June 17, 2026|ב' תמוז ה' אלפים תשפ"ו Trump's Iran Pivot Reminds Jews of a Hard Truth We Can Never Forget
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As is often the case, many if not most are interpreting the latest news about Iran through the prism of their preconceptions. If you never liked or trusted President Trump, you dismiss anything good he did in the past and see his latest pivot towards Iran and statements about Israel as confirmation that you were right all along. On the other side, those who borderline deified President Trump are shattered, devastated, and feel violated and betrayed.
But I would humbly submit both were wrong in their extreme approaches before and are wrong in interpreting what is happening now. Both in character, which was always clearer, and in policy, which was more nuanced, President Trump was never perfect or beyond reproach. He was and is a transactional leader with political considerations and priorities along with his core responsibility to put America first.
Through his first term and nearly halfway into his second, this aligned well with Israel’s concerns and Jewish interests. Whatever is happening now does not and should not minimize or erase the good and in many cases unprecedented positive things the president has done for Israel and the Jewish people. But those things never assured or guaranteed that circumstances and calculations wouldn’t change the president’s approach and shame on anyone who assumed it did.
The mistake was not in being grateful and supportive while our interests were aligned. It was in believing that the alignment was permanent or that the values, devotion, or loyalty would mean always speaking, acting and giving orders the way we would want.
Yes, it is shocking that the same administration that ordered unprecedented coordination in striking Iran, the largest sponsor and supporter of terror in the world, could acquiesce and cave in a way that is emboldening the Iranian regime like never before. It is devastatingly disappointing that the author of “The Art of the Deal” could be the architect of one of the world’s worst deals in history. It is uncomfortable and painful to read and hear from the man who called himself the “good friend” of Israel’s Prime Minister attack him publicly with vulgarity and personal insults. It feels incongruous to watch the same man who went after Ivy League universities for failing to defend Jews, and who routinely defended the morality of Israel’s army, unfairly and unethically accuse Israel of intentionally killing innocent people in Lebanon.
The feeling of being punched in the gut from someone who has positioned himself as a friend is legitimate, reasonable, and real. But as sudden and surprising as this is, it should be a feeling all too familiar to our people by now. Two thousand years should have taught us to be grateful and appreciative and honor those who do good things for us, but also to be wary, skeptical, and cautious in our relationship with them all along. Above all else, we must never be overly invested in any human being as the arbiter or protector of our destiny.
Long ago Shlomo HaMelech (Mishlei 21:1) taught us, “Palgei mayim lev melech b’yad Hashem, al kol asher yachpotz yatenu, the heart of a king is like a stream of water in the hand of Hashem, wherever He wishes, He will direct it.” We say every single day in our davening, “Al tivtechu b’nedivim, don’t place your faith and trust in princes and diplomats.”
As believing Jews, we recognize that it is the Master of the Universe who orchestrates domestic, foreign, and of course all policies and their consequences. To be a student of Torah and of Jewish history is to recognize the Almighty’s guiding hand. His hand guided our history and ultimately, it is His hand that is guiding our destiny, no matter the outcome of an election, even “the most important one of our time.”
Our rabbis tell us (Bamidbar Rabba 18a), “Harbei sheluchim la’makom, Hashem has lots of agents and messengers.” While we must make choices in elections based on our finite and limited perspective, the vision of the Ribono Shel Olam is limitless. We don’t know why He chooses to employ any particular person or leader in a given situation or time.
From the depths of October 7 to moments of triumph over enemies, from pushing Iran to the brink to now a potential conciliation deal with an evil regime, this rollercoaster often feels exhausting. (Of course, this exhaustion pales in comparison to the feelings our brothers and sisters in Israel are experiencing with every new development.) But while these past three years in some ways feel like forever, they are a relatively short amount of time.
We are a people of patience. We are a people of resilience. We are a people of hope. As confusing as the news may be, as frustrating as this war has become, and as uncertain as its end remains, remember that the Jewish people play the long game. We see the long arc of history.
Nobody knows how to wait like the Jew. For two thousand years we waited without surrendering hope. For two thousand years we concluded Yom Kippur and the Pesach Seder with the words לשנה הבאה בירושלים. Not for one year. Not for ten years. Not for one hundred years. For two thousand years, year after year after year, always believing, always hoping, always waiting.
When we take out the Torah, we sing וַיְהִ֛י בִּנְסֹ֥עַ הָאָרֹ֖ן וַיֹּ֣אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֑ה קוּמָ֣ה ה׳ וְיָפֻ֙צוּ֙ אֹיְבֶ֔יךָ וְיָנֻ֥סוּ מְשַׂנְאֶ֖יךָ מִפָּנֶֽיךָ ׃, When the Ark was to set out, Moshe would say: Advance, Hashem! May Your enemies be scattered, And may Your foes flee before You! Rashi comments: משנאיך- אלו שונאי ישראל, שכל השונא את ישראל שונא את מי שאמר והיה העולם. Those who hate Israel hate the One Who spoke and brought the world into being. Ultimately, the story of the Jewish people is not merely our story. It is Hashem's story.
When relating to elected leaders, don’t be too high or too low, too optimistic or too pessimistic. Vote, advocate, express gratitude or concern when appropriate. But as Jews, we know that neither politicians nor governments ultimately direct history, Hashem does. Especially in moments like this, it is critical to remember to always put our faith in the One Above.