Israeli media reported on Wednesday that the U.S. informed Israel that the “ceasefire’ extension will end on Sunday, which was then confirmed to Fox by White House officials. This should be a day or two after the USS George Bush aircraft carrier fleet arrives in the region. This will mean that there will again be three aircraft carrier fleets and an unknown number of U.S. submarines in the area, prepared for intensive military conflict.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt had an interview with Fox News in which she said that Iran must agree to hand over to the U.S. the enriched uranium on its territory as part of negotiations to end the war. Iran has repeatedly said that they have no intention of doing that, and Iranian President Pezeshkian additionally said on his X account on Wednesday that the United States “Breaking commitments, siege, and threats are the main obstacles to real negotiations. The world sees your hypocritical rhetoric and the contradiction between claims and actions.”
Israel has announced that it is remaining prepared both defensively and offensively for any circumstance. It is reported that dozens of U.S. military cargo and refueling aircraft are heading to the region, with many having already landed at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. And while the preparations for war are clearly taking place, Trump also told the New York Post on Wednesday that a second round of talks could happen as early as Friday.
It is clear that one of the challenges is that, according to Press Secretary Leavitt, there is no unified Iranian government to work with. It is still unclear about the fate of the new Ayatollah: whether he is wounded, disfigured, or dead, as he has still made no public appearance since being appointed. Iran seems to be greatly controlled by the military IRGC, a group that has every incentive to continue military conflict. The influence of the Iranian politicians is questionable, as their lack of power compared to the IRGC, combined with their lack of power compared to the Ayatollah (if he is still alive), makes them unable to really back up any agreement they might reach with the U.S.
And during all of this, there are pundits who are creating divisiveness amongst Americans through their promotion of Iranian propaganda, as evidenced by Tucker Carlson’s recent statements. “Sharia Law has made Islamic societies more advanced than the West.” In a time of war, his repeated attempts to belittle Trump and aggrandize Islamic regimes are attempts to divide this country even more.
But whether the coming days bring about war or peace, unity or divisiveness, we must remember the words of this week’s Torah reading. “You shall be holy for I, the LORD your God, am holy” (Leviticus 19:2). Especially in chaotic times, we need to emulate God and remember to act right and righteously, to choose ethics over ease, and to walk through the world based on the values that are given to us in the Torah and Bible.
May we all have “emunah shlema,” perfect faith, that when we act right, God acts compassionately with us. And may we always act on that faith in ways that, even if they involve conflict, are always with the goal of bringing peace into this world.
Chazak u’Baruch
Rabbi Michael Barclay
April 23, 2026
6th of Iyyar, 5786
21st day of the Omer
Editor’s Note: For decades, former presidents have been all talk and no action. Now, Donald Trump is eliminating the threat from Iran once and for all.
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