‘Never again' must also mean ‘Not in my name'
At this moment, the world is witnessing the mass killing and starvation of Palestinian civilians in Gaza. Western governments, especially in Europe and North America, continue to provide military, political, and economic support to the Israeli government responsible for this devastation. While some rhetoric has recently shifted — with growing condemnation of Israel's conduct — material support, including arms shipments and intelligence sharing, persists.
To Jews around the world, this should be profoundly alarming. The phrase 'never again' emerged from the ashes of the Holocaust, a moral declaration rooted in Jewish suffering. Today, that phrase risks losing its universal meaning. When governments tolerate ethnic cleansing, rationalize the killing of children, and remain silent in the face of state-sanctioned cruelty — all while claiming to uphold Jewish safety — it not only endangers Palestinians but also erodes the moral credibility of those invoking that principle.
Western support for Israel's current leadership may be softening in tone, but not in substance. Despite growing public criticism, there are still no arms embargoes, financial sanctions, or diplomatic consequences imposed on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government. This inaction stems from unresolved historical guilt, political calculations, and fear of accusations of antisemitism. But verbal disapproval without accountability amounts to complicity.
If I were Jewish, I would be deeply disturbed. If this horror is justified once, what's to stop it from happening again? And who might be the next victims?
Many of us believed the 21st century would be defined by shared humanity and the hard lessons of history. Yet Netanyahu and his extremist allies have taken the region in the opposite direction. Over two decades, he has tried to dismantle any realistic path to a two-state solution, empowered Hamas by weakening Palestinian moderates, and misled not only his own citizens but also the international community. These were not policy missteps. They were deliberate decisions to consolidate personal power at the expense of peace.
If Israelis are serious about defeating Hamas, they must also confront those who empowered it — Netanyahu chief among them. His divide-and-rule strategy fragmented Palestinians, allowing Israel to claim there was 'no partner for peace.' That cynicism only deepened the crisis.
In 2016, I wrote about how Israel could contribute to Saudi Vision 2030. I envisioned a future of integration and cooperation. But such integration must be rooted in justice. A viable Palestinian state is not an obstacle to peace — it is its foundation.
Just days ago, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan met in Amman with his Jordanian, Egyptian, Bahraini, and Palestinian counterparts to coordinate efforts to end the war and revive a two-state solution. Israel refused to allow that meeting to take place in Ramallah — a decision that reflects the current Israeli government's contempt for diplomacy. Netanyahu, Defense Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir have adopted a zero-sum strategy that endangers both regional stability and Israel's own long-term security.
Saudi Arabia and its Arab partners remain firmly committed to a just and lasting peace. Today, 147 countries recognize the State of Palestine. Last year, Norway, Spain, and Ireland joined them. France and others may soon follow. These efforts seek to end the cycle of violence and build peace on two essential pillars: Palestinian statehood and Israeli security.
Netanyahu argues that a two-state solution would threaten Israel. The opposite is true. It is the only credible path to peace — precisely why it is opposed by both Netanyahu and Iran's Ayatollah Khamenei. These two strange bedfellows are united in their desire to kill the two-state dream. In fact, one of Netanyahu's major goals has been to rebrand the two-state solution as the 'two-state delusion' — a slogan designed to undermine both hope and diplomacy.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has expressed a bold vision: 'I don't want to leave this world before seeing the Middle East transformed into a leading global region — into the new Europe.' That cannot happen without a just resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. If Saudi Arabia normalizes ties with Israel, more than 50 Muslim-majority countries could follow. The resulting trade, diplomacy, and development could be historic. But that vision must include dignity, statehood, and justice for Palestinians.
Jewish communities in the West should be disturbed if their governments support Netanyahu's regime. Instead, let us unite two essential principles: 'Never again' and 'Not in my name.' Together, they reject genocide and collective punishment while affirming justice and humanity. The world is waking up. Consciences are stirring. It's not too late to stand on the right side of history.
Salman Al-Ansari is an writer and researcher based in Saudi Arabia.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
8 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Could Iran Carry Out Its Threat To Shut Down The Strait Of Hormuz?
The threat of Iran attempting to blockade the highly strategic Strait of Hormuz has re-emerged amid the conflict that has now erupted between it and Israel. Over the years, the Iranians have amassed an arsenal of cruise and ballistic missiles, and kamikaze drones, as well as a slew of maritime capabilities like naval mines, well-suited to the task of shutting down the narrow waterway that links the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman. At the same time, there are questions about the extent to which Israeli strikes may have hampered Iran's ability to follow through on such a threat, or even whether the regime in Tehran would want to take such a drastic step that would have global ramifications. Readers can first get up to speed on the state of the current Israel-Iran conflict, which increasingly includes the targeting of energy infrastructure, in our reporting here. Esmail Kosari (also sometimes written Esmaeil Kousari or Esmaeil Kowsari), currently a member of Iran's parliament and head of the parliamentary committee on defense and national security, has said that closing the Strait of Hormuz is now under serious consideration, according to multiple reports today. The original source of the remarks from Kosari, who also holds the rank of brigadier general in Iran's powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), appears to be a story from the state-run Islamic Republic of Iran News Network (IRINN). 'The Strait of Hormuz remains open and commercial traffic continues to flow uninterrupted,' according to an advisory notice yesterday from the Joint Maritime Information Center of the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) office. 'Currently, the JMIC has no indications of an increased threat to the Maritime.' This followed earlier advisories from the UKMTO JMIC regarding tensions in the region after Israel began launching strikes on Iran Thursday. UKMTO MSCIO JMIC – ADVISORY 021-25https:// #marsec — UKMTO Ops Centre (@UK_MTO) June 11, 2025 'At the time of this writing, no impact to shipping has been reported' in the region, Ambrey, an international maritime security firm, said in a separate Threat Circular put out after Israel began its latest campaign against Iran. The Strait of Hormuz 'remains open and there are no indications of an increased threat to the Maritime Environment,' Nils Haupt, a spokesman for the Hapag-Lloyd shipping company, told TWZ directly. 'At the moment, we do not see an urge to divert any vessels. But of course: we continue to monitor the situation on an hourly basis.' Haupt also noted his company currently has no ships in either Iranian or Israeli waters. Iran has repeatedly threatened to shut down the Strait of Hormuz, which is just around 20 nautical miles across at its narrowest point, in times of heightened tensions in the past. How narrow the waterway is means that a significant portion of it falls within Iran's national waters, which also overlap with those of Oman to the south. Normal maritime traffic flows in and out through a pair of established two-mile-wide shipping lanes. Roughly a fifth of all global oil shipments, and an even higher percentage of seaborne shipments, pass through the Strait each year. It is also an important route for the movement of liquid natural gas. Some 3,000 ships use it to get to and from the Persian Gulf each month. Closing the Strait of Hormuz would have immediate and potentially dramatic impacts on the global price of oil, which, in turn, could cause significant worldwide economic disruptions. Oil prices had already jumped after Israel launched its new campaign against Iran, which has now expanded to include Iranian energy targets. Naval mines have historically been one of the most immediate options Iran has for trying to bring maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz to a halt. Those mines could be seeded relatively rapidly by a wide array of vessels, including the IRGC's extensive fleet of small fast attack boats. The Iranian Navy's separate fleets, including its midget submarines, could easily play a role in mine laying, too. Certain commercial vessels, especially those with onboard cranes, might also be able to assist. Finding and clearing naval mines is an arduous process that presents significant risks even in otherwise benign environments. If Iran is truly serious about shutting down the Strait of Hormuz, an array of other threats would be layered on top to hamper the minesweeping efforts and otherwise block maritime traffic. For one, IRGC and Iranian Navy vessels could also just directly attack or otherwise harass foreign warships and commercial vessels alike. Iran has also shown an ability and willingness to use teams riding in small boats to directly plant limpet mines on the hulls of civilian ships, as well as board and seize them, in the past. Many of Iran's naval vessels, including various types of smaller fast attack craft, are armed with anti-ship cruise missiles. It has surface warships, semi-submersibles, and the aforementioned midget submarines that can launch attacks using torpedoes, anti-tank guided missiles, unguided artillery rockets, and other weapons, as well. Furthermore, Iranian maritime forces actively train to employ swarming tactics to help overwhelm any enemy defenses. In recent years, Iran has also fielded a number of cargo ships converted into 'motherships' for launching cruise and ballistic missiles and drones, as well as what it claims to be a 'drone carrier.' TWZ has explored the potential capabilities of these ships in the past, but the actual roles they might play in a stand-up confrontation around the Strait of Hormuz seem limited. Especially in this constrained environment, they would present large and easy-to-find targets for opponents to attack. Iran's IRGC published a video today of launching a ballistic missile from their forward base Shahid Mahdavi (converted container ship). — Mehdi H. (@mhmiranusa) February 13, 2024 2. Second video shows the takeoff & landing of Ababil-3 drone on the IRGCN drone carrier named Shahid Bahman Bagheri. — Mehdi H. (@mhmiranusa) February 6, 2025 Iran has also been steadily developing uncrewed surface vessels and undersea vehicles capable of launching kamikaze attacks to its arsenal. Though the ongoing war in Ukraine has now fully demonstrated the very real threats these capabilities present to ships and coastal targets, and even aerial threats, Iran, together with its Houthi allies in Yemen, has now long been a pioneer in this space. Shore-launched anti-ship cruise and ballistic missiles, as well as kamikaze drones, are another key component of the threats Iran could bring to bear in the Strait of Hormuz. This is only compounded by the narrowness of the waterway, which offers very limited room to maneuver, especially for large ships in the face of high-volume saturation attacks. The prospect of Iran turning the Strait into a super missile and drone engagement zone is a particularly worrisome scenario that TWZ has regularly called attention to in the past. Israel's strikes on Iran since Thursday do raise questions about the extent to which Iran could follow through on any threat to blockade the Strait of Hormuz. In addition to starting nuclear facilities, a particularly major focus of Israeli operations so far has been hobbling Iranian ballistic missile capabilities. A satellite image from Planet Labs taken on June 12 had also raised the possibility of Israel targeting IRGC naval assets at a base on the Persian Gulf, but this remains very much unconfirmed. This is not a location the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has so far included in its otherwise expansive claims of targets struck across Iran. Iran's 'drone carrier' Shahid Bagheri and Shahid Mahdavi mothership vessel have also been observed leaving their homeport in Bandar Abbas, where they would be very vulnerable to strikes. Planet imagery acquired 0725Z 13JUN2025 suggests the IRGCN naval base west of Bostanoo was likely targeted during Israel's airstrikes. — War Report (@WarReportage) June 13, 2025 Bandar Abbas After the initial attack overnight, there has been some movement at the naval baseAt first look both drone motherships ( IRGC Shahid Bagheri & IRIS Shahid Mahdavi) appeared to have left After taking a closer look, they just moved ~6 km to the west. Both… — MT Anderson (@MT_Anderson) June 13, 2025 From nuclear sites to air defense systems, we've dismantled some of Iran's most dangerous military a breakdown of the key targets struck across Iran: — Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) June 14, 2025 At the same, as TWZ has already noted in our reporting on the current Iran-Israel conflict, Iran has a significant ability to disperse its ballistic and cruise missiles. This, in turn, makes them immensely more difficult to track and attack preemptively, and creates additional uncertainty around where threats may suddenly emerge. In addition, as mentioned earlier, the process of clearing naval mines, especially while under attack from other threats, is generally slow-going and dangerous. The U.S. Navy and others have been working to mitigate those risks, including through the increasing use of uncrewed surface and undersea platforms. Still, depending on how many mines Iran is able to lay, an operation to conclusively remove them could take a long time, potentially weeks or even months. It is worth noting here that the campaign by Yemen's Houthis against commercial shipping and foreign warships in and around the Red Sea since October 2023 has now proven out many of the exact capabilities and tactics that Iran could employ in the Strait of Hormuz. The Yemeni militants have also demonstrated how relatively limited threats to civilian vessels can have outsized impacts, even in the face of active foreign intervention. Despite U.S. and foreign forces patrolling the waters around the Red Sea and directly engaging Houthi targets ashore, commercial maritime traffic through that region had largely collapsed last year. Ships were forced to avoid the Suez Canal for a far longer route around the Horn of Africa, creating nearly $200 billion in new costs for the maritime shipping industry collectively. The situation has begun to improve somewhat as Houthi attacks have declined, particularly following a ceasefire deal between the United States and the Yemeni militants in May. However, there are fears that the trend will now reverse again given the current geopolitical climate. Iran has already separately threatened to target U.S. and other foreign forces in the Middle East if they help defend Israel from its missile and drone attacks. The Iranians could seek to launch similar attacks on third parties in response to any efforts to keep the Strait of Hormuz open. According to Reuters, Iran has warned the United States, United Kingdom and France that their bases and ships in the region will be targeted if they assist in the defense of Israel against ballistic missiles launched by Tehran. — OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) June 14, 2025 All this being said, the Red Sea can still be bypassed, but there is no other outlet for commercial shipping from the Persian Gulf than the Strait of Hormuz. As such, Iran even attempting to blockade the waterway would present far further reaching regional and global implications that would draw responses on various levels from foreign powers around the world. In particular, Gulf Arab states, already historically at odds with Iran and aligned with the United States, would be pressured to act, or at least support some kind of intervention, given the impacts to their heavily oil and natural gas-dependent economies. Those countries could look to move oil and natural gas elsewhere across the Arabian Peninsula for export, but not being able to leverage established facilities on the Persian Gulf would still have consequences. Iran has an acute awareness of the risks involved given its experience during the Tanker War sideshow to the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s, which prompted a major reaction from the U.S. military. The potential for a repeat of the Tanker War has since been an important factor in U.S. force posture and contingency response planning in the Middle East. More recently, the U.S. military has taken steps to try to build a broader international coalition presence to help ensure the Strait of Hormuz remains free and open. From what has been seen so far, Iran has been looking to deter the U.S. military, especially, from taking an active offensive role alongside Israel in the current conflict. It is hard to see how any attempt to block maritime traffic in the region would not have the exact opposite effect. Closing the Strait of Hormuz would run the additional risk of alienating Iran's foreign partners, especially China, which imports significant amounts of Iranian and other Middle East oil. 'China does not want the flow of oil out of the Persian Gulf to be disrupted in any way, and China does not want the price of oil to rise,' Ellen Wald, president of Transversal Consulting, told CNBC for a story published yesterday. 'So they're going to bring the full weight of their economic power to bear on Iran.' The revenue from oil and natural gas shipments is vital to Iran itself, and could be even more so in the aftermath of the current conflict. Disruptions to seaborne commerce would have other impacts for the regime in Tehran. In recent months, reports had notably said that Iran had been stepping up imports of chemicals from China that can be used to produce fuel for its missiles. The Iranian armed forces also import other kinds of military hardware from China, as well as Russia. 'Their friends will suffer more than their enemies … So it's very hard to see that happening,' Anas Alhajji, a managing partner at Energy Outlook Advisors, also told CBNC. 'It's not in their interest to cause problems because they will suffer first.' Whether or not Iran might become less inured to the risks of touching off new regional and global crises with enemies and allies as Israel's campaign of strikes continues remains to be seen. The regime in Tehran could feel pressured to take drastic measures, in general, if it perceives its existence as being at risk. If the order were to be given in Tehran, mining and other measures could be implemented quickly, at least to a degree that could be highly disruptive, even if U.S. and other forces react with similar speed. Even if the Strait is not fully shut down, impacts would be felt. U.S. or other foreign forces would face challenges restoring confidence that the passage is safe, especially with the effort that would be required to hunt down mobile missile launchers ashore. Any operations in response to Iranian movements at sea or on land would be conducted in a hostile air and maritime environment, including the anti-ship missile super engagement zone described earlier, and which would extend beyond the immediate confines of the Strait. Supporting tasks like the suppression and destruction of enemy air defenses and intelligence-gathering would be critical. In turn, a major force package would have to be put together and immense resources expended. 'The response from Iran, its proxies and allies is unknown and any effect on the maritime environment is not predictable,' the UKMTO JMIC cautioned in its advisory notice yesterday. 'Given the proximity of regional flashpoints to major maritime routes and chokepoints, the potential for rapid escalation involving the maritime environment should not be discounted. The threat from the Houthis, who have publicly stated their intent to respond if the U.S. is perceived to be involved, increases the threat of a broader regional impact.' Altogether, there are significant questions about Iran's capacity to blockade the Strait of Hormuz and its overall willingness to do so, but it remains a worrisome potentiality that would send out ripples globally. Contact the author: howard@
![Headline of the year: 'He voted for Trump. Then [INSERT CATASTROPHE]'](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonpost.com%2Fwp-apps%2Fimrs.php%3Fsrc%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Farc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2FIAEW32LEETQ5RHXZ6HQNYQKI6I_size-normalized.jpg%26w%3D1440&w=3840&q=100)
![Headline of the year: 'He voted for Trump. Then [INSERT CATASTROPHE]'](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fall-logos-bucket.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fwashingtonpost.com.png&w=48&q=75){kind=small}
Washington Post
13 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Headline of the year: 'He voted for Trump. Then [INSERT CATASTROPHE]'
In any honest-to-goodness story about Trump voter disillusionment, there's a key quote from the disaffected party — a confession to having been jilted. A March NPR story carries perhaps the most gobsmacking version; it explains how Arab Trump supporters in Michigan reacted to President Donald Trump's approach to the Gaza conflict, particularly a video projecting a gilded 'Trump Gaza' development and featuring Trump and Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu sunbathing with drinks in hand.
Fox News
14 minutes ago
- Fox News
Suspected Minnesota lawmaker assassin captured and more top headlines
1. Suspected Minnesota lawmaker assassin captured 2. Iran's missile attack leaves multiple dead, more than 100 others wounded 3. G7 summit opens in Canada with leaders to address trade, wars NEW MANDATE – Trump orders 'largest mass deportation operation' as unrest erupts in major cities. Continue reading … BORDER BLIND SPOT – Colorado terror attack exposes 'national security threat' posed by immigrant visa overstays. Continue reading … CHAOS BY DESIGN – Anti-ICE rioters may face domestic terrorism federal charges as Trump admin sends stern message. Continue reading … TERROR TARGET – Netanyahu reveals Iran marked Trump as 'enemy number one' with assassination plot. Continue reading … DEAL OR NO DEAL – Rand Paul reveals what Trump must do to win his vote after White House picnic drama. Continue reading … -- ABOUT-FACE – Ex-Biden press secretary's partisan statements reviewed after shock party switch. Continue reading … SWANK SUMMER AFFAIR – Hillary Clinton's 'second daughter' weds Soros' son in lavish Hamptons event. Continue reading … PRESSER SHOWDOWN – California Democrat says he was 'simply asking a question' before getting handcuffed. Continue reading … U.S. PILGRIMAGE – Patriots travel from all over country to celebrate military, Trump at Army parade. Continue reading … TROUBLE BREWING – CNN has 'tears on the horizon' as Warner Bros. Discovery plots network spinoff. Continue reading … RALLY REALITY CHECK – Military parade lacks 'dark malevolent energy,' MSNBC hosts say, arguing its 'different.' Continue reading … 'BE IMPARTIAL' – Bill Maher laments about former ABC reporter's Trump social media rant. Continue reading … MERCH PUSH – Liberal news outlet slammed for promoting 'No Kings Day' anti-Trump protest gear. Continue reading … JIM NELLES – Left's tariff doomsday predictions fall flat as Trump's America thrives. Continue reading … AARON GINN – US needs a new Monroe Doctrine — this time to guarantee AI dominance. Continue reading … -- SMASHED – Tourist caught crushing Swarovski chair in Italian museum's 'nightmare' scenario. Continue reading … SPACED OUT – Retired NASA special agent says the real UFO mystery is much closer to home. Continue reading … AMERICAN CULTURE QUIZ – Test yourself on famous fathers and starry skies. Take the quiz here … MIND SHIFT – Your brain physically changes when you work too much. Continue reading … DIG RIGHT IN – Marriage features McDonald's as guests show their delight. See video … MARK LEVIN – Evil countries with evil men running them don't care if we want peace. See video … REP. YOUNG KIM – It's about time Congress seriously considers fixing our broken immigration system. See video … Tune in to the FOX NEWS RUNDOWN PODCAST for today's in-depth reporting on the news that impacts you. Check it out ... What's it looking like in your neighborhood? Continue reading… Thank you for making us your first choice in the morning! We'll see you in your inbox first thing Tuesday.
