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IOL News
16 hours ago
- Politics
- IOL News
Israel, Iran Conflict: Peace is a Fantasy When Faced With a War Machine Addicted to Dominance
Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men inspect the damage at the site of an Iranian missile strike in Bnei Brak, east of Tel Aviv, on June 16, 2025. Iran unleashed a barrage of missile strikes on Israeli cities early on June 16, after Israel struck military targets deep inside Iran, with both sides threatening further devastation. Image: JOHN WESSELS / AFP) Dr. Reneva Fourie Israel has gone completely rogue, making it the greatest threat to world peace. Having all but obliterated Gaza, it is now turning its aggression towards the Islamic Republic of Iran. Iran is defiantly responding with its Iron Dome penetrating Fattah-1 hypersonic missiles. Defiance is a characteristic of most in West Asia. Its people have paid dearly for daring to assert their political independence, safeguard their resources, and give their support to Palestine. The cost has been staggering: millions of lives lost – victims of Western-instigated wars cloaked in the language of human rights, democracy, and counterterrorism. Over the past few months, that same machinery of destruction has intensified its focus on Gaza. Israel, the United States' key proxy in the region, has unleashed devastation on a shocking scale. Tens of thousands of Palestinians have been massacred with impunity. It began when Hamas, the governing party of Gaza and a key component of the Palestinian liberation movement, launched an attack in response to Israel's decades of repression. What followed was not proportional 'defence'. It was genocide. Civilians – mostly women and children – were annihilated or buried under rubble. Survivors were starved and denied clean water. Humanitarian aid was blocked, hospitals were bombed, and neighbourhoods were razed. While the world fixated on hostages taken by Hamas – many of whom were later killed by Israel's indiscriminate bombings – the real humanitarian catastrophe was being ignored. Israel detained thousands, including children, and subjected them to systematic torture and sexual violence as it continued its military rampage, emboldened by unconditional US and European support. International outcry, court rulings by the ICJ, and arrest warrants from the ICC were brushed aside. Nothing could stop the West's killing spree; not law, not diplomacy, not conscience. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. 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Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ But Israel's aggression extends beyond Gaza and the West Bank. It has steadily eroded Syrian sovereignty, assassinating Iranian advisors who were legally assisting the Syrian government. Together with the US and Turkey, Israel facilitated regime change in Syria, deposing the elected Ba'ath Party in favour of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an extremist outfit with little public legitimacy. Hezbollah, an unwavering defender of Palestine, saw key members of its leadership wiped out and much of southern Lebanon reduced to rubble under Israeli bombs. And then there is Yemen. When Ansar Allah declared solidarity with the Palestinians, their resistance was met with significant military force. The US, unashamedly, used its might to pummel one of the poorest nations in the world. At the heart of Western aggression lies Iran – a country that has shown enormous restraint in the face of years of provocation, assassination, and sabotage. Its military and political leaders have been murdered, not on battlefields, but in targeted killings. Its scientists – brilliant minds working to advance nuclear energy for peaceful medical and industrial purposes – have been gunned down simply for daring to dream of self-sufficiency. A Palestinian man carries a wounded child in Al-Bureij camp in the central Gaza Strip after the area was targeted by an Israeli strike, on June 17, 2025, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. Image: Eyad BABA / AFP Iran's pursuit of nuclear technology is not a prelude to war. It is an assertion of dignity. Its nuclear programme powers homes, fuels hospitals, and propels research in oncology and aerospace fields. Yet that progress has become a threat to the West, not because of its military potential, but because it symbolises independence, ingenuity, and resilience. Washington cannot tolerate a West Asian power that surpasses it in science or dares to challenge its monopoly on influence. It is conveniently ignoring the reality of Iran's nuclear programme, elevating its military capability above civilian use. Ironically, the US, as well as Israel, apartheid South Africa and others, produced significant nuclear military capability during the Cold War era. Although Israel has not confirmed or denied having nuclear weapons, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) reported that Israel possessed 90 nuclear warheads in 2024. However, some analysts suggest a maximum of 300 warheads using the estimated amounts of fissile material. Furthermore, Israel possesses three types of delivery systems for military use of nuclear weapons: F-15 aircraft, ground-based missile installations, and German Dolphin I and II class submarines. While democratic South Africa willingly signed and complied with treaties containing prohibitions on participating in nuclear weapon activities, Israel and the US are escaping accountability. In 2024, it was estimated that the US had 1,770 active nuclear warheads, 1,938 stored as reserves, and 1,336 that were retired and pending dismantlement. It is the US that reneged on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on nuclear programmes with Iran, and it is the US that betrayed the current nuclear negotiation efforts. History is being repeated. The US plays a double game – stalling negotiations while equipping Israel with the intelligence, weapons, and diplomatic cover to strike Iranian assets. Just as the US and allied forces invaded Iraq in 2003 on the pretext of disarming its non-existing weapons of mass destruction, Israel launched an unprovoked missile attack on Iran on 13 June. International law is failing. It has become a selective tool, weaponised against the weak and ignored by the powerful. The principles of sovereignty, justice, and human rights lie in tatters as the US-Israel-Europe axis champions their compulsive fixation on warfare, dominance, and aggression. Reason no longer applies. Appeals to humanity fall on deaf ears. The corpses of children, the wails of mothers, and the ruins of ancient cities are met with silence, or worse, justification. Iran, like many in the Global South, has drawn its conclusions. Civilians died. Hundreds were wounded. Iran responded with precision – as allowed under international law – but was met with more indiscriminate Israeli bombing. Once again, innocent lives are the collateral damage. As the US-Israel-Europe axis enforces the logic of war, Iran has accepted reality. The only way to avoid destruction and the blatant move towards regime change is to resist. Diplomacy is worthless when the other side bargains in bad faith. Peace is a fantasy when faced with a war machine addicted to dominance. Iran has no choice but to mobilise its full military capacity. The fire that was ignited in Ukraine has now expanded to West Asia. A new front has opened, and Iran will not fight it with half-measures. This moment is a wake-up call for the Muslim world and, indeed, for all oppressed countries and for the anti-imperialist peoples of the world. As Ayatollah Khamenei warned, 'The Zionist regime won't bring security for any government.' Those states collaborating with Israel in hopes of American favour are deluding themselves. The West respects no ally; it respects only obedience. You are discarded or destroyed when you cease serving their interests. The solution lies not in appeasement but in self-reliance. The only protection against bullying is economic, military, and cultural strength. Domestic manufacturing must rise. Regional alliances with proven partners must be deepened. Nations that have weathered sanctions, sabotage, and siege understand the value of loyalty. Those are the partnerships worth investing in. The people of West Asia deserve peace. They deserve to preserve their history, teach their children without fear of bombs, and build a future rooted in dignity and sovereignty. But peace cannot come from pleading with aggressors. Sometimes, unfortunately, it must be sought through force. I share a poem written by Gail Van Breda in honour of my son, Sebastian, who died in a motorbike accident in Simonstown on 4 June. I, in turn, dedicate it to the people of West Asia. Let us not crash, too many deaths. How can we breathe, when breath ended for our loved ones. Let us not crash, too many voices gone silent, all at one time Let us not to crash, because how much more can this body take. We have to absorb so much. Let us not crash, because the living must now adjust to this new reality Let us not crash, let us not fall apart, How do we keep all together to grieve, loud or in silence. Let us not crash, where is our hope, what can we hold on to, what would make this time of mourning better, how are we expected to get through this! Let us not crash, maybe join hands, to keep this life together Let us not crash, let us not fall apart Because this life is teaching us how to die. We have been dying. The walking dead. Let us not crash, because we know, this life is not forever Cry, feel, let us not crash Let us find comfort. But I don't know from where, because nothing makes sense. Death, you remind us of the dualism of life. Death and life. In our lived experiences, we cannot even live. Everyone is in a fight for survival. And when death opens its coffin, we die again. We are always dying. Our children, our parents, our loved ones, dying Let us not crash, because how much more must this body, this physical earth life experience take. * Dr Reneva Fourie is a policy analyst specialising in governance, development and security. ** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL, Independent Media or The African.
IOL News
16 hours ago
- Politics
- IOL News
'Peace is a fantasy when faced with a war machine addicted to dominance'
Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men inspect the damage at the site of an Iranian missile strike in Bnei Brak, east of Tel Aviv, on June 16, 2025. Iran unleashed a barrage of missile strikes on Israeli cities early on June 16, after Israel struck military targets deep inside Iran, with both sides threatening further devastation. Image: JOHN WESSELS / AFP) Dr. Reneva Fourie Israel has gone completely rogue, making it the greatest threat to world peace. Having all but obliterated Gaza, it is now turning its aggression towards the Islamic Republic of Iran. Iran is defiantly responding with its Iron Dome penetrating Fattah-1 hypersonic missiles. Defiance is a characteristic of most in West Asia. Its people have paid dearly for daring to assert their political independence, safeguard their resources, and give their support to Palestine. The cost has been staggering: millions of lives lost – victims of Western-instigated wars cloaked in the language of human rights, democracy, and counterterrorism. Over the past few months, that same machinery of destruction has intensified its focus on Gaza. Israel, the United States' key proxy in the region, has unleashed devastation on a shocking scale. Tens of thousands of Palestinians have been massacred with impunity. It began when Hamas, the governing party of Gaza and a key component of the Palestinian liberation movement, launched an attack in response to Israel's decades of repression. What followed was not proportional 'defence'. It was genocide. Civilians – mostly women and children – were annihilated or buried under rubble. Survivors were starved and denied clean water. Humanitarian aid was blocked, hospitals were bombed, and neighbourhoods were razed. While the world fixated on hostages taken by Hamas – many of whom were later killed by Israel's indiscriminate bombings – the real humanitarian catastrophe was being ignored. Israel detained thousands, including children, and subjected them to systematic torture and sexual violence as it continued its military rampage, emboldened by unconditional US and European support. International outcry, court rulings by the ICJ, and arrest warrants from the ICC were brushed aside. Nothing could stop the West's killing spree; not law, not diplomacy, not conscience. But Israel's aggression extends beyond Gaza and the West Bank. It has steadily eroded Syrian sovereignty, assassinating Iranian advisors who were legally assisting the Syrian government. Together with the US and Turkey, Israel facilitated regime change in Syria, deposing the elected Ba'ath Party in favour of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an extremist outfit with little public legitimacy. Hezbollah, an unwavering defender of Palestine, saw key members of its leadership wiped out and much of southern Lebanon reduced to rubble under Israeli bombs. And then there is Yemen. When Ansar Allah declared solidarity with the Palestinians, their resistance was met with significant military force. The US, unashamedly, used its might to pummel one of the poorest nations in the world. At the heart of Western aggression lies Iran – a country that has shown enormous restraint in the face of years of provocation, assassination, and sabotage. Its military and political leaders have been murdered, not on battlefields, but in targeted killings. Its scientists – brilliant minds working to advance nuclear energy for peaceful medical and industrial purposes – have been gunned down simply for daring to dream of self-sufficiency. A Palestinian man carries a wounded child in Al-Bureij camp in the central Gaza Strip after the area was targeted by an Israeli strike, on June 17, 2025, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. Image: Eyad BABA / AFP Iran's pursuit of nuclear technology is not a prelude to war. It is an assertion of dignity. Its nuclear programme powers homes, fuels hospitals, and propels research in oncology and aerospace fields. Yet that progress has become a threat to the West, not because of its military potential, but because it symbolises independence, ingenuity, and resilience. Washington cannot tolerate a West Asian power that surpasses it in science or dares to challenge its monopoly on influence. It is conveniently ignoring the reality of Iran's nuclear programme, elevating its military capability above civilian use. Ironically, the US, as well as Israel, apartheid South Africa and others, produced significant nuclear military capability during the Cold War era. Although Israel has not confirmed or denied having nuclear weapons, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) reported that Israel possessed 90 nuclear warheads in 2024. However, some analysts suggest a maximum of 300 warheads using the estimated amounts of fissile material. Furthermore, Israel possesses three types of delivery systems for military use of nuclear weapons: F-15 aircraft, ground-based missile installations, and German Dolphin I and II class submarines. While democratic South Africa willingly signed and complied with treaties containing prohibitions on participating in nuclear weapon activities, Israel and the US are escaping accountability. In 2024, it was estimated that the US had 1,770 active nuclear warheads, 1,938 stored as reserves, and 1,336 that were retired and pending dismantlement. It is the US that reneged on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on nuclear programmes with Iran, and it is the US that betrayed the current nuclear negotiation efforts. History is being repeated. The US plays a double game – stalling negotiations while equipping Israel with the intelligence, weapons, and diplomatic cover to strike Iranian assets. Just as the US and allied forces invaded Iraq in 2003 on the pretext of disarming its non-existing weapons of mass destruction, Israel launched an unprovoked missile attack on Iran on 13 June. International law is failing. It has become a selective tool, weaponised against the weak and ignored by the powerful. The principles of sovereignty, justice, and human rights lie in tatters as the US-Israel-Europe axis champions their compulsive fixation on warfare, dominance, and aggression. Reason no longer applies. Appeals to humanity fall on deaf ears. The corpses of children, the wails of mothers, and the ruins of ancient cities are met with silence, or worse, justification. Iran, like many in the Global South, has drawn its conclusions. Civilians died. Hundreds were wounded. Iran responded with precision – as allowed under international law – but was met with more indiscriminate Israeli bombing. Once again, innocent lives are the collateral damage. As the US-Israel-Europe axis enforces the logic of war, Iran has accepted reality. The only way to avoid destruction and the blatant move towards regime change is to resist. Diplomacy is worthless when the other side bargains in bad faith. Peace is a fantasy when faced with a war machine addicted to dominance. Iran has no choice but to mobilise its full military capacity. The fire that was ignited in Ukraine has now expanded to West Asia. A new front has opened, and Iran will not fight it with half-measures. This moment is a wake-up call for the Muslim world and, indeed, for all oppressed countries and for the anti-imperialist peoples of the world. As Ayatollah Khamenei warned, 'The Zionist regime won't bring security for any government.' Those states collaborating with Israel in hopes of American favour are deluding themselves. The West respects no ally; it respects only obedience. You are discarded or destroyed when you cease serving their interests. The solution lies not in appeasement but in self-reliance. The only protection against bullying is economic, military, and cultural strength. Domestic manufacturing must rise. Regional alliances with proven partners must be deepened. Nations that have weathered sanctions, sabotage, and siege understand the value of loyalty. Those are the partnerships worth investing in. The people of West Asia deserve peace. They deserve to preserve their history, teach their children without fear of bombs, and build a future rooted in dignity and sovereignty. But peace cannot come from pleading with aggressors. Sometimes, unfortunately, it must be sought through force. I share a poem written by Gail Van Breda in honour of my son, Sebastian, who died in a motorbike accident in Simonstown on 4 June. I, in turn, dedicate it to the people of West Asia. Let us not crash, too many deaths. How can we breathe, when breath ended for our loved ones. Let us not crash, too many voices gone silent, all at one time Let us not to crash, because how much more can this body take. We have to absorb so much. Let us not crash, because the living must now adjust to this new reality Let us not crash, let us not fall apart, How do we keep all together to grieve, loud or in silence. Let us not crash, where is our hope, what can we hold on to, what would make this time of mourning better, how are we expected to get through this! Let us not crash, maybe join hands, to keep this life together Let us not crash, let us not fall apart Because this life is teaching us how to die. We have been dying. The walking dead. Let us not crash, because we know, this life is not forever Cry, feel, let us not crash Let us find comfort. But I don't know from where, because nothing makes sense. Death, you remind us of the dualism of life. Death and life. In our lived experiences, we cannot even live. Everyone is in a fight for survival. And when death opens its coffin, we die again. We are always dying. Our children, our parents, our loved ones, dying Let us not crash, because how much more must this body, this physical earth life experience take. * Dr Reneva Fourie is a policy analyst specialising in governance, development and security. ** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL, Independent Media or The African.
Toronto Sun
6 days ago
- Politics
- Toronto Sun
Canadians urged to 'avoid all travel' to Israel amid air, missile strikes with Iran
Published Jun 14, 2025 • 1 minute read An injured woman receives medical attention from a paramedic at a site hit by a missile fired from Iran, south of Tel Aviv, on June 14, 2025. Photo by JOHN WESSELS / AFP via Getty Images OTTAWA — The federal government is urging Canadians to 'avoid all travel' to Israel as the country exchanges missile and air strikes with Iran. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The Canadian government says it issued the warning because of Israel's 'ongoing hostilities' with Iran. Meanwhile, Canada's foreign affairs minister has asked Canadians in the Middle East in need of emergency assistance to contact the Department of Global Affairs. Anita Anand's social media post this morning comes after she condemned Iran's attack on Israel and called for restraint from both countries. Israel's defense minister warned Saturday that 'Tehran will burn' if Iran continues firing missiles. The two countries traded blows after Israel launched a blistering surprise attack Friday on Iranian nuclear and military sites, killing several top generals. – with files from The Associated Press Sunshine Girls Golf Toronto & GTA Sunshine Girls Sunshine Girls
Toronto Sun
13-06-2025
- General
- Toronto Sun
KINSELLA: Israel's move on Iran means the world is a safer place
Two men push trolley full with bought goods, as people stock up with supplies in Jerusalem on June 13, 2025. Photo by JOHN WESSELS / AFP We were beside the border with Gaza, in Israel's south, when the artillery shell hit. The explosion was pretty big, and it landed behind where I was standing. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account I was there with a mostly American film crew to shoot our documentary, The Campaign. It's about the propaganda war against Israel and the West. At the moment the shell exploded, I had been relating how Hamas took out communications and warning systems on October 7, 2023. The explosion shook the ground, and members of the crew dove for cover. I didn't really think about what I did, until afterwards, when one of the film's producers sent me the clip of the moment. I didn't move. I just stood there. Kind of dumb, I know, but I figure I had become an unofficial Israeli at that moment. I know this from spending several weeks in Israel over the past year. When you are there, sirens go off pretty regularly, and everyone starts to hustle — or, increasingly, stroll — towards a bomb shelter. The shelters have lots of different names: Mamad, miklat, merhav mugan, migunit, and quite a few others. Like, you know, the Inuit have many different words for 'snow' — because there is so much of it. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. This is the Tel Aviv beach I spent a lot of time on for the weeks I was in Israel. This is the reality Israelis have to live through, every day. If daily missile attacks were happening to you, you'd want to be defended. And you'd want the world to stand with you, too. — Warren Kinsella (@kinsellawarren) May 9, 2025 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. If there is a better example of language reflecting day-to-day reality, I don't know what it is. In Sderot — where Hamas slaughtered 53 people on October 7, many of them senior citizens using canes and walkers — the parks have fashioned play structures into bomb shelters. Just about every bus stop, across Israel, doubles as a shelter. Most homes have one. And when you check into your hotel, the staff will tell you the locations of the pool, restaurant, fitness room and the bomb shelter. Not always in that order. In Israel, everyone you meet, too, has an app on their phone showing when missiles and rockets are incoming: They'll you show the screen, and it'll be filled with red blobs, representing red alerts. They get thousands of those every single week. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Meanwhile, up north, your phone's GPS will be jammed and stop working, because the signal can be used to guide suicide drones, UAVs, explosive drones, and cruise missiles. The Houthis, Hezbollah, the Syrians and the Iraqis have used those signals in the past to try to kill more Jews. So, at any time of the day, you'll be standing or sitting somewhere, and you'll hear some noise far overhead, like fireworks. That's Israel's Iron Dome at work. It was created to intercept short-range rockets and artillery shells. The Dome is a comfort, but it doesn't always succeed: On the sunny morning of May 4, my partner was heading to Tel Aviv's New Gurion airport — driven by a Yemeni cab driver, no less — when a Houthi ballistic missile penetrated the Iron Dome. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The missile hit just 75 metres from Terminal 3 at the airport, where several dozen Canadian kids had gathered for a flight — I knew this because a terrified Montreal lawyer friend let me know his kid was there. My partner somehow got to the airport. When she arrived, she said workers were sweeping up shrapnel and dirt on the road beside Terminal 3. I asked her what people were doing, and about her flight status. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'They're calm,' she said. 'They're all acting like it's normal. And El Al flights are still going to fly out.' So that's how she got out — delayed, but not grounded. 'A missile hits the airport, everyone is chill. Imagine if that happened in Ottawa or Toronto or Vancouver,' I said to her, from the bomb shelter I was inside, in Jerusalem. 'They'd shut down Canada for a month.' But that's Israel. That's life there. You are always living under a Sword of Damocles, one in the shape of a ballistic missile, crafted by Iran for the Houthis. Or one of the legion of proxies that have sworn to wipe out 'the Zionist entity.' It's normal, almost. Not many people in the West, however, noticed a perceptible change in normal Israeli life happened on Thursday of this week. On Thursday, for the first time in 20 years, the International Atomic Energy Agency censured Iran for refusing to cooperate with its inspectors. Iran promptly announced it was going to build a third uranium enrichment site, and get better centrifuges, so it could get a nuclear bomb faster. Donald Trump's negotiations — wherein he was reportedly getting ready to settle for the same nuclear proliferation deal with Iran that Barack Obama had, and which Trump had torn up — had failed. So Israel had to act, and Trump knew it. And so Israel made her move. What does it mean? It means the world is a safer place, today. The No. 1 sponsor of terrorism has lost much of its ability to drop the ultimate weapon on us. For Israel, it means life goes on. When you are living in the shadow of death, as Israelis do every day, the shadow never completely disappears. Toronto Maple Leafs Sunshine Girls Toronto & GTA Columnists World
The Star
20-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Yemen's Houthis announce 'maritime blockade' on Israel's Haifa port
TOPSHOT - This picture taken from the Israeli side of the border with the Gaza Strip shows smoke plumes rising above destroyed buildings following Israeli strikes in the northern Gaza Strip on May 19, 2025. Israel said on May 19 it will "take control" of the whole of Gaza, where aid entered for the first time in more than two months as rescuers reported dozens killed in a newly intensified offensive. (Photo by JOHN WESSELS / AFP) CAIRO (Reuters): Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis announced on Monday (May 19) what they called a "maritime blockade" on Israel's Haifa port in response to Israel's ongoing conflict in Gaza. "All companies with ships present in or heading to this port are hereby notified that, as of the time of this announcement, the aforementioned port has been included in the list of targets," the group's spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a televised address. The Houthis have continued to fire missiles at Israel including on Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv in what they say is solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, although they have agreed to halt attacks on US ships. The missiles launched by the group on Israel were mostly intercepted. Israel has carried out strikes in response, including one on May 6 that damaged Yemen's main airport in Sanaa and killed several people.- Reuters
