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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
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
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
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
3 days ago4 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
The Cost of Ignoring History: From Gush Katif to October 7
Exactly twenty years ago, in August 2005, the Israeli government carried out what was officially termed the “Gaza Disengagement.” Yet for...
Ari Sacher
Jul 28, 20256 min read
Defying Division: What Israel’s Druze Partnership Teaches the Middle East
The Druze are an ethnoreligious group, primarily residing in Israel, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan, with a population of about 800,000. They...
Ari Sacher
Jul 21, 20255 min read
Let My People Go: What a Rock Concert Revealed About Passion, Politics, and War
When I moved to Israel in 1982, “T-Slam” was the biggest band around. They were huge – Israel’s first “Rockers.” Their concerts were so...
Ari Sacher
Jul 14, 20256 min read
Beyond the Headlines: Gaza's Complex Reality
On June 27, 2025, Haaretz, an Israeli newspaper that lies squarely on the left side of the political spectrum, published an article...
Ari Sacher
Jul 7, 20255 min read
Ceasefire in the 12-Day War: What Happens Next
The Israel-Iran war, ignited by Israel’s Operation Rising Lion on June 13 and escalated with the U.S. joining the fray on June 21, has...
Ari Sacher
Jun 30, 20254 min read
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