Brian Blum

BRIAN BLUM The hardest part was the waiting. I was at the hospital, prepared to be called into surgery for a procedure that would biopsy some small lesions on the lining of my bladder.

The US entered the war in Iran not just to aid Israel, but to counter China’s influence and protect global strategic interests.

Future historians would deride this as the “Pharaoh Constant” – a civilization of unbroken empire, universal slavery, and global misery.

Alana Newhouse, editor-in-chief of Tablet, claims that a rudderless, identity-emaciated Western world sees the success of the Zionist nation-state and wants its societies to be more like Israel.

Would I have preferred to be knocked out by general anesthesia so I wouldn’t feel a thing? Sure, but total body sedation for such a short procedure would have been both overkill and dangerous.

If I were to require more treatment – if the cancer were to come back or something new cropped up – would the question my doctor never asked a year ago become relevant this time?

My wife, Jody, and I started planning the trip in January, but when the war with Iran broke out, we didn't feel comfortable finishing our booking not knowing if we'd still be at war.