I appreciate your voice right now and I am grateful for the energy you’re putting into trying to parse this out for others. I don’t have the stamina. For me, as someone who raised children in Israel, these last almost two years have been painfully personal and I find it near impossible to engage in a meaningful conversation with anyone who has not lived in Israel, not raised children there. My 22yo son was on an adult volunteer birthright program this week (we dissuaded him from enlisting in fall 2023 and he’s been burning to volunteer) and he was hoping to stay for the summer to spend time with friends and family. When given the choice yesterday (and one hour to decide) to be evacuated or to sign a release waiver to stay in the country with family as he planned to do after the program, he painfully deliberated. Most people I know here can’t understand why I would’ve supported his choice to stay. I am with you about the danger of Iran and Westerners’ ignorance born of first world comfort. I include myself in that even, but living in Israel at least gave me self-awareness of my own comfortable ignorance.
I think we have relatives - 2 secular college boys - on that same trip. The grandparents just wrote that they liked the hotel, but... left by boat. Their Birthright trip will now be marred or enhanced by seeing Israel at its best - united with purpose.
My husband's year abroad in college fell on the Yom Kippur War. He, not an Israeli or soldier, spent it filling in at an unmanned bakery. We both had our bar and bat mitzvah festivities fall during the Six Day War. Sometimes the worst-case scenario is the one that sticks.
We've just celebrated our 45th anniversary, replete with intercepted missiles and the new reality that has dawned. Praying for better times, they are indeed a'coming.
so many root causes to many people's misreading of the situation vis Iran, Israel.
All these young people preaching BDS, on Israel -- what if they were taught, and the media also exposed, the horrendous nature of the regime in Iran? The medieval treatment of gays, women? Medieval as in brutal, and all-encompassing, inescapable... the terrorism funded and coordinated, assassinations worldwide. Then would young people just maybe preach BDS on Iran? Rather than pushing that inane idea on the region's only open, democratic, tolerant, multi-cultural nation?
.
Israel perfect? no far from it. But a person can be gay. Trans. Palestinian, Jordanian, Saudi, Egyptian, and still enjoy full freedoms. Including being free from fear.
.
Perhaps AFTER the people of Iran rise up and change their regime, the Western institutions (university, media) will find reasons to investigate, report and teach the TRUTH about the horror-show called the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Your perspective is quite understandable. I believe that the reason so many people are opposing what Israel is doing is that they do not know about the connections between Iran and the proxy wars--especially with HAMAS. Our media does not report these connections, even in the discussion groups shown on television.
I do wonder: Why didn't the United States ever attack Russia, China, or North Korea, although those nations have nuclear weapons and are clearly enemies of the U.S? Instead, we got sucked into proxy wars in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Iraq. If the theme is that our enemies must not have these WMD, it is logical to ask why we should have them. It's "two wrongs don't make a right."
Are those crazies in Iran still chanting "Death to America" and "Death to Israel"? We never hear about this over here. Over here, it appears that Netanyahu is a super warmonger. We don't get the context for his actions on our media.
There also appears to be a synchronicity between this new conflict and the talks that are scheduled to go on about Iran's WMD. It makes it look like Netanyahu and Trump are colluding to pressure Iran to give in. Again, our media fails to give us context. Our media fails to make the connections between the proxy wars and HAMAS colluding with Iran. TIL about the HAMAS connection--right here from you.
I find myself confused because I cling to the principle of "you don't start a war; you finish it." But the truth about who "started" this current war is shrouded in darkness. It's murky.
Looks like Iran did start it after all.
I will share what you have written so that people can consider your perspective here.
My mechutan got out right before being drafted by that regime in 79. Most Persians have no problem with Jews, or most anyone else, either. Whether in Iran or in their diaspora.
He was ghastly. I read about how life was in Iran in Not Without My Daughter. I've hated that country ever since. Not the people, but the government. It is very tough for independent, free-thinking people to understand the mentality of the populace. The people are not educated in the same way that we are. They are not taught to think for themselves; they are only taught to obey. And they are subjected to radical religious propaganda all the time. It's like being in a cult. It's so scary to folks like us that we try to shut it out of our minds.
I hear you. I want Israel to be safe. It's horrible to watch. I saw Jon Stewart last night, showing clips of Netanyahu from 2015 and 2018 saying Iran was weeks away from having a nuclear weapon, making it feel similar to the way it was when we got into the war in Iraq.
Israel needs better press agents to help us understand and see something besides war, suffering, and starvation, and the world blaming the Jews. Makes me think of Dara Horn's book: https://www.darahorn.com/book/people-love-dead-jews. And there will be no sympathy for the fight, even if more people could see it from your perspective.
Good one Peter! It is truly unfortunate that the Iranian people have to suffer this, but it’s very much like chemo for a cancer. The patient suffers when you remove the malignant tumor. Only thing I can’t wrap my head around is this: you still listen to NPR???? Must be the masochist in you :)
Well said. But I do have a question. You wrote that Iran's theology requires the destruction, followed by this:
[Note: This is not a statement about all Shi’a Muslims, but about the radical ideology of Iran’s current regime.]
Sure, there are probably individuals who don't feel as the Iranian mullahs do, but has there ever been a Shiite group or government that disagreed with Iran on this? I am not aware of any, but if you are I would love to know about them.
How is it Americans and others fail to connect the dots? Israel fights for its existence against the same murdering jihadists (small j on purpose ) that brought you 9/11. If we’re not safe, neither are you.
I don’t get why people don’t understand that Israel has no choice and that not doing what they’re doing would be suicidal. It’s been proven time and again that their enemies do not honor ceasefires or arms agreements, but only use down time to rearm and re-attack.
I appreciate your voice right now and I am grateful for the energy you’re putting into trying to parse this out for others. I don’t have the stamina. For me, as someone who raised children in Israel, these last almost two years have been painfully personal and I find it near impossible to engage in a meaningful conversation with anyone who has not lived in Israel, not raised children there. My 22yo son was on an adult volunteer birthright program this week (we dissuaded him from enlisting in fall 2023 and he’s been burning to volunteer) and he was hoping to stay for the summer to spend time with friends and family. When given the choice yesterday (and one hour to decide) to be evacuated or to sign a release waiver to stay in the country with family as he planned to do after the program, he painfully deliberated. Most people I know here can’t understand why I would’ve supported his choice to stay. I am with you about the danger of Iran and Westerners’ ignorance born of first world comfort. I include myself in that even, but living in Israel at least gave me self-awareness of my own comfortable ignorance.
I think we have relatives - 2 secular college boys - on that same trip. The grandparents just wrote that they liked the hotel, but... left by boat. Their Birthright trip will now be marred or enhanced by seeing Israel at its best - united with purpose.
My husband's year abroad in college fell on the Yom Kippur War. He, not an Israeli or soldier, spent it filling in at an unmanned bakery. We both had our bar and bat mitzvah festivities fall during the Six Day War. Sometimes the worst-case scenario is the one that sticks.
We've just celebrated our 45th anniversary, replete with intercepted missiles and the new reality that has dawned. Praying for better times, they are indeed a'coming.
Mazal tov on the anniversary. Better times? Who knows, maybe these are the better times. Easier? No chance.
so many root causes to many people's misreading of the situation vis Iran, Israel.
All these young people preaching BDS, on Israel -- what if they were taught, and the media also exposed, the horrendous nature of the regime in Iran? The medieval treatment of gays, women? Medieval as in brutal, and all-encompassing, inescapable... the terrorism funded and coordinated, assassinations worldwide. Then would young people just maybe preach BDS on Iran? Rather than pushing that inane idea on the region's only open, democratic, tolerant, multi-cultural nation?
.
Israel perfect? no far from it. But a person can be gay. Trans. Palestinian, Jordanian, Saudi, Egyptian, and still enjoy full freedoms. Including being free from fear.
.
Perhaps AFTER the people of Iran rise up and change their regime, the Western institutions (university, media) will find reasons to investigate, report and teach the TRUTH about the horror-show called the Islamic Republic of Iran.
.
Rest assured they won’t. See the case of communist Russia. Nobody is teaching or learning about it.
What is BDS?
Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) Palestinian-led movement promoting boycotts, divestments, and economic sanctions against Israel.
Has been widely adopted in Europe and America, especially by colleges and universities.
OY! Thank you! I'm so glad I'm NOT in college now!
Your perspective is quite understandable. I believe that the reason so many people are opposing what Israel is doing is that they do not know about the connections between Iran and the proxy wars--especially with HAMAS. Our media does not report these connections, even in the discussion groups shown on television.
I do wonder: Why didn't the United States ever attack Russia, China, or North Korea, although those nations have nuclear weapons and are clearly enemies of the U.S? Instead, we got sucked into proxy wars in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Iraq. If the theme is that our enemies must not have these WMD, it is logical to ask why we should have them. It's "two wrongs don't make a right."
Are those crazies in Iran still chanting "Death to America" and "Death to Israel"? We never hear about this over here. Over here, it appears that Netanyahu is a super warmonger. We don't get the context for his actions on our media.
There also appears to be a synchronicity between this new conflict and the talks that are scheduled to go on about Iran's WMD. It makes it look like Netanyahu and Trump are colluding to pressure Iran to give in. Again, our media fails to give us context. Our media fails to make the connections between the proxy wars and HAMAS colluding with Iran. TIL about the HAMAS connection--right here from you.
I find myself confused because I cling to the principle of "you don't start a war; you finish it." But the truth about who "started" this current war is shrouded in darkness. It's murky.
Looks like Iran did start it after all.
I will share what you have written so that people can consider your perspective here.
It began with Iran in 1979, with the arrival of Khomeini.
My mechutan got out right before being drafted by that regime in 79. Most Persians have no problem with Jews, or most anyone else, either. Whether in Iran or in their diaspora.
He was ghastly. I read about how life was in Iran in Not Without My Daughter. I've hated that country ever since. Not the people, but the government. It is very tough for independent, free-thinking people to understand the mentality of the populace. The people are not educated in the same way that we are. They are not taught to think for themselves; they are only taught to obey. And they are subjected to radical religious propaganda all the time. It's like being in a cult. It's so scary to folks like us that we try to shut it out of our minds.
I hear you. I want Israel to be safe. It's horrible to watch. I saw Jon Stewart last night, showing clips of Netanyahu from 2015 and 2018 saying Iran was weeks away from having a nuclear weapon, making it feel similar to the way it was when we got into the war in Iraq.
Israel needs better press agents to help us understand and see something besides war, suffering, and starvation, and the world blaming the Jews. Makes me think of Dara Horn's book: https://www.darahorn.com/book/people-love-dead-jews. And there will be no sympathy for the fight, even if more people could see it from your perspective.
Good one Peter! It is truly unfortunate that the Iranian people have to suffer this, but it’s very much like chemo for a cancer. The patient suffers when you remove the malignant tumor. Only thing I can’t wrap my head around is this: you still listen to NPR???? Must be the masochist in you :)
I hope the people that want to rid themselves of the Mullahs find no suffering at all. I'm concerned for them.
Well said. But I do have a question. You wrote that Iran's theology requires the destruction, followed by this:
[Note: This is not a statement about all Shi’a Muslims, but about the radical ideology of Iran’s current regime.]
Sure, there are probably individuals who don't feel as the Iranian mullahs do, but has there ever been a Shiite group or government that disagreed with Iran on this? I am not aware of any, but if you are I would love to know about them.
I'm not aware of any "groups," who publicly disagree, but I was speaking about individuals.
Thanks.
I think the leaders of those three countries Israel, Iran and the United States are all insane and the world has gone crazy for a long time
It's an easy time to be driven crazy. Hang on Linda!
Responding appropriately to the season doesn’t mean that you have “become a warmonger”.
Well said. If only the Hamasniks and Iranian apologists would read it...
Most of us have developed a personal credo. No better time for courage. Thank you for standing strong, Peter.
Thank you for always articulating so well, what needs to be heard.
How is it Americans and others fail to connect the dots? Israel fights for its existence against the same murdering jihadists (small j on purpose ) that brought you 9/11. If we’re not safe, neither are you.
I don’t get why people don’t understand that Israel has no choice and that not doing what they’re doing would be suicidal. It’s been proven time and again that their enemies do not honor ceasefires or arms agreements, but only use down time to rearm and re-attack.