HaRav Shmuel Eliahuis Chief Rabbi of Tzfat
The State of Israel dared to strike Iran's nuclear facilities. The Chancellor of Germany thanked Israel for saving the entire world with the courage and heroism of the IDF. He is not the only one expressing gratitude to the People of Israel for their unique boldness. It is being fulfilled in us: "Sanctify Your Name in Your world upon the People who sanctify Your Name."
The heroism of the People of Israel succeeded in drawing the United States of America into the battle against pure evil — an evil that seeks to impose its values upon all of Europe, the U.S., and the entire Western world.
We must remember that the West has a terrible track record in dealing with tyrants. They have a habit of offering the other cheek to evil instead of striking and breaking its arms.
When Hitler rose to power, he ruled over a very weak country, plagued by soaring inflation and without a bright future. Hitler recognized the weakness of the free nations and took control of the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia. Europe and America saw his tyranny and remained silent. In the wake of their moral and psychological surrender, a catastrophe followed.
Seeing this, Hitler proceeded to take over Czechoslovakia, then Poland — and aside from a symbolic declaration of war, the free nations did nothing. Thus, Hitler learned the character of Europe’s democracies. Within a year he took over six more countries. He stole their wealth and grew into a monster who caused the deaths of nearly 100 million people.
In the first two years of the war, the United States stood on the sidelines. It failed to understand that its silence would eventually bring war to its own doorstep — as indeed happened with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. In the end, the West’s hesitation allowed the monster to grow. And now too, had Israel not struck at Khamenei, he would have grown into a monster that would have brought disaster upon humanity.
The West is pervaded by a culture that offers the other cheek to tyrants out of a warped morality that fails to grasp how such mercy led to the deaths of tens of millions of civilians and soldiers in World War II.
This is also the case with North Korea’s nuclear project. It began 27 years ago, and at its inception an agreement was signed in which the United States would provide North Korea with two nuclear power reactors for peaceful purposes. The West’s foolishness allowed a madman to acquire nuclear weapons with which he threatens the world every few months and which he uses to subjugate his own people as slaves.
The U.S. also gave in to Syria’s tyrant, Assad. Despite America’s warnings, he gassed his own people and nothing was done against him. Likewise, the nations of the world gave in to the tyrants who took control of Iran and oppressed its people.
When the Iranian revolution occurred and Ayatollah Khomeini came to power, he declared that Islam is against nuclear weapons — and the world believed him. Meanwhile, Iran violated international agreements and built nuclear reactors for war and destruction in Natanz, Arak, Fordow and other locations.
At first, the International Atomic Energy Agency published a severe report stating that “Iran is suspected of conducting secret experiments with the sole aim of developing nuclear weapons.” Despite the facts, Western countries chose to ignore them, and a White House spokesperson declared that Iran is not pursuing nuclear weapons.
Based on this willful self-deception, the foreign ministers of six world powers reached an agreement that Iran would not develop nuclear weapons — in exchange for releasing massive funds. With those funds, Iran built proxy armies in Gaza and Lebanon and advanced a nuclear program that threatened global peace.
Had Israel not struck Iran at the last moment, the world would now be facing a crazed tyrant armed with nuclear weapons, using them to threaten and dominate the world — just like Hitler’s path to power.
The State of Israel is saving the world from the tyrants of destruction who arose in Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, and Gaza. Israel gave the United States the courage to help destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities. Where does this courage come from?
The Mishnah in Eduyot (Chapter 8, Mishnah 7) discusses the role of Elijah the Prophet:
“Rabbi Yehoshua said: I received from Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai, who heard from his teacher, and his teacher from his teacher, a law from Moses at Sinai. Elijah does not come to render impure or to purify, to distance or to bring near... Rabbi Yehuda says: to bring near, but not to distance. Rabbi Shimon says: to resolve disputes. The Sages say: neither to distance nor to bring near, but rather to make peace in the world, as it is said (Malachi 3): ‘Behold, I send you Elijah the Prophet... and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children and the heart of the children to their fathers.’”
The Tiferet Yisrael (Tosafot Yom Tov) explains the Sages’ words:
“His role is to bring peace between Israel and the nations, and to herald the coming of the redeemer. This will occur one day before the arrival of the Messiah. As it says, ‘Behold, I send you Elijah the Prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord... and he shall turn the heart of fathers to their children.’ Meaning: the hearts of fathers and children, who have been filled with dread and scattered in fear — he will bring them together that day inspired with courage. And from this will come peace between Israel and the nations.”
May it be soon.