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True Victory
I just finished listening to a talk that described Israel’s victory in 1948 as “partially victorious.” The speaker highlighted that while the fledgling state survived the invasion by five Arab armies, it lost vital territories – the Old City of Jerusalem, the Etzion Bloc, and other lands allocated under the UN partition plan – and endured heartbreaking losses, with a full one percent of the population killed. In that moment of existential peril, mere survival was hailed as vi
Ari Sacher
Idan Amedi
For American readers trying to make sense of Israel’s internal arguments, it is tempting to divide voices neatly into camps: hawks and doves, right and left, security and morality. But some of the fiercest battles in Israel today are not between extremes. They are aimed squarely at the shrinking middle. Few figures illustrate this better than Idan Amedi, an actor turned soldier whose refusal to speak in absolutes has made him a target across the political spectrum. On Friday
Ari Sacher
Lasers In Golden Dome
The United States’ ambition to construct a “Golden Dome” for missile defense reflects a sober recognition of today’s threat environment. Precision-guided missiles, rockets, artillery, mortars, and uncrewed aerial systems are no longer the preserve of great powers. They are cheap, proliferated, and increasingly used to overwhelm even the most sophisticated defenses through saturation. They can be launched from off the coast from a boat or even in country from a truck, as in Op
Ari Sacher
True Victory
I just finished listening to a talk that described Israel’s victory in 1948 as “partially victorious.” The speaker highlighted that while the fledgling state survived the invasion by five Arab armies, it lost vital territories – the Old City of Jerusalem, the Etzion Bloc, and other lands allocated under the UN partition plan – and endured heartbreaking losses, with a full one percent of the population killed. In that moment of existential peril, mere survival was hailed as vi
Ari Sacher
4 days ago3 min read
Idan Amedi
For American readers trying to make sense of Israel’s internal arguments, it is tempting to divide voices neatly into camps: hawks and doves, right and left, security and morality. But some of the fiercest battles in Israel today are not between extremes. They are aimed squarely at the shrinking middle. Few figures illustrate this better than Idan Amedi, an actor turned soldier whose refusal to speak in absolutes has made him a target across the political spectrum. On Friday
Ari Sacher
Feb 93 min read
Lasers In Golden Dome
The United States’ ambition to construct a “Golden Dome” for missile defense reflects a sober recognition of today’s threat environment. Precision-guided missiles, rockets, artillery, mortars, and uncrewed aerial systems are no longer the preserve of great powers. They are cheap, proliferated, and increasingly used to overwhelm even the most sophisticated defenses through saturation. They can be launched from off the coast from a boat or even in country from a truck, as in Op
Ari Sacher
Feb 23 min read
Here We Go Again
Things in Iran are once again boiling over. For nearly two weeks, the regime has imposed one of the most sweeping, sophisticated internet blackouts ever attempted, cutting tens of millions off from the outside world while protests roil the streets. Independent monitors and major outlets describe a near-total shutdown that began on January 8, with connectivity throttled even for domestic services, a blackout designed not only to silence dissent, but to bury the evidence of wha
Ari Sacher
Jan 264 min read
Never Again Was Meant For Everyone
“Never again” wasn’t supposed to be a Jewish slogan. It was meant to be a human one. Yet as Iran’s rulers beat, jail, and shoot their own citizens behind a manufactured cloak of digital darkness, much of the world shrugs, looks away, or, even worse, outsources its conscience to the news cycle. When visibility fades, so does outrage. And regimes know it. Over the past weeks, Iran has imposed nationwide internet blackouts, throttling mobile networks and cutting off external con
Ari Sacher
Jan 234 min read
Process Over Outcome
When a government appears brittle and its society restless, the temptation for outside powers is to accelerate history through sharp rhetoric and firm warnings. Iran’s current crisis has produced exactly this debate in Washington, including whether references to the possible use of force can help guide events toward a better outcome. The President has been very clear in his warnings to the Iranian leaders that force against the protestors will be met with force. The question
Ari Sacher
Jan 124 min read
The Middle East One Step Closer to Peace
Last week, Israel quietly made history. For the first time in over three decades, a nation officially recognized Somaliland as an independent state. This move is far more than a diplomatic gesture. It is a strategic gem, a bold stroke that underscores Israel’s growing role as the regional superpower it has become. Somaliland, on the northeast tip of Somalia in equatorial Eastern Africa, is not just another name on the map. It declared independence in 1991 and has since functi
Ari Sacher
Jan 53 min read
A Safe Haven
A few weeks ago, a British television host stopped a young couple at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. They had just moved to Israel from the UK, pushing a stroller, smiling in the winter sun. When asked how it felt, their answer was simple: for the first time in years, they felt safe walking around. The interviewer called it surreal – safe in a place the world still calls a war zone. But for me, and for many Israelis, it is not surreal at all. It is clarifying. Safety is not ab
Ari Sacher
Dec 22, 20254 min read
The Iron Beam
In just a few weeks, the Israel Defense Forces will cross a threshold that air defenders have dreamed about for decades. For the first time anywhere, a laser system called “Iron Beam” will stand beside Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow-2 and Arrow-3 as part of a fully operational air defense architecture. A beam of coherent light will quite literally help keep Israel’s skies clean. Iron Beam is a High Energy Laser Weapon System (HELWS), a 100-kilowatt class laser that can b
Ari Sacher
Dec 15, 20253 min read
Gaza Peace Plan
The first phase of President Trump’s much-publicized 21-point Gaza peace plan is, for all intents and purposes, complete. The world watched as all living Israeli hostages were released, and all but one of the bodies of the dead were returned. For a brief moment, there was a sense of closure, a sense that, perhaps, the impossible had been achieved. But as anyone familiar with the region knows, in the Middle East, closure is always temporary, and the next phase is always more c
Ari Sacher
Dec 8, 20254 min read
"Shabbat Irgun"
For anyone in Israel with children in the Bnei Akiva youth movement, you know that this week is “Shabbat Irgun.” You know this because you have barely seen your children for the past seven days. They have been at the clubhouse – “ snif ,” in Hebrew – painting murals on the walls, learning their dances, their plays, and for some, their bicycle acrobatics. On Saturday night, the newest – the youngest – “tribe” gets their name, a name they will keep forever. I know this because
Ari Sacher
Dec 1, 20254 min read
This Is Not A Call For Vengeance. It Is A Call For Clarity.
On September 2, 1945, aboard the USS Missouri, Japan signed an instrument of unconditional surrender. There were no negotiations, no concessions, no “confidence-building measures.” The message was clear: the war was over, and Japan had lost – completely. That moment marked the beginning of a transformation that turned a militaristic empire into a peaceful democracy. It happened because the Allies understood that evil ideologies cannot be managed; they must be eradicated. Fast
Ari Sacher
Nov 24, 20253 min read
Support or Overstep? Trump's Call for a Netanyahu Pardon
Donald Trump has never been the kind of leader who tiptoes around sensitive issues. Anyone who has been following his presidency knows that subtlety is not his chosen instrument. He speaks directly, he speaks boldly, and he speaks from conviction. So when he sent a letter to Israeli President Isaac Herzog urging a pardon for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, it felt entirely in character. To President Trump, Prime Minister Netanyahu, who is on trial for political corruption,
Ari Sacher
Nov 16, 20254 min read
When the Hostages Came Home, We All Did
On October 7, 2023, the world changed for Israel. In one brutal morning, 251 Israelis were abducted and dragged into the terror tunnels of Gaza. It wasn’t just a military failure, it was a national trauma. Over the next two years, 168 hostages were released alive. The rest were either murdered during the massacre or died in captivity. The final 20 hostages were freed on October 13, 2025 in a deal brokered by the United States. In the days and weeks following the massacre, the
Ari Sacher
Oct 27, 20254 min read
Never Again Means Never Again
My son is serving 90 days of reserve duty on Israel’s northern border with Lebanon. Last week, he asked us if we could prepare meals for his 70 soldiers for the holiday of Simchat Torah. We didn’t hesitate. Since the October 7 massacre, our town has been cooking for reservists every week – sometimes over 1,000 meals. Seventy was easy. My wife, the logistical mastermind, coordinated the effort, and we drove the food up to his base in Zarit. Zarit straddles the Lebanese border.
Ari Sacher
Oct 20, 20254 min read
Peace is a Process, Not a Destination
Two years have passed since October 7, 2023, the day that shattered Israel’s sense of security and forced a complete reassessment of our...
Ari Sacher
Oct 6, 20253 min read
Netanyahu Addresses the UN General Assembly
It was primed to be the speech of his life. On Friday, September 26, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stood once again before the UN...
Ari Sacher
Sep 29, 20254 min read
Let the UN Vote — Israel Will Build
As the United Nations Security Council convenes this week to vote on recognizing a Palestinian state, a move that even some of Israel’s...
Ari Sacher
Sep 22, 20254 min read
300 Days in Uniform: A Father’s Reflection on His Sons’ Service
The past week has brought yet another chapter in the saga of sacrifice and resilience that defines this nation. My two sons are both...
Ari Sacher
Sep 22, 20254 min read
From Defense to Deterrence: Israel’s Strike on the Houthis
For nearly two years now, Israel has been absorbing attacks from the Houthis in Yemen: ballistic missiles, suicide drones, and long-range...
Ari Sacher
Sep 2, 20254 min read
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