Iran continued on Tuesday through Wednesday morning with the launching of the “illegal” weapons of multi-warhead cluster bomb missiles at Israel, something forbidden internationally for over 40 years. But the world ignores this in the same way that it ignored Iran using the forbidden weapons of chemical warfare on its own citizens in recent months. The cluster bombs do indiscriminate damage, mostly to residential and business locations. On Tuesday night, some of these cluster bombs did significant damage to the Tel Aviv train station and caused tremendous injuries to property and civilians over the last few days.
But while the world (including the UN and the Hague) persecutes Israel for defending itself since October 7, it accepts this behavior of Iran without question.
After a day and a half of public notifications to Lebanese civilians to evacuate specific areas in Lebanon, the IDF has started more attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon. Hezbollah has been coordinating attacks with Iran against Israel, and the need to eliminate them has become a priority for Israeli safety. The Israeli forces have removed Hezbollah launchers and rockets, and rumors are that a strong IDF ground force is soon to go into Lebanon to eliminate more of Hezbollah.
CENTCOM released a statement that on early Wednesday morning, the U.S. bombed Iranian missile sites near the Strait of Hormuz. Using bunker-bombs, they disabled sites on the Iranian coast as part of the plan to liberate the Strait from Iranian control and dangers.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Russia has been providing Iran with satellite imagery and drone technology to help attack American forces in the Middle East. According to the Journal, Russia is attempting to keep Iran in the war against the U.S. and Israel, so as to benefit militarily and economically.
The longer this war goes on, the more likely it is to spread: first with the other Arab nations Iran has been attacking, then with NATO partners who realize that they may lose access to the Strait of Hormuz if they do not help the U.S. and Israel; and from there, only God knows how far across the globe it could spread.
But we must always remember that from conflict can come positive change and that the first verses of the Book of Genesis teach us that Creation comes out of chaos and confusion (tohu v’vohu).
May the chaos that we are experiencing now soon transform into the creation of peace, and a region that sees Israel neighbored by nations that are partners in commerce, alliances, and peace.
Chazak u’Baruch
Rabbi Michael Barclay
March 18, 2026
29th of Adar, 5786
There’s been a lot of vitriolic arguing in the public arena over the last day and a half regarding Israel, Iran, the U.S., and energy facilities. Here’s a simple breakdown.
Israel has been under attack nonstop for almost two and a half years, since the heinous crimes of October 7. Crimes where hundreds of civilians were not only killed and tortured, but were raped and kidnapped, and held hostage by the epitome of evil terrorists on this planet. And yet the world castigated Israel for defending itself and wanting the hostages back. Any other country in the world, including the United States, had they been in a similar situation, would have utterly destroyed the enemy that killed civilians like Hamas, and ignored any collateral damage of death, but because Israel has the most ethical army on the planet and in world history, this wat has been dragging on with Israel pre-announcing attacks so that civilians can evacuate.
Iran has demonstrated that they do not care about human rights of any sort, nor does it care about International laws to prevent the indiscriminate suffering of civilians. They have used chemical weapons on their own citizens, and they have now been launching prohibited multi-warhead missiles, destroying residences, killing and seriously wounding hundreds, and destroying facilities like the Tel Aviv train station. They do this for absolutely no other purpose than to wreak havoc and sow death and destruction. It is clear that if God forbid that they had nuclear weapons, they would use them
This war with Iran is not a war between Israel, the U.S., and Iran; it is a war for the preservation of Western Civilization. Israel is the front line of defense, and the United States is the last line.
At the same time, there’s a lot of pressure in American politics to not be involved in this war, despite the fact that it is literally for all of Western civilization. But there are many who hate Trump so much that they would rather sacrifice our nation and the world than support him in this. There are others who so hate Jews and are committed to their antisemitic rhetoric and beliefs that they would rather see Western Civilization destroyed than support Israel. And then there are those who are just grifters: social media influencers who will do and say anything to get more clicks, and as a result, make more money.
With Hezbollah, which is physically much closer to Israel than Iran, getting extremely active in the last few days, more pressure and danger have been placed on Israel. Missiles from Hezbollah reach Israel more quickly, and are aimed at hurting the weakest point of Israeli military strategy: our commitment to protecting civilians.
Israel cannot keep a war going forever and recognizes that the United States could shift its attitude at any time, given the different voices trying to persuade President Donald Trump not to be involved at all. So Israel attacked one of Iran’s weaker leverage points: a gas facility. The fanatics in the Iranian regime seem to be less affected by military attacks, but will be affected by economic attacks through things like the destruction of their gas fields, and anything that hurts Iran’s economy.
The Iranians responded by amping up their attacks on their Arab neighbors, bombing energy facilities in Qatar, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia. This has raised the price of oil already, with oil closing on Wednesday at over $112 per barrel, an increase in one day of over 5%. These rising oil prices are being used by certain politicians as a reason and excuse for us to pull out of this war. But we must always remember that this is a war for our very survival.
Playing politician, Trump said he had no knowledge of Israel’s attack on the energy facility, and that it would not happen again. There’s no way to know if any of this is true, and it is difficult to believe he had absolutely no knowledge of what Israel was going to do at the gas facility.
But we need to remember something. It is Israel’s right and obligation to destroy Iran as an existential threat to them. Iran and its proxies have been responsible for thousands of deaths in Israel over the last number of years, and they have been proud of killing civilians every time that they have. If destroying Iranian energy facilities will cause the Iranian regime to fall and the war to end, it is Israel’s responsibility to do just that.
The double standard is also a demonstration of the world’s hypocrisy towards Israel. While Iran launches illegal weapons of mass destruction, the world, including all too many politicians here in the United States, comes after Israel.
Iran uses illegal weapons, and the world is silent. Iran unleashes chemical weapons on its own civilians, and the world is silent. Hezbollah destroys residential facilities, wounding and killing civilians, and the world is silent.
But if Israel chooses to defend itself, the world falls over itself to try to punish Israel.
May the time not be distant when the double standard that is the norm anytime/anything has to do with Israel is purged out of this world, and out of the public arena. May we all support Israel in every way that we can, and desist from the hypocrisy and vitriol of the Jew-haters.
Chazak u’Baruch
Rabbi Michael Barclay
March 19, 2026
1st of Nisan 5786
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