Commentary

Airport interception failure exposes the price of containment policy while the test of Israel's strategy awaits in its response to future attacks from Yemen.

In recent closed-door conversations, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed frustration with President Donald Trump’s actions in the Middle East. Netanyahu reportedly told his aides that while Trump says the right things during their meetings and phone calls, particularly about Iran and Syria, his practical steps do not match those statements.

Three military fronts and a domestic crisis are pushing Israel toward fateful decisions. Between the hostages and the nuclear threat, the government is failing to deliver a strategic response to existential challenges. While billions are funneled toward coalition interests, Netanyahu continues to distract from leadership failures amid a multi-front emergency.

Israel’s decision to downgrade its delegation to the pope’s funeral over his harsh comments may mark a shift in our foreign policy.

Countless Jews in history could only imagine what we have achieved and benefit from here in Israel. Suffering persecution and exile, they would have laughed bitterly, and then sobbed with envy, at hearing our complaints about our national problems. We, in turn, must recognize this, with gratitude and humility.

Ahmad al-Sharaa (formerly Abu Mohammad al-Julani), Syria’s new leader, is signaling his interest in peace with Israel. While skepticism in Israel is understandable, given his extremist jihadist past and concerns over the stability of his rule, the potential benefits of such a move are significant. These include aligning Damascus with the moderate axis of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates rather than the Turkey-Qatar alliance, severing Syria’s ties with Iran, and seizing what may be a rare chance to achieve a costly peace at a low price.

Throughout most of my life, Yom HaZikaron felt distant; for many Jews living outside of Israel, this year might be the first time you can genuinely understand what it means to mourn the fallen.

Despite adopting more cautious rhetoric to balance political interests, Trump's actions continue to demonstrate full support for Israel while maintaining unprecedented military pressure on Iran that might yield either a diplomatic agreement or military confrontation.

The stormy squalls of current events are best gauged in proper proportion when we lift our gaze to a historical perspective and offer gratitude for the miracle of our national rebirth. A few reflections for the “Ten Days of Thanks.”

We are standing at a critical crossroads: education or extinction. Those who forget the past are doomed to relive it - which is why the struggle to preserve the memory of the Holocaust is a moral imperative.