Counting the Blessings and the Curses

THIS WEEK, ISRAEL is celebrating Rosh Ha'Shanah, the Jewish New Year, while also marking the anniver­sary of October 7. Following the lunar calendar, the Jewish year 5785 begins at the creation of the world, in contrast to the Christian calendar which starts with the birth of Jesus—himself a Jew.

The month beginning with the Jewish New Year includes three major holidays. Ten days after Rosh Ha'Shanah is Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, followed shortly by Sukkot. Sukkot is ob­served by building temporary structures called sukkahs, symbolis­ing the shelters the Jews built during their journey through the desert after the Exodus from Egypt. Throughout the year, religious Jews read a weekly portion of the Torah. This cycle concludes on the final day of Sukkot, known as Simchat Torah, meaning "Rejoicing in the Torah". Last year, what should have been a joyous occasion turned into the most tragic day since the found­ing of Israel in 1948.

During the Jewish New Year it is customary to say, "Let the old year end with its curses, and let the new year begin with its blessings." The past year has been one of the most challenging Israel has faced. It began with the October 7, 2023 massacre and the abduction of 250 people, of whom 101 are still held by Hamas. This was followed by war in Gaza and attacks from multiple fronts: Iran, Yemen, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and terror attacks by Palestinians from the West Bank. Israel found itself simultane­ously facing seven fronts. Our neighbours, to put it mildly, do not like us. Compounding these challenges, there has been a surge in anti-Semitism across Europe and the US, where uninformed youth went on the streets and university campuses, chanting for Israel's destruction with the slogan "From the River to the Sea". Sirens have become a routine sound, with more than 9,000 mis­siles launched by Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and thousands more from Hamas in Gaza. Currently, over three million Israelis are within range of Hezbollah's missiles, and the entire country of 10 million feels the looming threat from Iran.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the UN Gen­eral Assembly in New York with a speech titled 'The Blessings and Curses'. He spoke of the potential blessings that could arise from a new Middle East, highlighting the developing corridor between India and Europe via the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Israel. This stood in stark contrast to the 'curses' Iran brings by destabilising the region through militarisation and spreading its radical agenda beyond the Middle East.

Regarding Hezbollah, Netanyahu firmly declared, "Enough is enough." It was later revealed that just before his speech, he had authorised a military operation to target Hassan Nasrallah, the secretary general of Hezbollah and a close ally of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Netanyahu sent a clear message to Teh­ran: "If you strike us, we will strike you," fully aware that, as he spoke, Israeli planes were en route to Lebanon and that Iran would likely retaliate for Nasrallah's assassination. He continued with a poignant statement that has a deeper historical significance for Jewish listeners: "We will not be led like lambs to the slaughter." While he was speaking, Hezbollah kept up its attacks on north­ern Israel, fuelled by Iran. Holocaust survivors were often criti­cised for not resisting the Nazis and being "led like lambs to the slaughter". The post-Holocaust promise of 'Never Again' has taken on renewed urgency this year. The speech was not Netanyahu's creation. As the son of a professor of Jewish studies, he drew from what Moses said when he led the Israelites from exile in Egypt to the Promised Land, Israel. In Moses' farewell address, often re­ferred to as the 'Blessings and Curses' speech, he warned people that their actions would shape their future—closely paralleling the Hindu idea of karma.

In mid-September, the Israeli war cabinet added a third ob­jective to the war. The initial two were to secure the release of hostages and dismantle Hamas' rule in Gaza. The new objective was to facilitate the return of Northern Israel's residents to their homes. While the global media has largely focused on the situa­tion in Gaza, it was actually Hezbollah that, on October 8, 2023, opened an unprovoked front against Israel, launching attacks on northern villages and cities. Nearly 60,000 people fled their homes, many of which were damaged or destroyed, turning cities into ghost towns.

Hezbollah's ability to operate freely in southern Lebanon stems from several factors. One is Lebanon's weak government and struggling economy. Another is the UN's failure to enforce its own 2006 resolution and maintain an effective demilitarised zone. The 2006 resolution, passed after the Second Lebanon War, called for a full ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah and for Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon. The plan was to have Lebanese and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) secure the region, with the goal of disarming Hezbollah and other militants within a 30km buffer zone north of Israel.

As the attention shifted to the northern front, the clearest sign that Israel had transitioned from defence to offence was the co­ordinated explosion of pagers used by over 2,000 Hezbollah mili­tants. The following day, a similar explosion occurred, targeting walkie-talkies. A week later, Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah's leader for 32 years, was eliminated in a precision strike on the bunker where the organisation's leadership was meeting. The reign of this arch-terrorist thus came to an end.

These successful operations showcased the strength of Israeli intelligence but simultaneously raised a critical ques­tion: How did this same intelligence fail to anticipate October 7? Investigations have revealed that the writ­ing was on the wall, but military and government leaders mistakenly believed Hamas had been deterred and would not launch an attack. Israeli intelligence had been primarily focused on Iran and Hezbollah, neglecting the threat from the south.

Israel's next move of a ground invasion of south­ern Lebanon, however, is unsettling for many Israelis. It evokes painful memories of 1982, the First Lebanon War. Although that war officially ended after a few months, Israeli troops remained in the demilitarised zone for 18 years, suffering heavy casualties. That trauma lingers, and when the war cabinet announced the ground operation, there was an outcry to avoid repeating past mistakes. After a year of intense fighting in Gaza, launching another major operation in Lebanon against Hez­bollah is daunting. A significant portion of the Israeli army consists of reserve soldiers—temporarily drafted civilians. The challenge is that after a year of active duty, this service is no longer so temporary. Many have left their jobs and families, and their motivation and ability to continue fighting are declining.

But why is Israel focused on combating the puppets rather than the puppeteer—Iran? The need to curb Tehran's influence is a shared interest among all liberal and democratic nations, not just Israel. In a special address to the Iranian people, Netanyahu urged them to choose peace and encourage their leadership to in­vest in education and healthcare instead of channelling resources to terrorist proxies.

Israel should not take on Iran alone. The US and other global powers must collaborate to impose sanctions on Tehran and cut off the financial support flowing to its proxies. France, given its close ties to Lebanon, could play a significant role in regional sta­bility, leveraging the current momentum to work towards remov­ing Hezbollah from the Lebanese government and supporting the peace-seeking groups within Lebanon.

Now, a note of optimism. I always find it interesting to compare Judaism and Hindu­ism, particularly our holidays, as both tradi­tions follow a lunar calendar. In Judaism, the period between the New Year and Yom Kip­pur, spans 10 days during which Jews seek God's mercy. This timeframe closely resem­bles Sharada Navaratri, which this year falls in perfect alignment, running from October 3 to October 12. May we all enjoy happy holidays and receive abundant blessings. Amen.