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Treasure Trove: An Israeli stamp reflects the complex mix of emotions about Oct. 7

Michelle Shalmiev was born in a village in the Caucasian mountains and immigrated to Israel and settled on a kibbutz when she was 14. Her series “Putting Your Stamp on History” […]

The post Treasure Trove: An Israeli stamp reflects the complex mix of emotions about Oct. 7 appeared first on The Canadian Jewish News.

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Joseph Taught Us How to Turn Our Enemies Into Allies

US President Harry Truman receives a menorah gifted by visiting Israeli Prime Minister David Ben Gurion and Abba Eban, Israel’s envoy to Washington. Photo: National Photo Collection of Israel / Government Press Office

World War II was so cataclysmic that even now, when someone says “The War,” no one has to ask them which one they mean. The villains of that dreadful conflict—Germany and Japan—unleashed horrors that defied human imagination, leaving entire countries, including their own, in ruins. Millions died, and millions more had their lives shattered.

The Allies won, but just barely—and not before being brought to their knees, literally, by blitzkriegs, kamikaze pilots, and some of the most heinous war crimes and terrifying military strategies ever devised. Unsurprisingly, the victory celebrations didn’t last long. As the world exhaled a collective sigh of relief, one daunting question lingered: What now?

The last time the world tried to clean up after a global war in 1919, it hadn’t exactly gone to plan. The Treaty of Versailles didn’t just punish the Germans; it humiliated them, grinding the nation into groveling submission, saddling them with crippling debt and a national identity crisis.

Unsurprisingly, Versailles backfired—spectacularly. Instead of licking their wounds and learning their lesson, Germany doubled down. Within a generation, they’d elected a violent psychopath who promised to restore their pride and lead them back to dominance.

By 1939, the Germans were back in uniform, goose-stepping straight into chaos and dragging the rest of the world along for the ride. So, in 1945, the Allies faced a big question: Should they repeat the mistakes of Versailles or try something completely different?

U.S. President Harry S. Truman, now the undisputed leader of the free world, was no softie. This was the man who dropped not one, but two atomic bombs on Japan to end World War II. He knew exactly what it meant to be tough. But Truman also understood something else—winning the war was only half the job. The real challenge was winning the peace.

With his Secretary of State, the famously humble George C. Marshall, Truman set out to rebuild what the devastating war had torn apart. Both men instinctively knew that grinding defeated enemies into the dirt might feel good in the moment, but in the long run, it was a recipe for resentment, instability, and—eventually—more war.

So, instead of punishment, they chose partnership. And instead of vengeance—which no one could deny was justified—they chose vision. The result? The Marshall Plan—a bold, almost utopian investment in Europe’s recovery that turned former enemies into future allies.

Meanwhile, over in Japan, General Douglas MacArthur—the military genius with a flair for dramatic poses and a love of corncob pipes—took charge of the occupation. And he did much more than oversee the country rebuild – he practically rewrote Japan’s playbook. With sweeping reforms, a new constitution, and a total overhaul of the country’s political and economic systems, MacArthur turned a defeated imperial power into a peaceful, thriving democracy.

Cleverly, he left Emperor Hirohito, who had nominally led the country during its war with the Allies, in place as head of state. And remarkably, it worked. Like the Marshall Plan, the idea wasn’t to punish but to empower, ensuring that former enemies wouldn’t become future threats. It was bold, risky, and surprisingly effective.

Both Truman and MacArthur played the long game. They understood that real leadership isn’t about humiliating enemies—it’s about turning them into allies. Truman proved he could be tough when it was necessary—his drastic decision to drop the atomic bomb made that abundantly clear. But he also recognized that securing the future required vision and partnership, not just brute force.

MacArthur took a similar approach, combining strength with strategy to transform Japan—not by crushing its spirit, but by reshaping its identity. And that brings us to Joseph, whose treatment of his brothers, especially in Parshat Vayigash, feels like a case study in strategic reconciliation.

Joseph had every right to make his brothers squirm. After all, they had sold him into slavery and left him for dead. He had done nothing to harm them, yet they conspired against him, sentencing him to what should have been a slow and miserable end. Although he survived slavery, he endured years of hardship—separated from his beloved father and locked away in prison for a crime he didn’t commit.

But when the moment of reckoning arrived, Joseph didn’t crush his brothers. Instead, he orchestrated an emotional roller coaster designed to wake them up, force them to confront their guilt, and—most importantly—show them a way forward.

Joseph was tough, but he was also tender—equal parts drill sergeant and therapist. He wasn’t interested in an apology. He wanted a transformation. Like Truman and MacArthur, Joseph understood that the real victory wasn’t revenge and submission—it was redemption.

Joseph’s actions, as Ramban explains, weren’t about revenge or vindication. Instead, they were carefully calibrated to lead his brothers through a process of self-reflection and growth. Joseph wasn’t trying to break them—he was trying to rebuild them. By recreating a scenario that echoed their original betrayal, he allowed them to confront their guilt and prove they had changed. But Joseph’s brilliance didn’t stop there.

As Sforno points out, Joseph’s ultimate goal wasn’t to shame his brothers but to lift them up and empower them. He reframed their actions within a larger divine plan, assuring them that despite their wrongdoing, God had used the situation for good—to save lives and secure their family’s survival. And now, Joseph invited them to consciously step into that plan, turning past failures into a foundation for future success.

What Joseph intuitively understood was that crushing people under the weight of their mistakes might feel justified, but it’s ultimately counterproductive. True leadership means showing people how they can rise above their past and step into a better future.

And that’s the trick, isn’t it? Whether you’re rebuilding nations or repairing fractured relationships, the goal isn’t to keep score—it’s to move forward. Whether it’s Joseph in the biblical narrative or dealing with a defeated enemy in the modern world, the best way to win is to make sure everyone gets to share in the victory. Because the only thing better than defeating your enemies is turning them into your allies.

The author is a rabbi in Beverly Hills, California.

The post Joseph Taught Us How to Turn Our Enemies Into Allies first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

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Bloodstained Holidays: Why Does Terror Strike During Festive Seasons?

A member of the National Guard Military Police stands, in the area where people were killed by a man driving a truck in an attack during New Year’s celebrations, in New Orleans, Louisiana, US, Jan. 2, 2025. PHoto: REUTERS/Octavio Jones

On New Year’s Day 2025, a horrific vehicular attack in New Orleans claimed the lives of 15 and injured at least 35. This heinous act, carried out by a lone terrorist, shocked the city’s residents and the world at large. New Orleans, renowned for its vibrant nightlife and as a cradle of jazz and blues music, now mourns the loss of its people. This tragedy adds to a grim series of deadly terrorist attacks that have become alarmingly common during the Christmas and New Year’s season.

In recent years, holiday-season terror attacks have become a global phenomenon. In 2015, a mass shooting in San Bernardino, California, left 14 dead at the hands of an ISIS-inspired couple. The timing during the holiday season magnified the attack’s symbolic resonance. The assailants were apprehended within hours. In 2016, a terror attack at a Christmas market in Berlin sent shockwaves across the globe. Anis Amri, a Tunisian national and ISIS operative, drove a truck into the market, killing 12 and injuring dozens. The attack targeted not just innocent civilians, but also one of the most iconic symbols of Christmas – the holiday markets. Similarly, in 2018, a gunman opened fire at a Christmas market in Strasbourg, France, killing five and injuring many others.

These attacks are far from random; they reflect a profound hostility toward the values and symbols of Western culture. Christmas symbols – the tree, Santa Claus, the Star of Bethlehem – are viewed by jihadist terrorists as representations of Christian-Western culture, which they consider an enemy to be eradicated. The festive crowds, dazzling decorations, and capitalist atmosphere of the season provoke these extremists and fuel their violent motivations.

Jihadists often draw inspiration from religious texts, including verses in the Quran emphasizing the struggle against unbelievers. For example, Surah 9:29 states: “Fight those who do not believe in Allah… and do not forbid what Allah and His Messenger have forbidden… until they give the jizya willingly while they are humbled.” This verse, which underscores armed struggle and Islamic supremacy, is used as a religious justification for such attacks. Other verses, depicting disdain for non-believers, provide the ideological framework for their actions.

The link between Christmas and New Year’s holidays and acts of terror is not limited to Western countries. In Israel, this connection also manifests in disturbing ways. Just a week ago, Sheikh Raed Salah delivered a sermon in an Israeli mosque that included blatant incitement against Jews.

Interpreting Islamic eschatological visions, Salah described Jesus as one who foretold the coming of Muhammad and claimed, “Allah raised Jesus alive after the wicked (Jews) conspired to kill him.” The sermon further attacked “the deceitful Western leaders,” accusing them of supporting Israel while blaming them for the suffering in Gaza, thus portraying the Western world as complicit in Palestinian suffering.

Incitement and acts of terror during Christmas and New Year’s highlight the extreme expression of inter-religious conflict between the capitalist Western world and radical Islamic ideologies. This conflict is ideological and cultural, not merely a security challenge. Christmas symbols, embodying culture, liberty, and universality, are seen as a threat to the core tenets of extremist religious traditions. The Western world must prepare not only in terms of security but also by intensifying its cultural and ideological response. Promoting tolerance, interfaith dialogue, and strengthening its identity are crucial to countering these threats.

During this festive season, as we also celebrated Hanukkah – a festival of light and the pursuit of freedom, commemorating our victory against Hellenistic forces attempting to impose foreign culture upon us – it is vital to deepen our understanding of this struggle. Addressing these threats requires a multifaceted approach that encompasses military, cultural, and ideological efforts to confront the challenges posed by radical terrorism.

Itamar Tzur is an Israeli scholar and Middle East expert who holds a Bachelor’s degree with honors in Jewish History and a Master’s degree with honors in Middle Eastern Studies. As a senior member of the “Forum Kedem for Middle Eastern Studies and Public Diplomacy.” Tzur leverages his academic expertise to enhance understanding of regional dynamics and historical contexts within the Middle East.

The post Bloodstained Holidays: Why Does Terror Strike During Festive Seasons? first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

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Syria to Include All Sectors in New Government, Foreign Minister Says

Saudi Arabia’s Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman meets Syria’s newly appointed Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Jan. 2, 2025. Photo: Saudi Press Agency/Handout via REUTERS

Syria‘s foreign minister has told Saudi Arabian officials that the new leadership in Damascus wants to set up a government involving all parts of Syrian society following the overthrow of Bashar Al-Assad last month.

Minister Asaad Hassan Al-Shibani was making the first foreign trip by a member of Syria‘s new administration as Western and regional powers seek signs on whether it will impose strict Islamic rule or show inclusivity in government.

Al-Shibani and Syria‘s defense minister met with Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman in Riyadh on Thursday.

“Through our visit, we conveyed our national vision of establishing a government based on partnership and efficiency that includes all Syrian components, and working to launch an economic development plan that opens the way for investment, establishes strategic partnerships, and improves living and service conditions,” Al-Shibani said in a post on X.

Since ousting Assad on Dec. 8, Islamist rebels led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) have sought to reassure Arab countries and the international community that they will govern on behalf of all Syrians and not export Islamist revolution.

HTS was al Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate until it broke off ties in 2016.

Saudi Arabia backed the rebels who fought Assad at the onset of the Syrian civil war.

More recently, Riyadh had embarked on a path of normalizing ties with the Assad government, paving the way for Syria to return to the Arab League in 2023, in an effort to reduce Iranian influence in the country and to stem the flow of drugs including the methamphetamine captagon.

A Saudi source close to the government told Reuters the kingdom was committed to safeguarding the peace in Syria and that fostering stability was a top priority.

“At this critical juncture, our focus is on delivering essential humanitarian aid to the people of Syria, and we are exploring opportunities for expanded assistance in collaboration with regional partners,” the source added.

The post Syria to Include All Sectors in New Government, Foreign Minister Says first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

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