The signs are again pointing to military action against Iran coming sooner rather than later, whether that is before or shortly after the mid-term elections. Just on Wednesday, we saw the following, all of which combine to point towards a speedy escalation:
- Netanyahu said, "we are facing an existential threat. Mojtaba Khamenei liberated Nazareth, and Iran is trying again to develop death bombs. Therefore, there is only one way to remove this threat once and for all - to topple the regime in Iran."
- Iranian media reported (but not confirmed while I am writing this) that at 9 a.m. Israel time, a strike targeted an IRGC missile launching site in Southern Iran. They also reported that there was Israel Air Force activity over Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan.
- The IRGC is claiming to have attacked and disabled 4 ships in the Strait, and that all four are currently burning uncontrollably.
- Iranian sources reported that there was a meeting between Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei about the U.S./Israel enemy.
- Trump told reporters in South Carolina that "we're not negotiating with Iran. Something will happen one way or another. Soon. It seems most people think it will happen after the election, and we'll see what happens.
- The New York Times is reporting that there is a three-day intensive attack on Iran being planned by U.S. and Israeli joint military forces.
- One of the most blatant signs is that the U.S. is starting to move diplomats and their families out of the Gulf region.
All of these words and actions seem to point towards more escalation, even though many sources are saying that the U.S. still wants to negotiate. With Israeli and U.S. elections about to commence, there are many questions about possible attacks from Iran to affect the elections.
And each of us can help keep the U.S. and Israel safe during these times by taking on one more new mitzvah, one more good deed that honors God and our faith. By doing this, even if it is as simple as talking with God every night before going to sleep, or saying one more prayer every day, even these simple things make a difference and will help protect our military, our civilians in the region, and the people, land, and State of Israel.
May we all find the courage to take on at least one more daily spiritual habit; and in doing so, may our souls unite in the removal of the evil that surrounds us, and in the creating of a true and lasting peace.
Chazak u'Baruch
Rabbi Michael Barclay
October 22, 2026
11th of Cheshvan, 5787
Shabbat shalom, may this Sabbath bring respite and rest, joy and peace to us, Israel, America, and the world.
For those unaware, there are constant attacks in Israel by terrorists in Judea-Samaria, including another one on Thursday. To put it in perspective, between January and July 2026, there were 2,335 Palestinian terror attacks in the region: an average of almost 13 attacks per day.
Judea-Samaria is currently broken into three zones:
- Zone A: Full civil and military control by the Palestinian Authority per the Oslo Accords.
- Zone B: Shared jurisdiction. Civil administration is by the PA, while ultimate security control is shared; it is supposed to be the PA controlling things, but the Israeli forces get involved when anything starts getting out of control.
- Zone C: Full Israeli control of both civil and security.
On Thursday, four people were wounded in a shooting attack at Judea Junction near Hebron (for those who were with me in Israel this past summer, this was part of the road we took to Hebron), two severely. The terrorists fled towards Hebron, the IDF pursued the terrorists, and ultimately eliminated them as the terrorists shot at Israeli forces.
Security Minister Ben-Gvir said, "the severe attack now is a painful, difficult and bleeding reminder of the price of the concept. We must not wait for October 7 in Judea and Samaria. The next confrontation will break out there; we must act before it's too late. The Palestinian Authority must be dismantled, disarmed and terror infrastructures must be eliminated completely. The blood of our soldiers is not expendable."
For those of us who grew up hoping for peace, Ben-Gvir's statement seems harsh. But if we get really honest with ourselves, it is accurate. The PA was founded in 1964 as the PLO and has been a corrupt lie from its inception. Even Yasser Arafat, the founding head of the PLO, admitted the truth multiple times that the organization's purpose was not the creation of a state, but to expand Islam and destroy Israel and America. Arafat's net worth when he died was between $300 million and $3 billion. Arafat was replaced by Abbas (the current leader). Abbas has said the same thing about the PA's goals multiple times, while he takes massive amounts of money from Western sympathizers. (Abbas' net worth is about 100 million dollars). The PA is as much or more of a terrorist organization as Hamas or Hezbollah; also funded through Iran; also committed to Israel's destruction; and also responsible for hundreds of terror attacks and thousands of victims over the years since its formation.
Whether it is with the PA, Hamas, or Iran, the lesson that we keep forgetting remains the same: you cannot negotiate a lasting peace with someone whose starting position is that they want you dead, and whose theology not only allows them, but encourages them to lie to "the infidel" if it serves the purpose of creating a caliphate. Thursday's attack in Judea is a reminder not only about the Palestinian Authority, which encourages terrorism rather than stopping it in their zone. It is also a reminder of how important it is to have a regime change in Iran; without which there will never be a real peace.
It is also a reminder of the challenges domestically. More and more, Jews (and Christians) in America are being intimidated or attacked on public sidewalks, in malls, and in front of their houses of worship. It has become part of the instructions given to Muslim and pro-Palestine activists to get right in front of Jews and try to provoke a physical confrontation: it allows them to yell "Islamophobe!" (a term invented as a word of weaponization by the Muslim Brotherhood a century ago and popularized by CAIR) while they hurt the Jew or Christian. This is the world we live in right now.
And everyone should know exactly what to do if this happens,
I was at a meeting with the Ventura County Sheriff and District Attorney on Wednesday, and inquired specifically about what to do when we are accosted by these "activists,” and accused of genocide, yelled at about Israel should it be destroyed, etc. Immediately call 911 and say that you are being attacked by people "who are attempting to incite violence" because of your religion. Take video of the "activists.” When the police come, make sure to file a report. This is extremely important! The police may end up arresting these radicals, and although the district attorney probably won't prosecute, it may save lives down the line. If the person/people you reported ultimately end up committing a crime, the report you made may enable the district attorney to charge them with a hate crime as well as more serious charges.
If the man who killed Paul Kessler z"l here in Westlake Village three years ago had been reported previously for his espousing of hate (which he often did, but no police report was ever filed against him), the district attorney would have been able to enhance the charges against him, and he probably would not have gotten off the way he did (one year in county jail for the murder).
So if you are accosted, attacked, or feel intimidated in any way, call 911, take video, and make a police report about them trying to incite violence and intimidate you. It will lead to them stopping and directly help if they ever get violent in the future.
Israel is taking more and more steps to stop domestic terrorism there, and we need to stop it here before it rises to the level of more violence.
For Israel is committed to a lasting peace within and without its borders, and we all need to be equally committed to a lasting peace here.
May we all share and participate in that lasting peace soon, both here and in Israel, and may that peace spread around the world.
Chazak u'Baruch and Gut Shabbos
Rabbi Michael Barclay
October 23, 2026
12th of Cheshvan, 5787
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