There has been a major change in Biden's policy on Israel, and that of Democrats more generally. Biden has reverted to the Trump policy of backing Israel 100%, rather than the old Obama policy of "distance."
Trump told Israel's enemies that he was going to give Israel free rein. Hence there were no wars against Israel for four years. Trump also moved the embassy, etc., and the result was the Abraham Accords.
Obama wanted "distance," and the Iran deal. So Israel had to face war after war. And in those wars, he told Israel to back down and even denied Israel weapons. Biden largely restored that approach.
But the Hamas terror attack on Israel last weekend -- with its ISIS-like, graphic brutality -- changed all of that. Now Biden is saying Israel has a "duty" to get rid of Hamas. Now Obama says we must support Israel as it "dismantles" Hamas. Now Jake Sullivan, the national security advisor, says the U.S. will back Israel's war "as long as they need to feel safe." Now Karine Jean-Pierre, the formerly anti-Israel press secretary, says that equivocating between Israel and Hamas is "disgraceful" and that there is only one side -- Israel's side.
This means the war is over, bar the fighting, and Israel will have won.
Perhaps it is difficult to trust Biden, Obama, and the others. And there is a very good argument that their policies led to this disaster.
It's too late to undo that. But this is a big change. I hope it sticks.
I should have noted in my message about the weekly Torah portion that this week is Shabbat Chazon, the Sabbath of Vision. We are about to mourn -- but see through that pain to something better that lies beyond, on the other side.
Wishing you the best vision -- and an incredible reality to follow. It happens!
We begin the final speech of Moses to the people of Israel before they enter the Promised Land. He relates the ups and downs of the years of wandering in the desert, before, finally, the people have the merit to enter the land itself.
This Sabbath always precedes Tisha B'Av, the Ninth of Av, the saddest day on the Jewish calendar. It is the anniversary of the destruction of both of the Holy Temples, and a catch-all for many calamities that befell the Jewish people.
A word on Tisha B'Av. This year I am leaving for an overseas trip during the afternoon of the holiday -- in the middle of a fast day. Not idea, but there was no other choice. But my flight is in the afternoon, which is significant.
We relax some of the harsh, mournful customs of the day in the afternoon. We start to pray normally; we sit on regular chairs; we start to have hope again in the redemption that will, one day, lead us all back from exile to our home.
I'll be taking a trip to a land where an important part of ...
President Trump is in Scotland, playing golf and making big trade deals -- a major deal with the EU, in fact. Meanwhile, there is a global outcry about humanitarian aid to Palestinians (not about the Israeli hostages, mind you).
On top of that, Democrats are at their lowest polling numbers ever -- so they are trying to win control of the House by redistricting in the middle of a 10-year Census cycle. Oh, economic optimism is up, so they have a tough road.
And Tulsi Gabbard's revelations about the Russia collusion investigation make it clear that Obama's lieutenants lied to Congress. How deeply was he himself involved? The media continue to ignore the evidence, but we certainly won't.
Special guests:
Nick Gilbertson - Breitbart News White House correspondent, on EU deal
Frances Martel - Breitbart News foreign editor, on Trump abroad and Russia
John Spencer - urban warfare expert, on humanitarian aid and war in Gaza
Bradley Jaye - Breitbart News congressional correspondent, on the ...
