Purim echo in today’s conflict with Iran

We celebrate many of our Jewish festivals so we may remember our history. This couldn’t be more true when it comes to Purim.

History is echoing this week as the Jewish nation rises like a lion against the regime in Iran, 2500 years after Mordechai and Esther defeated Haman in ancient Persia.

This is a war not just for Israel’s existence but for the soul of the Middle East.

Our hearts are with all the soldiers on the front line, our Israeli brethren in their bomb shelters, and the Iranian people caught in the crossfire and hoping for a brighter future.

PM Anthony Albanese’s backing of the strikes show that he has learned something after the Islamic Regime masterminded attacks on Australian soil in 2024.

The same cannot be said of the pro-Islamist Greens or some independents who have seemingly found their voice after remaining silent at the massacre of 30,000 innocent Iranian citizens in January. Or, the far-left/anti-Israel crowd who have chosen the enemy of their enemy – a brutal, theocratic dictatorship with whom they share absolutely no common values – as their friend. And already we have seen the media trumpeting regime casualty claims just as recklessly as it does Hamas propaganda regarding the war in Gaza.

But it is telling that perhaps those with the most skin in the game, Iranians themselves, are backing this military action and celebrating. They know better than anyone what it is like to live under the barbaric boot of the Ayatollahs and Islamic Revolutionary Guards.

All that said, it is still at this stage very unclear what the endgame might be. The campaign’s early days have seen stunning successes in hollowing out the regime’s leadership and killing the Supreme Leader himself.

But we also know that in this fraught region, there are dangers in removing strongmen and leaving vacuums in their wake. The future of Iran and the Middle East remains uncertain.

We pray that once the dust settles, the region may know peace. We hope that the Iranian people may be free from the shackles of 47 years of tyranny.

And we hope Israel and Iran, natural allies, forge a partnership that benefits and transforms the entire region.