מאת רם בן זאב גשר רחוק מדי: כאשר אסטרטגיה הופכת לפזיזות כיהודי וכמי שמעמיד את ישראל בראש סדר העדיפויות, אינני מזיל דמעה על ההרס באיראן. המשטר בטהראן הקדיש עשרות שנים למימון טרור, לאיומים על השמדת ישראל, ולבניית רשת אזורית של שלוחים המוקדשים למותם של יהודים. אילו איראן הייתה פותחת במתקפה ישירה על ישראל, הייתי תומך בהשמדתו המלאה של המשטר ובפירוק יכולתו הצבאית ללא היסוס. לאומה יש זכות מוחלטת להגן על עצמה, וישראל לעולם אינה צריכה להתנצל על עצם הישרדותה. עם זאת, לעיקרון הזה יש שני

by Ram ben Ze'ev A Bridge Too Far: When Strategy Becomes Recklessness As a Jew and someone who places Israel first, I do not shed a tear over the destruction in Iran. The regime in Tehran has spent decades funding terror, threatening Israel with annihilation, and building a regional network of proxies dedicated to Jewish death. If Iran were to launch a direct attack on Israel, I would support the complete destruction of the regime and the dismantling of its military capacity

מאת רם בן זאב כאשר אומה שוכחת את בריתה לאורך ההיסטוריה הארוכה שלנו, העם היהודי ניצב מול אויבים בכל דור. אימפריות קמו עלינו, צבאות צעדו נגדנו, ושליטים ביקשו למחוק אותנו מעל פני האדמה. אך התורה מלמדת דבר מה שההיסטוריה מאשרת שוב ושוב: הסכנה הגדולה ביותר שלנו מעולם לא הייתה האומות לבדן, אלא מה שקורה כאשר אנו שוכחים מי אנחנו. מן ההתחלה, העם היהודי לא נוצר פשוט כעוד אומה. בהר סיני נכנסנו לברית עם G-D. ברית זו הגדירה אותנו. היא הבדילה אותנו מן האומות. היא קבעה שהישרדותנו לא תהיה תלו

by Ram ben Ze'ev When a Nation Forgets Its Covenant Throughout our long history, the Jewish people have faced enemies in every generation. Empires have risen against us, armies have marched against us, and rulers have sought to erase us from the earth. Yet the Torah teaches something that history repeatedly confirms: our greatest danger has never been the nations alone, but what happens when we forget who we are . From the beginning, the Jewish people were not created simply

by Ram ben Ze'ev The Covenant Is Everything Judaism is often misunderstood as a system of strict rules, a long list of obligations that appear rigid or unforgiving. From the outside, it may seem as though the relationship between the Jewish people and G-D is “all or nothing.” Yet this phrase, when properly understood, reveals something far more beautiful. Judaism is not merely a list of commandments; it is a framework for a living relationship with G-D and with the people aro

by Ram ben Ze’ev When Power Forgets Torah Torah does not teach weakness. It does not demand that Jews stand idle while enemies seek their destruction. On the contrary, Jewish law recognises the obligation of self-defence. When a person comes to kill you, the principle is clear: rise and stop him first. Throughout history the Jewish people have fought when necessary, and when survival required strength. Our tradition teaches: הבא להרגך השכם להרגו — “If someone comes to kill yo

by Ram ben Ze'ev When the Wolf Howls This parable is not original. It has been handed down through the ages, yet its message is even more important today than it was when it was first told. A wolf once fell into a deep vat of blue dye beside a dyer’s hut. When he climbed out, his fur shone with a colour no animal had ever seen in the forest. The other creatures fled from him in fear. The wolf realised what had happened and stood proudly upon a rock. Then he spoke with author

by Ram ben Ze'ev Opening Our Eyes to the Hidden Miracles The Torah records moments when the hand of G-D was unmistakable: the Sea of Reeds split, manna fell from heaven, and fire descended from above. These events are often called נס גלוי (nes galui – revealed miracle). They shattered the illusion that the world operates independently of its Creator. Yet our sages also speak of another kind of miracle, one that fills our lives every day: נס נסתר (nes nistar – hidden miracle).

by Ram ben Ze’ev Why Now? Blood, Sovereignty and the Unanswered Question Yesterday I wrote that “ Gone are the days when Jews kneel before greater powers .” I meant every word. Israel is not a vassal state. We do not require Washington, Brussels or London to decide when Jewish blood is at risk. If our leaders believe an existential threat looms, they not only have the sovereign right to act — they have the sovereign responsibility. But sovereignty cuts both ways. It grants t