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

Time for the weekly update. Malcolm Homeline is with us. Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish organizations. Mr. Homeline, a pleasure to welcome you back to JM and the AM. >> Thank you. Always good to be with you. >> So, some people just, and I'm not saying this sarcastically, some people just won't be happy until the president of the United States is dead. And I just um you know, I wonder what your reaction is to this assassination attempt. Well, it should be very troubling. The fact that this is now the third attempt on his life and we don't know what other plans may have been thwarted over the years and reminds us of the deterioration here at home. the there's inevitably influences that are brought to bear in whether it is an internet influence of an individual or a collective effort or the manipulation of people radicalization. Uh the the fact is that that we've seen these repeated attempts and you know it it reminds us of the potential for much greater violence on a broader basis that till now it's been more hazard. But we've warned about the sleeper cells here for for so many years and now people are talking about it. Officials are taking it more seriously both in Europe and the United States that Iran can activate them if the time comes. They don't do it now because they know the retaliation that that would entail. And I think the the the actions of this there's there's never a fully lone wolf. There are always influences. There are things that they find connections later on in some way or another. It doesn't mean that he was a member of a group. Though in many instances that has proven to be true that they have some affiliation, a radical Imam, some other source of of indoctrination or um to violence but and then all the questions you know the diversion is the attention to the role of secret service which has to be examined and we have to see why where the failures are each time. But the concern we should be looking at as well is really where does this come from? We see the shootings in schools across the country. We see the events on many campuses which does do not get the recognition. We we look more easily at Europe because I think the distance gives us clarity. Certainly the outrageous attacks in England but unfortunately there are attacks going on here as well and probably in greater number. >> Right. And and and my point in terms of the way I opened is and I'm you know in my lifetime there's been assassination attempts on presidents. Um it never seemed like there was any type of consensus even a minority consensus that the people of the United States or a group in the United States wanted him dead. It never seemed like that unless you know maybe I was just naive. But now it literally seems like there will be some type of I don't want to say celebration, but certainly some type of satisfaction among many if, god forbid, he's assassinated. I I think that's very true. And the fact that you have people on television, public figures, people on the internet who make comments and then they always claim that it's out of context or it's it's distorted when in fact reality is that that people can call for the death of or celebrate the potential death of the of the leader of the United States. You can have all the disagreements you want, but there should be a red line. And that has been consistently eroded just as we've seen. And and I don't mean to compare it, but it's it's certainly related to seeing the general deterioration of the red lines in society. >> Right. Yeah. And I'm not blaming anybody. I'm certainly just making that observation as you just uh reiterated. Just making the observation. It's a completely different atmosphere right now. And yeah, all those red lines have completely disappeared. Uh all right, we go back to Europe as um you mentioned. So, obviously an outrageous attack. A couple of Jews stabbed. Uh, a Somalian immigrant was responsible for it. Uh, I also heard, and I don't know if you have an update on this, there the yeshiva that that was um on fire yesterday in London. It was actually an arson attack. That's what I had heard. I don't know if you have an update on that. I I bring this up not only to discuss the news of the day and obviously this outrageous attack in London, but you always say that whatever is going on in Europe is eventually going to come here. You've just said in this conversation that's already here, but the blatant attempts on Jewish lives and Jewish institutions, that's something that's still uniquely, I think we could argue, for for the most part, for the most part on that side of the world as it continues to seep westward. Um, many people blaming the prime minister. I'm not really familiar with what atmosphere he's been projecting in terms of, you know, comfort or safety of the Jewish community in London. Can you break this down for us? Is is English leadership responsible in a way for for not reassuring the Jewish community and taking proper action to protect them? >> They're not responsible for a specific attack. They are responsible for the overall situation. Just as leaders here uh the same those that don't act if police and and law enforcement are told to restrain themselves or not to take the full action or to to be afraid of of going after people of various religious or ethnic identities because uh you know the intimidation coming from above then yes they bear responsibility and in the case of England the fact is that we've had many many attacks uh and because it's it gets a lot of coverage uh the BBC partly responsible for it. Uh the fact is in the United States you've had many many attacks. We have numbers of anti-semitic attacks in the thousands uh and in in some cases when they're caught on on um video by various you know instruments then you of course get a bigger reaction because the media loves it if they can just show a chase scene or something of an assault. But then the next day everything goes back to normal. And here they're saying we're going to increase the number of police in Jewish neighborhoods. We're going to not that they have after all of the attacks they haven't. And that's why Sturmer was booed and why the prime minister of Australia was booed because they knew what was going on and the failure to act. and in fact often uh engaging in rhetoric about Israel, about the Jews, about the especially with the war in Iran to to not to act decisively uh to stop and hold to account those who are responsible. Periodically, they are people who make comments on on TV. Every once in a while, somebody gets fired or or suspended or whatever. But the fact is that that what we've seen from the Department of Justice here has been a change and it does make a difference. It does affect what happens on the campuses when they hold the leadership to account. And we're still only scratching the surface in response in Great Britain. Now you've had so many attacks and the and the very visible attack on the Hatsah ambulances, >> right? >> Which keep getting equated to these attacks on the street. But there they guys went in the middle of the night, set fire to it. It's a cowardly act. But the here it's, you know, they then they say, of course, that they're crazy people and find all sorts of excuses. The the reaction has been strong in Britain to this, but it's because it's a cumulative effect. remember the the number of incidents that have gone on. But we have to remember Pittsburgh, Plato, Texas, all of the other places where uh Jews and Jews are being assaulted every single day here. It's not caught on camera necessarily. It doesn't get the coverage, but it's happening here every day. It's not a potential that this will come to America. It's here in America. And we knew it for all the years. So, we've warned about it because it's been happening. But the law enforcement and others did not take steps and the investigations of of the groups and barring them in the United States now it's happening more. But look at the Iranian groups that are active and and others that have sleeper cells here. >> Do you know if that yeshiva uh fire was arson? Do we have any conclusive? >> They did not say fire that the last that I saw which was in the middle of the night. They did not say it was arson. They were still fighting the fire. Um but it's certainly you have to be suspect these days. >> Yeah, 100%. And uh yeah, especially in light of what's been going on there. Um it's a uh I you know I I I don't know what the I don't know what the answer is. I mean I I know that you know what the answer is because you're right when it comes to the DOJ and it comes to government institutions who are supposed to be cracking down on things that's that that is the answer. But the problem is they're always dragging their feet on this stuff and as you say, you know, they're always only providing security, you know, after the fact. And uh I I I just, you know, I I I don't I don't know if this trend is ever going to change. You know what I'm saying? >> It it's the normalizing. Look, there's an ad with the mayor of the city of New York on some unrelated subject where the the two people come and knock on the door of Gracie Mansion. One of them is wearing the kib wearing the Palestinian scarf in the in a city sponsored ad. Now you can say, "Oh, we're nitpicking." No. Why would that be appropriate if they had a an anti- Islamic scarf or something else? They would never have permitted that to happen. Right. >> So I'm saying to you because it's it's a matter of that we accommodate to it that becomes too normal that the comments and then they slough it off with a with a meaningless apology. No, this is then it permeates the thing and then that gives expression in in more and more people because they think they're getting permission to be able uh to to give expression to it. and Europe tolerated for all these years in governments encouraged some of these groups even aided and emedded them and and financing them. Here too we find that there were groups that were receiving money through government programs that were blatantly not only anti-Israel but anti-semitic. >> Yeah. And speaking of New York, by the way, as an example, the Park Slope, that's Brooklyn, folks, the Park Slope food co-op had a vote about boycotting Israeli goods. And they're trying to arrange the they're trying to um to amend the bylaws, and they don't need a twothirds vote to make a change like that. That a majority vote would be the same because a majority vote they know would go against Israel. And you know it's it's it's it's it's everywhere and it's and some may say it's only symbolic but nobody has any hesitation to do this in the heart of Brooklyn. Nobody has any hesitation to go about you know making a proposal like this. So it may not be violent but in every on every front they're trying to to do whatever they can to normalize anti-Israel behavior. >> And we're finding it now in corporate headquarters. We're finding it on in the capital markets. We find it virtually everywhere. And and as I said, it becomes too normal and and people then become immune to to to the reaction or or or don't react in the way and with the shock and horror that that deserves it. Look at the failure to enact a bill to provide that in schools. You have to be 100 ft away. They didn't bar a single demonstration. They didn't censor anybody. They didn't do anything. All they're saying is that you have children in schools and stuff. They should be 100 ft away. And the police say that they they they need to have more leeway. So it could have been worded in other ways, but it isn't. It's it's the fact that maybe it's the teachers unions who are spending, by the way, a fortune, hundreds of millions of dollars across the country in fostering hostile anti-semitic and and anti-Israel activities. the um so you take something that simple that should have been an automatic and it should be practiced in policy anyway that entrances to schools and others should be kept free. >> Yeah. >> Well, and by the way that includes a New York City uh teachers union because people again always think that you know New York's the exception. A lot of Jews, a lot of influence etc etc. But you just see some of the things that they're voting on at their union meetings including something that happened this week. Um, so it's really everywhere, including New York. And then you have you have people running for office, candidates running for office on different levels of government of legislature in the United States. And and they're running on anti- not anti-Israel agendas, they're running on anti-Jewish agendas, and they're running on anti-Israel bond uh investment agendas. And again, you know, wake me up if I'm if I'm wrong about this. I don't think it was like this years ago. Even if they felt that way, they had a way of couching their words. They had a way of getting these signals across without being direct. Now they're really open about it. Well, it's a flashback to the 30s where Father Cork and others could do things publicly and make and Lindberg and others that now it's it's celebrated. It's not just uh you know that if that rallies and you can make the most outrageous um accusations and the the um reaction is minimal and in schools the the consequences in most cases or in many cases is not and I we have to compliment the speaker of the city council and for the for standing up and the members of the city council that do it. It's not enough in including Jewish members. They have to be out there fighting and and making the case on this at the state level as well that you know we we we do not hold them ultimately people in to account that they running against Apac that Apac becomes >> an issue that even a Cy Booker in New Jersey senator says Republican I'm not going to take money you may not think it's significant of course it is and it's it's a process of disassociation that candidates try to outis Israelize each other so that one that was more moderate also has to come out and say, you know, publicly, I will not vote for anything for the Iran war. I will not do other things because of the pressures and and and it's of it's within the Democratic party and the city like New York, it's it's the essential election is what happens in the Democratic primaries. Uh and a reminder to everybody who's not registered to go out and register and and then of course vote. It's essential in any race, local or or citywide, that our voices get heard or don't complain about the results. >> You think do you think part of it is an anti-Trump thing because there's this impression that, you know, the majority of APEC people are likely Trump supporters. Well, the I do think that things are related to Trump and that that galvanizes some of the opposition and again a lot of distortion, but you know, there are things that you could and again there's nothing wrong with having disagreements. How many people disagreed with what President Obama had to say, right? >> Nobody knew what Joe Biden was saying, so they couldn't organize against it. But certainly, you know, we we saw the divisions during during all of these presidencies and legitimate debate is healthy in a democracy. You want it you don't want people to be able to just dictate and and people are indifferent. People are indifferent and they still don't take a lot of this seriously enough except for the 10 minutes, you know, immediately in the aftermath and and you have the guys or the sham or others who who bear the brunt and and are out there. But most of people then they just go back to life as normal. If it didn't affect them, it didn't affect their sh so they they go on. No, that's not the answer today. This is far more serious situation and it's it's global. It's uh we you see the the hatred that is promulgated in countries where even with official sanction and and the changes that are taking place the countries that were more positive become more negative and those that are really on the front line let's say UAE and others all of a sudden now recognize how important Israel is to their future that Israel provided uh protection to the UAE United Arab Emirates during the war and that uh they are asserting themselves. They pulled out of the Gulf Cooperation Council is a major moves out of OPEC and and clearly are saying we know who was on our side when the chips were down. >> It's amazing those who are surrounded by real anti-Israel rhetoric and activity and and and war as you just described. They're still they're still enjoying a good relationship with Israel and insist that that continue. But here on this side of the world, go to the average college campus and uh and everyone and not everyone, but many people are taking the exact opposite position. It's it's ironic when you think about it. >> It's and it's both sides. Now we see the latest polls showing young Republicans also, you know, diminished support. And I I do believe that a lot of this will come back and a lot of this is not based upon intelligent analysis, but it's the mood of the day and everybody, you know, is against and it's easier to be against Israel and of course to blame Israel for the for dragging America into the war with Iran, which is such a blatant falsehood. And anybody who knows this president knows that that ain't the way it works. It's not Netanyahu dragging the president. and look at the restrictions the United States has placed on Israel's activities in Lebanon and other places that Israel has been supportive in every possible way and and uh you know Israel since got into it faced 10,000 rockets and drone attacks 10,000 just in the period these these last months people don't understand the magnitude of what what they're fighting against and yet they demonstrate that restraint to show their commitment to to having a better relationship with the government of of Lebanon not if it's really prepared to take responsibility. They they mowed the right words, but they're we don't know whether they're ready to take the action is certainly not willing to stand up and take on the kamas presence. And that's why Israel's role in in in southern Lebanon is so important. And I hear it even from people who are otherwise supportive saying to me, well, why do they have to be there? Why do they have to be provocative? It's not provocative when you find in immense tunnels running kilometers. when you when you find the the the huge stockpiles of weapons everywhere they go, this this people, our people, your listening audience, everybody, they have to know the facts to understand what what we're up against. >> Yeah. And uh there's also no question because of the restraint that you just described that Israel now has to subscribe to because of President Trump, uh not a criticism, just a reality. Because of that restraint, it puts our soldiers into even greater danger. And we see, you know, episodes happening that normally would not have happened if Israel would in fact take advantage of the upper hand and immediately do what needs to be done. And that's very often the case, as you describe to us, how Israeli soldiers are in more precarious situations because of the restraint that they end up showing. It's America's one and only Jewish moments in the morning radio program. Heard a listener sponsored digital radio around the world, the web.com network, and of course the beloved NSN app. Malcolm Homeline with us. Weekly update time here on a Friday at JM in the A.M. So, I don't know if you call it a shakeup, a revolution. Uh, I don't know, maybe you can come up with the right term to describe just how significant this is, but now there's a new party in Israeli politics. I don't know if they're aware of the fact of how new parties usually do in Israeli politics. If someone would study the history of Israeli politics, wouldn't they hesitate to actually form a new party? Would you wouldn't you think Malcolm that they would think twice about it? >> I think we have to go back to the sources in Kadash that it's not it's not a new party. Everything is retoled old parties that and they and they keep shuffling the deck to make new new pairs and new combinations. So this is not new because it was tried before if you remember between the same parties and and Lapida tried others. Um people are now congratulating him and saying look how how he's the only leader to let somebody else run as prime minister. Well look at the numbers in the polls and and facing a reality and people I think for the most part this does not help Bennett. Maybe in a longer run it will but not immediately because many of those who let's say would have been alienated from leud and would have gone and look for an alternative don't want an alternative that is leaning to the left but they want an alternative that is staying in the center or center right where most of the people are. You see the leftist parties are not by and large doing well in the in the pre-polling and the assessments. So the you know the fact that that Bennett went with him his numbers dropped and Eisenkott's numbers goes go up because then he's seen as the alternative there is a you know BB fatigue factor there is you know a lot of questions because of all the trials and etc and sometimes you're just there too long you know people want change in democracy u but uh when you look at competence and you look at the overall uh performance can anybody body explain how under these circumstances the shekele is so strong against the US dollar 295 now. I mean it's incredible and and you know that the economy is resilient and that companies are announcing investments in Israel despite everything and and I believe that you're going to see huge alias. keep saying and I've said for the last year and since the October uh the October 7th events that that the people while there is an out migration and more people left and than came um but given the circumstances that the country continues to move ahead tourism obviously has been badly damaged other economic investments and and to carry the burden of of you know 65 was it 65,000 tons of weapons just came in this week which Israel has to purchase when when they are firing at the at the drones that are coming in and now this has changed the whole nature of warfare there especially we see it in Lebanon but we saw it in in from Yemen from elsewhere that these drones that carry payloads and and require different responses. I question what happened with the highly valued laser system that was supposed to be what happened to that did it >> where you don't ask me I just asked you >> but you're the one who first told us about it >> right so so the the um I mean the nature of what we're facing I do think that you'll have a backlash and there are a lot of people and here again the United States in in for instance in Syria we should be playing a much more of role to limit Shara to to to help the Kurds um to be concerned and to be ready for the you know that even if we are able to deal with the Iranian issue successfully we have the Iran the Turkish issue and Turkey is linking with hasn't linked is because their Muslim Brotherhood partner in Qatar but now you see Egypt also flirting and and concerns about Egypt's role and then of course what's happening in Libya Sudan which get no attention but are serious developments in all of these places, >> right? By the way, random currency converter just went to a random currency converter 2.947. Unbelievable. Just unbelievable. Uh so does this what it comes down to? October 27th. October 27th is basically Bennett Laid versus Netanyahu. That's basically the the the election as of today. As of today, that's basically the way the election is set up. No, I think that I don't think anybody has enough to create a government yet now. Um I don't see a coalition uh forming. It could happen. Uh we don't know where Lieberman, Eisenhot, all these other the independent parties where the religious parties will be the the divisions with them and the fight over some of the issues there. So right now it's I think it's unpredictable. I think it's it's not going to be uh the panacea the fact that they came together. Um we have to see how the internal dynamics in in could work and defections uh which occur periodically and have occurred. >> The um right >> you know there are a lot of changes that will take place regularly. So I I I know that there are all these betting sites where you predict you bet on predictions of what events would happen. Anybody who bets on an Israeli election is crazy. I was just going to say, boy, talk about the house making money. I mean, that's like a guarantee. Unbelievable. Um, speaking of interfering in Israeli elections, which obviously we weren't talking about, but that's my segue. What did you think of the president of the United States declaring that President Herzog would be a national hero? That's the term he used, national hero, if he could arrange for a pardon of the prime minister. Well, I mean, I think he used harsher terminology in the past in this these references. >> He's going the other way now trying to convince him to do it from that angle. uh you know and and um I I think that that his interference in this issue which is unusual for for you know head out of a state of another country to interfere in a judicial process and to make the recommendation but I think he also sees that this is taking a heavy toll. It's gone on for years. It's going to continue to go on. you know the people don't know how much time the prime minister has to sp spent on it and even like this week he asked to be to make it later one day and other things and the court said no and and they they uh obviously we don't want anybody to be above justice but I think that given the nature of the charges and stuff uh that whether there's a deal involved and whether you know he says he won't run again or whether some other concessions are made to to reach it I don't think he the prime prime minister is likely um to admit guilt you know as some to to get a a pardon. I think that is one of the requirements and that's why the pre the president is keep saying to him to president uh Herzog you know take the take the bite the bullet and just give him a partner and tell him that it's over because it's in of the toll that it takes. So while it's an unc certainly unusual and in some case unprecedented to interfere in this way, I think he's doing it from a a good place that he just sees what the burden is and and and how this distracts a leader in a time of war. >> Have you reached out to the prime minister in light of the news that came out regarding his recent health issues? >> I did not reach out to him because of his health issues. I think those are personal things that if he wants to he will know I I I mean I've seen him during during throughout this period. I saw sometimes where we met him at his home rather than in his office. Um and knowing him for 45 years or 43 years um you know those personal things should remain personal. I think you know he he acknowledged it in his annual report. and they start attacking him why he didn't tell everybody then it's because of nobody's business. I mean if if there is a a threat a president or prime minister appoints somebody to to fill in that that you don't have a void in president United States when they go under anesthesia have to do it and do do it. It it there was no point it seems where he was in any danger or incapable of of running it. So, but people just latch on to every issue, even personal issues such as this to uh to attack. >> Hey, makes our job more interesting. Uh we haven't even discussed the options with Iran. I don't know, is the ceasefire on? Is it off? Is it being extended? The president of the United States seems to be frustrated that there's no leadership in Iran to deal with, which I think we knew months ago at this point or certainly from the time that the uh assassination of the leaders at the beginning of the war, etc., etc. With all that in mind, what do you think of the Russian meeting with the Iranian leadership this week? >> Look, the Russians have been deeply embedded in Iran all along. Uh the Chinese in a different way, certainly in the econom much more economic thing, but the Russians also politically. And they they they ran the the Iranian negotiations in Geneva. They had people embedded in the Supreme Leader's house. So in this relation the fact that the Russians um you know would host it because number one he wants to be relevant to Putin sees himself as a world leader and um you know now that he's selling more oil and has the income he certainly doesn't have any glory from the war in Ukraine though of course they will claim much more than what they've achieved so it's it's almost natural that they would um uh go to to Moscow for a show to counter uh the other side the the Israel US-led the US Israelled side um but I wouldn't read this as a major shift of any kind and the Russians don't have the capacity so much to to it was Iran was helping Russia more giving them the drones building factory for the drones etc and now perhaps um there's some supply of uh of weapons more more important is what China sends to them. And we know that there were cargo ships that were inter intercepted that were carrying uh uh resupplies for um for Iran, which still retains at least 40% of their drones and much more uh percentage of the missiles. And they've cleared a lot of the sites that were hit. They also dug out from the underground bunkers and stuff, a lot of the launchers and missiles. uh so they still have and retain a capacity. Uh hopefully we will see more action on the streets though the people again are dissuaded. They don't have confidence about the intervention from the west and the um uh you know and the events of January certainly uh uh dissuaded some people but we've seen our demonstrations going on. They don't get reported that they didn't end up necessarily in violence but the besiege were given the orders to shoot to kill. They've been supplied with the weapons and many of the people in Iran don't have weapons to go into the streets with. I think you're going to see more street activity uh domestically and so the meetings uh going to Russia going to other places is not going to change the situation. >> The Ukrainians uh accused Russia of stealing a grain shipment and then there were stories about that grain shipment actually being accepted in Israel. You have any idea what happened with it? Yes, there was a ship and it they claimed it was um uh stolen with it was Ukrainian grain that was stolen. It it did go to Kyifa and was unloaded. But the Israelis say that number one, if they really had a problem, they should have talked to Israel rather than going public with the attack that Ukraine did. should have uh you know contacted their counterparts that there was no indication on uh I think on the listings and stuff that this was uh uh uh problematic in this way. Maybe the information was available maybe has to be more care when you have any kind of Russian ship coming in. Um but I think the uh you know that it was not handled diplomatically uh well that uh you know to expose it right away and to go on the attack uh about it the ship. >> Finally, did you see how much humanitarian aid how much food is actually getting into Gaza right now during uh April May of 2026? It it it's go the food is going in the the you saw again the sham flotillaa >> and and they keep claiming that they were coming to bring aid. How come? And they were offered the opportunity to unload the aid. And by the way, you know that it's not the it's not the government of Israel. It's the border of peace that that they have to deal with. This is it's their responsibility. And if they had aid, they should have been in touch. and the board offered them and the government the Israeli navy offered them the ability to go to Ashkon and unload any aid and give it to the border of peace to take in not the government of Israel. So all those excuses are you know bolded that you know what they found on there drugs and other things that this was you know a joy ride more than a serious effort. uh and the Israelis interdicted them on the on in in international waters which they didn't expect they keep saying and um but there were a lot of uh boats I think that they they stopped 20 and there's still another 20 or so or more that were afloat but I'm sure will not they're not going to try to ram through. Um and the Israelis are right to stop it because and there was no no loss of life. You see the people exiting the ships and doing headstands and tumble sauces out of the on the Israeli boats uh that picked them up. It's it's a it's a all of that is a game and somebody is paying for it. Somebody is is behind it because they're not paying for it and and it became a joy ride. It's gotten a reputation for what hap what in fact did happen and what was an evidence going on on the ship. So these are not people who are really committed to peace and they don't bring uh these dingy boats to the to to confront the Israeli Navy and to break a legal blockade. There's nobody who challenges it. And for those also who are arguing all the time that we should honor the international criminal court and they're going to going to honor the all the things. Look what's happening to the court. the exposure that that Khan, not only because of his personal behavior and the challenges against him, but now finding out that there was corruption and money and Qatar said that they will take care of him. It again, you know, all all of those uh quote who are arguing that they were basing their positions on the International Criminal Court, it tells you that they're corrupt because they're backing at such a corrupt institution. >> You should remind the mayor of New York about that. one person. That's a good start. >> That is a good start. Thank you so much, Malcolm. Have a wonderful Shabas. We'll speak again next week. >> Chabas to everyone. Be strong and we're going to have a great life. >> There's Rat Malcolm Homeline. Um, weekly update conference of presidents of major American Jewish organizations.