Whether it's Israeli success on the battlefield, or pressure to free the hostages, or the prospect of a Trump presidency -- the pieces of peace are coming together.
Consider the following news headlines, all from the Times of Israel:
"Report: Netanyahu, security officials agree it’s time to seek ceasefire in Lebanon"
Gallant to troops: Bringing the hostages home is most important mission in Gaza now
"Saudi Arabia hosts meeting of new group pushing for Palestinian state"
I'm not sure what sort of ceasefire, or regional peace deal, this will produce, but here you have Israel looking for a ceasefire from a position of strength in Lebanon; Israel looking for a hostage deal in Gaza, with Hamas destroyed; and Saudi Arabia organizing the Arab world to make demands for the Palestinians.
The pieces are coming together in a complex negotiation that will take some time to work out. But it looks like there may be a deal on the horizon -- and hopefully a good one. Perhaps an early achievement for a Trump presidency?
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
Tune in: SiriusXM Patriot 125, 7-10 p.m. ET / 4-7 p.m. PT
Call: 866-957-2874
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 ...
