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We Must Heed the Words of Warning About Threats to Israel
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei waves during a meeting in Tehran, Iran, May 20, 2025. Photo: Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS
On August 3rd, 1914, as dusk was settling over St. James’s Park in Westminster, Central London, the British Foreign Secretary, Sir Edward Grey, stood at the window of his room at the Foreign Office with his friend John Alfred Spender, editor of the Westminster Gazette.
It had been a grueling week of diplomatic back-and-forth as Europe continued to flounder following the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the presumptive heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, who was killed together with his wife in Sarajevo at the end of June. Earlier that day, it had become clear that all diplomatic efforts had been to no avail, and what would turn out to be the most devastating war in history was about to begin with the German invasion of Belgium.
Grey, whose own role as the British Empire’s top diplomat was intimately bound up with the failures leading up to the war, gazed out the window and murmured words to his friend that would haunt him, and remain etched in history: “The lamps are going out all over Europe; we shall not see them lit again in our lifetime.”
Outside, the scene was peaceful — the soft glow of the gas lamps, the calm of a London evening. But inside Grey’s office, and in the corridors of power across Europe, the gears of war were already turning. In that moment of eerie calm, Grey’s dark words captured the sense of a world that had sleepwalked into disaster, with leaders who did nothing to stop the calamity that was about to engulf them all.
The series of events historians call the July Crisis is a textbook example of catastrophic leadership failure: Self-important aristocrats and diplomats, smug politicians, and gung-ho military experts, all aloof in their ivory towers, refusing to hear the voices of those who warned of the abyss ahead. Illusions of dignity and prestige that would be lost were prioritized over both the realities of a world order that was changing, and any thought that war was the worst possible alternative.
It makes you wonder: What would have happened if Europe’s leaders had actually listened to the voices of the people who would be affected? If they’d heard from the soldiers who would soon die in the trenches, the mothers who would soon be left to mourn, and the ordinary citizens and their descendants whose lives would be shattered for a century to come?
One of the great foundations of modern democracy is the ‘voice of the people’ — the idea that leaders are accountable to those they govern, and that power and justice are strongest when they emerge from the bottom up, not imposed from the top down. In his foundational work, Two Treatises of Government, the seventeenth-century English political philosopher John Locke argued that governments only derive legitimacy from what he called “the consent of the governed.”
Thomas Jefferson was a big fan of this idea, and together with America’s founding fathers, he ensured that it was enshrined in the US Constitution. Jefferson was also a devoted admirer of the Hebrew Scriptures, and it is therefore not surprising that this idea is embedded in the Torah. In an 1813 letter to the prominent Quaker William Canby, Jefferson expressed admiration for the “sublime philosophy of the Hebrew prophets,” calling it “the most precious” source of religious and moral guidance.
And indeed, in the Torah, we find a remarkable example of this very principle — a moment when leadership didn’t come from the top down, but rather emerged from the Israelites’ desert camp itself. Despite resistance toward it from an influential voice, Moshe, the paradigm of Jewish leadership, embraces the ‘voice of the people’ wholeheartedly.
The story can be found in Parshat Beha’alotecha after Moshe appoints seventy elders to share the burden of prophecy and leadership. Suddenly, two men — Eldad and Medad — begin to prophesy in the camp outside the carefully orchestrated gathering.
Their unexpected prophecy shakes the status quo, and Moshe’s devoted deputy Joshua suggests they be arrested and jailed for this shocking break with protocol. But Moshe’s reaction to Joshua’s suggestion is nothing short of remarkable: “Would that all of God’s people were prophets, that God would put His spirit upon them!” (Num. 11:29).
Moshe’s response stands as a timeless rebuke to those who cling to control and hierarchy at all costs. It recognizes that the strength of any group depends on nurturing the spirit of prophecy in every voice, not suppressing it in the name of protocol or power.
More importantly, it is a moment that reveals the essential Jewish approach to leadership: being a leader is not about imposing authority from above, but rather, it is about creating space for everyone’s potential to shine.
In contrast to the European leaders of 1914, who turned away from the people they served, Moshe understood that authentic leadership is about empowering the people’s voice. But there was no one like Moshe in the summer of 1914. Amid the swirling chaos of that fateful July, one voice of caution stood out: Jean Jaurès, who represented the French working class.
In the final days of peace, Jaurès warned passionately of the ruin that lay ahead, urging European leaders to be conscious of the looming catastrophe. On July 25th, he declared that France must not be drawn into this reckless conflict with unknown consequences — a calm, prophetic voice bravely highlighting the human cost of world war.
Just six days later, he was assassinated in a Paris café — silenced by a pro-war fanatic at the very moment he was trying to prevent cataclysmic devastation. The elevated elites eagerly marching into conflict hardly acknowledged his death, but when they did, they dismissed him as a traitor to the French nation.
His passing marking the disappearance of one of the few voices still calling for caution. He was a lone prophetic voice — an “Eldad and Medad” for his time — whose warnings were drowned out by those urging war.
We are seeing the same dynamic play out in our days — prophetic voices being ignored by the elites. Broadcaster and news blogger Mark Levin has long warned of the dangers of Iran’s nuclear ambitions, a threat that many in the halls of power seem content to downplay or ignore.
Former US military intelligence officer and Middle East analyst Michael Pregent consistently highlights the risks of the West’s misguided alliance with Qatar, which bankrolls extremism even as it claims to be an ally.
And former IDF intelligence officer Yigal Carmon of MEMRI translates the words of jihadists who call for violence against the West, exposing the danger from those who harbor hatred toward the very countries they live in — yet his warnings fall on deaf ears.
These are today’s “Eldad and Medad,” raising their voices in the camp, warning of the abyss that lies ahead. And we ignore them at our peril. The lesson of Moshe in Beha’alotecha is that true leadership does not fear the grassroots voice — and that one must never suppress the prophet in the midst of the people. Those voices are always the ones that can save a nation from sleepwalking into disaster. “Would that all of God’s people were prophets, that God would put His spirit upon them!”
The author is a rabbi in Beverly Hills, California.
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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.”
The post Peace Meals: Chef José Andrés Says ‘Good People’ On Both Sides of Gaza Conflict Ill-Served By Leaders, Food Can Bridge Divide first appeared on Algemeiner.com.