The RJC leadership conference is always an incredible event. It is hosted at the Venetian in Las Vegas -- this year, without the late proprietor and RJC benefactor Sheldon Adelson for the first time -- and features an all-star cast of political guests. It was canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic; President Trump was to have addressed the conference for the second year in a row.
The lineup this year is impressive, and the mood will be festive, given the wave of Republican victories in this past week's off-year election. There will be tributes to Adelson, and discussions about how best to head off the Biden agenda, especially as the administration appears to be doubling down on its bad policies, rather than dialing them back in response to the poor election results.
One focus of the RJC may be efforts to stop Biden from declaring a separate U.S. consulate in Jerusalem for the Palestinians -- a move that Israel opposes, because it would effectively divide Jerusalem diplomatically, and which would violate both U.S. and international law. The RJC was instrumental in pushing for the U.S. embassy move to Jerusalem; it is going to defend that historic win.
This is my first broadcast from the new office and studio in Washington, DC, where I'll be for a couple of years my neighborhood back in L.A. cleans up -- and as we follow the Trump administration from a little closer up than usual.
Topics:
- The anniversary of the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump
- The escalating tariff battle with various different trading partners
- The future of the Middle East peace talks, and ongoing antisemitism
- The Jeffrey Epstein files and whether they mean anything at all
- The continued crisis of the Texas floods, and stories of heroism and survival
And more!
Special guests:
- James Rosen - Newsmax chief Washington correspondent
- Bob Price - Breitbart News Texas reporter, on the ongoing floods
- Robert Cahill - Trafalgar Polling, on a new alliance of reliable pollsters
- Rabbi Yaakov Menken - Coalition for Jewish Values - on Israel & antisemitism
Tune in: 7-10 p.m. ET, 4-7 p.m. PT
Call: 866-957-2874
This week’s portion tells the grand story of the prophet who tried to curse people of Israel and instead ended up blessing them.
I am reminded that these portions continue to be relevant anew, as this particular reading lent the title for Israel’s recent 12 Day War against Iran, “Operation Rising Lion.”
This week's portion includes the commandment of the red heifer -- one of the classic "irrational" commandments whose fulfillment is an expression of faith. It also includes the regrettable episode in which Moses strikes the rock.
I referred to this story in a wedding speech last night. Why was Moses punished for striking the rock in Numbers, when he struck the rock without incident in Exodus -- both for the purpose of providing water to the people?
The answer is that in the interim, the Jewish people had received the Torah, which is like the marriage contract between the people of Israel and God. In a marriage, you do not resolve things by breaking boundaries, but through love.
The additional reading, from Judges Chapter 11, is the story of Jephthah (Yiftach), a man whom the leaders spurn, but to whom they must turn to save the nation. The parallels to our present political circumstances are striking.
Shabbat Shalom and Happy Fourth of July!
...
