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.
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 ...
