The stormy squalls of current events are best gauged in proper proportion when we lift our gaze to a historical perspective and offer gratitude for the miracle of our national rebirth. A few reflections for the “Ten Days of Thanks.”
We are standing at a critical crossroads: education or extinction. Those who forget the past are doomed to relive it - which is why the struggle to preserve the memory of the Holocaust is a moral imperative.
The primary lesson of the Holocaust is reiterated constantly: Jews will no longer be defenseless, they will fight to destroy their enemies. In this sense, Israel is the answer to the Holocaust. But there is a second, less-discussed lesson, no less critical: no more exile. There is no future for Jews outside their historic homeland. This is their home.
The Taiwan question is a legacy of China’s civil war. Since 1945, Taiwan has not been a foreign colony or under foreign occupation, and there is no question of people’s right to self-determination. Cross-Strait relations are between the central and local authorities, and the future of Taiwan can only be determined by the more than 1.4 billion Chinese people, including Taiwan compatriots.
Seven years since that day, and with a certain symbolism, the judge sentenced the two men responsible for the deaths of Gali, Agam, Ilan, Ella, Shani, Yael, Maayan, Adi, Tzur and Romi to seven years in prison. Seven years that won’t bring our children back, but may restore some of the trust we lost, and affirm the basic principle that the sin of pride must be met with punishment.
Pope Francis bears significant responsibility for the rise in global antisemitism since October 7. The day after the massacre, he delivered a sermon in St. Peter's Square without mentioning a word about the barbaric crimes committed against the people of God.
At a time when Jewish communities around the world are still reeling from the trauma of October 7, the decision to give a platform to a band that glorifies terror is not just tone-deaf – it is morally indefensible.
Donald Trump’s desire to avoid a military confrontation is understandable. However, if the price is to leave both the Iranian regime and its nuclear capabilities intact, this would be a historic blunder - no less severe than the Munich Agreement. If these are indeed the final positions the US plans to adopt in the negotiations, there is real cause for serious concern.
Israel has cemented its image as an enemy seeking to destabilize and bring down the regime in Syria, even though many in Syria viewed Israel positively due to its strikes against Iran and Hezbollah.
Defeatist propagandists among us are trying to convince the Israeli public to stop the war and sign a deal. As a public service, we present Hamas' demands in the latest negotiations. The Seventh Day of Passover marks the splitting of the sea and the ultimate defeat of the enemy. We learn from our ancestors.