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.
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 ...
