Why was this night different from all other nights?

Instead of a restful and peaceful night’s sleep, we were roused from our slumber at approximately 1.30am by a series of loud explosions. Looking out from our bedroom window, we beheld an eerie sight reminiscent of a Star Wars movie. Streaking across the night sky were innumerable illuminated orange objects which all seemed to disintegrate and explode. I guessed that they were the Iranian drones which had been launched from Iran. There had been reports earlier in the evening of a possible drone strike. 

Within a few minutes, the air raid sirens wailed, and unaware whether missiles were heading in our direction, it was a mad dash for our local communal air raid shelter only about 30 seconds from our home. The sirens ceased almost immediately which indicated that nothing was heading our way. Drones were still flying but obviously posed no lethal threat.

By this time, everyone in the country was up and monitoring the news, and needless to say, mobile phones were being used to check up on family and friends. Getting back to sleep proved to be a difficult exercise especially for those glued to the breaking news developments.

It was only the next day that one had time to think about the unfolding events and draw some conclusions.

I predicted that it would take no more than a couple of hours for all the usual crowd to warn Israel not to retaliate, to show restraint and allow “diplomacy” to deal with the terrorist regime in Iran.

Pesach (Passover) is, therefore, an ideal time to remember how our ancestors dealt with past tyrants whose agenda included ethnic cleansing, murder, enslavement, kidnapping and murder. The exodus from Egyptian bondage only occurred after an escalating series of plagues and diplomatic negotiations with Pharaoh. His attempt to kill all Hebrew male babies at birth failed thanks to the heroic efforts of the midwives who thwarted this pogrom. Moses and Aaron did try to negotiate an exit strategy but this failed in the face of a stubborn refusal to agree on the part of the Egyptian leader.

A series of afflictions still made no impression and it was therefore only after the final plague that the Hebrews were allowed to depart. They had hardly left when Pharaoh regretted his decision and pursued them with his entire army determined to finally wipe them all out. This of course ended in spectacular failure at the sea of reeds.

The lessons we should be able to draw are that negotiating with and appeasing dictators, tyrants and Jew haters is a lost cause and only results in worse disasters. So, it has been proven throughout Jewish history and is especially relevant in our time. Unfortunately, the rest of the world refuses to learn and still stubbornly clings to the illusion that kowtowing to thugs and bullies will buy peace.

The one plague that has survived millennia of mutations is hate for the Jewish People and its promised homeland. The Babylonians and the Romans did their level best to not only destroy Judea and Israel and exile its Jewish inhabitants but also to ensure that the very idea of Jewish sovereignty should be eradicated. Today’s anti-Israel/Zionist haters have the same agenda as recent events and realities have so dramatically demonstrated.

This brings us back to current developments and their potential outcomes.

Without a shadow of a doubt, Iran has been emboldened by the reluctance and refusal of the democracies to make it accountable and pay a heavy price for its headlong rush towards nuclear weapons. Despite a clear and unambiguous message of its intentions to destroy Israel, the international community led by the Biden Administration has engaged in appeasement mode policies.

Much is being made of the fact that the USA and UK joined Israel in helping to repel the drone and missile barrages. However, overlooked is the fact that this apparent act of solidarity carried with it a subsequent caveat. Listening to the frantic chorus of admonitions issuing forth from Western capitals, the unmistakable conclusion is one of terrified appeasers frenetically trying to distance themselves from any remote involvement in taking firm action to punish Iran.

What other conclusion can one reach when almost every leader of the democratic world warns Israel in the sternest language not to retaliate because by doing so world peace will be in peril? The delusion that so-called diplomacy will deter Iran from further terror attacks and halt its stampede to nuclear capabilities is so firmly embedded in foreign policy appeasers’ minds that no amount of proof to the contrary will alter their hallucinations.

Biden insists that the US does not want conflict with Iran and to prove this he showers the mullahs with billions of unfrozen funds. In case Tehran still does not get the message his Government makes it clear that Washington will not back any Israeli response. The Lord Cameron wags his fingers and warns Israel not to respond as do the French and others. For good measure, the UN Secretary General declaimed that “acts of reprisal involving force are barred under international law.” Not to be left out of the international chorus of the Munich appeasers’ chorus is the NZ Foreign Minister who piously declared that he expected both sides to now refrain from fuelling tensions.

The reaction to the Iranian attack by China and Russia is predictable especially as they are long time supporters of the Iranian Mullah regime and its evil intentions. It is nothing short of an amazing and delusionary act of craven moral cowardice that those who should be thwarting Iranian genocidal ambitions are instead running to the UN. This corrupted body has neither the will nor the ability to sanction Iran. Proof of this is the fact that Iran is currently chair of the UN Conference on Disarmament. What more glaring farce can one encounter?

Israel needs to ask Cameron if he would have demanded from Churchill that the UK not retaliate for the German blitz on the UK. When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbour would those who today demand Israel not retaliate have told Roosevelt the same? When Margaret Thatcher retaliated against the Argentinean invasion of the Falkland Islands did the UN convulse and was the UK dragged in front of the ICJ at The Hague?

In the face of a demand that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps be banned the UK Prime Minister reportedly has dismissed this because “it would sever diplomatic ties with Tehran.” Will Australia use this same specious and cowardly excuse instead of actually having a moral backbone?

If all this sounds eerily reminiscent of the years leading up to the Shoah you would be right. Add in the convulsive tsunami of Jew/Israel hate now enveloping all parts of the world and you have a perfect brew for what lies ahead thanks to the craven cowardice of the morally bankrupt.

Every year there is a ceremony in Germany to commemorate the liberation of the Bergen Belsen concentration camp. This year it has been delayed until a later date and Israeli representatives have been uninvited to speak. It is the height of irony but indicative of the way things are headed that Germany, of all countries, should surrender in the face of Nazi-type mobs.

This brings us back to the topic of plagues.

It was only after a series of escalating disasters that our ancestors were let go. The final humiliation for the Egyptians followed at the Reed Sea.

Every Seder, we remember how, in every generation, there are those who rise up to destroy us.

This Pesach, therefore, as our hostages remain captive and we face threats to our very right to live, we need to resolve to do what needs to be done in order to thwart and defeat the nefarious designs of our enemies.

May this year’s celebrations herald the beginning of our redemption and the fulfilment for more Jews of the pledge to be next year in a fully restored and united Jerusalem, our eternal Capital.

Michael Kuttner is a Jewish New Zealander who for many years was actively involved with various communal organisations connected to Judaism and Israel. He now lives in Israel and is J-Wire’s correspondent in the region.

On April 13 and 14, Iran executed its first direct attack on Israel amid the current conflict, starkly underscoring the fragile security environment that surrounds us. This very date marks a personal and poignant anniversary for me as well; eight years prior, I embarked on my first journey to the Dead Sea, drawn by its haunting beauty and environmental plight, aboard a unique boat excursion at the earth’s lowest point.

In my role as a foreign relations manager at ISRAEL-is, aimed at improving Israel’s global image post-October 7 atrocities, the sight of an intercepted Iranian missile plunging into the Dead Sea reignited my dedication to addressing both environmental and security challenges in our region. This 750 kg. warhead missile, a vivid symbol of aggression, not only opens a new drastic chapter in the Middle East conflict, but also strikes a body of water that symbolizes both natural wonder and ecological fragility.

Following the tumultuous aftermath of the Gaza war, the October 7 atrocities and Iran’s latest provocation, the security challenges facing Israel and its neighbors have only deepened. A significant display of regional dynamics unfolded as Jordan decisively intercepted several missiles from Iran aimed at Israel and Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia, and provided intelligence on the Iranian attack. This act of cooperation amidst conflict underscores the complex interplay of antagonism and alliance that characterizes our regional relations.

We need a dual strategy: environmental preservation and coexistence

Recalling the days leading up to October 7, there was a fleeting optimism about regional partnerships underpinning a brighter future. During this period, I walked the corridors of Capitol Hill with a delegation from the Middle East and North Africa, championing the third year of the Abraham Accords. My role then as the director of the Dead Sea Revival Project involved advocating for water diplomacy and the development of environmental tourism—a dual strategy aimed at environmental preservation and fostering coexistence and unity among the peoples connected by shared ecological and cultural narratives, particularly focusing on water sustainability in one of the world’s driest regions.

Today, as the shadow of escalating conflicts looms larger, the necessity for a regional security alliance against Iran becomes increasingly imperative. Yet, within these brewing tensions lies a critical opportunity for cooperation centered around our mutual environmental concerns. The declining waters of the Dead Sea serve as a stark reminder of the broader environmental challenges that defy political borders and demand collaborative action.

Looking ahead, our focus must evolve from mere survival and tactical maneuvers to fostering sustainable cooperation. We are reminded that our shared water resources and environmental challenges could be the cornerstone of a robust regional alliance. Such cooperation does not merely address immediate ecological needs but also establishes the groundwork for a more stable and secure future.

As we navigate these complex times, our unwavering commitment to environmental diplomacy and regional cooperation continues to strengthen. The stories of resilience from the Dead Sea to the diplomatic corridors illuminate the pressing need for a unified approach to both security and sustainability. These narratives reinforce the importance of leveraging shared environmental interests to bridge divides and forge lasting peace in the region.

The success of diplomatic efforts like the Abraham Accords highlights the potent impact of cooperative strategies and underscores the critical need to engage communities and nations in dialogues about mutual interests and shared destinies. This comprehensive approach will not only counter the destructive ideologies of Iran and its proxies but also pave the way for a sustainable and peaceful future for all involved.

The writer is foreign affairs manager for ISRAEL-is, and formerly served as director of the Dead Sea Revival Project.