RSS
This Tisha B’Av, Our Savior Won’t Be a Politician or Political Party; It Will Be Ourselves
Supporters of Israel gather in solidarity with Israel and protest against antisemitism, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian terror group Hamas, during a rally on the National Mall in Washington, DC, Nov. 14, 2023. Photo: REUTERS/Leah Millis
When the coronavirus was spreading throughout the world and stopped our civilization, many were floating a phrase that seemed to resonate: “we’re living in Biblical times.”
In the past 10 months, I have heard this phrase even more frequently from fellow Jews who feel lost in the absurdity of the hate and trauma that has been raged on our people and homeland. Perhaps beneath this statement there is a hope that in this Biblical chapter, once again, our calamities will be resolved with a divine intervention.
Could it be that a new chapter is actually being written today? One about a “Third Temple” in the form of a modern State of Israel, where Jewish inventions are the center of every major technological and scientific advancement in the world. Where Jews are protected by an Iron Dome that was as miraculous as the Passover manna; the place where no matter how much hate and antisemitism they feel in the diaspora, Jews could find a safe haven.
Could this be a new chapter about the place where technology, people, and G-d himself lapsed all at once, and 1,200 people were ravaged, mutilated, and murdered? Where once again, Jews stepped into another cycle of calamities?
I don’t know the answer.
I’m neither religious, nor a Biblical scholar, but as we approach Tisha B’Av, the ninth day of the month of Av, I see a convergence of the past and the present. A quick scan of the Jewish history across millennia shows us some of our worst catastrophes — the destruction of the First and Second temple, the onset of the first and second world wars, and in between, the expulsion of Jew from Spain and England.
More recently, in Israel, hours before this day in 2022, rockets targeting innocent civilians were flying into the airspace, only to be disabled by the Iron Dome. In 2023, the judicial reform debate was tearing the country apart. Polarization had divided us as a people around the world, left against right, religious against secular, this against that — and today, the threats against us are immeasurable, even for the experts. The narratives of the past manifest themselves with the threats of today.
When I was journaling on this topic two years ago, I wrote that as a Jewish community, we need more compassion toward one another, more nuance in our approach in politics, and more humility in facing our enemies instead of false confidence.
This year, I find our community more compassionate than ever and more realistic about the threat of the enemy. We are realizing we are not each others’ enemies. Our community has shown unprecedented levels of generosity and support to those who have been impacted.
Yet I fear that despite our increased unity, we haven’t yet let go of the golden calves that we have made of political figures and partisan politics. As the election season approaches, I see the ugly partisan divide distracting us from the real problems and turning us away from our bond to one another, Ahavat Israel.
Yes, in desperate times, we all need a miracle. But let’s not anoint anyone as our present day Moses. We should not expect Moses to descend from Sinai and fix our problems, because this is our Israelite Revival moment, and we all have to rise to the occasion.
Neither Kamala Harris nor Donald Trump alone can guarantee to deliver what we need to overcome this crisis. This is the moment for all of us to speak truth to power and hold our leaders accountable, regardless of party affiliation. We should not excuse their mistakes — big or small — because when we get quiet, our enemies get louder, emboldened to monopolize our leader’s powers.
On this Tisha B’Av, thousands of years after the destruction of the temple, we ought to envision new weapons and shields, beyond Iron Domes and anti-missile ammunitions that are essential to our physical safety. We need the blast of the Shofar from Abraham’s miracle; the guiding light from Hanukkah; the diplomacy of Esther and Mordechai; the armor of the Ten Commandments; and ultimately, the collective love for the Torah that guides us.
May the alarm of the Shofar wake us up to the threats and prepare us to confront the enemy. May the diplomacy of Esther and Mordechai succeed at convincing our allies to stand by us. May the light of Hanukkah help to guide our nation to fight corruption, and ignorance. May the Ten Commandments shield us from hate and violence. And may the Torah remind us to gain strength from our joyful tradition and stand in unity with our people.
Born and raised in Iran, Marjan Keypour Greenblatt is a human rights advocate and founder of the Alliance for of All Minorities (ARAMIran.org).
The post This Tisha B’Av, Our Savior Won’t Be a Politician or Political Party; It Will Be Ourselves first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Tlaib Sports Palestinian Keffiyeh at Carter Funeral, Thanks Late President for ‘Speaking Out Against Apartheid’
US Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) addresses attendees as she takes part in a protest calling for a ceasefire in Gaza outside the US Capitol, in Washington, DC, US, Oct. 18, 2023. Photo: REUTERS/Leah Millis
US Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), one of the most strident opponents of Israel in Congress, wore a Palestinian keffiyeh to the funeral of former President Jimmy Carter, commemorating the late American leader’s advocacy against so-called “apartheid” in the Jewish state.
“Rest in peace, President Jimmy Carter. It was an honor to be there with your family. I wore my Palestinian keffiyeh to show my gratitude for your courageous stance in speaking out against apartheid and standing up for peace,” Tlaib posted on X/Twitter, along with a picture of her keffyeh.
Rest in peace, President Jimmy Carter. It was an honor to be there with your family. I wore my Palestinian keffiyeh to show my gratitude for your courageous stance in speaking out against apartheid and standing up for peace. pic.twitter.com/Vf0XLN2BtJ
— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) January 9, 2025
The keffiyeh, a traditional Arab headscarf, has become known as a symbol of solidarity with the Palestinian cause and opposition to Israel since the outbreak of the war in Gaza in October 2023.
High-profile politicians, including all five living US presidents, attended Carter’s funeral at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC on Thursday. The former president died on Dec. 29, 2024 at 100 years old due to heart failure.
Over the past couple of decades, Carter’s public commentary on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has ruffled feathers among supporters of the Jewish state. In 2006, Carter raised eyebrows after publishing a book titled, Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid, which condemned Israel for constructing settlements in the West Bank and accused the Jewish state of constructing a racially-discriminatory political regime.
In 2009, Carter traveled to the Middle East and held meetings with leaders of the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas. Critics noted that he did not criticize Hamas leadership during his meeting and praised the terrorists as being “frank and honest.”
In 2015, Carter further incensed proponents of the Jewish state when he seemingly defended senior Hamas leader Khaled Mashal and argued that the terrorist group was not an obstacle to peace in the region.
“I don’t believe that [Mashal’s] a terrorist. He’s strongly in favor of the peace process,” Carter said at the time.
“I don’t see that deep commitment on the part of [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu to make concessions which [former Prime Minister] Menachem Begin did to find peace with his potential enemies,” Carter continued.
Since entering Congress, Tlaib has positioned herself as one of the most vocal anti-Israel critics in US politics. Tlaib, the first Palestinian American woman to serve in the House of Representatives, has repeatedly used her platform to lodge condemnations against Israel.
The congresswoman has accused Israel of committing “apartheid” against Palestinians. In the year following Hamas’s massacre across southern Israel last Oct. 7, Tlaib has smeared the Jewish state’s defensive military operations as a “genocide,” calling on US President Joe Biden to force a “ceasefire” between Israel and the terrorist group and implement an “arms embargo” against the Jewish state.
On Thursday, Tlaib slammed the House for passing a bill which would sanction members of the International Criminal Court (ICC) over its issuing of arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former defense minister, Yoav Gallant
“What’s their top priority the first week of the new Congress? Lowering costs? Addressing the housing crisis? No, it’s sanctioning the International Criminal Court to protect genocidal maniac Netanyahu so he can continue the genocide in Gaza,” Tlaib wrote on social media.
The post Tlaib Sports Palestinian Keffiyeh at Carter Funeral, Thanks Late President for ‘Speaking Out Against Apartheid’ first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Sydney Synagogue Daubed in Antisemitic Graffiti in Latest Attack on Australian Jews
Southern Sydney Synagogue in the suburb of Allawah, Australia, was vandalized with antisemitic graffiti on Jan. 10, 2024. Photo: Screenshot
A synagogue in Sydney was daubed in antisemitic graffiti on Friday, police said, the latest in a spate of incidents targeting Jews in Australia.
Police will deploy a special task force to investigate the attack on the Southern Sydney Synagogue in the suburb of Allawah that happened in the early hours of Friday morning, New South Wales state Police Assistant Commissioner Peter McKenna told a news conference.
“The people who do the sort of thing should realize we will be out in force to look for them; we will catch them and prosecute them,” he said.
Television footage showed multiple swastikas painted on the building, along with a message reading “Hitler on top.”
“[There is] no place in Australia, our tolerant multicultural community, for this sort of criminal activity,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told a news conference.
The incident is the latest in a series of antisemitic incidents in Australia in the last year, including multiple incidents of graffiti on buildings and cars in Sydney, as well as arson attack on a synagogue in Melbourne that police have ruled as terrorism.
Australia has seen an increase in antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents since Hamas attacked Israel in October 2023 and Israel launched its war against the Palestinian terrorist group in Gaza. Some Jewish organizations have said the government has not taken sufficient action in response.
The country launched a task force last month following the Melbourne synagogue blaze, focusing on threats, violence, and hatred towards the Australian Jewish community.
Australia’s ice hockey federation said on Tuesday it had cancelled a planned international qualifying tournament due to safety concerns, with local media reporting the decision was linked to the participation of the Israeli national team.
The post Sydney Synagogue Daubed in Antisemitic Graffiti in Latest Attack on Australian Jews first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Netanyahu Says Houthis Paying ‘Heavy Price’ After Israel Strikes Yemen
Smoke rises after Israeli strikes near Sanaa airport, in Sanaa, Yemen, Dec. 26, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
Israeli warplanes bombed a power station and two ports in Houthi-controlled Yemen on Friday in retaliation for the Iran-backed terrorist group’s drone and missile strikes against Israel, and pro-Houthi media said at least one person had been killed and nine wounded.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement that the Houthi rebels in Yemen were “paying and will continue to pay a heavy price for their aggression against us.”
“Today, we attacked terrorist targets of the Houthi terrorist regime along the western coastal strip and deep in Yemen. The Houthis are a proxy of Iran, and they serve the terrorist objectives of the Iranian axis in the Middle East,” Netanyahu added. “They constitute a danger to Israel and the entire region, including global freedom of navigation.”
The strikes hit the Red Sea port of Ras Issa and the major port of Hodeidah and the Hezyaz central power station in Yemen’s capital Sanaa, and Harf Sufyan District in Amran province also came under air attack, said Al Masirah TV, the main news outlet run by the Houthis.
An employee at the Ras Issa port was killed and six others were injured, while three people, including a worker, were wounded in the strikes on Hezyaz, the outlet said.
The Israeli military said more than 20 aircraft took part in the attack, dropping around 50 bombs and missiles in an operation which required airborne refueling during the 2,000-km (1,240-mile) flight.
Earlier, British security firm Ambrey said airstrikes on the Ras Issa port targeted oil storage facilities in the vicinity of shipping berths, though no merchant vessels were reported to have been damaged.
The supply of petroleum derivatives is stable, the Houthi government spokesperson Hashem Sharaf Eddine said after the attack.
An Israeli military statement confirmed the targets, saying the power station served as a “central source of energy for the Houthi terrorist regime in its military activities.” It added that the targets struck were examples of the “Houthis’ exploitation of civilian infrastructure.”
“The Houthi terrorist regime has repeatedly attacked the State of Israel, its citizens and civilian infrastructure in Israel,” including using drones and surface-to-surface missiles, the IDF said. “The State of Israel has the right and obligation to defend itself.”
The Israeli military added that Houthi “attacks on international shipping vessels and routes continue to destabilize the region and the wider world.”
“While the Houthi terrorist regime operates as an independent terrorist organization, it relies on Iranian cooperation and funding to attack the State of Israel and its citizens,” it continued. “The IDF will continue to operate at any distance against any threat to the State of Israel and its citizens.”
Within the past 48 hours, the Houthis have fired three drones at Israel‘s commercial hub Tel Aviv and more drones and missiles at the US aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman in the Red Sea, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said.
The Houthis have targeted Israel, hundreds of kilometers to the north as well as international shipping in waters near Yemen since November 2023 in support of Palestinian terrorists at war with Israel in Gaza.
Israel has responded with airstrikes in Houthi-held areas of Yemen, as have British and US forces in the region.
Netanyahu said last month Israel was only at the beginning of its campaign against the Houthis.
The post Netanyahu Says Houthis Paying ‘Heavy Price’ After Israel Strikes Yemen first appeared on Algemeiner.com.