So many of us have had the good fortune to never have experienced living amidst the sights and sounds of war. To hear the explosions of bombs and see the smoke and fire of their impact is unknown to America since the Civil War. Yes, targeted and horrific destruction on 9/11 and an unbelievable Oklahoma disaster have occurred, but as a whole we as a people have lived in a kind of calm and predictability that our people in Israel have not known. The ongoing reality of hyper-vigilance is most devastating to being a fully functioning human being. It undermines equanimity and a sense of wholeness and seems to be the backdrop to daily life in Israel. 

Since Oct 7 the shock of truly being that vulnerable, along with the grief of so much carnage and death, must be an overwhelming cloud to live under. The result of meting out the blasphemous enemies and danger that lurks in the hidden recesses of Gaza and surrounding countries also brings a double-edge sword, a feeling of abominable strength and mighty warriors, as well as the constant awareness of unnecessary deaths of innocent civilians, the unintended consequences that war brings. In the eyes of the world, we are both the innocent and the guilty. That is a war no one can win, one Jews have known in their kishkes full well for a very long time.

So once again fear and uncertainty rise to the surface. In order to be safe and secure, being the aggressor seems to be necessary. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness comes at a horrific price in Israel – it means quelling the capacity of the enemy’s ability to destroy Israel. The irony that the enormous stress and anxiety of living becomes part having to protect oneself. When will the people of Israel truly live with Shleymut, wholeness, and Shalom, peace?

And yet the enormous accomplishments our people have achieved is astounding. Whether in the sciences, technology, agriculture, intellect, art, and music, Israel stands amongst others of the world, despite the trauma and impact on their psycho-emotional-spiritual lives. The Haggadah teaches “we must experience being ‘as if,’ ‘ki ilu,’ we are the slaves of Egypt who became free.” The principle of “ki ilu” means having empathy so you can feel what another feels, truly “walking in their shoes.” 

At this moment I sit here feeling “as if” I too am hunkered down, perhaps in a safe room or together with neighbors or family, trying to stay safe, praying for an end to the terrifying reality of war and for the safety of all those in a small country just wanting to live in harmony and fulfillment of the Gdly gifts we each have received. “I will give to you the land…for an everlasting possession…” is Gd’s promise. Now we pray we can keep it and live in it in peace!

At this moment I sit here feeling “as if” I too am hunkered down, perhaps in a safe room or together with neighbors or family, trying to stay safe, praying for an end to the terrifying reality of war. 

In such harrowing moments we must feel “as if,” we too are like those bullied and threatened, attempting to find a solution that will secure the safety and longevity of a tiny country that just wants to fulfill the dreams of its people – to live with purpose and meaning and express the Gd spark that each possesses. A nurse who comes to our home to assist my husband said the other day, “my family in Iran are overjoyed at what Israel is doing for maybe this will lead to new leadership and a better life.” Perhaps bringing our people a sense of security will also liberate others.

Even in the midst of American turmoil, challenges, and disharmony, our hearts are full of sadness and concerns, empathizing with our fellow Jews on the brink of “life and death,” the existential reality so potent in Israel. We feel “as if,’“we were once slaves and now “as if” we might truly become free.

A Prayer in Times of Uncertainty

Ribbono Shel Olam,

At a moment when our people need a steady rock, a ‘Tzur,’ to cling to.

Fill each of us with Your Holy Presence and with the light of hope.

                  Guide us towards good counsel and wise decisions.

Bless us with inner strength and resilience in such moments of unknowns,

                  And the need to surrender to one another for support and care.

Be an inspiration for trust and faith, Emunah,

                  And embrace us all with Shleymut, wholeness, and Shalom, peace.

Baruch Atah Adonai v’At Shechinah, Who hold us and lift us in moments of uncertainty.

Eva Robbins is a rabbi, cantor, artist and the author of “Spiritual Surgery: A Journey of Healing Mind, Body and Spirit.”

Imagine this: there’s a man who lives just down the street. He’s already sent killers to your house. Your children, your neighbors — many were maimed, tortured, raped, kidnapped, murdered. The killers didn’t act alone. The man trained them, funded them, watched as they filmed their crimes with crazy-eyed glee. He’s tried to kill on his own, but without success. Now he’s building a weapon so catastrophic he’s promised — repeatedly and publicly — to use it. And you’ve just learned it may be ready in a matter of months.

You appeal to the authorities. They hold meetings. They issue strongly worded statements. But nothing changes. The man keeps building. He keeps threatening. And eventually, after exhausting every warning, you act.

This is the situation Israel faces — and why it struck Iran.

In Jewish law, there is a principle called rodef — the “pursuer.” If someone is coming to kill you or another innocent person, and there’s no other way to stop them, you are not only permitted but required to intervene — even with lethal force. It’s not about vengeance. It’s about saving lives. Crucially, rodef doesn’t apply only to the defense of oneself. It includes the obligation to protect others — your family, your community, even strangers — if they’re in danger.

This isn’t some narrow, tribal ethic. It’s a universal principle. When someone has both the intention and the means to do irreparable harm, waiting becomes a form of moral failure. Action, though difficult, becomes a duty.

And what’s extraordinary here is that tiny Israel — just a sliver of land on the eastern edge of the Mediterranean — is doing what the entire Western world should have done long ago. Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons and its open threats to annihilate another nation are not just an Israeli problem. They are a global one. Israel, invoking rodef, is not only protecting itself. It is standing in the breach for millions who either cannot or will not act.

In April of this year, Iran showed the world what it’s willing to do.

On the night of April 13th, Iran launched the largest direct attack on Israel in modern history. Over 300 projectiles — drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles — were fired at Israeli cities, military bases and civilians. The assault was coordinated with Iranian proxy forces in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen.

Thanks to Israel’s defense systems — and the assistance of the United States, Jordan and the United Kingdom — almost all of the incoming weapons were intercepted. Still, a few made it through. A young Israeli Bedouin girl was critically injured. Military installations were damaged. The worst was narrowly avoided. But the message from Tehran could not have been clearer: we are coming for you.

This wasn’t a spontaneous outburst. It was the culmination of years of threats, arms buildups, and proxy wars — all directed at the Jewish state. Iran’s leadership has never been vague about its intentions. “Death to Israel” is not a metaphor. It is policy.

Iran has enriched uranium to near-weapons-grade levels. It has blocked inspections, hidden nuclear sites underground, and accelerated its missile development. All while continuing to arm terrorist proxies and call for Israel’s destruction.

Under any moral framework, Iran is not just dangerous—it is an active and ongoing rodef.

Israel’s strike was not an act of aggression. It was an act of prevention. It targeted Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, command centers, and terror-linked networks — operational hubs tied directly to its machinery of violence and death.

Remarkably, many in the region who have suffered under Iran’s regime understand this more clearly than Western observers. A large number of Iranians — especially the young, the exiled, the silenced — have taken to social media not to condemn Israel, but to thank it. Syrians, too, who watched their country ravaged by Iran’s proxy war on behalf of Assad, know exactly who bears responsibility. These are not outliers. They are part of a growing majority who see Israel not as the aggressor, but as the one nation willing to confront a murderous regime that has brought ruin to its own people and chaos to its neighbors.

Some will still criticize Israel. That, too, is predictable. There are always those who demand an impossible level of “restraint” from the world’s only Jewish state — even in the face of existential threat. And yet, it should be plain to see: this tiny nation is taking upon itself the danger that faces the entire Western world.

Peter Himmelman is a Grammy and Emmy nominated performer, songwriter, film composer, visual artist and award-winning author. 

The most important person in the Middle East right now is not Benjamin Netanyahu or Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. It is not the head of the IDF or the Islamic Revolutionary Guard. It is not Donald Trump or Vladimir Putin or Xi Jinping. Rather, the individual most likely to determine the long-range success or failure of Israel’s war with Iran may be Mohammed bin Salman, the Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia. 

Israel still knows that an expanded version of the Abraham Accords that includes Saudi Arabia is a necessary linchpin for regional peace. Iran recognizes that ongoing belligerence with the Saudis is no longer a luxury they can afford. The country has clearly become Trump’s favorite partner in the Middle East, as evidenced by the president’s recent visit to the country and affectionate relationship with MBS. Saudi Arabia now sets the tone not only for the other Gulf States but other regional powers such as Jordan and Egypt who are equally suspicious of Iran. Increasingly, all roads lead to Riyadh.

The initial Saudi response was unsurprisingly harsh, denouncing the Israeli attacks as blatant violations of Iran’s sovereignty and international law. It was the first Arab state to issue a condemnation, stating the attacks “undermine [Iran’s] sovereignty and security.” Bin Salman phoned the Iranian president to express condolences for their casualties and reaffirm Saudi solidarity with Iran and the broader Islamic world. 

Some of that antagonistic messaging was for the purpose of domestic politics within Saudi Arabia. But Riyadh’s strong reaction may also reflect its recent warming ties with Tehran — particularly since the 2023 China-brokered rapprochement — and its desire to preserve those gains. On the other hand, it’s clear that MBS does not trust Iran and that his recent arms agreement with Trump is specifically designed to provide the Saudi military with the necessary weaponry to protect itself against Iranian aggression. Saudi Arabia benefits greatly from having a foot in both camps.

It’s clear that MBS does not trust Iran and that his recent arms agreement with Trump is specifically designed to provide the Saudi military with the necessary weaponry to protect itself against Iranian aggression. 

The question is how MBS decides to balance these competing interests, especially when the two countries who represent those interests are now at war. It is no exaggeration to say that despite Israel’s pronounced military and economic advantages over Iran, Saudi Arabia could ultimately determine the war’s outcome. Should they decide to reinforce their public criticism of Israel with other types of assistance to Iran, they would lead most of the rest of the Arab world along with them. Even a military juggernaut such as Israel could not maintain its offensive against Iran in the face of unanimous Arab opposition.

But the Saudis could also decide that public statements can be balanced by a quieter thumb on the scale to help Israel thwart a nemesis that has been an irritant to both countries for many years. MBS has mastered the art of this type of geopolitical ambiguity in the past and he may see an opportunity here to rid himself of his most annoying headache without a direct confrontation. Allowing Israel to do his dirty work for him, even while denouncing their aggression, could give him the best of both worlds.

This path could also draw Trump more decisively into Israel’s camp. The American president has been on both sides of this matter ever since Israel’s preparations became too obvious to ignore early last week. After making sure that his warnings to Netanyahu against the attack were widely reported, Trump then seemed to switch sides once he saw that the initial Israeli airstrikes had been successful. Faced with the choice of being seen either as incapable of stopping Netanyahu or as secretly supporting Israel’s strategy, Trump established a tenuous middle ground in which he praised the attacks as helpful to U.S-Iran negotiations. But it was then reported that Trump worked to dissuade Netanyahu from an assassination attempt on Khamenei over the weekend. It’s reasonable to assume that if MBS decides to surreptitiously help Israel in this fight, Trump will feel comfortable becoming more vocal on behalf of the Jewish state too.

There is no way of knowing whether the Saudis were informed of last Friday’s operation before it took place. But despite the potential risk involved, it’s not hard to see why such a call may have been in Israel’s long-term interests. As Saudi Arabia goes, so goes the war.

Dan Schnur is the U.S. Politics Editor for the Jewish Journal. He teaches courses in politics, communications, and leadership at UC Berkeley, USC and Pepperdine. He hosts the monthly webinar “The Dan Schnur Political Report” for the Los Angeles World Affairs Council & Town Hall. Follow Dan’s work at www.danschnurpolitics.com.