Category: Politics

THE DIFFERENT STRATEGIES OF Al-QAEDA AND QATAR TO SUBJUGATE THE WEST

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:

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).

FROM PLONSK TO A NATION

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).

ALL QUIET IN THE WEST WING

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).

WE ARE PAYING WITH OUR LIVES

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).

BRIDGE THE GULF

The Persian Gulf – Past, Present and Future

By Marziyeh Amirizadeh

Recently there have been rumors of President Trump changing the name of the Persian Gulf to the “Arabian Gulf”, causing great concern and even anger among millions of Iranians. At the same time, there are ongoing reports about the US making a deal with the evil Iranian Islamic regime, concerning Israelis, Iranians, and Americans alike. As Trump visits the Middle East and will overfly the body of water separating Iran and the Arabian Peninsula, it is important to look at what this means today, historically, and the long-term implications for the future.

While I applaud any effort to undermine, weaken, and eliminate the Islamic regime which should be a US priority, the idea of renaming the Persian Gulf and negotiating with the ayatollahs are contradictory, and in the end strengthen the regime.

A Gulf Apart. Ahead of his trip to the Middle East, President Trump floated changing the name of the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Gulf, infuriating Iran and its people. The body of water has been called the Persian Gulf since at least 550 B.C.

The Persian Gulf is a body of water that separates Persia (Iran) from the hub of the Arab world. Indeed, changing the name of the Persian Gulf will be a slap in the face to the Islamic Republic, but one they will use to rally support against the US, with renewed chants of “Death to America”, and perpetuate suffering of the Iranian people. 

It will cause anger among average Iranians, as it is one of the few physical reminders in the world of the name Persia, and its rich culture which they yearn to restore, free from the atrocities of the Islamic Republic which most Iranians reject. The term Persian connects Iranians with their national identity beginning with King Cyrus, the first king of the Persian Empire, considered the father of the Iranian people, from the sixth century BCE.

Iranians also know that Arabs have tried many times to destroy Persian culture and its heritage, starting in the seventh century when Arabs conquered Persia. Persia was forced into the Islamic world, and Islam was forced on the Persian people. The rise of Islam in Persia and forced conversion of Persians still feels like a foreign ideology where Islam was not indigenous. Throughout history, Persians – today Iranians – fought to restore their culture and national inheritance.

The 1979 Islamic Revolution was another invasion of Iran by extremist Muslims like Ayatollah Khomeini and others, whose origin and ideology were not Persian, but Arab. Iran has been occupied and ruled by evil ayatollahs whose intention is to erase Persian history, purging Iranians’ identity and culture, while forcing them to extremist Islam. They initiated a system of hate and brainwashing to build walls around their own brutal illegitimate rule. There is no religious freedom, and anyone who converts to any other religion would face prison, torture, and even execution.

Miraculously, I was spared death by hanging because of my faith. Millions of others have not been so lucky.

Further purging Persian culture and history, Iranians are forbidden to visit the tombs of Biblical giants such as King Cyrus, Daniel, Esther, and Mordecai, among other pillars of Persian history.

Intimidated by History. For at least a decade, authorities have restricted access to Cyrus’s tomb at Pasargadae, deploying security forces to prevent large gatherings due to concerns that these might escalate into anti-state protests. Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the state has increasingly suppressed celebrations of pre-Islamic heritage, viewing them as potential threats to the Islamic state’s authority.

There’s been an awaking among young Iranians who understand that Islam is the root of their problem, and the ayatollahs are their true enemies; that Iran has been occupied by Islamic extremists with no respect for Persian culture and history.

King Cyrus is a great example to many. He did not bring peace and stability by undermining the history of other nations. Instead, he helped Persians, and other great nations like the Jewish people, rebuild their history and culture. He facilitated the return of the Jewish people to the Land of their fathers after 70 years of exile, rebuilding the Temple, and restoring their ancient prosperity.

King Cyrus is also recognized for his achievements in human rights, politics, and military strategy. The Cyrus Cylinder is the world’s first charter of human rights, providing the basis for the first four articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and translated into all six official languages of the United Nations.

Ancient ‘Bill of Rights’. When the Cyrus Cylinder, which dates from the 6th century BC was loaned by the British Museum on a ‘traveling exhibition” to the USA in 2013, Museum director Neil MacGregor declared that “the cylinder, often referred to “as the first bill of human rights”- must be shared as widely as possible.”
 

Iranians have compared President Trump to King Cyrus. I have always supported and admired President Trump and his great leadership. I hope he is not deceived by malicious advice of the Islamic regime’s agents who have infiltrated America. I pray he does not try to build his own legacy by undermining the proud identity of millions of Iranians.

Suppression of Women. Photos taken in western Tehran capture the presence of black clad women and armed men confronting women who did not wear a headscarf.

As an ordinary woman who lived under the tyranny of the evil Ayatollahs for 33 years and experienced many brutalities and misogyny under the harsh rules of Islam, I have never stopped warning my fellow Americans about the Islamic regime and its intentions and tactics to destroy America from within. Through NewPersia.org I educate Americans about Islam, and the Iranian people about their true history, and the importance of restoring our historic friendship with the Jewish people.

Angered Iranians. Women have been at the forefront of protests in Iran. (Photo: Hawar News Agency via AP) 

President Trump can truly be the next Cyrus to help Iranians who have suffered under the ayatollahs, to restore their freedom and national honor. We must embolden the people, not erase pillars of their national pride by changing the name of the Persian Gulf.

And certainly not by negotiating with the evil Islamic Republic.



About the writer:

Marziyeh Amirizadeh is an Iranian American who immigrated to the US after being sentenced to death in Iran for the crime of converting to Christianity.   She endured months of mental and physical hardships and intense interrogation. She is author of two books (the latest, A Love Journey with God), public speaker, and columnist. She has shared her inspiring story throughout the United States and around the world, to bring awareness about the ongoing human rights violations and persecution of women and religious minorities in Iran, www.MarzisJourney.com. 

Marzi also is the founder and president of NEW PERSIA whose mission is to be the voice of persecuted Christians and oppressed women under Islam, expose the lies of the Iranian Islamic regime, and restore the relationships between Persians, Jews, and Christians. www.NewPersia.org.





While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves.  LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO).

IRAN, IRAQ AND OPEC

How successive American Presidents – Democratic and Republican – have misread the Middle East.

By Neville Berman

This article aims to briefly touch on how three events in 1979 profoundly weakened the West. The first was the overthrow of the Shah of Iran, the second was Saddam Hussein seizing control of Iraq, and the third was the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) unilaterally raising the price of a barrel of oil ten-fold over the price before 1973. These three changes, all left unchallenged by the impotent West, enriched and emboldened the Islamists and changed the world.  

Carter was the American President in 1979. He aimed to promote the western concept of democracy and human rights across the world. With the exception of Israel, democracy and human rights are completely foreign to the Middle East. Carter saw the Shah of Iran as an abuser of human rights and promoted his overthrow. Instead of democracy and human rights, Khomeini turned Iran into an Islamic autocracy with no rights for women, and brutal punishment for those that opposed his rule. Carter got it completely wrong.

World Over a Barrel.  This 1979 TIME magazine cover captures the “Oil Shock” of that year when by mid-1979, oil prices began to rise rapidly more than doubling between April 1979 and April 1980.

President Bush, decided after 9/11, that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction and had supported Al Qaeda. He decided to overthrow Saddam and get rid of the Baath Party. The war cost America both blood and treasure. No weapons of mass destruction were ever found. America had no idea what to do with Iraq after the war ended. With Iraq neutralized by America, Iran was given a green light to pursue its policy of hegemony over the middle east and to try to eliminate Israel. America wanted to promote a stable Middle East, instead it got Islamism, terrorism, death and destruction. President Bush got it completely wrong.

Message Loud and Clear. In the presence of senior Iranian officials, including then President Ebrahim Raisi, tens of thousands of Iranians, some chanting “death to America” and “death to Israel,” marched in the capital of Tehran April 14, 2023 to mark “Jerusalem Day”.  Banners raised by demonstrators read “the destruction of Israel is near” and “Palestine is the axis of unity of the Muslim world”.  (Photo: AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

There are six words that Iran has used for decades. The words are not in Farci but in English. For some reason, no American President seems able to understand them. The words are Death to America and Death to Israel. Very few believed Hitler when he declared that he wanted a Jew-free Europe. Words need to be taken seriously.  President Obama decided that the six words were an invitation to negotiate. The initial idea was to end Iran’s nuclear enrichment program, and then to remove sanctions and release all the frozen Iranian money in western banks. Despite holding all the cards, America caved in to Iranian demands. All the frozen money was released, sanctions were lifted, and Iran continued to enrich uranium and develop its missile program. Flush with cash, Iran immediately increased funding of terrorist proxies throughout the middle east. Inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency became farcical when Iran refused to allow inspectors into certain facilities and turned off cameras that were meant to monitor the situation. President Obama got it completely wrong.  

Fired up .A drop in oil production in the wake of the 1979 Iranian revolution (see above) led to an energy crisis and although the global oil supply only decreased by approximately four percent, the oil markets’ reaction raised the price of crude oil drastically over the next 12 months, more than doubling it to $39.50 per barrel.

One of the bedrock axioms of economics is that demand and supply determines the price. OPEC formed a cartel to limit the supply of oil in order to increase the price. The world never formed an opposing cartel to limit the price of oil. What followed was the largest transfer of wealth in the history of the world. The money flowed straight into the treasuries of the few oil exporting countries. There has never been a shortage of oil. The world has over a hundred years of known oil deposits to satisfy the current demand for oil. The money from oil sales at massively increased prices, effectively transformed some of the poorest countries on earth into fabulously wealthy countries. Almost all the oil importing countries are now facing deficits and inflation.  From the above it is clear that both Democrat and Republican Presidents have made decisions that have emboldened and enriched anti-western leaders in the Middle East for decades. They all totally caved in to OPEC.

‘Fuel’ing Fear. Cars line up outside a filling station on the first day of gas rationing in May 9, 1979 imposed on nine California counties following the revolution in Iran that caused a shortage of crude oil.  (Photo: Bettmann/Bettmann/Getty Image)

Most western countries are democracies. Democratic elections are usually won by one party receiving a few percentage points of votes more than the opposition. If one political party loses 5% and the opposition party gains 5% there is a 10% change in the election result. Qatar is led by one family known as the House of Thani. Qatar has used its massive wealth to finance the building of Middle Eastern Study Centers on all the campuses of the top universities in the US. All the lecturers hired are anti-Israel and against Western values. Qatar aims to cause at least a 5% change in the election process and bring about the subjugation of America. They have joined forces with the radical left in an attempt to bring chaos to America. Qatar has approximately 320,000 citizens. Despite its small size it has decided to use its wealth and the American constitutional right of free speech to attack America and cause chaos across the country. The aim is to remove American support for Israel and then to subjugate America to Islamic rule. Successive American Presidents have allowed this to happen.

Campus Chaos.  More than just a display of a Palestinian flag at Harvard University by these graduating students is the display of Qatar’s grip on US education that caused an explosion of campus antisemitism. (Photo credit:  Brian Snyder/Reuters)

Saudi Arabia has been paying for the construction of large mosques all over the world. The Imans in these mosques come from Saudi Arabia. They promote Islamic views of domination and subjugation, and have radicalized many of their followers around the world. They pose a direct threat to the liberal western rules- based world. Both Qatar and Saudi Arabia aim to bring about the fall of the West. What is really amazing is that America sees Qatar and Saudi Arabia as allies. America seems to be totally ignorant as to what is actually taking place. Money and greed have replaced morality and ethics. President Trump has clearly demonstrated that he wants to make deals. Democracy and common values are no longer part of the conversation. 

Sign of the Times.  Due to memories of the oil shortage in 1973, motorists soon began panic buying as they had six years earlier until gas stations ran out!

Politicians in democracies need to face elections. It is clear that a change in the composition of the citizens will inevitably affect the number of votes for a candidate. The massive surge of immigrants into the West is dramatically changing election priorities throughout the West. There is no doubt that Islam is on the rise in the West and that an enormous amount of funding has been provided by Middle Eastern countries to promote Islamic ideals across the world. Indifference as to what is going on is not a policy. It is a strategic error that will lead to massive confrontation and chaos.

It is also clear that Israel also operated under the misguided policy of thinking that economic prosperity would bring about a peaceful resolution to the situation in Gaza. Without a doubt, successive Israel governments got it all wrong. After the shock of the atrocities of October 7, 2023, Israel quickly changed its policies. More than one and a half years later, the war is still ongoing.  From the above, it is clear that leaders in the West also need to come to terms with what is happening. The elephant in the room is Islamic fundamentalism. It can no longer be ignored.



About the writer:

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).

LESSONS FROM MY FRIEND’S EXECUTION IN IRAN’S EVIN PRISON

Nearly executed like her cellmate affords understanding of the depravity and dangers of the Teheran regime.

By Marziyeh Amirizadeh

This year, more than ever, it’s impossible not to think about the execution of my best friend, Shirin Alamhooli on May 9, 2010. I met Shirin in Iran’s notorious Evin Prison where I had been arrested and sentenced to death by hanging because of converting to Christianity, a “crime” the Islamic regime calls “apostasy” and which carries a death penalty.  I was arrested in March 2009. Shirin had already been in prison for some time as a political Kurdish prisoner.

Iranian Injustice. This photo of Shirin Alamhooli was taken by the writer while in Evin Prisonm Teheran. Shiran was executed on May 9, 2010. (Photo: Marziyeh Amirizadeh)

As a Christian, I had many people advocating for my freedom from the first day, and miraculously, I was released that November, and then came to America where I have become a proud citizen. Unfortunately, neither the world nor the terrorist Islamic regime cared about the life of a 28-year-old Kurdish woman.  Shirin spent months being brutally tortured: repeatedly kicked in her stomach, bashing her head against the wall until she passed out, hanging her from the ceiling for hours on end, and beating her with a cable. They would only stop the torture for the Islamic prayer, to dedicate their savage acts to Allah. To satisfy him.

For months Shirin could not walk because the skin was torn from the bottom of her feet during the torture. Most of the time we would sit together and from a small window looked at the mountains beyond the walls of prison. She would sing a beautiful Kurdish song. She wished just to walk to the mountains freely, to fly away like a bird one more time.

At The Mercy Of Evil Men. Pakhshan Azizi, a Kurdish political prisoner and former aid worker, faces the confirmation of her death sentence by the Iranian Supreme Court.

We ate and talked together almost daily. She asked me to promise her that if I got released and she didn’t, to never stop fighting against the evil Islamic regime.

From the first day of my release, I started fighting for her release, even though I remained in mortal danger myself. I will never forget that horrific day I got a call from one of my cellmates still in prison:

“Marzi, Shirin was executed.”

…. then uncontrollable crying.

I felt like I died. I hung up the phone, and for a few hours I felt as if all my internal organs had frozen. My whole body froze. I could not move, talk, or think.

Along with my roommate, Maryam, with whom I had also been arrested and sentenced to death and then released, we went outside the prison with Shirin’s brother, pleading just to get her body to bury her with dignity. The prison authorities lied. They told us her body had been sent to the cemetery. We rushed there and they said they never received Shirin’s body. We returned to Evin Prison, begging them to give us her body. They refused, mocking us. Today, nobody knows her burial place, if she even has one.

Even 15 years later, Shirin’s execution is one of the most painful things in my life.  Growing up in the Islamic Republic, there were many.  This year we must take a lesson from her murder, as the Islamic regime remains the greatest threat to the US, and the world. I am pained that those leaders in my adopted country, which I love and am so grateful for, are being deceived by the notion that the ayatollahs can be rationalized with, that negotiation is anything more than a fool’s errand.

Indeed, the Iranian Islamic Republic cannot be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon – ever, under any circumstances. Negotiation will only give them time to bury their centrifuge deeper, and to hide the enriched uranium that has no civilian purpose. To be clear: if the Islamic Republic is able to acquire a nuclear weapon, they will use it.  They will threaten the US and Israel, the “Great Satan,” and the “Little Satan.” They will establish a nuclear umbrella that will let them blackmail and terrorize the rest of the world.  There is no doubt about this, yet too many in the West don’t realize it.

While all this is horrible, and is threatening, and cause enough to do everything possible to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, no less horrible is the cancerous threat of spreading of their evil, extremist Islamic ideology: in the US and the rest of the world. A nuclear bomb can kill millions instantaneously, but their dangerous ideology infects the whole world, spreading like a virus, and destroying and threatening millions from within over decades.

Condemned to Die. For 46 years, the gallows of the Islamic Republic have claimed countless women’s lives.

My friend Shirin is evidence of that. Arrested, tortured, and executed, she was one of millions of Iranians alone who are victims of this extremist ideology. While no level of torture is out of bounds in the Islamic Republic, according to their strict following of Islamic laws, it’s not allowed to execute a virgin. It is a known practice for women like Shirin, and others, that before being executed they are brutally raped, taking the level of obscenity beyond imagination. That’s another example of why negotiations are futile, and they can never be trusted.

I was supposed to be one of its victims too.  Outside Iran, through its terrorist proxies around the world including Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, the Syrian Assad regime, Kataib Hezbollah, and more, millions of others have been killed and maimed.  Vast “no-go” neighborhoods of major European cities have become dangerous cesspools of Islamic hate.

The US and the world must be saved from this threat. But there’s another reason as well. For more than 46 years, 85 million Iranians have been held captive, hostage to the ayatollahs -victims of their lies. They have been repeatedly let down by the West looking to make a deal.  The worst of these examples was President Obama who, while I was in prison, not only abandoned the Iranian people during the Green Movement, but sent billions of dollars to Iran, thinking that he could pay off the ayatollahs. Still today, Iranians consider Obama as having betrayed them.

Revelations from the Inside. In Captive in Iran, two courageous Iranian women – the writer and a former cellmate on death row in Evin Prison who made it out alive – recount their experiences in one of the world’s darkest places.

There have been reports of Islamic Republic, today, offering the US billions in contracts to rebuild Iran, but that is nothing more than extortion. In fact, the US can achieve unlimited potential and billions in contracts rebuilding Iran by doing everything possible to bring down the Islamic regime, making Iran and Iranians free, and eliminating the world’s greatest source of terror and war.

This is what needs to be done. While it cannot bring back Shirin, it will at least fulfill her wishes for a free Iran, and those of so many others who have suffered their brutality.



*Feature picture: Shirin Alam Holi, born in 1981 in a small village near Maku, executed in Evin Prison on May 9th 2010 after passing one year and nine months in prison. She was charged for cooperating with Pajak (Iranian branch of PKK) on Nov. 29th 2009 and sentenced to death. (Photos: Marziyeh Amirizadeh)



About the writer:

Marziyeh Amirizadeh is an Iranian American who immigrated to the US after being sentenced to death in Iran for the crime of converting to Christianity.   She endured months of mental and physical hardships and intense interrogation. She is author of two books (the latest, A Love Journey with God), public speaker, and columnist. She has shared her inspiring story throughout the United States and around the world, to bring awareness about the ongoing human rights violations and persecution of women and religious minorities in Iran, www.MarzisJourney.com.  Marzi also is the founder and president of NEW PERSIA whose mission is to be the voice of persecuted Christians and oppressed women under Islam, expose the lies of the Iranian Islamic regime, and restore the relationships between Persians, Jews, and Christians. www.NewPersia.org





While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves.  LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO).

GLOBALISATION RAVAGED BRITAIN’S JEWISH COMMUNITY

Uncertain how Trump’s tariffs might shake up the world in the future, but  sure know what globalisation did to my UK city  and its Jewish community.

By Jonny Gould

Credits: http://jonnygould.substack.com

It was never explained why Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool and Glasgow’s Jewish populations declined so fast because as a community, we surfed the free-trade revolution in the name of self-improvement.

I reflect back to Jack Rosenthal’s Bar Mitzvah Boy, a BBC ‘Play for Today’ in 1976:

“At this moment, on their way, are a hundred and seventeen guests. Sitting on the train, in cars, queuing for buses – all on their way. At half past six, Victor, a hundred and seventeen people from Bournemouth, from Manchester, Leeds and Glasgow, from Birmingham, everywhere… are going to turn up at the Reuben Shulman Hall expecting a dinner dance. All dressed up. Your Uncle Zalman, my cousin Freda. Your brother we don’t talk about from Cardiff.

That dialogue by Maria Charles playing harassed mother Rita Green is a verbal time capsule of the age. Elliot, the bar mitzvah boy, had bolted from synagogue just before his call up to read his portion of the Torah. They found him in the playground soon after.

Bygone Era. Today a period piece, the BBC’s “Bar Mitzvah Boy” told the story of a young Jewish boy, Eliott Green in a lower-middle class family living in suburban North East London of the 1970s, and the apprehensions over his forthcoming Bar Mitzvah, while his family prepares for the ‘Big Occasion’.

Anyway.

I pick out those words from the television play because it really was like that. There were prosperous, longstanding Jewish communities spread right across the UK.

Because being British and Jewish was a distinct and robust identity, anchored as it was in the culture of the nation and unlike most of mainland Europe, unsullied by European persecution and destruction.

But these days the Anglo-Jewish community is increasingly polarised and relocated to one corner of the country. Three quarters of Britain’s Jews – numbering just over 300,000 according to the Institute for Jewish Policy Research – live in London and its suburbs.

As well as Jewish communities moving into the capital from other cities, a huge influx of young professionals from across the world were attracted by London’s preeminence as the leading financial centre post 9/11.

Sephardim left France for London at the start of the 21st century from the rise of Le Pen and Islamism, prompted by their parent’s North African stories of political uncertainty in the Arab countries they’d left a generation before.

The emergent cultural power of Israel has reduced Anglo-Jewish identity in favour of an international Israeli one and that’s sharpened even more since October 7th.

Yet from Wolverhampton to Westcliff, Bournemouth to Bristol, Merthyr Tydfil to Middlesbrough and Stoke-on-Trent to St Anne’s-on-Sea, British towns had their own synagogues with character and ambition.

Up to 40 years ago, the north boasted communities numbering five-figure populations in Manchester, Leeds and Glasgow. There were four-figure strongholds in Liverpool, Sheffield, Newcastle, Cardiff, Brighton and Hove and my city, Birmingham.

When Synagogues become Museums. The Manchester Jewish Museum was formally a synagogue designed by renowned Victorian architect Edward Salomons, who was inspired by the Portuguese and Spanish origins of the local Jewish community of the 1870s. Today it relates the history of Manchester’s Jewish community – today numbering 30,000 – which is the second largest in Britain; the first being in Greater London.

Household retail names were Jewish businesses in the regions like Marks and Spencer’s out of Leeds, Goldbergs of Glasgow, Burton’s Menswear of Chesterfield, Viner’s Cutlery from the Steel City, Sheffield, NEMS in Liverpool and Odeon Cinemas, founded by Jewish British entrepreneur Oscar Deutsch out of the “workshop of the world” -Birmingham. Plus, literally thousands of other self-starter businesses everywhere.

I’ll take this opportunity to pay tribute to our own “J. Gould, the smart man’s tailor”, at its height the family had dozens of shops across the Midlands. Clearly a commercial barrier to other big players, my grandfather and his brothers rejected a six-figure offer from Montague Burton to consolidate the menswear market in the early sixties.

Not to mention the emerging white-collar class of eminent professionals in medicine, law, accounting and banking, the children of immigrants and the first in their families to go to university.

The 1970’s was the last time being Jewish in the UK felt mainstream.

Who even remembers ‘12 Hours for Israel’,   an actual celebration of Anglo-Jewish life staged at Earls Court?

Back then, you could publicly enjoy being Jewish and Israeli without baying antisemitic wolves at the door.

It seemed the whole country converged on London to see exhibitors from El Al to Nefesh B’nefesh, youth groups and even a live stage show. There was Moshe Dayan, Israel’s foreign minister opening it and Eurovision celebrity, Esther Ofarim (born in Safed to a Syrian Jewish family), was the star attraction.

Entertaining Israelis. The year following the Six Day War, Israeli singer Esther Ofarim on a BBC Show in London in 1968.

I remember Larry Adler warbling his harmonica through some kind of Fiddler on the Roof tribute.

🎶“When things are not so good, when things are not so nice, I write a little letter to the rabbi for advice!”

Bar Mitzvah Boy heralded a host of stereotypical characters, played mostly in comedies, of East End tailors and the like.

Robin’s Nest, set in a restaurant in the London suburbs took a booking from a local Jewish family.

Richard O’Sullivan playing Robin, sourced salt beef for his customers in a frenzied panic of British tolerance. As if Shirley and Irving would take their family out for what they could have at home! What those diners demanded or the kitchen staff prepared for in terms of Kashrut wasn’t covered in the storyline.

“My boy”, “my life” and “oy vey” have been thrown at me as banter from older non-Jewish colleagues who mean no harm by it, but no one in my family spoke remotely like that being descended as I am from Viennese and Brummie (Birmingham) Jewish stock.

Where have all the Jews gone? The writer’s city of Birmingham in the 1930s of S Lesser Jeweller and Clothier –  a typical Jewish retail establishment.

Not to mention my colourful post-Holocaust surviving family who jetted in for my own barmitzvah from Vancouver, Chicago, Haifa, Sunderland and Nottingham.

And heading up to Liverpool for barmitzvahs and staying in kosher hotels was a near annual event.

After the service, everyone would go back to the family home down Queens Drive for a Shabbos lunch of chopped liver, lockshen and kneidlach soup, roast chicken and apple strudel.

Go back still further and there were synagogue communities in scores of far-flung British outposts, reflecting the long and continuous Jewish presence in Britain. Count in Llandudno, Worcester, Blackpool, Reading and Swansea among them. Burnley synagogue is now a Dial-a-Pizza.

Some of those communities survived into the 1970s and 80s.

I’m still a member in Eastbourne, which despite the sale of the synagogue building shortly after its post-Covid centenary, they still hold Shabbat and High Holiday services in rented rooms in town. The Exeter synagogue located in Synagogue Place in the old city built in 1763 by Dutch Sephardi traders, still exists to this day. In the 19th century, there was a marriage between two members of Walsall’s community. Walsall is a market town in the West Midlands 9 miles north-west of Birmingham. 

Shapiro’s Shop. The dawn of the Jewish community in Birmingham is believed to have been around 1730 with early Jewish settlers including peddlers using Birmingham as a base. The first known glass furnace was set up by Meyer Opperheim in or about 1760 on the road to Wolverhampton. Above is Mrs. Shapiro’s shop.
 

So why the demise of Anglo-Jewry beyond London? Why did the nation’s capital become such a honeypot for smaller communities?

The untold reality of the demise of every Jewish community in the UK but for one is economic.

It’s globalisation.

Globalisation affected every single one of us born in the sixties and beyond. Everyone. Our parents have been forced into change in their older age too.

Jews accepted the prevailing orthodoxy of globalisation imposed on us because it matched our longing for respectability and progress, to shift from peddlers and market traders to become doctors and lawyers.

Globalisation shut down industries for good and obliterated support businesses around them. It triggered mass Jewish migration, not just across the UK but right around the world too.

I discuss living through this revolution as a teenage Birmingham school leaver at the beginning of this article.

Most of us Jews emerged winners out of the total upheaval.

Some who lost out, assimilated into the non-Jewish working class of their towns, assimilated and intermarried. Yet many have consolidated into smaller-scale, well-organised Jewish life.

We’re unclear how Donald Trump’s protectionist tariffs might shake up the world in future, but I sure know what globalisation did to my city – and by extension my Jewish community.

It ravaged it.

So next time you’re soaked in the prevailing narrative of Trump’s “self-injury”, reflect on why you might agree with it.

Is it because you were born and brought up in prosperous London which completely rode the 80s recession – or were sheltered from it as part of your parent’s professional class or the financial comforts and social bubble you bounced around?

It’s a tough old world out there and I fear fewer of us are free of the consequences of the big economic and societal changes which are coming this time around. 




About the writer:

Jonny Gould is a television and radio presenter on Talk and host and producer of Jonny Gould’s Jewish State podcast.
At the end of 2018, he launched a podcast in response to the unchecked and sudden rise of UK antisemitism. In a short time, “Jonny Gould’s Jewish State” (on Apple, Spotify and elsewhere) has grown into both a snapshot and library of the changing temperature for one of the west’s oldest and continuous Jewish communities.
As a board member of the Israel Diaspora Trust, Jonny’s also regularly briefed off-the-record by influencers and decision-makers across the US, Israel and the UK.





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).

MAXIMUM PRESSURE NOT ONLY PROTECTS AMERICA – IT EMPOWERS IRANIANS

A plea by a survivor of the Iranian regime to the US to apply maximum pressure.

By Iranian American Marziyeh Amirizadeh

As an Iranian-born Christian who survived the brutality of Iran’s Evin Prison, I’ve witnessed and suffered the Islamic regime’s cruelty firsthand: their lies, their oppression, their unrelenting hatred for, and repression of any freedom. When I hear about the United States negotiating with Iran’s Islamic leaders, my heart aches for both my homeland and my adopted country, America. Negotiation with this regime is not just futile – it is dangerous. Those who champion an “America First” approach, yet shy away from maximum pressure on Iran are mistaken, either avoiding or ignorant of the truth that the regime’s very survival threatens us all. The only solution for Iran, for America, and for the world is a regime change – a new Iran, free from misogynist Islamic extremism, that will align with the values of liberty and peace for which America stands and should be supporting.

Insights from the Inside. Footage from Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison leaked out in 2021. The writer was imprisoned here in the women’s section where she was tortured and her cell mate and best friend was executed.

Negotiating with Iran’s Islamic regime is like bargaining with a scorpion. Death is inevitable. For over four decades, the Islamic Republic has proven it cannot be trusted. They brainwash children to chant “Death to America” while smiling at and deceiving diplomats. They are the largest global funder of terrorism through its tentacles such as Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, and more, all while pretending to want peace. They violate every international agreement, from the 2015 JCPOA nuclear deal to basic human rights treaties, with impunity.

Inciting Hate. The US can expect no genuine compromise from an Iran that holds conferences entitled “Long Live Death to America” as it did here on 3 November 2015, at Teheran University. 

I have seen their deception up close. In 2009, I was arrested because of my Christian faith. They tortured me and my cellmates, and executed my best friend. The U.S. cannot afford to repeat the mistake of tried negotiations that only strengthens the regime’s hand, giving them time to advance their nuclear ambitions, oppress their people, and destabilize the Middle East. Let the world not be deceived: for the ayatollahs, negotiation is a tactic to reach their goal of a nuclear weapon. And to be clear, if they achieve a nuclear weapon, they will use it.

Some argue that diplomacy saves American lives and resources, avoiding costly conflicts. But this ignores reality. Appeasement emboldens Iran. When the U.S. eased sanctions, Iran didn’t moderate – it funneled billions into Syria’s war, Yemen’s chaos, and terrorist proxies targeting America and its allies. The regime’s ballistic missile program grew, threatening Israel, global shipping, and beyond. Negotiation doesn’t de-escalate; it escalates, tying America’s hands while Iran grows stronger. A stronger Iran means a greater threat to U.S. security – whether through terrorism, cyberattacks, or, God forbid, a nuclear weapon. Protecting American interests means recognizing that a regime built on anti-Americanism can never be a partner.

I understand the “America First” instinct to avoid foreign entanglements. Many who wave this banner argue that maximum pressure – crippling sanctions, military deterrence, and diplomatic isolation – drains U.S. resources or risks war. But they’re wrong. Maximum pressure isn’t reckless; it’s strategic. It’s essential. It’s the only language the regime understands. When President Trump withdrew from the 2015 JCPOA nuclear deal and imposed harsh sanctions, Iran’s economy buckled. Protests erupted across the country – not just for bread, but for freedom. The regime’s grip weakened, exposing its fragility.

Iran’s Proxy. The slogan on the flag of the Houthis in Yemen reads, “Allah is the greatest. Death to America. Death to Israel. A curse upon the Jews. Victory to Islam“.

Today, with the Islamic regime’s air defenses crippled, it’s critical to finish the job, for America’s interests and for the world. Maximum pressure doesn’t just protect America; it empowers Iranians to demand change. To abandon it now, as some ‘America First’ voices suggest, snatches hope from the Iranian people, and security from the U.S. and the world.  

Regime change is not a fantasy, it’s a necessity. The Islamic Republic is not Iran. It’s a cancer on a nation of 85 million people who yearn for dignity and democracy. I’ve met countless Iranians, from taxi drivers to students, who despise the mullahs. The 2022 uprising, sparked by Mahsa Amini’s murder, showed the world their courage. Women burned hijabs; men faced bullets. They weren’t begging for reform -they were demanding change. Supporting their fight isn’t meddling; it’s justice.

Terrorizing the region to terrorizing its own People. Demonstrators march during a protest for Mahsa Amini who died in custody of Iran’s morality police, in front of the Los Angeles City Hall, Los Angeles, California, Oct. 1, 2022 (Photo: Apu Gomes/AFP)
 

For Iran, regime change means a chance to rebuild, to restore a proud civilization hijacked by Islamic extremism. Some fear a regime change will lead to chaos, pointing to Iraq or Libya. But Iran is different. It has a rich history, a strong national identity, and a population educated, ready, and begging for self-governance. The U.S. doesn’t need to invade – it needs to amplify Iranian voices. Sanctions can starve the regime’s coffers. Cyber tools can disrupt their propaganda. Diplomatic support can legitimize the opposition. And yes, the U.S. must empower and partner with its allies to do so, foremost Israel which is in the ayatollah’s crosshairs. America must lead by isolating the regime, not legitimizing it with negotiation.

Iranians dream of a free Iran where one can worship as they wish, where women walk unveiled without threats of arrest and torture, where children aren’t indoctrinated to hate. But Iranians are fearful that the negotiations will betray them, again, as was done by Presidents Obama and Biden. If it’s true that negotiations will only limit Iranian uranium enrichment rather than eliminating every element of the Iranian nuclear program, and leave the regime in place not just to continue to lie and take advantage of western naiveté, but to rebuild and continue to oppress them, it will be a disastrous failure. The pursuit of a democratic Iran would be an essential partner against extremism, a market for trade and a beacon of stability but requires courage, not compromise. Negotiation prolongs the regime’s life, and threatens Iranians and the world.

Menacing Message. The Jewish Star of David, the Swastika and the US flag are integrated in public imagery at this protest in Teheran. (Photo: Majid Saeedi / Getty Images).
 

The economy is crumbling, and the Supreme Leader is old and ill. The time is now to end the evil ayatollah’s regime, restore Iran to its people, and keep America and the world safe.

I’ve seen the cost of tyranny in Evin Prison. America needs to stand with Iran’s people, not their oppressors. End the illusion of diplomacy. Embrace the power of pressure. Together, we can topple a regime and build a future where Iran and America thrive as friends, not enemies.



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 activist for religious freedom. 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.

http://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).

POOR DECISION-MAKING HARMS SOUTH AFRICA’S POOR

An obsession with undermining Israel is undermining the very wellbeing of South Africa’s people

By Kenneth Moeng Mokgatlhe

In a rapidly changing world, South Africa’s foreign policy has failed to prioritize its national interest. This is in contrast to most other countries, including such allies as China, Russia, and India, which use their foreign policies to serve their interests, not those of other countries.

The late US Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger, who is reputed to have largely shaped his country’s foreign policy, once said:

 “The test of policy is how it ends, not how it begins. Foreign policy is the art of establishing priorities. Demonisation is not a policy; it is an alibi for the absence of one. The test is not absolute satisfaction but balanced dissatisfaction.”

Kissinger further argued that “a country that demands moral perfection in its foreign policy will achieve neither perfection nor security.”

It seems that it has not yet dawned on South Africa’s foreign affairs minister, Ronald Lamola, that the US has taken a hard stance against South Africa for its position on the Israel-Palestine question. It was a given that there would be  – with the new US administration – political, economic, and social implications for South Africa’s decision to launch a lawfare campaign against the State of Israel. It is, however, myopic on the ANC’s part to have expected to have it both ways, that is, to maintain their relationships with the East and the West while aggressively harassing Israel, which aligns with the latter. 

Aiming to Displease. President Ramaphosa’s policies against Israel (seen here with the iconic Palestinian keffiyeh) has according to the writer, mostly harmed South Africa. The latest Trump tariffs are the latest example.

There is no doubt that the South African government fails to see its poor people – those who are without water, housing, roads, food, and other vital facilities – when they decide on the direction of the country’s foreign policy. It is not Lamola, Cyril Ramaphosa, or other rich politicians from the ANC who are going to suffer the economic and political consequences of South Africa’s actions against the national interest of the US. Rather, it is South Africa’s poor who are already paying the price. For example, the withdrawal of various US funding programmes to South Africa has already started to impede HIV/TB research projects, which is expected to undo all the gains that have been made over the years.

At Loggerheads. Trump has also threatened to cut aid to South Africa in response to the country’s land expropriation policies, which Trump claims involve land confiscation.

In its bid to advance its foreign policy, the SA government failed to conduct a risk analysis of the implications its actions might have on NGOs that rely heavily on US funding. The withdrawal of this funding could ultimately lead to NGOs shutting down or downscaling, which in turn means putting more strain on the public sector as the many beneficiaries of these organisations could be left without essential services. It would also see an increase in unemployment rates. 

“Charity begins at home” should be a stance which guides our foreign policy. It is incomprehensible that South Africa would want to assume the position of being hailed as a saviour and hero within the international community while its people are at risk of dying of poverty, hunger and a lack of sufficient medications for those suffering from chronic conditions. 

Akin to the sentiments that Kissinger would later articulate, US president John F. Kennedy said,
“Domestic policy can only defeat us; foreign policy can kill us”. What South Africa is currently doing – meddling – in the Middle East region can only worsen the state of the declining economy because of poor decision making. That powerful Arab countries in the Middle East and Africa have been careful about what they say and what they do should have signaled to South Africa not to have dragged Israel into the International Court of Justice (ICJ). So, while Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan endeavor to play an active role alongside the US to find a long-lasting solution to the decades-long conflict between Israel and Palestine, South Africa saw fit to play the spoiler.

Clearly, South Africa like Iran, is not interested in finding a solution to the Israel-Palestine impasse. Its ill-considered direction was so evident when it decided to terminate all diplomatic and political channels with Israel. South Africa now has access only to Hamas and Iran, which shows how they are not committed to bringing an end to this conflict. 

Trump’s Tariffs. A truck loaded with a container at a depo, in Johannesburg, South Africa may well be on the decrease as the new 30% tariffs set to be imposed on South Africa by the Trump administration  will threaten 35,000 jobs in the country’s citrus-growing sector and the economies of entire towns, said a farmers group earlier in the week. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

The ANC’s leadership has a lot to learn from Qatar, a small country in the Middle East region, on how they have come to be respected as peacemakers and good negotiators in the international arena. In 2020, Qatar was able to convince the US to withdraw from Afghanistan with the extremist Taliban group. Qatar negotiated the release of the Americans held in Iran, Afghanistan, and Venezuela. They also helped to bring Ukrainian children to their parents after they were taken to Russia.

Through agreement with the US, Qatar allowed Hamas to have offices in Doha, and they maintain a relationship and communication channels with the Israeli government that helps to bring these two warring parties to the table whenever there is a need. Alongside other players, Qatar helped broker a ceasefire and hostage deal in 2023 between Israel and Hamas. There was another ceasefire and hostage deal in 2025 in which Qatar was centrally involved. Qatar plays this essential role by not siding with anyone but rather striving towards peace and stability in the Middle East; the returns beneficial to all in the region.

Trump Punishes South Africa With 31% Tariff Placing R250 Billion Worth Of Exports In Jeopardy.

It doesn’t end there. Qatar facilitated the brokering of peace between Sudan and Chad and Eritrea and Djibouti and helped to reach a peace deal in Darfur in 2011. At present, it is mediating peace between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

If South Africa wants to gain an international reputation as peacemakers and negotiators, there are, therefore, valuable lessons to be learnt from Qatar.

The ICJ court case will not improve the lives of ordinary South Africans, whose plight has been so neglected over the 30-year rule of the ANC. It is not only a waste of time but also money, and is aimed at appeasing Iran, who is behind the ICJ case and is implacable enemy of Israel. As China, Russia and India are doing, the SA government needs to take an inward approach,  where we focus on improving the lives of our people and building our economy from what it is to what it should be.



About the writer:

Kenneth Moeng Mokgatlhe is a political writer and researcher based at Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Israel.








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).