Weekly Update: Nachum Segal and Malcolm Hoenlein Discuss the Latest News

Malcolm Homeline is with us live via telephone. We call this the weekly update conference of presidents of major American Jewish organizations. Mr. Homeline, welcome back to JM and the AM. >> Thank you. Always good to be with you. >> Well, the big question, the big question I turn to you and ask on behalf of I don't know how many thousands of people, is the war over? What's the answer to that, Malcolm? I I do not believe the war is over. We may be in a phase, but it's it's um always been inconsistent and unpredictable given the uh people involved, given the nature of the threat, but Iran, you know, still has the 400 kg of 60% enriched uranium. Um it doesn't mean that they're on the verge of a nuclear weapon, but it's uh we know that they have the deep underground facilities still, some of it in rubble, but many of that enough intact uh both at Natans and Isvahan and a lot of the capacity remains and they would be able to rebuild. We see the challenges that they're posing in the straits of Hermuz. I think that uh the president uh is a negotiator and certainly does not have a a deal yet, but um he he he we don't know what is a bargaining tactic. What is the change in policy? We see that the there's no authorized Iranian agreement to the US proposal supposedly the one pager which is really a precursor to the real negotiations which would be a more detailed implementation program. So the US proposal could help Iran relieve some of the economic distress and prevent what they fear most which is strikes on their oil, gas facilities and possibly the transportation and other infrastructure, domestic infrastructure if if they reject the US proposal and um I think that the um rationale for for escalating as we saw yesterday. But the president says it was just sort of a fluff move. It was to dismiss the significance. I think it's more significant that they fired on the UAE again and against American ships and we responded in a pretty tough way, but not decisive. So, we're we're I think in this middle phase. People can interpret it any way they want and they are. Uh what's important is how do the people in Iran interpret it? Do they see it as a uh as US backing off and again not coming with good that will actually enable them perhaps to change the situation there? Uh the uh you know the the White House um has not opened the straits of Hammoose to Iranian ships. they they've held the uh seas on on um the straits in place so and and they can reserve resume the bombing instantly. We have the tremendous presence. We saw yesterday the air tankers and the and American planes flying over the straits and activated. So we will we will have to see. One of the things that concerns me is that the USS Ford, the largest aircraft carrier of the three that's there, the most modern uh is uh is due to to return to the United States in the next days and it's been out a record period uh of time. So the um this is uh you know really a transitional stage and Pakistan and Saudi Arabia and others making requests of the president and him responding to to to it in this way also has uh implications about the shifts in in the region. The tension between Saudi Arabia and UAE obviously very serious all sorts of other conflicts springing up between Sudan, Ethiopia, Egypt, one against the other and Turkey I think taking advantage of it. >> The president of the United States described this week's strikes against Iranian military facilities as a love tap, quote unquote, and insists that the ceasefire is holding. Now, I asked you if the war is over yet, and we got your answer, and uh certainly um a a good analysis, but what about an analysis about whether the ceasefire is still holding? What do you think? >> I think the ceasefire is by and large holding. Um remember, Iran is focusing on on a lot of things. the financial situation is disastrous and they have a lot of money which they want from the United States, you know, which we're holding and the closure of the straits affects them even more, I think, than most other parties, but we have hundreds and hundreds of ships that are are are stuck. uh the pro the impact on everything from fertilizer to helium to obviously gas um is impacting countries everywhere many of our allies so the pressure builds but uh when I see the Saudis pressuring to halt the Harm's mission I have to question what the what's the rationale and and we know that NBS spoke to to the president didn't resolve the issues use but uh and you had the suspension that they imposed on the US military's uh use of the facilities which has been lifted supposedly now. So the and and and remember each country has its own agendas, >> right? And you've always told us that Saudi Arabia has this desire to always keep the impression that they're running the Middle East, right? >> They they want to run the Middle East. Yes. And and to be the the dominant influence. uh that's why they don't like challenges like the UAE or others but they are also in more and more in link with Pakistan which also gives them a nuclear umbrella and uh so all of these relationships it's it's so complex but the one thing is that there has to be clarity there has to be a message to the people of Iran there has to be a message especially to the regime that that we're not going to keep playing games and have them take another step I think that's why they kept the siege on on on the straits in place knowing that if if that was lifted, number one, Iran would immediately benefit in the financial benefits, but also the messages that that >> uh sends. >> There are those pundits that are suggesting that the president has a self-imposed deadline, that he must get this all done before he leaves for Beijing. Do you agree with that? >> Well, I'm sure that that has an impact. I don't think it's an absolute deadline. uh you know the Chinese are clearly on the side of Iran still buying their oil still uh facilitating um the same things the policies pursuing this policies and facilitating uh assistance uh they're still by the way very active here we shouldn't forget that and I hope that the president will somehow bring it up that they are leading sponsors of activities on campuses against Israel Jews um through uh Roy Singum this uh a billionaire in in Hong Kong, which who I talked about at least two years ago or a year and a half ago when we first found evidence when NCRI uncovered the pattern of funding coming from the CCP, which seeks to undermine American society and found the riots on campuses a vehicle to do that. And uh they have not taken as active a role as some thought they might Russia and China in defending uh Iran. They don't want to get involved in the conflict, but they did they were caught trying to smuggle more weapons, sending planes, sending ships with with weapons to to Iran. Uh it's clearly a major investment. They buy 90% of the oil from that Iran puts out. And so this is for them also u uh you know a loss as long as this sustains. But I don't think and I hope that the president is does not see this as a deadline that he has to get things done or out of the way. uh he wants the visit obviously to be a success and you know the president puts a lot of value on the visibilities and the um productions when he goes abroad uh and the messages that he can communicate but the stakes here are very high and uh we have not seen Chinese cooperation per se in in diminishing it. Uh look at their votes in the UN look at the the positions that they take on on almost every issue. Meanwhile, a lot of things going on in Iran. One of the disturbing things is that there were more hangings this week of people being accused of working for Israel. Are these witch hunts? Is there evidence? Is there anybody in the international community who's monitoring these executions that are going on? >> It's a very your question is well put because it's not just the fact that there are record numbers of executions going on almost every day with no reaction of the world. um people being accused of uh spying for uh Israel. By the way, not Jews. Uh the last two one was was um uh occurred. One was from another minority uh group. They these it's clearly a witch hunt and this is uh uh you know them trying to explain why they couldn't stop the murders and you know the successful assassinations or eliminations of key leaders. So they say this is outside interference. They're saying the economic uh uh situation is because of Jews in the outside who have infiltrated Iran. I mean this constant scapegoating of Jews of Israel and linking other minorities and going after them. The executions of minorities and people who participated in demonstrations uh are continuing and the world is silent in the face of this. They get elected to the commissions to deal with non-prololiferation and with rights at the UN. It's it's like such a bizarro world uh that we're we're living in. But the the internal situation and especially because communications are down, internet is down, we don't even know all of the all the facts. We see some of the announcements, but that's only the tip of the iceberg of what's really happening in the country. >> As time goes on in this country, we better get more and more familiar with that term of scapegoating. We'll talk more about we'll talk more about that coming up. Not that it's a laughing matter, but it's really disturbing. Finally on the just to wrap up this one first segment on Iran um the um the memo of understanding right what you alluded to in the first part about uh this agreement that might actually happen to end the war permanently. It it includes you know the the halting of enrichment of uranium. uh you address that if this memo existed and included that a month ago because we saw the way they reacted a month ago to all these proposals. There's no way in the world the Iranians would agree to it. Is it any more likely today? >> No. >> I think that they're playing games. I think that the um you know that they will negotiate because goes buy in time. They know that resistance in the United States will grow. We see that you know the reports now that that uh many US targets were hit we and were damaged during the war which we do not know those located in many of the Gulf states and it's something I guess we will find out uh later the um they they know that the more the longer that they can drag this out the more tensions that will be created that that the economic pressures the price uh thing and they are playing towards the they they know this the calendar for the political election as well >> and and anybody who thinks that you know they don't monitor that and don't judge by their domestic opposition and hearing the you know what members of Congress and others are saying uh the um and and they could easily reach an agreement. They could they and they can walk away saying look we beat them we survived. Sure, they eliminated a couple levels of of our leadership, but the same leadership will track will be in in control and um you know that and so they look at the the overall situation and and have tremendous pride. There's also the breakdown of communications inside Iran. They don't have the ability to communicate freely. We believe IRGC is running the show. But you see sometimes the differences between what the foreign minister says and then the next minister says and they they take a harder line, a softer line. It's a domestic play. It's a play for for succession which is in the minds of of a lot of the people. But who who who will be the rulers in in uh even if Moshnaba is the uh is alive and is in in some position, he's not a strong figure. he's going to be reliant on on who controls the IRC, who controls the uh the Basie. These are all factors. These are all moving targets right now. So, and we've seen really almost no progress on the part of Iran towards restoring uh it's it's um into implementing uh a meaningful change in progress. At the same time, they haven't really been able to restore the nuclear program, which was devastated. They're doing some they're digging in the rubble. They they are uh uncovering the hidden stuff. They're also digging deeper underground, and they learned the lesson in the next um the next installations are going to be deep inside mountains and deep underground because they were able to protect those from some of the attacks. And you know now with drone warfare with all the changes that are taking place and at the same time people are not focusing on what Turkey is doing and the changes in in the region and uh uh so kamas being trained by Turkey and by by the way Turkey learning from kamas too about some of the methodologies and and methods. So um they they unveiled yesterday a 6,000 kmter intercontinental ballistic missile Turkey you know and again it gets no attention because everybody's focused on these other things. that we have to look at the entire region and see the dangers and that Turkey extending its influence aided and emedded by people that uh even some from the United States that um uh really should be would be of great concern normally >> and the and we pay no attention. Who knows what Shah is doing today both internally and and beyond the border. The and as I said so many other conflicts that are are brewing all of which give opportunities to places like China and to to others and Turkey by the way is involved in Africa. So was Iran but Iran right now is you know uh their resources are depleted. Um, price of gas average per gallon at the very beginning of COVID during Trump won a $1.95. I I can't believe I looked this up. It was under $2. It was a $1.95. And now, of course, I think yesterday I paid $459. So, I mean, as the midterms approach, this is going to be a real concern because if it's all about the economy, there's nothing that the average American thinks is going well in that area right now. Well, the president obviously has that as a major concern. We want to see Congress, although he did have some victories in terms of the Republican primaries in in the last few days, but the uh obviously this looms, but you know, he has a lot of time to make it up if if even if in June uh we go into beginning July, it's still enough time. >> Yeah. But restarting the war may not help him uh fix it, >> right? But that's the point, right? If if they see that Iran is acting in a provocative way, attacking our allies and attacking our ships as they did yesterday, I mean that that is causes bal should have done much more. Uh but as the president, as you correctly quoted, I think called it love tap whatever uh fluff or or some dismissive word. Uh I I can't believe that that he will allow the things to stand the way they are and to merge out of this uh with the Iranian regime able to declare a victory in their own terms. Obviously they they had to be held to account to the people and we still hope that post conflict the people will rise up and and know the price they paid and see the devastation and what was wrought by virtue of this war and the leadership that doesn't care about its people the the economic conditions worsen all the time when the currency is you know goes over a million800,000 and I remember talking to you when it was 40,000 and 30,000 and we would talk about how bad it was then Now think about it and and there are food problems. There are other problems in the country for for people though they seem to sustain largely. Remember a country of 100 million people. It's huge and geographically huge. And so hopefully some of the minorities who make up more than 50% of the population will join will will give expression to opposition to the regime and help bring about change. It's America's one and only Jewish moments in the morning radio program heard on listener sponsored digital radio around the world.com network and of course the beloved NSN app. Malcolm Homeline with us. We call this a weekly update Friday starting at about 7:40 a.m. Eastern time. Now, one of the most, if not the most, in my opinion, you can tell me if you agree, uh one of the most important um projects that American Jewish leadership has in the immediate future, Malcolm. And that is uh what the New York Times describes as follows. The war in Iran has added to a tectonic shift in public opinion. a bipartisan swing away from Israel. Now, we could sit and discuss and debate how big, this is now my words, not the times, what this how severe the swing is for both parties, but do you agree that when it comes to American Jewish leadership at this point, this is one of the most important things that must be dealt with? >> You mean the shift in in support towards Israel amongst elected officials, amongst the population? Well, the Times is claiming that there's a bipartisan swing away from Israel. We always talk about the bipartisan support for Israel. And you always tell us how important it is and that that maintained itself even the mo in the most challenging of times. This is now a new thing, a bipartisan swing away from Israel. And I would think that if in if they're accurate, if this is right, then American Jewish leadership's got to step up. This got to be repaired. Is it reparable? >> Yes. I believe that it's it's uh over time reparable. I think that we have to understand how much of this is manipulated as we learn to understand the uh degree to which they have infiltrated our systems and uh public opinion and the use of AI is only going to magnify that even more. The um the first of all I still think the majority of Congress supports Israel. You know, they have focused on Netanyahu and all of those who join that band. I can understand that's just an excuse that they know they can't say they hate Israel, but they can say they can hate Netanyahu and everybody accepts it. But what they're really fighting is Israel's right to defend itself, Israel's resistance. And Democrats look at the fact that that they're working closely with the president. they hate and um then if if as in the reverse situation would would could be true. But this is a time of war where they should be standing up clearly. After October 7th, we saw how quickly things changed and and the fact that you know senators could vote to cut military aid, not economic aid, military aid >> to Israel during a war. Thank God that that the administration continued the arm supply. think if Israel supply was depleted and and with 18,000 hits, you can't you can't stockpile enough. And I think 65 plane loads of of equipment have landed in Israel. Um and when you ask people and you press them, even members of Congress who say, "Well, no, we're not against uh Israel and we're not against this, we're not against that." But it it is part of the change, the larger change which began before the war. You know, we've been talking about this for years about the shifting alliances and how young people have been poisoned not because of knowledge, not because of rational conclusions, but because these outrageous, you know, the influence of of Qatar pouring hundreds of billions of dollars entire campuses, China doing it, others doing it. to have professors, look at all the graduation speakers who have to be knocked out because they're so blatantly hostile and make and those who get through and make statements against um support kamas and and uh how many October 7th outrageous comments that we hear and unfortunately we even have Jews and good Jews who get on a radio and start attacking other Jews instead of and and use these false figures of how many voted for for Mandani and what's going on. it we're not there is no coherent approach which is essential and it's what you're asking really bottom line is we have to do much more to to approach this in intelligent ways use analysts there are a lot of people who want to help I'm speaking to many there are many good projects going on and they need more support but but really grassroots efforts efforts to take advantage of AI efforts to to use modern technology to make Israel's case. And I do believe that they are making somewhat of a difference. Just look at what's happening in Great Britain where they say that 20 Iran linked terror plots were foiled in Britain over the past year. You don't think that's happening here? That Iran doesn't have influence and we warned about it for 10 years at least that they have infrastructure here. So do others and the Chinese uh funding. So there's a manipulation, but there's also a play on the ignorance. When you press young people about these questions and and the responses are so ludicrous. They don't know anything. They don't know where Palestine is. They don't know what it means globalizing the inab. Some do. Some of the manipulators do. But the bulk of those people are just useful idiots who fall in line. And too often Jews fall into trap of of magnifying it or or of aiding and abetting the opposition unwittingly. But we have to be much more careful in what we say and how we say it. We have to u organize and make sure that people turn out to vote and do voter registration. Now that's still one of the most important platforms we have. That people have to be willing to write and make their voices heard. And when public officials say the things they do against Israel and against Jews that if they know they can do it without with impunity, they will continue to do it. So the answer is it's it's really a serious moment in that regard. Uh nobody can really put together I saw reports again coming out and they give some statistical analysis but I believe those numbers are so understated. They're they are not really reflective of the severity and intensity of the challenges that we face and what I see every single day, literally every day. It it just it it is too much to to even accept and to believe that this is what's happening in America. So watch what happens in Great Britain. I've said this for 20 years and I'm telling you again, BDS we saw there. We saw all of the things. What happens in Great Britain is happening here. It it takes a little bit more time perhaps to develop, but it's the foreign infiltration, the the physical challenges, the security challenges that go on every single day. The number of incidents every day is is shocking. And what's happening schools where the unions are backing anti-semitic uh incidents and and teacher Jewish teachers are finding it intolerable. Jewish students finding it intolerable that the you find it in in public officials and public meetings. Every every platform and forum is being taken advantage of and it's a systematic approach. It's not haphazard. So we have to train young people to get involved in the political process to run for office to to to make the sacrifice uh perhaps to be in public service and to serve the community serve in in government and in other channels where uh you rise through the ranks. I believe though that it's not a lost cause. I believe that there are there is still a reservoir of goodwill. We have to do more to build alliances and build and promote the those spokespeople who say the right things. And it's not coming from us. It has to come from them. And I believe that we can we can still hold on. But anybody who doesn't think raise red flags about the future here is making a mistake. I have to uh I have to note and I I I especially say this to those who are regular listeners and hear these conversations on a weekly basis, a new listener, I wouldn't expect to um to know this, but every time, and I'm not saying this in in an accusatory tone, just the opposite. I'm saying this lauding the observation. Every time we talk about a domestic issue, especially one like this, support of Israel in Washington, support of Israel among the two parties, etc., It always leads to you speaking about voter registration and voting in general. And it is the one thing we have that many other uh Jewish communities around the world did not have in the past. It's the one thing we have to actually make a difference. And it's amazing to me, obviously in the type of house I grew up in, I knew this, but it's amazing to me how many people don't know this, that their simple right to vote and their act of voting can make such a difference and really can alleviate the question that I started this segment with. So, it's unbelievable that every time I bring up a domestic issue, especially when it comes to what's happening in Washington and especially as it comes to the influence that certain people are having, every time I bring it up, you always end up at voter registration. And again, I'm not >> because it's it's a fundamental step that people can do when they say, "What do I do?" >> And it's amazing how many people don't do it. It's amazing. >> It's still amazing. and and and thank God we did make progress and the efforts on the local levels that we have talked about but but it's only one step. It's also a question of writing and and there are uh websites that can direct you. They do the letter. All you have to do is sign your name and send it so that uh and we've seen many many reversals in the last uh two weeks. I've seen dozens of reversals uh or rejections really of anti-Israel initiatives across the country in in sometimes in remote places where they voted down I think because the people wrote people made their voices heard and because I do believe that there is a reservoir. We have a, you know, the Council for Secure America, which I had the privilege of helping to start 40 years ago, but now we had events in Washington last week. 30 people from from North Dakota came, the best people in the world, including their senators and others, from South Dakota, from Iowa, from Idaho, from Montana, from uh from um Alaska. These countries, these states, nobody goes there. Nobody talks to them. And they're pro- Israel. The people are fundamentally pro-Israel. The heart of America, I think, remains largely pro-Israel. You don't hear their voices. And if we neglect them, they will continue the situations there will deteriorate as well because they're remember they're energy rich in many of these places. And they are uh but they are fundamentally so supportive. Senator Kramer's comments at the Israeli embassy were amazing. the the chairman of the energy committee who comes from Kentucky, many others. So there are there you know as bleak as the situation can look and especially in a city like New York and where people can get away with the things that are going on and going on on campuses continuously across the country uh and and the fact that some donors are getting involved makes a big difference that the guys people who give the money to the universities their voices make a difference. There are so many avenues of things that could be done and when Norpack goes to the Hill or when uh other people just invite their Congress people to to the synagogue, even if it's somebody we disagree with on things, but bring them and develop personal relationships so that you can call them up and say, "Listen, this is a vote that really counts and we need you to be on the right side of it." >> And and and again, the fundamental thing is education. And that's why to me voter registration is an educational means of reaching people and and and empowering them and making them feel efficacious. But how many of our kids know anything about the issues we talk about here? How many of them can can tell you you know the strengths of our moods? We we joke about when others don't know what river and what sea. I don't know how many of our kids know what river and what sea. And and the same way that we mobilized for Soviet jury and for Syrian jury and others and we we won. We overcame overwhelming odds, we could overcome these odds as well. But there it has to be a whole change in the mindset. And uh you know the rabbitic leadership, the community leadership, the institutions, educational institutions, it has to be a revolution now. We are facing really tremendous challenges. And now if I did it, I know people always say it's depressing sometimes when I I raise these issues, but this is life. This is what they have to know if you're going to counter it. And we don't tell you, believe me, uh even a fraction of it. >> Well said. Um we talk about Israel security and we always uh um wonder about the statistics. more of the rockets and missiles seem to get through in the most recent activity than in prior ones. And then we read about, well, you actually sent me this news item that there's a lack of ar No, you sent me the Iron Beam, that there's no batteries for the Iron Beam. And there's also, we learned this week, a lack of AR3 interceptor missiles. Is Is that the reason why those stats are worse than they were because we simply don't have the same defense mechanisms that are working well like we used to? I sent you that because you had asked me and I had asked the question about my iron beam wasn't more evident and and we got the answer. No batteries. >> So we didn't have it before so we don't have it now. Although there have been a lot of baloo that this was you know that the laser was was going to be the answer especially in the north and with increasing use of drones and these drones are very hard to take down. When people ask me, so why don't they just shoot them? Because these are um fiber optic guided uh pl uh drones uh that carry pretty heavy payloads and uh are very hard to to um to to eliminate. So I I think that the uh when you have overwhelming numbers of attacks, we know that we can't take it all down. We know that there was a shortage in the number of interceptors. Some of it has been replaced, some that isn't. And so you have to be they they have to husband it when they when it comes to responding. I know people are critical that we gave the UAE some of the interceptors and and a launcher. I think that that was a smart move. I think it will have very strong payoffs and um I think that you know whatever we do to build alliances and that kind it's it's going to be important. >> Are you surprised that Jonathan Pard wants to run for the Kesset? He's done it before. I don't know why people are surprised by it. He he announced it a couple years ago and he's announcing it again. I don't think it helps us now in the middle of all that we're going through just to re rehash all of that uh situation. Um but you know, he's an Israeli citizen and like everybody else, they all can run for office. Most of them do. And the uh the um you know, the voters will choose. >> Yeah, I have more to say about this. The problem is that it it gave the media here a chance to rehash that whole episode which I think a lot of people would have were happy we put behind us and he was living a good life and uh as a new family in Israel. But um uh you know each of these things that that evokes and we saw some very embarrassing things with some IDF soldiers and with other things all of which you know erodess and detracts and there has to be far greater scrutiny and and uh willingness of the part of the the police, the government to enforce the law in every sector to to prevent the kind of stories that we see emerging. And yet you see that that no matter what, Israel doesn't have a chance. How the BBC and others every time they apologize, you know, about their reporting, yet they do it again and again and look on on on Lebanon reporting the number of killed, which they've done a thousand times, the same 300 number without saying that 260 were terrorists. They don't acknowledge that Israel hit one place in Beirut. They didn't reattack Beirut. They didn't break the ceasefire. They attacked because they took out the head of the Radwan. that there was a targeted uh elimination of a terrorist leader who had been planning attacks on Israel. No country in the world is required to allow people to are organizing to carry out terrorist attacks to do so and not to respond even if it's across border. And by and large they have kept their activities within the confines of the area that they were supposed to and yet that is not the image that people have that they are again taking on. You see that that they try to bait Lebanese, many of whom say pro-Israel things or or say that they want to see peace with Israel and yet they keep forcing them to say, "Well, isn't it terrible that they did this? Isn't this terrible? We don't want to see a war. Israel doesn't want the war with Lebanon. Israel had peace with Lebanon and would have it again." And the the Lebanese are the ones they hate. They want to see them disarmed. And yet the international community has not achieved that >> 100%. Uh, by the way, a note about next week, folks, because people have as have asked. We are going to do a weekly update next week on the assumption that Malcolm's available. Uh, it is Yomi Shallay. So, we are going to try to keep things tight because there's going to be a lot of stuff we got to get to once the weekly update and have finished the segments. So, yes, Yom Shalay next Friday, 59 years, we're actually giving Kdeshabis in that honor and some maztov to uh to the city of Jerusalem and to Jews around the world. And again, we will have a yummy lime special, but we will include the weekly update. And again, we'll try to keep things tight because there are segments we need to get to, including Mayor Wine Garden of Blessed Memory with the sounds of 1967, which we hope to do in the final half hour of JM the AM next Friday. Finally, uh Malcolm, do you agree with the Jerusalem Post that Bennett, Eisenot, and Lieberman equals 61? I I I saw late last night or during the night uh another poll that shows that PB is at 65 >> with with who? The Arab parties. >> So, no, it's a later poll, but you know, so we've had the traditional joke over decades that, you know, Israelis are famous for telling the truth to pollsters and then lying at the polls. So that there these are it's too early to predict. It's too early to see what happens. You saw that when Bennett goes with up heat, his numbers drop. Eisenhott's numbers go up. When Isizakott then is faced against others, the numbers go down and then they go up. So, right now it's very much in flux. Um, is there BB fatigue? I think that there is there are elements of it. Does is is he a easy target? Yes. with the international community want him out and and and the you know I've had people argue with me even this week saying to me you don't understand in in the Congress it's not they're against Israel they're against Netanyahu and I told him it's not it's it goes Netanyahu as a prime minister or somebody else the prime minister to be against them right now this is more fundamental I not saying that they handle every situation well I I've had a lot of problems with some of the public declarations and raised it for years and um the care with which we speak. But you you cannot deny the relationship he's had with the administration and with the experience that he has, the the fact that he's a very smart and committed leader and um uh and and and only have to look at the shekele at 290 to the dollar and say what what how this economy is is so resounding in this given all despite all the challenges but that the shekele is a lot stronger than the dollar is ridiculous, but but it is says something. So, and and a lot of the credit for the economic improvements at the time were from Netanyahu when he was finance minister and the things he put into place and the the resilience of the Israeli people. And you got to say when you see guys with both legs shot off, going back to the field and and volunteering, doing stuff that u that they even in their limited capacity, it should inspire all of us. So little is asked of us. Don't take it for granted. And especially when it comes to your lime, we all love it. We we will celebrate it next week, but don't take it for granted. A lot of people have designs on it. A lot of people don't want to see us in control of it. It it affects, you know, some fundamental religious beliefs if political beliefs on the parts of others. Don't take it for granted. Everybody plan trips to go to Israel as soon as it's possible. >> We have to rebuild the tourism, you know. So, it's not just voter registration. There are so many things that we can do, but make your voice heard. I know that there's a rally in in Queens on Sunday. People should get behind it and and be part of it. Make your voices heard. Numbers count in these instances. >> Uh thank you very very much. Have a wonderful Shabas and we'll speak please God next week. >> God willing. Be well. Have a good shabas. Malcolm Homeline Conference of Presidents Major American Jewish organizations weekly update Friday 7:40 a.m. Eastern time here at JM. Next week Shalim, we will do a weekly update. Please God, we'll try to keep things tight because we do have a big 8:00 hour including the sounds of 1967 as presented many, many times on these airways by the late great Mayor Weineard. We will do that to celebrate 59 years of the reunification of Jerusalem.