On this edition of Parallax Views, Israeli commentator and Iran expert Ori Goldberg, hot off appearances in +972 Magazine and on Democracy Now, returns to offer his analysis of the Israel-Iran war. Ori, as an Israeli, provides a unique perspective on what is happening within Israel, while his deep expertise in Iran’s culture and history shines throughout this conversation.

Ori believes the calculus behind Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to strike Iran is multi-faceted. First, it serves as a diversion from the horrors in Gaza and Israel's failure to complete its objectives there (such as the elimination of Hamas and the return of the hostages). Additionally, it creates a "rally around the flag" effect in Israel, which could prove beneficial to Netanyahu politically.

From there, the conversation delves into Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons versus whether Iran would actually use such weapons, the question of what U.S. President Donald Trump might do next in regard to potential U.S. involvement in the conflict, hubris in Israeli politics, the question of regime change, and how Israel’s actions embolden Iran’s hardliners. The discussion also covers understanding Iran and the Islamic Republic sociologically, public sentiment toward Israel, Israel’s fragile relationship with autocratic regimes (some of which may be growing frustrated with Israel), comments from Ehud Olmert and Yair Golan on Israel's handling of Gaza, Ori’s belief that Israel’s problems are bigger than Netanyahu and messianic Zionist settlers, his critique of Israel's liberal Zionists, and the nature of Israel’s strike requiring long-term planning—and the implications of that.

This episode is a deep dive into the dynamics of a volatile region and the geopolitics at play.

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