I'm landing in L.A. in a couple of hours after an incredible trip to Israel. I feel optimistic about the country -- more so than at any point since October 7 -- despite the growing international pressure.
First -- it was incredible to witness firsthand the love that President Javier Milei brought for Israel and the Jewish people. I managed to cover most of his trip, including an unannounced Western Wall visit.
Second -- it was interesting to be in Israel the week that many of the reservists who had been mobilized Oct. 7 were released from duty after four months. Israelis are rebuilding their lives and their families.
Third -- it's the end of winter and the beginning of spring. There are signs of renewal -- the red poppies, the longer days. There's a new year unfolding and Israel is moving ahead. War, peace -- regardless.
I'm eager to be back with my family. But I will keep Israel in my heart. The fight ahead remains a long one -- not just in Gaza. But I feel that it is both a winnable and a worthy one, and I'm here to write about it.
This week's show will be slightly different from the norm: we'll focus on clips and topics, rather than guests -- and that, hopefully, will mean more input from the callers (unless you are all watching football on opening weekend).
Topics:
- The state of the economy
- The fight against crime
- The midterm election fight
- The struggle for peace between Russia and Ukraine
- The airstrike on the Venezuelan drug cartel
- The attempt to sink Kennedy
- The war in Gaza
- The case against Harvard
- The Trump presidency
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This week's Torah portion includes several laws about conduct in civic and personal life, the common theme of which is boundaries -- setting bounds to what one may do at home, at work, and even in the battlefield.
One noteworthy passage concerns Amalek, the evil nation that attacked the Children of Israel as they made their Exodus from slavery to freedom. Deuteronomy 25:17-19 commands Jews to obliterate Amalek's memory.
The South African government accused Israel of genocide on the basis of a story about Amalek in the Book of Samuel, in which King Saul was commanded to wipe out the entire evil Amalekite nation.
Because Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quoted this week's portion -- "Remember what Amalek did to you" (25:17), the South African government claimed he was commanding soldiers to commit genocide.
It was an absurd and malevolent misreading of the Bible and of Jewish tradition. The commandment, as observed by Jews today, is to remember the evil of Amalek and fight ...
