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

Malcolm Homeline is with us, Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish organizations. We call this the weekly update. Mr. Homeline, welcome back to JM and the AM. >> Thank you. It's good to be with you as always. >> Appreciate that very much. Well, it is uh now official that New York City has a new mayor elect. In less than two months, he will officially be the mayor of the city of New York. And um a lot a lot of things here, of course, to discuss. Let let's first talk about the uh reaction of Jewish leadership to his election. Um did you think there was anything unusual about it? Did the conference of presidents have an official reaction? Uh other rabbitic and and community leaders around the city. What do you think of the way people reacted to Tuesday's events? >> So I think there were multiple reactions. On one level some people were stunned. I think the reality had not set in on them before. while many others judging by the turnout in Jewish neighborhoods certainly understood the immediacy and the importance. I think the mobilization on the part of the community was remarkable and and a message of what we can do and how much more we have yet to do and and especially more educational efforts within the community about the nature of of the political issues that we confront and the personalities. But I think the I I have a lot of questions about the buildup and about how much the focus on his anti-Jewish attitudes uh from the very beginning of his candidacy really helped us or hurt us that I think it it you see from the exit polls and from some of the studies done that for many people that was an incentive or that they vast majority agreed of his supporters agreed with his position on Israel. And uh so there's a lot that we have yet to unpack and to study about what is the best approach and how to do it rather than having it a more general approach to to what his plans are and what people are uh not fully cognizant of of the agenda of the quote democratic socialist. And because it has the word democratic I think a lot of young people are fooled about what the real intent is and the real impact. So to go back to it, I think the rabbis in the community, I think the organizations in the community, some late, but the mobilization was remarkable. Certainly FGCC and Josh and the fact that we were able to register many thousands of people and that each day in the pre-oting was a record uh turnout and the overall turnout was uh was a record uh and it was true in some other communities as well. the um you know the danger now is real and the perception now is you know wait and see. Uh let's see what he can actually implement that a lot of the the the things that he says he will do are hypothetical and whether it can be enacted in the real world. But the hatred and the the agenda and the constant coming down knocking um threatening in every respect the whether it's buying Israel bonds by the government or the cooperation between the NYPD and and the IDM are are only you know surface issues but there's a a clear agenda and with the membership of the city council there are things that he can do. It's true the governor and the president can intervene to some degree, but they can't really block a lot of these things. So, we're in a new chapter. It's a serious time. I have to say that for almost 20 years, we've warned about this on this program. We told them what what was happening in the country. And especially in New York City, the fact that you have uh uh candidates running across the country who espouse similar views, this is not haphazard. It's organized. there's foreign money coming into it. There there is a lot that will yet be unpacked. But now the evidence that CARE and and that they boast that CARE gave uh large contributions to it and helped to organize and that others including foreign funding from the Middle East may have been involved. I'm assuming you saw some of the disturbing videos from his victory party. Not not from him or his staff, but meaning from people in the crowd and what they had to say regarding the Jewish community based on the Mumani victory. >> Yes. And you shouldn't dismiss it. This is not, you know, youthful exuberance. These are people that that so many people were willing, let's say his anti-Semitic, anti- Zionist, anti-Israel, anti- everything and Italians and other groups as well was not a reason enough for them not to vote for him, >> right? let alone be a block. And and it's it's an indicator and I for one take it all very seriously and think we have to to analyze the results and look at this and understand how it is that despite the and and and it's a sideeshow to talk about the Jewish vote. That's another issue. I don't think that the numbers are real. I think that it's it's below 20% that actually voted for uh for him. But it tells you that that there are a lot of young Jews who have no knowledge, who have no background. It's true of many of these young people. They have no clue and we have a lot of historical anticedants where the same things happened and they came to regret it later on. And and I think that that's the case here. um though similar situations if they're comparable. For instance, the mayor of London, I just don't remember. Was Israel and the whole Jewish issue a major deal during his campaign? Like here we saw in New York. It was like, you know, you could you couldn't start a debate without, you know, a journalist pouncing on him about Israel and the Jews. Was it like that in in the London election as well or was much more under the radar? I would say that the Jewish community's position in London is not the same as it is in New York and the you know the anti-Israel stance amongst people in Great Britain as in Europe uh overall is very different than what we have experienced till now at least not seeing it in such a blatant and manifestation. uh you know we have had we have people in Congress we have people elsewhere u Marjorie Taylor Green others who are very hostile and have platforms and and are of concern in the fact that they get elected despite these positions so I don't think he can draw a comparison directly it's a good question it is true that the concerns were expressed but he didn't express things as harsh >> al and in all fairness to him he also wasn't in the middle of a war obviously some the uh the rhetoric of the last two years became very prominent during this campaign. >> Um so yesterday we sp two two observations and and I say this with all the respect in the world because you've been one of the key people over the last many decades to push voter registration and we can't emphasize enough how important it is and this it's unfair of me to bring it up this week after the performance of the Jewish community. But all that having been said, nonetheless, I find it remarkable and maybe because of the house I grew up in, I find it remarkable how many people still don't register to vote. Forget the reasons why they do or don't. I But the apathy even by the way this year and when you were running a voter registration drive 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, I have to assume that no matter how well you did, you always felt it still fell short. Am I right or wrong? No, you're right. But the first one I did about 40, 50 years ago, um we registered tens of thousands of people over a summer and it wasn't as easy as it is today to register by mail and etc. It's really much simpler, but but the the first of all, you're raising a fundamental point about the still the number of people who were not aren't registered. I can't tell you from the time I got to the polling booth where I went to vote and I stood online and uh because I wanted to see the dynamic. I wanted to see who the people were coming. So I wanted I hung around there a little bit. >> Half a dozen people or more just in that short time came to me and said, you know, this is the first time I'm voting. >> Wow. Who? Wow. >> And and these were not kids who were not 18y olds or 20-year-olds who just registered. >> Oh man. was people who came over to me and said and I said, "Aren't you embarrassed to tell me that >> my late grandmother would slap them silly?" >> Well, they should have been some of them I would have like slap silly some of them. It was really innocent and and it's partly the message that we don't drive home what this fire did with the forcing registration to register your kids should be impracticed everywhere. The fact that the Russia Yeshiva went publicly to vote. The fact that you had the calls made a difference. Thousands and thousands of people that you have record turnout. So I want to focus on the positive of what can be done, what must be done. It's only started because we still did not reach enough people and have an organized effort to drive them to the polls. Look at the lesson from Amdano how he organized, but not he he did this for months and maybe for years even. this was not an instant, you know, solution that he somehow mix it in water and and he won an election. This was well organized that he had tens of thousands of volunteers that he that he he he was knocking on doors, but he mobilized young people. Now, think that these are the people who are going to be voting for the next decades. So it's a challenge to us that if you want to stay in New York, if you want to see that we have the stability of our communities and people make light of the fact about going to Florida and going to Texas, we have billions of dollars of infrastructure here. Billions. Think of all the votes, all the institutions, all the just the buildings, the real estate, the investments we have here that we can't just turn around and say we're going to abandon the poorest in our communities and we're just going to keep running and move to to Suffach County, Nassau County, Suffach County. It's not a realistic approach and we have to think about how do we make our voices heard. How do we hold our elected officials much more accountable because they know the numbers. They see who's voting and not voting and then we'll have impact next year. We have congressional races and certainly gubernatorial race and others. Now is the time we should start right away >> organizing and mobilizing and getting people to systems to get people to the to the polls. And I have to say I'm disappointed in organizations. I won't mention them, but one that I built and and the fact that they were nowhere to be seen and no role as opposed to a lot of the community groups who did a great job in getting people out and getting you know registration uh making it a reality. Um and uh even though uh you're not recommending or or you're certainly um reminding us that it that a move to Florida, Suffach County, etc. is not for everybody. Nonetheless, there are people and I know that you to certain to a certain degree and maybe to a full degree. Uh there are people who nonetheless uh uh are reminding everybody that we have a state of Israel. Thank God. In fact, Harav David Stav who you know well is going to be sitting in this studio on Monday. He's in the middle of a major push for diaspora Jews to think about Israel. I don't think he's pushing the panic button because of Mani. I think he's just using the opportunity to get people to think a little bit about possibly moving uh to the Holy Land. And also, I'm sure you've heard that now uh the Knesset has um either set to or already has passed a uh a law where the first couple of years that one who is from the diaspora lives in Israel, there'll be no Israeli uh state income tax um for those limb. So, everyone is hopping on the bandwagon of trying to use this opportunity again. And you're right about the infrastructure, the communities, and the future of the communities in New York City in the five burrows. I get it. But there are a lot of people now trying to use the opportunity to remind folks that Israel exists as a great option. >> So I feel and and have practiced this all the time. I don't talk about aliyah in a negative context. We shouldn't be talking about running from, but we should talk about running to, right? And and if you look at the construction that's going on in Israel, you know, and the joke that the national bird is the crane, you I I showed my wife, we were walking in, we looked one place down and we counted 17 cranes that we could see. It was a valley, but 17 cranes that you look at. You don't see in New York City, anything like that or any city that I know of where you have and and across Israel. It's big places, small places near the coast inside the construction that's going on. But we should be thinking of it in positive terms. And the in in Israel this step is an important gesture. It's two years and then after that the tax rate goes to 20% and 30%. >> But the the uh first two years starting in 2026 uh we won't have a zero tax bill, right? >> Uh but the the we should be offering people we should make sure that we need affordable housing in Israel. We need to to have jobs. So, we have to build the economy and rebuild the economy. In many places, the post-war devastation is is remarkable that Israel's economy is sustained in such a positive way and growth is still it's around 3% I think or more. But that it's it's there's a lot of ingredients have to go into it. So, again, not talking about going to Israel as a negative, >> right? We should be doing it. I'm building. Others are building. Everybody wants to be in Israel. >> I have but but we have to think realistically about what what we have here now. >> Totally agree with all you said and I do believe honestly that those who are using this opportunity agree with you as well. They're just using the atmosphere to get people to be more focused about it. And can you believe that the state of Israel has caught up to the state of Florida when it comes to state income tax? I know it's only for two years, but now but now when everybody in New York always says, "I'm going to Texas. I'm going to Florida. I got to go to a state without income tax." At least uh they could uh now toss Israel into the conversation, as you said, for at least a two-year period. It's America's one and only Jewish moments in the morning radio program. Heard listeners sponsored digital radio around the world, the web atoms.com and the network and of course on the beloved NSN app. Support our year-end campaign which has kicked off. Go to the top of.com and click on the banner. We have a lot of options for monthly donors, etc. Keep this going, everybody. Um, Malcolm Homeline would not spend every Friday for almost 30 years with us if he didn't think this was a worthwhile outlet. Yes, I'm putting words in his mouth, but I think I'm being accurate. Uh, so go to the top of school.com, click on our year-end um year-end campaign banner. I'm sure you saw the video from Birmingham, England, uh, putting up signs, really disgusting. um announcements about uh this match that was happening between a local soccer club and Makabi. And uh in fact, they enforced a rule that that they wouldn't allow uh those visitors, those fans from Israel to actually attend the game. I I said I'm not that I'm expecting you to to be able to solve this problem, but but just like we have follow in the United States, we have followed this pattern in Europe on many different levels politically, socially, etc. A and if in fact this is going to be now something that we're going to have to live with in Europe, meaning the Jewish community and this is the reality and you know the only answer is stay away and you won't get beat up you know because you're a Zionist or a Jew. You have to assume Malcolm that that here in the US that atmosphere is going to become uh you know also prevalent at some point and and people need to face up to that reality. Am I right that outside of staying away and listening to local authorities to stay away and I mean police etc. There's really no answer at this point. >> Well, there are a lot of answers. Uh, you know, people point to education and point to legislation and there are things that we can do to curb hate speech at least to drive back under the rocks and to enforce the uh the laws that that the answer is not to bar pro-Israel or Jewish uh people from going to sports events. The police have to do their job and have to protect them and and create circumstances where it's true. But look, you have rowdyism at these games, especially soccer games and things. We've seen, you know, mass casualties at events not related to Jews. So, it it draws a very vibrant and let's say very outspoken and often very rowdy crowds. Uh, and the police feel overwhelmed sometimes as we saw in Holland that time and elsewhere. But it's a it's a phenomenon across Europe. But it's it's you know it should not be dismissed as you know just hooliganism that is associated often with the soccer fans and football their football uh fans. this is not this is something that's happening within the society that we are seeing the growth of this and when you you know again we're very careful about comparisons to the 30s but I don't think anybody who walked away from New York didn't think in the back of their minds or talked to a survivor who didn't say that they've heard this song before and and the fact that across Europe and it's not just one place it's every country it's every place look at the the things that are going on in Spain and uh The king met with leaders of the Jewish community and promised and asserted that he would be taking more active role on on this. But the they passed legislation. We we have uh really circumstances that were unthinkable in countries across Europe and Spain is like one of the worst and I think people should consider whether they go on vacation to the countries where anti-semitism is left unchecked and and not only for their own safety but as a message that there's a consequence to doing this if people believe that they can be free to hate and again I think we have to rethink our strategy about how you address you what happened for instance with the Heritage Foundation that we are seeing the the growth not only on the extreme left but on the right the far right the far left they're not so extreme anymore and that look how parallel they are and I I've said many times here you know that when these extremes go far enough they meet and we're seeing that where the the hatred on the far right and the hatred on the on the far left are meeting in the United States and almost reinforcing one another but that you have more and more prominent people engaged in and feel that they can openly express on mass media and and to the public views and and that the immediate response isn't a to act against those who perpetrated or meet the institutional response and especially in this case I think was was not only lacking but but ill advised and and you know now they're backtracking and trying to but it's the deeper phenomenon that worries me much more that it it it It it can come from the highest elitist um think tank to hooligans in the streets. >> That's a dangerous formula. >> Wow. What a great analysis. I I got to go to one other thing on the on the local stuff. I know we have to talk about Israel, etc., but um I think this is important. Jake Novak was with us yesterday and he made a point that I thought was really it hit me afterwards just how important it was and that was to try to groom young people, young men and young women in our community to actually run for office. Uh obviously they could have a major impact once they're elected. I always understood the desire and the um and frankly the hatred that people have for the political scene. It's uh I I don't know if every Jewish parent would endorse their child going into politics for a variety of reasons. Uh but it's really important and you you've always made the effort to meet with young people in schools of journalism, to meet with young people who have the potential down the road to have great influence. And I think it's way too late when members of our community become big in media. You know, people expect them to run for office and make a difference. They're really comfortable and fine the way they are. Is there a way to identify? I don't know. Is there a way to start a high school program or a post high school program to identify those in our community who have the qualities to actually run be appealing on a massive basis not just the Jewish community down the road and make a difference in that way? >> Absolutely. And as you know I I advocated for getting young people involved going to schools to speak to to get them to at least focus on the issues which are so relevant. The truth is though that we we are dumbing down our kids. We can't, you know, maybe the general populace can afford it. We can't we can't afford that people not know what really happened during the show or what is happening in Israel or what the challenges are what the nature of the candidacies that people tend to dismiss politics is irrelevant when it's the most relevant thing and often in determining the quality of life the issues the the things that we care about most and then look back with regret for the failures not not to act. So I think absolutely schools number one have to do a much better job educating. Nobody talks about current events anymore in schools like when we grew up you know where we where we at least talked about the issues and and educated them. I see often when the boys older boys who have come tooka or stuff and some of these issues are raised they have no idea what we're talking about >> right >> and and I I you can't impose it. It's something that has to be educated and we see those that are interested. The community absolutely should should elevate the idea of public service and help facilitate it that people can make a living and and serve the community whether through the organizations of the community or through political involvement and general involvement in in at all levels, city, state, and the federal level. And Malcolm, if there is a yeshiva high school principal out there who knows of a great candidate for what we're talking about, uh, they should reach out to you because you'll be more than happy to step in and give a pep talk and a little bit of training to that young man or young woman. >> I will be very happy to do it. I I speak every year at Manhattan High School for girls before you smoother after and I have to tell you I get the best questions of the year from all the speeches, all the appearances. I get it from them and you can see that you can maintain all the standards of of religious education of of the girls and at the same time prepare them activate them. Again, you can't enforce it on people and it's not 100%. But you see the potential for this. I see the potential for this amongst them and amongst the young people that I meet and people who will stop me sometimes, young guys on the street and say, "Can I walk with you because I want to ask you some questions?" and and some who listen to the show. I think we we have to rethink and and the problem is that it's very hard to bust through. I'm very frustrated as you can hear because you know again I invested 10 years in one organization which we which at the time was in the lead and and it was completely absent from the scene and this is their responsibility when when the a lot of local communities had to be forced into doing it while others took really activist role and you see the results. >> Yeah. And you know the reason why is they're worried about the relationship with the new mayor down the road. I mean that's got to be the reason why. >> That's not the only reason. There's there is a a culture that's developed where where this is looked down upon where where people mock those who do get involved. And I will tell you there's no greater reward than knowing that you made a difference in people's lives that you could save the community whether on individual or collective basis. But think of all the problems that our our institutions run into and if they're going to be meeting deaf ears because we're not a relevant community. We're being marginalized. We have to be much more vocal. We have to be ready to stand up on this stuff. And we could do it. We saw it now. You saw how many Rabanim and others took an active role and what a difference it made in the community to elevate them. And people now saying to me, you know, as I said, not just the first time to vote, the first time they thought about the issues, >> right? >> Well, sometimes it takes somebody who won't condemn globalizing to motivate the people that you just mentioned, but I but again, I got to stay positive because you are presenting a much more positive outlook. In fact, I every time I think it's all over, Malcolm, all of a sudden, you're giving this boost of confidence in the Jewish world. And the >> Well, I will tell you that we owe Momo a thank you cuz he really woke up large segments of our community to a reality that is growing in this country. You know, we look at what's happened in Europe and it's very easy or much easier, I should say, to look at distant countries and say, "Look at the anti-semitism there. Look at the promises they brought. Look what's going on in London. Look what's going on in Paris." And not look at home. It's much more it's much harder because you have to face a different reality and and you have to come up with consequ with with solutions and you have to think about what the consequences are for your kids, for your grandchildren. What what are you going to tell them? You didn't learn from 80 years ago. You didn't learn from what was happening over the last decades in in Europe and and what's happened to those communities. What why are we immune from any of those things? We're not. Thank God this is not at the same level. But there were 800 Muslims running for office. I have nothing against Muslims running for office. The problem is that many of them are indoctrinated. Many of them espouse these hostile views and you have other candidates of other backgrounds. So it's not hypothetical anymore. You but people have to open their eyes and be willing to confront it. >> Funny you say about the debt of gratitude to Mamani because Rabbah after the election said that we have to remember not only did Hama not kill one Jew, he also did one of the greatest things of uniting the entire Jewish people. He it he it he it he it he it he it he it he it he it he it he it he he brought an awareness and but but the answer was the answer is that we have to be unified that the divisions in the community have to be contained and put aside and that we work collectively and those who engage in the in you know the uh individuals or others who go against the interests of the community also have to be held to account. >> What have you heard about this man who was arrested and sentenced to prison in Iran, a Jewish man. What have you heard? you're usually up on the latest coming out of Iran's Jewish community. What have you heard? >> So, we've been working on his case for a long time. He he's an American Iranian. He has family here. I've met his members of his family. Uh but more importantly, we've monitored this case for a long time. Um they actually changed the law in Iran. He he's being charged for something for a visit to Israel 13 years ago. And why did people go to Iran is another story. I know it's everybody says why did they go what did they bail him out that's not the issue the issue here is now this guy and it's I think it's unrelated it started before I think the the war or I think it was independent but they they have a law that forbids uh visits even retroactively to Israel >> wow >> he's being charged for visit 13 years ago the law was that you got four years in prison now they cut it down to two years and he's already served He's been under arrest. So, we don't know what the ultimate outcome will be. But, you know, Iran this so far this year has executed and I'm not saying he will face he doesn't face execution. More than 1500 people that we know of. So, we know that the number is really much greater than that. And it's young people, women, all sorts of people being executed. No sessions, the UN, no human rights council, nobody else, nobody gives a damn about how much they've tortured people, how the country is in collapse. And now these these kind of uh actions are of concern because number one, it's a message to the community. It can become more widespread. We we have to so far, thank God, it was contained and it's something we monitor every single day and hopefully that efforts can be made that he will be um he'll be allowed to leave and come back to the United States to his family. >> Why now for Kazakhstan and the Abraham Accords? >> They were coming to the United States for C4 plus1. As you know, I was in Kazakhstan uh a few weeks ago. I met with the president. I discussed this with him. I've been pushing this for many many years because I believe that that's the lowhanging fruit that we can mobilize. I I don't think they should be done peace meal. I think we can do a collective uh new branch of the Abraham Accords. I call it Abraham spirit, but I've talked to the leaders across the region and and some from countries that do not have diplomatic relations and no relations in fact with Israel where there are new opportunities. So I think that this was an effort to show the expansion because Kazakhstan is is a huge country for one thing and has a lot of uh mineral wealth uh energy a lot of opportunities for Israel to expand the existing ties but also to open up now a sort of Asian track uh which I believed all along was it was a mistake we haven't pursued it and I personally have pursued it with them uh and I was in Kaz Kazakhstan um as I said then you know they they had the leaders of the world's great religions conference which they do every three or four years there and you have everybody from the pope down every head of religion and I was invited to speak but they had tables then the chief rabbis of Israel were there others and they had kosher tables kosher food for us at the at the conference in in in Aana and there's a shul there the um the government has been very good to the Jewish community there. There's the Jews have lived in these places like Azerbashan and Kazakhstan which are neighbors in Pakistan for 2500 years. >> Kazakhstan is former Soviet Union. Right. >> Right. All three are former Soviet Union and and Jews have lived there for for 2500 years and more maybe 2600 years by now. And um uh they don't experience anti-semitism. the the I could walk with the ama in places and they um a great respect. So this is uh I hope will trend to many others joining this. >> How did how did Moscow give up all those natural resources? I mean now we have to go back I guess to you know the Gorbachev era but like how did it work? I assume it was Russia or or what was known then as USSR that had that had access to all of Kazakhstan's natural resources at that point. Correct. >> That's true. And you you know in all these countries you had their missile launchers you know the satellite launchers and stuff. >> Uh but these countries were more independent. The further you got from Moscow the more independent like Georgia. >> Georgia was also part of Soviet Union except that it was a Christian country. These are Muslim countries. And you know in World War II they hundreds of thousands of Jews found refuge in those in in uh in Azabashan Kazakhstan and mostly in Usbekistsan in in Samarand and Bkhara and you see all the Bkharan Jews. Um so Jews have a long history in these places. It's even in the Gumar about the mountain Jews uh and the references to these communities. Some believe it came after the destruction of the first temple. Some say later, some say even earlier. Is it different was it different with the western countries and Moscow have a much bigger hold on Lithuania and and that area >> but also again these were countries that have more independence than let's say the countries that were part of the what they would call the heartland but they but these countries especially because they were Muslim by the way moderate Islam and practice there it's secular Islam almost in in Azerban and in Kazakhstan Um there are changes that are taking place in some of these countries and you see more borcas, you see more religious observants. Um but uh this has been going on. This is a long history that was largely ignored. We did the first event ever in New York to honor the presidents um for what they did during World War II. >> When's the Abraham Accord uh ceremony? There's going to be one. >> It was yesterday. There was a meeting in the White House anyway. >> Oh, the president of Kazakhstan was in the White House already. >> Yes. >> Oh, cool. >> Look at that. Snucking under the radar here for that conference which was set up for this largely for this purpose, but also building the cooperation with the US. Again, something that I I worked on for a long time and discussed with the president. and I I want to do another C4 plus one with Israel and maybe Israel and the US uh very soon. >> Have you altered your opinion about whether we're going to early elections in Israel or it'll be the final quarter of 2026? Well, it becomes harder to to think of it uh being ear too much early time limits, but it could be I think June is a more likely time >> and because of you because of things that always intercede in the you know the Jewish calendar always gets in the way of everything >> and July and August they ref they they refuse to have an election during the summer >> right but well you can't and then you can't have it before because of Russ and and Sukkot so they have to do it after that and then there's always reason but Bottom line is I think that the mood is building up. Netanyahu's numbers are getting better, very incrementally, but better. Um uh so he may have more of an incentive. Uh >> Bennett's numbers seem to getting to be getting better over the last month or so. >> They're pretty sustained, but you know, as we know that all these polls don't mean anything once you start getting into the nitty-gritty of an election. And as we I don't know maybe as the war if things calm down and we see a positive out come that people will will see it differently and also remember that that the demonstrations were still a very small percentage of the people of Israel and that Netanyahu's support or the good support could be could be larger but you know he's he's not young anymore he may want to step down but he want to step down on a high and uh I think if if the outcome were more clear right now, but getting all the hostages home, getting all the bodies back is is a positive thing if he can stabilize the situation in Gaza and with you know that I can't say we can describe it fully as that right now. But the movement in that direction could would would certainly give them a platform to run on. >> We uh it's uh we're we're anticipating six more uh the remains of six more hostages. Is that the right number? >> Right. the six more and we hopefully they know where all of them are. We think that you know they were clearly lying about till now. >> Yeah, I was proven wrong about that. I underestimated the enemy. Maybe he'll retire the prime minister and they'll give him a post as chairman of the WCO. You never know with the way things are going right now. >> He'll take his son's job. >> Yeah, he'll ride off into the sunset in an even more in an even more irrelevant position. >> Right. I know for most people nobody knows what it means and what what it stands for and you know they had elections in which more people participated but it is an important entity whether it should be or not I think is is it's >> that's become more clear >> whether this should you know post state with a state do we need another parallel institution it does serve a purpose in the ties between diaspora and Israel but I think this latest uh exhibitions have been embarrassing and you know it's very tight to the political parties in Israel and their fortunes as laid pulled out and all the the deals that they made fell apart. >> Yeah. It's funny. I I of course always think about my father during these episodes. I've told you this a million times that once the state was established, he led a campaign to basically abolish the Zionist movement. Uh which you know um would apply to WZO as well. Uh but uh there are too many people in too many too many comfortable positions to to go ahead along with that plan frankly. And I think you're right that if we would have focused only on the state and you know it its exclusive leadership even for world jury we would have been better off. >> Well there were legal reasons also you needed intermediate institutions because you couldn't give money directly and you know the laws were were different in 1948 and the years thereafter and the the structure you know because you needed a government sort of a government in exile or independent because you didn't have a government of Israel. So there's a lot of historical reasons why the structure is as it is. Uh but I think all of this should be rethought and there are proposals being put forward to the government to the Knesset that would revise it and reform it. Uh I think reform is certainly overdue. The the fact that now you have many more religious Jews from America participating which was never the case and and Americans generally participating >> taking it more seriously. They're learning about it. But I don't think anybody understands the Byzantine maze that are these institutions. >> It's funny because the attention that people garnered for it over the last I don't know you know two three elections may end up being its demise you know when it was more under the wait under the radar it was not nearly as much of an issue. >> Yeah. But it but the truth is that still the vast majority of it is still below the radar and and and subject to the backrooms of the discussions and work workings between the party representatives and you know they all these people went for the congress and that it was not conclusive and so now it's all being worked out >> and we'll know and we'll know in the next week or two if you were right or wrong. >> Well not going to be wrong question be right. I don't know I don't know what right means in this case. Well, right. I think I think right I think right means that everyone moves forward with some type of organized coalition and some type of direction and some type of >> It will happen. >> You think it will happen? Interesting. >> Oh, interesting. because the interest they have you have uh billions of dollars at stake >> and the the interests are are and and in Israel obviously it's much more people are much more involved in because it's much more direct >> and you have a lot of jobs involved in it and um it's you know it needs to be certainly needs to be revised and rethought. >> Understood. Thank you so much for joining us. We'll speak again please God next week. >> My pleasure. Hopefully in a week of good news. >> Amen to that. Malcolm Homeline, Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish organizations. We call this a weekly update every week, 7:40 a.m. Eastern time here on JM. 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