Imagine if pro-Palestinian protesters made clear they don't support Hamas -- the way left-wing, pro-Israel Jews are constantly making clear that they don't support the "settlements" in the West Bank.
It would look something like this:
We, the undersigned, are Palestinians and supporters of the Palestinian cause, and we wish to disavow Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and anyone else who would use violence against civilians in our name.
We cherish the unbroken connection of millions of Palestinians to the land of our ancestors. Some of us believe that Palestinians have a right to all of the land; some of us are prepared to accept a two-state solution. We embrace a diversity of views about the future.
Yet we reject terrorism as a means to achieve our national goals. There is never an excuse for it -- whether by Israeli settlers or by Palestinian militants. It is self-destructive, and it is also immoral.
We abhor the terror attacks of October 7. There is no justification for them. They provoked a response that has devastated Gaza. They were enabled by countries like Iran that do not care about us and do not bear the cost of their aggression.
We can no longer be silent.
Our people have fought bravely for their land. Yet war, and terror, have set us back, costing us more land and diminishing the justice of our cause in the eyes of people who would otherwise be our allies.
Israeli violence is no excuse for Palestinian violence. Our duty to condemn terror exists independent of the conduct of the other side.
We call on the nations of the world to support Palestinian leaders who join our commitment to oppose terror. We ask them to invest in the Palestinian people, rather than propping up those who exploit us.
We look forward to a brighter future -- a day when we can hold our heads high and take pride in the morality and success of our cause.
Signed,
(Nobody ever)
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 ...
