Yesterday John and I interviewed an Israeli government official on the conflict with Iran and issues closer to home, such as the attack at Temple Israel in Michigan and the press treatment of the attack. The interview was partly off-the-record and partly on background with specific quotes authorized.
I asked about the press treatment of the attack on Temple Israel at the outset of our conversation. That set him off. Based on long experience, the official noted the difficulty of dealing with the perverse narrative the press seeks to superimpose on atrocities such as the synagogue attack via otherwise accurate stories. The Times happened to omit the single most relevant fact bearing on in its particular twist. The official was gratified that the IDF had been able to add it to the record in this case. Ira Stoll takes up the Times’s treatment of the synagogue attack in his Free Beacon story “New York Times Coverage of Michigan Synagogue Attack Prompts Bipartisan Backlash.”
We pressed him on the media’s attempt to drive a wedge between the United States and Israel with respect to the conflict. He responded that both the United States and Israel seek to weaken the Iranian regime sufficiently to create the conditions for the Iranian people to take their fate in their hands. While acknowledging the difficulty of the task, he denied the existence of any daylight between the governments on this point. Although in his estimate some 80 percent of Iranians oppose the regime, the opposition is “fractionated.” He further noted that the level of alignment on resolve to finish the job was unprecedented. This should help.
🔴 COMMANDER OF THE BASIJ UNIT ELIMINATED
Yesterday, the IDF targeted & eliminated Gholamreza Soleimani, who operated as commander of the Basij unit for the past 6 years.
Under Soleimani, the Basij unit led the main repression operations in Iran, employing severe violence,… pic.twitter.com/aJ0dNtCFz0
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) March 17, 2026
John noted the impressive capabilities of the American and Israeli militaries fighting side by side. The official said he had been speaking with his counterparts on the war-fighting side of the administration and quoted one to the effect that “it’s so refreshing to fight alongside a capable partner.”
We asked if he had a message he for our readers. He said he wanted it to be understood that success achieved in the conflict will make the United States as well as Israel safer places. Our partnership in the conflict benefits both of us.
