Four Thoughts For a Remarkable Friday

It’s still early. Israel has indicated that its operation against Iran is just beginning, and it would be foolhardy for anyone to draw conclusions only twelve hours into this unprecedented military action.

Nonetheless, there are strong indications that Israel’s achievements so far are shocking in both their scope and their precision. As Michael Doran, senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, wrote on X (and as reported by The Free Press), “Israel's campaign against Iran is another one for the history books. As in the opening of the Six-Day War—when Israel crippled three Arab air forces in a matter of hours—Israel has struck first, deep, and hard. It hit targets across Iran, a huge country, with precision and total surprise. The scale and reach of the operation are staggering. Whether it will deliver a similarly decisive outcome remains, of course, to be seen. The regime could strike back—or begin to unravel. Either way, the message is unmistakable. This was more than a military action. It was a demonstration of intelligence dominance and operational mastery -- and total justice.”

Some of the details are almost unbelievable. Before today, would you have believed that Israel set up a secret drone base near Tehran? That Israel was able to penetrate Iranian defenses because, to a significant degree, the IDF and Mossad had sophisticated weapons systems planted inside Iran? Like the pager operation against Hezbollah, these are operational details which, if suggested as part of a movie plot, would have been rejected as being too unrealistic even for Hollywood.

I’m sure I’m no different from millions of other Israelis who were quite surprised to learn this morning that the Home Front Command determined that we could leave the areas near our bomb shelters. Really? What happened to the one hundred drones launched by Iran in retaliation? Apparently Israel shot them down.

Things could change and things could change fast. But at least for now, we need to thank God Who is the Chonen l’adam da’at - Who graciously gives human beings intelligence and knowledge - and Who has allowed a small nation of ten million people, hated across the globe, to somehow outsmart its far more numerous enemies - over and over and over again.

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Hezbollah issued a stunning statement today that may be lost in the avalanche of information, but should be noted for what it represents. While a Hezbollah official condemned Israel’s attack on Iran, he also said, “Hezbollah will not initiate its own attack on Israel in retaliation for Israel’s strikes.”

When we consider that Hezbollah was once considered Iran’s insurance policy protecting it from Israeli strikes - that is, Hezbollah would respond to any significant Israeli military action by launching thousands of rockets into the Jewish State - the fact that Hezbollah is choosing to sit this one out says everything about Israel’s success over the past year in degrading Iran’s Axis of Resistance and limiting Iranian influence across the Middle East.

For that, we have Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to thank.

I never hide my contention that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has been a disaster for Israel. I eagerly await the day that the voters remove his mandate and he is forced by a wisened electorate into an overdue retirement.

I also believe that President Harry Truman’s famous desk sign, “The Buck Stops Here,” expresses a truth about ultimate responsibility. Netanyahu is the prime minister, and deserves every ounce of credit for that which takes place under his watch.

Of course, he equally deserves every ounce of blame for things that go wrong - and while he undoubtedly will highlight his success in humbling Iran and its proxies, he continually deflects all blame for the absolute disaster of October 7th.

You can’t have it both ways, Mister Prime Minister. It’s time to own up to your huge mistakes just as you can justly take credit for your genuine successes.

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In the comic relief department:

The Saudi foreign ministry issued a statement earlier today: “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia expresses its strong condemnation and denunciation of the blatant Israeli aggressions against the brotherly Islamic Republic of Iran, which undermine its sovereignty and security and constitute a clear violation of international laws and norms.”

That’s rich. Anyone who has been paying attention knows that the Saudi government is absolutely gleeful this morning. Despite its supposed and tentative rapprochement with the Islamic Republic, Saudi Arabia despises and is terrified of Iran; over the past day, Israel did the dirty work, while the Saudis and other Sunni Arab countries are among the clear beneficiaries.

But openly admitting this is too much for the timid Saudis. Even keeping quiet is one step too far. Instead, Saudi Arabia’s unelected leadership dutifully condemns Israel while privately thanking their lucky stars that Israel did what it always wanted Israel to do.

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Our son-in-law was called up early this morning for reserve duty. So were thousands and thousands of others. Last night, someone who was in our daughter’s high school class got married; today, her husband of twelve hours was called back to the army.

You know who was not called up? The thousands and thousands of people in the Chareidi world who are not learning all day long, but who nonetheless decided that they will be takers rather than participants.

Again: I’m not talking about people who spend all day learning Torah. I’m talking about individuals who, merely because of their communal affiliation, believe that they should be exempt from defending the Jewish people and the Land of Israel from those who wish to uproot and destroy us all.

Think of the many, many people who are officially “in yeshiva” but who actually spend their days in professional schools, or making business deals, or involving themselves in any other of hundreds of possible occupations that have nothing to do with learning Torah full time. I know they exist because I know who they are.

And who can blame them? Much of Chareidi leadership continues to encourage draft dodging. As Rabbi Natan Slifkin wrote two days ago, “Leading figures of the major chassidic sects - Gur, Tzanz, Vizhnitz, Belz - along with a major Sephardic authority and R. Machpud have signed an announcement - a halachic ruling! - that is is forbidden for any religious Jew to enlist in the IDF, period. It is specifically addressed to those who are not involved in Torah study.”

At the Pesach Seder, we speak of the four sons: the wise son, the wicked son, the simple son, and the son who does not know how to ask. What makes the wicked son, in fact, wicked? “By excluding himself from the larger group, kafar b’ikar - he denies a fundamental principle of Judaism… [You must teach him the lesson] that had he been there, he would not have been redeemed.”

The Haggadah is as relevant today as it was two thousand years ago. The Chareidi leadership certainly believes this, as well. How will the signatories of the above letter answer on the day of judgment for giving license to all members of their communities to exclude themselves from the People of Israel?

Some will undoubtedly accuse me of undermining national unity. I am sure that the undermining of national unity is being accomplished by the people who refuse to defend the Jewish people from its enemies. Asserting that we cannot say this aloud because it hurts Jewish unity is hypocrisy of the highest degree. The disunity was already accomplished by those who spend their days making real estate deals, while pretending that they are learning in yeshiva so that they will be eligible for army exemptions. While they profit, the actual heroes of the Jewish people protect them… and they draft dodgers have the gall to say that they represent the true values of Judaism.

Let’s pray that God protects Israel and its people. And let us also pray that those leaders who encourage non-learners to avoid the draft finally understand their terrible error.

Unlikely? Yes. But so is Israel’s unprecedented success against Iran. It certainly can’t hurt to pray.

Shabbat shalom!