Orthodox Israeli scientist and philosopher Yeshayahu Leibowitz (1903-1994) was once asked whether he would consider living outside Israel. Leibowitz allegedly responded that, no, he would not, one reason being that Israel was the only place he could live where he never had to celebrate Purim.

Thus he never had to read the Megillah nor drink to celebrate an act of bloody revenge — that time we killed Haman, his sons and 75,000 of the Jews’ enemies throughout the ancient Persian empire.

In typical fashion, Leibowitz cut to the chase. Purim is essentially about the celebration of violence.

Let us not forget that on Purim we drink to celebrate blotting out the nation of Amalek …

Shaul Magid, March 10, 2014, in Forward Magazine (“Jewish. Independent. Nonprofit.”)

I was inspired to search out an Israeli perspective on this by something rather shocking that I heard Scott Ritter say.

And though his soul might be less than pretty on any number of levels, it’s hard to see how he’s fundamentally wrong in the end.

The events of the past six months have begun to convince me that I can indeed be anti-Zionist without being anti-Semitic (a race thing) or even anti-Judaism (a religion thing). I can legitimately hate Netanyahu. I can legitimately hate that half, or two-thirds, of Israelis who voted for him, and even now still support the policy of apartheid and genocide against the Palestinians.

Beyond all that theology, I have come to believe that the evil attack on the Damascus consulate was a last-ditch attempt by Netanyahu to try and provoke a retalitation that would drag big old America into a wider war against Iran.

And further, that due to an unbelievable degree of restraint on Iran’s part (despite the token show of missiles happening today), that this last-ditch effort is going to fail.

Both Bibi and dear fuddled Joe Biden are very much out of good options; damned whether they do or don’t.

Which makes these first pretty days of true spring into a very, very dangerous time for the human world.