Apologies for my delay the last 48 hours… it has been quite a whirlwind! Thus far we have toured Tel Aviv on the coast, and the settlement of Ariel in the interior. I have also taken the liberty of visiting the port city of Haifa for dinner last night.
A few reflections:
1. Israel is still a vibrant, dynamic, beautiful place, regardless of whatever is going on politically.
2. Tel Aviv is a wonderful mess — crowded and chaotic, but also brilliant and innovative. The new subway is incredible. The beach is, well, awesome.
3. The fault lines over Netanyahu’s judicial reform are not entirely ideological or cultural. Some on the right oppose him just because of the division it has provoked within Israeli society (familiar, perhaps, to the emotions evoked by Trump in the USA).
4. The Palestinians want jobs and the chance to earn a good living more than they want a state. If anything, attempts at peace — or struggle — have complicated their lives. Judea and Samaria are a maze of roads and boundaries and there seems no easy resolution — nor, perhaps, any urgent one.
5. Palestinians do not generally understand why Jews want to come to Israel and support Israel. To the extent that face-to-face interaction is possible, it can help break that barrier of understanding.
6. It’s good to remember that in addition to the religious connected Jews have to the land, a big reason Israel exists is because of the cultural revival that Tel Aviv represents. That Israel counts, too; it is the Israel that many on the left want to preserve, and not because of partisan politics.
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
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
