Wednesday evening, we begin Rosh Hashana, and in the days following, Yom Kippur, Sukkot and then Simchat Torah. These are days that are normally greeted with a considerable degree of solemnity but also with a sense of renewal and hope – and by the time of Sukkot and Simchat Torah, much joy.
This holiday season, however, marks a year since the horrendous events of the Hamas massacre. October 7 follows Rosh Hashana by three days, and then there is Simchat Torah, which is the holiday on which the massacre occurred. (Simchat Torah fell on October 7 in 2023.) I, along with many, many others have had a sense of dread, of bewilderment: We must celebrate: to fail to do so would be a mark of defeat. But in the face of unbearable memories how do we celebrate?
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Now I write to say that we are in the process of being redeemed from the horror of that massacre.
The massacre will never, ever, be forgotten. It should not be. It has marked our souls.
But there is the promise now of being able to look forward to far, far better days.
That is my message as we prepare for Rosh Hashana.
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I have been writing about the stunning success of Israeli forces in taking on Hezbollah. It has marked a determination on our part to destroy the forces of evil that have beleaguered us. We had begun a path of redeeming ourselves.
And now, as I write, our tanks have entered south Lebanon and begun taking out the infrastructure utilized in threatening our north.
I wish I had time to track more of the details, but I do not. There will be time enough after Rosh Hashana.
We are being told that this will be an action limited to south Lebanon, with anticipation that it will end in December. We shall see…
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This action is not merely a good one because it weakens our enemy and should make it possible for Israeli residents in the north to return home.
It is highly significant because it marks a turnaround: a rejection of fear and the attitude that we cannot take on this enemy.
It is also a rejection of attempts by the US, which has some seriously misguided policies, to control what we do. Even as we were entering Lebanon, Biden was crying “ceasefire, a ceasefire would be better.” No Joe, it would not. And now Minister of Defense Lloyd Austin says they are with us.
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I invite you to read a very pertinent and excellent analysis of this situation by JNS editor Jonathan Tobin:
“By seeking victory, Israel exposed Washington’s false assumptions.”
“Outraging his foes, Netanyahu has shown the Americans that defeating Iran and Hezbollah is the rational alternative to Biden/Harris’ dead-end diplomacy.”
https://www.jns.org/by-seeking-victory-israel-exposed-washingtons-false-assumptions/
Ceasefires and “diplomacy” are not the proper path when confronting enemies of consummate evil.
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Our actions bring with them a return of our deterrence. Our enemies will think twice and three times before attacking us. This is of considerable importance.
Our strength will also bring with it enhanced relationships with other nations – in particular the Arab Gulf states, notably Saudi Arabia. Weak, we have little value for them. But when we are strong and ready to confront evil, they will seek us out, for they fear Iran.
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There has been an international image of Iran as an enormous threat, a very dangerous state entity. But now the curtain is pulled back and we are seeing something else.
I have read one analysis after another about the fact that Iran does not want to go to war with Israel. Its leaders fear such a war. Its armaments are dated and there is great concern about an attack on their oil wells, a primary source of income for them.
After we took out Nasrallah, Iran’s Leader Ayatollah Khamenei went into hiding.
For decades Iran has groomed its proxies, none more so than Hezbollah, to do its fighting for it. This is why Iran has invested so much in armaments for Hezbollah. But now their protection is being destroyed, and they are vulnerable and afraid.
Even as we are fighting Hezbollah, we are hitting the Houthis in Yemen, and Iranian forces in Syria and Judea & Samaria.
I would not attempt to project forward with specifics, but I will suggest that the rule of the mullahs may be more tenuous than people imagine. Bibi suggested as much in a message he delivered to the people of Iran.
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It is being strongly suggested by analysts that this action will have a significant effect on our interaction with Hamas and may aid in bringing home the hostages. Yet another benefit we may see moving ahead.
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It is not just Israeli military prowess that Iran and Hezbollah fear, of course, it is our absolutely incredible intelligence. It enabled us to learn where Hamas’s Haniyeh was, when we took him out. And to know where to hit Nasrallah, even though his hiding places were supposed to be secret. The Mossad has deeply infiltrated Iranian security forces. This reality is more frightening for the Iranian regime than facing Israeli rockets. Fear of being betrayed from within weakens the Islamists.
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I would not suggest here that all will be smooth sailing ahead, but I close this posting with a message of hope for a world that will be much improved going forward. I am in awe of the role that small Israel plays here – Israel, a light unto the nations even, or especially, when the nations are not paying attention.
Much credit is due here to Prime Minister Netanyahu, who has demonstrated clear vision and great determination.
I wish all of you a Shana Tova, a year filled with good health, many personal joys, and hope in your hearts for a better world.
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I always call for prayer at the end of my posting, and this is especially pertinent as we enter the High Holidays.
Express great gratitude to the Almighty for his protection and what we are able to achieve.
Then, please, pray with a full heart for the continued strength and courage of Israel’s leaders as they make the hard decisions, and for the safety and effectiveness of our soldiers in battle as they fight a righteous war.
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©Arlene Kushner. This material is produced by independent journalist Arlene Kushner. Permission is granted for it to be reproduced only with proper attribution.
