It has been very hard to watch the chaos in Israel. Netanyahu has been carrying out long-overdue judicial reforms, and the opposition has gone outside the rules of the game to shut down the country.
It seems to me that if you give in to such tactics, you lose the country. Military desertion, for example, which the left has used to pressure the government, is a complete disaster if it is legitimized.
It does seem, though, that the Israeli left is prepared to destroy the country rather than to live under a more democratic system in which Netanyahu and his political allies have a say in judicial selection.
The Israeli right is not prepared to give up the country, and so it is preparing to pause the judicial reforms, in the hope of returning the country to normal. The left plans to continue protests, regardless.
Some very smart people are arguing that it is all right to pause the reforms, because Netanyahu has exposed the rot for all to see, and that judicial reform is now inevitable, even a consensus position.
Maybe so. But I have to say, as someone who has always thought of Israel as a refuge, that the sight of that country transformed into yet another political battlefield by the radical left is really disheartening.
I have yet to hear one argument -- even one -- in favor of the system as it currently is. I have yet to hear one lefty consider the risk that if left-wing reservists desert, right-wing reservists may one day do so.
I am coming to the conclusion that the only real refuge for the free is in our own hearts and minds, and the only place for faith to reside is between the individual and God. There may be no real sanctuary.
Happy Star Wars day and all of that. Today's episode will consider the changing environment as we head into the next 100 days of the Trump presidency, with the stock market recovered and some hope in foreign affairs.
Will the tariff battle work out? Will Ukraine and Russia finally sit down for peace talks? Will the Trump administration's eagerness for a deal in Iran led to trouble? And will the "big, beautiful bill" Trump needs actually come together?
Special guests
John Carney -- financial editor, Breitbart News, on jobs, stocks, and tariffs
Mac Harman -- Christmas tree manufacturer, on the tariff threat to importers
Bradley Jaye -- congressional correspondent, Breitbart News, on the big bill
Frances Martel -- foreign editor, Breitbart News, on Trump's global efforts
Tune in: SiriusXM Patriot 125, 7-10 p.m. ET, 4-7 p.m. PT
Call: 866-957-2874
This week's Torah reading deals with the laws of tzara'at, which is loosely (though inaccurately) translated as "leprosy." It can happen to clothes and homes as well as people. The Torah describes how to deal with and purify it.
In addition, the Torah describes what to do about the ritual impurity that accompanies bodily emissions from sexual organs -- menstruation for women and ejaculation for men -- which are a normal part of everyday adult life.
The additional reading, from II Kings 7:3-20, tells the story of the lepers who helped conquer an Aramean army that had surrounded Samaria during the reign of King Jehoram -- the ultimate example of what even the meek can do.
Joel, what is your thoughts about South Africans currently seeking asylum in the USA? Do you think we ( they) have a realistic chance of receiving asylum? I have substantial amount of evidence of persecution, even a ANC letter stating “ they don’t condemn the violence by their comrades”. I saw your recent interviews and just starting to watch and read your posts on X. Would love to hear your thoughts on this. Thanks
