SHABBAT READING
The March of Folly: פרשת בא: BO • 5771, 5784, The Rabbi Sacks Legacy — There is a fascinating moment in the unfolding story of the plagues that should make us stop and take notice. At the opening of this week’s parsha, seven plagues have now struck Egypt. The people are suffering. Several times Pharaoh seems to soften, only to harden his heart again. During the seventh plague, hail, he even seems to admit his mistake.
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WHERE’S THE WILL?
A Bomb Is Just a Bomb: Intent, Strategy, And Will Make It Mean Something: J.E. Dyer, The Optimistic Conservative, Jan. 15, 2024 – … The central text is a pair of passages from some email correspondence this weekend, after the U.S. and UK strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen last Thursday night.
Iran’s Increased Belligerence and Nuclear Ambitions Show Why the West Needs a More Robust Policy of Deterrence: Ben Soodavar, The Conversation, Jan. 15, 2024 — Numerous attempts by Houthi rebels to attack and disrupt cargo shipping in the Red Sea have been met by airstrikes by the UK and US on Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen – including the capital Sana’a. The intervention represents a significant level of escalation in the Middle East and is indicative of just how volatile the region has become.
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Iran Strikes Jihadist Group in Pakistan as Middle East Conflicts Spread: Saeed Shah and Benoit Faucon, WSJ, Jan. 16, 2024
Iran Says Missile Strikes Show It Will Be ‘Tough and Decisive’ With Foes: Vivian Yee and Farnaz Fassihi, NY Times, Jan. 17, 2024
The Secret Houthi Plan to Move Missiles, Drones Beyond Red Sea – Report: Seth J. Frantzman, Jerusalem Post, Jan. 17, 2024
In Yemen, Iran Moves to Occupy the Strategic Center: J.E. Dyer, The Optimistic Conservative, Jan. 17, 2024
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FOR FURTHER REFERENCE:
A Bomb Is Just a Bomb: Intent, Strategy, And Will Make It Mean Something: J.E. Dyer, The Optimistic Conservative, Jan. 15, 2024 – … The central text is a pair of passages from some email correspondence this weekend, after the U.S. and UK strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen last Thursday night.
Iran and Pakistan Cross Fire Puts the World on Edge: Jim Geraghty, National Review, Jan. 18, 2024 — … On a regular basis, news comes across the wires that seems like it ought to make us sit up and take notice — like Iran, one of America’s preeminent foes and a country knocking on the door of developing a nuclear weapon, launching military strikes against targets within the territory of Pakistan, which is a complicated U.S. semi-ally that has an estimated 170 nuclear warheads.
Which Are the Armed Groups Iran and Pakistan Have Bombed — And Why?: Maziar Motamedi, Aljazeera, Jan. 18, 2024 — Iran and Pakistan have carried out air attacks on each other’s territories, targeting armed groups near their 900km-long (559-mile) volatile border, which they say were meant to ensure their respective national security.
How Quickly Could Iran Make Nuclear Weapons Today?: David Albright, Institute for Science and International Security, Jan. 8, 2024 — Iran’s growing nuclear weapons capability is often condemned, most recently in a December 28th joint statement by the United States and its close European allies.