We are living through a chapter that will be studied in the history books for generations. This weekend is not just another news cycle. It is a defining moment, a monumental turning point that will reshape the Middle East and reset the balance of power.
For 47 years, the regime born out of the 1979 Iranian Revolution has ruled through fear, repression and ideological extremism. It crushed its own people. It exported violence across the region. It openly called for the destruction of Israel and America. Its ideology shaped proxy wars and empowered militant groups from Hezbollah in Lebanon to Hamas in Gaza and the Houthis in Yemen, among many others.
The revolution—ushered in amid the gross miscalculations of U.S. President Jimmy Carter, with the fall of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and the rise of Ruhollah Khomeini—reshaped the Middle East for generations. It replaced a Western-aligned monarchy with a theocratic regime ruled by unelected clerics. What followed over decades was not moderation. It was not reform. It was consolidation of power. It was suppression of dissent. It was the export and violent promotion of revolutionary Islamist ideology beyond Iran’s borders.
Across the years, multiple U.S. administrations attempted to deal with the Iran threat through negotiation and accommodation rather than decisive confrontation. Under President Bill Clinton, sanctions often yielded temporary compliance but not lasting restraint. Under President George W. Bush, Iran was listed as part of an “Axis of Evil,” yet limited action followed. And under President Barack Obama, the infamous 2015 nuclear deal—the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)—saw billions in sanctions relief and pallets of cash transferred to Tehran in the blind hope that engagement might “moderate” its conduct.
In doing so, they often overlooked or minimized the regime’s deeply entrenched extremist ideology and long‑standing hostility toward Israel and the West, prioritizing deals over the reality of Iran’s intentions.
Unfortunately, inside Iran, ordinary citizens have paid the highest and most brutal price. Waves of protests have been met with merciless crackdowns—thousands arrested, women beaten and raped for defying compulsory hijab laws, dissidents silenced, journalists imprisoned and families shattered by state violence.
Diplomacy, sanctions waivers and political concessions didn’t work. Appeasement of this terror regime didn’t work. What resulted was deeper regional influence by a regime that funded terror and spread destabilizing forces. Instead, the regime tightened its grip on terror at home and extended its reach abroad.
Long before the current confrontation, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeatedly stood alone in warning the world about the dangers of the Iranian regime. During the negotiations over the JCPOA, he faced opposition not only from international leaders eager to appease Tehran but also from political opponents within Israel itself. Many urged caution, compromise or quiet diplomacy. Many doubted whether Israel should challenge the global consensus.
But Netanyahu refused to remain silent. He addressed foreign parliaments, including Congress, warning that the deal would not dismantle Iran’s nuclear program but empower the world’s most dangerous terror state. He called the agreement a “historic mistake,” a policy that would hand Tehran the resources to fund terrorism, crush dissent at home, and threaten Israel, the region and the West.
Time and again, he stood alone, resisting global appeasement, defying skeptics in his own government and insisting that Israel could not rely on others to safeguard its future. His warnings were clear, unwavering and rooted in a deep understanding of Iran’s intentions.
Today, as Israel confronts the Iranian terror apparatus across the region, it is evident that despite internal and external disparagement, he was correct, and that his steadfast courage and foresight helped lay the foundation for the decisive action being taken now.
The world looked away. Until now.
For the first time in generations, we have two brave leaders who are willing to directly challenge the regime that has destabilized the region and threatened the Western world. Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump have together decided to support the people of Iran against its brutal regime, taking a firm stand to confront its decades-long record of oppression of its own people, to protect the stability of the region, and to safeguard the security of Israel and the United States.
Where leaders in the West, and most notably in the United States, have failed to act decisively against a terror state that clearly threatens regional and global stability, these two leaders have worked together to break the mold. This is undoubtedly moral clarity replacing hesitation. Resolve replacing appeasement. Courage and action replacing decades of indecision and moral failure.
Yet much of the media speaks in broad terms: “Israel struck,” “Israel acted,” “Israel assisted the Iranian people.” But nations do not act in a vacuum. Israel is led by a prime minister who stands at the helm of the country and carries the responsibility for its decisions.
He is the one guiding the strategy, weighing the risks and steering the course at a moment of historic consequence.
It is unlikely and unfortunate that very few will publicly say “thank you” for the bold leadership being shown in Israel at this moment. Some will remain silent. Others will allow petty politics to cloud their judgment.
But moments like this rise above politics. It is precisely now, in an hour of consequence and clarity, that we must recognize the weight of what is unfolding and the leadership that is propelling it forward. Netanyahu has made decisions under immense pressure that required strategic clarity, moral courage and unwavering resolve. Those decisions will echo far beyond electoral cycles or political headlines.
To those in the West who choose to amplify unverified claims and propaganda, particularly while sidelining the millions of courageous Iranians risking imprisonment, torture and even death in their pursuit of freedom, serious questions must be asked. When media platforms elevate and echo the narratives of authoritarian regimes yet ignore or pay scant attention to the voices of its victims, it is not merely an editorial oversight. It reflects a troubling distortion of moral priorities. This is more than a lapse in reporting; it is a moral failure.
While I am a member of the Likud Party and support our prime minister, this moment rises far above party affiliation. It is of such magnitude that it transcends political camps, personal preferences and short-term disputes. We are in the midst of a war for our very existence.
Iran was openly using its proxies in an attempt to murder our people. Iran and its proxies stated time and again that they wish to carry out Oct. 7 again and again. This week, we are working to dismantle this cruel and barbaric regime.
There are moments in history when leadership is tested at the highest level, and when it meets that test, it deserves to be recognized and supported, regardless of party lines. This moment requires us to unite behind our leadership and grasp the magnitude of the hour.
Judaism teaches us that political authority is not accidental; it is part of the Divine order that sustains society. Leadership, in this view, carries not only power, but sacred responsibility. The Talmud instructs: “One who sees a king of Israel says: Blessed … Who has given of His glory to those who fear Him.” (Berachot 58a)
This blessing reflects the understanding that authority itself is a reflection of God’s sovereignty in the world. We also learn from the conduct of King David. Even when pursued unjustly and placed in personal danger, David refused to harm King Saul, recognizing the sanctity of legitimate leadership: “I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, for he is the Lord’s anointed.” (I Samuel 24:6)
These sources teach reverence for lawful authority, restraint in moments of tension and recognition that leadership carries a weight that transcends personal grievance.
That this moment unfolds during the week of the Jewish holiday of Purim is deeply striking. Purim tells the story set in ancient Persia, today’s Iran, where a genocidal decree against the Jewish people was overturned through courage and faith. What seemed inevitable was reversed. A hidden threat was exposed and defeated.
Once again, the stage is Persia. Once again, forces of tyranny are being confronted. Once again, history is turning. And once again, Israel is rising.
History may unfold slowly, but every so often, a single moment reshapes everything. This feels like such a moment as we witness a miracle that occurred during the very same moment 2,500 years ago.
So credit where credit is due. We should all unite in applauding the prime minister of Israel and the American president for taking it upon themselves to overturn a cruel dictatorship that has brought nothing but misery to its people and the region.
May God bless Netanyahu, the brave soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces and the people of Israel.
May God bless Trump, the U.S. army and the good people of America.
And may God bless the people of Iran, who may at last know freedom, dignity and justice.
