From a street in Minneapolis to the streets of Teheran, what does media focus reveal about global morality and hypocrisy?
By David E. Kaplan
Yes, the fatal shooting of nurse AlexPretti in Minneapolis was a tragedy. It was the second killing in less than three weeks of a US citizen in Minnesota by federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and it should not have happened. However, there was something skewered and revealing about what followed.
ICE R’Age. A yellow “GO HOME NAZI” placard is in evidence at a demonstration against ICE at the site where federal agents fatally shot a man while trying to detain him, on Jan. 24, 2026. No such enthusiasm in support of the brutal crackdown of protestors in Iran. (Photo: Evelyn Hockstein—Reuters)
For days on end, US TV new networks, notably CNN, were covering this solitary killing as their Number 1 news item as if nothing else was newsworthy. Well not quite; there was stiff competition from a mega-snowstorm gripping much of the country but as the big freeze began to thaw, the ‘hot’ news returned exclusively to the street scene in Minneapolis. Different angles of film footages of the scuffle and the shooting were constantly and repeatedly screened as were the endless opinions from law enforcement experts and politicians. The divergent visuals were competing with divergent verbiage and still, five days later, it was still monopolizing the news.
In no way am I belittling the tragic event in Minneapolis either of the victim and his family nor the traumatic impact on the psyche of the American people and its political ramifications. However, contrast this for news relevance with the wholesale state sponsored slaughter unfolding simultaneously in the Islamic Republic of Iran:
A solitary death on a street in Minneapolis by a Federal law enforcement agent against a mass murder by the thousands on the streets of Teheran and across much of Iran.
Shoveling Snow. Competing with the news on the killing in Minnesota was the mega winter storm that ‘shoveled’ the slaughter in Iran lower down the order of national interest. (Photo: Charles Krupa)
Teheran makes Minneapolis look like a day at Disneyland but what is making the news?
By some accounts, 36,500 Iranians were slaughtered over a period of 48 hours and yet, one did not need a political Richter Scale to discern that there was little to zilch interest in the US of Iran’s mega-massacre – not in the written press, not on the TV news networks, certainly not among students at colleges who one should have expected since they did not hesitate to protest against Israel during the last two years and not on major city streets nor outside embassies. The killing in a US street of a single protestor in confusing circumstances solicited far more interest than the transparent slaughter of thousands of protesters on multitude streets across Iran!
The silence was staggering. Why? What was the missing ingredient that failed to ‘trigger’ moral outrage and newsworthiness?
Conjuring up images of the Holocaust, Stephen F. Lynch, a Democrat who represents Massachusetts 8th congressional district describes the death in Minneapolis as a “brutal execution…..by ICE agents”, more specifically, “…Gestapo-like conduct,” looking like “a firing squad – taking a human life for no reason. Every American should be ashamed to watch this happening.”
Maybe they should, once the dust settles and the facts are clear. But in Lynch’s words, should not every Americanalso “be ashamed,” to be ignoring the news out of Iran from eyewitnesses and cell phone footage that millions of protestors in the streets are being targets for state rooftop snipers and trucks mounted with heavy machine guns? On Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, an official of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned on state television to anyone venturing into the streets:
“If … a bullet hits you, don’t complain.”
Can you imagine an American Federal Agent saying that?
Despite the disinterest of the major TV news networks, TIME magazine thought it about time and reported that “As many as 30,000 people could have been killed in the streets of Iran on Jan. 8 and 9 alone.” Apparently two senior officials of the country’s Ministry of Health told TIME that:
“So many people were slaughtered by Iranian security services on that Thursday and Friday, it overwhelmed the state’s capacity to dispose of the dead. Stocks of body bags were exhausted, the officials said, and eighteen-wheel semi-trailers replaced ambulances.”
The extraordinary high death rate over 48 hours led to speculation among experts groping for comparisons with other mass killings.
Les Roberts, a professor at Columbia University who specializes in the epidemiology of violent death, contrasted what was happening in Iran with Aleppo(Syria) and in Fallujah (Iraq),explaining that “when spasms of death this high have occurred over a few days, it involved mostly explosives with some shooting.” The only parallel offered by online databases occurred in the Holocaust when on the outskirts of Kyiv on Sept. 29 and 30, 1941, Nazi death squads executed 33,000 Ukrainian Jews by gunshot in a ravine known as Babyn Yar.
Black Days. Protesting in Iran leads to ending up in black body bags. Men stand amid rows of corpses in a morgue in Tehran following mass killings of protestors by security forces in this undated image obtained by Iran International.
So, while the US news obsessed over Minneapolis, it mostly bypassed the news out of Iran that was exposing bloodshed on a scale so horrifying it was beyond comprehension.
In a brief message sent via Starlink from Tehran to Iran International, one resident said the situation in the capital and other cities was so dire that “every person is reporting the death of a family member, relative, neighbor, or friend,” stressing that “this is not an exaggeration.”
“The air was filled with the smell of blood in Tajrish and Narmak,” an Iranian user outside the country quoted a contact as saying in a post on X, referring to neighborhoods in north and east Tehran.
“They were washing the blood from the streets with the municipal irrigation tankers they use to water roadside plants.”
Thousands more have reportedly been detained nationwide. Iranian authorities have labeled anyone present on the streets after January 8 a mohareb—“one who wages war against God”—a charge that carries the death penalty.
The whereabouts of most detainees remain unknown.
There have been reports suggesting that families being asked to pay the equivalent of €5,000 to recover the bodies of their loved ones and others asked to pay for the bullets used to kill their relatives.
Why aren’t US students, notably those at the Ivy League campuses screaming “genocide”?
What is the missing ingredient failing to ignite their passion to protest?
On Sunday, two short videos surfaced showing families inside a hangar belonging to Tehran’s forensic medicine organization in the Kahrizak area. Dozens of bodies wrapped in black bags were visible, some on gurneys and others laid directly on the floor. There is footage brought out of Iran by someone who had recently escaped the country of “… bringing in the bodies in pick-up trucks and telling people to search them themselves,” and later footage showing bodies being unloaded from trailers. “Outside the building, hundreds of people moved among rows of corpses laid directly on the ground, wailing and screaming.”
Bags of Bodies. Where are the global protests in response to photographs like these of family members searching for their loved ones among bodies placed in body bags outside the Kahrizak forensic center in the suburbs of Tehran, Iran, January 13, 2026.
In one clip, a woman’s voice can be heard crying out to her child: “Get up my love, get up for God’s sake,” as families wander among the bodies searching in shock.
The footage appeared to capture only a fraction of what was taking place.
Sadly – and tellingly – all this frightening footage and revolting revelations have also only captured “a fraction” of global news attention.
The geographic gap between Gaza and Iran is not too far apart but there is one difference. If you can’t blame Jews it is not news.
There lies the missing ingredient.
As the world this week on the 27 January observed International Holocaust Remembrance Day one would have hoped for a news media and those plethora of ‘people’s power’ movements more receptive to mass murder taking place and more responsive to the appeals for support.
It was not to be.
Holocaust comparisons as misappropriately expounded by Congressman Lynch found more resonance to what was happening in Minnesota than what was happening in Iran.
“Never Again” is typically “Once Again”.
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).
Nazi Germany existed for less than a generation. Islamic republic for nearly half a century. The list of crimes and people to be tried will be endless. That alone makes this urgent.
By Marziyeh Amirizadeh
The elimination of the Islamic Republic cannot come too soon. After 47 years since the Demonic Revolution that brought the ayatollahs to power, and Iranians to their knees, subjugated by the mullah’s extremist Islam, Iranians need to be free. Iranians will celebrate the fall of the terrorist regime with glee, but to be complete there also needs to be justice for the perpetrators. What’s needed is an Iranian version of the Nuremberg Trials.
While the ayatollahs seat of power physically is in Tehran, the spiritual seat of power is in their “holy city,” Qom. The Qom Trials will turn the city from which the Islamic Republic derived its theological “authority” abusing Iranians for decades into a capital of justice.
Members of the Iranian parliament chant slogans in support of Hamas on Oct. 7. (IRNA)
Following WWII and the Holocaust (with the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz commemorated this week), the allied powers needed to come up with a framework to bring justice to the perpetrators of the genocide of the Jewish people and other crimes against humanity. Facing the challenge of how to deal with Nazi war criminals, rather than summary executions or purely national trials, they instituted an international legal process to establish individual accountability and deter future such crimes.
The charges against the Nazis included: conspiracy to commit crimes, crimes against peace, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. A total of 199 defendants were tried, 161 convicted, 37 of whom were sentenced to death. While this was groundbreaking and critical, it’s worth remembering that the Nazi’s crimes spanned less than 15 years. After 47 years of the Islamic regime in control, it seems that these numbers will only scratch the surface in Iran.
What’s needed now is to establish a new framework to try and bring to justice leaders and agents of the Islamic Republic. There is a body of international law and precedent for the world to hold foreign terrorists to trial for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Nazi Germany existed for less than a generation. Islamic republic for nearly half a century. The list of crimes and people to be tried will be endless. That alone makes this urgent.
While I was subject to the misogyny and cruelty of the Islamic Republic since I was a young girl, many of these experiences I recounted in my books, it’s hard to imagine anyone in Iran who doesn’t have a list of people who are responsible for unspeakable crimes. I have mine.
Ali Akbar HeydariFar who played an important role in repressing, torturing, and killing protesters in 2009, is one of the judges who sentenced the writer to death
Abolqasem Salavati is an infamous execution judge who ordered the execution of my best friend Shirin;
Ali Akbar HeydariFar is one of the judges who sentenced me to death;
Judge Heydari was my second judge;
Saeed Mortazavi was the judge who told me he will make sure I will be executed;
Yahya Pirabbasi, another of my judges;
MohammadMoghiseh is the judge who ordered the execution of many of my friends in prison;
Sadegh Larijani, the head of all judges;
Abbas Jafari Dolat Abadi, the Tehran prosecutor who visited me in prison before my release, enraged by Pope Benedict’s letter advocating for me and my friend Mariyam, and threatening not to talk to anyone about what happened to us in prison and our trial.
Infamously known in Iran as the “Hanging Judge”along with Mohammad Moghiseh and Yahya Pirabbasi, Abolqasem Salavati, presided over the case of Mohsen Amiraslani, executed for heresy for describing Jonah and the Whale as an allegory and who ordered the execution of the writer’s best friend Shirin.
Many of the most terrible people have no online presence and go by fake names. In order never to forget them, and pray that they will be used to be brought to justice – something that seemed unimaginable in 2009 – my friend Maryam and I came up with sketches of two of the criminals. One of our interrogators went by “Rasti”. He was the one who lied and got me to the police station where the interrogations began. Another, “Haghighat” threatened to beat us until we vomited blood.
In order not to forget the faces of their tormentors in prison so that they could be brough one day to justice, the writer and her friend Maryam sketched “Rasti” and “Haghighat”.
Two more people who must be brought to justice are:
Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje’I, the Chief Justice of Iran who has blood of countless Iranians on his hands;
Former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. While no Iranian presidents should escape justice, when I was in prison I witnessed how many people were arrested, tortured, and killed because of his direct order and fraudulent election that sparked the Green Movement which he repressed with unspeakable brutality.
It is important that the leaders of the regime are not able to flee, and that there is an immediate means to arrest them all, and hold them until charges can be brought. It’s also urgent that agents of the regime abroad are arrested and extradited to free Iran, and brought to justice. That’s necessary for Iranians who know who they are, but also for the Western and other countries where they live and in which they infiltrate with their evil extremist Islamic values at the behest of the ayatollahs. Left alone, they will be a national security threat to the countries that harbor them. Any country that takes and shelters leaders and agents of the regime to be protected in their borders should face unrelenting sanctions.
Saeed Mortazavi was the judge who told the writer he “will make sure I will be executed”, has been linked to the closure of 120 publications, the murder of Iranian Canadian journalist in July 2003 Zahra Kazemi and the murder of protesters in the Kahrizak detention center in 2009.
Part of the justice that’s needed in order for Iranians to feel as if they are truly liberated is that the trials must be held, and justice served, in Iran. Doing so will create an example to the world and to the Iranian people. International trials will not do the same.
The crimes of the Islamic regime and its leaders has not been limited to the horrific scenes we have seen coming out or Iran these past weeks, but the wholesale brutalization of millions of Iranians for nearly half a century. Hundreds of thousands have been killed. Maybe millions. The Islamic Republic and its leaders are guilty or widespread crimes directly, and through its terrorist tentacle proxies, around the globe, where millions more have suffered. There needs to be justice for them, and there needs to be a trial of the ayatollahs, mullahs, judges, IRGC, basij, jailers, interrogators, police and others who are guilty of these crimes.
Tehran prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dolat Abadi – responsible for the arrest and torture of many journalists, young bloggers, human rights advocates, political activists and reformist leaders – visited the writer before her release and threatened her not to talk to anyone about her experiences in prison.
Following President Trump’s post to encourage Iranians in early January:
“KEEP PROTESTING – TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!! Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price. I have canceled all meetings with Iranian officials until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS. HELP IS ON ITS WAY! MIGA!!!,” Iranians took to the streets and have continued to protest. Tens of thousands have been killed and hundreds of thousands injured.
Like those found guilty in Nuremberg, the bodies of those who are sentenced to death should be cremated, their ashes dumped into the Persian Gulf in order to prevent ever setting up a shrine to them. The tomb of Ayatollah Khomeini should be burned to the ground, and its remains and his also dumped into the Gulf.
Doing this will serve as an additional form of justice for the hundreds of thousands or more victims of the Islamic Republic, many of whom were simply disappeared and have no resting place, and no closure for their loved ones. While their crimes cannot be erased, every physical presence of their lives can be.
In a dream once, I asked God why He allowed the suffering to take place in Iran. He said that He was giving the leaders the opportunity to repent and, if not, He would bring His justice. I am praying that President Trump will follow his words with swift action, that the senseless and criminal murder of tens of thousands of Iranians will stop, and that everyone involved from the “Supreme Leader” down to the lowest policeman will be arrested and see justice.
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.
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 regime change in Iran can lead to a more peaceful and prosperous Middle East.
By Neville Berman
Iran is a Persian country with a history, culture and civilization that goes back nearly 3,000 years. The Muslim conquest of the 7th century spread Islam to Persia. Currently the world’s Muslim population is approximately 2 billion people, of whom approximately 85% are Sunni Muslims. In Iran the majority of the population of 89 million are Shia Muslims. They constitute the majority of the 15% of Shia Muslims in the world.
In 1935, Reza Shah Pahlavi, the founder of the Pahlavi dynasty, renamed Persia and called it Iran. Iran has the third largest oil reserves in the world. It is one of the five founding member countries of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries known as OPEC. Iran is 80 times larger than Israel. It is strategically situated bordering 7 countries, and has maritime access to both the Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf. Considering the world’s dependence on oil, Iran should be one of the most prosperous countries in the world from exporting vast quantities of oil. Instead of prosperity, Iran is now on the brink of economic collapse and its currency is almost worthless.
Favorable Future. Should Reza Pahlaviplay a future role in a post-Islamic Iran, the exiled Iranian prince vows to recognize Israel, expand the Abraham Accords into the “Cyrus Accords” linking a free Iran with Israel and Arab states and said “…a free Iran will be a force for peace, for prosperity, and for partnership.”
How did this happen?
To understand the present situation, one has to look at the history of the country over the past 75 years. In 1951, the Iranian government under Mosaddegh, nationalized the Ango-Iranian Oil Company. This became the catalyst that led to a CIA backed coup that overthrew Mosaddegh in 1953. He was replaced by Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran who was pro America. Following the coup, major US oil companies broke the previous British monopoly on Iranian oil production, and gained access to the Iranian oil market. The Shah’s attempt to liberalize the country by adopting Western norms and behavior were initially welcomed, but gradually turned millions of religious conservative Iranians against his policies that clashed with Islamic values. The hugely uneven distribution of wealth resulted in unrest that sparked widespread repressive measures by the Shah. The end result was the Iranian Revolution and in January 1979 the Shah was forced to flee. During the revolution the American Embassy in Tehran was attacked and overrun. Fifty-two American diplomats were seized as hostages. They were held captive for 444 days. Iran became an enemy of America.
A month after the Shah was forced to flee, Ruhollah Khomeinireturned from exile in Paris, and became the Supreme Leader of Iran with the title of Ayatollah. He immediately turned Iran into a Shiite theocracy. All normal relations between America and Iran and between Israel and Iran ended. In March 1979, Habib Elghanian, the wealthiest Jew in Tehran was arrested and executed after a sham trial. All his properties and possessions were seized by the State. Dozens of other wealthy Jews were arrested and forced to pay enormous sums of money to be released. The Jews in Iran became powerless.The widely used slogans “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” symbolized the regimes rejection of American and Israeli interference and influence in Iran’s internal affairs. All the assets of the American oil companies in Iran were nationalized. In April 1979, Iran was renamed the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Murdering Mullahs. Following the execution of Iran’s most affluent Jewish businessman and philanthropist Habib Elghanian on false spying charges on 9 May, 1979, thousands of Jews fled Iran.
In September 1980, Iraq under the leadership of Saddam Hussein, invaded Iran. The war was seen by both America and Russia as an opportunity to make huge profits. America sold billions of dollars of arms to Iraq, and Russia sold billions of dollars of arms to Iran. Neither America nor Russia saw any benefit in ending the war. Approximately 300,000 Iranians and an equal number of Iraqis were killed in the war and hundreds of thousands were injured. Eight years after the war started, it finally ended in a stalemate. In June 1989, Ayatollah Khomeini died. He was replaced by Ali Khamenei who became the Supreme Leader of the Islamist Republic of Iran and continues to rule to this day.
In a sort of a reverse Midas touch situation, Khamenei, adopted policies that metaphorically speaking turned gold into lead. The State religion of Iran is the Twelver form of Shiite Islam. They believe that 12 divinely appointed Imans are the successors to the Prophet Muhammad and that the 12th Imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi, who disappeared in the 9th century, is miraculously still alive, and will reappear at the end of time. Global justice and peace under Sharia law will then be established. Khamenei has a fanatical belief that what he calls the Zionist entity needs to be destroyed before the 12th Iman will return.
Khamenei authorized spending billions of dollars on building a nuclear program that is clearly aimed at producing nuclear weapons. In 2006, the United Nations imposed economic sanctions on Iran for failing to suspend its uranium enrichment program, and for non-cooperation with the inspections carried out by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
In 2015, President Obama entered into an agreement with Iran known as the JCPOA deal. The agreement immediately released billions of frozen dollars belonging to Iran, and ended the UN sanctions against Iran. In return, Iran agreed to limits on its uranium enrichment program, and allowed inspections by the IAEA. In February 2025, President Trump, fed up with continual Iranian lies about its nuclear program, and refusal to allow inspections in certain sites, announced a policy of “maximum pressure” on Iran. He imposed American sanctions on Iran. In the meantime, Khamenei spent vast amounts of money financing, training and arming proxy terrorist organizations in countries across the Middle East. The idea was to create a crescent of a “ring of fire” of proxy armies that would at some point in time, eliminate Israel.
Dead End. ‘Dead’ set on the demise of the “Big Satin” and “Little Satin”, paramilitary troops under the IRGC’s command carry coffins symbolizing the end of the U.S. and Israel during a military rally in Tehran, Nov. 24, 2023.(Photo: Morteza Nikoubazl/Zuma Press).
In addition to all the financial problems, Iran is also presently experiencing a severe water shortage. The irony of the situation is that nearly 3,000 years ago, the Persians solved their water problems. They developed a water system known as the qanat – pronounced Kah-Naht. It was based on providing water by constructing gradually sloping underground tunnels to allow water from aquifers on hills and mountains to flow down and across areas that could then be inhabited, and on which agricultural production could thrive. The underground tunnels reduced evaporation to a minimum. The qanat system relied on gravity and the flow of water could be controlled by opening and closing tunnels. The qanat system sustained a thriving Persian society for thousands of years. The network was vast and covering between 250,000 – 350,000 km. It was truly a groundbreaking success of immense proportions. Parts of the qanat system are still operational, and between 8-15% of Iran’s current water supply comes from a system that was constructed thousands of years ago. Israel can help Iran to solve its water crises. Israel has experience and expertise in building and operating desalination plants, and is a world leader in recycling sewage water for agricultural use. It has also developed drip irrigation and modern water management systems based on up to the minute computerized data.
Israel has no border dispute with Iran, and there is an ancient history of help going all the way back to Cyrus the Great, who conquered the Babylonians, and then helped Jews to return to Jerusalem to build the Second Temple. Before the fall of the Shah, there were normal relations between Israel and Iran. It is time to restore these relations, and restart flights from Tel Aviv to Tehran that actually land in Tehran instead of dropping bombs on Tehran. Joining the Cyrus Accords is very much in Iran’s interest. It will change the Middle East for the benefit of hundreds of millions of people. The exiled Crown Prince Pahlavi has said he would expand the Abraham Accords to be the Cyrus Accords – hearkening back to the historical ties between the Jewish and Persian people
Obsessive Hate. Nearly six months before the October 7, 2023 massacre, Iranian demonstrators on April 14, 2023 burn in Tehran an Israeli flag in a rally marking Jerusalem Day. (Photo: Vahid Salemi/AP)
In June 2025, Israel responded to all the nefarious actions by Iran and their proxy terrorist groups, and attacked Iran directly. In a pinpoint aerial attack, Israel destroyed the Iranian air defenses, and assassinated several leading nuclear scientists and prominent military leaders. With full Israeli control of Iranian airspace, Israel began attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities and launch sites of intercontinental missiles. The United States took advantage of the lack of air defenses and dropped 14 bunker-buster bombs that destroyed the underground uranium enrichment sites in Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan. In 12 days, tens of billions of dollars invested in Iran’s nuclear program was destroyed.
Instead of building desalination plants and improving the lives of the Iranian people, the Mullahs were obsessed with trying to destroy Israel. It was and is a disastrous losing strategy with devastating consequences for the Iranian people and the entire region. Instead of peace and prosperity, death, destruction and poverty resulted. The people of Iran are fed up with the policies of their government. Hundreds of thousands of Iranians, perhaps millions, are openly protesting against the Iranian government. The government has resorted to shooting thousands of protestors in a desperate attempt to cling to power.
Regime change in Iran will open the possibility of ending Iran’s nuclear program and the lifting of sanctions. This will result in peace and prosperity returning to Iran. In order to stabilize the economic situation, a new currency will need to be introduced in Iran. All the terrorist entities that Iran has supported and sustained under the leadership of Khamenei will not survive. It could be the beginning of a new Middle East.
Without regime change in Iran, tens of thousands of demonstrators are likely to be killed, and the Middle East will remain a ticking time bomb of terrorism and instability. The window of opportunity to bring about regime change in Iran has opened, but will not remain open for long. Let us hope that the foreign leaders who have the power to support the protestors and accelerate regime change in Iran, have the wisdom and courage to make the right decisions. The end of the rule of Khamenei, coupled with Iran joining the Cyrus Accords is the surest way to ensure a more peaceful and prosperous Middle East.
*Feature picture:High Stakes Face off. US President Donald Trump (l) and Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (r)
About the writer:
Accountant Neville 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).
Pulling back from military intervention following bellicose threats, is Trump failing – like Carter, Obama and Biden preceding him – the long-suffering people of Iran?
By Jonathan Feldstein
On January 16, 1979, Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi was forced to flee Iran along with his family due to the US and European countries withdrawing their support. This ushered in what’s called the Islamic Revolution, the return of exiled Ayatollah Khomeini, and the hijacking of a country that had been prosperous and a source of peace and stability in the Middle East. In the 47 years since then, chaos, death, terror have reigned.
Since then, Iran has devolved into a failed state with the Islamist leaders not even able to provide water and electricity, and its currency devalued to record lows, more than one million rials per dollar.
Since then, the Islamic Republic of Iran has become the world’s biggest funder of terrorism, with terrorist proxies literally all over the world. Tens of thousands or more have been killed at the hands of the Islamic regime and its proxies. Millions have been impacted, threatened, and havesuffered.
As we mark this anniversary of the West failing to support a stable ally, ushering in the evil terrorist regime, reports indicate that President Trump may have balked and failed the Iranian people as Carter did in 1979, as Obama did in 2009, and as Biden did in 2022. But if Trump has truly backed down from his harsh rhetoric to take action, and now may be seeking a “diplomatic solution,” the outcome of his actions will be worse than Obama and Biden. His harsh rhetoric emboldened the Iranian people who took to the streets in more than 100 cities in record numbers to protest the regime. They believed that Trump had their back, and were prepared to risk their lives to take back their country after almost half a century. And they were slaughtered by the Islamic regime and its agents in record numbers, at least thousands, if not tens of thousands.
On the verge of striking Iran, the US held off following reports of halting executions. What happens next is up to Trump who is seen here being interviewed in the Oval Office on Wednesday. (Photo: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters)
Here’s the thing however. Trump’s threats were based on a false premise. He calculated whether the US would take action based on the number of Iranians being killed. As horrific as tens of thousands being killed by forces of their own government is, the massacre of people in their own country is not sufficient pretext for the United States to take military action.
Therefore, if it’s correct that Trump walked back his battle plans based solely on reports that the Iranians “halted executions” of some 800 people who were arrested amid the ongoing recent protests, this would make little sense. “Halting” is a temporary action. No doubt these 800, along with thousands more who have been arrested, still remain in Iranian prison and can be executed at any moment. If not all at once, the regime could execute a few a week and stay below Trump’s radar of “too many” people being killed.
Let’s also recognize the fact that the protests have taken place for less than three weeks. It is a remarkable injustice that anyone can be arrested and sentenced to death in such a short period.
So much for due process!
Left in the Lurch? Nationwide protests across Iran from 289 Dec 2025 to 11 Jan 2026.
But all this – as horrible, evil and unjust as it is – is not a pretext for military action. The reasons for military action are the threats that the Islamic Republic has made and continues to make, as the single greatest source of instability and terror in the world. The Iranian President recently openly declared that Iran is at war with the United States, with Israel, and with Europe. These are threats, not to be taken lightly. They include military threats, but they also include terror, and infiltration of the West to carry out its nefarious goals of spreading radical Islam globally.
From Calling to Prayer to Calling for Executions. Tehran’s Friday prayer leader, hardline cleric Ahmad Khatami called for the execution of detained protesters and the arrest of anyone who supported the protests. He accused the protesters of acting on behalf of foreign powers, calling them “servants” of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and “soldiers of Trump.”
While Trump was correct to offer support for the Iranian citizens who are protesting for their own freedom, the basis for that support should never have been the number of people killed. It’s a perverse inversion of the Biblical story of Abraham negotiating with God to save Sodom and Gomorrah. How many people are too many? 10? 100? 500? 1000? 10,000? And in any event, if that was the measure, reports of at least 12,000 to more than 20,000 civilians being slaughtered in the streets is, and should have been, enough for the US to take action. “Halting” 800 extra-judicial executions on top of the many thousands who were slaughtered in the streets is also not grounds for not taking action.
Flowers for the Fallen. Impressing upon the US President, flowers are placed next to a display with photos of Iranian protestors killed by Iranian Americans outside the White House in Washington, January 16, 2026. (Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP)
I fear that Trump has not only failed the Iranian people, but the West, and the world. His rhetoric put a wind in the sails of Iranian citizens who took to the streets, risking their lives only to see them shot down in cold blood. This has been the single greatest opportunity since 1979 to eliminate the Islamic Republic once and for all. THAT should have been the stated goal of any US action, and it should not have been qualified based on the number of Iranians that their government massacred.
Bodies Piling Up. Distressing new videos have emerged from a mortuary in Tehran showing rows of bodies, blood-soaked floors and crowds of people searching for loved ones following a deadly government crackdown on protesters in Iran.
An additional failure is that China, Russia, and numerous Arab and Islamic nations are watching and measuring what they can get away with. They saw Trump sweep in to arrest Maduro in Venezuela next door, but are seeing the US now inept at doing anything about the ayatollahs on the other side of the world. That gives American adversaries around the world license to invade other countries, support terror, engage in direct and indirect threats to the United States and the world, and even slaughter their own citizens and others with impunity.
I’m not saying that making an example of the Islamic regime is a suitable goal of military action, but threatening military action and not pulling the trigger risks losing on a global scale in ways that will not only keep the ayatollah in power for another generation, but also embolden terrorists around the world.
It’s horrific if hundreds, thousands, or tens of thousands have been executed in the streets of Iran with impunity. To the extent that they protested and lost their lives because of a threat that Trump made and was never prepared to carry out, their blood is on his hands. If that’s the case, he has let down the Iranian people even more radically than his predecessors by setting them up and not following through.
Fired-Up. Iranians gather while blocking a street during a protest in Tehran, Iran on January 9, 2026. (Photo: MAHSA / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images)
Let’s be clear, if we ever want to see peace in the Middle East, the only way is the elimination of the Islamic Republic and the reasoning to reach this decision does not require counting how many more people have been slaughtered. On this 47th anniversary of the US withdrawing support for the Shah causing him and his family to flee, it seems that Iran and its people may have been let down once again. They and the world will continue to suffer.
If I am wrong, and I hope I am, I will publicly apologize – but if I’m right, then President Trump should apologize to the Iranian people, to Americans, and to the world. Even Obama recognized in retrospect his inaction in 2009 was a miscalculation. The negative consequences of Trump’s action – or rather inaction – will be felt for years to come.
About the writer:
Jonathan Feldstein - President of the US based non-profit Genesis123 Foundation whose mission is to build bridges between Jews and Christians – is a freelance writer whose articles appear in The Jerusalem Post, Times of Israel, Townhall, NorthJersey.com, Algemeiner Journal, The Jewish Press, major Christian websites and more.
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).
Refusal to recognize Somaliland exposes global hypocrisy and rewards terror.
By Grant Gochin
The global disparity in statehood recognition between Palestine and Somaliland exposes a truth: international decisions are not rooted in law, facts, or genuine support for viable entities. Instead, the enthusiasm of 157 UN member states for recognizing Palestine—despite its failures—serves primarily as a diplomatic cudgel against Israel and Jews. This is not pro-Palestinian advocacy; it is animus, a collective expression of bigotry that ignores objective criteria to isolate and delegitimize the Jewish state. Somaliland, by contrast, exemplifies success under every legal standard, yet is shunned precisely because its recognition would bolster Israel’s alliances. The 157 nations endorsing Palestine do not care about law or reality; they are weaponizing statehood as a tool of prejudice.
Happenings at the Horn. Israel became the first nation in the world to recognize Somaliland as a country prompting a global outcry and an emergency meeting of the United Nations.
Somaliland’s Historical Narrative: Survivor of Genocide
Somaliland is not a mere “breakaway region”; it is a survivor of internal African colonialism and genocide. Briefly independent in 1960 and recognized by 35 nations, including Israel, it entered an unratified union with southern Somalia. Under Siad Barre’s regime, this turned genocidal. From 1987–1989, government forces systematically targeted the Isaaq clan with aerial bombardments, well poisonings, and mass executions, killing 50,000 – 200,000 civilians. Somaliland’s 1991 independence reclaimed its pre-union sovereignty—a humanitarian and anti-colonial necessity.1 Nations posturing as “anti-colonial” such as Ireland, betray this by enforcing Mogadishu’s claims and ignoring Somaliland’s genocide survival.
The Montevideo Criteria: Ignored in Favor of Bigotry
International law’s cornerstone for statehood, the 1933 Montevideo Convention, demands a permanent population, defined territory, effective government, and capacity for international relations.2 These objective benchmarks are routinely discarded when anti-Israel bias takes precedence. The result is that Palestine, a dysfunctional entity, is elevated, while Somaliland’s qualifications are dismissed to punish Israel.
● Permanent Population: Both meet this threshold. The 157 states overlook Palestine’s divisions to strike at Israel.
● Defined Territory: Somaliland claims clear, undisputed borders from its 1960 independence.3 Palestine’s are contested and non-contiguous. Recognizing the latter delegitimizes Israel’s security claims.
● Effective Government: Somaliland boasts a centralized democracy.4 Palestine is fractured between the corrupt PA in the West Bank and Hamas terrorists in Gaza.
Rousing Recognition. When the Israeli flag is sighted on the streets of the Muslim world, it is often being set alight or trampled underfoot. Yet in recent days the Star of David has been plastered on buildings and brandished by jubilant crowds in Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland.
● Capacity for Relations: Somaliland forges sovereign deals, proving autonomy.5 Palestine relies on aid, its “diplomacy” a facade for anti-Israel lobbying.
The case of Somaliland provides the ultimate legal refutation of the ‘occupation’ libel used against the Jewish state. Under the principle of uti possidetis juris, Somaliland is the rightful successor to the borders of its 1960 independence—a fact the world ignores to protect a defunct Somali union.6 Israel, by recognizing these borders, reaffirms the sanctity of original administrative boundaries as the only objective standard for statehood. This same legal logic confirms that Israel is the sole legal successor to the British Mandate, rendering the ‘occupation’ of Judea and Samaria a legal fiction. By championing Somaliland, Israel is not just supporting a fellow democracy; it is enforcing a global legal standard that exposes the Palestinian project as a violation of the very international laws its proponents claim to uphold.
The refusal of the international community to apply uti possidetis juris to Israel—while rigidly enforcing it to keep Somaliland shackled to the failed state of Somalia—is a targeted legal assault. If the administrative borders of the 1960 British protectorate define the legitimate sovereignty of Somaliland, then by that same objective standard, the administrative borders of the 1948 British Mandate define the sovereign territory of Israel. To argue otherwise is to admit that ‘international law’ is merely a political fiction used to protect anti-Western regimes in Mogadishu and Ramallah while attempting to strip the Jewish state of its foundational legal rights.
By recognizing the functional reality of Somaliland over the ‘constitutive’ political fantasy of a Palestinian state, Israel is championing the Declaratory Theory of Statehood. This position asserts that a state exists when it functions as one, not simply when a collection of biased nations engages in a diplomatic séance to conjure it into existence through mere votes. Recognizing Somaliland is therefore a strategic defense of the rule of law: it enforces the principle that functional, stable governance and original administrative boundaries are the only legitimate measures of sovereignty. Any other standard is a reward for terrorism and a threat to global security.
Palestine’s Dysfunction: A Weapon Against Israel
Palestine’s realities scream failure, yet are encouraged because it harms Israel:
● Aid Dependency: A vast consumer of $40+ billion since Oslo, Palestine’s economy is propped up by donors, fostering corruption. This is a subsidy for instability that pressures Israel.7
● Corruption and Autocracy: The PA ranks abysmally on corruption indices. Mahmoud Abbas is now in the 20th year of a four-year term, a full-blown dictatorship. Bigots overlook this to amplify accusations against Jewish “oppression”.
● Pay-for-Slay Terrorism: Allocating ~7% of its budget to reward attacks on Israelis, the PA incentivizes violence despite the U.S. Taylor Force Act.8 Sponsored by Iran, this makes Palestine a terror proxy encouraged by recognizers whose true aim is weakening Israel. Abbas’s February 2025 decree to “end” the Martyrs’ Fund has been exposed by Israeli authorities as a shell game, with payments simply channeled through the Palestinian postal system to circumvent the Act.9
Enlightening Recognition. Public buildings were lit up with Israeli flags as mass celebrations took place in Hargeisa and across cities of the Republic of Somaliland, as citizens gathered to commemorate the historic decision by Israel to formally recognize Somaliland.
Somaliland’s Excellence: Punished to Avoid Benefiting Israel
Somaliland’s indicators of success are ignored to prevent any win for Jews. While Somaliland remains a bulwark, Somalia’s failure is absolute. In 2025, an al-Shabaab offensive saw Mogadishu lose strategic towns like Sabiid and Anole, and President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud narrowly survived a March 2025 assassination attempt in Mogadishu, escaping via armored convoy amid the attack on his convoy.10
Somalia’s claim to Somaliland is based on a failed union and subsequent genocidal aggression, whereas Somaliland’s claim is a defensive re-assertion of its 1960 sovereignty. This mirrors Israel’s defensive reconstitution of rights over Judea and Samaria following the 1967 war of annihilation launched against it—territory with no prior legitimate sovereign after 1948.
National Security and the Irish Model of Hypocrisy
The swiftness with which the Palestinian Authority and the OIC fabricated a blood libel—claiming this recognition is a scheme for ‘forced displacement’—exposes their desperation to preserve a status quo that rewards terror at the expense of African self-determination. While the UN holds emergency meetings to protect the ‘territorial integrity’ of a failed state in Mogadishu, Israel is providing Hargeisa with the surveillance technology necessary to secure its own airspace and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. This is the birth of a Red Sea Security Arc that replaces ideological theater with functional sovereignty.
Dublin exemplifies this betrayal: in May 2024, Ireland recognized Palestine despite its failures, yet it rejects Somaliland. This selective empathy rewards terror-linked dysfunction and punishes African self-determination.
The Overriding Truth: Animus Against Jews and Israel
This is not about law or facts; 157 countries spew animus toward Jews, weaponizing Palestine’s recognition to delegitimize Israel. Somaliland’s excellence is collateral damage in this hate-fueled game.
True Colors. Changing attitudes on the streets of Somaliland.
Conclusion
Does Somaliland have to slaughter innocents like October 7 to earn recognition? Launch rockets? Commit atrocities? Is terrorism the real price of sovereignty? The hypocrisy is bigotry.
Feature photo: Residents wave Somaliland flags as they gather to celebrate Israel’s announcement recognizing Somaliland’s statehood in downtown Hargeisa. (Photo: Farhan Aleli/AFP via Getty Images)
Disclaimer: The author of this article and annex is not a licensed attorney and is not engaged in the practice of law. The analysis provided herein regarding international legal principles, including uti possidetis juris and the Montevideo Convention, is presented solely as a personal interpretation and an expression of opinion for informational and argumentative purposes. This content does not constitute legal advice and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional counsel from a qualified legal practitioner.
Legal Annex: The Doctrine of Sovereign Succession and Functional Statehood
I. Precedents for Uti Possidetis Juris and Mandatory Succession The principle of uti possidetis juris (UPJ) is recognized by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) as a “general principle, logically connected with the phenomenon of the obtaining of independence, wherever it occurs” (Frontier Dispute (Burkina Faso/Republic of Mali), 1986).
● Application to Somaliland: As established in 1960 and reaffirmed in 2025, Somaliland is the successor to the borders of the British Somaliland Protectorate.12 The 1964 OAU Cairo Resolution and Article 4(b) of the AU Constitutive Act mandate respect for borders existing at independence. The attempt to keep Somaliland tethered to Mogadishu is a violation of the very “intangibility of frontiers” the AU claims to uphold.
● Application to Israel: Legal scholars (including Professor Eugene Kontorovich and the Levy Report) argue that uti possidetis juris dictates that a state’s borders are defined by the preceding administrative boundaries. As the only sovereign successor to the 1948 British Mandate of Palestine, Israel’s legal claim extends to the entirety of that administrative area. International attempts to impose “1967 lines” (which were merely temporary armistice lines) constitute an illegal derogation of the UPJ principle.
II. The Declaratory Theory of Statehood vs. Political Recognition TheMontevideo Convention (1933) codifies the Declaratory Theory, which asserts that statehood is a question of fact, not a gift of diplomatic recognition.
● Somaliland’s Declaratory Compliance: As of late 2025, Somaliland satisfies all four Montevideo criteria. Its internal stability—contrasted with the failure in the south—proves that it is a state de jure and de facto.
● The Palestinian Fraud: The 157 nations recognizing Palestine are employing the Constitutive Theory, attempting to “create” a state through diplomatic votes. However, without a unified government or territorial control, this “state” is a legal fiction that lacks the objective requirements of international law.
III. Security Data and the Doctrine of Defensive Control (2025 Update) International law distinguishes between illegal annexation and defensive control of territory where there is no prior legitimate sovereign.
● Somalia’s Sovereign Collapse: Security reports from March and August 2025 confirm that the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) has lost effective control over major southern sectors. The capture of Sabiid and Anole by al-Shabaab and the failed assassination of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in Mogadishu (March 2025) demonstrate that Somalia lacks the “effective government” required to claim sovereignty over Somaliland.
● The Martyrs’ Fund Shell Game: Israeli intelligence reports from late 2025 confirm that the Palestinian Authority’s “Abolition of the Prisoners’ Fund” was a shell game. Funds are now funneled through the Palestinian Postal System to ensure “Pay-for-Slay” payments continue, rendering the PA a persistent sponsor of terrorism in violation of the Taylor Force Act and UN counter-terrorism resolutions.13
IV. Strategic Conclusion: National Security as a Legal Imperative As outlined in the Hudson Institute’s 2025 Conference, antisemitism and the delegitimization of the Jewish state are national security threats to the West. The refusal to recognize Somaliland while empowering a Palestinian terror-proxy is a strategic failure that emboldens Iranian and Houthi aggression. Recognizing Somaliland is therefore a legal necessity to preserve the security of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the integrity of the Abraham Accords framework.
Bibliography
● Reuters. “Israel recognizes Somaliland as independent state.” December 26, 2025.
● The Times of Israel. “Israel becomes first country to recognize breakaway Somaliland.” December 26, 2025.
● Al Jazeera. “Somalia demands Israel withdraw Somaliland recognition.” December 27, 2025.
● TurkishMinute. “Turkish ports sent 456 ships to Israel… despite trade ban.” October 7, 2025.
● Various sources: Isaaq genocide estimates (50,000–200,000); Palestinian aid/corruption data; Iranian funding to Hamas; PA Martyrs’ Fund.
● Hudson Institute. “Antisemitism as a National Security Threat” conference (2025).
● Reuters. “Palestinian president scraps prisoner payment system” (February 2025); Times of Israel. “PA document shows ‘pay-to-slay’ has been scrapped, new system in place” (September 2025).14
● TRT Afrika. “Somali forces kill mastermind of failed assassination attempt” (September 2025).
Somali President Mohamud Survives Al-Shabaab’s Assassination Attempt This video reports on the March 18, 2025, assassination attempt on President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, highlighting the profound insecurity and lack of effective governance in Mogadishu compared to the stability of Somaliland.
About the writer:
Grant Arthur Gochin currently serves as the Honorary Consul for the Republic of Togo. He is the Emeritus Special Envoy for Diaspora Affairs for the African Union, which represents the fifty-five African nations, and Emeritus Vice Dean of the Los Angeles Consular Corps, the second largest Consular Corps in the world. Gochin is actively involved in Jewish affairs, focusing on historical justice. He has spent the past twenty five years documenting and restoring signs of Jewish life in Lithuania. He has served as the Chair of the Maceva Project in Lithuania, which mapped / inventoried / documented / restored over fifty abandoned and neglected Jewish cemeteries. Gochin is the author of “Malice, Murder and Manipulation”, published in 2013. His book documents his family history of oppression in Lithuania. He is presently working on a project to expose the current Holocaust revisionism within the Lithuanian government. Professionally, Gochin is a Certified Financial Planner and practices as a Wealth Advisor in California, where he lives with his family. Personal site: https://www.grantgochin.com/
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).
Unprecedented protests are taking place across Iran, both in terms of the number of people participating, and number of cities in which the protests are taking place. Countless videos have documented Iranians protesting. And it’s growing. The reason is the compounded suffering to which Iranians have been subject under the Islamic republic, and which hopefully are at the breaking point.
Irate Iranians. Protestors march over a bridge in Teheran 29 December 2025 (Photo: Fars News Agency via ATP/file)
The Iranian rial is at lowest point in history. Today, one million rials are worth less than $1. The economic impact is widespread, punishing, and impacting every single Iranian.
This is the impact of the ayatollahs stealing billions from Iranians to fund its jihadi goals including Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis and others, around the world. Yet the policy of funding the world’s largest terror network has come home to roost.
For months, Iranians have also suffered an unprecedented water and energy crisis, leading to power outages across the country, and reservoirs so low that there has been talk of evacuating millions from Tehran due to the inability to provide water.
Even if they were not living under a brutal, evil Islamic regime for nearly five decades, Iranians collectively are suffering the most they have since then, the cumulative impact of the evil regime focusing on spreading extremist Islam, fighting the West, and mismanagement and corruption of every basic need.
Iranians are not just living under widespread mismanagement, they are living under the cumulative national disaster of millions having been arrested, beaten, tortured, murdered, and disappeared. My knowledge is firsthand growing up and spending most of my life there, but also being arrested and sentenced to death, held in the notorious Evin prison for nine months, all because of my Christian faith.
The drought has not only exposed incompetence and mass mismanagement of basic needs. As reservoirs have dried up, 74 bodies have been found just in one location, bound, at the bottom of the once life-giving bodies of water that are all but gone, and which became their victims graves. Being bound shows an extra level of evil that they were thrown in alive rather than executed elsewhere and thrown into the water to hide the Islamic regimes crimes.
There have been protests in the past over the murder of Mahsa Amini in 2022, and more recently truckers going on strike in 160 cities due to massive increased in prices. For a variety of reasons these protests did not cause the regime change for which most Iranians are praying.
Iranians are having it no more. The current protests are because all Iranians are hurting economically, and without the basic needs to live. The current crisis has exposed new depths of the evil of the Islamic regime. More than ever, and more publicly than ever, Iranians are chanting for the restoration of the Pahlavi dynasty, and in favor of Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi and death of the ayatollahs.
CurrencyCollapse. Protesters march in downtown Tehran, Iran, Dec. 29, 2025 following the collapse of the rial with prices up on meat, rice and other staples of the Iranian dinner table. The nation has been struggling with an annual inflation rate of some 40%. (Photo: Fars News Agency via AP, File)
It’s a formula that will hopefully bring the pressure needed for the regime to fall and Iran to be free.
Pressure is also needed from the world because the threats are directed at the world. We even heard it from the “moderate” Iranian president this week, that Iran is at full scale war with the US, Israel, and Europe.
At the same time Iranians are risking their lives just to protest, it was encouraging to hear President Trump speak out in favor of renewed military action against the regime and particularly the brutal IRGC. In the wake of the 12-day war between Israel and the Islamic Republic in June, standing next to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, President Trump stated that he supports renewed military action against Iran if they try to rebuild their ballistic missile or nuclear program.
Rather than pretending that the Islamic regime will ever negotiate for anything in good faith to make a deal, other than to keep itself alive and in control of Iran for another day, Iranians know that what’s needed from outside is unrelenting destruction of the regime, its leaders, military, and if necessary, its ability to fund itself through oil exports and more. Iranians are prepared to suffer more if it means their eventual freedom.
The United States needs to lead the charge, along with Israel and the EU, and even the Saudis, Emiratis, and other Arab states, to bring down the regime. Iranians pray for that. Iranians were frustrated, even feeling abandoned, that the 12-day war in June did not go on and end with the destruction of the regime, or at least giving Iranians cover to do what’s needed on the ground to do so themselves.
The Islamic Republic has created unprecedented suffering for all Iranians, and for millions of people all around the world. Not just by targeting Israel and the Jewish people, but by infiltrating the West, in developing nations, and across the Arab and Islamic world. In fact, it’s hard to think of a place in the world that has not suffered as a result of the Islamic revolution in 1979.
Regime Rickety. Displaying a leadership’s anxiety as much as an anti-US and anti-Israel message on this billboard that reads ‘watch out for your soldiers’ in Tehran on January 4, 2026 (Photo: Atta Kenare/ AFP)
Accordingly, it’s necessary that people and nations across the world unite with a singular purpose, to end the Islamic regime and to bring Crown Prince Pahlavi to power and restore the once thriving nation that Iranians yearn for. No one singular act -certainly since the end of World War II – has the potential to eliminate suffering of millions and bring peace.
President Trump likes to speak of making deals. The truth is the best deals to be made are after the Islamic regime falls, and Iran begins necessary reconstruction. The US can play a huge role in that, bringing prosperity to Iran, and peace to the world. Israel can also play an important role by rescuing Iran with its world-leading water reclamation and desalination abilities, filling up the reservoirs and bringing Iranians hope, and life.
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.
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 naivety has led to chaos and the breakdown of western civilization
By Neville Berman
In the 1970’s and 80’s America was preoccupied with the Cold War against the Soviets. The Communists were the enemy and everything else was secondary. The disastrous Vietnam war cost America 58,000 lives and untold treasure and losses. In December 1979, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in support of the Afghan government who were fighting the Mujahideen. Osama bin Laden decided to join the Mujahideen.
Bin Laden was born in Riyadh. His father was a devout Sunni Muslim born in Yemen. The family became billionaires in the construction business in Saudi Arabia. Bin Laden studied economics and business administration at King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah and attended courses in 1971 in Oxford where he learnt English. He was educated and rich and became a pupil of Abdullah Yusuf Azzam, a militant Islamic preacher. In 1979, Azzam fled to Afghanistan. He was the key figure who persuaded Bin Laden to come to Afghanistan to help the Mujahideen in their fight against the Soviets.
In 1986, the American administration had the bright idea of making the Russians suffer in Afghanistan by supplying the Mujahideen with shoulder fired American Stinger missiles. The Russian helicopters had no defence against the missiles. After losing 15,000 soldiers, the Russians decided to withdraw from Afghanistan in 1979. The Mujahideen lost between 75,000- 90,000 fighters but celebrated the fact that they had defeated a superpower. It emboldened Islamists across the world. The decision to arm the Mujahideen would have unintended consequences for America and the world.
The year before the Afghan-Soviet war ended, Osama Bin Laden used his wealth and organizational skills to form a new organization in Afghanistan called Al-Qaeda. It attracted thousands of followers. His aim was nothing less than the destruction of America and the promotion of Islam across the world. He had no interest in the Palestinians.
In August 1998, Al-Qaeda simultaneously attacked American embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam. 224 people were killed and about 4,500 were injured. Twelve of those killed were American citizens. In October 2000, al-Quada attacked the US destroyer USS Cole in Aden in a suicide attack by a small boat packed with explosives. Seventeen American sailors were killed and 37 wounded.
Al Qaeda in Africa. Only a few years before 9/11, on August 7, 1998, nearly simultaneous bombs directly linked to al Qaeda, blew up in front of the American embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania resulting in the murder of 224, including 12 Americans, and more than 4,500 wounded. What lessons, if any, were learned?
On September 11, 2001, Al-Qaeda attacked America directly. Nineteen terrorists boarded four American civilian aircraft. They hijacked the planes and flew two into the World Trade Center in New York, one into the Pentagon in Arlington Virginia, and the fourth plane crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers attacked the hijackers. 2,977 people were killed on 9/11. Tens of millions of Muslims around the world celebrated the attacks. Islam was on the march.
In response, America decided on another brilliant idea. They attacked Iraq. They claimed that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and supported Al-Qaeda. Sadam Hussein needed to be removed from power. No weapons of mass destruction and no link to Al-Qaeda were ever found. The attack angered the majority of the 1.7 billion Muslims that existed in the world in that time frame. The West then had another brilliant idea. In the name of multiculturalism, equal opportunity and diversity, it opened its borders to millions of migrants with no money, no education and a totally different culture. The majority of new immigrants arriving in the West, were not interested in assimilation. They arrived full of hatred and would soon use the right of “free speech” to bring chaos to the countries that welcomed them. The West had sown the seeds of its own demise.
After the attack on 9/11, it took America another ten years to find and eliminate bin Laden in Pakistan. His death did not end the Islamists aim of subjugating the West. The success of bin Laden, inspired the establishment of Islamic terrorist groups such as Boko Haram in Africa and numerous other terrorist groups in the Middle East and across the world. The Al Thani family that controls Qatar also stepped into the breach.
Qatar has over 25 billion barrels of proven oil reserves and sells approximately 1.7 million barrels of oil per day. It is overflowing with wealth. Qatar has approximately 320,000 citizens and is punching way above its actual weight limit. It is using a much more sophisticated strategy to that of bin Laden to undermine the West. It is using its enormous wealth to corrupt and influence the world to promote militant Islam. It has established a TV channel called Al Jazeera that operates in 150 countries and broadcasts to over 430 million households in both English and Arabic. It broadcasts 24/7 the Islamic world view of subjugation and jihad. Al- Jazeera has radicalised thousands of Muslims living in the West.
Building Influence. London’s Canary Wharf is central to Qatar’s UK property empire. Instead of blowing up buildings in the West, Qatar is buying buildings and whatever else it needs to buy in order to gain influence in the West.
Qatar is portraying itself as an ally of the West. Their leaders appear on American TV speaking perfect English and smiling. The uneducated and ignorant American public lap it up. Qatar is using its massive wealth to buy whatever it wants. Everyone wants to do business with Qatar. Greed has no limits. Instead of blowing up buildings in the West, Qatar is buying buildings and whatever else it needs to buy in order to gain influence in the West. It has given massive loans to people who influence government policies. It has poured billions of dollars into sponsoring Departments of Middle Eastern Studies at the leading universities in America. Only lecturers who are known to be antisemitic and against western values are hired. The aim is for them to educate the next leaders of America to change its support for Israel and to promote the destruction of the West. They have already succeeded in creating chaos across America and many other countries. Qatar openly supports the Muslim Brotherhood that aims at achieving a world dominated by Sharia law. Qatar has supported Hamas with hundreds of millions of dollars in funding. Hamas is a designated terrorist group with a genocidal policy of killing all the Jews in Israel. Hamas hopes to remain in power in Gaza in order to repeat the atrocities that it committed against Israel on October 7,2023. Israel is determined to prevent this from happening. Hamas is not a boy scouts’ movement. Qatar has become the home of several of the leaders of Hamas. They and their families live in luxury in Doha, while the people in Gaza live in the squalor that they created.
In 1996, America entered into a Defence Cooperation Agreement with Qatar and built the Al Udeid Air Base in the south east of Doha. The base is the largest American air force base in the Middle East. About 10,000 American troops are based there. In effect America is protecting Qatar, while Qatar is actively trying to corrupt and destroy the American way of life in America, A more absurd situation is hard to imagine.
Qatar Cunning. Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar is the largest US Military installation in Middle East with about 10,000 American troops stationed there. While the US is protecting Qatar, this mega-rich Gulf emirate is actively undermining the American way of life across the USA.
The bottom line is that oil and money have replaced the very foundation pillars of western democracy, including the rule of law, human rights and other values. It’s time to wake up to reality. Qatar is playing a double game. It is not a Western ally in any sense of the word. It is actively supporting the demise of the West. The question now is:
“Are there leaders in the West who understand what is taking place and have enough backbone to take action?”
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).
Tracing Ben Gurion’s roots from small town in central Poland to forging a nation.
By Motti Verses
This coming October 16 will mark another birthday of a leader whose wisdom we could certainly use in today’s roller-coaster reality. Born back in the 19th century in 1886, he is sadly no longer with us. While most people, myself included, tend to honor his memory by visiting his grave in Sde Boker, this time I decided to pay tribute in a different way: by tracing David Ben Gurion’s roots in Poland.
On our way back from Gdańsk to Warsaw Chopin Airport, we turned off the highway to a small, easily overlooked town: Płońsk, 70k/ms north of Warsaw. Israel’s founding prime minister was born here, and I was determined to find the house where he first saw the light of day. Thanks to modern technology, the task was surprisingly easy. Without it, it would have been nearly impossible, as there are no road signs directing visitors there.
It was a moving visit. The oval-shaped old town plaza is tiny, ringed with homes of bygone eras. Among them stood a turquoise-colored building that, according to images on my phone, matched the one I was seeking. Once a restaurant, now closed, it bears a “For Rent” sign in the window. Perhaps this is a golden opportunity for a Jewish investor to acquire the property and give it a purpose worthy of its history. A modest black plaque announces that David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s founding prime minister, was born here.
Food for Thought. From the outside, a visitor would know that this small turquoise building had once been a restaurant but could be excused for not knowing that long before had been the childhood home of one of the most iconic nation-builders of the 20th century – David Ben Gurion.(Photo: Motti Verses)
Back then, he was still David Grün, growing up in a modest Jewish household. At the time, Płońsk was part of the Russian Empire (today, Poland) and had a vibrant Jewish community that made up roughly half its population. His father, Avigdor Grün, was a teacher and an active member of the Ḥovevei Zion (“Lovers of Zion”) movement, which inspired young David with the ideals of Jewish national revival.
As a teenager, Ben-Gurion joined Poale Zion, a socialist-Zionist youth group, and even began teaching Hebrew to local children. Life in Płońsk’s close-knit shtetl, shared with both Jews and Poles, shaped his worldview: he saw the necessity of Jewish self-reliance while also recognizing the challenges of coexistence. In 1906, at the age of 19, he emigrated to Eretz Israel and the rest, as they say, is history.
Płońsk to Palestine. David Ben-Gurion (bottom center) in white shirt at a gathering of “Poalei Tzion” (Jewish worker youth movement) in Płońsk before his emigration to Eretz Israel/Palestine in 1906 still under the rule of the Ottoman Turks. In the back row, right of the flag, stands his father, Avigdor Grün. (Photo: Ben-Gurion Archives)
Today, Płońsk commemorates him with various educational initiatives. The Płońsk Memorial House (Dom Pamięci w Płońsku) tells the story of his youth and of the once-thriving Jewish community. Located just across the narrow street from the turquoise house, it is dedicated to the intertwined history of Polish and Jewish residents who lived together in Płońsk for nearly five centuries. The museum is housed in a restored early 20th-century two-story brick building that once served as both a pharmacy and a residence. The project reflects a broader goal: to preserve the shared memory of both communities, foster intercultural dialogue, and honor the legacy for visiting descendants of Płońsk’s Jews as well as tourists interested in the town’s history and its connection to David Ben-Gurion.
Sign of the Times. A modest black plaque informs that Israel’s first Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion was born in this house.(Photo: Motti Verses)
What struck me most was a remarkable mural on one of the nearby building walls. This vibrant graffiti artwork tells the story of Israel and Ben-Gurion. It was created by the multifaceted Polish artist Bruno Neuhamer (also known as Bruno Althamer), a draftsman, illustrator, sculptor, and street artist. The mural was unveiled on October 26, 2021, during the Jewish Culture Festival in Płońsk. The project was realized in cooperation with the city authorities, the local cultural center, and the Israeli Embassy in Poland.
Mural of Memories. Located on a wall of a tenement house at 6 Warszawska Street in Płońsk, Bruno Neuhamer’s mural tells the story of Israel and the life of Ben-Gurion, including the legendary image of the Prime Minister standing on his head which he did from childhood in Płońsk to old age in Israel, including on Tel Aviv beach. (Photo: Motti Verses)
The central image shows Ben-Gurion balancing on his head, inspired by a 1957 photograph by Paul Goldman, preserved at the Eretz Israel Museum in Tel Aviv. According to historical accounts, young Ben-Gurion often fainted, and his doctor prescribed headstands as a remedy. A habit he maintained well into later life. Beyond the literal image, the pose – as I saw it – carries a deeper metaphor: to achieve something great, one sometimes must turn the world upside down.
“HISTORY IS NOT WRITEN, HISTORY IS MADE”. This is the last line in the Murial’s inscription on the life of Ben Gurion that appears in Polish, English and Hebrew. (Photo: Motti Verses)
In Ben-Gurion’s case, this is the story of a boy from Płońsk who did just that, ultimately founding a nation. The mural is filled with details: exotic plants, tanks with raised barrels, adding layers of meaning. At first, the tanks seemed out of place, yet in today’s reality, Neuhamer’s choice feels prophetic. The mural left me thoughtful, even melancholic, about Israel’s present and image in the world.
Early Life. One of the exhibits relating to David Ben Gurion in the Płońsk Memorial House. (Photo: Motti Verses)
As an Israeli visiting Płońsk, I felt a mix of emotions. Walking the same streets that young David once knew was like touching the roots of modern Israel’s story. It was a reminder that a boy from here turned the world upside down to create a nation. There was a strong echo of resilience, dreams, and lives stretching from Poland to Israel, along with sadness for the absence of the once-vibrant Jewish community, erased by the Holocaust. The silence where synagogues, schools, and children’s laughter once filled the air was palpable. And yet, there was also warmth: many Polish young people today take pride in commemorating their town’s connection to Israel. Płońsk still holds a living link to the Jewish people. An encouraging reality in our times.
Past Preserved. Across the street from Ben Gurion’s childhood home is the entrance to Płońsk Memorial House. (Photo: Motti Verses)
It was pleasantly cool in Płońsk this August. In winter, average temperatures here hover around 0 °C (32°F). My thoughts drifted to young David’s reality, and to the stark contrast of his later life in the Middle East-especially during the sweltering hot days of the Negev desert in Sde Boker. Quite a change, and quite a challenge.
You don’t need more than an hour to see Płońsk; everything is small and close together. But if you’re in the area, make the stop – it will certainly be worth it.
It will also be both enlightening and rewarding to see how from this small town emerged a giant of the 20th century that defied insurmountable obstacles and challenges to forge a nation on their ancestral land that today hosts the largest core Jewish population in the world, with 7.2 million, followed by the United States with 6.3 million.
The man who did headstands knew where and when to stand where and when it mattered!
*Feature picture: Birth of a Nation. The writer stands in front of Ben-Gurion’s childhood home in Płońsk, Poland. (Photo: Motti Verses)
About the writer:
The writer, Motti Verses, is a Travel Flash Tips publisher. His travel stories are published on THE TIMES OF ISRAEL https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/author/motti-verses/. And his hospitality analysis reviews on THE JERUSALEM POST, are available on his Linkedin page LinkedIn Israelhttps://il.linkedin.com › motti-verse…Motti Verses – Publisher and Chief Editor – TRAVEL FLASH TIPSAnd his hospitality analysis reviews on THE JERUSALEM POST, are available on his Linkedin page LinkedIn Israelhttps://il.linkedin.com › motti-verse…Motti Verses – Publisher and Chief Editor – TRAVEL FLASH TIPS.
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 discussions at the White House held in private and no clear announcements of a major Gaza deal nor followed by the customary Oval Office photo, what can we read?
By Jonathan Feldstein
The third summit between President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu this year has ended, but there are still more questions than concrete answers about the nature of their meetings and the outcome. To help understand the significance of their meetings, what took place, and what to look for in the coming weeks and months, in the recent episode of the “Inspiration from Zion” podcast, military and political analyst Elliot Chodoff and journalist Jonathan Tobin provided a deep dive into the high-level meetings. The conversation was rich with strategic and political analysis, explored the outcomes, implications, and future projections as a of these talks, the war against Hamas, returning of 50 hostages, implications of the war against Iran, and the broader Middle Eastern geopolitical landscape.
The Trump-Netanyahu meetings were marked by significant speculation about potential breakthroughs, leading many to look for “A Big Beautiful Deal” particularly regarding a ceasefire with Hamas and broader regional agreements. In fact, the absence of a major announcement, such as a ceasefire with Hamas or an expansion of the Abraham Accords raised questions as to the nature of the meetings. Chodoff and Tobin emphasized the importance of the meetings was significant alone due to the strategic importance of maintaining a close U.S.-Israel relationship, particularly under Trump, whose personal style demands loyalty and public displays of alignment. Tobin highlighted that Netanyahu’s visit was not merely a “love fest” but a critical effort to align Israel’s interests with American priorities, especially given the personal nature of Trump’s diplomacy.
What’s the Big Deal? With expectations of a “Big Beautiful Deal” relating to the hostages, a ceasefire and expansion of the Abraham Accords, in the absence of a major announcement left everyone guessing.
A central focus of the meetings was the ongoing war in Gaza, where Israel’s stated goals – destroying Hamas and securing the release of hostages – remain elusive after 21 months. Chodoff outlined a three-tiered view of Hamas relating to these objectives: its military infrastructure (largely dismantled), its guerrilla capabilities (still active), and its ability to control the Palestinian population through fear (nearly impossible to eradicate). He argued that Israel has entered a phase of diminishing returns in the active combat with recent ambushes, like the loss of several soldiers in each of two consecutive weeks. He suggested a fatigued IDF still adapting to Hamas’ guerrilla warfare.
Chodoff speculated that Netanyahu might welcome a U.S.-imposed ceasefire, allowing him to claim he had no choice, thus avoiding domestic backlash while stepping back from a costly operation. The domestic implications of this might be the weakening of Netanyahu’s coalition government, but strengthening his position with the end of combat, weekly deaths, and return of the hostages.
Tobin, however, expressed skepticism about a ceasefire, noting that Hamas “gets a vote” and may not agree to terms that allow it to survive without significant concessions. He warned that a deal leaving Hamas intact could enable it to claim victory, undermining Israel’s strategic objectives. Both agreed that the goals of defeating Hamas and returning all the hostages are likely mutually exclusive, posing a political and strategic challenge for Netanyahu. Tobin emphasized that Trump’s desire for a deal to bolster his second-term legacy might pressure Israel into concessions, though he acknowledged Trump’s sensitivity to Israel’s security needs.
People’s ‘Parliament’ in Session. Always in a waiting-for-news-mode, these Israelis appear in anxious conversation on the terrace of a coffee shop. Everyone’s lives are on hold waiting not for the ‘Big Deal’ but the ‘Big Breakthrough’.(Photo: Fadel Senna/AFP via Getty Images)
Regarding Israel’s and the US’ recent tag team military campaign against Iran, “Operation Rising Lion” and “Midnight Hammer,” Chodoff described it as a tactically flawless 12-day operation that set back Iran’s nuclear ambitions by years. However, he cautioned that it was a campaign within a broader war dating back to 1979, not a resolution. Chodoff criticized Trump’s decision to impose a ceasefire, arguing it halted Israel’s momentum in weakening Iran’s regime control institutions, potentially missing a chance to empower internal opposition. He dismissed negotiations with Iran’s Khomeinist regime, equating their anti-Israel stance to a non-negotiable religious tenet.
Tobin agreed that Iran’s nuclear threat was reduced but argued that Trump’s strategy – inflicting damage and then offering negotiations – might suffice, given Iran’s financial constraints. He noted a divergence in U.S. and Israeli interests. While both oppose a nuclear Iran, the U.S. is less inclined to pursue regime change, which Trump views as risky. Both underscored the need for continued vigilance, with Chodoff advocating a zero-tolerance policy for any Iranian violations, similar to Israel’s approach with Hezbollah.
There had been anticipation of an announcement of the widening of the Abraham Accords, with Trump reportedly eager to include Saudi Arabia, and Syria and other Arab and Islamic states floated as possible members. Tobin was skeptical, arguing that Iran’s weakened state reduces Saudi motivation for formal recognition of Israel, as their covert cooperation sufficiently serves Saudi interests. He also dismissed the notion of Syria joining the Accords under its new leadership, led by a former terrorist leader, describing Syria as a “banana republic without bananas” due to its unstable, tribal nature. Chodoff agreed but suggested that symbolic gestures, like removing Syria from terrorist lists, could be reversible and worth exploring cautiously, provided Israel does not cede tangible assets like territory.
The outcome of the international summit also has implications for Netanyahu’s domestic standing. Tobin noted that despite the October 7, 2023, attack occurring under his watch, Netanyahu’s political resilience—bolstered by a loyal 25-30% voter base and favorable demographics—makes him the likely winner in the next election currently scheduled for late 2026. However, Chodoff highlighted emerging challenges, including economic fallout from the war which has still yet to be fully absorbed, and discontent among reservists and religious Zionists, which could erode his coalition. Both agreed that the war’s unresolved issues and economic costs could shape Israel’s political landscape, with new centrist movements led by reserve officers potentially complicating Netanyahu’s coalition-building. Yet both agreed that Netanyahu is never the candidate to count out.
Trying Times. While the region’s future is in the hands of politicians, this young armed Israeli father in the reserves has his hand on his kid’s pram as he walks along deserted streets in Tel Aviv the day after Israel and Iran exchanged missile fire on June 24, 2025. (Photo: Fadel Senna, AFP Via Getty Images)
Looking ahead, Tobin advised watching Trump’s statements for signs of frustration with Israel’s positions, which could embolden US critics. Chodoff echoed this, emphasizing the need for alignment without compromising Israel’s security.
With no clear announcements of a major deal or anything concrete, and the significant discussions held in private without even an Oval Office photo opportunity, a delicate balancing act exists : Netanyahu navigating domestic pressures, Trump’s deal-driven agenda, and the intractable and yet to be completely defeated challenges of Hamas, Iran, and regional diplomacy.
See the entire conversation HERE, or listen to the audio HERE.
About the writer:
Jonathan Feldstein - President of the US based non-profit Genesis123 Foundation whose mission is to build bridges between Jews and Christians – is a freelance writer whose articles appear in The Jerusalem Post, Times of Israel, Townhall, NorthJersey.com, Algemeiner Jornal, The Jewish Press, major Christian websites and more.
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).
Media figures who parrot Hamas propaganda are contributing to Jews paying a very heavy price – the loss of our safety and our lives
By Rolene Marks
It was the blood libel that spread across the world faster than the speed of light. The United Nations relief chief, Tom Fletcher, speaking on a news channel stated quite clearly that within 48 hours, 14, 000 Gazan babies would likely starve to death. Within minutes, the media, virtue signaling celebrities and social justice “warriors” shared memes quoting Fletcher.
Face of Falsehood. The UN’s humanitarian chief, Tom Fletcher, said 14,000 babies could die in Gaza in the next 48 hours if more aid doesn’t reach them. https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/cdr550j818po
This was the 20th of May.
Two days later, Israeli embassy in Washington staffers, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim were murdered by a “Free Palestine” screeching Elias Rodrigues. He did not know that Yaron was a practicing Christian. He did not know that Yaron intended to propose to Sarah, his love, days later in Jerusalem. All he saw were two Israelis, Jews, who needed to be slaughtered. He ended their lives.
This was not a once off event.
Jumping on the Jew hate bandwagon seems to be the fashionable track for celebrities to re-jig their relevance, or for talk show hosts desperate for clicks and likes to get them. Facts be damned! Just over the last week we had Billy Baldwin on social media platform X, (I know, I know but he is the even less irrelevant Baldwin brother) accusing Israel of not only committing genocide, but “killing 50,000 children”. Even Hamas are scratching their heads at that statement.
The latest iteration of Israelophobic flunky is doyenne of the comedy world, Dawn French. You may be familiar with her role as ‘The Vicar of Dibley’ and one-half of the creative duo, ‘French and Saunders’. Recently, in an obscene clip posted to her social media, French affected a baby voice to say in a nutshell, that 7 October was “a vewwwy bad thing” and infer that Israel has no reason to have responded as it has. The backlash was monumental. French apologised “unreservedly” but I guess a frantic phone call from her agents concerned that brand sponsorships may fall away, prompted a mea culpa from the latest luvvie-turned-geopolitical expert. There is nothing like a loss of brand “collab” to hasten an apology.
A New Dawn. Needing to apologize to salvage her brand, ‘Vicar of Dibley’ and ‘French and Saunders’ star, Dawn French had posted a “one-sided” video clip on social media mocking and belittling the suffering of Israel’s October 7 victims. https://www.tiktok.com/@nicco20000/video/7513355032201350422
Then there was the pièce de résistance (or is that Piers de resistance). Many were gob-smacked watching journalist-turned-shock jock Piers Morgan’s show last week featuring comic, Dave Smith and international lawyer, Natasha Hausdorff. Clearly, the intellectual base was loaded heavily in Hausdorff’s favour as the lawyer has emerged as one of the most prolific legal voices of our generation. With the patience befitting a coterie of saints, Hausdorff calmly tried to explain to the jock and the jester that before believing any information coming from Gaza, it needs to be verified. Despite being interrupted at least 60 times by an apoplectic and expletive shrieking Morgan, Hausdorff tried to explain that there have been SO MANY instances of AI photos or Hamas propaganda easily debunked coming from Gaza. Piers promptly kicked her off and spent the next few days blocking anyone on X who tried to correct him or pick him out for his behaviour. It is clear that the show, which is called Piers Morgan Uncensored, should come with a caveat. Uncensored for thee – but not for me (or anyone who gives me the answers I want to hear!). I don’t think Piers is an antisemite. I think he genuinely thinks he cares for Jews – but he is a shock jock, a ratings whore and nothing neutralizes sensation and propaganda faster than cold, hard facts and sensibility.
Ironically Uncensored. The only one “uncensored” is Piers himself, who was quite happy to ‘censure’ his guest Natasha Hausdorff, the international law expert and member of UK Lawyers for Israel who had the temerity to suggest to check before accepting Hamas’ figures of causalities of children in Gaza. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/vxgud4DQpO0
Jews are not ratings footballs.
These are just some examples that are symptomatic of an extremely worrying phenomenon. The media are playing a direct role in creating a global climate of hate with terrifying consequences. It is not just traditional, mainstream media – but new media including podcasters, social media influencers and journalists who have forsaken the integrity of their careers for personal activism. It appears that the hot “trend” of the moment is jumping on the “I hate Israel/Jews” bandwagon and that hatred sells clicks, likes, and the more sensationalist the content the better. Facts have exited the studio – along with credibility, sanity and dignity.
In the competitive world of podcasting, it appears that the more Orwellian a take on a particular topic, the more popular it is. Another recent example is self-proclaimed “historian” Darryl Cooper. Cooper in a special episode of his “history programme”, “Martyr Made,” he addressed the controversy, which had exploded out of his September 2, 2024 appearance on “The Tucker Carlson Show,” the podcast started by the former Fox News host. Cooper defended the claims he had made on Mr. Carlson’s show that Winston Churchill was the “chief villain” of the war, not, by implication, Adolf Hitler and millions had died in Nazi-controlled Eastern Europe because the Nazis had not adequately planned to feed them. Historical revisionism has been given a platform on shows like Carlson, Cooper, Joe Rogan and more and as a result, there is a growing denial of the Holocaust.
Piers is not the only host to trot out comedians as “experts”. This past week, the BBC called on celebrity chef and “activist” Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, (no? me neither) who gave his geo-political expertise on the Israel-Iran war saying, “It’s concerning that we’re sending jets out to the middle east when all the talk should be of de-escalation. If Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the Labour government really wanted to show they were serious about de-escalating, they should stop selling arms to Israel”. A reminder that Israel is striking with pinpoint precision, nuclear and military assets in Iran while the Iranian regime is firing indiscriminately on Israeli civilians. I guess the next time I need to bake a pastry or throw a dinner party, I will consult Maj. (ret) John Spencer, head of Urban warfare Studies as WestPoint Military Academy.
Stirring the Pot. When it comes to what is cooking in the Middle East, English celebrity chef, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall says that the “Labour government …. should stop selling arms to Israel.” https://www.tiktok.com/@implausibleblog/video/7516177030623268118
There is a direct line that can be drawn between media coverage of Israel and the astronomical antisemitism around the world. Maybe it is the competitive 24-hour news cycle or race for clicks and likes. Maybe it is the lack of fact checking or journalists who prefer to be activists. It is also highly likely that institutional antisemitism has set in like rot. Why else would news channels parrot Hamas propaganda like it is the gospel? There is no excuse for it and we as media consumers need to demand better of our media.
Lives depends on it – and we are paying with ours.
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).
