RSS
‘Our Enemies’ Core Assumptions Have Been Shattered’
Smoke billows over southern Lebanon following an Israeli strike, amid ongoing cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as seen from Tyre, Lebanon, Sept. 26, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
JNS.org – Recent events have shaken assumptions by Israel’s enemies regarding the strength of the Jewish state and Israeli society, according to former Israeli National Security Adviser Meir Ben Shabbat.
Reflecting on the past year and particularly recent weeks, Ben Shabbat, currently head of the Misgav Institute for National Security, highlighted to JNS on Wednesday how Israel’s resilience and daring, sustained military operations have disrupted core beliefs of Hezbollah and its sponsors in Iran regarding Israel’s ability to endure extended warfare.
At the same time, he cautioned against complacency, and warned that a long fight remained ahead, with Israel now determined to fundamentally change the regional security reality, and not make do with victory pictures.
Ben Shabbat referred to the late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah’s infamous “spider web” speech, delivered in Bint Jbeil, Southern Lebanon, in May 2000 after the Israel Defense Forces’ withdrawal from Lebanon. In this speech, Nasrallah declared that Israeli society only appeared strong, but lacked the resilience to endure war, describing Israel as “weaker than a spider’s web.”
“Nasrallah and his partners were convinced that Israeli society is weary of war and lacks the resilience to endure a bloody conflict or sustain casualties,” said Ben Shabbat.
This conviction was reinforced further during 2023, when deep divisions and polarization erupted in Israeli society.
However, he added, the events of the past year have shattered all of these assumptions, with Israel demonstrating its ability to manage a long war on multiple fronts while remaining steadfast in its objectives.
“Nasrallah and our other enemies failed to understand the true nature of Israel or the profound impact that Oct. 7—and the shake-up it caused—had on Israeli thinking and behavior,” he added.
Ben Shabbat cited a speech by Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, delivered at the United Nations two weeks ago, in which he stated that “in the past year, the world was witness to Israel’s true nature.”
While Pezeshkian “intended to accuse Israel of crimes against humanity, like Balaam [the non-Israelite biblical prophet], his intended curse ended up being an accurate observation and a compliment: Israel during the year of war after Oct. 7 presents its real nature: Belief, boldness, sophistication and determination against all who rise against it,” said Ben Shabbat.
As a result, there has been a shift among what is left of Hezbollah’s leadership, he continued, especially after Naim Qassem, Nasrallah’s deputy and one of Hezbollah’s founders, appeared to call for a ceasefire in Lebanon during a speech on Tuesday. Notably, he did not link the call to the ongoing fighting against Hamas in Gaza—a linkage Nasrallah insisted on throughout almost a year of conflict.
“This is a good indication of the organization’s position and shows that Israel has succeeded in breaking the connection that Nasrallah had established between the fighting in Lebanon and the fighting in Gaza,” contended Ben Shabbat.
While Hezbollah remains closely tied to Iran, much more so than Hamas, and this connection remains strong, the group’s political position within Lebanon has weakened, he said.
“Anti-Hezbollah forces in Lebanon now have an opportunity to raise their head and come out against the organization that has held the entire country hostage, in a struggle it conducted against us under Iranian sponsorship and support,” he added.
Asked whether Israel could prevent Iran from rearming Hezbollah, Ben Shabbat noted that Israel is actively working toward that goal. “Israel is taking action to counter the enemy’s efforts to strengthen itself, and while it is a complex battle, the battle to stop this is inevitable,” he said. “It of course also requires steps to limit Iran’s [moves] in this area, and its ability to fund Hezbollah’s growth and the other proxy organizations it activates.”
The collapse of Nasrallah’s “spider web” theory, according to Ben Shabbat, is being observed across the region and beyond. Not only are Tehran and its proxy militias taking note, but also others suffering under Iranian influence, he said.
“Lebanese power brokers now have an opportunity, which was until now a dream only, to free themselves from Hezbollah’s oppressive shadow. Sunni leaders in the region, too, have a chance to set red lines regarding Iran’s malicious presence in their territories, or on their borders,” he said.
Ben Shabbat highlighted how recent events have reinforced Israel’s strategic value to Washington and other global powers. The U.S. presidential candidates, the leaders of Russia and China and heads of state from countries still formulating their stance toward Israel are all keenly observing events, he explained.
“If there was ever any doubt about Israel’s value to Washington, the events of the past few days have dispelled it. If there was a need to prove that Israel is the arrowhead in dealing with the forces of evil of Iran, this war provided it. Alongside concern over deterioration into general war, one can also sense optimism following the achievements of the campaign,” he stated.
Ben Shabbat cautioned however that Israel’s adversaries are not yet defeated, stating, “Our enemies in Lebanon and Gaza have been dealt severe blows, but a hard and surprising hit does not necessarily mean it’s decisive or fatal.”
The test, he said, lies in the ability of these enemies to recover and continue their activities. “There is still much work to be done, and it will be complete only when we return the hostages and can declare that the Iranian octopus has finally lost these two tentacles.”
Reflecting on Israel’s history, Ben Shabbat concluded with a message of perseverance.
“The people of Israel have known great disasters throughout history, but we have never sunk into the depths of despair. Our faith has not cracked, and our spirit has never been broken. When we fall, we rise again, and from every crisis, we grew. Israel is eternal.”
The post ‘Our Enemies’ Core Assumptions Have Been Shattered’ first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself. Really?
JNS.org – If I asked you to name the most famous line in the Bible, what would you answer? While Shema Yisrael (“Hear O’Israel”) might get many votes, I imagine that the winning line would be “love thy neighbor as thyself” (Leviticus 19:18). Some religions refer to it as the Golden Rule, but all would agree that it is fundamental to any moral lifestyle. And it appears this week in our Torah reading, Kedoshim.
This is quite a tall order. Can we be expected to love other people as much as we love ourselves? Surely, this is an idealistic expectation. And yet, the Creator knows us better than we know ourselves. How can His Torah be so unrealistic?
The biblical commentaries offer a variety of explanations. Some, like Rambam (Maimonides), say that the focus should be on our behavior, rather than our feelings. We are expected to try our best or to treat others “as if” we genuinely love them.
Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, in his classic text called the Tanya, argues that the actual feelings of love are, in fact, achievable provided that we focus on a person’s spirituality rather than how they present themselves physically. If we can put the soul over the body, we can do it.
Allow me to share the interpretation of the Ramban (Nachmanides), a 13th-century Torah scholar from Spain. His interpretation of the verses preceding love thy neighbor is classic and powerful, yet simple and straightforward.
“Do not hate your brother in your heart. You shall rebuke him, but do not bear a sin because of him” by embarrassing him in public. “Do not take revenge, and do not bear a grudge against your people. You shall love your fellow as yourself, I am God” (Leviticus 19:17-18).
What is the connection between these verses? Why is revenge and grudge-bearing in the same paragraph as love your fellow as yourself?
A careful reading shows that within these two verses are no less than six biblical commandments. But what is their sequence all about, and what is the connection between them?
The Ramban explains it beautifully, showing how the sequence of verses is deliberate and highlighting the Torah’s profound yet practical advice on how to maintain healthy relationships.
Someone wronged you? Don’t hate him in your heart. Speak to him. Don’t let it fester until it bursts, and makes you bitter and sick.
Instead, talk it out. Confront the person. Of course, do it respectfully. Don’t embarrass anyone in public, so that you don’t bear a sin because of them. But don’t let your hurt eat you up. Communicate!
If you approach the person who wronged you—not with hate in your heart but with respectful reproof—one of two things will happen. Either he or she will apologize and explain their perspective on the matter. Or that it was a misunderstanding and will get sorted out between you. Either way, you will feel happier and healthier.
Then you will not feel the need to take revenge or even to bear a grudge.
Here, says the Ramban, is the connection between these two verses. And if you follow this advice, only then will you be able to observe the commandment to Love Thy Neighbor. If you never tell him why you are upset, another may be completely unaware of his or her wrongdoing, and it will remain as a wound inside you and may never go away.
To sum up: Honest communication is the key to loving people.
Now, tell me the truth. Did you know that not taking revenge is a biblical commandment? In some cultures in Africa, revenge is a mitzvah! I’ve heard radio talk-show hosts invite listeners to share how they took “sweet revenge” on someone, as if it’s some kind of accomplishment.
Furthermore, did you know that bearing a grudge is forbidden by biblical law?
Here in South Africa, people refer to a grudge by its Yiddish name, a faribel. In other countries, people call it a broiges. Whatever the terminology, the Torah states explicitly: “Thou shalt not bear a grudge!” Do not keep a faribel, a broiges or resentment of any kind toward someone you believe wronged you. Talk to that person. Share your feelings honestly. If you do it respectfully and do not demean the other’s dignity, then it can be resolved. Only then will you be able to love your fellow as yourself.
May all our grudges and feelings of resentment toward others be dealt with honestly and respectfully. May all our grudges be resolved as soon as possible. Then we will all be in a much better position to love our neighbors as ourselves.
The post Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself. Really? first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
‘Nonsense’: Huckabee Shoots Down Report Trump to Endorse Palestinian Statehood
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee looks on during the day he visits the Western Wall, Judaism’s holiest prayer site, in Jerusalem’s Old City, April 18, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
i24 News – US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee on Saturday dismissed as nonsensical the report that President Donald Trump would endorse Palestinian statehood during his tour to the Persian Gulf this week.
“This report is nonsense,” Huckabee harrumphed on his X account, blasting the Jerusalem Post as needing better sourced reporting. “Israel doesn’t have a better friend than the president of the United States.”
Trump is set to visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. The leader’s first trip overseas since he took office comes as Trump seeks the Gulf countries’ support in regional conflicts, including the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and curbing Iran’s advancing nuclear program.
However, reports citing administration insiders claimed that Trump has also set his sights on the ambitious goal of expanding the Abraham Accords. These agreements, initially signed in 2020, normalized relations between Israel and the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan. The accords are widely held to be among the most important achievements of the first Trump administration.
The post ‘Nonsense’: Huckabee Shoots Down Report Trump to Endorse Palestinian Statehood first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
US to Put Military Option Back on Table If No Immediate Progress in Iran Talks
US President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy-designate Steve Witkoff gives a speech at the inaugural parade inside Capital One Arena on the inauguration day of Trump’s second presidential term, in Washington, DC, Jan. 20, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Carlos Barria
i24 News – Unless significant progress is registered in Sunday’s round of nuclear talks with Iran, the US will consider putting the military option back on the table, sources close to US envoy Steve Witkoff told i24NEWS.
American and Iranian representatives voiced optimism after the previous talks that took place in Oman and Rome, saying there was a friendly atmosphere despite the two countries’ decades of enmity.
However the two sides are not believed to have thrashed out the all-important technical details, and basic questions remain.
The source has also underscored the significance of the administration’s choice of Michael Anton, the State Department’s policy planning director, as the lead representative in the nuclear talks’ technical phases.
Anton is “an Iran expert and someone who knows how to cut a deal with Iran,” the source said, saying that the choice reflected Trump’s desire to secure the deal.
The post US to Put Military Option Back on Table If No Immediate Progress in Iran Talks first appeared on Algemeiner.com.