Seeing Morality Beyond the Hamas Propaganda

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Seeing Morality Beyond the Hamas Propaganda."

We must stand resolutely and with clarity against the moral confusion created by Hamas propaganda, which distorts reality by portraying jihadi terrorists as victims while democratic Israel endures relentless attacks—over 26,000 rockets, missiles, and drones since October 7, 2023, along with bombings, raids, and kidnappings. Against this backdrop, the Torah portion Re’eh reminds us of G-d’s timeless call to “see” clearly and choose between blessing and curse. Though justice is not always visible and the wicked may appear to prosper, the Torah urges us to look deeper, trust that true blessing follows righteousness, and recognize the dignity of free will. As Rosh Hashanah approaches, we are called to strengthen our faith, rise above doubt, and return to G-d with humility, courage, and hope.
(AI generated image via Gemini)

Seeing Morality Beyond the Hamas Propaganda

Humanity Beyond All Differences

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Humanity Beyond All Differences."

Last week, I came across an elderly man collapsed on the sidewalk—disoriented and in distress. With the help of a passing nurse and quick emergency response, he was rushed to the hospital. The experience reminded me that our shared humanity transcends race, faith, and background—we are all fragile, yet deserving of dignity and compassion. But compassion does not mean ignoring evil. True peace requires rejecting terror and protecting the innocent. Only by uniting with good people everywhere can we affirm life over death, dignity over hatred, and build a world that reflects the holiness of our Creator.

(AI generated image via Gemini)

 

Humanity Beyond All Differences

Hamas’s Deflection Playbook

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Hamas's Deflection Playbook."

Hamas has shifted its fight with Israel from the battlefield to a coordinated campaign of information and ideological warfare. Since the October 2023 attacks, they have used a strategy of deflection—accusing Israel of the very atrocities they commit—to sway global opinion. Their propaganda playbook includes fabricating an “occupation” narrative, falsely labeling Israel an apartheid and genocidal state, and accusing it of starving Gaza while concealing their own violence and exploitation of aid. The goal is to isolate Israel through international condemnation, economic boycotts, and legal attacks. Beyond the Middle East, Hamas and allied extremists work within Western democracies to erode support for Israel, promote radical agendas, and influence younger generations through education—turning the fight into both a military and a narrative battle for truth and democratic values.

(AI generated image via Gemini)

Hamas’s Deflection Playbook

Tisha B’Av: Will the Darkness Ever End?

 
Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Tisha B'Av: Will the Darkness Ever End."

Tisha B’Av, the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av, is the most solemn day of Jewish mourning, commemorating a series of tragic historical events—including the destruction of the First and Second Temples and other calamities—that symbolize both profound physical loss and spiritual rupture. Despite this darkness, tradition holds hope through the promise of the Mashiach’s birth on this day and the eventual rebuilding of the Temple. Recent tragedies like the October 7, 2023 attack and rising global antisemitism remind us of ongoing challenges, but faith, kindness, and prayer sustain the Jewish people, empowering them to be active participants in redemption. Miracles continue to unfold with the return to sovereignty in Israel, and the day will one day transform from mourning into celebration.

(AI generated image via Gemini)

Tisha B’Av: Will the Darkness Ever End?

Israel's Imperative: A Swift and Successful Finish

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Israel's Imperative: A Swift and Successful Finish."

Confronting Hamas’s dual threats requires unwavering transparency and resolve. Israel must accomplish the near-impossible task of winning its military objectives and freeing all hostages, while minimizing the duration of the conflict to deprive Hamas of its propaganda weaponry. Only by acting swiftly and decisively can Israel break the destructive cycle of violence, victimhood narratives, and delegitimization, safeguarding its future and securing lasting peace and dignity for its people.

(AI generated image via Gemini)

Israel's Imperative: A Swift and Successful Finish

When Beautiful Music Becomes a Mantra of Hate

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "When Beautiful Music Becomes a Mantra of Hate."

Music festivals and concerts, long celebrated for fostering unity, are increasingly being used to spread hate and divisive rhetoric. High-profile incidents—such as Bobby Vylan’s anti-Israel chants at Glastonbury, Roger Waters’s provocative performances, and inflammatory statements by artists like Kanye West and Imagine Dragons—illustrate how musicians, seeking to be seen as edgy or socially conscious, often promote distorted messages that can influence youth and normalize hate. The failure of media and institutions to intervene exacerbates these dangers, raising concerns about the responsibility to protect shared values of justice and respect. Ultimately, music must remain a force for peace and unity, not a vehicle for hatred or bigotry.

(AI generated image via Gemini)

When Beautiful Music Becomes a Mantra of Hate

In The Nation's Zero Hour

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "In The Nation's Zero Hour."

The poem highlights the suffering inflicted by terrorism, the complicity of institutions and leaders, and the global forces seeking to destabilize and destroy. Ultimately, it urges a collective moral reckoning, calling on readers to stand for justice and resist the forces of destruction before it is too late.

(AI generated image via Gemini)

In The Nation's Zero Hour

Israel & Gaza: Separating Fact from Fiction

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Israel & Gaza: Separating Fact from Fiction."

Eighteen months into a conflict marked by unfathomable loss, one of the most disturbing things we see is the reinvention of what actually happened. The terrorists and their supporters spew an endless stream of hate and lies. It is crucial to continue to dispel their myths and hold on to the truth.

Hamas’s ideology of hate and annihilation meets Israel’s resolve to survive and achieve a lasting peace. Amid the ashes of Gaza, faith remains our compass and the Jewish state, our beacon.

(AI generated image via Gemini)

Israel & Gaza: Separating Fact from Fiction

How Low Will the Antisemites Go?

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "How Low Will the Antisemites Go?"

We are witnessing a modern-day blood libel against the Jewish people, a perverse and absurd campaign that blames Jews for events they had no hand in, casts them as the architects of all global evils, and perpetuates the tired trope of omnipotent control over humanity. This litany of blame spans centuries—from the crucifixion of Jesus by the Romans, to the tragic yet mistaken attack on the USS Liberty amid the chaos of the 1967 war, to the assassination of JFK by lone gunman Lee Harvey Oswald, and even the 9/11 attacks orchestrated by Osama bin Laden and his Al Qaeda henchmen. The scope of evils falsely pinned on the Jewish community is staggering, encompassing acts explicitly forbidden by our faith—usury, pedophilia—and even sprawling socio-political and economic ideologies like communism, stretching from Russia to China, North Korea, Cuba, and beyond. Most outrageously, Jews—who constitute less than 0.2% of the world’s population—are accused of wielding dominion over media, banking, governments, and, absurdly, even the weather itself.

Since October 7, the venom has intensified, with Jew-haters hurling charges of genocide, infanticide, and a litany of war crimes against Israel. These accusations persist despite the undeniable truth: the war in Gaza was initiated by Hamas, a terrorist organization that has constructed hundreds of miles of terror tunnels, cynically embedded itself in schools, mosques, hospitals, and homes, and provoked a conflict that, remarkably, has resulted in the lowest civilian-to-combatant casualty ratio of any urban warfare in history.

(AI generated image via Grok)

How Low Will the Antisemites Go?

Never Mirror the Darkness We Oppose

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Never Mirror the Darkness We Oppose."

In that instant, I recognized that our conflict transcends a mere battle for survival and a defense of democracy and civilization against terrorism and barbarism. It is also a profound struggle for our very essence. In confronting terrorists and their sympathizers, we must remain vigilant that in asserting our beliefs and defending ourselves, we do not succumb to their level. I desire to contribute constructively, but I refuse to emulate the hateful and reprehensible behavior they exhibit.

(AI generated image via Gemini)

Never Mirror the Darkness We Oppose

Dear Ariel and Kfir

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Dear Ariel and Kfir."

Ariel and Kfir, ages four and nine months, our hearts are shattered. We, your people, have failed you. We swore "Never Again," yet again, it has happened. On that horrific day, October 7, 2023, terror descended upon your beautiful family. You, along with your beloved mother, Shiri, were ripped from the arms of your brave father, Yarden, all of you dragged into the abyss of Gaza.

Ariel and Kfir, your loss is immeasurable, but it will not be in vain. Hamas will not escape justice. We owe you that, and so much more.

(Photo Courtesy of Family)

Dear Ariel and Kfir

Gaza: Refugee Wasteland to International Riviera

 
Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Gaza: From Refugee Wasteland to International Riviera."

President Trump shocked the world this week when he said that the U.S. would take over Gaza to level it and rebuild it into the “Rivera of the Middle East.” To accomplish this, the Palestinians would be relocated from a devastated war zone in Gaza to other countries where they would have proper housing, electricity, running water, educational and career opportunities, and medical care.

Many, of course, jumped on this to ridicule Trump and the plan as a forcible displacement of a population and a "crime against humanity." In turn, they ignored not only the global historical reality of refugee resettlement but also the humanitarian aspect of his plan to give the Palestinians a much better life as well as, more broadly, the opportunity to end the cycle of violence and destruction that has been going on for more than a century.

(AI generated image via Gemini)

Gaza: Refugee Wasteland to International Riviera

Redemption: A Time of Peril and Opportunity

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Redemption: A Time of Peril and Opportunity."

The return of the hostages from their horrific ordeal in Gaza offers a moment for reflection on the tumultuous events of the past 15 months. The conflicts involving Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and other terrorist groups, along with the dark menacing shadow of Iran, have presented immense challenges. Yet, we have persevered, and for this, we offer our gratitude.

Many perceive these times as a prelude to a period of profound change, a transition towards the fulfillment of the messianic era. This perspective highlights the overt miracles we have witnessed and the persistent threats that remain to be overcome.

Even as the very existence of world Jewry is still being threatened, everyone can do something to help. This is not a time for complacency. Now is the time to prepare for the impending redemption.

(AI generated image via Gemini)

Redemption: A Time of Peril and Opportunity

Corrupt UNRWA = Hamas

Corrupt UNRWA = Hamas

Hostages Will Return, but the War Endures

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Hostages Will Return, but the War Endures."

There is no secret to Hamas's strategy: this ceasefire is merely a tactical pause, an opportunity to regroup, rearm, and renew their terror campaign against Israel.

Thus, the ceasefire is indeed bittersweet. We are overcome with joy at the prospect of reuniting with the released hostages, yet the cost is agonizingly high. The continued existence of Hamas and the release of dangerous terrorists—many certain to return to their violent ways—weigh heavily on our hearts. 

My father's wisdom echoes in my ears: "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." As the ceasefire takes hold and we embrace our returning hostages, let us commit ourselves with unwavering resolve to preventing our enemies from ever again gaining such a devastating advantage. Let us learn from the past and safeguard our future.

(AI generated image via Meta)

Hostages Will Return, but the War Endures

Reconciling with Germany

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Reconciling with Germany."

No amount of time or action can erase the horrific atrocities committed by the Germans during the Holocaust, and I will never fully reconcile with the German people after the genocide they perpetrated against the Jewish people (and to be clear, the conflict in Gaza, despite the sick propaganda of our terrorist enemies is a war initiated by Hamas, not a genocide). However, I will offer a measure of credit where it is due. Germany has, in some small fashion, started to confront the profound evil of its past and is, at the very least, attempting to stand with us now and, I hope, in the future.

(AI generated image via Gemini)

Reconciling with Germany

Sukkot, I Will Miss You

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Sukkot, I Will Miss You."

A few things happened so far this Sukkot that brought to my mind and heart the human element of the holiday period. The focus is often on the sukkah, but we also need to remember the community and connection of the people who are in the sukkah together.

(AI generated image via Designer)

Sukkot, I Will Miss You

Never Again October 7

Never Again October 7

We Will Dance Again

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

We Will Dance Again

Israel's Allies Must Speak Out

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Israel's Allies Must Speak Out."

It seems like the world has turned on Israel, but they are truly not alone, and good people from around the world stand with Israel despite the actions and rhetoric of the vile extremists that support terrorism.

Israel's allies rely on her to fight terror while they keep a "good face" on relations with the Arab community at large. But quiet support is no longer enough. Those who oppose terror must be bold.

(AI generated image via Designer) 

Israel's Allies Must Speak Out