Nothing captures the turmoil of Israel’s regional environment like this simple truth: the nation is simultaneously facing diplomatic pressure, military threats, and a rising tide of global antisemitism – all while working to contain a volatile peace process. Against the backdrop of fragile ceasefires and political maneuvering, one question hangs over everything: Can Israel secure both peace and safety in 2026?

The world insists on speaking to Israel in the language of patience, proportionality, and optimism. Israel, meanwhile, is reading intelligence reports, counting missiles, burying victims, and watching Jews murdered far beyond the Middle East. The gap between these two worldviews has rarely been wider – and the past week has made it impossible to ignore.

While diplomats debate peace plans and reconstruction fantasies, Iran is rebuilding its missile forces, Hamas remains intact, and Jews are gunned down at a Hanukkah celebration on a beach in Sydney. These are not disconnected events. They are symptoms of the same global failure: moral evasion in the face of Islamist violence and antisemitism, paired with strategic denial about Iran’s ambitions.

Iran Is Not Pausing – It Is Accelerating
Israel’s foremost security concern today is Iran’s determined push to restore and expand its missile capabilities. According to The Times of Israel, Israeli officials have warned Washington that Iran may use large-scale missile exercises as cover for actual attacks, a tactic consistent with Iranian doctrine.

More troubling are assessments reported by The Jerusalem Post and Israel Hayom indicating that Iran is rapidly rebuilding missile production lines damaged in earlier strikes and sabotage operations. Israeli intelligence estimates suggest Tehran aims to restore — and eventually exceed — its previous output of long-range ballistic missiles, many capable of reaching Israel.

Iran insists its missile program is “defensive” and “non-negotiable,” a claim echoed repeatedly in Iranian statements reported by The Times of Israel. Israel, which lives under the shadow of those missiles, sees no such ambiguity.

This is why Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to place Iran’s missile buildup at the center of his upcoming discussions with former U.S. President Donald Trump. According to The Times of Israel, Netanyahu plans to present concrete options for addressing Iran’s advancing capabilities – diplomatic, economic, and potentially military.

Peace Plans Without Power
At the same time, Israel is being urged to move forward with Phase Two of the U.S.-backed peace framework for Gaza, part of Trump’s broader multi-point plan. Phase Two envisions reconstruction, international involvement, and long-term stabilization.

But as the above Jerusalem Post article reports, discussions have effectively stalled. Israel is unwilling to advance while Hamas remains armed and while regional threats, especially Iran, continue to grow unchecked.

The idea, floated by some U.S. and international figures, that Gaza could be transformed into a “Mediterranean Riviera” or luxury coastal enclave ignores the core reality: you cannot build beachfront hotels on top of terror tunnels. Economic visions collapse without security foundations. Israel’s reluctance is not ideological; it is experiential.

Murder on Bondi Beach – and the World’s Shrug
Then came Sydney.

On December 14, a Jewish Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach was turned into a massacre. Fifteen people were murdered simply for being Jewish. The attack sent shockwaves through Jewish communities worldwide and forced an uncomfortable reckoning: Jews are no longer safe even in countries that pride themselves on tolerance.

Israeli leaders across the political spectrum condemned the attack. Ultra-Orthodox party heads explicitly linked the massacre to the global surge in antisemitism since October 7 and warned that hesitation and euphemism are enabling violence.

According to coverage in Time and Gatestone Institute, the Bondi massacre was not an isolated incident but part of a broader pattern: antisemitic rhetoric normalized in public discourse, enforcement delayed, and warning signs ignored until blood is spilled.

Australian leaders condemned the attack and promised reviews. Memorials were held. Flags were lowered. Yet Jewish leaders have asked a harder question: why did it take mass murder for governments to act decisively?

The Pattern Israel Recognizes
From Jerusalem’s vantage point, the pattern is unmistakable.
Iran advances militarily while the world debates.
Terror groups rearm while diplomats plan conferences.
Antisemitism metastasizes while leaders issue statements.
And Israel, repeatedly targeted, is told to show restraint.

This is why trust is eroding.

Israel no longer believes that international assurances will stop missiles, dismantle terror networks, or protect Jews abroad. That skepticism is not paranoia; it is the product of observation.

As Gatestone Institute has repeatedly argued, Western hesitation toward Islamist violence — whether in Tehran, Gaza, or Sydney – creates a permissive environment in which extremists test limits and push further.

A Clear Choice
History may repeat itself, but it also shows that darkness does not have the final word. Even in times of missile threats, moral confusion and rising hatred, resilience is forged by truth, courage and faith. Israel’s story – and the story of the Jewish people – has always been one of survival, not by illusion, but by steadfast trust in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It pursued clarity of purpose and endured with moral strength.

The choice facing the world is stark. Either confront the realities Israel confronts daily – missile proliferation, terror ideology, and antisemitism – or continue down a dumbing down path of denial punctuated by tragedy.

Israel is not rejecting peace. It is rejecting illusion.

May this moment not lead to despair, but to resolve – to stand for what is right, to protect life, and to remember that light endures, even when the night feels long, because the darkness cannot extinguish it. And until the world proves it is willing to match words with action, Israel will continue to act as though it stands largely alone – because experience has taught it that, too often, it does.

Missiles are being built. Jews are being killed. And moral evasion has consequences.

The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread? (Psalm 27:1)

Don’t let the world dictate your behavior. Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.

Marvin