Don’t Give Up, Give Thanks

Here we are, at the crossroads of a monumental occasion. The Iran-Israel “Operation Rising Lion” war with Iran has been raging officially since Friday, June 13, 2025. Israel had been under attack by Iranian-backed proxies and the Yemeni Houthis for some time. As of June 13^th, Israel completed targeted missions in Iran against the tyrannic regime of the Ayatola Khomeini. Israel had support from the US and several other countries for the right to defend itself.

On June 22, 2025, the US attacked three of Iran’s Nuclear facilities: Fordo, Isfahan, and Natanz. With precision and accuracy, the US B-2 Spirit bombers struck the facilities, thereby preventing Iran’s capability of developing a nuclear weapon that could be used against its foes. The US attack was a legendary sign of the fight for Democracy in the region, and a battle against Iranian tyranny.

Throughout the past 12 days, Israel has been attacked by Iranian missiles day and night. Citizens have run to shelters for cover. Many people have lost their loved ones and their homes. Soroka Hospital, in Beer Sheva was hit with a devastating blow…causing evacuation of patients and destruction in its wake.

As I was traveling on the empty roads of the main highway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv yesterday, I kept the radio on a low volume to alert myself if there were any impending warning sirens of Iranian or Houthi missile attacks. Somber music played. There were already alarms of attack in the morning, with several wounded.

Suddenly, the song “Don’t Give Up” sung by Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush played. It is a song from 1976, which was inspired by devastating pictures of the American Depression era. The song is a conversation between a man and his wife. The man is devastated by the destruction in their wake. But the wife says in the refrain:

Don’t give up
You still have us
Don’t give up
We don’t need much of anything
Don’t give up
‘Cause somewhere there’s a place
Where we belong

(credit: Songwriters: Bryan Adams / Ray Hedges / Nicholas Bracegirdle Don’t Give Up lyrics © Imagem Ent. Ltd., Edward Kassner Music Co. Ltd, Real World Music Ltd, Chicane Classic Catalogue, Edward Kassner Music Co. Ltd)

The wife continues with hope that “somewhere there’s a place that we belong”. Her encouragement says it all…we must be strong and hope for a better future, and a better tomorrow. For there is a place that we all can find where we belong.

I was not sure what to make of this song on the radio. I grappled with its significance last night, and I could not shake it. It sat heavy on my chest, like a sign of something unique that I could not comprehend.

And then, this morning, the world woke up to a Tweet/X message from President Donald Trump, stating that there is a “Complete and Total CEASEFIRE” that will be accepted by both sides upon 24 hours of his announcement. He ended his message with “God bless Israel, God bless Iran, God bless the Middle East, God bless the United States of America, and GOD BLESS THE WORLD”.

This acceptance of God’s hand in this miraculous time is incredible. As Israelis ran to shelters day and night, we all prayed silent prayers of gratitude to God for His grace and guidance throughout this time. Psalms, personal prayers, and community prayers guided us all through the anxiety, the pain, and the uncertainty at this time.

The Psalm 100 is titled “A Song of Thanksgiving” or מזמור לתודה

Its words are a present reminder of what we all must do now…

A song for a Thanksgiving Offering. Shout out to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with Joy, come before him with praise. Know that the Lord is God: He made us and we are His people and the flock of His pasture. Come into his gates with thanksgiving, into His courtyards with praise; give thanks to Him, bless His name. For the Lord is good; His kindness is forever, and until the generation after generation is His faith.

(א) מִזְמ֥וֹר לְתוֹדָ֑ה הָרִ֥יעוּ לַ֝הֹוָ֗ה כָּל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃
(ב) עִבְד֣וּ אֶת־הֹוָ֣ה בְּשִׂמְחָ֑ה בֹּ֥אוּ לְ֝פָנָ֗יו בִּרְנָנָֽה׃
(ג) דְּע֗וּ כִּֽי־הֹוָ֥ה ה֤וּא אֱלֹ֫הִ֥ים הֽוּא־עָ֭שָׂנוּ (ולא) [וְל֣וֹ] אֲנַ֑חְנוּ עַ֝מּ֗וֹ וְצֹ֣אן מַרְעִיתֽוֹ׃
(ד) בֹּ֤אוּ שְׁעָרָ֨יו ׀ בְּתוֹדָ֗ה חֲצֵרֹתָ֥יו בִּתְהִלָּ֑ה הוֹדוּ־ל֝֗וֹ בָּרְכ֥וּ שְׁמֽוֹ׃
(ה) כִּי־ט֣וֹב הֹ֭וָה לְעוֹלָ֣ם חַסְדּ֑וֹ וְעַד־דֹּ֥ר וָ֝דֹ֗ר אֱמוּנָתֽוֹ׃ 

With God’s gracious guidance and the help of our ally, the United States of America, we will now create a safer place where we all “belong”. No, we have not given up; we are now thanking God for once again saving this earth from peril and destruction. In the words of Crown Prince of Iran, Reza Pahlavi (the Iranian opposition leader, and proponent of a future democracy in Iran) stated in a press conference to the world yesterday, “Now is not the time of hesitation. Now is the time for principled action, from each of us”.

It is time for Thanksgiving. It is a time for action. Don’t give up on us.

Chavi Feldman, artist

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Youtube link to lyrics and song  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9vWBWEGEnM