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Missiles Toward Israel, Aimed at Us All: The Iranian Regime’s War on Freedom
Smoke billows following missile attack from Iran on Israel, at Tel Aviv, Israel, June 13, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Gideon Markowicz ISRAEL
As missiles rain down on Israel, they carry more than explosives — they carry a message to the free world: the Islamic Republic of Iran is no longer hiding its agenda. It is unleashing it.
The Iranian regime is not merely a regional menace. It is a global threat. For too long, the world has ignored or excused its open declarations to annihilate Israel, erase Jews, destroy the United States, and dismantle Western democracy from within.
This is not a sudden escalation. It is the culmination of more than four decades of methodical, well-funded aggression. Iran has invested not only in uranium enrichment and ballistic missile systems, but in a sprawling terror infrastructure that spans continents. Through its proxies — Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza, the Houthis in Yemen, Shiite militias in Iraq and Syria — Iran has exported death and destabilization far beyond its borders.
Its fingerprints are on bombings, kidnappings, cyberattacks, and assassinations. Its propaganda infiltrates social media, academic discourse, and policymaking spaces. And its operatives are embedded in communities and institutions across the globe.
But what makes this moment particularly dangerous is the world’s silence. Carefully worded condemnations. Equivocal statements. Prioritizing optics over moral clarity. Too many Western leaders still treat Iran as a misunderstood player, rather than what it plainly is: a tyrannical theocratic regime at war with freedom.
The media perpetuates this confusion, often blaming Israel for defending itself — as though a sovereign, democratic nation under sustained attack has no right to ensure the safety of its citizens. But Israel’s response is not retaliation. It is survival. It is a necessity. It is strategic, precise, and consistent with what any nation would –and must — do when facing an existential threat.
Since the Hamas-led atrocities of October 7, 2023, we’ve seen a disturbing pattern: Israel is vilified for doing what every other country does when its people are slaughtered and threatened. Leaders in Washington, London, Berlin, and Paris understand this privately. But publicly, they hedge, they placate, and they equivocate.
Even Arab governments, many of which have long regarded Iran as the greatest destabilizing force in the region, are complicit in this duplicity. Behind closed doors, they hope Israel will succeed where they have failed: in halting Iran’s nuclear ambitions and regional domination. But publicly, they condemn Israel — not out of principle, but out of fear: fear of Iranian retaliation and fear of unrest within their own populations, inflamed by Islamist propaganda.
The threat Iran poses to the Middle East cannot be overstated. It funds terror organizations that undermine moderate governments, destabilize fragile societies, and prolong conflict. Its influence extends from Lebanon to Syria, from Iraq to Yemen, from Gaza to the Persian Gulf. In each of these places, it empowers non-state actors that thrive on chaos and violence.
But the Islamic Republic doesn’t only terrorize others — it brutalizes its own people.
In Iran, women are forced into submission under the regime’s extremist interpretation of Islamic law. The so-called “morality police” enforce mandatory hijab laws with violence and imprisonment. Girls and women are denied basic rights, bodily autonomy, and even the ability to sing or dance in public.
LGBTQ+ Iranians face institutionalized persecution, torture, and execution. Simply existing as homosexual, queer, or trans in Iran is punishable by death. Activists, artists, students, and journalists who dare to speak out against the regime disappear into prison cells — or into shallow graves.
And the cruelty does not stop at Iran’s borders. Iranian intelligence services have a long history of targeting dissidents, former officials, and outspoken critics abroad — including in the US, Europe, and South America. Whether through assassination plots, cyber harassment, or coercion of family members back home, Iran has weaponized fear and violence globally. Those who impede its Islamist agenda or speak the truth about its crimes are marked.
This brings us to what we are now witnessing across cities in the West: the rise of Palestinianism — a radicalized movement that has become a central arm of the broader Islamist agenda.
Let me be clear: This is not a call for Palestinian statehood or peaceful coexistence. It is not rooted in humanitarian concern. Palestinianism, as we now see it in marches, riots, violence, desecration of public property, targeting Jewish communities, synagogues, businesses, schools, university occupations across the Western world, and vitriolic anti-Zionist and anti-Israel social media campaigns, is a politicized cult of grievance and destruction. It aligns itself with the Islamic Republic’s goal of eradicating Israel and undermining liberal democracies like the United States from within.
It merges anti-Zionism with antisemitism, cloaking hatred in the language of liberation. It draws in well-meaning activists and allies, weaponizing progressive values — inclusion, equality, anti-racism — only to subvert them from the inside. What begins as solidarity ends as surrender to theocratic fascism.
As someone who has spent my life advocating for Jewish and LGBTQ+ rights, I have seen how Iran, Qatar, Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood, and ISIS have infiltrated social justice and civil rights movements in the West. Not with compassion — but with coercion. Not with shared values — but with a hijacking of language and platforms.
They use our freedoms to destroy our freedoms. They plant the seeds of division and weaponize identity to dismantle solidarity. Universities, media outlets, and political parties have become vulnerable conduits for their ideology.
I have been warning about this for years. And now, as Iranian missiles target Israel, as terror proxies destabilize the Middle East, and as radicals march in Western cities calling for “Intifada,” the world is finally — belatedly — seeing what we have allowed to fester.
This is not just Israel’s war. This is a global battle for the soul of our civilization.
Islamism — not Islam, but Islamism — is a radical, theocratic political movement cloaked in religious language. It is a modern totalitarianism that uses faith as a weapon. And it is here — on our streets, in our schools, in our governments. We see it in the storming of synagogues, the harassment of Jewish students, the silencing of Israeli speakers, the boycotts of businesses, the glorification of terrorist groups, and the threats against anyone — Jewish or not — who dares to dissent.
The Palestinianist and Islamist uprisings we are witnessing today are not peaceful protests. They are coordinated pressure campaigns –sometimes erupting into outright violence — meant to intimidate, destabilize, and force compliance with a genocidal agenda.
To remain silent is to be complicit.
To equivocate is to enable.
To excuse is to embolden.
To my fellow activists, journalists, human rights defenders, and leaders of conscience:
This is the moment.
To name the threat.
To defend what matters.
To speak truth without apology.
Because the missiles flying toward Israel tonight are not just aimed at Jews. They are aimed at all of us — our values, our freedoms, our future.
And we cannot afford to look away any longer.
Yuval David is an Emmy and Multi-Award-Winning Actor, Filmmaker, Journalist, and Jewish LGBTQ+ activist and advisor. A creative and compelling storyteller, on stage and screen, news and across social media, Yuval shares the narrative of Jewish activism and enduring hope. Follow him on Instagram, YouTube, and X.
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Harvard Faculty Oppose Deal With Trump, Distancing From Hamas Apologists: Crimson Poll
Harvard University president Alan Garber attending the 373rd Commencement Exercises at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, US, May 23, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Brian Snyder
A recently published Harvard Crimson poll of over 1,400 Harvard faculty revealed sweeping opposition to interim university President Alan Garber’s efforts to strike a deal with the federal government to restore $3 billion in research grants and contracts it froze during the first 100 days of the second Trump administration.
In the survey, conducted from April 23 to May 12, 71 percent of arts and sciences faculty oppose negotiating a settlement with the administration, which may include concessions conservatives have long sought from elite higher education, such as meritocratic admissions, viewpoint diversity, and severe disciplinary sanctions imposed on students who stage unauthorized protests that disrupt academic life.
Additionally, 64 percent “strongly disagree” with shuttering diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, 73 percent oppose rejecting foreign applicants who hold anti-American beliefs which are “hostile to the American values and institutions inscribed in the US Constitution and Declaration of Independence,” and 70 percent strongly disagree with revoking school recognition from pro-Hamas groups such as the Palestine Solidarity Committee (PSC).
“More than 98 percent of faculty who responded to the survey supported the university’s decision to sue the White House,” The Crimson reported. “The same percentage backed Harvard’s public rejection of the sweeping conditions that the administration set for maintaining the funds — terms that included external audits of Harvard’s hiring practices and the disciplining of student protesters.”
Alyza Lewin of the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law told The Algemeiner that the poll results indicate that Harvard University will continue to struggle to address campus antisemitism on campus, as there is now data showing that its faculty reject the notion of excising intellectualized antisemitism from the university.
“If you, for example, have faculty teaching courses that are regularly denying that the Jews are a people and erasing the Jewish people’s history in the land of Israel, that’s going to undermine your efforts to address the antisemitism on your campus,” Lewin explained. “When Israel is being treated as the ‘collective Jew,’ when the conversation is not about Israel’s policies, when the criticism is not what the [International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism] would call criticism of Israel similar to that against any other country, they have to understand that it is the demonization, delegitimization, and applying a double standard to Jews as individuals or to Israel.”
She added, “Faculty must recognize … the demonization, vilification, the shunning, and the marginalizing of Israelis, Jews, and Zionists, when it happens, as violations of the anti-discrimination policies they are legally and contractually obligated to observe.”
The Crimson survey results were published amid reports that Garber was working to reach a deal with the Trump administration that is palatable to all interested parties, including the university’s left-wing social milieu.
According to a June 26 report published by The Crimson, Garber held a phone call with major donors in which he “confirmed in response to a question from [Harvard Corporation Fellow David M. Rubenstein] that talks had resumed” but “declined to share specifics of how Harvard expected to settle with the White House.”
On June 30, the Trump administration issued Harvard a “notice of violation” of civil rights law following an investigation which examined how it responded to dozens of antisemitic incidents reported by Jewish students since the 2023-2024 academic year.
The correspondence, sent by the Joint Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, charged that Harvard willfully exposed Jewish students to a torrent of racist and antisemitic abuse following the Hamas-led Oct. 7 massacre, which precipitated a surge in anti-Zionist activity on the campus, both in the classroom and out of it.
“Failure to institute adequate changes immediately will result in the loss of all federal financial resources and continue to affect Harvard’s relationship with the federal government,” wrote the four federal officials comprising the multiagency Task Force. “Harvard may of course continue to operate free of federal privileges, and perhaps such an opportunity will spur a commitment to excellence that will help Harvard thrive once again.”
The Trump administration ratcheted up pressure on Harvard again on Wednesday, reporting the institution to its accreditor for alleged civil rights violations resulting from its weak response to reports of antisemitic bullying, discrimination, and harassment following the Oct. 7, 2023 massacre.
Citing Harvard’s failure to treat antisemitism as seriously as it treated other forms of hatred in the past, The US Department of Educationthe called on the New England Commission of Higher Education to review and, potentially, revoke its accreditation — a designation which qualifies Harvard for federal funding and attests to the quality of the educational services its provides.
“Accrediting bodies play a significant role in preserving academic integrity and a campus culture conducive to truth seeking and learning,” said Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. “Part of that is ensuring students are safe on campus and abiding by federal laws that guarantee educational opportunities to all students. By allowing anti-Semitic harassment and discrimination to persist unchecked on its campus, Harvard University has failed in its obligation to students, educators, and American taxpayers.”
Follow Dion J. Pierre @DionJPierre.
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Balancing Act: Lebanese President Aoun Affirms Hope for Peace with Israel, Balks At Normalization
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun attends a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, March 28, 2025. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier/Pool
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Friday carefully affirmed his country’s desire for peace with Israel while cautioning that Beirut is not ready to normalize relations with its southern neighbor.
Aoun called for a full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory, according to a statement from his office, while reaffirming his government’s efforts to uphold a state monopoly on arms amid mounting international pressure on the Iran-backed terror group Hezbollah to disarm.
“The decision to restrict arms is final and there is no turning back on it,” Aoun said.
The Lebanese leader drew a clear distinction between pursuing peace and establishing formal normalization in his country’s relationship with the Jewish state.
“Peace is the lack of a state of war, and this is what matters to us in Lebanon at the moment,” Aoun said in a statement. “As for the issue of normalization, it is not currently part of Lebanese foreign policy.”
Aoun’s latest comments come after Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar expressed interest last month in normalizing ties with Lebanon and Syria — an effort Jerusalem says cannot proceed until Hezbollah is fully disarmed.
Earlier this week, Aoun sent his government’s response to a US-backed disarmament proposal as Washington and Jerusalem increased pressure on Lebanon to neutralize the terror group.
While the details remain confidential, US Special Envoy Thomas Barrack said he was “unbelievably satisfied” with their response.
This latest proposal, presented to Lebanese officials during Barrack’s visit on June 19, calls for Hezbollah to be fully disarmed within four months in exchange for Israel halting airstrikes and withdrawing troops from its five occupied posts in southern Lebanon.
However, Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem vowed in a televised speech to keep the group’s weapons, rejecting Washington’s disarmament proposal.
“How can you expect us not to stand firm while the Israeli enemy continues its aggression, continues to occupy the five points, and continues to enter our territories and kill?” said Qassem, who succeeded longtime terrorist leader Hassan Nasrallah after Israel killed him last year.
“We will not be part of legitimizing the occupation in Lebanon and the region,” the terrorist leader continued. “We will not accept normalization [with Israel].”
Last fall, Israel decimated Hezbollah’s leadership and military capabilities with an air and ground offensive, following the group’s attacks on Jerusalem — which they claimed were a show of solidarity with the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas amid the war in Gaza.
In November, Lebanon and Israel reached a US-brokered ceasefire agreement that ended a year of fighting between the Jewish state and Hezbollah.
Under the agreement, Israel was given 60 days to withdraw from southern Lebanon, allowing the Lebanese army and UN forces to take over security as Hezbollah disarms and moves away from Israel’s northern border.
However, Israel maintained troops at several posts in southern Lebanon beyond the ceasefire deadline, as its leaders aimed to reassure northern residents that it was safe to return home.
Jerusalem has continued carrying out strikes targeting remaining Hezbollah activity, with Israeli leaders accusing the group of maintaining combat infrastructure, including rocket launchers — calling this “blatant violations of understandings between Israel and Lebanon.”
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Peace Meals: Chef José Andrés Says ‘Good People’ On Both Sides of Gaza Conflict Ill-Served By Leaders, Food Can Bridge Divide
Chef and head of World Central Kitchen Jose Andres attends the Milken Institute Global Conference 2025 in Beverly Hills, California, US, May 5, 2025. Photo: Reuters/Mike Blake.
Renowned Spanish chef and World Central Kitchen (WCK) founder José Andrés called the Oct. 7 attack “horrendous” in an interview Wednesday and shared his hopes for reconciliation between the “vast majority” on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian divide who are “good people that very often are not served well by their leaders”
WCK is a US-based, nonprofit organization that provides fresh meals to people in conflict zones around the world. The charity has been actively serving Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank since the Oct. 7 massacre in southern Israel. Since the Hamas attack, WCK has served more than 133 million meals across Gaza, according to its website.
The restaurateur and humanitarian has been quoted saying in past interviews that “sometimes very big problems have very simple solutions.” On Wednesday’s episode of the Wall Street Journal podcast “Bold Names,” he was asked to elaborate on that thought. He responded by saying he believes good meals and good leaders can help resolve issues between Israelis and Palestinians, who, he believes, genuinely want to live harmoniously with each other.
“I had people in Gaza, mothers, women making bread,” he said. “Moments that you had of closeness they were telling you: ‘What Hamas did was wrong. I wouldn’t [want] anybody to do this to my children.’ And I had Israelis that even lost family members. They say, ‘I would love to go to Gaza to be next to the people to show them that we respect them …’ And this to me is very fascinating because it’s the reality.
“Maybe some people call me naive. [But] the vast majority of the people are good people that very often are not served well by their leaders. And the simple reality of recognizing that many truths can be true at the same time in the same phrase that what happened on October 7th was horrendous and was never supposed to happen. And that’s why World Central Kitchen was there next to the people in Israel feeding in the kibbutz from day one, and at the same time that I defended obviously the right of Israel to defend itself and to try to bring back the hostages. Equally, what is happening in Gaza is not supposed to be happening either.”
Andres noted that he supports Israel’s efforts to target Hamas terrorists but then seemingly accused Israel of “continuously” targeting children and civilians during its military operations against the terror group.
“We need leaders that believe in that, that believe in longer tables,” he concluded. “It’s so simple to invest in peace … It’s so simple to do good. It’s so simple to invest in a better tomorrow. Food is a solution to many of the issues we’re facing. Let’s hope that … one day in the Middle East it’ll be people just celebrating the cultures that sometimes if you look at what they eat, they seem all to eat exactly the same.”
In 2024, WCK fired at least 62 of its staff members in Gaza after Israel said they had ties to terrorist groups. In one case, Israel discovered that a WCK employee named Ahed Azmi Qdeih took part in the deadly Hamas rampage across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Qdeih was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza in November 2024.
In April 2024, the Israel Defense Forces received backlash for carrying out airstrikes on a WCK vehicle convoy which killed seven of the charity’s employees. Israel’s military chief, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, said the airstrikes were “a mistake that followed a misidentification,” and Israel dismissed two senior officers as a result of the mishandled military operation.
The strikes “were not just some unfortunate mistake in the fog of war,” Andrés alleged.
“It was a direct attack on clearly marked vehicles whose movements were known by” the Israeli military, he claimed in an op-ed published by Israeli newspaper Yediot Aharonot. “It was also the direct result of [the Israeli] government’s policy to squeeze humanitarian aid to desperate levels.”
In a statement on X, Andres accused Israel of “indiscriminate killing,” saying the Jewish state “needs to stop restricting humanitarian aid, stop killing civilians and aid workers, and stop using food as a weapon.”
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