I am reminded, amid calls for ceasefire, and with the recent experience of the "pause" in mind, of something former Israeli ambassador to the UN Dorn Gold said, many years ago.
Namely: the UN has caused more suffering than it has prevented, partly because instead of letting wars play out, and letting one side win, it has frozen conflicts in time, allowing them to continue.
In Gaza, the right thing to do -- from a humanitarian perspective -- is to let Israel win, despite the immediate humanitarian cost. Stopping the fight now would just ensure future wars in Gaza.
I felt that the experience of the "pause" was actually traumatic for Israelis and Jews, despite the joy of bringing hostages home. People felt powerless; they felt manipulated and abused by Hamas.
The U.S., for now, is letting Israel continue. My friend Caroline Glick says that Biden is the biggest obstacle to Israeli victory. Perhaps. But in a broader sense, the opponent is time. Israel's task is urgent.
I'm hoping and praying that Israel is able to liberate more of the hostages through military action. It would change the equation in a fundamental way. Maybe soon. Maybe today, God willing.
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!
...
