This morning, I attended a topical and fascinating Zoom lecture about Iran’s geopolitical strategy and the shifting balance of power in the Middle East. The lecturer was Ido Freund, an expert in the Arabic language, a Middle East intelligence analyst, and a trust & safety strategist. He has an extensive background as a researcher of the Middle East and Islam. I took a ton of notes during the talk. The following is a paraphrased summary of the main ideas that were discussed. I

A collection of Israeli newspapers in a box of Purim accessories. The front page headline translates to, "Iran is the most disturbing arena right now." There’s been a tension boiling in the air since January. It seemed so likely that we would go to war then. At the time, I was dog-sitting for a week in a home without a bomb shelter. (Whereas this is normal in the rest of the world, it is not normal here.) I’d had a talking-to with Beauty, the aptly-named husky I was dog-sitti

An overnight trip through the Negev desert in Israel took us from sweeping crater views in Mitzpe Ramon to the quiet, daily work of care, agriculture, and advocacy. Through visits to Sde Boker, ADI Negev Rehab Center, Bedouin agricultural projects, and a Bedouin woman’s home, this journey became less about landscapes and more about the people shaping life in a place often misunderstood as empty.