grinding the nation into groveling submission, saddling them with crippling debt and a national identity crisis.
Unsurprisingly, Versailles backfired—spectacularly. Instead of licking their wounds and learning their lesson, Germany doubled down. Within a generation, they’d elected a violent psychopath who promised to restore their pride and lead them back to dominance.
By 1939, the Germans were back in uniform, goose-stepping straight into chaos and dragging the rest of the world along for the ride. So, in 1945, the Allies faced a big question: Should they repeat the mistakes of Versailles or try something completely different?
U.S. President Harry S. Truman, now the undisputed leader of the free world, was no softie. This was the man who dropped not one, but two atomic bombs on Japan to end World War II. He knew exactly what it meant to be tough. But Truman also understood something else—winning the war was only half the job. The real challenge was winning the peace.
With his Secretary of State, the famously humble George C. Marshall, Truman set out to rebuild what the devastating war had torn apart. Both men instinctively knew that grinding defeated enemies into the dirt might feel good in the moment, but in the long run, it was a recipe for resentment, instability, and—eventually—more war.
So, instead of punishment, they chose partnership. And instead of vengeance—which no one could deny was justified—they chose vision. The result? The Marshall Plan—a bold, almost utopian investment in Europe’s recovery that turned former enemies into future allies.
Meanwhile, over in Japan, General Douglas MacArthur—the military genius with a flair for dramatic poses and a love of corncob pipes—took charge of the occupation. And he did much more than oversee the country rebuild – he practically rewrote Japan’s playbook. With sweeping reforms, a new constitution, and a total overhaul of the country’s political and economic systems, MacArthur turned a defeated imperial power into a peaceful, thriving democracy.
Cleverly, he left Emperor Hirohito, who had nominally led the country during its war with the Allies, in place as head of state. And remarkably, it worked. Like the Marshall Plan, the idea wasn’t to punish but to empower, ensuring that former enemies wouldn’t become future threats. It was bold, risky, and surprisingly effective.
Both Truman and MacArthur played the long game. They understood that real leadership isn’t about humiliating enemies—it’s about turning them into allies. Truman proved he could be tough when it was necessary—his drastic decision to drop the atomic bomb made that abundantly clear. But he also recognized that securing the future required vision and partnership, not just brute force.
MacArthur took a similar approach, combining strength with strategy to transform Japan—not by crushing its spirit, but by reshaping its identity. And that brings us to Joseph, whose treatment of his brothers, especially in Parshat Vayigash, feels like a case study in strategic reconciliation.
Joseph had every right to make his brothers squirm. After all, they had sold him into slavery and left him for dead. He had done nothing to harm them, yet they conspired against him, sentencing him to what should have been a slow and miserable end. Although he survived slavery, he endured years of hardship—separated from his beloved father and locked away in prison for a crime he didn’t commit.
But when the moment of reckoning arrived, Joseph didn’t crush his brothers. Instead, he orchestrated an emotional roller coaster designed to wake them up, force them to confront their guilt, and—most importantly—show them a way forward.
Joseph was tough, but he was also tender—equal parts drill sergeant and therapist. He wasn’t interested in an apology. He wanted a transformation. Like Truman and MacArthur, Joseph understood that the real victory wasn’t revenge and submission—it was redemption.
Joseph’s actions, as Ramban explains, weren’t about revenge or vindication. Instead, they were carefully calibrated to lead his brothers through a process of self-reflection and growth. Joseph wasn’t trying to break them—he was trying to rebuild them. By recreating a scenario that echoed their original betrayal, he allowed them to confront their guilt and prove they had changed. But Joseph’s brilliance didn’t stop there.
As Sforno points out, Joseph’s ultimate goal wasn’t to shame his brothers but to lift them up and empower them. He reframed their actions within a larger divine plan, assuring them that despite their wrongdoing, God had used the situation for good—to save lives and secure their family’s survival. And now, Joseph invited them to consciously step into that plan, turning past failures into a foundation for future success.
What Joseph intuitively understood was that crushing people under the weight of their mistakes might feel justified, but it’s ultimately counterproductive. True leadership means showing people how they can rise above their past and step into a better future.
And that’s the trick, isn’t it? Whether you’re rebuilding nations or repairing fractured relationships, the goal isn’t to keep score—it’s to move forward. Whether it’s Joseph in the biblical narrative or dealing with a defeated enemy in the modern world, the best way to win is to make sure everyone gets to share in the victory. Because the only thing better than defeating your enemies is turning them into your allies.
The author is a rabbi in Beverly Hills, California.
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B-2 Bombers Moving to Guam Amid Middle East Tensions, US Officials Say
FILE PHOTO: A U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit bomber takes off from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam January 11, 2018. Picture taken January 11, 2018. U.S. Air Force/Airman 1st Class Gerald Willis/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo
The United States is moving B-2 bombers to the Pacific island of Guam, two US officials told Reuters on Saturday, as President Donald Trump weighs whether the United States should take part in Israel’s strikes against Iran.
It was unclear whether the bomber deployment is tied to Middle East tensions.
The B-2 can be equipped to carry America’s 30,000-pound GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, designed to destroy targets deep underground. That is the weapon that experts say could be used to strike Iran‘s nuclear program, including Fordow.
The officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, declined to disclose any further details. One official said no forward orders had been given yet to move the bombers beyond Guam. They did not say how many B-2 bombers are being moved.
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Experts and officials are closely watching to see whether the B-2 bombers will move forward to a US-British military base on the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia. Experts say that Diego Garcia is in an ideal position to operate in the Middle East.
The United States had B-2 bombers on Diego Garcia up until last month, when they were replaced with B-52 bombers.
Israel said on Saturday it had killed a veteran Iranian commander during attacks by both sides in the more than week-long air war, while Tehran said it would not negotiate over its nuclear program while under threat.
Israel says Iran was on the verge of developing nuclear weapons, while Iran says its atomic program is only for peaceful purposes.
Trump has said he would take up to two weeks to decide whether the United States should enter the conflict on Israel’s side, enough time “to see whether or not people come to their senses,” he said.
Reuters was first to report this week the movement of a large number of tanker aircraft to Europe and other military assets to the Middle East, including the deployment of more fighter jets.
An aircraft carrier in the Indo-Pacific is also heading to the Middle East.
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Nuclear Diplomacy Stuck, Israel Says it Killed Top Iran Commander
Smoke rises following an Israeli attack in Tehran, Iran, June 18, 2025. Photo: Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
Iran deems European proposals to curb its nuclear program unrealistic and a hurdle to agreement, a senior Iranian official said on Saturday, while Israel said it killed a veteran Iranian commander during attacks by both sides.
The more than week-long air war between longtime foes Israel and Iran continued with reports of strikes on an Iranian nuclear facility. The US was weighing whether to back Israel in the conflict while other powers urged de-escalation.
Iran‘s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi met British, French and German counterparts, plus the EU, on Friday in Geneva in search of a path back to diplomacy and a possible ceasefire.
But proposals made by the European powers were “unrealistic,” the senior Iranian official told Reuters, saying that insistence on them would not bring agreement closer.
“In any case, Iran will review the European proposals in Tehran and present its responses in the next meeting,” the official said, adding that zero enrichment was a dead end and Tehran would not negotiate over its defensive capabilities.
Israel launched attacks on June 13 saying Iran was on the verge of developing nuclear weapons, while Iran says its atomic program is only for peaceful purposes. Israel is widely assumed to possess nuclear weapons, which it neither confirms nor denies.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that Saeed Izadi, who led the Palestine Corps of the Quds Force, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ overseas arm, was killed in a strike on an apartment in the city of Qom.
Calling his killing a “major achievement for Israeli intelligence and the Air Force”, Katz said Izadi had financed and armed the Palestinian militant group Hamas ahead of its October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which triggered the war in Gaza.
The Revolutionary Guards said five of its members died in attacks on Khorramabad, according to Iranian media. They did not mention Izadi, who was on US and British sanctions lists, but said Israel had also attacked a building in Qom, with initial reports of a 16-year-old killed and two people injured.
HUNDREDS KILLED
At least 430 people have been killed and 3,500 injured in Iran since Israel began its attacks, Iranian state-run Nour News said, citing the health ministry.
In Israel, 24 civilians have been killed by Iranian missile attacks, according to local authorities, in the worst conflict between the longtime enemies.
At a meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul, Araqchi said Israel‘s aggression, which he said had indications of US involvement, should stop so Iran can “come back to diplomacy.”
“It is obvious that I can’t go to negotiations with the US when our people are under bombardments under the support of the US,” he told reporters on the sidelines, before meeting Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.
The top Iranian diplomat said US involvement in the conflict would be “very dangerous.” Araqchi is set to visit Moscow, Iran‘s ally, on Monday.
President Donald Trump has said he would take up to two weeks to decide whether the United States should enter the conflict on Israel‘s side, enough time “to see whether or not people come to their senses,” he said.
Iran would be able to have a nuclear weapon “within a matter of weeks, or certainly within a matter of months,” he said on Friday, adding: “We can’t let that happen.”
Yet in March, Tulsi Gabbard, his national intelligence director, testified to Congress that the US intelligence community judged that Tehran was not working on a nuclear warhead.
The International Atomic Energy Agency said that a centrifuge manufacturing workshop at the Isfahan nuclear facility, one of Iran‘s biggest, was hit – but added it contained no nuclear material.
Gulf Cooperation Council ambassadors expressed concerns to UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi about the safety of nuclear facilities close to their countries and “dangerous repercussions” of targeting them, Qatar state news agency said.
Israel said it was attacking military infrastructure.
INTERCEPTIONS OVER TEL AVIV
Early on Saturday, air raid sirens were triggered across parts of central Israel and in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, with missile interceptions visible over Tel Aviv and explosions echoing. There were no reports of casualties.
Those killed in Iran include the military’s top echelon and nuclear scientists. Israel said it also killed a second commander of the Guards’ overseas arm, whom it identified as Benham Shariyari, during an overnight strike.
Iran‘s health minister, Mohammadreza Zafarqandi, said Israel has attacked three hospitals during the conflict, killing two health workers and a child, and has targeted six ambulances, according to Fars.
Asked about such reports, an Israeli military official said that only military targets were being struck, though there may have been collateral damage in some incidents.
An Iranian missile hit a hospital in the southern Israeli city of Beersheba on Thursday.
Turkey, Russia and China have demanded immediate de-escalation.
Despite the downbeat assessment from the senior Iranian official, French President Emmanuel Macron said he and Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian agreed on a Saturday call to accelerate talks.
Israel says it will not stop attacks until it dismantles Iran‘s nuclear program and ballistic missile capabilities, which it views as an existential threat, saying this could take more than a few weeks.
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Majority of French People Oppose Macron’s Push to Recognize a Palestinian State, New Survey Finds
French President Emmanuel Macron delivers the keynote address at the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore, May 30, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Edgar Su
Nearly 80 percent of French citizens oppose President Emmanuel Macron’s push to recognize a Palestinian state, according to a new study that underscores widespread public resistance to the controversial diplomatic initiative.
Last week, Macron announced the postponement of a United Nations conference aimed at advancing international recognition of a Palestinian state as part of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with no new date set.
The UN summit — originally scheduled for June 16–18 — was delayed after Israel launched a sweeping preemptive strike on Iran, targeting military installations and nuclear facilities in what officials said was an effort to neutralize an imminent nuclear threat.
Last month, Macron said that recognizing “Palestine” was “not only a moral duty but a political necessity.” The comments followed him saying in April that France was making plans to recognize a Palestinian state at a UN conference it would co-host with Saudi Arabia. Israeli and French Jewish leaders sharply criticized the announcement, describing the decision as a reward for terrorism and a “boost” for Hamas.
The French people largely seem to agree now is not the right time for such a move. A survey conducted by the French Institute of Public Opinion (IFOP) on behalf of the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions of France (CRIF), the main representative body of French Jews, found that 78 percent of respondents opposed a “hasty, immediate, and unconditional recognition of a Palestinian state.”
Sondage Crif x Ifop : “Le regard des Français sur la reconnaissance par la France de l’État palestinien”
Une large majorité de Français (78 %) s’oppose à une reconnaissance immédiate et sans condition de l’État palestinien. Parmi eux, près de la moitié (47 %) estiment qu’une… pic.twitter.com/AX9gP6eMLe
— CRIF (@Le_CRIF) June 17, 2025
France’s initiative comes after Spain, Norway, Ireland, and Slovenia officially recognized a Palestinian state last year, claiming that such a move would contribute to fostering a two-state solution and promote lasting peace in the region.
According to IFOP’s recent survey, however, nearly half of French people (47 percent) believe that recognition of a Palestinian state should only be considered after the release of the remaining hostages captured by Hamas during the Palestinian terrorist group’s invasion of southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, while 31 percent oppose any short-term recognition regardless of future developments.
The survey also reveals deep concerns about the consequences of such a premature recognition, with 51 percent of respondents fearing a resurgence of antisemitism in France and 50 percent believing it could strengthen Hamas’s position in the Middle East.
France has experienced an ongoing record surge in antisemitic incidents, including violent assaults, following Hamas’s Oct. 7 atrocities, amid the ensuing war in Gaza.
According to local media reports, France’s recognition of a Palestinian state at the UN conference was expected to be contingent on several conditions, including a truce in Gaza, the release of hostages held by Hamas, reforms within the Palestinian Authority (PA) — which is expected to take control from Hamas after the war — economic recovery, and the end of Hamas’s terrorist rule in the war-torn enclave.
The PA has not only been widely accused of corruption and condemned by the international community for its “pay-for-slay” program, which rewards terrorists and their families for attacks against Israelis, but also lacks public support among Palestinians, with only 40 percent supporting its return to govern the Gaza Strip after the war.
Out of the 27 total European Union member states, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Sweden have also recognized a Palestinian state.
Meanwhile, Germany, Portugal, and the UK have all stated that the time is not right for recognizing a Palestinian state.
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