Strikes on Iran come days before Purim, prompting debate over symbolic resonance, Netanyahu’s rhetoric and existential framing.
A key part of Purim is the reading of the Book of Esther [Getty]
The US-Israeli attack on Iran comes just days before Purim, prompting questions about whether the timing of the assault has any symbolic, religious significance and if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has tried to hijack an ancient Jewish tradition, linked to charity and compassion.
Purim, which begins on 2 February, commemorates the biblical story in the Book of Esther, set in the Achaemenid Persian Empire in the fifth century BCE.
In the narrative, Haman, a senior official in the Persian court, plots to annihilate the Jews of the empire; Queen Esther intervenes; the decree is overturned; and the Jewish population survives – the holiday celebrates that survival.
The geographical symmetry is striking – The Purim story takes place in ancient Persia, the civilisation from which modern Iran traces much of its historical identity; the Israeli strikes target the Islamic Republic of Iran; the festival begins in two days.
Ahead of Purim, Jewish communities also read Parshat Zachor, recalling the biblical commandment to remember Amalek, an ancient enemy later interpreted in Jewish tradition as an archetypal foe who seeks the destruction of the Jewish people.
Israeli governments have previously drawn on biblical language and historical memory in naming or framing military operations. When Israel launched a full-scale invasion of Gaza City in May of last year, they called it Operation Gideon’s Chariots, referring to the ancient biblical warrior who led a chosen few to annihilate the Midianites, an ancient Arab people.
Religious imagery has periodically appeared in political rhetoric, particularly among nationalist factions. In that context, an operation against Iran, which was called Persia until 1935, on the eve of Purim inevitably resonates.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has for years framed Iran not merely as a strategic rival but as an existential danger. He has repeatedly invoked memories of the genocide of the Jews by the Nazis when discussing Tehran’s alleged nuclear ambitions, warning of the risk of a “nuclear Holocaust” if Iran were to acquire atomic weapons.
Related
‘Erase Gaza’: How genocidal rhetoric is normalised in Israel
Jessica Buxbaum
On Holocaust remembrance occasions, he has argued that the lesson of history is that Jewish survival depends on pre-empting regimes that openly threaten destruction.
Critics have said that this language presents the Iranian threat in maximalist, civilisational terms – elevating it beyond conventional geopolitical rivalry, while also downplaying the realities of Nazi Germany and the Holocaust.
Iran denies seeking Israel’s literal annihilation and rejects claims that it is pursuing nuclear weapons, portraying Israeli military action as aggression.
It is within that rhetorical landscape that the Purim’s proximity gains significance. The Book of Esther recounts a plot to exterminate the Jews in Persia – a threat reversed only through decisive action. Netanyahu’s long-standing use of existential language when discussing Iran gives the calendar timing an added layer of resonance, even if absent of explicit reference.
Given Netanyahu’s over-exaggerated and hysterical claims about Tehran, with Netanyahu trying to cast nuclear-armed Israel as somehow facing annihilation from a country with no nuclear weapons, then some believe he might adopt a religious motif for the campaign.
At the same time, it is important to distinguish between Jewish religious tradition and state policy. For the vast majority of Jews globally, Purim is a festival of joy, charity and communal celebration. It marks deliverance from annihilation but is not a geopolitical doctrine.
Whether the timing of the strikes was deliberately aligned with Purim remains unproven.
Leave a Reply