Prior to the war, I thought peace was around the corner. (Again, as I did in 1999). In the opening days of the war, given the reemergence of anti-Israel sentiment in the Arab world, I wondered how Israel could manage to survive.
Then the Abraham Accords held, and I realized that the opposition was largely sustained by Iran, and by the example of the Islamic Revolution of 1979, which will only be defeated when it fails internally (though outside pressure will help).
But the hatred of Israel that had taken root in the West gave me new cause to worry. Anti-Israel hatred and antisemitism have become fixtures, even in the U.S., thanks to immigration and radicalism. And the West lacks faith in itself.
Then I considered that Israel had emerged during an era in which the West was hardly at its best - indeed, it emerged despite the self-destruction of the West in two world wars, in communism, and in the post-modernism that followed.
Moreover, a thought expressed by Mark Cuban has echoed through my mind in recent weeks: we may not be able to control how much people hate us, but we can control how much we love ourselves, and how much we love one another.
The secret to Israel's survival is not its strength relative to its enemies, nor its resilience relative to its allies -- though all of that helps. The secret to Israel's survival is love --a love of land, love of people, love of God, love of life.
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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