Are the Iranian Nazis, who killed over 40,000 of their own people with small weapons, upfront and personally, because they were opting out of fanatical Islam, now aiming at us in Israel? If you listen to Lufthansa, Air France, KLM, United and Delta, all of whom cancelled flights to Israel, the answer is yes.

Are we in Israel scared? Well, no. We are not really thinking about it at all, as a matter of fact. I had tickets to the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra’s concert in Tel Aviv Sunday night, at the Charles Bronfman Auditorium, and I never considered cancelling. Neither did anyone else, apparently, because the hall was full for the marvelous all-American program featuring the works of Bernstein, Copland, and Gershwin. The sidewalk cafés near the concert hall were packed, the tinkling of wine glasses, laughter, and small talk spilling out into the mild night. People looked relaxed, as if they hadn’t a care in the world.

Are they stupid? In denial?

No. They are Israelis. Which means, whatever is going to happen, is going to happen, and in the meantime, let’s make the most of every minute.

I’m very proud to be part of these people, this nation. I can’t imagine what Khamenei is capble of in his death throes. A thousand ballistic missiles in our direction? Two thousand? And how many will land? Last time, only two did and they managed to take out part of the Weizmann Institute and Soroka Hospital.

But deep inside me, and I guess my fellow citizens, is the idea, that there are superpowers protecting us, and I’m not talking about Centcom. We are here because He wants us here. We rely on that. It isn’t reasonable, or even intelligent, but it is the truth.

This is a country that doesn’t proceed in reasonable ways. For example, according to to Startup Nation Central’s annual report, released on Thursday, “Israel’s tech industry generated more than $111 billion in capital deals in 2025, nearly quadrupling the previous year’s total and surpassing 2021’s previous record levels.” Does that sound reasonable to you given we were at war on seven fronts and are still waiting to be obliterated by Iranian missiles? Does it?

Israel has provided evidence to the Trump Administration that those protestors arrested who Khamenei promised were not killed, were, in fact, murdered in captivity. Trump knows the truth and I have no doubt at all he is setting things up before he strikes.

Nine flights of heavy American transport aircraft of the C-17A type were observed yesterday in the Middle East. Since the 18th of the month, 36 such flights have been recorded. Something is going to happen.

One of the pieces played in the IPO concert was Appalachian Spring by Copland. Premiering near the end of World War II, the piece has been described as a testimony to the fineness of the human spirit, a paen to optimism, highlighting the joys of a simple, modest life. An appropriate score for us in Israel, don’t you think, as we await the next phase of our war against those who only cherish power and acquisition and trampling the human spirit?

That is not to say we wallow in blind optimism, which seems to have overtaken otherwise reasonable people like our friends President Trump, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff (the jury is still out on the latter, friend-wise). This push to the “second phase” of the Gazan program, in which Hamas disarms and reconstruction begins, seems to be skipping ahead a little too merrily.

First of all, not all the hostages have been returned, namely the remains of Rani Gvili, a 24-year-old Israel Police Special Patrol Unit (Yasam) volunteer, who died fighting Hamas terrorists at Kibbutz Alumim on Oct. 7 and whose remains were taken to Gaza by Hamas and are still being held there.

But under pressure from Trump, Netanyahu has agreed to nevertheless reopen the Rafah crossing into Eygpt, something Israel has adamantly refused to do until now. The official line is that “Hamas has done all it can…to return Gvili.” You betcha. Or that the current massive activity by the IDF in Gaza to find his remains was somehow directed by Hamas information (total lie. They’ve done zip, zero.) We are being told that only people will be allowed through the Rafah crossing, not goods, and that Israel will be in complete control of this human traffic.

One person who just can’t wait is hostage-deal-released murderer Iham Kamamji. Lest we forget, in 2006 Kamamji kidnapped and murdered Eliyahu Asheri – a student in a religious pre-army program, son of Australian immigrants – from French Hill. Apparently, Kamamji stored his girlfriend in Egypt twenty years ago and he just can’t wait to see her again. I think Israel should make sure a few more decades pass before they reunite, hopefully six feet under.

The entire idea of rebuilding Gaza has hit a very sour note with all of us here in Israel. After all, the population will be the same murderers and future-murderers (i.e., brainwashed Gazan youngsters, who unlike Hitler Youth, have not undergone any reeducation process). Members of the Tikvah Forum, families of hostages held in Gaza, stated: “Any progress in Gaza while Hamas has not been demilitarized and Rani Gvili is not home is a return to the cruel [security] (mis)conception that led to the Simchat Torah massacre.” Instead of focusing on rebuilding our enemies, the Tikva Forum believes we should be restoring Israel’s security and supporting the wounded, bereaved families and residents of communities on its southern and northern borders.

Yes. This sleek beach resort on top of tunnels (there is no way we got all the tunnels. Just yesterday Israel found four more kilometers of tunnels filled with weapons and rocket launchers). What’s the rush, I say, to rebuild for these awful human beings, each one a Khamenei in the making?

The Mossad has given its stamp of approval to the law requiring the death penalty for October 7 Hamas murderers. That would solve the problem of hostage deals, and what to do with people like Kamamji.

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