After recent talks in Australia and at AIPAC in Washington, Lt. Col. (ret.) Jonathan Conricus continued his worldwide speaking engagements at B’nai Israel in Millburn, New Jersey on March 4, where he addressed the mission of American Friends of Magen David Adom (MDA), Israel’s national emergency medical service.

Joshua Commer, Livingston chief of Hatzalah MetroWest and MDA EMT, opened the evening, reminding the audience that “Support for MDA is more vital than ever.” He thanked Conricus for his “tireless effort and unwavering commitment to our people.” Rabbi Ari Isenberg of B’nai Israel, thanked everyone for attending, “At the time of Purim, our people showed bravery, courage and commitment. We too have our Esthers and Mordechais.”

With his usual warmth, calm and clarity, Conricus began his talk about the seven fronts Israel faces: “I am inherently positive about the future, I want to show you where we are and give you the good, the bad and the ugly. No other country has ever been tasked with this. It is a tremendous burden on all of us, our forces, police and medical services.”

Conricus is least optimistic about Gaza. Egypt has been a bad faith actor for years, is a failing state and has no experience in complex reconstruction or governing other populations, he explained. Israeli troops are remaining at the Philadelphi Corridor. “It’s a crucial place for them to be,” he stressed.

Israel wants to get as many of the 59 hostages out as possible, “I don’t think Hamas will let that happen,” Conricus said. “It’s a very cruel dilemma, the chances of getting our brothers home diminishes every day. I believe we will go back to fighting in a very different, less restrained way than one-and-a-half years ago. Israel must control the distribution of aid and administer it, then we can get rid of Hamas. It’s a complex situation. Out of all the fronts, I’m least positive about it.”

He continued, “In Lebanon there is room for cautious optimism, but I’m not getting my hopes up. Hezbollah was the most dangerous, vicious threat by a large margin. Today it is downsized significantly. Most missiles and rockets were destroyed by Israel, but Hezbollah is still the strongest military force in the country.”

Israeli troops are now in the north, allowing the 50,000 residents to go back home. “It’s a travesty to be forced out of their homes and will be remembered for years; it must be rectified,” Conricus said.

Syria, Iran and Turkey make a complex situation. “Israel recently prevented a second Libya by preventing weapons from getting out to the terrorist market. No one thanked us in 1981 or 2007. Israel, with audacity and forward thinking, struck the Syrian arsenal of weapons as a preemptive action. It is also building alliances with the Druze and Kurds,” Conricus described.

About Yehuda and Shomron, Conricus explained that it is hugely underreported, “The risk of terrorism is very high and there is a risk of significant escalation. Judea and Samaria are the biblical names, West Bank is a British invention. Five of the seven Palestinian Authority cities are in anarchy. Israel is operating against them, every day and night. It is quite a challenging situation.”

On Iran, Conricus said, “I have to give them credit. The Islamic Republic devised and enacted a clever, focused and quite successful strategy against Israel for the last 20 years.They exported the Iranian revolution around the world. They are exposed now as a weak economy and socially unstable. Iran is weaker than 18 month ago. It is a window of opportunity Israel won’t see again. Iran is close to an active nuclear bomb, which I hope we won’t allow.

“Oct. 7 was a masks off moment,” he explained, as antisemites and Jew-haters falsely labeled and criticized us with the oldest hatreds. It’s actually refreshing — there’s much more certainty, we now know who can be trusted and who cannot be trusted. It’s a painful process of discovery which can be threatening, but we will be better off.”

In the United States, Conricus explained that Jews must continue to organize and use their political power to defend Jewish communities. Michelle Herzenberg of AFMDA thanked Conricus and Isenberg for their leadership. Magen David Adom has more than 30,000 volunteers in Israel, risking their own lives. Supporters supply much needed medical equipment for all of the services MDA provides.

Speaking to The Jewish Link, Conricus explained his current mission is to be a voice for the Jewish people without being an official of the government. He has been asked by many to become prime minister of Israel, but he’s not sure he wants to be a politician. He’s happy and appreciative to have the role of improving Israel’s standing, telling the positive, proud and successful story of Israel.

Conricus served for 24 years as a combat commander in Lebanon and Gaza. He was a military diplomat, foreign relations expert, U.N. officer and international spokesperson for the IDF. Most recently Conricus was a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, and now heads Conricus Communications.

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