Joel B. Zivot, at The Blogs

Joel B. Zivot

Apr 7, 2026, 8:37 PM

Chinese Paper Tigers and the War Against Iran

Following the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan on August 30, 2021, many observers may have embraced the false assumption that the US military had become a paper tiger. Mao Zedong popularized the idea of the "Paper Tiger." This is...

Mar 26, 2026, 3:41 PM

Sleepless in wartime: Iran targets the god of dreams

Jus in Bello is the body of law governing how a war is fought during that armed conflict. The primary aim is to limit the suffering of the non-combatants - civilians, medics, and wounded soldiers no longer in the...

Nov 27, 2025, 9:53 PM

Reassembling the dead

Proper burial is a key theme in the Abrahamic tradition, although archaeology has uncovered burial rituals dating back to the earliest hominids. In the war between Israel and Hamas, and in earlier regional conflicts, the struggle to recover dead...

Jul 8, 2025, 7:28 AM

Iran in the aftermath: curses and maledictions

“Those who brought war into our country deserve all the curses and maledictions a people can pour out.” -- W.T. Sherman After the 12-day war, it is time for an Iranian after-action review. What has been learned? For one, it...

Jun 27, 2025, 6:06 AM

Ceasefire and the confetti victories of Iran

The recent ceasefire between Israel and Iran signaled a pause in hostilities, but the terms of the truce are unknown. Judging by the recent victory celebration in Iran, at least a public display of Iranian enthusiasm for future fighting...

May 31, 2025, 8:46 AM

Thunberg turns pro

Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg has joined the cries against Israel as it battles with its sworn enemy, Hamas. Recently, Thunberg announced she intends to try to visit Gaza on a ‘Freedom Flotilla’ ship. While her blunt and youthful...

About Me

Joel Zivot is a practicing physician, legal, and bioethics scholar. He writes and comments on the subjects of medicine, law, bioethics, and policy. He has written extensively on Jewish and Israeli themes and his work has been widely published in a variety of media outlets.