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)
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
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.”
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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