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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Israel has so much more support than we realize

Many Jewish people have spent the last several days feeling very alone. It seems, in moments of crisis, that the world is against us, or indifferent to the suffering of Jews, especially in "strong" Israel.

But as of Monday evening, support is pouring in from around the world. First and foremost from the Abraham Accords allies -- the UAE and Bahrain. Then from -- of all people -- Barack Obama.

Obama's support was very important because it wasn't just about peace, or mourning the loss of life. Obama explicitly endorsed the idea of "dismantl[ing]" Hamas. That's a big change for him.

It also guarantees victory. It means that there will be bipartisan support for Israel in the U.S., and little space between U.S. and Israeli policy. The alliance, in spite of everything, has come through.

Trump gets credit for setting the example: stand with Israel, and our shared enemies fall. Support Israel in war, and reap the benefits of peace. Biden has belatedly come around (as in other areas).

Many people are attending mournful prayers -- and there is much to mourn. But after crying off and on for the past few days, I feel that victory is certain, and peace inevitable. It will be hard, but it will BE.

On Sunday, I left my desk to go back to the synagogue to participate in the hakafot -- the parades in which we carry the Torah scrolls to celebrate completing Deuteronomy and starting anew in Genesis.

One of the parades traditionally leaves the synagogue and heads outside -- in our community, to the beach. I usually love that one; one year, I carried a Torah scroll half a mile away, down the sand.

Side note: I actually found some Jews way down there, who did not know it was the holiday of Simchat Torah. They asked to hold the Torah; they kissed it. It was a little miracle that I found them there.

This year, I did not feel like singing, or dancing, or even carrying a Torah. But I brought an Israeli flag and unfurled it at the side of the Pacific Coast Highway. I held it up, tears streaming down my face.

And the cars honked. And the people waved. And the motorcycle engines revved and roared in approval. And the people of liberal Los Angeles California showed their love and their support for Israel.

And the people of our little congregation, who felt so embattled, carried the Torah scrolls back to our synagogue with pride, because they felt loved. And so we witnessed another little miracle. Onward.

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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.

00:00:16
The drive home 💔
00:00:46
Breitbart News Sunday: show rundown (July 13, 2025)

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

Weekly Torah reading: Balak (Numbers 22:2 - 25:9)

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.”

https://www.chabad.org/parshah/torahreading_cdo/aid/2495769/p/complete/jewish/Balak-Torah-Reading.htm

Weekly Torah portion: Chukat (Numbers 19:1 - 22:1)

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!

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