If you asked me a month ago if my daughter Emunah was going to be spending the summer in Israel I would have laughed. A month ago we were still in the middle of what has been dubbed the 12 Day War with Iran ( June 13–24 2025). While it seemed to end well for Israel, for those who lived in harms way this was a time of real peril. With Ben Gurion being closed, it was hard to imagine that her trip would be running. Emunah has had her heart set on going to Israel this summer with her camp friends for many years. But after some amazing work by Israel and the United States it ended with a ceasefire. Israelis are back at work and school. It is all open, including the airport. For many reasons we hope that this sticks. Maybe this will usher in a dawn of a new order of peace, freedom, and prosperity in the Middle East.

A number of family members and friends have asked me if I think it is safe for her to go. I know that I do not know, but we were committed to her going so she went. When they push more I keep coming back to the myth of Damocles’ Sword.

According to the story, Damocles was pandering to his king, Dionysius, exclaiming that Dionysius was truly fortunate as a great man of power and authority, surrounded by magnificence. In response, Dionysius offered to switch places with Damocles for one day so that Damocles could taste that very fortune firsthand. Damocles quickly and eagerly accepted the king’s proposal. Damocles sat on the king’s throne, surrounded by every luxury, but Dionysius, who had made many enemies during his reign, arranged that a sword should hang above the throne, held at the pommel only by a single hair of a horse’s tail to evoke the sense of what it is like to be king. Though having much fortune, Dionysius wanted to make sure that he would be steadfast and vigilant against dangers that might try to overtake him. With risk looming overhead the food lost its taste. Damocles begged the king that he be allowed to depart because he no longer wanted to be so fortunate, realizing that with great fortune and power comes also great danger.

Ignorance of an issue is not proof of its absence. Despite not seeing it, the threat might always be there dangling above our heads. It is always ever present, but we need a King Dionysius to point it out to us.

As of June 2025, Israel is facing a complex and evolving security landscape. The primary areas of conflict and tension include:

Gaza Strip
The conflict with Hamas in the Gaza Strip remains a major and ongoing military engagement. After the intense escalation that began in October 2023, Israel continues to conduct military operations aimed at dismantling Hamas’s capabilities, recovering hostages, and preventing the group from re-establishing its military infrastructure.

Lebanon
Israel continues to face threats from Hezbollah in Lebanon. Following the October 2023 attacks by Hamas, cross-border skirmishes and missile exchanges between Israel and Hezbollah intensified, leading to significant displacement in northern Israel. Israel has conducted military operations in Lebanon, and tensions remain high, with concerns about a potential full-scale conflict.

West Bank
The occupied West Bank sees ongoing Israeli military operations, particularly in response to perceived threats and to counter militant activity. There has been an increase in violence, military raids, and restrictions on Palestinian movement, often escalating amid broader regional tensions.

Syria
Israel regularly conducts airstrikes in Syria targeting Iranian-backed militias and Hezbollah weapons convoys, aiming to prevent the transfer of advanced weaponry and the entrenchment of Iranian influence near its border. The instability from the Syrian civil war contributes to this dynamic.

Yemen
The Houthi rebels in Yemen, an Iran-backed group, have launched missile and drone attacks towards Israel and commercial shipping in the Red Sea. Israel has responded with its own actions and has ordered the military to draft operational plans against the Houthis, adding another distant but significant front.

Iran
A direct conflict between Israel and Iran has recently seen significant escalation. This includes Israeli airstrikes targeting Iranian nuclear and military facilities, as well as retaliatory missile and drone attacks by Iran on Israeli targets. While a ceasefire was recently brokered, both sides have indicated that military operations or strategic efforts against each other are not entirely over. In many ways Iran is the head of the snake. Taking them off the board removes their support for all of their proxies.

Like Damocles, after October 7th many of us have become conscious of the many threats around us, but their existence was not conditional on our being aware of them.

All of this makes me think about the story in a new way. Why do we call this Damocles’ Sword and not Dionysius’ Sword? Why did Dionysius have so many enemies? Is there something he could have done differently to make peace with them? Or were they always going to hate him?

I think about Dionysius’ Sword in the context of the current situation. Why do we have enemies all around us? Yes, Israel has a lot of work to do to make peace with the Palestinians within their borders, but when will the world stop attacking Israel’s very right to exist? Did we need the reminder that we are living with a sword dangling over our heads? And now that we are reminded of it, can we acknowledge that now Israel is in the best security situation for many years. There is no doubt that this is why I am so comfortable with Emunah being in Israel right now. This is an important moment of strength that we cannot waste. Now is the time for us to push forward and expand the Abraham Accords and set a path for peace with our Palestinian neighbors. We can be aware of the risks around us and still enjoy the table set in front of us.

*related post: The Sword of Damocles: Rosh HaShana and Parenting Today