Ironically, the barbarity of Hamas will — for a time — restore Israel’s image as an underdog under siege, not the “occupier” who oppresses.
The Israeli government formally declared war and gave the green light for “significant military steps”
And now Hezbollah is attacking Israel – HotAir . . ."But this morning, a new wrinkle developed in the ongoing war. Hezbollah began firing rockets into northern Israel from Lebanon. Rather than quickly moving toward any sort of ceasefire, the war appears to be expanding. And at the bottom of all of this, Iran is clearly either pulling the strings or at least providing a tacit endorsement of the attacks. (Reuters)" . . .
The American Spectator | USA News and Politics
“On this day, Simchat Torah we must set aside our joy and mourn our losses. We must put our differences aside and unite and fight for our families, our homes and our homeland.” — Michael Oren, Israel’s Ambassador to the U.S. (2009-2013)
"Like America after 9-11, Israel is united.
"Yet, in both countries, nihilists question their nation’s moral legitimacy. They also favor radical judges who no longer interpret law, but make it. But Israel Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu overreached with his judicial reform plan. And his opposition also overreacted. A couple of weeks ago, even the brilliant historian Michael Oren seemed to suggest a connection between the Yom Kippur War a half century ago and “LGTBQ rights” today (he forgot the trendy “+” ).
"But Oren is also right. Although Netanyahu’s tenuous coalition relies on the growing ultra-orthodox parties, they must not force their religious observance or turn back the clock on women. This war reminds us that Israel is a small nation; its survival requires a universal military. Instead of refusing to serve, halakhic Jews should be inspired by their legendary rabbi and foremost Talmudic scholar, the heroic IDF General Shlomo Goren.
"Oren is the author, among his several books, of the definitive work Six Days of War: June 1967 and the Making of the Modern Middle East. If you haven’t read it, get it. American born and educated, and the son of a U.S. Army infantry officer who served in World War II and the Korean War, Oren emigrated to Israel in 1979.
"In a later book Ally: My Journey Across the American-Israeli Divide, Oren described his frustration as Israel’s ambassador in dealing with President Barack Obama and his State Department sycophants, given Obama’s obsessive infatuation with the Muslim world and his alienation of moderate Arabs — amidst his destructive engagement with Iran. In 2015, when Oren was touring the U.S. to oppose Obama’s disastrous deal with Iran, he told me of his apprehension about the possibility of what we now know as “Israel’s 9-11.” Even then, he spoke of a Gaza attack in the South, perhaps coordinated with the huge number of Hezbollah rockets in Syria and Lebanon to attack the north, as part of Iran’s proxy war to destroy Israel, and the concern about what might be called “GPS arming,” and the doomsday scenario of an Iran nuclear capability. And we saw this weekend some form of “smarter rockets.” Oren also was concerned about the obvious — no matter the latest generation of Iron Dome or advanced tech, any defense system has its limit and can be overwhelmed." . . .
Retired NBA Superstar Eviscerates BLM Supporters, Politicians After Bloodshed in Israel (thefederalistpapers.org) Language: . . . “All you politicians who have something to say on the contrary. I see you. F*** you. All you Black Lives Matter people who always have something to say and always supported everything else and you quiet now. F*** you, too,” Stoudemire said, before praising Israel as the “[o]nly place in the world I can go and study Torah and eat Kosher food. Only place in the world.”
The six-time NBA All-Star reiterated his utter disdain for Hamas’ actions: “Some coward s***, dog, and all y’all support it. F*** you. On my mama, we don’t respect none of y’all for that. Peace.”
NBACentral on X: "“I woke up this morning with some disturbing news out of Israel that Hamas [are] kidnapping children, putting them in cages, killing women, killing the elderly. That’s some coward s**t. That’s cowardly. And for all y’all Black Live Matter [supporters] who ain’t saying nothing,… https://t.co/sQ9DBMow5J" / X (twitter.com)