Yesterday I focused on the question of whether the residents of the communities attacked on October 7th would be able to return and rebuild. For some, the answer is yes: they are taking on the challenge in the face of danger and trauma. For others, moving on is the only option.
I started out with a sunrise run along the Ashdod shore, then visited the local museum of Philistine history and culture, where they have incredible artifacts, including real columns from a Philistine temple at Gath -- such as the columns Samson pushed over in the Bible.
From there, I drove to Kibbutz Nirim, where I met Adele Raemer, who is rebuilding her home and her community. It was incredibly inspiring to see the effort that is going into restoring a place that was overrun on October 7 -- including female army volunteers, all new immigrants.
I then drove to the village of Gedera, where I met with a long-lost relative who is one of the leading combat engineers of the IDF, blowing up tunnels and terrorist buildings in Gaza. From there, I visited the Rai family in Kiryat Gat, survivors of Kibbutz Nir Oz who may not return.
I ended the evening with dinner in Ashdod -- kebab on the grill, with vegetables and Israeli salad. There is nothing like the food in Israel -- fresh, healthy, fulfilling. I lose a little weight when I'm here, just because I'm so active... but truly, people here know how to enjoy food.
I should add that while all of this was going on, as interesting and positive as it was, Israel was under severe rocket and missile attack in the north and center of the country, and news came that Rabbi Tzvi Kogan, a Chabad rabbi in Abu Dhabi, had been murdered by Iranian terrorists.
In July, I visited Abu Dhabi and was told by Jews there how safe they felt in the United Arab Emirates. The horrifying murder of Rabbi Kogan is a reminder that Jews are never really safe.
Adele Raemer told me that Israel still felt like the safest place for Jews. I asked her about that feeling: how could she feel that way after losing so many people she knew on October 7th that the names filled four notebook pages? She thought about that contradiction, and answered: in Israel, we Jews are in control of our security. The army is our army. That's the sense of safety.
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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