IMRA Middle East News Updates

Weekly Commentary: End America's Free Pass For Turkey

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 10:08:29 -0400

Weekly Commentary: End America's Free Pass For Turkey
Dr. Aaron Lerner 1 April 2026

Secretary of State Rubio is justly criticizing European NATO allies for
denying bases for operations against Iran.

Turkey has explicitly refused to allow the US to use Incirlik Air Base =
(or
Turkish airspace) for any offensive operations or logistics against =
Iran.
The base is one of the best-located NATO facilities for strikes on Iran =
(800
- 1,200 km from key targets, enabling shorter flights, higher sortie =
rates,
and less refueling).

But Mr. Rubio, as President Trump, is silent about Turkey.

In late March 2026, Trump publicly called Turkey "fantastic" and Erdogan =
a
"great leader" specifically for "staying out of things we asked them to"
during the Iran war.

Sounds like Mr. Trump hasn't just lowered the bar. He's dug a hole for =
the
bar he uses to measure the performance of Erdogan.

Is Erdogan a "great leader" for not deploying his air force to defend =
Iran?

Is Turkey "fantastic" because it isn't firing missiles at Tel Aviv?

This has been an ongoing free pass.

Turkey hosts Hamas's main overseas political and operational leadership =
in
Istanbul.

And today Turkey is doing everything in its power to ensure that Hamas =
is
not actually disarmed.

Erdogan is anything but a moderate.

On 30 March 2025, during the official Eid al-Fitr prayer service at =
Caml=FDca
Mosque in Istanbul (broadcast publicly), President Erdogan prayed: "May
Allah, for the sake of his name 'Al-Qahhar,' destroy and devastate =
Zionist
Israel."

It is time for America to raise the bar for Turkey.

End the free pass.

________________________________________
IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis

Since 1992 providing news and analysis on the Middle East with a focus =
on
Arab-Israeli relations

Website: www.imra.org.il

Link for Tzohar Pesach Hagaddah with special wartime rules

Sun, 29 Mar 2026 13:36:12 -0400

Link for Tzohar Pesach Hagaddah with special wartime rules
https://your.tzohar.org.il/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/%D7%94%D7%92%D7%93%D7%
94-%D7%A9%D7%9C-%D7%A4%D7%A1%D7%97-%D7%90%D7%A0%D7%92%D7%9C%D7%99%D7%AA_%D7%
90%D7%A9%D7%9B%D7%A0%D7%96%D7%99-26-1.pdf

Tzohar

THE PESACH HAGADDAH

With an Explanatory Halachic Guide Relating to Times of War

Nusach Ashkenaz

Nissan 5786 / 2026 - Operation Roaring Lion

Introduction (Page 2 - Clean English Text)

Introduction

"As in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt, I will show him
wondrous things." (Micah 7:15)

We are living in miraculous times. What we are experiencing today are the
wonders that the prophets prophesied in ancient times. As we in Israel
strike out so decisively against our enemies, working hand-in-hand with the
world's most powerful nation, how can we not stand astonished and awestruck?

In the Haggadah, we are told: "In every generation, we are obligated to see
ourselves as if we personally left Egypt." This year, this takes no great
effort - we all feel that we are living a modern-day Exodus experience.

We are discovering that the Haggadah - the story that Jews have been passing
from generation to generation for centuries - is not yet finished. It is
actually an open book, ready for new chapters that reflect events unfolding
today.

Each and every one of us - whether we live in Israel or elsewhere across the
Jewish world - is playing a part in this narrative: from those in Israel
responding to sirens, to soldiers on the front lines, to Jews in the
Diaspora facing the rapidly spreading scourge of antisemitism.

This year, therefore, our duty "to expand upon the telling of the Exodus" is
different than ever before. In addition to trying to experience what our
ancestors went through, it is time for each of us to relate the story
unfolding in real time - to share our own experiences and reactions - and to
try to understand what God has planned and His ultimate goal for the Jewish
people.

To make time for such material and discussions - especially when young
children are around the table - you may find it desirable to shorten the
Haggadah's retelling of the original Exodus.

Unpredictable alerts and sirens may also force you to take a different
approach to the material than in the past. Not to worry: the new chapter in
the story - the one we are writing now - is legitimate and important. Of
course, everything is secondary to the preservation of life, and no halachic
concerns should prevent moving from the table to a shelter when instructed.

In fact, the overall halachic status of these days can be defined as a time
of "sha'at hadchak" - a time of pressure and extraordinary circumstances. As
such, special laws and practices apply.

In the following guide, written by Rabbis Shaul Baruchi and Yaron Moshkovitz
of the Tzohar Center for Jewish Ethics, you will find a summary of the
special laws that will shape your Seder this year. In addition, it suggests
some new passages you might consider adding to the traditional text.

During these challenging, inspiring, and hope-filled times, we pray for
continued strength for all those involved in the campaign, for the citizens
of Israel, and for all of Klal Yisrael.

If you have any questions related to the holiday or other challenges -
halachic or otherwise - created by the situation, please contact the Tzohar
Halacha hotline at 1-800-200-377. It is staffed by rabbis who speak both
Hebrew and English.

Chag Kasher v'Sameach!

Rabbi David Stav
Chairman
Tzohar Rabbinical Organization

Weekly Commentary: Don't Count on Mowing Iranian Grass in 2029

Sat, 28 Mar 2026 17:20:17 -0400

Weekly Commentary: Don't Count on Mowing Iranian Grass in 2029
Dr. Aaron Lerner 28 March 2026

Here in Israel, the media is bending over backwards in a campaign supporting
the abandonment of the war effort.

We are being served nonstop coverage of our casualties (mostly people who
actively declined to take shelter), with so little coverage of the
incredible damage we are doing to our enemies that you might miss it
altogether when clicking through Ynet and other popular sources or listening
to radio or television.

The push is for us to relate to what we've done as "mowing the grass," with
the idea that we can stop now and repeat the exercise when the "grass" needs
"mowing" again.

We are working on technologies that may very well make it dramatically
easier for us to face our enemies in the future.

But technology is only one factor.

The post-Trump world may be a nightmare for us.

We already hear voices on the left and also in segments of the right.

If we consign the current war to being no more than a grass-mowing
operation, we could find ourselves facing an American arms embargo and a
U.S.-sponsored UN Security Council ceasefire resolution the next time we are
compelled to mow the grass.

So, every decision we make today must take into account the international
conditions we may face in 2029 and beyond.

This brings us to a supremely challenging balancing act with President
Trump.

On the one hand, we want to be as cooperative as possible with Mr. Trump to
keep on his good side.

But at the same time, this desire to keep Trump happy needs to be tempered
by the painful knowledge that we must get things done now-when they can be
done-even if it may annoy President Trump.

"I would like to thank an incredible man and patriot-Benjamin Netanyahu. He
is not the easiest man to deal with, but that's what makes him so great."
President Donald Trump, 13 October 2025, at the Knesset

For the sake of our nation, Prime Minister Netanyahu may very well find
himself making choices consistent with President Trump's observation.
________________________________________
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Since 1992 providing news and analysis on the Middle East with a focus on
Arab-Israeli relations

Website: www.imra.org.il

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Weekly Commentary: Why Wasn't Ali Larijani Killed At The Quds Day Rally?

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 12:12:09 -0400

Weekly Commentary: Why Wasn't Ali Larijani Killed At The Quds Day Rally?
Dr. Aaron Lerner 18 March 2026

Ali Larijani, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council (Iran's top
national security official), attended the Quds Day (aka "Death To Israel And
The USA" rally) in Tehran on 13 March, 2026, where he was prominently
featured marching with crowds, addressing participants, and speaking to
state media (dismissing nearby explosions as signs of "desperation").

We killed him later.

Among other potential targets at the rally were:

#1 Ahmad-Reza Radan, Commander-in-Chief of the National Police, who has
publicly threatened "lethal force" against any protests.

#2 Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, Head of the Judiciary / Chief Justice, the
legal arm of repression essential to the regime's ability to terrorize its
own population into silence.

The rally was broadcast live.

There was a lot of noise from the crowd as they chanted "Death To Israel"
and "Death to America".

So much noise that it is doubtful anyone would have heard Israel's platforms
for guided targeted killing before these and other deserving targets were
seen being dispatched live on Iranian television.

In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the television feed continued at least
part of the time as the crowd, which only moments before chanted "Death To
Israel" and "Death to America", began to trample each other as they sought
cover.

But we didn't do this.

In fact, we did some bombing nearby so that the broadcasts could show how
the leaders and their supporters were not deterred by bombings taking place
at a safe distance in the background.

Why didn't we do it?

Was this an Israeli decision?

In the past we declined to kill Palestinian terrorist leaders at a funeral
because of the presence of a child adorned with a fake bomb vest in the
crowd.

But the targeted platforms available today are so precise that this might
not be a concern.

Did the Americans warn us not to interfere with the rally?

If the American objection didn't come from President Trump did we decide
that it wasn't worth getting those officials annoyed by going over their
heads?

I doubt we will know in the coming days or weeks why this happened.

But an explanation will most certainly be interesting to follow when this
and many other incredible stories from this war are revealed.

________________________________________
IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis

Since 1992 providing news and analysis on the Middle East with a focus on
Arab-Israeli relations

Website: www.imra.org.il

Train ISF to GTHOW (Get The Hell Out of the Way) Before Gaza Deployment

Sat, 14 Mar 2026 19:17:23 -0400

ISF Needs GTHOW (Get The Hell Out of the Way) Training Before Gaza
Deployment
Dr. Aaron Lerner March 14, 2026

GTHOW - Get The Hell Out of the Way.

For Israel, mastering GTHOW should be the single most important feature of
the training that the large Indonesian contingent from the International
Stabilization Force (ISF) is slated to undergo shortly in Jordan.

ISF members must be able, at a moment's notice, to GTHOW in order to
facilitate Israeli operations against Hamas and other illicit armed forces.

There are two general scenarios:

#1. Israel detects the presence of Hamas (or other illicit) forces in close
proximity to ISF members and issues a GTHOW call, which includes clear
evacuation instructions.

#2. ISF members independently become aware of Hamas (or other illicit)
forces and simultaneously initiate a GTHOW while providing information to
Israel.

GTHOW training needs to be repeated extensively in Jordan to the point that
it becomes instinctive - drilled so thoroughly that there is instantaneous,
automatic execution without hesitation or deliberation.

Israel should insist on GTHOW training as a non-negotiable precondition.

GTHOW is possibly the only thing that can prevent the deployment of the ISF
in the Gaza Strip from turning into a disaster - for both Gazans and
Israelis alike.

The adoption of GTHOW for the ISF cuts through all the rhetoric, sending a
clear signal that President Trump's initiative isn't some half-baked fantasy
but a serious, realistic program.
________________________________________
IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis

Since 1992 providing news and analysis on the Middle East with a focus on
Arab-Israeli relations

Website: www.imra.org.il

How to Keep the Strait of Hormuz Open After the War

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 09:10:28 -0400

How to Keep the Strait of Hormuz Open After the War
Dr. Aaron Lerner 13 March 2026

How can the Strait of Hormuz be secured in a durable way once the fighting
ends?

History suggests that relying solely on agreements with Tehran would be
foolhardy.

Past arrangements have often been followed by renewed tensions or
violations.

In the absence of a dramatic regime change, a unilateral arrangement is
required to ensure that Iran can never close this vital waterway again.

An arrangement which restricts activity both on the waterway and in a
limited coastal buffer zone.

A unilateral arrangement which relies on boots on the ground within the
coastal buffer zone would most definitely be a non-starter.

Boots on the ground would not be required for a no-tolerance approach which
destroys any equipment in violation of restrictions immediately upon
detection.

In an ideal world, this stringent arrangement could be achieved by a Chapter
VII United Nations Security Council Resolution not vetoed by China or
Russia.

We live in anything but an ideal world.

The workaround could be achieved, in the immediate aftermath of the war,
with a unilateral declaration by the United States (with allies like Israel
and GCC states) of a ceasefire or armistice imposing the security regime as
a condition for halting operations.

The zone would be designated as a temporary "post-conflict stabilization
measure" under customary law, similar to the Iraq no-fly zones (1991-2003),
which were imposed by the U.S., UK, and France without explicit UNSC
authorization but claimed as necessary to protect civilians and enforce
prior resolutions (e.g., UNSC Res. 688 on humanitarian crises).

In addition, any redeployment of prohibited systems (e.g., a vehicle
carrying missiles, drones or mines in the zone) would be treated a priori as
evidence of an imminent "armed attack" under UN Charter Article 51,
triggering anticipatory self-defense and justifying immediate standoff
destruction upon detection.

We all hope to witness a durable viable regime change in Iran in the coming
days.

It is crucial, however, to have solutions on the table which do not rely
either on regime change or the consent of the current Iranian regime.

________________________________________
IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis

Since 1992 providing news and analysis on the Middle East with a focus on
Arab-Israeli relations

Website: www.imra.org.il