Ner Yisrael hosts former ambassador Daniel Taub for talk on conflict and diplomacy

Diplomat tells audience that 'Israeli society is showing real resilience, but there is also a is a sense of exhaustion'

Around 90 guests attended an event on Monday 23 March hosted by Hendon-based modern Orthodox Jewish community Ner Yisrael, welcoming Daniel Taub, the former Israeli ambassador to the UK, for a conversation with Dayan Eliezer Zobin.

The hour-long discussion centred on Taub’s new book while also turning to the Israel-Iran conflict and its wider implications.

Opening the evening, senior rabbi Dayan Zobin addressed both the local arson attack on Hatzola NW ambulances in Golders Green and the Israel-Iran War, saying: “It is now hitting close to home.”

Taub, an international lawyer and diplomat involved in Israeli peace negotiations, spoke candidly about the current atmosphere in Israel. “Israeli society is showing real resilience, but there is also a is a sense of exhaustion.”

At the same time he added, there is also a feeling that Israel is confronting its most serious threats. “It feels that we are now facing the real enemy, not just its proxies. And confronting the danger of Iran offers the possibility of a fundamental change in the region.”

Reflecting on the arson attack in London, Taub said: “My heart goes out to those affected. I hope that incidents like this bring some clarity to the public what it is we are up against. People whose ideology leads them to set fire to ambulances. That tells you something profound about their world view.”

On the strategic direction of the Iran-Israel conflict, Dayan Zobin asked Taub: “Is Israel simply gaining time, pushing Iran back, or is there a real possibility of change within Iran itself?”

Taub replied that the question remains open. “These changes do not happen overnight, and remain largely in the hands of the Iranian people, not our own,” he said, while pointing to signs of movement elsewhere in the region. “There are voices in Lebanon now speaking out against Hezbollah. It is not decisive, but it is significant and it is new.”

Alongside the geopolitical analysis, Dayan Zobin suggested that Taub speak about Israeli society. “There is a remarkable sense of responsibility particularly in the young generation,” Taub remarked. “Young people are coming back from the front and asking what they can do to rebuild society.”

The evening concluded with questions on antisemitism and Israel’s international standing. Taub acknowledged the challenges but added: “I believe that there truly is a silent majority in the West that is deeply uncomfortable with what we are seeing in public spaces – we need to help them find their voice.”