I began the morning in Ashdod, and went for a run at sunrise in the sand dunes that line the beach. The weather was windy, and the surf was wild. In the sand dunes, the scene was more placid, and I even found gazelle tracks, though I did not see one of those majestic animals.
From there, I drove south to Zikim Beach, site of one of the most brutal Hamas assaults on October 7th. Terrorist commandos succeeded in landing on the beach and murdered innocent people -- surfers, fishermen, people out for a morning walk -- before attacking IDF bases.
Today, Zikim is a staging point for the Israeli military in its battles against Hamas in Gaza. It is also an entry point for humanitarian aid trucks entering the territory. A reserve IDF unit called Yatar took me on a fast ATV ride on a tour of the border, for a view of the battlefield.
From there, I drove north to Tel Aviv, for a meeting with Israeli government spokesman David Mencer, whom I usually encounter in Zoom press briefings. Then I drove east to Jerusalem, where I had a short lunch with incoming Israeli ambassador to the U.S., Dr. Yehiel Leiter.
Then I rejoined my friend from Magdala, Father Eamon Kelly, for a sneak preview of a mural of the Pentecost at the Notre Dame center, and for a rooftop view of the Christian Quarter of the Old City. The weather was cold and windy, and I decided to find my Airbnb before dark.
After a phone interview with an IDF official, I did a little shopping on Ben Yehuda Street, had dinner at a café in Mamilla, and walked to the Kotel, the Western Wall, for a last visit before I return to the U.S. on Wednesday evening. In the rain, the streets shone, reflecting every light.
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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