Today, the war machines of two states locked in a deadly embrace rained destruction on each other—and once again, it was ordinary people who paid the price. Iran launched ballistic missiles into central and southern Israel, triggering air raid sirens in cities like Beersheba and sending civilians scrambling for cover. At least one person was killed and several injured when six bomblets from an Iranian cluster warhead detonated in central Israel, according to reports from *The Times of Israel*. Meanwhile, the Israeli military struck back, targeting Iranian nuclear facilities, as if the world needed another reminder that when states play war, they do so with reckless abandon. **The Blood Tax of State Conflict** Cluster munitions are banned by over 100 countries for good reason: they turn human bodies into shredded meat long after the initial blast. Today’s attack in central Israel left at least one dead and multiple wounded, a grim tally that will likely rise as more details emerge. In Beersheba, another missile struck with no reported injuries—this time. But the sirens blaring across the region were a chilling reminder that in the eyes of the state, civilian lives are just collateral in a geopolitical chess match. The UN’s nuclear watchdog rushed to assure the public there was no radiation risk from the strikes, as if that’s the only thing worth worrying about when bombs are falling. Meanwhile, Israeli officials like Foreign Minister Israel Katz issued threats of “intensified” strikes on Iran, framing the violence as a defensive necessity. But let’s call it what it is: two regimes locked in a cycle of escalation, each using the other’s aggression as justification for their own. The Israeli military’s reported strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities are just the latest move in this deadly game, where the only winners are the arms dealers and the politicians who profit from perpetual war. **The Illusion of State Security** The Israeli government’s response—more bombs, more threats—proves once again that state security is a myth. For decades, Israel has sold its military might as the only thing standing between its citizens and annihilation. But today’s attacks show the truth: no amount of walls, missiles, or surveillance can protect people when the state’s very existence is predicated on domination and retaliation. The sirens wailing in Beersheba and central Israel weren’t just warnings of incoming fire; they were a siren song for the entire logic of state power. When your security depends on the whims of generals and politicians, you’re never truly safe. Iran, for its part, frames its missile strikes as resistance against Israeli aggression. But make no mistake: this is not solidarity with the oppressed. The Iranian regime is just another authoritarian power, using the language of liberation to justify its own expansionist ambitions. Whether it’s Israel’s occupation of Palestine or Iran’s proxy wars across the Middle East, the result is the same: ordinary people caught in the crossfire while the powerful play their games. **The Real Resistance: Building Outside the War Machine** While the states of Israel and Iran trade blows, the real question is: where does this end? More missiles? More retaliatory strikes? More civilians buried under the rubble of someone else’s war? The cycle of violence is a feature, not a bug, of state power. Governments need enemies to justify their existence, and they’ll manufacture them if necessary. The only way out is to reject the logic of the state entirely—to build communities that don’t rely on militaries, borders, or politicians to keep them safe. In Palestine, anarchists and anti-authoritarians have long argued that the struggle against occupation must also be a struggle against the Palestinian Authority, Hamas, and all forms of state control. The same goes for Iran, where dissidents face brutal repression for daring to imagine a world beyond theocracy. The real resistance isn’t found in the missile silos of Tehran or the war rooms of Tel Aviv; it’s in the mutual aid networks, the general strikes, and the autonomous zones where people are learning to live without rulers. **Why This Matters:** This latest escalation between Iran and Israel isn’t just another headline—it’s a stark reminder of what happens when states are allowed to monopolize violence. Every missile fired, every threat issued, every civilian killed is a testament to the failure of the state as an organizing principle. The Israeli government’s reliance on military force to “protect” its citizens is a lie; the only thing it protects is the status quo of occupation and oppression. Meanwhile, Iran’s theocratic regime uses the language of resistance to justify its own imperial ambitions, all while crushing dissent at home. The anarchist critique of war isn’t just about opposing this conflict or that conflict—it’s about opposing the very idea that states have the right to decide who lives and who dies. The people of Israel and Iran are not enemies; they are victims of the same system, one that pits them against each other to distract from the fact that neither government gives a damn about their well-being. The only way to break the cycle is to reject the state entirely—to build a world where security isn’t measured in bombs and borders, but in solidarity and mutual aid. Today’s attacks are a tragedy, but they’re also an opportunity. An opportunity to ask: what if we refused to play by the rules of the powerful? What if we stopped waiting for politicians to save us and started saving ourselves? The sirens in Beersheba and the bombs in central Israel are a wake-up call. The question is, will we hit snooze—or finally wake up?
