The Iranian delegation, headed by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, has arrived in the Omani capital, Muscat. Iran and the United States will hold high-level talks in Oman on Saturday aimed at jump-starting negotiations over Tehran's fast-advancing nuclear program, with US President Donald Trump threatening military action if there is no deal.

Iranian media reported that Iran and US delegations have arrived in Muscat. Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi is leading the Iranian delegation, while the talks will be handled on the US side by Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff.

Iran is approaching the talks warily, skeptical that they could lead to a deal and suspicious of Trump, who has repeatedly threatened to bomb Iran if it does not halt its nuclear program.

https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-849909

From: Al Jazeera April 12, 2025

Israeli military issued new displacement orders for residents of the central Nuseirat refugee camp as well as southern Khan Younis, after intercepting three rockets from the Strip.

The Israeli military says it has completed the so-called Morag Corridor, which cuts off the southern city of Rafah from the rest of Gaza and Egypt.

It has also issued new forced evacuation orders for residents of the largest refugee camp in central Gaza, Nuseirat, in the middle of the night.

Earlier, the military also issued forced evacuation orders for people in southern Khan Younis, warning of imminent attacks “with great force”, after Hamas launched three rockets towards Israel.

Israeli forces squeezing Palestinians into ever shrinking area in Gaza
This was all part of the plan that was announced by the Israeli minister of defence when Israel broke the ceasefire on March 18

Rafah was home to about a quarter of a million Palestinians.
It takes up about a fifth of the territory of the Gaza Strip. It is now off limits to Palestinians.

You have the eastern side of Gaza being cleared of not just Palestinians, but of the buildings that remain standing.
And then Israel is also pushing from the north, from Beit Hanoon and from Jabalia.

And so the whole population 2.1 million of them, are being squeezed into an ever-shrinking area in Gaza, literally being squeezed westwards towards the sea.

Now, in the meantime, there is no food, no water, no electricity and no medicine. And that is also deliberate.

No aid has been allowed into Gaza since March 2 and that is exactly what the minister of defence of Israel had announced would happen when this resumption of the bombardment started.

Day 554
All the "coalition of the willing" horses and All the "coalition of the willing" personnel and their mighty military power,
1. couldn't eradicate this decades ongoing terror Axis of evil
2. couldn't put Israel together again

Iran:
The United States and Iran begin high-stakes talks in Muscat, Oman, on Tehran’s nuclear program on Saturday, with President Donald Trump threatening military action should they fail to produce a new deal.

US military action really doesn't have a good record, including:
1. Houthis
2. Afghanistan
3. Vietnam
4. Operation Eagle Claw: April 24, 1980
the ill-fated military operation to rescue the 52 American hostages held in Tehran, Iran ends with eight US servicemen dead and no hostages rescued

apart from, among others
1. Operation Neptune Spear: May 2, 2011 the US SEAL Team Six, shot and killed Osama bin Laden at his "Waziristan Haveli" in Abbottabad, Pakistan.
2. Operation Desert Storm: 24 to 28 February 1991 the US-led coalition's invasion of Iraq, to liberate Kuwait.

Trump: Israel ‘will lead military against Iran’ if talks fail. Israel would be the ‘leader’ of any potential strike against Iran — Physician heal thyself...
Trump adding “there wasn’t much time to reach an agreement on Tehran’s nuclear program.” The JCPOA signed in 2015 expires in October

From: Haaretz April 12, 2025

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Saturday that the Israeli Defense Forces IDF has seized control of a key route through southern Gaza, effectively turning Rafah into an "Israeli security zone."

In a statement, Katz addresses Gazans, saying:
1. "This is the last chance to banish Hamas
2. release all hostages,
3. and stopping the war."

Soon, he continued, Israeli operations will spread to other regions in "most of Gaza's territory."

Katz's statement comes after Haaretz reported earlier this week that the Israeli military is preparing to incorporate Rafah and its surrounding neighborhoods into the buffer zone it is establishing along the border.

The area, located between the Philadelphi route to the south and the Morag route to the north, was home to around 200,000 Palestinians before the war.
In recent weeks, however, it has been left almost entirely deserted following widespread destruction caused by the Israeli military.

The defense minister added in his statement that the Netzarim corridor across Gaza's center is also being expanded, with "more territory seized."

Katz also said:
1. "willful passage" to other countries will be allowed to "all those interested,"
2. and it will be done "in accordance with the US president's vision, which we seek to realize."

IDF completes work on route dividing southern Gaza in two, surrounds Rafah;

According to the statement, work has been completed along the Morag route, which divides Gaza's south into two sections
Israeli forces have completed the encirclement of Rafah in southern Gaza, the IDF said on Saturday.

"Israeli security zone."
1. Gaza south and north divided by Netzarim corridor
2. Gaza's south divided into two sections by the Morag route
3. Rafah on one side and Khan Younis, Deir al-Balah on the other
4. Rafah 'encircled' between buffer zone, Philadelphi corridor and Morag route
5. all of Rafah to be added as buffer zone
6. Rafah makes up almost one fifth of Gaza
7. presume Mediterranean sea, the fourth side is controlled by Israeli Navy

Day 554
1. Hamas still standing still firing
2. Hamas still operating their terror, underground
3. apparently only 25% of the tunnel network destroyed
4. arms still flowing
5. Hostages: 'Those Who Are Alive Sit and Rot, and the Dead Are Decaying'

Europeans sidelined in US-Iran nuclear talks despite holding key card
Reuters by John Irish 11 April 2025

Extracts:

• Europeans sidelined in US-Iran nuclear talks despite holding key card

Washington's decision not to coordinate with European nations about its negotiations with Iran on Saturday will reduce its leverage and make US and Israeli military action against Tehran ultimately more likely, analysts and diplomats said

The United States did not tell European countries about the nuclear talks in Oman before President Donald Trump announced them on Tuesday, even though they hold a key card on the possible reimposition of UN sanctions on Tehran, three European diplomats said

Blaise Misztal, vice president for policy at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America said,
Trump, who restored a "maximum pressure" campaign on Tehran in February, on Wednesday repeated threats to use military force against Iran if it didn't halt its nuclear program and said Israel would be "the leader of that"

• No "Art of the Deal"

Trump also sidelined Europe in Russia-Ukraine talks — Gotten nowhere and aggressor Russia still attacking and calling the shots

Europeans sidelined in US-Iran nuclear talks despite holding key card
Reuters by John Irish 11 April 2025

Extracts:

• Britain, Germany and France E3 — holding key card snapback

The West suspects Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons, which it denies

the diplomats said,
Because the United States quit a 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action JCPOA nuclear accord with Iran, it cannot initiate its mechanism for reimposing sanctions, called snapback, at the United Nations Security Council

That makes Britain, Germany and France, known as the E3 the only deal participants capable of and interested in pursuing snapback
So it is crucial that Washington align with these allies, analysts said Israel, Iran's arch-enemy, has already lobbied the E3 to initiate it

According to the three diplomats, the E3 told Iran they would trigger the snapback mechanism by the end of June
Iran responded that doing so would mean harsh consequences and a review of its nuclear doctrine, the diplomats said

Europeans sidelined in US-Iran nuclear talks despite holding key card
Reuters by John Irish 11 April 2025

Extracts:

• 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action JCPOA

a senior European diplomat said,
Trump withdrew the US in 2018 from the nuclear deal with Iran also signed by Russia and China
The accord JCPOA curbed Iran's nuclear activities in return for sanctions relief. Russia opposes restoring sanctions

Under the nuclear accord, participants can initiate the 30-day snapback process if they are unable to resolve accusations of Iranian violations through a dispute-resolution mechanism But that opportunity expires on October 18, 2025 when the accord ends

Since the US exited the deal in 2018 Iran has far surpassed its uranium enrichment limits, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency
Tehran is producing stocks of fissile purity well above what Western powers say is justifiable for a civilian energy programme and close to weapons grade

Europeans sidelined in US-Iran nuclear talks despite holding key card
Reuters by John Irish 11 April 2025

Extracts:

• Going it Alone — sidelining Europe an ally, again and again

The US administration's approach echoes Trump's first term in office, when he also prioritised unilateral talks with Iran and with his stance on the war in Ukraine, where Washington has begun direct talks with Moscow, sidelining Europeans — seemingly with little to no success

European officials have held some meetings with US counterparts but said they were not sufficiently in-depth

Even a meeting on Iran with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of a NATO foreign ministers meeting a week before Trump's announcement was difficult to arrange, three E3 officials said

The British, French and German foreign ministries did not respond directly when asked if they had been made aware of the Oman talks ahead of time

a British foreign ministry spokesperson said
France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said tersely on Wednesday,
Neither the White House National Security Council nor the State Department immediately responded to a request for comment on the snapback or coordination with Europeans

Europeans sidelined in US-Iran nuclear talks despite holding key card
Reuters by John Irish 11 April 2025

Extracts:

• Europe-Iran Direct Talks

Having negotiated with Iran as a trio as far back as 2003 on the nuclear issue, the European countries consider their role essential to a solution
In the 2015 deal, a key carrot for Iran was being able to trade with Europe

The Europeans have helped the United States pressure Iran in recent months, including,
1. at the UN atomic watchdog and with new sanctions on Iran over its ballistic missile programme
2. detention of foreign citizens and support for Russia in the war against Ukraine

During the US policy vacuum after Trump won the election but before he took office, the Europeans tried to take the initiative by holding exploratory talks with Iran that began in September and have continued The E3 said that was necessary because time was running out before the 2015 deal expires on October 18

They have tried to sound out whether new restrictions, albeit narrower than those agreed in 2015 could be negotiated before then
Diplomats said that in those talks, Iranian officials have often quizzed their counterparts on the new US administration

an Iranian official said,
Additional reporting by Francois Murphy in Vienna, Matt Septalnick in Washington, Parisa Hafezi in Dubai, Elizabeth Piper in London and Alexander Ratz in Berlin; Editing by Cynthia Osterman

Iran, US hold 'positive' talks in Oman, agree to resume next week
Reuters by Parisa Hafezi 13 April 2025

Extracts:

• Iran, US hold 'positive' talks in Oman, agree to resume next week

Iran and the US said they held "positive" and "constructive" talks in Oman on Saturday and agreed to reconvene next week in a dialogue meant to address Tehran's escalating nuclear programme, with President Donald Trump threatening military action if there is no deal

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told state television,
Araqchi said the talks — the first between Iran and a Trump administration, including his 2017-2021 first term —
Araqchi added,

Iran, US hold 'positive' talks in Oman, agree to resume next week
Reuters by Parisa Hafezi 13 April 2025

Extracts:

• Iran, US hold 'positive' talks in Oman, agree to resume next week

The White House called the talks involving Trump's Middle East envoy Steven Witkoff, United States Ambassador to Oman Ana Escrogima and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi
White House said in a statement,
Asked about the talks, Trump told reporters on Saturday night, on Air Force One,
Trump made a surprise announcement on Monday that Washington and Tehran would begin talks in Oman, a Gulf state that has mediated between the West and the Islamic Republic before. Oman has brokered the release of several foreign citizens and dual nationals held by Iran

Iran, US hold 'positive' talks in Oman, agree to resume next week
Reuters by Parisa Hafezi 13 April 2025

Extracts:

• Both Sides Far Apart

Saturday's exchanges were indirect and mediated by Oman, as Iran had wanted, rather than face-to-face as Trump had demanded

Each delegation had its separate room and exchanged messages via Oman's foreign minister, according to Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said his delegation had a brief encounter with its US counterpart headed by Witkoff, after they exited the talks

Araqchi said,
an Omani source told Reuters,Baghaei denied this account but did not specify what was false

Trump, who in his first term withdrew the US from a 2015 big-power accord with Tehran, has again brought a tougher approach to a Middle Eastern power whose nuclear programme Washington's ally Israel regards as an existential threat

At the same time, Iran and allied groups have been weakened by the military offensives Israel has launched across the region, including air strikes in Iran, during its war with Hamas after the Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked Israel from Gaza in October 2023

Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia's ambassador to international bodies in Vienna, called the statements issued by both sides after the talks "encouraging"
Never mind Ukraine

Iran, US hold 'positive' talks in Oman, agree to resume next week
Reuters by Parisa Hafezi 13 April 2025

Extracts:

• Iran Nuclear dispute of more than two decades

Tehran approached the talks warily, sceptical they could yield a deal and suspicious of Trump, who has repeatedly threatened to bomb Iran if it does not halt its accelerating uranium enrichment programme - regarded by the West as a possible pathway to nuclear weapons

While each side has talked up the chances of some progress, they remain far apart on a dispute that has rumbled on for more than two decades

Iran has long denied seeking nuclear weapons capability but Western countries and Israel believe, Iran is covertly trying to develop the means to build an atomic bomb

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said,
Signs of progress could help cool tensions in a region aflame since 2023
1. wars in Gaza and Lebanon
2. missile fire between Iran and Israel
3. Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping
4. and the overthrow of the government in Syria.

Iran, US hold 'positive' talks in Oman, agree to resume next week
Reuters by Parisa Hafezi 13 April 2025

Extracts:

• High Stakes

However failure would aggravate fears of a wider conflagration across a region that exports much of the world's oil

Tehran has cautioned neighbouring countries that have US bases that they would face "severe consequences" if they were involved in any US military attack on the OPEC member

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told Iranian TV
an Iranian official told Reuters that Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say on key state matters, has given Araqchi
Iran has ruled out negotiating its defence capabilities such as its ballistic missile programme

Western nations say Iran's enrichment of uranium, a nuclear fuel source, has gone far beyond the requirements of a civilian energy programme and has produced stocks at a level of fissile purity close to those required in warheads

Trump, who has restored a "maximum pressure" campaign on Tehran since February, ditched a 2015 nuclear pact between Iran and six world powers, including Russia and China, in 2018 during his first term and reimposed crippling sanctions on the Islamic Republic

Since then Iran's nuclear programme has leaped forward including by enriching uranium to 60% fissile purity, a technical step from the levels needed for a bomb

Reporting by Parisa Hafezi in Dubai; Additional reporting by Jeff Mason aboard Air Force One; Writing by Parisa Hafezi and David Brunnstrom;
Editing by Susan Fenton, Frances Kerry, Mark Heinrich, Don Durfee, Diane Craft and Marguerita Choy

Israel National News April 11, 2025
Professor Yisrael Aumann, Nobel Prize winner in Economics, spoke with Kan about the hostage deal and Israel's current political climate.

Professor Aumann began by criticizing the management of the public struggle to return the hostages.

He claimed the broad campaign and the intense public discourse in Israel, signals to the enemy how sensitive this issue is, and as a result —
1. "they are raising the price."
2. "It is killing the hostages.
3. We are convincing the enemy that this is important to us - so they are not willing to compromise.
4. We are willing to sacrifice ten living Jews for one body. This is completely preposterous."

He also warned that the campaign also serves as a direct incentive for Hamas to continue abducting in the future:
1. "We have proven that this hurts us a lot,
2. and therefore it is clear to them that it will pay off again."

Israel National News April 11, 2025
Professor Aumann strongly criticized the Supreme Court: "There is a monarchy here, not a democracy."

Regarding the ongoing conflict between the judicial and the executive branches, particularly the Supreme Court's ruling on the dismissal of the head of the ISA, Ronen Bar, he said: "The ones making the important decisions in the state are not an elected body but the Supreme Court.

It's like a monarchy, because they transfer power to judges they appoint themselves. There is no democracy here."

According to him, the judicial reform is stuck precisely because of this structure:
"The king must approve the reform that reduces his monarchy - it will never happen."

Despite the criticism, Aumann also seeks to put the social rift in historical perspective:
"It sounds bad - and it really is bad - but these cracks have accompanied the people of Israel from the beginning.

From Joseph and his brothers, through the kingdoms of Judah and Israel, to the defense against the Etzel. And still - we survived."

Israel National News April 11, 2025

"Passover - the time of the birth of the nation - is also the time to remember that disputes are part of the Jewish genome:
Aumann said: "The birthday of 3,337 years - and despite everything, we survive,"

Aumann believes there is room for deep changes in the judicial system, but as mentioned, he doubts whether they will be possible in the current structure.

At the same time, he calls for leadership
1. not to be afraid to exercise independent judgment,
2. and not to yield to media or emotional pressures.

"We need to think long term - not everything that hurts immediately is also wise. There are very high prices for emotional decisions."

The Jerusalem Post April 14, 2025
Eyal Zamir's decision to discharge IAF reservists who call for end to Gaza war is rash — letting them off the hook...

The decision gives the message that the IDF and its reservists are forbidden from taking any position on political policies.
Historically, if there’s any institution that has remained outside of Israel’s very volatile political and social divisiveness, it’s been the military.

With enemy countries at or near Israel’s borders intent on its destruction, Jerusalem simply can’t afford dissension in the ranks of the army.

However, the acrimonious debate over the government’s judicial reform plans in 2022 and 2023 flooded over into the previously off-limits realm when a small number of reservists, most notably from the air force, protested the legislation.

As the Post’s Yonah Jeremy Bob reported last week, former IDF chief Lieutenant General (res.) Herzi Halevi and former defense minister Yoav Gallant were generally sympathetic to those IDF reservists who protested the government’s judicial reform policy – as long as they showed up when called to serve.

The Jerusalem Post April 14, 2025
Zamir's new approach

Only a small number, those who refused to show up for duty, were actually discharged.
That approach seems to have changed under new IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir

His decision to discharge some air force reservists who signed an open letter calling for an end to a “political”’ war in Gaza, is giving the message that the IDF, and its reservists, are forbidden from taking any public position on policies set by the lawfully elected government of Israel.

The letter, published in a number of Hebrew language newspapers on Thursday and signed by close to 1,000 retired and current IAF reservists, urges the government to prioritize the release of hostages over the continuation of the war in Gaza, which the signatories argue serves “political and personal interests” rather than national security.

“The continuation of the war doesn’t advance any of the declared goals of the war, and will bring about the deaths of the hostages, of IDF soldiers and innocent civilians,” read the letter.

The letter was signed by, among others, former IDF chief of staff and IAF commander Lieutenant General Dan Halutz, and Nimrod Sheffer, former head of the IDF’s Planning Directorate — both of whom have been regular attendees of anti-government rallies calling for the release of the hostages.

Only about 10% of the signatories of the letter, which IAF chief Major General Tomer Bar reportedly attempted to stop publication of, are active reservists.

The IDF said that it has
1. no issue with reservists protesting any matter in their civilian lives,
2. as long as they do it without tying it in with the military or their role in it.

The Jerusalem Post April 14, 2025
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday backed dismissing the active reservists, claiming that they were refusing to serve.

“Refusal to serve is refusal to serve, even if it’s only hinted at in whitewashed language.
Statements that weaken the IDF and strengthen our enemies in a time of war are unforgivable.”

He also called the signatories “a group of fringe extremists who are trying once again to break Israeli society from within,” and tied the pre-October 7 protests against the judicial overhaul as a sign of perceived weakness by the military that led to the Hamas massacre.

That theory remains unsubstantiated, since Netanyahu continues to refuse a state inquiry into the events leading up to October 7.

And his distortion of the contents of the letter only adds fuel to a fire that should be extinguished before it spreads further.

The Jerusalem Post April 14, 2025
The letter that was published by the reservists is disturbing, as it connects their service in the IDF to their views on the wartime policy of the government.

There is no excuse for those refusing to serve their country, especially during wartime.
But we also cannot ignore the fact that the burden on those who have served since October 7 is too much for anyone to handle.

Families are falling apart and individuals are suffering from trauma, while other groups have been continuing life as if there hasn’t been a war. —
Like Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's sons Yair 33 and Avner 30

This protest is not something that should happen during wartime, but we also cannot marginalize a segment of the population and do nothing to instill confidence or encourage listening to the other side.

The letter may have been wrong – the military should remain above the political fray.

But as long as the reservists are not refusing to show up for duty, the decision to dismiss them is rash on Zamir’s part and not proportionate to the action they took. Reprimand them? Yes. Dismiss them? No.

From: Haaretz April 14, 2025
Trump Freezes Over $2b in Funding to Harvard After It Refuses to Accept Reform Demands

Trump's Task Force on Combatting Antisemitism said that:
'Harvard's statement today reinforces the troubling entitlement mindset that is endemic in our nation's most prestigious universities and colleges'

The Trump administration has frozen over $2 billion in funding to Harvard, hours after the university announced that it won't comply with a list of White House demands as part of its campaign against antisemitism.

University president Alan Garber said in a letter that the institution would “not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights”.
“The administration’s prescription goes beyond the power of the federal government,”

He continued, “No government – regardless of which party is in power — should dictate:
1. what private universities can teach,
2. whom they can admit and hire,
3. and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue.”

Then fund it privately

18 Months of War and Hubris: Israel's Leaders Should Read What Moshe Dayan Learned in Vietnam

Summer, 1966 The Vietnam War was at its peak.
Hundreds of thousands of American soldiers were fighting in the jungles of Asia against the Viet Cong.

Upon arriving in Saigon, Dayan delves into detailed military briefings, a prelude to the raw encounters that await in the field.

His dissent unmistakable as Dayan witnesses American patrols' superficial efforts to impede the smuggling of Vietcong weapons, he brings forth a poignant critique, urging a reduction in force and a tactic of precision rather than an overwhelming show of might.

As his journey draws to a close, Dayan deduces the futility of the American endeavor, not in their capacity for destruction but in their inability to snuff out the flames of fervent resistance and independence burning within the Vietcong.

In 1966 when Moshe Dayan was tasked with roaming Western capitals and Vietnamese battlefields, the IDF hero immediately understood the futility of America's war. Plenty more of his brutal observations are relevant today.

From: Reuters April 14, 2025
Hamas Rejects Egyptian Gaza Cease-fire Proposal That Includes Disarmament, Official Says

No breakthrough in Israel-Hamas negotiations, Palestinian, Qatari sources say after Hamas reviews Israeli offer.

Palestinian and Egyptian sources said on Monday that the latest round of talks in Cairo:
1. to restore the defunct Gaza ceasefire and free Israeli hostages ended with no apparent breakthrough
2. The sources said Hamas had stuck to its position that any agreement must lead to an end to the war in Gaza.

A senior Hamas official told Al Jazeera that Egypt recently presented a new cease-fire proposal that includes:
1. a 45-day truce in exchange for the entry of food and shelter into Gaza.
2. the plan also calls for the release of half the Israeli hostages during the first week of the truce.

According to the official, the proposal conditions extending the truce and continuing humanitarian aid on the return of all Israeli hostages — both living and deceased — by the end of the 45-day period.

No Disarmament: Back to square one... The Hamas delegation:
1. was reportedly surprised to find that the proposal explicitly includes a clause calling for the disarmament of Palestinian factions.
2. the official added that Egypt clarified that any deal to end the war would have to address the issue of disarmament.

Hamas responded, by stressing that any agreement:
1. must begin with a cease-fire and an Israeli withdrawal, not disarmament
2. Disarmament: they say is not up for negotiation.

Until October 7, Netanyahu didn't want to topple Hamas.And they got it — Then and Now

Why Don't Gazans Rise Up and Oust Hamas?

For the last 18 months, Israel — backed by billions in foreign aid — has been unsuccessful in doing so.
But somehow, every Gazan who hasn't risked their life to rise up against Hamas is seen as a terrorist with a target on their back.

1. No, All Palestinians Don't Back Hamas' Depravity.
2. And All Israelis Don't Back Bloodthirsty Vengeance

And
1. Why didn't the Jews of Europe [and elsewhere] Rise Up and Oust Hitler?
2. Why didn't the world Rise Up and Oust Hitler? Stop Hitler? Europe, United States in particular

The Strategic Burden of Israel’s “Iron Dome”
The Australian Jewish News by Michael Scott 10 April 2025

Extracts:

• The Strategic Burden of Israel’s “Iron Dome” — Shield or Snare?

Has Israel’s missile defence tech made the threats it faces even more dangerous?

One of contemporary Israel’s most defining images is, its extraordinary air defence system — a technological marvel developed out of necessity to counter relentless existential threats

These systems stand as a testament to human ingenuity, resilience and the high cost — both financial and emotional — of constant vigilance
Not terrorists Hamas proof

Yet, has this shield also become a snare?

For decades, an ingenious and indigenous people — deeply rooted in their ancestral homeland and committed to peace — have been forced to tolerate the intolerable, trapped in a cycle of perpetual defence

The Iron Dome and its layered counterparts have provided a sense of security but at what cost? October 7

Has Israel’s technological mastery of missile defence inadvertently exacerbated the very threats it seeks to neutralise?

The Strategic Burden of Israel’s “Iron Dome”
The Australian Jewish News by Michael Scott 10 April 2025

Extracts:

• The Double Standard: Israel’s Unfair Burden

While no other nation would be expected to endure daily barrages of rockets, Israel is held to an impossible moral and strategic standard

Instead of global condemnation of Hamas’s war crimes, Israel is,
1. pressured to show restraint
2. negotiate with terrorists
3. and accept periodic missile attacks as a fact of life

This expectation was crystallised in April 2024 when US President Joe Biden adjured Israel to “take the win” referring to its successful missile defences against an Iranian drone and missile attack

The implication? That Israel should be content with swatting away incoming fire rather than eliminating the source of the threat
The expectation was not just unrealistic — it was ridiculous!

No rational state would accept an endless barrage of enemy rockets as an acceptable status quo Yet Israel was effectively told to do just that
And not for the first time — Israel has been consistently and repeatedly expected to do just that