Mitchell Bard has a very good article about the roots of the Palestinian conflict with Israel. "It's the religion, stupid," he says. But he is careful to note that it is not Islam itself that rejects Israel; rather, given the Abraham Accords, it is clear that there are specific radical Islamic forces, such as Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood, that drive a fanatical religious opposition to Israel that is not necessarily shared by all Muslims or even all Palestinians.
A quote:
I was thinking about the libel comparing Israel to Afrikaner South Africa, and it occurred to me that the rebuttals, including mine, leave out a central argument. In South Africa, Afrikaners considered the country theirs—that blacks were inferior, and that they should rule over them. By contrast, Israelis acknowledge Palestinian claims to part of the land, do not consider them inferior and do not want to be their masters. It is actually the Palestinians who believe that the land belongs to them, that they are superior to Jews, and that they should control the lives of Jews.
To be more accurate, it is not all Palestinians, but Islamists such as Hamas and Palestine Islamic Jihad.
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Let me be clear. The war is not between Islam and Judaism or Islam and Israel. The proof is that Muslim nations have made peace with Israel. This is not a contradiction because those countries—Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates—are the least fundamentalist and their leaders also fear Islamists. The most vocal opponents of peace with the Jews are the Muslim Brotherhood and Iran.
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The conflict with the Palestinians cannot be resolved so long as their leaders are driven by a religious rather than a political agenda. You cannot reach compromises with people who believe that Allah has given them marching orders to reconstitute the Islamic empire and, ideally, expand it throughout the world.
This is the final edition of THE AGENDA -- finished a few days early!
This week's portion elucidates some of the first laws and principles of the Torah that follow the Ten Commandments, including -- a message particularly relevant to freed slaves -- the Jewish restrictions on indentured servitude.
God also provides the basic civil laws of Jewish society, governing almost every area of life -- in this one portion! -- as well as several basic principles of faith and religious observance. Moses then ascends Sinai for 40 days.
One of the laws God gives is the law against taunting a foreigner. This is different from allowing people to enter your land illegally; it is about showing respect, however, for people from other lands and other groups.
I am reminded of the importance of this principle because of the rhetoric lately attacking Elon Musk, a fellow South African-turned-American, for his foreign roots -- often by people who favor illegal immigration, ironically.
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Since the Palisades Fire on January 7, my posts have been fairly sparse. I have just been so busy -- fighting the fire, covering the fire, helping neighbors, and launching a new podcast, "Three Homeless Guys," with two local friends.
Things are up and down. My family is still displaced, and we haven't resolved our living situation. We are awaiting answers from the insurance company (State Farm) on what they will cover, including alternative living expenses.
There are some incredible opportunities opening up -- more on that later -- and our kids are generally doing well, though this has been hard for them as well (especially the two middle kids, who miss their friends and their house).
The emotion of it all hit me yesterday. Today I feel wrung out. But I also feel that, in a way, going through the fire has been a process of refinement, of re-casting in a new mould, to face new challenges. And to win each new day.
So much to talk about, once again, as the Trump administration continues at breakneck pace. From DOGE chewing through the federal bureaucracy, to Marco Rubio heading out on his first missions for Trump, there's so much...
Special guests:
Assemblyman Carl DeMaio -- on the L.A. fires and reforming CA insurance
Matt Boyle -- Breitbart News political editor, on DOGE and confirmations
Jamie Paige -- founder of the Westside Current, on L.A. politics and the fires
Frances Martel -- Breitbart News foreign editor, on Rubio and Russia/Ukraine
Rob Hersov -- South African commentator, on SA's fight with the White House
Tune in: SiriusXM Patriot 125, 7-10 p.m. ET, 4-7 p.m. PT
Call in: 866-957-2874
