Iran Attacks Israel
Israel under attack by Iran; US support unwavering.
I would like to say that I came back online following Shabbos to better news but sadly, this is not the case on this motzi Shabbos. My thoughts are with my friends and family in Israel this evening.
The following is a translation of the Prayer for the State of Israel read every Shabbos as the Torah Service transitions towards Musaf:
Avinu Shebashamayim, Rock and redeemer of Israel: Bless the State of Israel, the start of flowering of Redemption. Shield it with Your love; spread over it the shelter of Your peace; guide its leaders and advisors with Your light and Your truth. Establish for them Your good counsel. Strengthen the hands of the defenders of our Holy Land. Cause them to inherit, our G-d, deliverance; Place the crown of victory upon them; Give the land peace and everlasting joy to its inhabitants; and visit all our Brethren of the house of Israel, in all the lands where they are scattered, and bring them rapidly to Zion, Your city, and to Jerusalem, where Your name lives, as it says in the Torah of Moses, Your servant: Even if your dwelling is at the end of the sky, G-d will congregate you from there, and bring you from there, and will bring you toward the land that Your forefathers inherited and you will inherit it and G-d shall benefit you and multiply your numbers greater than your forefathers. (Deut. 30) Then the LORD your G-d will open up your heart and the hearts of your offspring to love the LORD your God with all your heart and soul, in order that you may live. Unify our hearts to love and worship Your name and to keep all that is in Your Torah, and send us the son of David, the Moshiach of Your justice, to redeem those who wait for Your salvation. Appear with the glory and the pride of Your strength, in front of all the inhabitants of the Universe, and all those who have breath will say: The G-d of Israel is the King, and He reigns over everything. Amen, forever.
Two statements were issued by the White House on Saturday. The first came from NSC Spokesperson Adrienne Watson on Attacks Against Israel:
Iran has begun an airborne attack against Israel. President Biden is being regularly updated on the situation by his national security team and will meet with them this afternoon at the White House. His team is in constant communication with Israeli officials as well as other partners and allies. This attack is likely to unfold over a number of hours. President Biden has been clear: our support for Israel’s security is ironclad. The United States will stand with the people of Israel and support their defense against these threats from Iran.
President Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and the White House released a statement shortly thereafter:
Earlier today, Iran—and its proxies operating out of Yemen, Syria and Iraq—launched an unprecedented air attack against military facilities in Israel. I condemn these attacks in the strongest possible terms.
At my direction, to support the defense of Israel, the U.S. military moved aircraft and ballistic missile defense destroyers to the region over the course of the past week. Thanks to these deployments and the extraordinary skill of our servicemembers, we helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles.
I’ve just spoken with Prime Minister Netanyahu to reaffirm America’s ironclad commitment to the security of Israel. I told him that Israel demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks – sending a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel.
Tomorrow, I will convene my fellow G7 leaders to coordinate a united diplomatic response to Iran’s brazen attack. My team will engage with their counterparts across the region. And we will stay in close touch with Israel’s leaders. And while we have not seen attacks on our forces or facilities today, we will remain vigilant to all threats and will not hesitate to take all necessary action to protect our people.
I knew going into Shabbos that Iran was planning something. BH, the majority of the 150-200 drones/missiles were intercepted. Unfortunately, one Bedouin girl was either injured or killed. In the meantime, we have to wait and see how Israel responds. I expect a response that will hopefully be coordinated between Israel and Western allies such as the US, UK, etc. My understanding is that Jordan and Saudi Arabia helped shoot down missiles over their airspace.
Given how Iran backs Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, it would not be unfair to say that the Israel-Hamas War has spread into a regional war. Today further escalates it into a regional war if it wasn't there already, perhaps even World War III.
Much like the days that followed October 7, it's going to be extremely hard to focus during the next week.
Shavuah tov. Am Yisrael Chai.