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This Tisha B’Av, Our Savior Won’t Be a Politician or Political Party; It Will Be Ourselves
Supporters of Israel gather in solidarity with Israel and protest against antisemitism, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian terror group Hamas, during a rally on the National Mall in Washington, DC, Nov. 14, 2023. Photo: REUTERS/Leah Millis
When the coronavirus was spreading throughout the world and stopped our civilization, many were floating a phrase that seemed to resonate: “we’re living in Biblical times.”
In the past 10 months, I have heard this phrase even more frequently from fellow Jews who feel lost in the absurdity of the hate and trauma that has been raged on our people and homeland. Perhaps beneath this statement there is a hope that in this Biblical chapter, once again, our calamities will be resolved with a divine intervention.
Could it be that a new chapter is actually being written today? One about a “Third Temple” in the form of a modern State of Israel, where Jewish inventions are the center of every major technological and scientific advancement in the world. Where Jews are protected by an Iron Dome that was as miraculous as the Passover manna; the place where no matter how much hate and antisemitism they feel in the diaspora, Jews could find a safe haven.
Could this be a new chapter about the place where technology, people, and G-d himself lapsed all at once, and 1,200 people were ravaged, mutilated, and murdered? Where once again, Jews stepped into another cycle of calamities?
I don’t know the answer.
I’m neither religious, nor a Biblical scholar, but as we approach Tisha B’Av, the ninth day of the month of Av, I see a convergence of the past and the present. A quick scan of the Jewish history across millennia shows us some of our worst catastrophes — the destruction of the First and Second temple, the onset of the first and second world wars, and in between, the expulsion of Jew from Spain and England.
More recently, in Israel, hours before this day in 2022, rockets targeting innocent civilians were flying into the airspace, only to be disabled by the Iron Dome. In 2023, the judicial reform debate was tearing the country apart. Polarization had divided us as a people around the world, left against right, religious against secular, this against that — and today, the threats against us are immeasurable, even for the experts. The narratives of the past manifest themselves with the threats of today.
When I was journaling on this topic two years ago, I wrote that as a Jewish community, we need more compassion toward one another, more nuance in our approach in politics, and more humility in facing our enemies instead of false confidence.
This year, I find our community more compassionate than ever and more realistic about the threat of the enemy. We are realizing we are not each others’ enemies. Our community has shown unprecedented levels of generosity and support to those who have been impacted.
Yet I fear that despite our increased unity, we haven’t yet let go of the golden calves that we have made of political figures and partisan politics. As the election season approaches, I see the ugly partisan divide distracting us from the real problems and turning us away from our bond to one another, Ahavat Israel.
Yes, in desperate times, we all need a miracle. But let’s not anoint anyone as our present day Moses. We should not expect Moses to descend from Sinai and fix our problems, because this is our Israelite Revival moment, and we all have to rise to the occasion.
Neither Kamala Harris nor Donald Trump alone can guarantee to deliver what we need to overcome this crisis. This is the moment for all of us to speak truth to power and hold our leaders accountable, regardless of party affiliation. We should not excuse their mistakes — big or small — because when we get quiet, our enemies get louder, emboldened to monopolize our leader’s powers.
On this Tisha B’Av, thousands of years after the destruction of the temple, we ought to envision new weapons and shields, beyond Iron Domes and anti-missile ammunitions that are essential to our physical safety. We need the blast of the Shofar from Abraham’s miracle; the guiding light from Hanukkah; the diplomacy of Esther and Mordechai; the armor of the Ten Commandments; and ultimately, the collective love for the Torah that guides us.
May the alarm of the Shofar wake us up to the threats and prepare us to confront the enemy. May the diplomacy of Esther and Mordechai succeed at convincing our allies to stand by us. May the light of Hanukkah help to guide our nation to fight corruption, and ignorance. May the Ten Commandments shield us from hate and violence. And may the Torah remind us to gain strength from our joyful tradition and stand in unity with our people.
Born and raised in Iran, Marjan Keypour Greenblatt is a human rights advocate and founder of the Alliance for of All Minorities (ARAMIran.org).
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French Official Tells Paper Arab Countries Will Condemn Hamas, Trying to Get Palestinian Statehood Recognized
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot speaks to the media on the day he attends the European Union Foreign Ministers council in Brussels, Belgium, July 15, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Yves Herman
Arab countries will for the first time condemn Hamas and call for its disarmament early next week at a United Nations ministerial event in New York, a move meant to lure more European countries to recognize Palestinian statehood, France’s foreign minister said on Saturday.
In an exclusive interview with French weekly Le Journal du Dimanche, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot said the move was part of a long-planned initiative between France and Saudi Arabia.
“For the first time, Arab countries will condemn Hamas and call for its disarmament, which will seal its definitive isolation. European countries will in turn confirm their intention to recognize the State of Palestine. Half of European countries have done so, all others are considering it,” Barrot told the JDD.
“The British Prime Minister has stated his intention to do so. Germany is considering it at a later stage. We will launch an appeal in New York for other countries to join us in order to set in motion an even more ambitious and demanding process that will culminate on September 21,” Barrot added.
On Thursday French President Emmanuel Macron announced France would formally recognize the state of Palestine at the U.N. General Assembly on September 21, drawing condemnation from the U.S. and Israel.
Earlier on Saturday Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni called it counterproductive to recognize a Palestinian state before it is established.
On Friday a German government spokesperson said there were no plans to recognize a Palestinian state in the short term.
At the upcoming United Nations event on Monday and Tuesday, France and Saudi Arabia plan to lay out a proposed post-war roadmap leading to a two-state solution covering security, reconstruction and governance, which will be compatible with the Abraham Accords negotiated by US President Trump, Barrot said.
The French minister added that in coming weeks the European Commission would take a tougher stance on Israel and demand a stop on building of any new settlement projects in the West Bank, and also an end to militarized policing of humanitarian aid distribution.
Barrot also called on fellow European countries to demand a removal of the financial blockade on the Palestinian authority so it can receive 2 billion euros he said it is owed.
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Jordan and UAE Drop Aid Into Gaza in First Airdrop in Months, Jordanian Source Says
An airplane drops humanitarian aid over Gaza as seen from northern Gaza Strip July 27, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
Jordan and the United Arab Emirates parachuted 25 tons of aid into the Gaza Strip on Sunday in their first airdrop in months, a Jordanian official source said.
The official said the air drops were not a substitute for delivery by land.
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Trump Says Israel Will Have to Decide on Next Steps in Gaza, Pledges More Aid
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 8, 2025. Photo: Kevin Lamarque via Reuters Connect.
US President Donald Trump said on Sunday Israel would have to make a decision on next steps in Gaza, adding that he did not know what would happen after the collapse of ceasefire and hostage-release negotiations with the Hamas terrorist group.
Trump underscored the importance of securing the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, saying they had suddenly “hardened” up on the issue, and said the US would provide more aid to the war-torn Palestinian enclave.
“They don’t want to give them back, and so Israel is going to have to make a decision,” Trump told reporters at the start of a meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at his golf property in Turnberry, Scotland.
“I know what I’d do, but I don’t think it’s appropriate that I say it. But Israel is going to have to make a decision,” he said, while also claiming, without evidence, that Hamas members were stealing food coming into Gaza and selling it.
Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu both appeared on Friday to abandon Gaza ceasefire negotiations with Hamas, saying it had become clear that the Palestinian group did not want a deal.
Netanyahu said Israel was now mulling “alternative” options to achieve its goals of bringing its hostages home from Gaza and ending Hamas rule in the enclave.
Trump said he believed Hamas leaders would now be “hunted down,” telling reporters: “Hamas really didn’t want to make a deal. I think they want to die. And it’s very bad. And it got to be to a point where you’re going to have to finish the job.”
US TO PROVIDE MORE AID, TRUMP SAYS
Trump on Sunday said the US would provide more humanitarian aid to Gaza, where concerns are mounting about the worsening hunger, but wanted other countries to participate as well. He said he would discuss the issue with von der Leyen.
“We’re giving a lot of money, a lot of food, a lot of everything,” he said. “If we weren’t there, I think people would have starved, frankly. They would have starved, and it’s not like they’re eating well.”
He said he had spoken with Netanyahu and discussed a number of issues, including Iran. He said and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer would also discuss Israel when they meet at Trump’s golf property in Turnberry on Monday.
Trump also noted said the United States was not acknowledged for earlier food aid for Gaza.
“No other country gave anything,” he said, calling out European countries in particular. “It makes you feel a little bad when you do that and, you know, you have other countries not giving anything… Nobody gave but us. And nobody said, Gee, thank you very much. And it would be nice to have at least a thank you.”
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