Hi everyone,
We all look forward to a day when “they shall not teach their children war anymore” and “they shall beat their swords into plowshares”. We know the scriptures, we long for the culmination and redemption of all things, soon to be manifest in the Messiah Yeshua our coming King of kings.
Meanwhile, “wars and rumors of wars” abound and the peoples of the world watch and wait to see if the current horrible unrest in the Middle East will turn into something much more fierce - not that bombs aren’t fierce enough.
Humans have been fighting with each other since time immemorial, as they say, ever since Adam blamed YeHoVaH for giving him that most beguiling woman who took them both off the track. Then came Abel’s murder by Cain. Noah’s sons are another perfect example of sibling rivalry. And let’s not forget the most wiley and long suffering Yakov, or Jacob/Israel as we also know him. My own siblings and our children were and are rivals. Aren’t yours? It’s built in, I’m afraid.
And so, the wars continue. The nightly news will always fill you in daily on only what their owners and advertisers want you to know about this war or any other workings that must remain under secrecy. Not because it’s about national security (ha! What national security?!). And not because it’s not of interest to the thirsty viewers hungering for truth. But because you are not allowed to know anything but what the propaganda machine says, Winston Smith. We are all Winston Smith to these overseers, lords of their own making.
However, in spite of, or because of, we all need a good peek behind the scenes and to take a good long look at the goings on through the eyes and ears of those not only in the know, but on the ground.
“Assessing The Ceasefire And The Criticisms Of Trump And Netanyahu
“Pundits can claim that Iran and its terror proxies have won a war, even if it has no grounding in reality. If this is what Hamas, Hezbollah and Tehran consider a victory, then they should continue winning this way for the next 100 years.
“Apr. 12, 2026
“ALEX TRAIMAN”
https://www.jns.org/analysis/assessing-the-ceasefire-and-the-criticisms-of-trump-and-netanyahu“( Apr. 12, 2026 / JNS ) Despite pummeling Iran, the leaders of the world’s two strongest air forces are fending off criticism from political opponents amid a two-week ceasefire. Results on the battlefield appear to be taking a backseat to political machinations.
“The analysis of wars is changing in the 24-hour media and social-media cycle. Tweets and press briefings can be more powerful weapons than missiles. How a particular post lands and reverberates can have just as powerful an influence on a war’s outcome.
“Not so long ago, world leaders were not bombing via social media. This is particularly true of terror sponsors and their proxies. Public statements affect military posture. Wars—and, more importantly, the perception of wars—are judged mercilessly, minute-to-minute, by commentators without military experience and with limited understanding of how diplomacy actually works.
“Pundits can claim that Iran and its terror proxies have won a war, and millions around the world can buy into a warped narrative, even when not grounded in reality.
“Immense war gains
“Even if the military operation ends with the current ceasefire, the gains have been immense.
“Together, the air forces of the United States and Israel struck thousands of targets with precision. The air forces neutralized Iran’s known and covert nuclear sites, as well as its ballistic missile production facilities—the two prevailing objectives of the war.
“The dual existential threats of a nuclear weapon and tens of thousands of ballistic missiles capable of overwhelming Israel’s multilayer missile defense appear to have been eliminated.
“The United States reports that Iran’s ballistic missile and drone capabilities have been degraded by 90%. Additionally, the Israel Defense Forces report that 70% of Iran’s ballistic-missile launchers have been destroyed. Missiles cannot be fired without launchers, which are significantly more complex to produce than the missiles themselves.
“‘Capital-V military victory’
“U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said this week that “‘Operation Epic Fury’ was a historic and overwhelming victory on the battlefield, a capital-V military victory,” adding that it “decimated Iran’s military and rendered it combat-ineffective for years to come.”
“U.S. President Donald Trump said the war had been a “total and complete victory. 100%. No question about it.”
“British broadcaster Piers Morgan responded to Hegseth’s assessment by claiming that “America/Israel may have won the war on the battlefield, but Iran won the war on the waterways, paralyzed the world’s energy supplies, and caused huge global economic damage. That’s why President Trump has moved to do a deal. It’s not a ‘historic victory’ or anything like it.”
“Other commentators have made similar claims.
“Trump responded on Truth Social that “the Fake News Media has lost total credibility, not that they had any to begin with. Because of their massive Trump Derangement Syndrome (Sometimes referred to as TDS!), they love saying that Iran is ‘winning’ when, in fact, everyone knows that they are LOSING, and LOSING BIG!”
“He cited the destruction of Iranian naval and air capabilities, air-defense systems, radar, and missile and drone factories, as well as the loss of senior leadership figures.
“‘Battle is not yet over’
“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has gone to great lengths to present the war gains to the Israeli public, but has stopped short of calling the campaign the “total victory” that he has vowed to lead at earlier points in the war, telling Israelis this week that “the battle is not yet over.”
“Netanyahu stated that the war has provided “massive achievements,” calling it a “historic change,” noting that Israel and the United States “crushed the nuclear program. We crushed the missiles, and we crushed the regime.”
“Many Israelis are wary that a ceasefire is a good idea or can hold beyond the stated two-week time frame—even as Israeli parents are glad to send their children back to school after a six-week hiatus.
“Within Israel, longtime opponents of Netanyahu have been quick to call the ceasefire a defeat for the allies.
“Opposition leader Yair Lapid called the ceasefire a “military success turned into a diplomatic disaster.” This is the same Lapid, who in October 2022—while serving as a temporary caretaker prime minister with limited powers ahead of an election—gave away a valuable strategic natural gas reserve in strategic waters to Lebanon, to supposedly “stave off” a war with Hezbollah.
“A senior defense correspondent for Israel’s Channel 13 said that Netanyahu’s claims that Iran is weaker than ever are “half-truths,” alleging that “Iran came out stronger from this war” and has emerged as a regional power.
“It is no coincidence that those who have been criticizing Netanyahu for years are the ones criticizing him now. Israel is heading to an election before the end of the year.
“Israel’s major diplomatic achievement
“Flying side-by-side for six weeks with the U.S. Air Force—the most powerful in the world by orders of magnitude—against a common enemy represents a major diplomatic achievement for Israel. It reflects decades of efforts by Netanyahu to strengthen U.S.-Israel ties and highlight the dangers posed by a nuclear Iran.
“There is no way that Israel could have possibly achieved the level of destruction inflicted on Iran on its own without the United States. Aside from military bases across the region, aircraft carriers, naval attack vessels and fighter jets, the United States brought dozens of refueling planes into the theater.
“Israel, by contrast, has only a limited refueling fleet. Throughout the military campaign, Israeli jets were continuously connected to American refueling planes over the region. Without that refueling capacity, Israel would have been able to fly just a fraction of sorties.
“What the two air forces accomplished together would have taken Israel months had it gone alone. And Israel likely would have been forced to absorb incoming ballistic missiles for the duration.
“Israeli resilience
“The resilience of the Israeli home front is a significant component of the nation’s defense, and a critical calculation when determining the length of any campaign. Israel’s ability to sustain an extended war is directly linked to the civilian population’s readiness to head in and out of bomb shelters.
“Israelis put up valiantly with Iran’s ballistic-missile fire. But parents of school-age children were celebrating when the ceasefire was reached, and the homefront command announced that school would resume after a six-week hiatus.
“Bombing alongside the United States shortened the campaign’s timeframe dramatically.
“Any Israeli prime minister would have chosen to bomb together with America, even if it was known from the outset that the United States would only commit to a conflict of four to six weeks, and possibly end the campaign before a complete Iranian surrender.
“Those who criticize Netanyahu for the (so-far temporary) ceasefire that Trump declared take for granted that Trump committed to fly alongside Israel to begin with.
“Furthermore, the notion that Israel was blindsided by the ceasefire declared in place by Trump is absurd. The level of coordination, both military and diplomatic, between the two allies is unprecedented. Earlier in the conflict, Netanyahu and Trump each intimated that they were speaking on a daily basis.
“Israel as a top-flight ally
“Bombing side by side with the United States has had benefits beyond the Iranian theater. Firstly, the United States has seen firsthand how exceptional Israel’s air force is. America has been duly impressed with Israel’s pilots—not a single Israeli plane or pilot was lost in six weeks of war.
“Plus, America has marveled at Israeli upgrades to the American-made hardware it uses. This includes significant software enhancements, as well as the rigging of Israel’s F35i Adir fighter jets to carry more fuel, dramatically extending the plane’s flight range.
“Israel has also demonstrated how valuable it is as an intelligence gatherer and provider. The United States has relied heavily on Israeli intelligence, including on its own portion of air missions. It is widely believed that Israeli intelligence in the Middle East is at far-superior levels to that of the United States.
“Hegseth has repeatedly praised Israel’s performance as an ally, particularly notable given its relatively small size compared to the United States. Israel, with only 10 million citizens, is the size of just one of America’s smallest states: New Jersey.
“Former Israeli Ambassador to the United States Ron Dermer often posited that Israel would prove to be America’s most important ally in the current decade. Those predictions have never proved more prescient.
“Many choose to grade U.S.-Israel relations on the political relationships between Netanyahu and Trump, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and Republicans on one side versus Netanyahu and former presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, former Vice President Kamala Harris and Democrats on the other side. Yet, this is a short-sided understanding of the relationship.
“Deep behind the politics is a military-intelligence alliance unlike any other. No American ally could have possibly flown as competently alongside the U.S. Air Force and provided as much valuable intelligence as Israel. As much as Israel-bashers would like for America to distance itself from the Jewish state, the joint air campaign further cements the alliance.
“‘Roaring Lion,’ not paper tiger
“Beyond Washington, other countries are closely watching Israel’s military performance. Joint operations with the United States have strengthened Israel’s reputation as a regional power. Israel’s adversaries have observed that the Jewish state is a “Roaring Lion”—the name of Israel’s operation—rather than a paper tiger. Gulf states are likely to take note of Israel’s demonstrated willingness to defend regional security interests.
“Israel’s prowess and capabilities stand in stark comparison to those of European
nations.
“Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have expressed their profound disappointment with European powers, particularly the United Kingdom, France and Spain, while the United States is threatening the breakup of the NATO alliance and shuttering American bases across Europe.
“Yet European powers, in particular Germany, are signing up not only to utilize Israel’s proven, sophisticated missile defense systems, but even to manufacture Israeli interceptors. Spoiler: even Spain, one of the most vocal Israel bashers, contracts advanced Israeli weapons systems via Germany.
“The ceasefire may not hold
“Meanwhile, the war may not be over. Even if the ceasefire holds longer than the proposed 14-day window, fighting may resume in the not-too-distant future.
“Trump declared a 14-day ceasefire to give Iran the chance to negotiate a way out of the punishment it has absorbed for the past six weeks. But negotiations between Trump and Iran have a recent track record of ending without a settlement, followed by an immediate military campaign.
“Back in April 2024, Trump gave Iran a 60-day window to negotiate the end to its nuclear program. On the 61st day, the “12-day war” was underway. Israel launched “Operation Rising Lion,” which culminated with America’s “Operation Midnight Hammer” and the bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan.
“In February, after America and Israel watched Iran attempt to restart its nuclear program and accelerate its ballistic-missile production, Trump again gave Iran 10 days to negotiate. When negotiations broke down, “Operation Epic Fury” was launched.
“The president is now giving Iran 14 days to negotiate. For Iran, the third time may not be the charm.
“Possible benefits of negotiations
“Entering into negotiations—however likely or unlikely they are to succeed—may provide benefits. For one, America wants to figure out how badly the chain of command in Iran was broken and if the faction it is currently negotiating with has consolidated control over the country.
“If Iran completely stops firing ballistic missiles and drones across the region and allows boats to sail unimpeded through the Straits of Hormuz for 14 days, then it is clear they are in control. Once control is established, negotiations can determine whether Iran’s new top leaders are more reasonable actors.
“Trump would be pleased if the new top echelons recognize that nuclear ambitions and ballistic missiles will be the permanent downfall of the Islamic Republic. As Netanyahu stated during previous rounds of negotiations with Iran, as well as with Hamas, either they can disarm the easy way or be disarmed the hard way.
“Shifting leverage
“Where Netanyahu may have exhibited a tactical edge over Trump is that he has consistently favored negotiating while the enemy remains under fire. Trump and Hegseth have insisted that Iran “begged” America for a ceasefire. That may be true. But the moment a ceasefire is declared, Iran’s perceived leverage changes.
“Iran’s leaders may now be hedging that Trump is as eager for the war to stop as they are. In their view, that levels the playing field. It may soon prove to be a deadly gamble, and fighting may quickly resume.
“Yet at the same time, statements made in public often differ substantially from closed-door realities. Iran’s present leadership may prove to be slightly more reasonable than their predecessors.
“Of course, even if a diplomatic accommodation is reached, in the Middle East, negotiated settlements are often not worth the paper they are printed on. See: Iran’s signing of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
“Opponents who never admit defeat
“Washington and Jerusalem are confronting adversaries with a culture of martyrdom. To those who relish martyrdom and ideology, death and destruction do not equal downfall in their calculation. They refuse to admit defeat, even when punished to the point of near-obliteration.
“Take Hamas in Gaza, for example. In a two-year military campaign since the terrorist operatives invaded and attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, the IDF has destroyed 70% of the buildings in the Strip. Most of Gaza’s population lives in tents.
“Hamas no longer has rockets to fire at Israel. More than half of the terror-tunnel infrastructure it built, much of it funded by Tehran, has been destroyed. Hamas poses zero military threat to the Israeli home front and won’t for many years. Israel now controls more than half of the entire Gaza Strip.
“But Hamas claims to have won because a few thousand terrorists still run around with machine guns and continue to dominate the suffering, unarmed population.
“If this is what Hamas, Hezbollah and the Islamic Republic of Iran consider a victory, then they should continue winning this way for the next 100 years.
“On the road to regime change?
“For Israel, a major stated goal was regime change. The opening strike of the war eliminated Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Unlike the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and the assassination of Hezbollah Chief Hassan Nasrallah, Khamenei was an official head of state. Israel similarly assassinated Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani and numerous other members of Iran’s repressive and fanatical leadership.
“As of this writing, it appears that a remnant of the regime remains. What is not known is how long they will be able to hold on to power.
“The regime held in place by the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps was already at its weakest point in decades before Operation Epic Fury. Supporters and critics of the war alike posited that it was unreasonable to expect regime change from the air. Unwilling or unable to place troops inside Iran to fight the IRGC on the ground, it remains to be seen whether the regime will ultimately crash.
“If it is to fall, it will be at the hands of the Iranians themselves. Millions protested against the regime earlier this year, with the IRGC and Basij shock troops mowing down tens of thousands of defenseless protesters.
“Throughout the air campaign, Iranians were urged by Israel, the United States and former Crown Prince of Iran Reza Pahlavi to stay out of the streets. If the ceasefire holds, calls may come for Iranians to resume domestic protests and riots.
“Arming the opposition
“Just as in Gaza, where Hamas continues to cling to power due to its monopoly on machine guns, the IRGC maintains a significant coercive capacity inside Iran. Trump intimated last week that the United States had attempted to provide weapons to Iranian opposition elements, possibly through Kurdish intermediaries, but that the weapons did not reach their intended recipients.
“In a statement to reporters, Trump stated that America had sent “a lot of guns” that were “supposed to go to the people so they could fight back against these thugs.”
“He went on to accuse the transfer agents of not delivering the weapons to their intended destination. “The people that they sent them to kept them,” adding, “So I’m very upset with a certain group of people, and they’re going to pay a big price for that.”
“Hopefully, the guns will soon find their intended destination. Should the regime fall in the months ahead, all of Israel’s goals would have been reached.”
** Just hours since this article was written, the peace talks have failed. Here’s a bit more on these new developments.**
“No Agreement With Iran, Vance Says After Marathon Negotiations In Pakistan
“That’s bad news for Iran much more than it’s bad news for the United States of America,” the vice president said.
“Apr. 11, 2026
“MIKE WAGENHEIM”
https://www.jns.org/news/u-s-news/no-agreement-with-iran-vance-says-after-marathon-negotiations-in-pakistan“( Apr. 11, 2026 / JNS ) U.S. and Iranian officials did not reach an agreement after 21 hours of talks in Islamabad, U.S. Vice President JD Vance said on Sunday morning in Pakistan.
““We’ve had a number of substantive discussions with the Iranians. That’s the good news,” the vice president told reporters. “The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement, and I think that’s bad news for Iran much more than it’s bad news for the United States of America.”
“Washington made “very clear what our red lines are, what things we’re willing to accommodate them on and what things we’re not willing to accommodate them on,” Vance told reporters.
“Tehran opted “not to accept our terms,” the vice president said, speaking alongside Steve Witkoff, U.S. special envoy for peace missions, and Jared Kushner, who advises his father-in-law, U.S. President Donald Trump.
““The simple fact is that we need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon and they will not seek the tools that would enable them to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon,” Vance said. “That is the core goal of the president of the United States, and that’s what we’ve tried to achieve through these negotiations.”
“Iran declined to offer a “fundamental commitment” that it won’t seek a nuclear program “for the long term,” the U.S. vice president said. He added that the Trump administration hopes that the Iranian regime will make that commitment.
“Vance was at the table for negotiations with the Iranians for the first time during the meetings in Pakistan.
“He described the American position as “quite flexible” and “quite accommodating.” Trump told the negotiators to go to Pakistan “in good faith and make your best effort to get a deal,” he said.
““We did that, and unfortunately, we weren’t able to make any headway,” Vance told reporters.
“The U.S. negotiators consulted Trump “a half dozen times, a dozen times over the past 21 hours” about the discussions, according to Vance.
“He told reporters that part of the conversation was about the Iranian regime’s demand that its overseas assets, which are frozen due to U.S. sanctions, be unlocked.
““We leave here with a very simple proposal, a method of understanding, that is our final and best offer,” Vance said. “We’ll see if the Iranians accept it.”
“The discussions were the highest-level known direct talks between American and Iranian officials since 2013, when then-President Barack Obama called Hassan Rouhani, then newly elected as Iranian president, to talk about the regime’s nuclear program. (Rouhani was Iranian president until 2021.)
“The talks on Saturday, which Pakistan facilitated, came days into a fragile ceasefire in the conflict between a U.S.-Israeli coalition and Iran.
“The Islamic Republic has also attacked several Gulf neighbors and largely closed the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway through which approximately 20% of global oil passes, causing skyrocketing fuel prices.
“Vance led the U.S. delegation in Islamabad. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, speaker of the Iranian parliament, led the Iranian side.
“Asked whether the failure of the talks to reach an agreement would lead back to war, the U.S. vice president did not answer.
“He blamed Washington for failing to gain Tehran’s trust in an X post on Sunday. He claimed Iran’s team had presented “forward-looking” initiatives during the negotiations.
““Before the negotiations, I emphasized that we have the necessary good faith and will, but due to the experiences of the two previous wars, we have no trust in the opposing side,” Ghalibaf wrote. “My colleagues on the Iranian delegation Minaab168 raised forward-looking initiatives, but the opposing side ultimately failed to gain the trust of the Iranian delegation in this round of negotiations.””
Love and Shalom,
Rebbetzin Glenys xo
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