12 May 2025 – US hostage to be released and more on The Israel Brief.
13 May 2025 – Edan Alexander is home! This and more on The Israel Brief.
14 May 2025 – Has the IDF eliminated Mohammed Sinwar? This and more on The Israel Brief.
15 May 2025 – Expectant mother killed in terror attack and headlines on The Israel Brief.
While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves. LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO).
Recently there have been rumors of President Trump changing the name of the Persian Gulf to the “Arabian Gulf”, causing great concern and even anger among millions of Iranians. At the same time, there are ongoing reports about the US making a deal with the evil Iranian Islamic regime, concerning Israelis, Iranians, and Americans alike. As Trump visits the Middle East and will overfly the body of water separating Iran and the Arabian Peninsula, it is important to look at what this means today, historically, and the long-term implications for the future.
While I applaud any effort to undermine, weaken, and eliminate the Islamic regime which should be a US priority, the idea of renaming the Persian Gulf and negotiating with the ayatollahs are contradictory, and in the end strengthen the regime.
A Gulf Apart. Ahead of his trip to the Middle East, President Trump floated changing the name of the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Gulf, infuriating Iran and its people. The body of water has been called the Persian Gulf since at least 550 B.C.
The Persian Gulf is a body of water that separates Persia (Iran) from the hub of the Arab world. Indeed, changing the name of the Persian Gulf will be a slap in the face to the Islamic Republic, but one they will use to rally support against the US, with renewed chants of “Death to America”, and perpetuate suffering of the Iranian people.
It will cause anger among average Iranians, as it is one of the few physical reminders in the world of the name Persia, and its rich culture which they yearn to restore, free from the atrocities of the Islamic Republic which most Iranians reject. The term Persian connects Iranians with their national identity beginning with King Cyrus, the first king of the Persian Empire, considered the father of the Iranian people, from the sixth century BCE.
Iranians also know that Arabs have tried many times to destroy Persian culture and its heritage, starting in the seventh century when Arabs conquered Persia. Persia was forced into the Islamic world, and Islam was forced on the Persian people. The rise of Islam in Persia and forced conversion of Persians still feels like a foreign ideology where Islam was not indigenous. Throughout history, Persians – today Iranians – fought to restore their culture and national inheritance.
The 1979 Islamic Revolution was another invasion of Iran by extremist Muslims like Ayatollah Khomeini and others, whose origin and ideology were not Persian, but Arab. Iran has been occupied and ruled by evil ayatollahs whose intention is to erase Persian history, purging Iranians’ identity and culture, while forcing them to extremist Islam. They initiated a system of hate and brainwashing to build walls around their own brutal illegitimate rule. There is no religious freedom, and anyone who converts to any other religion would face prison, torture, and even execution.
Miraculously, I was spared death by hanging because of my faith. Millions of others have not been so lucky.
Further purging Persian culture and history, Iranians are forbidden to visit the tombs of Biblical giants such as King Cyrus, Daniel, Esther, and Mordecai, among other pillars of Persian history.
Intimidated by History. For at least a decade, authorities have restricted access to Cyrus’s tomb at Pasargadae, deploying security forces to prevent large gatherings due to concerns that these might escalate into anti-state protests. Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the state has increasingly suppressed celebrations of pre-Islamic heritage, viewing them as potential threats to the Islamic state’s authority.
There’s been an awaking among young Iranians who understand that Islam is the root of their problem, and the ayatollahs are their true enemies; that Iran has been occupied by Islamic extremists with no respect for Persian culture and history.
King Cyrus is a great example to many. He did not bring peace and stability by undermining the history of other nations. Instead, he helped Persians, and other great nations like the Jewish people, rebuild their history and culture. He facilitated the return of the Jewish people to the Land of their fathers after 70 years of exile, rebuilding the Temple, and restoring their ancient prosperity.
King Cyrus is also recognized for his achievements in human rights, politics, and military strategy. The Cyrus Cylinder is the world’s first charter of human rights, providing the basis for the first four articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and translated into all six official languages of the United Nations.
Ancient ‘Bill of Rights’. When the Cyrus Cylinder, which dates from the 6th century BC was loaned by the British Museum on a ‘traveling exhibition” to the USA in 2013, Museum director Neil MacGregor declared that “the cylinder, often referred to “as the first bill of human rights”- must be shared as widely as possible.”
Iranians have compared President Trump to King Cyrus. I have always supported and admired President Trump and his great leadership. I hope he is not deceived by malicious advice of the Islamic regime’s agents who have infiltrated America. I pray he does not try to build his own legacy by undermining the proud identity of millions of Iranians.
Suppression of Women. Photos taken in western Tehran capture the presence of black clad women and armed men confronting women who did not wear a headscarf.
As an ordinary woman who lived under the tyranny of the evil Ayatollahs for 33 years and experienced many brutalities and misogyny under the harsh rules of Islam, I have never stopped warning my fellow Americans about the Islamic regime and its intentions and tactics to destroy America from within. Through NewPersia.org I educate Americans about Islam, and the Iranian people about their true history, and the importance of restoring our historic friendship with the Jewish people.
Angered Iranians. Women have been at the forefront of protests in Iran. (Photo: Hawar News Agency via AP)
President Trump can truly be the next Cyrus to help Iranians who have suffered under the ayatollahs, to restore their freedom and national honor. We must embolden the people, not erase pillars of their national pride by changing the name of the Persian Gulf.
And certainly not by negotiating with the evil Islamic Republic.
About the writer:
Marziyeh Amirizadeh is an Iranian American who immigrated to the US after being sentenced to death in Iran for the crime of converting to Christianity. She endured months of mental and physical hardships and intense interrogation. She is author of two books (the latest, A Love Journey with God), public speaker, and columnist. She has shared her inspiring story throughout the United States and around the world, to bring awareness about the ongoing human rights violations and persecution of women and religious minorities in Iran, www.MarzisJourney.com.
Marzi also is the founder and president of NEW PERSIA whose mission is to be the voice of persecuted Christians and oppressed women under Islam, expose the lies of the Iranian Islamic regime, and restore the relationships between Persians, Jews, and Christians. www.NewPersia.org.
While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves. LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO).
Perspectives and insights from writers in the Arab media
In our latest newsletter,we focus on Middle East Arab writers addressing: (1) The challenges within the Palestinian Authority (PA) that require more than choosing a successor to Abbas but a “far more pragmatic response that enables the PA to evolve and regain credibility.” (2)The issue of Hezbollah relinquishing its arms which it views as “sacrosanct” for its survival and influence. (3)The comparisons of the May 2025 protests in Gaza against Hamas and the endless protests in Tel Aviv against the Natanyahu government.
David E. Kaplan Editor Lay of the Land
(*Articles translated by Asaf Zilberfarb)
(1)
CHANGE IN PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY
By Tarek Fahmy
Al-Ittihad, United Arab Emirates, May 4.
The Israeli government is closely monitoring the Palestinian leadership’s recent efforts to adopt new positions and directions in response to proposals discussed at the latest Arab Summit. These proposals emphasized the need to modernize the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) institutions, many of which suffer from a legitimacy crisis due to the prolonged absence of presidential and legislative elections – an issue that has deeply impacted their functionality.
The Palestinian Central Council has been entrusted with various responsibilities, operating under the direct supervision of President Mahmoud Abbas. However, the core issue is not the appointment of a vice president, as seen with Hussein al-Sheikh, but rather the lack of genuine reform across the Palestinian political system. This system must be overhauled to reflect the realities and changes expected in the near future, regardless of whether a consensus is reached to end the war in Gaza or whether significant shifts unfold in the West Bank.
Mounting Pressure. Will PA President Mahmoud Abbas initiate genuine – not cosmetic – reform across the Palestinian political system to reflect the realities and changes expected in the near future? (Photo: Mohamad Torokman/Reuters)
Whether Abbas embraces reform or continues offering nominal adjustments without substance, the status quo, marked by a strategic tug-of-war with Hamas, demonstrates that the Palestinian Authority requires more than symbolic changes.
On the international front, the US administration remains unencumbered by Israeli pressure in its dealings. The recent involvement of Adam Boehler, the American envoy for hostage negotiations, affirms that Hamas is operating with strategic and tactical intent. In turn, the Palestinian Authority is grappling with the implications of Hamas’s influence, attempting to reassert its role as a legitimate international actor.
Yet, tensions between the Palestinian factions and the PA have rendered meaningful cooperation nearly impossible, especially given Israel’s strategic containment of the PA’s movements in the West Bank. This reality points to the potential need for either a transformation of the Palestinian Authority or its replacement with a more accountable body.
Still, Israel remains deeply concerned about a power vacuum should the current leadership collapse, wary of possible internal conflict, even as al-Sheikh begins to assume a more prominent role. This moment calls for deliberate preparation, as Israel appears intent on shaping the post-conflict landscape in both Gaza and the West Bank.
However, addressing these developments requires more than choosing a successor to Abbas. The issue is structural: a dysfunctional foundation of governance that Israel itself understands all too well. The broader political environment remains in flux, without a clearly defined path forward. This demands a flexible, pragmatic response that enables the PA to evolve and regain credibility.
The revival of Palestinian institutions depends on restoring their legitimacy, setting priorities, and rejecting internal narratives – especially from within Fatah – that claim elections are unfeasible under current conditions, a claim that, while understandable, cannot justify inaction.
Adjustments without Substance. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, 89, who has headed the PLO and the Palestinian Authority (PA) since the death of veteran leader Yasser Arafat in 2004, named close confidant Hussein al-Sheikh as his deputy and likely successor as a step widely seen as needed to assuage international doubts over Palestinian leadership. (Photo: The Media Line).
What is needed is a comprehensive reimagining of institutional legitimacy, beginning with the Central Council and extending across the PLO’s organizational structure. This reform should be inclusive, but without becoming mired in the debate over formally integrating Hamas or Islamic Jihad – groups that currently show no interest in joining, due to their own agendas and strategic calculations.
Ultimately, using the excuse of the status quo to justify stagnation is untenable. Israel’s strategy of entrenching the current reality, including measures such as withholding tax and customs revenues and facilitating US aid cuts to PA institutions, reveals a broader campaign to weaken the Palestinian Authority. These tactics aim to dry up the PA’s financial resources and perpetuate its erosion on the ground, reinforcing the urgent need for transformative action rather than reactive maneuvering.
– Tarek Fahmy
(2)
WHEN WEAPONS BECOME AN IDEOLOGY
ByMarwan El Amine
Nida Al Watan, Lebanon, May 2
Since its founding, Hezbollah has worked to redefine Shi’ite identity in Lebanon, shifting it from a national affiliation rooted in the Lebanese state to an ideological one aligned with Iran’s Guardianship of the Jurist doctrine. To advance this agenda, the group engaged in so-called “brotherly wars” aimed at consolidating control over the Shi’ite community and undermining the framework of national belonging established by Imam Musa al-Sadr.
In its formative years, Hezbollah pursued this control through two primary levers:
religion and
armed resistance
Yet, its efforts to impose the ideology of the ‘Guardianship of the Jurist’ met with resistance that prevented it from fully embedding this doctrine within Lebanon’s Shi’ite population.
A major impediment was the historically deep-rooted and religiously significant connection between Lebanese Shi’ites and the traditional jurisprudential authorities of Najaf – figures like Muhsin al-Hakim, Abu al-Qasim Khoei, and later Ali al-Sistani – who represent a school of thought that explicitly rejects Iran’s model of clerical rule and advocates for a separation between religious authority and direct governance.
Local independent religious authorities also stood as formidable barriers, especially the widely respected Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah, and the enduring influence of Imam Mohammad Mehdi Shamseddine, who continued al-Sadr’s mission of grounding the Shi’ite community in national Lebanese identity and emphasizing its integral role within the state rather than in opposition to it.
Together, these figures and institutions erected a bulwark against Hezbollah’s ideological infiltration of the Shi’ite sect. Confronted with the failure of its ideological project, Hezbollah pivoted to a more pragmatic and resonant strategy, embodied in the rhetoric of “resistance”. This narrative gained traction during the Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon, when Hezbollah adopted the slogan “weapons to liberate the land” to secure political and popular legitimacy.
Yet, what began as a discourse of liberation evolved into an ideology of its own – one focused on the perpetual defense of the weapons themselves. In this transformation, the tools of resistance morphed into instruments of control, enabling Hezbollah to cultivate a sense of political and emotional detachment between the Shi’ite community and the Lebanese state, particularly in terms of loyalty and identity.
Testing Time. Will a weakened Hezbollah in Lebanon disarm? Many fear that an attempt to force the issue could lead to civil conflict.(Photo: Hassan Ammar/AP)
To Hezbollah, these weapons are sacrosanct – not simply tools of defense or influence but the primary means by which it has alienated the Shi’ite community from the Lebanese state and erected a psychological and political divide that subordinates national loyalty to transnational allegiance. The arms serve as the last remaining tether connecting the Shi’ite community to Iran’s ‘Guardianship of the Jurist’ project, with implications that reach far beyond Lebanon’s borders.
As such, the prospect of disarmament poses an existential threat to Hezbollah’s authority and simultaneously opens the door for the Shi’ite community to break free from the orbit of Iranian influence. Severing this link would not only undermine Hezbollah’s power but would effectively dismantle the ideological infrastructure of Iran’s presence in Lebanon.
Today, caught between the failure to impose the religious ideology of ‘Guardianship of the Jurist’ doctrine and the severe blow dealt to the ideology of weapons by its military defeat in the recent war, the Iranian project in Lebanon stands precariously on the edge of decline.
– Marwan El Amine
(3)
BETWEEN THE PROTESTS IN GAZA AND TEL AVIV
By Tarek Fahmy
Al-Ittihad, UAE, April 5
It may seem like an imprecise comparison to juxtapose the ongoing protests in the Gaza Strip against Hamas’ continued rule – despite the massive destruction, thousands of Palestinian casualties, and a glaring absence of any credible path toward resolution – with the large-scale demonstrations unfolding in Israel, driven by demands for a hostage exchange and a ceasefire.
In Gaza, the internal vacuum surrounding the handover of hostages, the ambiguity over partial Israeli withdrawals and reconstruction efforts, and the vague proposals to restructure the security and political scene via a consensus committee between Fatah and Hamas, all amid responses to American and Israeli initiatives, reflect a paralyzed political landscape.
On the other side, Israel’s societal unrest is tightly linked to its internal political disarray, particularly the makeup of its governing coalition and its controversial maneuvers – including attempts to dismiss the Shin Bet chief and the attorney general, and the reinstallation of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to enforce his aggressive security vision.
The core issue in both Gaza and Israel remains the same: a deep state of internal fragmentation and the absence of a coherent political roadmap.
In Gaza’s case, the situation is made even more complex by Israel’s persistent military strategy, which relies heavily on force, targeting critical infrastructure, resuming the policy of targeted assassinations against mid-level and internal security figures, and cutting off internet, water, and electricity in line with a broader plan seemingly intended to render the Strip uninhabitable and to encourage voluntary migration – a trend already underway. This approach appears designed to impose a new reality on all parties involved.
In Israel, the unrest demands serious internal introspection despite the government’s current hold on power. Public opinion is increasingly split between factions for and against the status quo, with growing concerns of an impending civil war should the situation persist. This internal division suggests Israel is unlikely to seriously engage in ceasefire negotiations until it achieves what it considers sufficient security and ensures that a repeat of October 7 is impossible.
This is further complicated by looming threats on the Lebanese front, where no solid guarantees exist, despite Hezbollah and Hamas’ setbacks and the current American-Israeli focus on neutralizing the Houthi front.
Within this complex web, the search for alternatives is gaining traction. In Gaza, this could mean the imposition of tribal leadership – an idea floated by Israel after months of conflict – or perhaps civilian, nonpartisan governance. These scenarios underscore Israel’s belief that Hamas is unlikely to relinquish control voluntarily and will continue to sacrifice lives to maintain its grip.
Any Hamas willingness to consider current proposals is seen in Israel as tactical rather than strategic, while in parallel, calls for early elections and an end to political polarization grow louder.
Poignant Protests. Like Israelis protesting in Tel Aviv against their leadership, Palestinians attend a rally in March 2025 in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip with protestors chanting “Hamas are terrorists,” and “Out, out, out, Hamas, get out!” (Photo: AFP/Getty Images)
However, the political establishment in Israel remains relatively united around the vision of stability under Netanyahu’s leadership, bolstered by the backing of the religious establishment and senior rabbis who see the continuation of conflict not only as a negotiation tool but as a vehicle for a larger objective: the erasure of Palestinian presence.
Accordingly, the Israeli strategy in Gaza is likely to remain expansive, precluding any real or even temporary solution, particularly amid ongoing disunity between Hamas and Fatah and the absence of a robust Palestinian political alternative.
For a meaningful shift to occur, Palestinian public opinion must mobilize around a new paradigm, one that moves beyond factionalism and demands the revitalization of the Palestinian Authority, the Palestinian Liberation Organization, and the broader political system to demonstrate to the international community a genuine commitment to reform rather than continued political maneuvering.
The protests now erupting in both Israel and Gaza are rooted in deeper realities that reflect the broader crisis engulfing both territories – realities that could profoundly shape the course of events, especially as multiple scenarios remain in play and the region teeters on the edge of new, unpredictable developments.
-Tarek Fahmy
While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves. LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO).
How successive American Presidents – Democratic and Republican – have misread the Middle East.
By Neville Berman
This article aims to briefly touch on how three events in 1979 profoundly weakened the West. The first was the overthrow of the Shah of Iran, the second was Saddam Hussein seizing control of Iraq, and the third was the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) unilaterally raising the price of a barrel of oil ten-fold over the price before 1973. These three changes, all left unchallenged by the impotent West, enriched and emboldened the Islamists and changed the world.
Carter was the American President in 1979. He aimed to promote the western concept of democracy and human rights across the world. With the exception of Israel, democracy and human rights are completely foreign to the Middle East. Carter saw the Shah of Iran as an abuser of human rights and promoted his overthrow. Instead of democracy and human rights, Khomeini turned Iran into an Islamic autocracy with no rights for women, and brutal punishment for those that opposed his rule. Carter got it completely wrong.
World Over a Barrel. This 1979 TIME magazine cover captures the “Oil Shock” of that year when by mid-1979, oil prices began to rise rapidly more than doubling between April 1979 and April 1980.
President Bush, decided after 9/11, that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction and had supported Al Qaeda. He decided to overthrow Saddam and get rid of the Baath Party. The war cost America both blood and treasure. No weapons of mass destruction were ever found. America had no idea what to do with Iraq after the war ended. With Iraq neutralized by America, Iran was given a green light to pursue its policy of hegemony over the middle east and to try to eliminate Israel. America wanted to promote a stable Middle East, instead it got Islamism, terrorism, death and destruction. President Bush got it completely wrong.
Message Loud and Clear. In the presence of senior Iranian officials, including then President Ebrahim Raisi, tens of thousands of Iranians, some chanting “death to America” and “death to Israel,” marched in the capital of Tehran April 14, 2023 to mark “Jerusalem Day”. Banners raised by demonstrators read “the destruction of Israel is near” and “Palestine is the axis of unity of the Muslim world”. (Photo: AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
There are six words that Iran has used for decades. The words are not in Farci but in English. For some reason, no American President seems able to understand them. The words are Death to America and Death to Israel. Very few believed Hitler when he declared that he wanted a Jew-free Europe. Words need to be taken seriously. President Obama decided that the six words were an invitation to negotiate. The initial idea was to end Iran’s nuclear enrichment program, and then to remove sanctions and release all the frozen Iranian money in western banks. Despite holding all the cards, America caved in to Iranian demands. All the frozen money was released, sanctions were lifted, and Iran continued to enrich uranium and develop its missile program. Flush with cash, Iran immediately increased funding of terrorist proxies throughout the middle east. Inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency became farcical when Iran refused to allow inspectors into certain facilities and turned off cameras that were meant to monitor the situation. President Obama got it completely wrong.
Fired up .A drop in oil production in the wake of the 1979 Iranian revolution (see above) led to an energy crisis and although the global oil supply only decreased by approximately four percent, the oil markets’ reaction raised the price of crude oil drastically over the next 12 months, more than doubling it to $39.50 per barrel.
One of the bedrock axioms of economics is that demand and supply determines the price. OPEC formed a cartel to limit the supply of oil in order to increase the price. The world never formed an opposing cartel to limit the price of oil. What followed was the largest transfer of wealth in the history of the world. The money flowed straight into the treasuries of the few oil exporting countries. There has never been a shortage of oil. The world has over a hundred years of known oil deposits to satisfy the current demand for oil. The money from oil sales at massively increased prices, effectively transformed some of the poorest countries on earth into fabulously wealthy countries. Almost all the oil importing countries are now facing deficits and inflation. From the above it is clear that both Democrat and Republican Presidents have made decisions that have emboldened and enriched anti-western leaders in the Middle East for decades. They all totally caved in to OPEC.
‘Fuel’ing Fear. Cars line up outside a filling station on the first day of gas rationing in May 9, 1979 imposed on nine California counties following the revolution in Iran that caused a shortage of crude oil. (Photo: Bettmann/Bettmann/Getty Image)
Most western countries are democracies. Democratic elections are usually won by one party receiving a few percentage points of votes more than the opposition. If one political party loses 5% and the opposition party gains 5% there is a 10% change in the election result. Qatar is led by one family known as the House of Thani. Qatar has used its massive wealth to finance the building of Middle Eastern Study Centers on all the campuses of the top universities in the US. All the lecturers hired are anti-Israel and against Western values. Qatar aims to cause at least a 5% change in the election process and bring about the subjugation of America. They have joined forces with the radical left in an attempt to bring chaos to America. Qatar has approximately 320,000 citizens. Despite its small size it has decided to use its wealth and the American constitutional right of free speech to attack America and cause chaos across the country. The aim is to remove American support for Israel and then to subjugate America to Islamic rule. Successive American Presidents have allowed this to happen.
Campus Chaos. More than just a display of a Palestinian flag at Harvard University by these graduating students is the display of Qatar’s grip on US education that caused an explosion of campus antisemitism. (Photo credit: Brian Snyder/Reuters)
Saudi Arabia has been paying for the construction of large mosques all over the world. The Imans in these mosques come from Saudi Arabia. They promote Islamic views of domination and subjugation, and have radicalized many of their followers around the world. They pose a direct threat to the liberal western rules- based world. Both Qatar and Saudi Arabia aim to bring about the fall of the West. What is really amazing is that America sees Qatar and Saudi Arabia as allies. America seems to be totally ignorant as to what is actually taking place. Money and greed have replaced morality and ethics. President Trump has clearly demonstrated that he wants to make deals. Democracy and common values are no longer part of the conversation.
Sign of the Times. Due to memories of the oil shortage in 1973, motorists soon began panic buying as they had six years earlier until gas stations ran out!
Politicians in democracies need to face elections. It is clear that a change in the composition of the citizens will inevitably affect the number of votes for a candidate. The massive surge of immigrants into the West is dramatically changing election priorities throughout the West. There is no doubt that Islam is on the rise in the West and that an enormous amount of funding has been provided by Middle Eastern countries to promote Islamic ideals across the world. Indifference as to what is going on is not a policy. It is a strategic error that will lead to massive confrontation and chaos.
It is also clear that Israel also operated under the misguided policy of thinking that economic prosperity would bring about a peaceful resolution to the situation in Gaza. Without a doubt, successive Israel governments got it all wrong. After the shock of the atrocities of October 7, 2023, Israel quickly changed its policies. More than one and a half years later, the war is still ongoing. From the above, it is clear that leaders in the West also need to come to terms with what is happening. The elephant in the room is Islamic fundamentalism. It can no longer be ignored.
About the writer:
AccountantNeville Berman had an illustrious sporting career in South Africa, being twice awarded the South African State Presidents Award for Sport and was a three times winner of the South African Maccabi Sportsman of the Year Award. In 1978 he immigrated to the USA to coach the United States men’s field hockey team, whereafter, in 1981 he immigrated to Israel where he practiced as an accountant and then for 20 years was the Admin Manager at the American International School in Even Yehuda, Israel. He is married with two children and one granddaughter.
While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves. LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO).
Unveiling the contours and contrasts of an ever-changing Middle East landscape Reliable reportage and insightful commentary on the Middle East by seasoned journalists from the region and beyond.
Also available on YouTube @The Israel Brief – Simply click on the red subscribe button to receive alerts when a new report is posted.
What’s happening in Israel today? See from every Monday – Thursday LOTL’s The Israel Brief broadcasts and on our Facebook page and YouTube by seasoned TV & radio broadcaster, Rolene Marks familiar to Chai FM listeners in South Africa and millions of American listeners to the News/Talk/Sports radio station WINA, broadcasting out of Virginia, USA.
Lay of the Land’s ‘Pick of the Week’ is an old photo reflecting a new – but significant – shift
ONCE IN SYNC, NOW SHOWING SIGNS OF DIVISION
Rocky Relations? Aiming for ‘historic return’ to region following the Abraham Accords of his first Presidency, Trump heads to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, but glaringly skipping out Israel. Trump joins much of the Israeli public in being ‘frustrated’ with Netanyahu.
Articles
Please note there is a facility to comment beneath each article should you wish to express an opinion on the subject addressed.
(1)
CANINE THERAPY HELPS SOLDIERS COPE WITH PTSD
Dogs are proving to be partners in caring and literally a friend – for life! ByRolene Marks
Pets for Vets. Living with the shock of battle – particularly since the October 7, 2023 massacre and ensuing war – veterans of the IDF find solace and friendship with trainee pups in the Dogs 4 Soldiers program that trains service dogs in special skills to help vets suffering from the devastating effects of trauma.
LESSONS FROM MY FRIEND’S EXECUTION IN IRAN’S EVIN PRISON
Nearly executed like her cellmate affords understanding of the depravity and dangers of the Teheran regime. By Marziyeh Amirizadeh
Torture in Teheran. “Repeatedly kicked in her stomach, bashing her head against the wall until she passed out, hanging her from theceiling for hours on end, and beating her with a cable,” was what Shirin Alamhooli (above) endured until she was executed by hanging in Iran’s notorious Evin Prison. The writer was her cell mate and best friend.
We didn’t create the horrors of October 7 – Gazans did – and we have to ensure they don’t succeed in trying again. By Forest Rain Marcia
Counting Cars? No. While the world focuses on ‘numbers’ with regard to the devastation in Gaza caused by seeking out the hostages and taking out Hamas mass murderers, all but forgotten or ignored are scenes such as above of Israelis machine-gunned in their ‘death trap’ vehicles, trying to flee from the murderous marauders from Gaza on October 7, 2023!
While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves. LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO).
With Jews around the world being attacked for the large loss of Gazan lives in a war started by Gazans invading Israel, torturing, raping, slaughtering, burning entire families alive, I was reminded of the answer Yasser Arafat gave to Israeli reporter Zvi Yechezkeli when asked why he rejected in July 2000, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak’s Camp David peace proposal described “extraordinary concessions” (Michael Kelly, Washington Post, 3/13/02), “far-reaching concessions” (Boston Globe, 12/30/01), “unprecedented concessions” (E.J. Dionne, Washington Post, 12/4/01) and igniting the Second Intifada. It resulted in the deaths of approximately 3,000 Palestinians and 1,000 Israelis, as well as 64 foreign nationals.
“It’s not about the numbers. It’s about justice,” said Yasser Arafat.
So now, I will use his words:
“It’s not about numbers. It’s about justice.”
Kfar Aza Massacre. Israeli soldiers around the death and destruction caused by Hamas killers in Kibbutz Kfar Azaon October 10, 2023.(Photo: Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
“Genocide!” scream the haters of Israel, ignoring the facts. They don’t care that the civilian casualties, while always tragic, are an unfortunate reality of war or that the combatant-to-civilian ratio in Gaza is the lowest in modern warfare (approximately 1:1). Instead, they shout:
“How many dead will satisfy you? When will the numbers be too high for you and make you demand Israel stop?”
Jews, bombarded by these hateful accusations, often find themselves stunned – at a loss for words.
We didn’t want this war.
Highway of Hell. Never to happen again must be these scenes of people caught in ‘death trap’ vehicles in southern Israel trying to flee from the murderous marauders from Gaza on October 7.
We hoped Gazans would use their beachfront piece of land to build a thriving new Singapore, vibrant and successful. We don’t like killing. We don’t like destruction. We are the people who help others improve their lives. We are builders.
As far as we are concerned, the optimal number of dead Gazans or destroyed buildings is ZERO.
But that doesn’t mean we should demand Israel stop the war. On the contrary.
Israel has a moral obligation to her citizens and to Jews everywhere. Israelis must be able to sleep in their beds or attend a party without fearing invaders who might swoop in to torture, slaughter, or take hostages. Jews worldwide must know they won’t be targeted by hostage-takers hoping to blackmail the only Jewish state.
Israel must fulfill the promise: NEVER AGAIN.
We didn’t create the horrors of October 7th – Gazans did. They took our families and friends hostage and will not give them back. They attacked us – and repeatedly vow to do it again, and again, until we no longer exist.
We do not love war. We love our families and must protect them.
Our soldiers went to war because they saw their sisters defiled and tossed to the ground like trash.
They saw their parents forced to evacuate their homes to keep the little ones safe from missiles or the next wave of invaders.
They went to war to prevent future children from experiencing what my friend’s granddaughter Liel experienced. A 12-year-old, begging the security forces to rescue her from the house where terrorists were holding her hostage, saying: “I have school tomorrow!” A terrified little girl, murdered with her twin brother, aunt, and other neighbors.
They went to war to prevent future women from being slaughtered like Michal. She went to a party to celebrate with friends and her mother, our friend, had to spend a week searching for her before she was found – and identified by her dental records.
Our soldiers went to war to make it clear – to the attackers and to every person around the world who cheered them on – that we meant it when we said: “NEVER AGAIN”
So, when the haters scream, “How many Gazans must die before you tell Israel to stop?” this is what Jews and all who value freedom must reply:
“It’s not about the numbers. It’s about justice.”
Take, for example, Rafah, in the south of the Gaza Strip, on the border with Egypt. Once a bustling city, Rafah however boasted an extensive infrastructure of terror and smuggling tunnels. Weapons, ammunition and more were smuggled into Gaza through their tunnels.
Hamas Justice. Murdered in Rafah were hostages from top left, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Ori Danino, Eden Yerushalmi; from bottom left, Almog Sarusi, Alexander Lobanov, and Carmel Gat. They were murdered by their Hamas captors in Gaza in August 2024. (Photo: The Hostages Families Forum via AP)
Rafah today is devastated. This is the Rafah where the leader of Hamas and the architect of the October 7 massacre and attack, Yahya Sinwar was later found and killed by Israeli forces as well where six hostages – Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Ori Danino, Eden Yerushalmi, Almog Sarusi, Alexander Lobanov and Carmel Gat were brutally murdered by their Hamas captors in August 2024 – near the building where Sinwar was later killed.
From Release to Rafah. Found and killed in Rafah, Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip and the architect of the October 7 massacre, is seen here in 2011 after being released from an Israeli prison in a prisoner exchange. (Photo: Adel Hana/AP)
So, while the devastation in Rafah doesn’t bring me joy, it does help me breathe a little easier.
This is what consequences look like. It’s not about the numbers. It’s about justice. It’s about proving that we meant it when we said “NEVER AGAIN”
About the writer:
Forest Rain Marcia is an American-born Israeli who lives in northern Israel. She’s a branding expert and storyteller. Her passion is giving voice to the stories of Israel illuminating its profound events, cherished values, and exemplary role models that transcend borders, casting Israel as an eternal wellspring of inspiration and strength for a global audience. Forest Rain made Aliyah at the age of thirteen. After her IDF service, she co-developed and co-directed a project to aid victims of terrorism and war. These activities gave her extensive first-hand experience with the emotional and psychological processes of civilians, soldiers, and their families, wounded and/or bereaved and traumatized by terrorism and war (grief, guilt, PTSD, etc). Throughout the years, she has continued to voice the stories, pain, and strength of traumatized Israelis to motivate others to provide support and counter the hate that threatens Jews in Israel, around the world, and Western civilization itself through the understanding that what begins with the Jews never ends with Jews.
While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves. LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO).
05 May 2025 – Missile from Houthi impacts and more on The Israel Brief.
06 May 2025 – Is Israel about to launch Operation Gideon’s Chariot? This and more on The Israel Brief.
07 May 2025 – IAF disables Houthi airport and more on The Israel Brief.
08 May 2025 – Israel is gravely concerned for the fate of 3 hostages and more on The Israel Brief.
While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves. LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO).
Nearly executed like her cellmate affords understanding of the depravity and dangers of the Teheran regime.
By Marziyeh Amirizadeh
This year, more than ever, it’s impossible not to think about the execution of my best friend, Shirin Alamhooli on May 9, 2010. I met Shirin in Iran’s notorious Evin Prison where I had been arrested and sentenced to death by hanging because of converting to Christianity, a “crime” the Islamic regime calls “apostasy” and which carries a death penalty. I was arrested in March 2009. Shirin had already been in prison for some time as a political Kurdish prisoner.
Iranian Injustice. This photo of Shirin Alamhooli was taken by the writer while in Evin Prisonm Teheran. Shiran was executed on May 9, 2010. (Photo: Marziyeh Amirizadeh)
As a Christian, I had many people advocating for my freedom from the first day, and miraculously, I was released that November, and then came to America where I have become a proud citizen. Unfortunately, neither the world nor the terrorist Islamic regime cared about the life of a 28-year-old Kurdish woman. Shirin spent months being brutally tortured: repeatedly kicked in her stomach, bashing her head against the wall until she passed out, hanging her from the ceiling for hours on end, and beating her with a cable. They would only stop the torture for the Islamic prayer, to dedicate their savage acts to Allah. To satisfy him.
For months Shirin could not walk because the skin was torn from the bottom of her feet during the torture. Most of the time we would sit together and from a small window looked at the mountains beyond the walls of prison. She would sing a beautiful Kurdish song. She wished just to walk to the mountains freely, to fly away like a bird one more time.
At The Mercy Of Evil Men. Pakhshan Azizi, a Kurdish political prisoner and former aid worker, faces the confirmation of her death sentence by the Iranian Supreme Court.
We ate and talked together almost daily. She asked me to promise her that if I got released and she didn’t, to never stop fighting against the evil Islamic regime.
From the first day of my release, I started fighting for her release, even though I remained in mortal danger myself. I will never forget that horrific day I got a call from one of my cellmates still in prison:
“Marzi, Shirin was executed.”
…. then uncontrollable crying.
I felt like I died. I hung up the phone, and for a few hours I felt as if all my internal organs had frozen. My whole body froze. I could not move, talk, or think.
Along with my roommate, Maryam, with whom I had also been arrested and sentenced to death and then released, we went outside the prison with Shirin’s brother, pleading just to get her body to bury her with dignity. The prison authorities lied. They told us her body had been sent to the cemetery. We rushed there and they said they never received Shirin’s body. We returned to Evin Prison, begging them to give us her body. They refused, mocking us. Today, nobody knows her burial place, if she even has one.
Even 15 years later, Shirin’s execution is one of the most painful things in my life. Growing up in the Islamic Republic, there were many. This year we must take a lesson from her murder, as the Islamic regime remains the greatest threat to the US, and the world. I am pained that those leaders in my adopted country, which I love and am so grateful for, are being deceived by the notion that the ayatollahs can be rationalized with, that negotiation is anything more than a fool’s errand.
Indeed, the Iranian Islamic Republic cannot be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon – ever, under any circumstances. Negotiation will only give them time to bury their centrifuge deeper, and to hide the enriched uranium that has no civilian purpose. To be clear: if the Islamic Republic is able to acquire a nuclear weapon, they will use it. They will threaten the US and Israel, the “Great Satan,” and the “Little Satan.” They will establish a nuclear umbrella that will let them blackmail and terrorize the rest of the world. There is no doubt about this, yet too many in the West don’t realize it.
While all this is horrible, and is threatening, and cause enough to do everything possible to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, no less horrible is the cancerous threat of spreading of their evil, extremist Islamic ideology: in the US and the rest of the world. A nuclear bomb can kill millions instantaneously, but their dangerous ideology infects the whole world, spreading like a virus, and destroying and threatening millions from within over decades.
Condemned to Die. For 46 years, the gallows of the Islamic Republic have claimed countless women’s lives.
My friend Shirin is evidence of that. Arrested, tortured, and executed, she was one of millions of Iranians alone who are victims of this extremist ideology. While no level of torture is out of bounds in the Islamic Republic, according to their strict following of Islamic laws, it’s not allowed to execute a virgin. It is a known practice for women like Shirin, and others, that before being executed they are brutally raped, taking the level of obscenity beyond imagination. That’s another example of why negotiations are futile, and they can never be trusted.
I was supposed to be one of its victims too. Outside Iran, through its terrorist proxies around the world including Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, the Syrian Assad regime, Kataib Hezbollah, and more, millions of others have been killed and maimed. Vast “no-go” neighborhoods of major European cities have become dangerous cesspools of Islamic hate.
The US and the world must be saved from this threat. But there’s another reason as well. For more than 46 years, 85 million Iranians have been held captive, hostage to the ayatollahs -victims of their lies. They have been repeatedly let down by the West looking to make a deal. The worst of these examples was President Obama who, while I was in prison, not only abandoned the Iranian people during the Green Movement, but sent billions of dollars to Iran, thinking that he could pay off the ayatollahs. Still today, Iranians consider Obama as having betrayed them.
Revelations from the Inside. In Captive in Iran, two courageous Iranian women – the writer and a former cellmate on death row in Evin Prison who made it out alive – recount their experiences in one of the world’s darkest places.
There have been reports of Islamic Republic, today, offering the US billions in contracts to rebuild Iran, but that is nothing more than extortion. In fact, the US can achieve unlimited potential and billions in contracts rebuilding Iran by doing everything possible to bring down the Islamic regime, making Iran and Iranians free, and eliminating the world’s greatest source of terror and war.
This is what needs to be done. While it cannot bring back Shirin, it will at least fulfill her wishes for a free Iran, and those of so many others who have suffered their brutality.
*Feature picture: Shirin Alam Holi, born in 1981 in a small village near Maku, executed in Evin Prison on May 9th 2010 after passing one year and nine months in prison. She was charged for cooperating with Pajak (Iranian branch of PKK) on Nov. 29th 2009 and sentenced to death. (Photos: Marziyeh Amirizadeh)
About the writer:
Marziyeh Amirizadeh is an Iranian American who immigrated to the US after being sentenced to death in Iran for the crime of converting to Christianity. She endured months of mental and physical hardships and intense interrogation. She is author of two books (the latest, A Love Journey with God), public speaker, and columnist. She has shared her inspiring story throughout the United States and around the world, to bring awareness about the ongoing human rights violations and persecution of women and religious minorities in Iran, www.MarzisJourney.com. Marzi also is the founder and president of NEW PERSIA whose mission is to be the voice of persecuted Christians and oppressed women under Islam, expose the lies of the Iranian Islamic regime, and restore the relationships between Persians, Jews, and Christians. www.NewPersia.org
While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves. LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO).
Dogs are proving to be partners in caring and literally a friend – for life!
By Rolene Marks
(*First appeared in Jewish News Syndicate)
April is a bittersweet month in Israel calendar. It is the month when the national holidays of Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Day), Yom Hazikaron (Memorial day for Israel’s fallen soldiers and victims of terror) and Yom Ha’atzmaut (Independence Day) fall in succession. It is a time of remembrance and celebration – but also a time that can be very sensitive and triggering for Israel’s soldiers. Various cities have made the decision not to have fireworks to celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut out of sensitivity to soldiers suffering from PTSD.
The Defense Ministry Deputy Director General, Limor Luria, who heads the ministry’s Rehabilitation Department, recently said that soldiers struggling with PTSD feel that holidays and memorial days as especially straining, even more so during wartime. The Rehabilitation Department estimated that they would be treating approximately 100,000 wounded personnel by 2030, half of whom expected to experience PTSD.
The number of suspected suicides among Israeli soldiers had risen sharply since the Hamas-led assault on October 7, according to the data published by the IDF. Since the start of the war, 28 soldiers have died by suicide as compared in 2023 when – before the attack – 10 suicides were recorded. Laura reveals that since Hamas’s October 7 onslaught, the Rehabilitation Department has absorbed 16,500 injured soldiers, with nearly half of them treated for PTSD.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is defined as “a mental health condition that is caused by an extremely stressful or terrifying event — either being part of it or witnessing it.” It is often characterized by recurring nightmares, frequent panic attacks, depression, and other trauma symptoms. Often, those with PTSD fear sleep because persistent nightmares torment and awaken them.
The wounds are not physical but internal and for many years, PTSD has been misunderstood and often stigmatized. Treatment for veterans suffering from PTSD has been inadequate and neglected. In April 2021, IDF veteran, Itzik Saidyan an IDF veteran set himself on fire outside the Petah Tikva offices of the Rehabilitation Department for disabled soldiers, after years of struggling to receive the care he had sought for PTSD.
Following the horrific October 7 surprise attack and the rising number of soldiers experiencing PTSD, the Ministry of Defense has amped up efforts to treat this with a variety of different therapies – including special dog companions.
Best friend on Soldier’s Shoulder. The Dogs 4 Soldiers program gifts Israeli soldiers with the comfort and healing of therapy dogs. Says Belev Echad committed to restoring wounded IDF soldiers back to life, “Partnering them with a furry friend in need of care gives them something positive to wake up to every morning.”
Animals play a vital role in helping PTSD sufferers process and cope with the emotions and challenges they face. Canine companions are excellent at providing a special kind of therapy. Therapy dogs help their soldier get active and leave the house because they need a lot of exercise. They help rebuild trust and give unconditional love. Dogs also help solders make the sometimes-difficult transition to civilian life and help their humans feel protected.
A board member with No Soldier Left Behind – a non-profit organization that offers canine therapy – Tal Morag explains the clear distinction to JNS between therapy and service dogs:
“Soldiers live with the shock of battle that they can relive at any moment. A sudden loud noise or the smell of blood can be a cue to trigger it off. It can take years to understand what is happening to them. We don’t question them; we give them the chance to tell their stories and therapists to assist them. It is not only combat soldiers who find themselves with symptoms of PTSD but also those in the police, in the security forces and we paramedics. The dogs are trained not to be a service dog but just to be the soldier’s dog and you can see how effective they are. The dogs learn to understand his or her owner and is able to smell that a panic attack is about to happen and can calm them down.”
Furry Friends. Fractured from the battlefield, troops find friendship from their furry companions. (Photo: Elad Gershgorn)
Liran Dimri, the Director of the Dog Training Centre for Belev Echad who offer the program Dogs 4 Soldiers, also suffers from PTSD. Speaking to JNS, Dimri advocates how therapy dogs help:
“People who suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder usually prefer to be alone, locked up at home, and this is what causes them depression. Dogs help them by getting them out of the house at least three times a day. In addition, when they are alone at home, the dog is always with them and seeks the person’s attention and treats them, so they don’t feel alone.”
Caring Canines. Belev Echad is working tirelessly to provide service dogs to soldiers struggling with PTSD. These dogs detect adrenaline spikes and nightmares, reduce stress and anxiety, provide balance assistance, and serve as loyal companions.
Dimri understands too well the impact that PTSD has on the families of soldiers and encourages family members to be actively involved in the training process. A sufferer himself from post-traumatic stress disorder mainly affecting his sleep, Dimri acquired a dog three years ago which has helped him deal with depression, and so “in a good positionto advise on what to do and how it helped me. I also talk to family members and explain to them about post-traumatic stress disorder and how they should deal with their children or partners, and that way it helps them deal with them better. I encourage family members to join in the dog training sessions, to go through this process together, so that the soldiers understand that they are not alone in this process. Their family is with them, and so am I. In addition, it gives them quality time together at least once a week when we meet for training and eat together at the end of the evening.”
Man’s best friend can also be his best therapist.
*Feature picture: Pets for Vets. Veterans of the Israel Defense Forces with trainee pups in the Dogs 4 Soldiers program. (Photo: Courtesy of Liran Dimri/Belev Echad.)
While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves. LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO).
Unveiling the contours and contrasts of an ever-changing Middle East landscape Reliable reportage and insightful commentary on the Middle East by seasoned journalists from the region and beyond.
Also available on YouTube @The Israel Brief – Simply click on the red subscribe button to receive alerts when a new report is posted.
What’s happening in Israel today? See from every Monday – Thursday LOTL’s The Israel Brief broadcasts and on our Facebook page and YouTube by seasoned TV & radio broadcaster, Rolene Marks familiar to Chai FM listeners in South Africa and millions of American listeners to the News/Talk/Sports radio station WINA, broadcasting out of Virginia, USA.
Double Damage. The impact of the missile fired from Yemen at Israel’s international airport was not only about the damage caused on the ground but the damage to Israel’s sense of security.
Articles
Please note there is a facility to comment beneath each article should you wish to express an opinion on the subject addressed.
(1)
ISRAEL’S SOUNDS OF SIRENS
They resonate, they reverberate, they blare telling a story of where we were in the past but also where we are in the present. By David E. Kaplan
To Stand or to Run. From sirens sounding on Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Day) to Yom HaZikaron – day of remembrance for fallen soldiers and victims of terror, there are also the far more frequent sirens warning of imminent missile attacks. Possibly confusing to a foreign visitor, it’s the soundtrack to life in Israel today!
SOUTH AFRICA’S CONDUCT IN COURT – SECRECY AND SHENANIGANS
ICJ finds serious procedural violations in South Africa’s submission against Israel that should be acting with integrity and transparency not procedural violations, hearsay ‘evidence’ and secrecy.
By Craig Snoyman
Counting the Cost. “At a time when South Africa is feeling international political heat, legal egg on the face is not whatis needed now,” argues the writer. If South Africa lacks the evidence to support its accusations against Israel, why throw away millions “into a losing battle?’
Perspectives and insights from writers in the Arab media
Future Unclear. Down but not quite out, how is a defanged but angered Hezbollah and Lebanon’s upbeat new leadership going to forge a future ahead that will be acceptable and manageable? Arab writers navigate the unknown road ahead.
While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves. LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO).
