Leading Today In This World

 Nadene Goldfoot                                               

Dancing in the East Village. Flooding San Antonio with orange and blue. Crying at Madison Square Garden. The first Knicks championship win in decades had fans from Texas to New York in a frenzy in June 13, 2026.

What different experiences go on in this planet in 1973:  In 1973, Israel fought a major existential conflict known as the Yom Kippur War, a surprise attack on the Jewish observance of their most holy day when people were in their synagogues.  Israel's population then:  Total Population: 3,278,000 to 3,338,000 people.  Jewish Population: ~2.75 to 2.8 million people.  

 Initiated by a surprise joint attack from Egypt and Syria on the Jewish holy day of October 6, the three-week war ( October 6 to October 25, 1973. )   pushed Israel on the defensive, even more than usual.  It was like today's October 7th, 2023.    The Surprise Attack: On the afternoon of October 6, Egyptian troops successfully crossed the Suez Canal, and Syrian forces breached defenses in the Golan Heights. The coordinated two-front assault severely depleted Israeli military reserves.  American Resupply & Escalation: Following initial setbacks, Israel requested massive American military assistance. President Richard Nixon’s administration launched Operation Nickel Grass on October 14, delivering crucial weapons and planes that helped turn the tide of the conflict. The Counter-offensive: With the new supplies, the IDF counter-attacked. Israeli forces pushed the Syrians back beyond the 1967 cease-fire lines and crossed the Suez Canal into Egypt, effectively surrounding the Egyptian Third Army.

This was almost the end of Israel, and they pulled through with the aid of the USA.  Did we hear a cheer of relief?  Did people go crazy over this win of Israel and USA?  Nothing like we heard from the cheers of New Yorkers winning a ball game after being losers for the past 50 years.  

The New York Knicks made history by capturing their first NBA Championship since 1973. They defeated the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 with a thrilling 94-90 victory, clinching the series 4-1 and ending the franchise’s 53-year title drought.  "New York Knicks fans erupted in pure euphoria, flooding the streets around Madison Square Garden and pouring into Seventh Avenue.  Fans revelled in the streets of New York after the Knicks won ... Mayhem mars Knicks euphoria as New York City celebrates first NBA championship in 53 years." 

People take a ball game win far more seriously than a life-saving win of a nation in peril.  It shows a culture's priorities.  What matters;  what turns them on.                                                  

Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei,(Ayatollah Ali Khamenei served as the Supreme Leader of Iran from 1989 until February 28, 2026- 37 years, when he was assassinated) who was killed in US-Israeli strikes, has been chosen as his successor. Ali was THE SUPREME LEADER, a number one position in Iran. 

Mojtaba Khamenei, who succeeded his father as Iran’s Supreme Leader, maintains an intensely hostile stance toward Israel, recently declaring that the "Zionist regime" will not exist in 15 years. Meanwhile, Israeli officials have openly placed him at the top of their strategic target list.  Enduring Slogans: Khamenei reasserted that the chants "Death to America" and "Death to Israel" will remain the steadfast rallying cries of the Islamic world, particularly among younger generations.

The "15-Year" Prediction: In a message for the Hajj pilgrimage, Mojtaba Khamenei referred to Israel as an unstable, "cancerous tumor" that is approaching its final stages. He famously shortened a similar 25-year timeline previously established by his father, the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

                                               

     Ali Khamenei-Supreme Leader 19 April 1939--28 February 2026. .Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the long-time Supreme Leader of Iran, was killed in Tehran on February 28, 2026, during a joint U.S. and Israeli airstrike campaign. Prior to this fatal operation, he survived multiple attempts on his life, while his successor was also targeted in 2026.  

 Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in Tehran  during an opening wave of joint U.S. and Israeli airstrikes (codenamed Operation Epic Fury). Precision-guided munitions struck his residential compound.  Confirmation: Following the strikes, the Iranian government and President Donald Trump confirmed his death. 

The president is another matter, and today in the Iranian political system, the president acts as the head of government, while supreme executive and religious authority rests with the Supreme Leader of Iran. 

What does it take to be a leader today of a country, a business?  What will people follow next?  

Resource:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_presidents_of_Iran