The Definite Article 7
catching up on the news
https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/how-babies-are-made
In case you never figured it out. Bethany Mandel shares life lessons about how she structured her life to make sure her decisions mapped onto her values. We find it natural (or not) to plan for our retirement, or health care, our finances. The author uses that same awareness of the future to plan for her family.
Part 1 of 2: Former Israeli ambassador to the US Michael Oren talks about the unintended political consequences that accompanied the undeniable security successes of the Iron Dome anti-missile defense. Primary among them are the “scorecard” approach to criticizing Israel that comes comparing our civilian casualties to those of Gazans in any military action Israel takes to counter terror. This has led to the incorrect use of the “D” word (disproportionate) to the more grossly accusatory “G” word (genocide).
There were a number of very interesting articles in the Jerusalem Post this past week:
https://www.jpost.com/israel-hamas-war/article-806498
Staff writer Herb Keinon notes that a front page headline in a recent NYT Sunday edition claimed that Palestinians are showing more negative feelings to Hamas and its leadership. Keinan brings the results of a survey conducted by a Palestinian research group that shows exactly the opposite: that support for Hamas and its leadership has risen during the war and attitudes towards the leadership of the Palestinian Authority, the hope of the West for a “day-after” Gazan administration, stuck in single digits.
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-806614
The idea that Israel is helping to supply humanitarian aid to Gazans at a time that they are holding over 100 Israelis hostage grates with many Israelis. Some families of the captives have staged protests at Gaza entry points to block trucks laden with food and supplies from entering the Strip. Tzav 9 is a citizen group that organized to stop trucks in transit and destroy the goods. These acts were condemned by Secretary of State Blinken and this week the Biden administration imposed sanctions on this group. This JP editorial claims that this act shows how out of touch the US administration is with the realities in Israel.
https://www.jpost.com/israel-hamas-war/article-806690
In other news on a related topic, over 1400 trucks of humanitarian aid are sitting at a crossing point into Gaza because the UN drivers feel that the chaos inside Gaza that results in trucks being hijacked or looted makes delivery too dangerous.
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-806629
Dr. Andrew Bostom provides a survey of the historic roots of antisemitism in Islamic religious thought.
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-806815
In an unusual article, General (ret.) Gershom Ha-Cohen asks Israelis to face the grim but undeniable truth that war results in casualties. He remarks that Israeli deaths in this war are remarkably low relative to other wars of this type, and while recognizing the pain of loss, councils Israeli to keep the reason and aims of the war in mind: security for the north and south of our country.
President Biden and the US administration has put their political capital on the line to develop a deal that would free the Israeli hostages in Gaza and provide a way out of this war. Hamas lead Sinwar has other ideas.