Jerusalem V. Teheran
A Second Religious War We initiated but Don't Need
Let me state this plainly: I am against this war with Iran. Not only because I oppose all wars in principle, but because this particular conflict represents perhaps Israel's most cynical and unnecessary military adventure yet.
Television studios overflow with weapons experts and military analysts, their calm baritone voices offering reassurance about "historic moments" that apparently demand deeper voices and masculine gravitas. After years of conditioning the Israeli public mind with toxic rhetoric, the long-anticipated war with Iran has finally arrived — the one we prepared for, even provoked, while investing almost nothing in prevention.
The question now is whether we will succumb to the lethal overdose of our own poison or finally begin the process of detoxification.
The Military's Dangerous Grip on Identity
One central reason I oppose Israeli-style wars is the unhealthy role the military plays in defining Israeli identity. When the army becomes the primary institution shaping national belonging, we have become a militaristic society with fundamentally stunted civic consciousness.
Consider the Iron Dome, that remarkable technological achievement that lulled us into dangerous complacency. "We'll manage the conflict," strategists said confidently. Why address the Gaza situation when Iron Dome protects us? Until October 7, when it didn't. Beneath our iron dome, we discovered heads of iron — blind to the pressure building below.
Now we're repeating the same delusion with Iran. Superior weapons, political arrogance, covert operations and inflated machismo will work — until they won't. Today may be Israel's moment of triumph, but tomorrow could bring scandal. When people ask why no one warned them, remember: some of us tried.
The Precedent of Escalation
Perhaps Iran, drawing on millennia of Persian civilization of patience, will respond with restraint and save both peoples from the abyss. But don't be surprised if Tehran's hardliners mirror our own hotheads. And these could become official policy: talks of “erasing Israel”, “flattening Tel Aviv”, no one’s innocence in Jerusalem —.
After all, we've provided the regional template for disproportionate violence and hyperbolic rhetoric. What one regional power can do, another will attempt to match.
A War Without Clear Purpose
Amid the cacophony of official statements and ministerial posturing, it's difficult to understand what this war actually aims to achieve. If it's about Iran's nuclear program, alternative approaches have long existed. If it's about regime change, perhaps we should examine our own government — one driven by nationalist-religious fundamentalism.
If it's fair to separate the Iranian people from their leaders, the same distinction applies to Israel.
Religious Conflicts in a Digital Age
We are entering the second generation of Middle Eastern religious wars. The first began in October 2023, pitting a fully religious Israeli government against Islamist Hamas. Now comes the second: the Islamic Republic of Iran versus the Jewish-Democratic State of Israel — where "democratic" shrinks while "Jewish" becomes increasingly rigid and theocratic.
Religious conflicts, unlike nationalist ones, are absolute. Nationalism can be negotiated; religious fundamentalism rarely bends. Dialogue between extremist Judaism and extremist Islam approaches impossibility. When mixed with the humiliation of war and defeat it becomes almost impossible to reconcile.
The Path Forward
Perhaps the war's true purpose lies in regime change — on both sides. If eliminating enemy leaders is now legitimate, what prevents them from pursuing the same strategy against us? Maybe they won't need to. Maybe Israelis will replace their leadership through democratic means.
A world where both Iran and Israel are led by different kinds of leaders — more humane, more prudent — might offer room for dialogue between two wounded societies seeking healing. That remains possible, if we choose it.
The alternative is a religious war that serves no one's interests except those who profit from perpetual conflict. We still have time to choose differently.
Wise words.
On this issue, I believe we need to dig deeper. Iran and the Ayatollas ruling that state, present a clear and present threat not only to Israel, but beyond. The Islamic fundamentalist vision is a real, dark and present threat. They see not only their women subjected to cruel discriminatory rules, but way beyond their borders a vision of Islamic fundamentalist jihadification. The enlightened world and our Israel cannot tolerate a forced journey into the dark ages. Likewise they seek to eradicate us and in fact any "infidels". Thus a nuclear Iran captained by zealous mullahs is a massive threat, an immediate threat...a worldwide threat. Not surprising that we the Jews are first targeted victims in their insane vision. NO is the flat out answer. Never. And sadly that means getting our hands dirty. While this serves the Netanyahu textbook perfectly, that does not change a powerful course of action needed here.