JEWISH SENTINEL

18 JEWISH WORLD • DECEMBER 20-26, 2024 in Lebanon. Sunni and Shia have been at daggers religiously, political- ly, and culturally because of a dispute over the rightful successor to the Prophet Muhammad. Israel, however, will have to con- tinue thwarting attempted arms trans- fers, including the use of airstrikes it has been employing in recent years and, to the extent possible, through cooperation with the various actors within Syria. T h e collapse of Iran’s axis of resis- tance will make it easier for Israel to staEili]e its cease fire with +e]Eol- lah and maintain quiet along the bor- der with Lebanon. It may also strengthen the growing domestic pressures in Lebanon, which are designed to weaken Hez- bollah. It is already abundantly clear to all in Lebanon that Hezbollah, the self-styled “defender” of the state, is more correctly regarded as its de- stroyer. Hezbollah’s growing isolation, fol- lowing the recent events in Syria and the severe blows it suffered in taking on Israel, may propel it to observe the cease fire to a greater e[tent than it has in the past. To this end, Israel should work with the U.S., France, and other na- tions to strengthen Lebanon’s gov- ernment and military, ease its severe political and economic crisis, and impose sanctions on it if it fails to cooSerate suIficiently The possible spread of unrest from Syria to Iran, damage to the axis of resistance, and Donald Trump’s imminent return to the pres- idency all have the regime in Tehran on edge and weighing its options. These concerns may push them into deciding that they must break out into an operational nuclear capa- bility, although it may also encour- age Tehran to negotiate a new nucle- ar agreement with the U.S., which is the preferred outcome. Indeed, a new nuclear agreement is the best way to prevent a nuclear breakout, weaken Iran’s regional standing, and ease the growing con- frontation with it. It is the only op- tion that holds out the possibility of a long-term halt to Iran’s nuclear pro- gram. Economic sanctions and mili- tary action may buy time, but far less than a diplomatic agreement. Israel must work to strengthen further the incoming Trump admin- istration’s apparent interest in reach- ing a new agreement with Iran. It must agree on a joint approach that details the measures Tehran will be required to take and would effective- ly contain its dangerous regional ac- tivities. The demise of the Syrian regime constitutes not only a severe blow to Iran and the axis of resistance as a whole—the primary drivers of re- gional instability and a shared objec- tive with moderate Sunni states. L i ke Israel, these moderate Sun- nis fear the regional ripple ef- fects after the events in Syria, which could undermine their social stabili- ty and regimes, especially in Jordan, as well as Turkey’s growing region- al influence /ike ,srael, they lack significant ties with the reEels %ut they have the potential to develop such relations, invest in Syria’s re- construction, and work with Israel to stabilize Israel’s northern arena. Twice in the past year, these states have worked with Israel to thwart Iranian missile attacks against it. Recent events present Israel with a unique opportunity to deepen ties Iurther and significantly staEili]e the informal regional alignment that is gradually emerging. The war in Gaza will only end through an agreement with Hamas, not by any additional military ma- neuvers. Israel has exhausted the Sotential Ior significant Pilitary achievements in Gaza, and its prom- ises of “total victory” remain as illu- sory as ever. Crucially, an agreement with Hamas would allow for the rescue of at least some of the hostages, whose abandonment by Israel’s government is an outrage that vio- lates every national norm that we have long held sacrosanct. The collapse of the axis has in- creased the pressure on Hamas to reach such an agreement with Israel. It also has improved the prospects for cooperation with the moderate Sunni states and the Palestinian Au- thority to establish an alternative government in Gaza. Were Israel to commit to a politi- cal horizon on the Palestinian front—especially following Syria’s collaSse³it would significantly Ia- cilitate the formation of the regional front against Iran. Separation from the Palestinians in the West Bank remains Israel’s foremost strategic goal if it is to preserve its character as a secure Jewish and democratic state. The “one state annexation” fa- vored by Israel’s messianic extreme right nationalists who hold consider- able power in the present govern- ment can only lead to disaster demo- graphically and politically, at the very least. Maintaining the closest coordina- With the fall of Iran’s axis of resistance, Israel requires a comprehensive national strategy. tion with the U.S. is of utmost im- portance on all issues, including Syria and the axis of resistance. In- deed, Israel's relationship with the U.S. is no less than existential. Only through maximum coordination can it mitigate the dangers of Syria’s collapse and, conversely, leverage it to contain Iran and address its nu- clear program effectively. Close coordination will be espe- cially critical with the arrival of an erratic new Syrian president, whose sole commitment is to himself, not to policies, countries, or values. The axis of resistance has suf- fered a severe blow. However, in One To Go continued from page 4 A nuclear reactor in Iran. the absence of a comprehensive na- tional strategy—not the collection of hollow slogans that pass for one today—the massive effort by the Is- rael Defense Forces will be squan- dered by a corrupt political leader- ship captive to its messianic whims. One more regional government— the Netanyahu government—must be unseated, and the sooner, the bet- ter. Prof. Charles “Chuck” Freilich, an adjunct associate professor of political science at Columbia Uni- versity, is a former deputy head of Israel’s National Security Council. . A “festival of lights” perfectly counters “days of darkness,” which is why winter solstice festi- vals were so common in ancient times. In ancient Greece, this was the time for a festival to Diony- sius, the “deity” Greeks believed ruled over all things wine related. According to a Syriac manuscript from the 1100s, the Romans marked December 25 as the sun's birthday, and “the Christians also took part,” which is why it was eventually chosen to mark the birthday of “the son.” Kislev 25, on the other hand, was chosen for the start of Ha- nukkah because it was based on a historical fact—the rededication of the Temple on Kislev 25, 3586, following the defeat of the Seleu- cid army. That date supposedly was also the third anniversary of Antiochus IV Epiphanes ordering the TePSle altar to Ee defiled Although the solstice was not the reason for Hanukkah, the fes- tival that emerged from that event emphasized “lights” and was even called “Lights,” which may be one reason it caught on. The name Hanukkah was unknown for at least the next 200 years, as the historian Josephus attests in his Antiquities, 12.7.6-7. “Indeed,” he wrote, the victori- ous Judeans “were so very glad at the revival of their customs and, after so long a time, having unex- pectedly regained their right to Hanukkah continued from page 13 worship, that they made it a law for their posterity that they should keep a festival celebrating the res- toration of their Temple worship for eight days. And from that time to this, we celebrate this, which we call the Festival of Lights be- cause, I imagine, beyond our hopes, this right was brought to light, and so this name was placed on the festival.” “Lights,” apparently, was meant figuratiYely Eecause neither -ose- phus nor anyone before him men- tions the actual lighting of any- thing as part of the observance. Josephus's use of the words “I imagine " also suggests that the reason it was called the Festival of Lights was forgotten by then, which is another possible indica- tion that actual lights were not in- volved. As for calling the festival Ha- nukkah, that name only begins to appear in the rabbinic literature that came after him. Today, Hanukkah represents— or should represent—one of the greatest gifts we Jews gave to the world: Freedom of Religion. Let us keep Hanukkah a Jewish festival by observing it for that rea- son and for its historical impor- tance—rather than turning it into something else—and may its promise of ultimate redemption be Iulfilled sSeedily and in our days Shammai Engelmayer is an award-winning journalist and edi- tor whose biweekly podcast, ‘Keep the Faith with Shammai Engel- mayer,’ discusses contemporary is- sues through the prism of Jewish law and tradition. He leads Kehil- lat Torat Chayim v’Chesed - a Vir- tual Congregation. Greetings to the Readers of Long Island Jewish World Best Wishes for a Happy New Year Gregory W. Meeks 5 th Congressional District Paid for by Friends for Gregory Meeks