Aryeh's Israel Outlook

 [Published Jan 14 '24 on the Times of Israel - here .] The end game(s) are clear; either you support Israel or you support evil JAN 16, 2024, 9:36 AM Serenity in turbulent times. Photo credit: Author A simple statement by a moderate centrist Israeli. Our  end game  is clear (as explained to my brother this evening): In this war, our  short-term  goals, as stated by the government of Israel and supported by the vast majority of our people, are: (1) Destroy Hamas , capture or kill its members (leaders and fighters – some 20-30,000 total); (2) Ensure the release  of all remaining hostages; (3) Prevent Hamas  from ever being able to operate or rule in Gaza again. Our  long-term  end game in the coming months/year: (1) Help the international community to set up a  responsible interim government in Gaza  – democratic, respecting civil/human rights, interested in real peace with Israel and all our neighbors (may include remaining in Gaza ...

 [ - published Nov. 17 '23 on Times of Israel - here. ] Omer Bar Tov in the NYT Has It Wrong – Genocide is Hamas’ Goal, not Israel’s NOV 17, 2023, 7:44 PM Omer Bar Tov may be considered an expert on genocide. But even though he’s an Israeli Jew (living in the US), he seems to know nothing about how the Israel Defense Forces and our society approach military operations. His writing also reflects little understanding of politics (Israeli or otherwise) or international relations… and no common sense. And his Nov. 10 th   NYT article   accusing Israel of approaching genocide  seems to have none of the moral clarity this author  called for  from the West regarding this current stage of the struggle by the free world against the Islamist totalitarian ideology of Hamas and their sponsors and supporters (including Iran, Qatar, Turkey and their fellow travelers in Europe and America). Bar Tov’s entire argument is based on a combination of conjecture, numbers of cas...

 [Published October 16 '23 at Times Of Israel - here .] Ayekha? Where are you?!? אַיֶּכָּה – Ayekha?  WHERE… ARE… YOU?!? This past Shabbat, the Parsha (weekly Shabbat reading of the Torah, the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, called the Pentateuch from the Greek) was Breishit – Genesis – the first section of the first book of the Torah, about the creation of the universe and the planet and all living things including humanity. Once Adam and Eve are on the earth, the serpent tempts Eve, as we all know, and eventually Adam and Eve become sentient beings when they violate God’s command and eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, aware of their own nakedness (intellectual or just physical?) for the first time. Having violated God’s command, discovering a new, human-centric concept of morality, they cover themselves up and hide from God. The Lord calls to Adam with the single but almost unfathomably poignant term in Hebrew  אַיֶּכָּה – Ayecha – Where are you? She...