Joel Pollak
Politics • Lifestyle • News • Travel • Writing
I will share my thoughts about American politics, as well as current events in Israel and elsewhere, based on my experiences in the U.S., South Africa, and the Middle East. I will also discuss books and popular culture from the perspective of a somewhat libertarian, religiously observant conservative living in California. I will also share art and ideas that I find useful and helpful, and link to my content at Breitbart News, Amazon, and elsewhere.
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Off to Israel, on another journalistic adventure

I'm writing from the coach cabin on El Al flight 006 from L.A. to Tel Aviv, heading back to Israel for another week of journalism and reconnecting.

This trip will be quick, and seems easy. Actually, it was very hard to arrange.

Last month, everyone was canceling everything, fearing a much wider war in the Middle East. I had a ticket on British Airways, and they canceled ALL flights to Israel through early next year. Two tours I might have accompanied also canceled.

I looked at fares on El Al, and they were prohibitively expensive. Suddenly, after refreshing the website for days, a fare popped up that was reasonable -- normal, even. I didn't hesitate; I moved ahead and booked my ticket.

My ambition is to get to Lebanon, somehow. I don't need to go far into the place; I certainly don't want to go anywhere particularly dangerous (though it's all a little dicey). I just want to stand there and look back at Israel.

I have a specific reason for wanting to do so: when I was at the Lebanese border in November (on the Israeli side), it was clear that the Hezbollah-controlled villages had the topographical high ground. That's a reality I want to convey to the world.

I'd also like to get to Gaza, if possible, and report on what is happening there -- again, as safely as is possible. I'd also like to report on the mood in Israel, the effort to rebuild the communities around Gaza, and the prospects for peace.

I think my coverage may help to shape American perceptions, particularly in the emerging Trump administration (to the extent that they read my stuff), which is moving toward peace deals, hopefully on favorable terms.

Along the way, I'm hoping to reconnect with friends and family, and to the spirit that draws me to that magnificent country and its brave and beautiful people, who are among the world's happiest despite -- or because of -- their struggles.

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Time-lapse sunrise at Temescal Falls
00:00:17
This is what is left of my special place in the forest

Burned, then covered in mudslides and rockslides. The river still flows through it. But we have lost so much. I have to believe the spirit still lives on.

00:00:16
The drive home 💔
00:00:46
September 11, 2025

Just want to say I loved your column in the NY Post on Charlie Kirk.

Breitbart News Sunday: show clock (September 7, 2023)

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

Weekly Torah reading: Ki Teitzei (Deuteronomy 21:10 - 25:19)

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 ...

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