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The Donkey and the Darkness
A veterinarian checks a donkey outside a mobile clinic, run by Safe Haven for Donkeys, a British charity, in Nablus in the West Bank March 5, 2020. Picture taken March 5, 2020. Photo: REUTERS/Raneen Sawafta.
JNS.org – Did you ever play the game “pin the tail on the donkey?” The way it works is that an image of a donkey without a tail is placed on the wall, the player is blindfolded, given a paper image of the missing tail and must work out exactly where to put the tail on the donkey.
I was reminded of this old game when reading this week’s Torah portion, Bo. Here, we have the last three of the 10 plagues visited upon Egypt. Number nine was darkness. During this plague, many Jews lost their lives, though the Egyptians never knew.
Why? There were many Jews who, even after seeing many of God’s miracles performed exactly as Moses had predicted, refused to believe when Moses said their redemption was nigh and they would soon be free. As a result, Hashem felt that they didn’t deserve to be redeemed and that when the redemption came, they would not be there to experience it.
But God did not want the Egyptians to think that the Jews were suffering punishments as well. So these undeserving ones perished during the plague of darkness when the Egyptians could not see or even move, and thus they remained none the wiser.
To me, the obvious question is: How could these Jews not have grasped that there was now a new reality in Egypt? They saw the Egyptians suffering from blood, frogs, lice, attacks by wild animals, pestilence, boils and hail. Did they not see that Moses was a prophet of God and that things occurred exactly as he had warned Pharaoh? Wasn’t it blatantly obvious by then that God was sending his miracles to liberate the Israelites? How then could they continue to reject Moses’s promise of their imminent freedom? How could they have been so blind?
One insightful answer I found is that the Jews who refused to believe in Moses’s promise of freedom were under the rule of the upper class—the more enlightened Egyptians. Therefore, they were dealt with more compassionately than most of the Jewish slaves who were under the whip of cruel, sadistic torturers. And they tended to look down upon their Jewish brethren who suffered much more under their vicious taskmasters.
Hence, the Jewish servants of the enlightened Egyptians were loyal to their masters who they saw as good and kind compared to the heartless masters of their brethren. They comforted their overlords assuring them that the status quo would continue even after the plagues. “Have no fear,” they reassured them, “we are not part of that rabble. We are loyal to you and Egypt. We are not radicals or revolutionaries.”
Sadly, these Jewish slaves refused to see the light of a new dawn beginning to shine as the Israelites were about to become a proud, independent nation. They couldn’t acknowledge the new reality because of their own self-induced blindfolds. And, as we know, “there are none so blind as those who refuse to see.”
The sun could have been shining in their faces, but tragically, they walked in darkness unable to pin the tail on the donkey. Thus, not believing in the redemption, they did not merit to experience it and, indeed, it was during the plague of darkness that they died.
An ancient biblical tale? A “Once upon a time” fable? At this point, you may be wondering, what relevance does this story have today?
Since Oct. 7, 2023, we have witnessed the most vile and violent demonstrations in the United States, Europe, Australia and elsewhere by supporters of the Palestinians. And to our absolute shock, here were people openly stating that they support not just the Palestinians but Hamas itself! A terrorist organization whose members are proven perpetrators of mass murder, mutilation, rape and beheadings is being supported by people in free, democratic, Western countries!
And, in many of these ugly demonstrations, there were small groups of Jews who joined our brazen antagonists. “Jews for Palestine” and others who were determined to tell the world that not all Jews are terrible aggressors. Some Jews are nice, good people who support the poor Palestinians, etc.
Well, in my humble opinion, these Jews are the modern equivalent of those in Egypt who supported Pharaoh and not Moses. By marching with our sworn enemies, these “enlightened” Jews demonstrated nothing more than their own ignorance and insensitivity to the Jewish people, its history and destiny. Their callousness to the Jewish victims of those barbaric beasts who still hold hostage women and children in the terrible tunnels of Gaza is nothing less than outrageous.
May God forgive me for thinking that one day in the future they will be bitterly disappointed and disillusioned by their new allies and “friends” when these same liberal compatriots trample upon them, having exploited them as just another bunch of useful idiots.
Back in Russia, the early Jewish Communists gave their lives, their faith and often their families to the new “religious” ideology of communism. They, too, naively thought they were saving Russia and its people from czarist oppression. But was communism any better? Ironically, in the end, many of them were killed by Joseph Stalin and his cohorts.
I pray that those who walk in darkness may soon see the light of truth and justice and rejoin the just cause of their own people and faith.
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Hamas Warns Against Cooperation with US Relief Efforts In Bid to Restore Grip on Gaza
Hamas terrorists carry grenade launchers at the funeral of Marwan Issa, a senior Hamas deputy military commander who was killed in an Israeli airstrike during the conflict between Israel and Hamas, in the central Gaza Strip, Feb. 7, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Ramadan Abed
The Hamas-run Interior Ministry in Gaza has warned residents not to cooperate with the US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, as the terror group seeks to reassert its grip on the enclave amid mounting international pressure to accept a US-brokered ceasefire.
“It is strictly forbidden to deal with, work for, or provide any form of assistance or cover to the American organization (GHF) or its local or foreign agents,” the Interior Ministry said in a statement Thursday.
“Legal action will be taken against anyone proven to be involved in cooperation with this organization, including the imposition of the maximum penalties stipulated in the applicable national laws,” the statement warns.
The GHF released a statement in response to Hamas’ warnings, saying the organization has delivered millions of meals “safely and without interference.”
“This statement from the Hamas-controlled Interior Ministry confirms what we’ve known all along: Hamas is losing control,” the GHF said.
The GHF began distributing food packages in Gaza in late May, implementing a new aid delivery model aimed at preventing the diversion of supplies by Hamas, as Israel continues its defensive military campaign against the Palestinian terrorist group.
The initiative has drawn criticism from the UN and international organizations, some of which have claimed that Jerusalem is causing starvation in the war-torn enclave.
Israel has vehemently denied such accusations, noting that, until its recently imposed blockade, it had provided significant humanitarian aid in the enclave throughout the war.
Israeli officials have also said much of the aid that flows into Gaza is stolen by Hamas, which uses it for terrorist operations and sells the rest at high prices to Gazan civilians.
According to their reports, the organization has delivered over 56 million meals to Palestinians in just one month.
Hamas’s latest threat comes amid growing international pressure to accept a US-backed ceasefire plan proposed by President Donald Trump, which sets a 60-day timeline to finalize the details leading to a full resolution of the conflict.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump announced that Israel has agreed to the “necessary conditions” to finalize a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza, though Israel has not confirmed this claim.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to meet with Trump next week in Washington, DC — his third visit in less than six months — as they work to finalize the terms of the ceasefire agreement.
Even though Trump hasn’t provided details on the proposed truce, he said Washington would “work with all parties to end the war” during the 60-day period.
“I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this Deal, because it will not get better — IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE,” he wrote in a social media post.
Since the start of the war, ceasefire talks between Jerusalem and Hamas have repeatedly failed to yield enduring results.
Israeli officials have previously said they will only agree to end the war if Hamas surrenders, disarms, and goes into exile — a demand the terror group has firmly rejected.
“I am telling you — there will be no Hamas,” Netanyahu said during a speech Wednesday.
For its part, Hamas has said it is willing to release the remaining 50 hostages — fewer than half of whom are believed to be alive — in exchange for a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and an end to the war.
While the terrorist group said it is “ready and serious” to reach a deal that would end the war, it has yet to accept this latest proposal.
In a statement, the group said it aims to reach an agreement that “guarantees an end to the aggression, the withdrawal [of Israeli forces], and urgent relief for our people in the Gaza Strip.”
According to media reports, the proposed 60-day ceasefire would include a partial Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, a surge in humanitarian aid, and the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas, with US and mediator assurances on advancing talks to end the war — though it remains unclear how many hostages would be freed.
For Israel, the key to any deal is the release of most, if not all, hostages still held in Gaza, as well as the disarmament of Hamas, while the terror group is seeking assurances to end the war as it tries to reassert control over the war-torn enclave.
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UK Lawmakers Move to Designate Palestine Action as Terrorist Group Following RAF Vandalism Protest
Police block a street as pro-Palestinian demonstrators gather to protest British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper’s plans to proscribe the “Palestine Action” group in the coming weeks, in London, Britain, June 23, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Jaimi Joy
British lawmakers voted Wednesday to designate Palestine Action as a terrorist organization, following the group’s recent vandalizing of two military aircraft at a Royal Air Force base in protest of the government’s support for Israel.
Last month, members of the UK-based anti-Israel group Palestine Action broke into RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, a county west of London, and vandalized two Voyager aircraft used for military transport and refueling — the latest in a series of destructive acts carried out by the organization.
Palestine Action has regularly targeted British sites connected to Israeli defense firm Elbit Systems as well as other companies in Britain linked to Israel since the start of the conflict in Gaza in 2023.
Under British law, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has the authority to ban an organization if it is believed to commit, promote, or otherwise be involved in acts of terrorism.
Passed overwhelmingly by a vote of 385 to 26 in the lower chamber — the House of Commons — the measure is now set to be reviewed by the upper chamber, the House of Lords, on Thursday.
If approved, the ban would take effect within days, making it a crime to belong to or support Palestine Action and placing the group on the same legal footing as Al Qaeda, Hamas, and the Islamic State under UK law.
Palestine Action, which claims that Britain is an “active participant” in the Gaza conflict due to its military support for Israel, condemned the ban as “an unhinged reaction” and announced plans to challenge it in court — similar to the legal challenges currently being mounted by Hamas.
Under the Terrorism Act 2000, belonging to a proscribed group is a criminal offense punishable by up to 14 years in prison or a fine, while wearing clothing or displaying items supporting such a group can lead to up to six months in prison and/or a fine of up to £5,000.
Palestine Action claimed responsibility for the recent attack, in which two of its activists sprayed red paint into the turbine engines of two Airbus Voyager aircraft and used crowbars to inflict additional damage.
According to the group, the red paint — also sprayed across the runway — was meant to symbolize “Palestinian bloodshed.” A Palestine Liberation Organization flag was also left at the scene.
On Thursday, local authorities arrested four members of the group, aged between 22 and 35, who were charged with conspiracy to enter a prohibited place knowingly for a purpose prejudicial to the safety or interests of the UK, as well as conspiracy to commit criminal damage.
Palestine Action said this latest attack was carried out as a protest against the planes’ role in supporting what the group called Israel’s “genocide” in Gaza.
At the time of the attack, Cooper condemned the group’s actions, stating that their behavior had grown increasingly aggressive and resulted in millions of pounds in damages.
“The disgraceful attack on Brize Norton … is the latest in a long history of unacceptable criminal damage committed by Palestine Action,” Cooper said in a written statement.
“The UK’s defense enterprise is vital to the nation’s national security and this government will not tolerate those that put that security at risk,” she continued.
The post UK Lawmakers Move to Designate Palestine Action as Terrorist Group Following RAF Vandalism Protest first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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US-backed Gaza Relief NGO Vows ‘Legal Action’ Against AP Claim Group Fired on Palestinian Civilians
Palestinians collect aid supplies from the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, June 9, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Hatem Khaled
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a US-backed nonprofit operating aid distribution centers in the Gaza Strip, is pushing back forcefully against an Associated Press report alleging that its contractors opened fire on Palestinian civilians.
The GHF is accusing the AP of withholding key evidence and relying on a “disgruntled former contractor” as a central source.
“In response, we are pursuing legal action,” the organization said in a statement released Wednesday.
GHF said it conducted an “immediate investigation” after being contacted by the AP, reviewing time-stamped video footage and sworn witness testimony. The group concluded that the allegations were “categorically false,” stating that no civilians were fired upon at any of their distribution sites and that the gunfire heard in the AP’s video came from Israeli forces operating outside the vicinity.
“What is most troubling is that the AP refused to share the full video with us prior to publication, despite the seriousness of the allegations,” the statement read. “If they believed their own reporting, they should have provided us with the footage so we could take immediate and appropriate action.”
The nonprofit’s public rebuttal raises sharp questions about the AP’s reporting process, suggesting the outlet declined to engage with the organization in good faith and instead leaned on a source GHF describes as having been terminated “for misconduct” weeks prior. The group also claimed the AP’s recent coverage of its activities had begun to “echo narratives advanced by the Hamas-controlled Gaza Ministry of Health.”
The AP has not yet responded publicly to the GHF’s accusations or provided clarification about its decision not to share the video footage before publication. The original report alleged that American contractors employed by GHF had fired weapons near or toward civilians.
The GHF statement confirmed that a contractor seen shouting in the AP’s video had been removed from operations, though the group insisted this was unrelated to any violence and did not constitute evidence of wrongdoing.
GHF, which describes its mission as delivering food to Gaza “safely, directly, and without interference,” said it remains committed to transparency but would not allow its operations to be “derailed by misinformation.”
The dispute highlights the fraught information environment in Gaza, where limited access and competing narratives frequently complicate the verification of on-the-ground events.
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