Joel Pollak
Politics • Lifestyle • News • Travel • Writing
I will share my thoughts about American politics, as well as current events in Israel and elsewhere, based on my experiences in the U.S., South Africa, and the Middle East. I will also discuss books and popular culture from the perspective of a somewhat libertarian, religiously observant conservative living in California. I will also share art and ideas that I find useful and helpful, and link to my content at Breitbart News, Amazon, and elsewhere.
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Biden's trip to Israel reaffirms bipartisan support for the Jewish state

As difficult as it is for a Republican like me to acknowledge a Democratic success, and as tough as it is to give credit to Democrats for a "bipartisan" approach to Israel when they have strayed so far into the anti-Israel camp, Biden seems to have placed the US-Israel relationship back on a bipartisan foundation. This is no small achievement, and deserves to be acknowledged.

Back in 2008, I had a public debate with my Harvard Law School professor, Alan Dershowitz, in the pages of the Jerusalem Post, about whether Barack Obama would be good for Israel or not. Dershowitz suggested that Obama could lead the left into the pro-Israel camp; I argued that Obama would do the opposite, given his close association with anti-Israel radicals in the past.

I was right about Obama. But Dershowitz anticipated the path that Biden seems to have taken. It took a Donald Trump in between those two, to place the US-Israel relationship back on the right path and to orient the region toward peace. Biden largely recapitulated Trump's policies on his visit to Israel, with a few perfunctory nods toward Palestinian aspirations, but no concessions.

I still think Biden is a poor president, and I would much rather have seen a second Trump term. But Biden's trip to Israel allowed Democrats to embrace the pro-Israel label. Remarkably, Biden defied the extreme left of his party on Israel, though he is otherwise running the most left-wing administration in U.S. history. He undid much -- not all -- of the damage done by Obama. Very good.

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Time-lapse sunrise at Temescal Falls
00:00:17
This is what is left of my special place in the forest

Burned, then covered in mudslides and rockslides. The river still flows through it. But we have lost so much. I have to believe the spirit still lives on.

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The drive home 💔
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Breitbart News Sunday: show rundown (August 24, 2025)

This week, we are tackling two major areas of contention between the Trump administration and Democrat governors: fighting crime, and redistricting. The president is sending the National Guard to blue cities -- and blue states are trying to stamp out Republican representation. Is this a civil war situation?

Special guests:

  • Bradley Jaye -- Breitbart News congressional correspondent, on redistricting
  • Tom Manza, California Business and Industrial Alliance, on Gavin Newsom
  • Jon Fleischman, veteran California political expert, on the special election
  • Dan Backer, veteran political lawyer and consultant, on corruption
  • DJ Mark Anthony, on a recent visit to Rome and visiting Pope Leo XIV

Tune in: SiriusXM Patriot 125, 7-10 p.m. ET / 4-7 p.m. PT
Call: 866-957-2874

Weekly Torah reading: Re'eh (Deuteronomy 11:26 - 16:17)

This week's portion is the last of the month of Av -- also known as Menachem (Comforter) Av -- which begins in mourning and ends in celebration and anticipation of the New Year and the process of repentance and renewal.

In a similar vein, the portion features Moses offering the Israelites a choice between a blessing and a curse. They are masters of their own fates: if they obey God's commandments, they receive the blessings -- and vice versa.

The key commandment is to reject idol worship. There is said to be something magnetic about the practice of worshiping idols in the new land, such that it would be constant moral battle, both individually and collectively, in the land.

Nowadays, according to Jewish tradition, humanity has lost the urge for idol worship (and the antidote, which is divine prophecy) -- but there are several near substitutes, such as lust or excessive appetites for worldly pleasures.

We are wired for compulsive behaviors, bad habits, and even addictions. These ...

Breitbart News Sunday: show rundown (August 17, 2025)

We have so much to talk about this week -- Trump's efforts to negotiate peace through negotiation, and Gavin Newsom's efforts to divide Americans through gerrymandering. We'll also talk about Playboy leaving LA and California.

Special guests:

Frances Martel - Breitbart News foreign editor, on Russia & Ukraine
Bradley Jaye - Breitbart News congressional correspondent, on Newsom
Harmeet Dhillon - DOJ Civil Rights Division chief, on the fight against DEI
Jessica Vaugn - Playboy model on political commentator, on California

Tune in: SiriusXM Patriot 125, 7-10 p.m. ET, 4-7 PT
Call: 866-957-2874

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