I can pinpoint the moment at which I felt a sense of alarm about what is happening in Israel this year, the point at which I felt that Israelis had gone mad and I wondered about the future of a country I love: when some military reservists stopped showing up for duty.
They said that they were protesting judicial reforms, and trying to defend democracy. I have no doubt that many believe that -- though they are wrong -- and that their misunderstanding of "democracy" is the reason few Israelis have the stomach to see them dismissed.
Still, it was a shock to me that anyone would refuse to serve, when all that was happening was a democratically-elected government was carrying out what the people democratically elected it to do. The arguments by Israelis who support the protests struck me as empty.
To refuse to perform military duty over a matter of policy is a form of undemocratic pressure on the government, akin to a kind of military coup. You are saying that you are willing to give up on defending the country, and put fellow citizens at risk, because of a political view.
To me, this felt like Israelis were giving up on Israel. And it didn't take the Palestinians, or the Iranians, to make it happen. Maybe the peace deals with other Arab states gave Israelis a false sense of security, like they could afford the luxury of this kind of extreme protest.
This remains disturbing to me, and I don't think I can understand it from afar. As I said, the arguments of the anti-government side seem muddled to me. Israelis have a familial, and not ideological, way of expressing political arguments. I need to know more, firsthand.
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
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Call: 866-957-2874
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 ...
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
