Shabbat shalom.
I watched a lot of CNN yesterday. To hear the details of Israel’s military prowess was at times inspiring, but seeing missiles eluding the iron dome and falling on Tel Aviv was just awful and hard to watch. Israel’s “preemptive” attack on Iran’s nuclear capabilities was a long time coming, but the outcome is far less certain and I fear for the safety of friends and family, and for all Israelis. We can only hope that as Nietzsche once said, the current chaos will lead to a new order.
Chaos theory teaches us that a butterfly’s wing can stir a hurricane. But what about when a thousand rockets scream across the sky and awaken a sleeping world? In the stormy Middle East, Israel is not just reacting to chaos—it’s confronting its source. The current war with Iran isn’t merely another regional skirmish. It’s a civilizational struggle to cauterize a metastasizing wound that has fueled Islamic terrorism, destabilized nations, and held both Jews and Muslims hostage to tyranny.
For too long, the Islamic Republic of Iran has acted as chaos incarnate: training proxies, funding jihad, and threatening annihilation. And with a nuclear weapon, that threat is far more real. Israel is now doing what others have feared to do—piercing the storm at its eye.
But it wasn’t always this way. Before the mullahs, before the “Death to Israel” and “Death to America” chants echoed through the streets of Tehran, Iran was home to one of the world’s oldest Jewish communities. Jews thrived under the Shah, working in medicine, business, academia, and politics. They lived side by side with Muslims in relative harmony—until 1979.
The Islamic Revolution shattered that coexistence. The Jewish population plummeted from over 80,000 to less than 9,000. Jews became suspects by birthright. Businessmen were executed for “Zionist crimes.” Worship went underground. And yet, even today, beneath the black-robed tyranny of the ayatollahs, a sliver of Jewish life persists—tethered to survival, not sovereignty.
Since 1979, Iranian-backed groups have fired over 29,000 bombs, missiles, and dronesat Israel—almost all indiscriminately, with the intent to kill, terrorize, and disrupt daily life. This isn’t warfare; it’s calculated chaos, exported across borders, bankrolled by a regime that treats martyrdom as currency. Here are the details:
- Hezbollah in Lebanon – Over 7,000 missiles fired since 2006
- Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza – More than 25,000 rockets since 2001
- Houthis in Yemen – Dozens of missile and drone attacks in just the last two years
- Proxies in Syria and Iraq – Launchpads for Iranian precision weaponry
- April 2024 – Iran’s first direct missile barrage, over 350 drones and ballistic missiles, aimed at Israeli civilians
All of that firepower is aimed at the only Jewish state on the planet, a country the size of New Jersey, with the intent of committing a real genocide of the Jews. If you think that is an exaggeration, believe these quotes from Iranian leaders:
- . Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini (Supreme Leader, 1979–1989):“Israel must be wiped off the map.”This phrase—though debated in translation—is widely attributed to Khomeini and often cited by Israeli and Western officials. The original Farsi refers to “removing this cancerous tumor of Israel from the pages of history.”2. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (President, 2005–2013):“The Imam [Khomeini] said this regime occupying Jerusalem must vanish from the page of time.” (2005) While Ahmadinejad claimed he was quoting Khomeini, his public reiteration sparked international outrage and sanctions.3. Ali Khamenei (Supreme Leader since 1989):“The Zionist regime is a cancerous tumor that must be removed.” (June 3, 2018)“Israel will not survive the next 25 years.” (September 9, 2015) He made this statement while meeting IRGC commanders, suggesting divine assistance would bring about Israel’s destruction.4. Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Leadership:Major General Hossein Salami (Commander-in-Chief of the IRGC):“We have managed to obtain the capacity to destroy the impostor Zionist regime.” (2019)5. IRGC Missiles Displayed With Inscription:“Israel must be wiped off the Earth” (Farsi inscription seen on missiles in military parades, e.g., 2016 Tehran parade)
Israel: The Butterfly That Fights Back
In the face of all this, Israel isn’t just defending itself—it’s reshaping the dynamics of regional deterrence. It is disrupting the flow of terror, dismantling Iran’s weapons pipelines, exposing the hypocrisy of the global human rights chorus that says little when Jews are targeted, but howls when Jews dare to fight back.
By targeting Iranian IRGC operatives, Hezbollah commanders, and weapons facilities, Israel is not creating chaos. It’s confronting it. Chaos theory reminds us that small changes can ripple across vast systems. Israel’s actions may yet catalyze a larger reckoning inside Iran—where a young, secular-leaning population is already disillusioned with theocratic rule and hungry for change.
Imagine an Iran no longer ruled by hate-filled clerics, but by builders, artists, scientists—and yes, Jews. Imagine synagogues once again ringing with Persian melodies, Jewish children walking safely to school in Isfahan, and Torah scrolls unrolled not in fear, but in freedom.
The fall of the Islamic Republic would not only liberate Iranians—it could invite the Jewish people home to one of their most ancient diasporas. Just as Spain now welcomes descendants of expelled Sephardim, one day Iran might atone and open its doors to the children of Cyrus.
In a world paralyzed by chaos and complexity, Israel’s war against Iran may look like another unpredictable gust in the global storm. But perhaps it is the necessary disturbance—the force that upends the cruel equilibrium of terrorism, sectarianism, and cowardice.
The world should not fear Israel’s strength. It should thank her. For in striking at the heart of chaos, Israel offers the chance for a new order: one where Jews can live freely in Tehran, Muslims can pray without fear in Tel Aviv, and terror no longer masquerades as resistance.
Because sometimes, chaos must be confronted—not studied, not rationalized, not appeased—but confronted, so that peace can finally emerge from the rubble.
Am Yisrael Chai.
Let the nation of Israel live—and help others live freely, too.
And speaking of living freely, we are off to join in No Kings Day protests in our local area. If you want to continue enjoying the freedoms of a liberal democracy, add your voice to the protests. Join a march, and bring a friend.
And be safe out there.
Brad out.
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