IRAN’S COMEUPPANCE

The following is a compendium of various news reports regarding the Israel-Iran War, which, as most of us know is currently raging in the Middle East, supplemented by my own opinion sprinkled in where noted.

In my view, almost anyone who was paying attention to world events knew it was only a matter of time. It was obvious that Iran, despite its continuous denials, was developing nuclear weapons and the capacity to deliver them. Also, everyone knew that it would not hesitate to use them once it was able to do so. Iran has been very blunt with respect to its goal to destroy Israel and then wreak havoc on other countries it perceived to be enemies, including the US.

I maintain it was equally obvious that Israel would never allow Iran to possess such weaponry. Jews have already suffered through one Holocaust; they do not need another.

Israel has been at war since its founding as a nation. It knows this war is literally a fight to the death. If the US leadership were to continue in its appeasement policy, it was prepared to act alone. Once Donald Trump became president and the US expressed unwavering and unconditional support of Israel’s “no nuclear weapon for Iran” policy the die was cast. I’m surprised it waited so long to “drop the hammer,” but I suppose Trump and Netanyahu wanted to give peace a chance.

As I have written many times Trump is not wishy-washy like Joe Biden and other former US presidents. He says what he means and means what he says. He gave Iran 60 days to agree to a deal, and on the 61st day he gave Israel the go-ahead. In turn, Israel has unleashed holy hell on Iran. In just a few days Israel has destroyed much of Iran’s nuclear capacity, killed much of its leadership and nuclear scientists, virtually destroyed its air force, and has the country at its mercy.

As I said, Trump has repeatedly said he wants peace, but he is prepared for war. The US already had substantial assets in the ME region, and recently, as a show of force, it tasked another aircraft carrier group to the area due to what the US military termed “an emergent operational requirement.” As the expression goes, “hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.”

Messrs. Trump and Netanyahu have been working closely together to thwart Iran. In a sense they have been providing a blueprint of how to deal with a genocidal terrorist autocratic regime. Now, it appears that there is a real chance to transform the geopolitics of the ME. In due course, perhaps other Arab nations will join the “Abraham Accords” that Trump has been advocating. You may have noticed the deafening silence from Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the other ME nations. They didn’t want Iran to have nuclear capacity either. No one does. No one trusts them not to use it.

Predictably, the biggest opposition has been coming from within the US from the TDS-afflicted far-left wing of the Dem Party and their allies in the media. For example, Hakeem Jeffries wants it both ways. While acknowledging that “Iran should never be allowed to become nuclear capable” he has backtracked by advocating for a “reduction in hostilities.” Doofus Tim Walz is bemoaning the fact that the US, by its unwavering support of Israel, has ceased to be a “neutral arbitrator.” Not to be outdone, Ilhan Omar has chimed in with what the NY Post termed her usual “antisemitic dog whistles.” As expected, the country’s leading Jewish politician, (Up)Chuck Schumer, has failed to express support for Israel. One of the few voices of reason among Dem leaders has been PA Senator John Fetterman who told the Jewish Insider he was “shocked by his ‘party pals’ ‘ views.” I say, he shouldn’t have been.

Iran is the very definition of a rogue nation with an unhinged leadership. It is an integral part of a rogue’s gallery of nations that includes Russia, China and North Korea. It has been the world’s biggest sponsor of terrorism. Through its proxies, such as Hamas, Hezbollah, the Hootie’s and other terrorist organizations it has fomented mayhem and death throughout the ME, Europe and the US. It has attempted to assassinate President Trump at least twice, and it is reputed to have several terrorist cells active in the US. In my view, it deserves what it gets.

CONCLUSION

Clearly, Iran’s leadership, through arrogance or blind hatred, miscalculated the situation. They were used to dealing with appeasers like former presidents Biden and Obama whom they were able to “string along” with deceit and deception and who offered only tepid support for Israel. They didn’t realize that Trump is totally different from them. Their insane hatred of Israel blinded their reason, and now they will pay for it.

Now, Israel is in total control of the situation. If it chooses it could assassinate the Ayatollah, and destroy Iran’s oil fields, which would render the country leaderless and bankrupt. Trump has urged some restraint “for now.” Perhaps, he is patiently waiting for the Iranian people to rise up and displace the country’s current leadership, which is reputed to be widely unpopular. The Ayatollah could always follow in the footsteps of Syria’s former president Bashar al-Assad who fled to Russia. However, Trump’s patience won’t last forever. The situation has been evolving rapidly. Stay tuned.

HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS

“Father time” is undefeated. That is a well-known expression often applied to sports careers, but it is also applicable to other aspects of life, such as Holocaust survivors.

It has been 80 years since the end of WWII and the resultant worldwide revelation of the Holocaust that the Nazis visited upon Jews, Gypsies, and others they deemed to be “enemies of the state, inferior” and even “subhuman,” from the early 1930s through 1945. It is estimated that the Nazis and their often-eager collaborators murdered some six million Jews during this period. (Yes, there are credible records of many who risked their lives to save Jews, but in my opinion, they were in the minority.) The overall total, including, non-Jews, is unknown due to the many mass executions whose victims were buried in hidden and unrecorded mass graves, but according to Wikipedia, research by historians places the number of Holocaust victims murdered at “not less than twelve million and probably more.”

The contrast between the estimated Jewish populations of some European countries prewar versus postwar is shocking but not surprising: Germany – 560,000 vs. 15,000, Poland – 3.3 million vs. 300,000, and Austria – 191,000 vs fewer than 4,000. Jews had been living in those countries for hundreds of years. They had become ingrained into the economic, political, social and cultural life of those countries. They were always welcome, until they were not.

It has often been said that the surviving victims’ best revenge on Hitler and the Nazis was to live a long, productive life. As the Tom Hanks character counseled the Matt Damon character in the iconic WWII movie Saving Private Ryan: “earn it.”

Inevitably, with the passage of time the number of Holocaust survivors has dwindled down to a precious few. According to a recent article published in the Associated Press only some 200,000 Jewish Holocaust survivors are still alive, roughly one-half of whom live in Israel. (By comparison, Israel is home to merely .12% of the world’s total population.)

The Claims Conference, which monitors Holocaust survivors, estimates their median age to be 87 with about 1,500 of them in excess of 100 years old. As one might expect a goodly number of them are in poor general health, not only the result of age but also the physical, mental and emotional abuse and stress of the Holocaust, itself. According to research provided by Vanishing Witnesses sadly, but inevitably, due to normal mortality rates approximately 50% of them will likely pass away in the next six years, and virtually all of them within the next 15.

One survivor who has fulfilled the aforementioned advice to “live long and well” is Albrecht W. As profiled in the aforementioned AP article AW is 100. He survived Auschwitz, Bergen-Belsen, Mittel Brau-Dora and three “death” marches. Virtually his entire extended family was murdered in the Holocaust. To this day, he is still haunted by “horrendous memories” of what he endured. “I sleep with it; I sweat; I have nightmares; that is my [remembrance].” He dedicated his working career to teaching high school students and others about what he and others endured. Nevertheless, he is one of those who worries who will keep the memories alive after he is gone.

Conclusion

The primary takeaway from the foregoing is that very soon there will no longer be any firsthand witnesses to the horrific events that took place. Yes, there are photos, films and secondhand accounts, but they do not have the same impact. “Holocaust deniers” are already asserting that the events of the Holocaust are either exaggerated or never occurred. Ironically, they are simply too horrific and inhuman to be believed. Normal people cannot conceive that a human being could do those things to another human.

As time moves on, these “deniers” will become more numerous and vociferous. They will claim that photos and film records have been photoshopped and “doctored” and any remaining witnesses are unreliable. Eventually, the memories survivors have vowed to ensure people will “never forget” will, in fact, be forgotten, and the world will be inching closer to the next Holocaust. I hope I am wrong about this but based on history I doubt it.

HARVARD UNIVERSITY’S CHUTZPAH. DEMS’ CONTINUING SELF-DESTRUCTION

For many years Harvard University has enjoyed a most impressive reputation. Many people have always viewed HU as among the finest and most prestigious educational institutions in the world. Many people still do. According to Wikipedia HU students, alumni, faculty, and researchers include eight US presidents, 24 heads of state, 31 heads of government, 188 living billionaires, ten Academy Award winners, and 110 Olympic medalists, including 46 gold. Additionally, they comprise a plethora of Nobel laureates, Fields Medalists, Rhodes Scholars, Pulitzer Prize winners and prominent members of government.

Furthermore, the Academic Ranking of World Universities has ranked Harvard first in each of its annual rankings of the world’s colleges and universities; the Times Higher Education–QS World University Rankings, which was published from 2004 to 2009, ranked Harvard first in the world in each of its annual rankings; it has been ranked first in the world each year since 2011 by its successor, the Times Higher Education World University Rankings; and according to annual polls conducted by The Princeton Review, Harvard is consistently among the top two most commonly named “dream” colleges in the United States for both students and their parents.

However, recent events tell me that HU has been reading its own press clippings, so to speak. In my opinion HU thinks it is above not only the law but also above common decency. Read on, and I will explain.

HU is a private university located in Cambridge, MA. It was founded on October 28, 1636, and it is the oldest university in the US. It was named for its first benefactor, John Harvard. By the latter part of the 19th century, it had become a favorite among the Boston elite. In the opinion of many both it and its students had developed a snobby or bumptious attitude, which exists unfettered to this day.

By the early 1920s the percentage of Jewish students at HU had grown to 20%. The university’s president at the time thought that was excessive. Accordingly, he sought (unsuccessfully) to limit the admission of Jewish students to 15% of the undergraduate population. He also refused to require desegregation of the university’s freshman dorms. He stated that, “we owe to the colored man the same opportunities for education that we do to the white man, but we do not owe to him to force him and the white man into social relations that are not, or may not be, mutually congenial.” A certain antisemitic and anti-Black culture was being established, which has only intensified since then.

For many years this sentiment was mostly covert, but in the last few years it has exploded into the open. In January 2024, Harvard’s president, Claudine Gay, was forced to resign in the wake of allegations of antisemitism after having served only six months.  Gay was succeeded by Alan Garber, who has done nothing to rectify the campus culture. In fact, it can be argued that it has deteriorated further during his short tenure.

Now the HU Administration has developed a brazenness that is astounding. It has resisted reining in antisemitic/anti-Israel “protesters.” It has hardened its stance even in the face of losing substantial amounts of federal money and being subjected to other penalties and ridicule.

For instance, HU normally receives some $8 billion per year from the federal government most of which is earmarked for research and affiliated hospitals. The Trump Administration has already frozen $2.2 billion in grants, canceled a $60 million contract for further aid, and threatened to revoke the school’s tax-exempt status, which would be a huge blow. Regardless of these financial penalties, HU is stubbornly adhering to its policies. According to the NY Post it views these protests as a “civil right for the school [and the protesters] instead of a violation of Jewish students’ civil rights. Moreover, the school’s attorneys have reiterated HU “will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights.”

Conclusion

This high-profile obstinance only reinforces the public’s perception of elitism and antisemitism as exhibited by HU, Columbia and various other colleges in the Ivy League and elsewhere in recent years. As I said antisemitism has been festering covertly at the nation’s colleges for many years. The Biden Administration’s laissez-faire attitude and the October 7, 2023 terror attacks against Israel have brought it out in the open by giving “cover” to these radicals.

Unlike most schools HU has the financial resources to reject any federal assistance, at least for a time. It possesses an endowment estimated at $53 billion, by far the largest of any university. So, for now it can afford to stand on principle.

In the meantime, this is just another example of the far left being on the wrong side of every issue. Its TDS has forced it to oppose any policy espoused by Trump. This group has taken control of the Dem Party thereby making it the Party that favors open borders, criminals over law-abiding citizens, the rights of illegals over US citizens, government waste fraud and abuse, antisemitism, anti-working man, trans rights, and many other highly unpopular issues.

The latest iteration of this involves Maryland Dem Senator Chris Van Hollen. He ignored the horrific murder of Rachel Morin, a Maryland constituent. He didn’t even bother to make a condolence call to the family. Now, he feels compelled to free the murderer from the El Salvador prison in which he is being incarcerated. He has taken the highly unusual step of traveling to El Salvador to make a personal appeal for his release. This publicity stunt makes him look like a publicity-seeking buffoon and only serves to buttress his and his Party’s negative image. Good luck with that. Keep it up Dems.

DEM PARTY SELF-DESTRUCTION

Based on the political news since the November 2024 election I have come to the conclusion that the Dems are heading slowly, but inexorably, toward self-destruction. Figuratively, I feel as if I am watching an out-of-control speeding vehicle careening toward a cliff, and there is nothing I or anyone else can do to stop it. What’s more, the Dem Party professionals and their allies in the media are driving the car. Hyperbole, perhaps, slightly, but after reading this blog, I believe that, unless you are a “Kool-aide drinker,” you will come to the same conclusion.

Consider:

  1. The election was nearly five months ago, long enough for the shock to have worn off. Long enough for the Dems to have regrouped and formulated a strategy to rebound.
  2. And yet, after all this time many if not most of them have still not ascertained why and how they lost. They cannot fathom that they, themselves and their policies, were to blame. Rather than looking internally, they are continuing to blame others.
  3. Most of us know that the first step to resolving a problem is to admit that you have one. This is a hard lesson to learn, but it is a necessary one. Drug addicts learn it; alcohol abusers learn it; why can’t the Dem politicians learn it?
  4. In my opinion it is because they are in complete denial. They live in a figurative bubble and cannot conceive how the vast majority of people live, how they continually have to deal with real life problems, like finding a good-paying job, putting food on the table, and paying the rent or mortgage.
  5. In essence, they believe their own propaganda. We all know the drill. The border is secure; go “Green;” illegals, even criminals, drug dealers and terrorists, have rights even superseding those of citizens; inflation is transitory; and transgenders should be allowed to enter girls’ private spaces and compete with them in sports.

Last November the GOP won an election as decisively as any in a long time. Trump won the presidency in a landslide; he won the popular vote, which is rare for a Republican; he won all seven swing states; he made significant inroads into traditionally Dem voting blocs such as blacks, Hispanics, Jews and young people; and his coattails flipped the Senate and retained the House.

However, the numbers do not tell the entire story. Five months later the Dem Party finds itself in complete disarray. It is firmly in the control of its radical left wing. Its spokespersons are AOC, Bernie Sanders, Hakeem Jeffries, and Jasmine Crockett, all left wing, not a moderate in the bunch. CNN, MSNBC, the NY Times and the Washington Post are spewing their distorted fake news as aggressively as ever.

Meanwhile, the Trump Administration has established itself on the “right side,” the “commonsense side,” of every issue that is important to voters, the so-called “80-20 issues,” such as securing the borders, the rights of citizens over illegal aliens, law and order, energy independence, deporting criminal illegal aliens, eliminating fraud, waste and abuse in government, Israel over Hamas, peace in Ukraine, local control of education, and eliminating transgenders from women’s private spaces and sports. On the other hand, the Dem’s, since they must oppose any Trump policy, have been forced to support the opposing side in all of those issues.

Thus, they have been forced into the ludicrous and untenable position of supporting, or at least tolerating pro-Hamas, anti-Jewish riots and lawlessness on college campuses, blocking the deporting of criminal illegals who have committed the most heinous of crimes, and firebombing Tesla showrooms. The latter is especially inane. It was the Dems who pushed EVs and other “green” policies on the reluctant public for years. Elon Musk was their hero. Now, just because Musk is an ally of Trump’s they are advocating the destruction of his company and returning to gas guzzler cars? Don’t they realize how unhinged that appears? Don’t they care? Furthermore, let’s not overlook the fact that they are endangering innocent people’s lives and damaging thousands of workers’ livelihoods.

Now the radical Dems are attempting to depose Chuck Schumer as Minority Leader in the Senate and replace his with a more left-leaning senator. Regular readers know I am not a Schumer fan. In fact, I despise him politically. I have no respect for him. I consider him to be a political chameleon with no integrity. His support for Israel and Jews, in general, has been tepid at best. He has not spoken out in support of Israel in its war against Hamas nor in opposition of the riots and lawlessness on college campuses against Jewish students. That said, I believe they would be making a mistake if they were to replace him with a more radical senator.

Conclusion

The Dems need to regroup and fast. They need to recognize why and how they lost in 2024 and change their policies. They need to get over their TDS and join the Republicans on the right side of the aforementioned 80-20 issues. They need to control their radical left wing and coalesce behind moderate leaders. Otherwise, there will be more of the same in 2026 and beyond.

On the humorous side, Joe Biden has resurfaced. He has offered to help the Dems with their current predicament. That should be a “hard pass.”

JEWS FOR KAMALA

I have made this point many times during the 2024 presidential election campaign, but it bears repeating. Why in the world would any Jew who is thinking objectively and who cares about Israel and the welfare of American Jews, vote for Kamala Harris? For that matter, why would they vote for any Democrat? After all, Dem pols are supporting Harris, or at least they are reluctant to speak out in contradiction of her antipathy toward Jews. I don’t get it; it’s inane; it’s not logical.

Perhaps, it is due to habit and inertia. They’ve always voted Dem; their parents always voted Dem; so, they continue the practice without giving it serious thought or analysis. In any case the Dems have abandoned the Jews and Jewish causes. They have not been loyal to you, so you no longer owe them your loyalty. Jews need to have an open mind.

Another reason is some voters, although they agree with Trump’s policies, despise him intensely on a personal basis and refuse to vote for him under any circumstances. That is just ridiculous, inane and fatuous. If Trump were to lose the election he would, of course, be disappointed. But he would not be devastated. He would merely return to his previous life as a billionaire entrepreneur and entertainer. We, on the other hand, would be saddled with the same policies we are suffering under now. Therefore, anti-Trumpers would be “cutting off their noses to spite their face.

Perhaps, a brief review of Harris’ actions and non-actions since becoming the nominee would be helpful and appropriate.

  1. Among her staunchest supporters is the antisemitic far left wing of the Dem Party. It’s obvious that she is afraid of offending them. This includes “Squad” Congresswomen, such as AOC (NY), Ayanna Pressley (MA), Rashida Tlaib (MI), and Ilhan Omar (MN), among others. She knows she needs their support to win, and she will need their continuing support to govern. All have repeatedly expressed antisemitic and Anti-Israel attitudes. Furthermore, Tlaib and Omar are representatives of states that are Anti-Israel hotbeds. Harris needs those states’ electoral votes to win.
  2. Publicly, Harris (and Biden, for their policies and actions have been interchangeable) have stated that they support Israel, and it that it has the right to defend itself. (Thank you, Captain Obvious!) However, privately they have continually acted to restrict Israel’s response to the horrific October 7, 2013 sneak attacks. From the outset they have advocated “restraint” and demanded “precision” in its deployment of weaponry. It’s all right for the terrorists to attack indiscriminately, but the Israelis have to demonstrate “restraint” and “precision?” This is wholly unreasonable. What do “restraint” or “precision” even mean in this context? Also, tell me what other country in the history of the world when attacked has been urged to show “restraint?” The answer is “none.” Did the US show “restraint” after Pearl Harbor or 9/11? Of course not. But BH expected the Israelis to do so after October 7.
  3. BH threatened to withhold arms and support if Israel got too aggressive. In my view, the purpose of this was to placate their antisemitic far left wing and also Iran.
  4. BH and their minions objected to Netanyahu’s war strategy, so they tried to force him to resign or call for new elections. They trotted out political chameleon Chuck Schumer to give “the speech,” which I discussed in a previous blog. This type of outrageous interference in the internal workings of another sovereign government is not appropriate with respect to an ally, particularly one that is our only reliable one in the volatile and strategically crucial Middle East. Perhaps, BH need a lesson in geopolitics.
  5. BH insisted that a member of their administration sit in on Israel’s war cabinet meetings to suggest/approve strategies.
  6. BH continue to refuse to recognize that Iran is the root cause of the terrorism extant in the ME and take corrective action against it.
  7. BH have blamed a “significant deterioration” in the level of aid reaching the citizens of Gaza on Israel. They threatened to withhold aid if the Israelis did not allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza.
  8. Furthermore, they have long insisted that Israel not attack Rafah for “humanitarian reasons” even though there has been ample evidence that Hamas’ leadership was hiding there. Luckily, the IDF did not obey BH’s instructions. They attacked anyway. Douglas Murray, a columnist for the NY Post accompanied the IDF and filed an exclusive report describing the operation.
  9. Lo and behold, a few days ago, we learned that the 10/7 mastermind, Yahya Sinwar, had been hiding in that very area. He had set up luxury accommodations for his family and him deep within the labyrinth of tunnels under the city. In his report Murray described it as a “Rafah rat’s nest.” He reported “for the past 12 months [Sinwar] had [been] scurr[ying] like a rat through the tunnels he [had] spent years building.”
  10. In summary, he reported that the IDF found it to be well-stocked with food, medicine, and other provisions, including millions of dollars of cash that had been provided by the UN and had been earmarked for the Gazans. So, Sinwar and his family were living in relative luxury while the Gazans he and his men were supposedly “protecting” were starving. And all the while, the world had been criticizing Israel for keeping aid from the Gazans. How did he obtain all these goods? Either he stole them, or terrorist-sympathizing UN workers gave them to him. Either way, it is unconscionable.
  11. In addition, the IDF ascertained that Hamas had been smuggling rockets, guns and other weapons through this area. Had BH been cognizant of this while they were telling the IDF to refrain from attacking this area? Who knows, but I wouldn’t put it past them. The IDF also found passports and UN IDs, which indicates that Sinwar was planning to flee, like a coward, to Egypt with assistance from the UN. This is further evidence of the UN’s sympathizing with terrorists over Israel.
  12. This is just one of many examples of the UN’s blatant bias in regard to curbing terrorism in the ME. Another example is that since 2006 it has maintained a peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon to monitor the cease fire between Hezbollah and Israel. Recently, the NY Post reported that Hezbollah terrorists had dug a labyrinth of tunnels right under the noses of the peacekeepers which they had been utilizing to launch terror attacks in Israel. It described the UN as “worse than useless.”
  13. Opponents of Israel have persistently accused it of “genocide” against the Palestinians in Gaza. This accusation is not only inaccurate, but also it is inflammatory and dangerous. In point of fact, the Israelis have gone out of their way to minimize casualties, even providing advance warning of attacks so civilians could vacate the area. It is the Hamas terrorists who have shown a blatant disregard for Palestinian civilians by hiding among them and in hospitals and schools. The collateral damage means nothing to them. In fact, they want it for the optics. Unfortunately, this accusation has been accepted by many people. In a recent campaign speech Harris added fuel to the fire by stating that “[genocide] is real.” That was totally irresponsible. She should know better. She said it to rile up her base for votes. Afterwards, an anonymous campaign official attempted to clean it up, but she said what she said.
  14. As I have written in previous blogs BH have basically ignored the ongoing displays of antisemitism against American Jews. They have done nothing to deal with the violence on college campuses, nor the surging rate of crimes against Jews. They have many options. For example, they could have demanded that the college administrators deal with the matter or else lose funding. The Federal government provides a significant amount of financial aid to these universities in the form of grants. It also has the option to initiate legal action. They could have weaponized the Justice Department, Homeland Security and/or the FBI to investigate the masterminds behind the protests.
  15. Few people, think the protesters are all “students” who just happened to organize. In fact, according to a recently published study conducted by George Washington University Iranian agents have been “funding and fueling hate” on college campuses.
  16. It is no surprise that Harris has met several times with Imam Mohammed Ali Fahiem, who has deep ties with the Iranian regime, is vehemently antisemitic and anti-Israel, and is one of the suspected leaders of the antisemitic program against American Jews.
  17. In addition, they have done nothing to curb the overt and covert antisemitism against Jewish citizens.

CONCLUSION

Kudos to Israel for standing its ground against BH. Otherwise, we would have never found and killed Sinwar and discovered the duplicity of Hamas, the UN, and perhaps BH. This operation dealt a damaging blow to Hamas. I have often said the quickest way to rescue the hostages is to let Israel win the war.

Rather than criticizing Israel for its war strategy it should be admired for its determination to eradicate Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and the rest of its enemies once and for all. In a sense it is fighting this war for all of us. Iran and the terrorists have been clear that they hate all “non-believers.” That includes all of us. If they were to succeed in annihilating Israel, they would not stop their aggression. Have we not learned anything from history?

Thankfully, there have been signs that the message is resonating with Jews. According to a recent poll by the Manhattan Institute Jewish support for Dems has been deteriorating. Currently, it is at 67%, which is the lowest in 40 years. By comparison 80% of Jews voted for Bill Clinton in 1992. The same poll reported that 86% of Jews supported Israel. Their chief complaint, according to Jesse Arm, chief of staff at the Institute was the Dem Party’s “tolerance” of the extreme criticism being levelled against Israel, notably calling it “genocidal.”

Anti-Trumpers, wake up. As I said above if you vote for Harris just because you hate Trump personally, you would onlybe hurting yourselves.

THE RECENT ESCALATION OF ANTISEMITISM

In the past couple of years I have posted several blogs detailing the state of antisemitism both in the US and the world at large. I believe that the one-year anniversary of the brutal and heinous surprise attack by Hamas against Israeli civilians on October 7, 2023 is an appropriate time to review and update the issue. We are all familiar with the repulsive details of those heinous terrorist attacks and the resultant war. There is no need to repeat it all here. One might say the attack was Israel’s 9/11.

Rather than generating sympathy for the victims the attack seems to have unleashed a level of antisemitism not seen since the 1930s and 1940s. Below please find my analysis of the root causes of this, citations of some of the numerous examples, and a warning to American Jews.

  1. Without repeating what I have posted in some detail in previous blogs suffice to say that the root causes of antisemitism go back some 5,000 years. Jews have always been perceived as being “different,” different religion, different God, different day of worship, different appearance, and different customs. People tend to mistrust and even hate those who are different.
  2. Throughout history Jews have been persecuted (e. g. the Spanish Inquisition, the pogroms of Russia and Poland, and of course the Holocaust.
  3. Until the advent of the State of Israel in 1948 Jews did not have a land of their own, a land where they would be safe and secure. Wherever they lived they were subject to the whims of that country’s rulers.
  4. Many, if not most, rulers were not welcoming. Some were even downright hostile. Others would tolerate Jews for a time. One reason was that in times of strife, for example, a plague or a famine or other misfortune Jews would provide a handy scapegoat. By blaming the Jews rulers would be able to distract the masses from their own culpability and their own miserable existence. For instance, Jews co-existed in harmony and prosperity in Germany for some 500 years before the rise of the Nazis who found them to be a convenient scapegoat for Germany’s post-WWI misery.
  5. More recently, Jews have lived in the US in peace and prosperity since its founding. They have grown secure and complacent, and they are not aware that it can all be taken away. Many of them are oblivious to the depth of antisemitism extant in the US and the world in general. History has demonstrated that it can all be taken away either violently or gradually so that one would not notice until it was too late.
  6. With respect to the war in the ME both the Jews and the Muslims consider Jerusalem and the surrounding area to be their “Holy Land,” and they have fought numerous wars for the control of it over thousands of years.
  7. The Muslim terrorists dispute the validity of the State of Israel and want to obliterate both it and the Jews who inhabit it. They have made no secret about it. Hamas has included that goal in its charter. Furthermore, that is the meaning of the chant “from the river to the sea, the Holy Land will be free.”
  8. On the other hand, the Jews are determined to destroy Hamas, Hezbollah and the other terrorist groups as a fighting force decisively once and for all.
  9. The Israelis don’t want a ceasefire at this time. They are winning, and they want to finish the job. They know that if they don’t, they will just have to fight another war in the future, and another, and another, and another. Eventually, they may lose one, and then it would Sayonara.
  10. Neither side is in favor of the much-ballyhooed two-state solution. Hamas would not honor any ceasefire anyway. They would just use it as a chance to regroup and rearm for the next war.
  11. The smart strategy for BH would be to support Israel 100%, get out of its way, and let it finish the job, but as one can see it is not doing that. I believe it is either out of ignorance, a desire to placate the antisemitic left wing of the Dem Party, or a combination of the two. In addition, they lifted the Trump sanctions against Iran, which very effective. Iran was practically broke. Instead BH’s policy has provided it with untold billions of dollars of oil money that it is using to fund the terrorists. That is an ill-advised policy, geopolitically, economically and militarily. Israel is our only dependable ally in the volatile and strategically critical ME. BH’s policy has actually lengthened the war and endangered the lives of the hostages.
  12. BH have urged Israel to show “restraint” in its response. They have provided Israel with only tepid support to avoid offending the radical left wing of the Dem party.
  13. Incredibly, the bulk of world opinion is against Israel. It was the one that was brutally attacked, yet most of the world’s sympathy has been directed toward the Palestinians. Obviously, that is because of antisemitism. In the history of the world Israel is the only country that was attacked that was then urged to show restraint or even standdown.

That brings us to the main subject of the blog, the alarming expansion of antisemitism in the US and the world. There are a plethora of examples of this, but I will only cite a few to illustrate my point.

  1. Recently, the NY Post reported that 61% of American Jews claim they have “faced bigotry” since last October 7.
  2. According to a recently released survey by the National Opinion Research Council at the University of Chicago 3.5 million Jews have reported that they were victimized by antisemitism in some manner during the past year. This includes violent crimes such as rape and assault and threats such as targeting synagogues, homes and/or businesses with swastikas, graffiti and the like.
  3. Approximately 25% of the respondents expressed fear or reluctance over identifying themselves as Jews, for example by wearing particular clothing or jewelry.
  4. Roughly 40% of college students responded that they felt “uncomfortable” or unsafe at a “campus event.”
  5. Nearly 30% felt that they had been “excluded from a group or event.”
  6. The Anti-Defamation League disclosed that there have been in excess of 150 occasions of “physical assault,” approximately 1,840 instances of “vandalism” and about 8,000 incidents of “written or verbal abuse” against Jews in the past year. Approximately 1,200 of these incidents occurred on college campuses. To put these numbers in some context they represent a 200% increase over the prior year. 200%!
  7. If you know your history you will recognize this as being reminiscent of what occurred in Germany in the 1930s and early 1940s.
  8. What I have described has not been limited to the US. The UN has long exhibited feelings of antisemitism. The membership includes many Islamic countries that have long been sympathetic to the Palestinian or even terrorist viewpoints. Moreover, recently French President Emmanuel Macron has been advocating cutting off arms shipments to Israel. It is important to understand that there are only 15.8 million Jews in the world whereas the Muslim population is 1.8 billion, and a goodly number of them live in the US and various European countries where they wield some political influence. Even though relatively few of them are radicalized, I believe most of the moderates are still sympathetic to the Palestinian cause.

CONCLUSION

The heinous nature of the October 7 attacks should have generated some sympathy for Israel and Jews in general. In fact, as demonstrated above, the opposite has occurred. It has unleashed latent, covert antisemitism, which I believe has always been lurking just below the surface, like an inactive volcano, waiting to explode. The outpouring of blatant, overt antisemitism in the last year is no coincidence.

BH have done nothing to quell the antisemitism either on college campuses or in general. Nor has Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who is Jewish. They have not pushed back against politicians like Ilhan Omar who have continually expressed antisemitic views. They have not provided support to the US Jewish community. They speak in vague generalities and platitudes, but as I keep saying, actions speak louder than words.

Schumer’s case has been particularly disturbing to me. He is one of the most powerful and influential politicians in the country. He represents NY State, which is heavily Jewish. He, of all people, should be advocating for Israel and the Jews. Instead, he has done the opposite by criticizing Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu’s prosecution of the war, even calling for him to resign. As I wrote in a previous blog in my opinion, his actions have been despicable.

In my view, the main takeaway from the current climate is that we Jews are not as safe and secure as we think we are in the US or anywhere else. This is no time to be complacent. We have an election next month. Historically, a majority of Jews has voted for Dems, and for the most part they have delivered. However, the BH administration has not supported Jews. They have not been loyal to us. Why should we continue to be loyal to them. When Trump was president, he was a staunch supporter of Israel. In addition, he has exhibited the conviction and strength of character to support Israel regardless of world opinion and to stand up to the antisemites extant in the US. In my view, it is time to switch and vote for the GOP.

ISRAEL TAKES OUT LONGTIME HEZBOLLAH LEADER WITH MASSIVE AIR STRIKE

Over this past weekend, in another act of defiance aimed at the Biden-Harris Administration (“BH”), the UN and all of its other critics throughout the world Israel unleashed multiple massive air attacks against Hezbollah in Lebanon killing longtime Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and various additional members of the terror group’s leadership. Among the dead was Nabil Kaouk, who had been viewed as a possible successor to Nasrallah. The attack was so powerful that it leveled six buildings in the vicinity. Israel has now killed seven of Hezbollah’s top leaders in the space of just over one week.

As we know, since the Muslim terror attacks Last October 7 BH has been urging Israel to temper its response. Among other things, BH has repeatedly urged Israel to pursue a “measured” response (whatever that is), publicly criticized President Netanyahu’s aggressive prosecution of the war, called for him to resign, slow-walked military aid, and continually pushed for a cease fire and peace negotiations with a two-state solution (which neither side wants). Israel, as is its wont, has pushed back against what it deems to be unwarranted interference. It has reiterated many times that it will continue to attack aggressively until it has achieved its goal of destroying the fighting capability of Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis. This attack is the latest iteration.

This attack was the culmination of a long-term intelligence operation. These attacks were very cleverly planned over years. As a result of extensive hacking and surveillance Israel was able to acquire copious amounts of information with respect to Hezbollah’s top leaders, including personal information and their travel routines. For instance, Israeli spies were able to hack various surveillance cameras in Lebanon and even monitor the odometers on their cars. This paid off on Friday as Israel was able to pinpoint Nasrallah’s precise location.

Israel had developed special powerful ordnance specifically designed to penetrate 60 feet underground to where it knew the terrorists were hiding. It deployed approximately 80 tons of these bombs. The terrorists had no clue of the Israelis’ capabilities to penetrate their bunker. They thought they were safe. They were, until they weren’t. Kudos to the Israelis.

Additionally, yesterday, the IDF launched a massive attack against the Houthis. The key targets included the group’s facilities in the vicinity of the ports of Ras Issa and Hodeida and several power plants in the area. This was in retaliation for the Houthis’ attempting to shoot down Netanyahu’s plane on Friday.

CONCLUSION

President Netanyahu characterized Nasrallah’s death as an “historic turning point” in the Israeli-Hezbollah conflict.” Perhaps, it was a tad hyperbolic, but there is little doubt that Hezbollah, with its leadership decimated, was dealt a serious blow.

In my opinion, these attacks sent a clear and direct message to the terrorists and Iran, their sponsor, which is that there is no longer any safe hiding place. The world now knows that (1) Israel is capable of launching bunker-buster bombs that can penetrate to the terrorists’ hideouts deep underground; (2) Israel has the technology to enable it to ascertain the whereabouts of them at any time; and (3) Israel has the resolve to use its new ordnance and technology whenever and wherever it chooses.

ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR – DEAL OR NO DEAL

I will spare you the suspense. The answer is NO DEAL.

Since the advent of the Israel-Hamas war the Biden-Harris Administration has been pushing for a cease fire followed by a negotiated peace between Israel and Hamas with a two-state solution. At a cursory glance, this may sound like a reasonable resolution as it would, in theory, free the hostages and stop the killing. However, anyone who understands the root causes of the war and the motivations of Iran, Hamas and the other terrorist groups, such as Hezbollah and the Houthis, would realize this is a pipedream. It was doomed from the start. It will never happen. Neither side is motivated to negotiate a peace at the present time, and neither side is in favor of a two-state solution. I will explain below.

In order to comprehend the current mindset of the combatants one must understand the history of the area. Briefly, Muslims and Jews have been fighting over the ME for thousands of years. Each has what it believes is a legitimate claim to the area. Each side considers Jerusalem and the surrounding area to be central and indispensable to its religion. Each refers to the area as The Holy Land. In my opinion, throughout history religion has been one of the most frequent (if not the most frequent) causes of wars.

Israel has been in a constant state of war since even before its founding in 1948. At one time or another it has fought against all of the Arab states in the ME, some of them multiple times, often fighting several states at once. Moreover, it has been a frequent victim of terrorist attacks. Try to imagine what it’s like to live in a constant state of war.

The Arabs’ objective has always been and still is to drive the Jews out of the area, better yet to wipe them out. That is part of Hamas’ charter. Israel’s objective is merely to survive. So far, Israel has won every war despite the heavy odds against it. It fights with a sense of desperation and determination since it knows it cannot afford to lose even one war.

At this point it realizes as do many of us that it must eliminate Hamas entirely as a threat. Otherwise, history tells that prospectively there will another attack, and another, and another, until one time the Arabs will win. If that were to happen Israel would be destroyed. So, Israel is fighting for its very survival. Each side wants total victory. Neither side wants a negotiated peace that will fall short of its objective.

The US has always been a staunch ally of Israel and vice a versa since 1948. They have developed and maintained a symbiotic relationship. The US’s support is vital to Israel’s survival, and Israel has been the US’s only reliable ally in the volatile and strategically critical ME. This goes for every Administration, whether Republican or Democrat, whether liberal or conservative. Every Administration, that is, until now.

BH either don’t understand this or are choosing to ignore it for political reasons. BH have tried to undermine Israel’s war effort from the inception. For example:

  1. Despite the horrific attacks on October 7, they have urged Israel to use “restraint” ignoring the basic tenant that as the attacked country Israel has a right, duty and obligation to retaliate in any manner it sees fit.
  2. They have slow-walked or even withheld aid.
  3. When Israel retaliated in force as any country would they tried to undermine Prime Minister Netanyahu. They even advocated that he resign.
  4. Many considered these actions and others to be blatant and unwarranted interference in the internal affairs of an ally.
  5. By refusing to reinstate the economic sanctions against Iran they have enabled it to continue to wreak havoc in several parts of the world. In fact, it can be argued that presently Iran is the nexus of instability in the world. (a) It is supporting Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis politically, militarily and financially. In addition to Hamas’ attack, Hezbollah has fired some 7,500 rockets at Israel during the war. (Israel retaliated in a small, but clever, way by the “exploding pagers” caper that killed and wounded several Hezbollah terrorists and unfortunately some civilians.) The Houthis have been causing unrest in Yemen. (b) It has been aiding for Russia in its war against Ukraine. (c) It is probably funding all the anti-Israel, antisemitic protests in the US. (d) It is likely engaging in election interference in the 2024 presidential election. It wants Harris to beat Trump because it knows she will be a “soft touch,” whereas Trump will likely reinstate sanctions and curtail its influence in the world. To that end it has hacked the Trump campaign’s website, provided confidential election material to Harris’ campaign, and possibly has been attempting to assassinate Trump.
  6. The White House has been pressuring Israel to accept a series of flawed cease fire and peace deals in order to, it claims, secure the return of the hostages and save military and civilian lives. Everyone agrees with those goals, but the details of each of those deals were extremely disadvantageous to Israel. For example, they would have allowed Iran to continue its destabilizing activities and would have enabled Hamas to retain its fighting capabilities and its leadership, which would have virtually guaranteed another war at some point. Thus, these flawed deals may have forged a temporary peace, but they would not have constituted a permanent solution.
  7. It is clear to me and many others that these actions were politically motivated. It is an election year, and a sizeable section of the Dem Party is pro-Hamas/anti-Israel/antisemitic. BH are trying to placate those people to win an election regardless of the consequences. They are trying to walk a fine line by paying lip service to Israel and its supporters without losing the support of these radicals.

Conclusion

As I said above, any peace deal that includes a two-state solution is dead on arrival. Neither side is in favor of it. The Israelis want to finish off Hamas as an effective fighting force. Hamas wants to annihilate Israel and all the Jews. It wants all the land “from the river to the sea.” That is their mantra. I say, take them at their word.

BH are either not cognizant of that fact or refuse to acknowledge it. Their ill-conceived, ill-advised policies have prolonged the war and will end up costing more lives. Furthermore, they refuse to comprehend that Iran is the primary instigator of instability in the region and the world at large. They will have to deal with Iran one way or another before any lasting, meaningful peace can be achieved.

So far, this has been another failed BH policy, one of many. It reminds me of that familiar disparaging expression, “everything they touch turns to s**t.”

Many Jews may hate Trump for various reasons, which have been well-chronicled. But one thing is for certain. Right now, he is the best friend Israel has, and its survival may hinge on his winning the election.

KAMALA AND ISRAEL

Kackling Kamala(“KK”) is trying to walk a fine line with respect to the Israel-Hamas War. On one hand, she is offering disingenuous platitudes in support of Israel to try to convince it and the Jewish portion of the electorate that she backs our ally and is not antisemitic. In that vein she has told the story that as a child she helped raise money to plant a tree in Israel. (Even if that is true, and the likelihood is that it is a Bidenesque tall tale, it does not have any relevance to her positions today.) On the other hand, she is trying to convince the pro-Palestinian, antisemitic portion of the electorate that she supports them. Biden had been pursuing this two-faced, dichotomous approach, and it did not work for him. Both sides saw right through it and criticized him for it.

Neither side is happy. Pro-Palestinian voters in Minnesota have criticized what they perceive as her lukewarm support. They have made it abundantly clear that they want nothing less than for the US to withdraw its support for Israel entirely and support Hamas unequivocally. Also, a sizeable chunk of Dems in Michigan expressed their displeasure by voting “uncommitted” in the 2024 primary rather than voting for Biden. I don’t think this vacillating approach will work for KK either.

Jews, do not be deceived by KK’s current utterings. She has a long record of antisemitism and support for extreme Palestinians. As with everything else, she says one thing but does another. Her actions speak louder than her words. For example:

  1. She has continually demonstrated empathy and support for Palestinian rioters, such as those who occupied college campuses earlier this year. She minimized or overlooked that they committed various crimes, such as assault on Jewish students, breaking, entering and occupying university buildings, and harassing Jewish students with hateful antisemitic slogans and signs.
  2. She has been and is in compete lockstep with Biden and the Dems tepid support for Israel in its war with Hamas. In the immediate aftermath of Hamas’ unprovoked terrorist attacks on October 7, they first tried to dissuade Israel from retaliating at all. When that didn’t work, they tried to get Israel to “show restraint” in its response. That was absurd on its face. Name one other instance in the history of the world in which a country that had been attacked was urged to show restraint. For instance, did the US show restraint after Pearl Harbor or 9/11? Then, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, aka “The Chameleon,” gave a speech in which he urged Israel to force out Netanyahu and hold new elections. Such interference in the internal workings of another sovereign nation is traditionally reserved for “banana republics,” not an ally.
  3. Last week KK “dissed” Israel’s President Benjamin Netanyahu by not attending his speech before Congress. Not only did she disrespect Netanyahu, but also Israel, our staunchest and most dependable ally in the ME and Jews, in general, as well. Her feeble excuse was that she had to attend a previously-scheduled speech at a college sorority. That snub was consistent with the Dem Party’s policy of criticizing Netanyahu rather than Israel itself in the hope that it will prevent or at least minimize Jews’ defecting to the GOP. I think and hope most Jews will see that for what it is, code for antisemitism. Several Republicans sharply criticized this obvious snub. Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s comment that this “made it clear that Harris stands with the woke antisemitic members of her party” was a typical example. She even drew criticism from some Dems. One, speaking anonymously in fear of retaliation, said “it makes zero sense that for our most important ally [in the ME] she’s skipping out on the speech.” The representative added “a bunch of us have [made] calls [to her office] saying, ‘what are you doing.'” Later, she tried to mend fences by meeting with Netanyahu privately, but in my view that was just for optics and too little, too late. Again, actions spoke louder than words.
  4. Recently, she offered a weak statement of support for Israel, proclaiming “Israel has a right to defend itself.” Well, duh. That was a typical KK non-sequitur. Of course, any country has that right. Rather than meaningless words how about some action such as sending needed weapons that Israel keeps on requesting.
  5. She has continually expressed sympathy for the plight of Gazan civilians. While it’s unfortunately true that many have been murdered and have been deprived of necessities like food, medicine and shelter that is primarily the fault of Hamas, not Israel. It was Hamas that started the war. It is Hamas that is stealing much of the aid being supplied by the Red Cross and others, and it is Hamas that has been using civilians as human shields. War is hell. In all wars throughout history civilians have been caught in the middle. They have been dispossessed, robbed, raped, enslaved and murdered. It is a sad fact, but it’s true. As anyone who has fought in a war will tell you that’s the very nature of war. It’s why we say, “war is hell.” In this case, I would like to denote that Israel has gone overboard to minimize civilian casualties.
  6. A few days ago, Hezbollah launched a rocket attack on a Druze village that borders on Lebanon. A dozen young children were killed while playing soccer. How about expressing sympathy, condemnation and outrage regarding that. As I write this, I have not heard a peep from KK.

CONCLUSION

This entire debacle is a prime example of cause and effect. Biden’s ME policies have been the cause, and the effect is what we see now. KK fully endorses those policies, and her comments and actions as delineated above have not been helpful. In actuality, they have served to encourage Hamas to keep holding the hostages and keep fighting and have extended the war. It’s clear to objective observers that her motives are disingenuous. In reality, she’s trying to placate the radical, antisemitic left wing of her party for political reasons, for votes in the upcoming election.

Israel is embroiled in an existential battle against enemies that have vowed to exterminate it as evidenced by their mantra “from the river to the sea.” They have consistently proclaimed they don’t want a two-state solution. They want a one-state solution. Theirs. Their desire to negotiate a cease fire is just a ploy to stop Israel from destroying them. When they feel the time is right, they will attack again. This is what they have always done.

Israel’s entire history has been characterized by a series of wars and terrorist attacks. All of them have been started by their enemies. If they don’t finish the job this time by destroying Hamas and Hezbollah entirely there will just be another war, and another, and another. Ultimately, it will cost more lives and treasure. I say to KK. Just get out of the way, and let Israel do what it has to do to finish the job.

One final comment. Let’s not forget that Iran has been sponsoring all these terrorist groups. Also, let’s not forget the root cause of all the terrorist attacks that have plagued the region in the last 3 1/2 years. Iran has been able to fund the various terrorist groups because Biden, in one of his more fatuous decisions, stopped domestic drilling for oil and ended the embargoes that Trump had put in place, which has allowed Iran to make a fortune selling its oil and use those funds to sponsor terrorism in the region.

Cause and effect.

    BIDEN’S SHAM SUPPORT OF ISRAEL

    President Biden has continued to reiterate that the US’s support of Israel in its war with Hamas is “iron clad.” However, his actions have consistently belied that statement. More on this later.

    This disparity between what he says and what he does has been a continuing characteristic of his entire 50-year tenure as president, vice president and congressman. For example: (1) He claims to be a supporter of the working class, yet one of his first actions as president was to halt the construction of the Keystone Pipeline, which destroyed the livelihood of thousands of blue-collar workers. (2) He has continually supported raising taxes on the middle class. (3) His policies have fomented inflation, which has crippled the spending power of the middle class. (4) He has professed to be a friend and ally of African Americans (“If you don’t vote for me you ain’t black.”), yet he was buddies with segregationists like former senators Robert Byrd and Strom Thurmond, and he strenuously opposed busing saying he didn’t want his children to be educated in a “racial jungle.” (5) He was a co-sponsor of the 1994 crime bill, which resulted in a huge increase in the incarceration of blacks. (6) With respect to his foreign policies who can forget his, abrupt, ill-conceived and botched withdrawal from Afghanistan, which led to the abandonment of hundreds of Americans and Afghani allies, who were then likely hunted down and tortured. I could continue, but you get the point. Throughout his career Biden has demonstrated that rather than being loyal to his political convictions he will do anything for political benefit. His mendacity knows no bounds.

    Which brings us to the current situation regarding Israel. Since the advent of the current Israel-Hamas war Biden has been playing both sides against the middle, so to speak. Despite what he has said, his support for Israel has been far from “iron clad.” First, he urged Israel not to retaliate. That had never happened before in the entire history of the world. If a country is attacked, they hit back, pure and simple.

    Then he advocated a two-state solution, which, by the way, neither Israel nor Hamas wants. Hamas has repeatedly stated its goal is to destroy Israel, wipe it and all Jews out. Its slogan “from the river to the sea” makes that clear. Israel, for its part, realizes that it will never have a meaningful peace until and unless it totally destroys Hamas. Otherwise, Hamas will simply resurrect itself as it has before, and the fighting will recur again and again.

    Peace advocates keep pushing for a cease fire and hostage release. A cease fire would only provide a temporary respite. Sooner or later Hamas would break it, and fighting would recommence. I view it as just a stalling tactic to give Hamas time to reorganize and rearm. Also, I hate to say it but after all this time who knows how many unreturned hostages are even still alive. I say, let Israel finish the job.

    When Israel ignored Biden’s “don’t” warning, Biden threatened to withhold aid. Moreover, he directed, or at least influenced, the “Chameleon” to give “THE SPEECH.” Such meddling in the affairs of an ally can only be interpreted as a huge “slap in the face.” Israel, as is its wont, has refused to be intimidated, and has prosecuted the war on its own terms albeit in as humanitarian a manner as possible.

    At the present time, it has commenced operations against Hamas in Southern Gaza, Hamas’ last stronghold, and Biden has reacted by withholding the shipment of war material that Congress had previously approved. This is outrageous! As a further slap in the face he announced this on Holocaust Remembrance Day, a day that commemorates the Nazis’ genocide of six million Jews during WWII. Talk about tone deaf!

    Congressional leaders are viewing this as a blatant usurpation of its authority, and they are none too pleased. Remember, Congress controls the purse strings. I expect them to retaliate at some time in some way, which would cause additional chaos in the Biden Administration.

    Many observers are maintaining that this action is clearly signaling that Biden wants to prevent Israel from finishing the job. That could be true, but it is a fatuous course of action and makes no sense. Israel is our only reliable ally in the dangerous, mercurial and strategically critical ME, while Hamas is a terrorist organization, which would destroy us if it could. I believe his motivation is to placate the far-left radicals in his party, who have been revolting against his ME policy. It’s an election year, and he needs their support. It really is as simple as that. Political expediency trumps what’s right.

    These radicals are fueling the riots with their rhetoric and their money. There have been multiple reports in the media that the rioters are being bankrolled by many of the same groups that have contributed to Biden’s campaign. I believe the college riots are just the appetizer. The Dem convention may be the main course. Remember the 1968 convention also in Chicago? Those riots may have cost the Dems the presidential election.

    CONCLUSION

    So, let’s be clear. All these actions to hamstring Israel’s war effort are designed to garner votes. Biden’s loyalty to Jews, like his loyalty to Blacks and Hispanics, is proving to be transitory. Political expediency is trumping what’s right.

    Everyone claims they want peace. Don’t they realize that the only way to achieve peace is for Israel to win the war decisively and totally. Any half-assed cease fire will just kick the can down the road. In addition, every action to restrict Israel only serves to encourage Hamas to continue to fight thus prolonging the war. In summary, Biden’s attempt to please everyone has, in fact, pleased no one.