It's not that Putin isn't a war criminal; he probably is. (Though we can't know so quickly in a battle where there are probably combatants hiding among civilians.)
The issue is: once you've said it, a) what does it mean; b) what are the consequences? For a), there is no way that Biden can enforce international law on Putin, short of a Russian revolution or a NATO defeat of Russia in what would certainly be a nuclear war, by which time we probably wouldn't be around to care. And for b), once you've accused someone of war crimes, you can't really negotiate with them, because then you become the devil's partner.
I mean, how do we even do the Iran deal with a "war criminal" regime? Plus, they have every incentive to go on fighting, because now their life and liberty are at stake, rather than just territorial gains inside someone else's country. So... Biden might yet again have made World War III a district possibility.
Unless Biden's not serious. Which... would not be a surprise. And it would also not be a surprise that he had risked World War III for gestural politics.
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!
...
