President Donald Trump made a statement about the FlyDubai flight that he "thinks Iran is responsible for it."
Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz threatened that if any IDF forces are attacked on October 7, "If, God forbid, our forces are harmed, those who will pay the heavy price are Hamas and the population of Gaza — beyond all proportions." When you take Trump's comments in combination with those of Katz, and add that Israel has enlarged its naval fleet, it would seem that both Israel and the U.S. are preparing to escalate military activity. Perhaps this is why Benjamin Netanyahu and Marco Rubio were on a long private call on Monday afternoon.
Various media outlets in Israel have reported that Israel has been given the go-ahead to attack Iran unilaterally. The Iranians have been noticeably quiet over the last 48 hours, but that also could be due to the reality that there is no unified leadership in that country. Additionally, more and more reports are saying that Iran is feeling tremendous economic pressure, which might make it succumb, or it might make it aggressive.
As we approach the third anniversary of that horrific day, may we all fully commit ourselves to the idea that "Never Again" is not a slogan, but a promise.
Chazak u'Baruch
Rabbi Michael Barclay
October 6, 2026
25th of Tishrei, 5787
Iran has been noticeably quiet as we have approached this day of mourning, the third anniversary of that horrible stain on human history that happened on Oct. 7, 2023.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that "Iran has missed several opportunities to reach a deal with us regarding its nuclear program." He added that Iran has "completely lost" control of the Strait of Hormuz. Whether it is true or not about control of Hormuz, it would seem that there is certainly chaos in the Iranian regime. Ayatollah Khamenei has not been seen for over seven months, which is clear evidence that the religious side of the regime is troubled, and that he is probably deeply injured or dead. It is not clear who is actually running the IRGC, but we need to remember something when dealing with Iran at this time: a wounded animal is often much more dangerous, and we know that Iran has been continuing to develop and build weapons, including possibly nuclear ones.
Domestically, JD Vance made some interesting statements on Tuesday to Reuters. "Iran must significantly reduce its nuclear enrichment to meet U.S. demands and end the seven-month war between the countries." He added that while the U.S. remains open to an agreement, we also will demand clear concessions from Tehran on the nuclear issue. "We will not exchange words for actions." More interestingly than those words (which we have repeatedly heard from the administration), is that he said for the first time that he has not yet decided whether he will run for president in 2028. "I'm a natural procrastinator," he said. "I haven't thought about it much."
There is no doubt that this last sentence is a fallacy, and it has probably been the main thing on his mind for the last two years. But the statement may actually mean that Trump's support for him is waning. Vance's relationship with Tucker Carlson, as well as his inability to actually negotiate any sort of deal with anyone, may have decreased his opportunities and support within the Republican Party. In addition, Rubio has consistently succeeded at his job, and most polls find that he is the best option for the Republican Party to win the presidency. Rubio has repeatedly said that he would not run against Vance. But many leaders, including independents and Democrats who are unhappy with the growing power of the socialist wing of the party, have said that they would support Rubio over a DSA candidate. Vance may also be hesitating given that Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) has now expressed that he is considering running for office as well.
But all of these political machinations are unimportant in comparison to today's history.
Three years ago, Hamas, with the support of Iran, committed the most heinous crimes in the most horrific ways. And they committed them against civilians. They used and continue to use children as their shields; hospitals, schools, and mosques as their headquarters and weapons caches; killed over 1,200 innocents and kidnapped 251 hostages, and have become the embodiment and personification of evil. If you ever need a reminder of how horrible that day was, I encourage you to view the testimonies of these Zaka volunteers, the first ones to arrive at the sites of the horrors.
May we never allow ourselves to forget the crimes committed against those innocents, what they did at the Nova Festival, or the Bibas family and so many other families. May we always keep in our consciousness the commitment that the words Never Again must be a promise that not only every Jew, but every good person on this planet keeps.
And may the Holy One, blessed be He, and His presence bring healing and peace to everyone who has been so deeply affected by the tragedy of three years ago. May the souls of those who died on that day and subsequently be gathered together in the garden of souls and bring beauty to the universe.
Creator of the small and the large, help us to never forget. May You who make peace in the heavens, make peace upon us, America, Israel, and the world.
And may we all say, “Amen.”
Chazak u'Baruch
Be Strong and Be Blessed
Rabbi Michael Barclay
October 7, 2026
26th of Tishrei, 5787