Don't You Worry ‘Bout a Thing

Stevie Wonder begins his upbeat, optimistic song with dialogue, trying to impress a woman with his worldly experience, saying, "Cause, like, I've been to, you know, "Paris, Beirut, You know, I mean, Iraq, Iran, Eurasia, you know . . . " 

The Iraq, Iran riff also speaks to the ignorance of most Americans about the world. The song was released in 1973, during the first 'oil crisis,' when the Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries implemented an oil embargo against the United States. Americans were shocked to see the price of a gallon of gas go from 33 cents to 55 cents, and adding insult to injury, they had to wait in long lines at gas stations in the US – because of Iraq? Iran? Who knew anything about Iraq and Iran?

I'll return to the topic oil embargoes and what they tell us about today further below.

Twelve days ago, Ismail Haniyeh, leader of Hamas since 2017, was killed in an explosion while he was visiting Tehran. It is assumed that Israel is responsible for his death. Hamas was designated a terrorist organization in October 1997. Since 2018, Haniyeh has been considered a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) by the United States. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said that Haniyeh is “threatening the stability of the Middle East, undermining the peace process, and attacking our allies Egypt and Israel.”  The US was supposed to prevent Haniyeh from obtaining resources for terrorism. The US failed to do so. Israel took more direct action.

Since the assassination, Israel has been alternating between anxiety and an uneasy calm, waiting, mostly passively, to see what Iran and Hezbollah will do. During the first days of waiting, I did my best to learn what I needed to do and to be prepared. I learned about and obtained the essential resource: the Home Front Command app. Whether my phone is silenced or not, it will sound a loud alarm. It knows my exact location. It told me I needed to reach a bomb shelter within 90 seconds. I knew where the shelters were, but oddly (looking back), I didn’t go into either of them. I assumed they would be well-equipped.

Only on the third day, I walked across the street and investigated the closest shelters. Given that the IDF said we might need to be in shelters for up to three days, and without power, the shelters I checked out seemed dreadful places. The shelters have the look of a raw, unfinished basement. I had been worried that there would be no air conditioning if the power went out. These spaces don’t have air conditioning. One had a single refrigerator and two very used-looking mattresses.  

The Home Front Command app connects to a military website that tracks daily alerts. On a typical day, I have seen that missiles were launched nine, ten, or many times more in different parts of Israel. The site also lists the number and location of the many Hostile Aerial Vehicles that Infiltrate Israeli airspace every day. The site also answers questions such as what to do if you are outside without shelter. Answer: Lay on the ground, belly down, and protect your head with your arms.

On the first day of waiting, I stopped at a shop down the street that sells nuts and dried fruits. I asked them what they thought about an attack by Iran. They said, "Don't be scared."  "Should I take food to the shelter," I asked. "Yes. And water!" One of the few signs of concern was that supermarkets in my neighborhood were sold out of bottled water.

I'm living this month on Herzl Street in Ramat Gan. The street resembles a shuk, a bustling, noisy marketplace with countless stores selling every conceivable kind of food. At 8 a.m., shopkeepers were methodically stacking mangoes, melons, pineapples, and bananas. Even carrots and cucumbers were carefully laid out as though each was a treasure. The fragrance of fresh herbs, including zaatar, parsley, rosemary, mint, and cilantro, was strong. The fishmonger was lining up sea bass and other fresh fish. The butcher was cutting chops and was grinding beef and lamb. Loaves of bread and pastries just out of ovens beckoned on the shelves and tables in the bakeries while people ordered coffee. Every shopkeeper was prepared for a 'normal' day—another day of punishing heat and humidity. I couldn’t help but visualize what this street would look like if missiles rained down on Tel Aviv during the night. Tel Aviv is a possible target because the massive headquarters of the army is in the center of the city, close to apartment buildings. This is precisely where many weekly demonstrations occur, demanding a deal for the hostages. With the threat of missiles, the demonstrations were canceled.

Given the repulsive status of the shelters, I decided to follow the behavior of most Israelis and simply go about my usual day. The streets seemed normal when the work week began on the first Sunday. Schools are closed for the summer. Fathers were walking hand in hand with small children. Fathers also shared electric scooters with a child on their way to day programs. Despite the wilting heat index and the lurking threat of missiles and drones falling on Tel Aviv, women on the commuter trains were fastidiously made up as usual. They wear tailored snug pants, open shoes or sandals, and sleeveless blouses. Their nails are immaculately manicured. The men mostly wear jeans or shorts and polo or T-shirts.  I am always struck by how young and beautiful the women and men of Tel Aviv are. The median age of Tel Aviv residents is 29. The median age of New Yorkers is 37.

That evening last Sunday, I went to my local gym. People were working out while looking at a massive video screen displaying live events from the Olympics in Paris. I was impressed by the smiling woman working out next to me. I asked her how she remained placid on a day like that one. She said that Israelis are used to it. Why worry? "I love this gym," she said. "It's like a family. Everyone supports one another." She is a biology teacher in a high school, and I imagine a popular one.

Late that night, thinking of the serene woman I met at the gym and the mostly calm people on the streets, I resolved to go to bed and not worry. I knew my Home Front app would blast me out of bed if necessary. Since then, I have slept remarkably well.

On the night of Monday, August 5, when missiles and drones were expected at any time, Jerusalemites came out to dance in front of the Jerusalem Theatre.

Thank you, Alana Ruben, for sharing this video!  It could be captioned with Stevie Wonder’s song title, Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing!

Let's return to 1973 when Stevie Wonder released his song, Don't Worry ‘Bout a Thing. The 1973-74 oil crisis has a lot to say about the current war between Israel and Iran and its proxies

Why did the Arab oil-producing countries embargo oil exports in October of 1973?  On October 6, 1973, Arab states led by Egypt and Syria launched surprise attacks on Israel on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, Yom Kippur. Shocked and caught off guard, the Israeli armed forces battled back and recaptured most of the territory it had gained during the 1967 war. On October 17, King Faisal of Saudi Arabia cut oil production. Two days later, President Nixon authorized $2.2 billion of appropriations for Israel. In response, Saudi Arabia and the other Arab oil exporters declared an embargo against the US and other countries.

A second oil crisis erupted in 1979, triggered by the Islamic Revolution that brought about the violent overthrow of the Iranian monarchy. Overnight, Iran became a radical Shia theocracy. Oil exports from Iran diminished. The subsequent war between Iraq and Iran caused a severe drop in oil exports and caused worldwide recessions. Iran was transformed into an Islamist state with the avowed jihadist goal of destroying Israel. Armed college students who supported the Islamic Revolution laid siege to the American embassy in Tehran and held 51 American diplomats and citizens hostage for over a year.

The Soviet Union had armed Egypt to the teeth in the buildup to the Yom Kippur war. They expected that Egypt would triumph over Israel. In the wake of their defeat, Egypt made peace with Israel and looked to the United States for aid. The Soviets welcomed the Islamic Revolution and have supported Iran ever since.

Fifty years after the Yom Kippur war, Hamas (equipped by Iran), Israel was again taken by surprise on a sacred Jewish holiday, Simhat Torah. Why did Iran push Hamas to brazenly invade Israel to butcher and capture Israelis in October of 2023? They feared the coming rapprochement between Israel and Saudi Arabia. In 2020, bilateral agreements known as the Abraham Accords were signed by Israel, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, and Sudan. In 2023, a normalization peace deal between Saudi Arabia and Israel was imminent. Iran would not tolerate normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia. The Iranian proxy forces, Hamas and Hezbollah, attacked. Later in October, the Iranian proxy, the Houties, joined the war against Israel and began attacking shipping routes.  

Fifty years since the first oil crisis, Americans continue to be appallingly ignorant about the world. They don't grasp the dangers that Iran poses worldwide. Last October, a week after Hamas invaded Israel, President Biden sat down for an interview with Scott Pelley of CBS News. His words about Iran suggest that his administration was not prepared to address the present dangers of Iran’s leaders.  

Scott Pelley: There's limited fighting already on the northern Israeli border, and I wonder what is your message to Hezbollah and its backer, Iran?

President Biden: Don't. Don't, don't, don't.

Scott Pelley: Don't come across the border? Don't escalate this war?

President Biden: That's right.

Neither Hezbollah nor Iran paid heed to Biden's implicit threat. Hezbollah launched 7,000 rockets and drones at the Golan and Upper Galilee. This past April, Iran fired 350 projectiles at Israel last April 14.

One of the great tragedies of the war between Hamas and Israel, is that most of the world views Hamas as a militia fighting for an independent Palestinian state. The reality is that Hamas has the same jihadist goals as Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.  Their common aim is to destroy Israel and dominate the region. Iran seeks to extend the rule of radical Shia Islam. Iran has fueled insurgencies and civil wars throughout the area. The Iranian regime uses brutality and technology to crack down on dissent. Thousands have been arrested. Hundreds have been killed, including executions. Russia is pouring funds into Iran. China is now a significant economic partner. Only Israel stands in Iran's way of assembling nuclear weapons and using them.

Hassan Nasrallah, the Shia cleric and leader of Hezbollah, said last week that uncertainty regarding the date of its reprisal is "part of the punishment" for Israel. This uncertainty weighs on everyone. As I write, this evening is the observance of Tisha B’Av. This day marks the destruction of both Temples in Jerusalem and other disasters. The day is observed by fasting. Many anticipate that Iran will choose to rain down missiles on Israel to mark this solemn day.

With almost two weeks of uncertainty, continued stress can produce surges of adrenaline and cortisol. The regulation of brain activity is impaired. Cognitive capacity suffers. I feel a general sense of malaise. After two months of almost intolerable heat and humidity, I increasingly feel trapped in a furnace. I miss the woods near my home. For that matter, I miss the comfort of my home and my verdant property. At the moment, it is almost entirely impossible to leave Israel. I know people holding flights to vacation in nearby Italy, but nearly all airlines have canceled flights. It is a hard time.

Many people I know have stopped looking at or reading the news. This morning, I decided to skip my usual survey of the news from Israel. My resolve didn’t last long. On the train, I took a look and saw that the US and Israel warned that Iran will likely retaliate between today and Thursday. This sign, pointing to a nearby shelter must have been there for many days, but it jumped out at me today, as I walked by.