The victory by the Israel Defense Forces over the despotic Ayatollah-led regime in Iran should be a cause of overwhelming pride and joy among Jews throughout the world. Iran, since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, has been a destabilizing force in the Middle East and the instrument of death for thousands of Israelis, Americans, and Europeans. After the overthrow of the Shah, Iran could have become a beacon of light for its historic populace. Rather than choosing democracy, the Ayatollahs, led by Ruhollah Khomeini, instituted a repressive Islamic theocracy enforced by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The current Iranian dictatorship has been in place for 45 years and controls more than 10% of the world’s oil reserves. In 2024, its oil revenues exceeded 65 billion dollars. Despite this strong economic foundation, Iran’s annual inflation hovers near 38%, and its currency, the Iranian rial, is the second weakest currency in the world. With such immense oil wealth, why is the Iranian economy so weak? Politics: Iran chooses to spend its income on war and devastation, exporting billions of dollars in destructive power to proxies who threaten Israel, other Middle Eastern states, and the West.
In the books of Kings and Chronicles, the history of the nations of the Fertile Crescent is recounted from the perspective of the Israelites. In the time of King David, approximately 3,000 years ago, wars between the local nations — Ammon, Aram, Moab, and the Philistines, to name a few — were continuous and repetitive. Two hundred years later, the Israelite Kingdom was conquered by Assyria, and the northern Hebrew tribes were dispersed. The Kingdom of Judah survived until Nebuchadnezzar II, the King of Babylon, besieged and burned Jerusalem and the Temple of Solomon in 587 BCE. The Jews retained some hegemony until 70 CE, when the Romans again destroyed the rebuilt Holy Temple. They then extinguished the Bar Kochba rebellion and exiled the Israelites throughout the Roman Empire in 135 CE. Despite nearly 2,000 years in the Diaspora, the Jewish people and religion remained focused on the land of Israel.
In 1948, the rebirth of a Jewish nation within the boundaries of ancient Israel occurred in parallel with the international condemnation of war and the creation of the United Nations. The preamble to the UN Charter aspires to prevent future generations from the “scourge of war,” and Article 2 prohibits the threat or use of force against any member state. Hope abounded that peace might eventually reach the cradle of civilization. However, during the Cold War, the world powers strove to carve out spheres of influence in the Middle East. This helped to stoke the animosities of the Arab nations against Israel. Since 1979, the Islamic Republic of Iran has fueled hatred toward Israel and repeatedly threatened its existence. Periodic wars and strife have characterized the 77 years since Israel’s reestablishment. The United Nations, in contradistinction to its charter, has continued to support anti-Israel activities and has refused to condemn Iran for its blatant disregard of the UN Charter and its funding of terror proxies that have attacked and threatened Israel, and resulted in civil chaos and economic catastrophe in Lebanon and Yemen. Due in part to educational programs under the aegis of UN agencies, the schism between the Israeli and Palestinian people is arguably much greater today than in 1948.
Israel responded to Hamas’s barbaric October 7, 2023, massacre of 1,250 of its citizens by invading Gaza on October 27, 2023. Currently, after more than 20 months, 50 out of the original 255 hostages remain in Hamas tunnels and dungeons. As Israel’s Operation Gideon’s Chariots completes its second month, Hamas has been relegated to a dispersed group of ambush-oriented fighters with no central command or coordination. Thinking of our accomplishments against Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and the head of the snake — Iran — brings a smile to my lips. At the same time, tears wet my eyes when I ponder the more than 430 additional soldiers who gave their lives to bring us to this point. These soldiers left behind parents, grandparents, wives, children, and grandchildren. Worlds have been shattered, and every Israeli should feel their loss.
The analysis of the history of the Jewish people reveals continuous threads of violence, discrimination, and even extermination at the hands of our enemies. It is a truism that our travels had periods of plenty and periods of deprivation, whether we lived in our homeland or in exile. After the shock of the Holocaust, many in the West vowed to rid the world of the scourge of antisemitism. Sadly, this noble goal has not been achieved. Indeed, despite being the clear victim of a vicious genocidal assault by Hamas, Israel and the Jews are now the targets of unbridled hatred by significant percentages of people in the Muslim states, in Europe, and even in the United States.
I grew up as a baby boomer during what may come to be called the Golden Age for American Jews. Jews born in the United States post–World War II had more opportunities and achieved greater status than any previous generation. We became doctors, lawyers, professors, community leaders, United States congressmen and senators, and even ran for Vice President. Jews are successful entrepreneurs, creating entire industries including Hollywood, hedge funds, and startups like Google and Facebook that changed American lives. Although once excluded by the glass ceilings of many professions, by the early 2000s Jewish judges represented 33% of the members of the U.S. Supreme Court. Jews believe in giving back to society and are noted for their philanthropy and for their support of hospitals, museums, universities, and the public good.
My smile broadens when I think of the acceptance of my coreligionists on the national American stage. Most importantly, individual Jews felt safe, and because of this, we became complacent. However, our complacency seems to have been misguided. Underneath the surface was a hostility that, ironically, erupted after October 7, 2023. Almost in disbelief, we confronted widespread antisemitism that was manifested in urban centers, on college campuses, and in our houses of worship. Instead of walking with pride, many young Jews now cower in public places and hide their identity. The foundations built under us by years of effort and community relations were crumbling. This brought despair and tears to the eyes of many and a feeling that the antisemitism recorded throughout history was now being reincarnated in the United States.
The future will tell whether the outbreak of anti-Israel and antisemitic rhetoric and confrontation is a passing rage or will be a growing plague that will continue to haunt us. As progeny of a historical people, we are instructed to be a light unto the nations (Isaiah). Sometimes light can be a blessing, and sometimes it reveals what is concealed and hidden. As a nation of Jews, the State of Israel must seek to lead and serve humanity not because it will benefit us, but because that is our task as a chosen people. If we accept and meet this challenge, the tears of anguish many of us now feel will turn into smiles of joy that will reflect a better world. May that be G-d’s and our will.
Dr. Fred Naider is a Distinguished Emeritus Professor of Biochemistry and Chemistry and former Provost at the City University of New York. He lives in Rehovot. The opinions in this article are his own.
