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

Malcolm Homeline is in Jerusalem. I emphasize that because uh our weekly update is obviously much sought after and much anticipated every single week that we know. But when Malcolm is in Jerusalem, it lends uh an even extra special spirit, an extra special angle uh to having a conversation about what's happening with Israel and the Jewish world. So we get to speak with him from Jerusalem next. Malcolm Homeline is with us. As I said, he is in Jerusalem Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish organizations. We call this the weekly update. Mr. Homeline. Shalom. Shalom. Welcome back to JM in the AM. Shalom to you from the Holy City where it is 63° just to to rub it in. Last Shabas there was more than 60 degrees when we were in remote Bish with my grandson and his family. And this shop is in uh it's going to be 64 tomorrow. And what is it in New York? >> Well, are you aware? >> Anybody has excuses for how they uh get on the package now? >> Are you aware of what we're expecting weatherwise in New York tomorrow on Shabas Morning? >> You don't think they publicize that to everybody here? Constantly. >> They are expect they're expecting a wind show. First of all, they're expecting temperatures in the single digits tomorrow morning, folks. When when I go to sh I go really early. and they are expecting a windchill below zero. So it should be a very very interesting challenge. And and Malcolm, why is it why is it that tubishvat is meaningless in kutzar? No change of weather whatsoever. But it seems in Israel even an early tubishvat turns the weather very springlike. Tell me tell me what's the secret. >> It's the holy land. It's a kish. It's where Dubishvat is really celebrated and it's amazing for those who have been here know but even secular Jews everybody commemorates it there there are fruits everywhere there were celebrations um in in cities and in the kibbutim and all over and that's cuz you live a Jewish calendar here we don't live a Jewish calendar in the states we experience the yumto and things but here you're immersed in it it's a real Every KOG is is meaningful. Every special day that in the states, you get up, you go to work, you do all the things that you normally do. Here in the schools and everywhere, they have commemorations. >> Wow. Malcolm, is this close to declaring that mitzvos and observants only really count in the Holy Land, as many Torah giants have said over the centuries? I'm not saying you're saying that, Malcolm. I know you have some sympathy for those of us here in the United States and other parts of the diaspora, but it certainly sounds like you're alluding to that. And I hope you'll think of me. I hope you'll think of me tomorrow at about 6:30 a.m. Eastern time. I'm going to be walking in those very winterlike conditions to synagogue while you're enjoying temperatures that are approaching 70°. I hope you'll be thinking of us as all this is happening tomorrow. >> We do. when we pray for a global warming for you. But >> there's a lot of things to pray for. Maybe that's among them. Malcolm, you've been in Israel for a few days. Sometimes we speak to you and you've literally been there for hours. Sometimes we speak to you and we get a perspective of having spent a good chunk of time there already. Um, we have we have had many people on the air from Israel since the last hostage, the remains of Ron Gavei were returned or came back to Israel or rescued from the enemy and came back to Israel. A lot of people describe it as a collective national sigh of relief. Um, you know, just uh finally getting an opportunity to to breathe again, so to speak. Um, I'm I'm wondering if you've picked up on the mood in the country, especially in light of the fact that now we stand at a time where, thank God, thank God, any Gaza hostage since 2014 has now been returned home. So, I think that there is a sense of closure with return. And you notice that it became a national event. I mean, everybody talked about it. Every event was dominated by pictures of people removing the yellow bands from the president and prime minister down and uh that the uh closure is a partial one. It's not I do think that there's a sense of relief that the the uh focus and and until he returned it was like the wound was still open. There are many open wounds, but this now sort of put a close on it and relieved the pressure that they had of always being able to manipulate the events by by their control over the bodies living first and then those who were killed and remember who killed them. Um but I would say that there are still too many outstanding issues both in terms of those who are wounded and the PTSD problem and other things. You know it's still uh every day there are events inbala land and in kamas land uh there are shootouts there are much more limited uh but uh I think that everybody is just waiting with baited breath to what's going to happen in Iran. There are people who went up north and there's both amazing demonstrations of resilience but also a lot of challenges, economic challenges. Others many people did not return and the question is will they? How can you provide adequate security for a city like Kira Shimona? You know these are all important places for the defense of Israel for the the fullness of the of the state and we can't afford to to write it off. So many things that people are there's going to be a new university built there in the north. Uh a man Canadian gave $50 million to uh to start it that will help and and if we can make it a high-tech center if we can uh see to if the government sees to it that there is investment there which is really essential because jobs will bring people back and you certainly can't abandon the the northern border. is as strategically important as is the southern border where a lot of people have gone but not enough. So when people come and visit go to the north visit the communities there in Malo to triat shimono across the board and spend your tourist dollars there and but most importantly show the people that we are we are with them. So you're that's a long answer to your question but it's a very fundamental thing and I've been looking at people and talking to about it that the that they look to the future that the economy is strong there the birth rate remains strong all the indicators of national resilience national strength are there >> the fact that people want to be paid in shekel the fact that they want investments made in shekel and if you look and if you look at the at the um exchange rate. I mean, it's for those of us, you know, who who remember the bad old days of the exchange rate. It's just remarkable what's going on with that. And we'll get back to Iran and and Gaza in a moment because you skipped to the north. And I really got to address this for a second. People don't realize, I mean, just just this week, for instance, uh underground Hezbollah weapon storage sites had to be destroyed by Israel. Uh we always think or many of us think that the future up north is going to be uh you know stabilized by a stable Lebanese government. We'll have some type of control over Hezbollah or at least keep them out of their formal government. We can't depend on any of that. And and as these things are being built as you told us the universities, communities etc. Uh forget about Syria for a second. Just the Hezbollah presence in Lebanon is going to have to be dealt with. >> Absolutely. And that's that's what I I think is really critical about kamas land too and and in Syria that there has to be dradicalization programs. There have to be serious controls exercised. Uh I certainly don't trust Shara. I think the we put the U US in particular to too many eggs in his basket. I think that he he the people there don't have the same confidence in his regime that they are suppressing the minorities particularly the Kurds and the Drews and threatening them every single day and they have killed people but they you know we see return of some of the Islamist uh presence you know with the way women dress and the restrictions on people for Israel that border is very critical that if you have a quiet border with Syria then that makes it easier for people to come back and That's why the buffer zone is so important. When people ask me, you know, what does Israel want? The buffer zone. Are they going to build there? They're not going to build housing. It's not a land issue. It's a security issue. Now, same thing, and you're right to bring up uh Lebanon and the longer term problem. You know, the confiscation of weapons that we see by the Lebanese government, most of it in the Palestinian refugee camps and elsewhere. are not seeing the big stockpiles of weapons that has and still smuggling more from Iran and resupplies. Uh and they have huge supplies in the BAB in the valley and elsewhere that this is um all very critical for for the long-term stability. You remember when they had the good fence, people would cross from Lebanon into Israel, Israel to Lebanon. I was there. I saw it. I mean, I went into Lebanon three, four times, aside from my formal visits, uh, through the good fence and meeting with people there. The the Hamas side, as you said, we're still seeing that Hamas rem retains its weapons. I don't think that the force that they have there is really capable right now of disarming them. And unless you have replaced them and and that some of the plans that have been put forward are implemented, you know, it remains a bit look what Israel finds just in the area they control now along the border. New tunnels, new stockpiles of weapons. They a soldier was seriously wounded with being shot by uh terrorist snipers and then they returned and and bombed a site that was um you know right adjacent to uh to the border. So they we see that they are still as active as ever in in this sector. >> Um so we have to do >> are you doing are are you doing another show while you're doing this one? >> No. Somebody knocked on the door and I had a choice of either letting him knock until you finally say answer the damn door or I just told him to be quiet. Well, at least it worked out. And then and and as I said, we'll get to Gaza, but we got to do the Iran piece. Malcolm, I'm so confused because because I don't know who to believe is actually involved in these talks. I mean, the talks formally, and you'll confirm this or or tell me I'm wrong, but formally the talks began today. Iran is sitting with somebody in the Middle East. Maybe there is US presence at these talks, maybe not. You got to tell us that. And it looks like some type of negotiation has begun. And it looks like ideally, and I don't, again, I don't know if you agree with this, but it looks like right now, ideally, the US would prefer if sometime negotiation would lead to an agreement with Iran. So, first, have the talks begun? Was today significant? Is the US present at those talks? And am I right that that would be the US preference? >> So, that's three or four questions. uh all of which are very pertinent and things that I've been discussing all day today actually since early in the morning trying to ascertain and in my discussions earlier in the week with Israeli uh officials um the government leaders so and and there's a lot of things they're not sure what the what the United States does the US now favor regime change till now they have not as you know >> right >> and that's really a critical change that if they now accept accept regime change. They have to plan to you can't leave a void because you could get IRGC besiege somebody else coming in who will be just as bad or worse. But the problem is that they will have the support international community. They'll say, "Well, you got rid of Kamei." Now you got to will support them like they support Shara in Syria. So it's really not the remedy I think for uh and and speaking to the Drews and Kurds there and others who are very scared and of his associations. Uh so what we have to make sure that there is no void. There was supposed to be a meeting tomorrow of opposition leaders uh from Iran outside of Iran. Uh but I'm not sure that that meeting will take place now. So number one the question is what is the US policy? Will they go for regime change at any cost and do what's necessary for it? I think that the movement of the ships and the fact that Americans have been told to leave Iran again today by land routes and whatever way they can get out uh that seems to be to me an escalation. But I don't have clarity yet as to and I think that there are divisions within the administration as to what the right policy will be. Should it be one um accommodation? Do we take an assertive role to bomb the leadership? And how do we find somebody and or some group? And that's why the the group that was supposed to meet in in Florida would have been what? Because they represent all the different segments. Remember Iran is not a unitary country. You got 30 million Aeris, 12 million Maluchi. You have more than half the population are not Farsy and they're not Persians. So you know it's very hard to bring them all together and of course under the terrible economic conditions the lack of water lack of electricity all those things compound the problem. So what started as an economic thing and when Raza Palavi and I have to acknowledge when he called for people to come out millions came out. So some who in the past you know did not support his playing a predominant role are today much more sympathetic to that and that he could be at least a symbolic figure uh and maybe you know a unifying the presence amongst all of the groups by if they come together. So, so there was >> the US is present just to finish because he asked a lot of questions and I have to remember them. The US is present in the discussions in Oman together with a Greek the foreign minister of Iran. What is not was not there is Egypt and and Turkey and the others who were supposed to be present in their first talks but it seems the Iranians didn't want them there so they changed to these talks. Uh but I think that you see some of the statements from the administration whether they're meant to put pressure on Iran or not seem to indicate displeasure that Iran and Kamei will not make a deal. I don't believe he would sign uh a real deal which would eliminate the nuclear program which is a source of pride and the symbolism and and the ballistic missiles which they don't even want to talk about and uh and their aggressive behavior in the region. So United States is now negotiating with them. We can't go back to a JCPOA. We can't go back. We learned the lesson of the price we pay. The people are disappointed that there's been no echo when thousands and thousands of them were killed and millions went into the streets. They did not feel that there was a resonance in the west that stood up with them and for them. Uh but it was uh the call of of Palevi that what started earlier was not his. It was the Bazaris coming out. But certainly his called for a certain time 6:00 8:00 and you saw millions literally millions though the press didn't report it came out for the demonstrations. >> It's America's one and only Jewish moments in the morning radio program heard on listeners sponsored digital radio around the world web.com on the network and of course on the beloved NSN app. Support the great work we do by going to our annual campaign page fjbun.org fjbun.org. Malcolm Homeland is in Jerusalem. I mean, have you seen the videos? Have you seen the the the footage that's coming out about how they uh you know, put down these protesters and what they did to them? I mean, some of them are impossible to watch, frankly. And of course, nobody in the world, including the United Nations, condemns any of this activity. I mean, now I assume it's stopped right now. Now, I'm assuming that the that that the, you know, the terrible violence against the protesters has ended. Is that accurate in Iran? >> No, they are still hunting down demonstrators. They have pictures of them. They they are, you know, using all sorts of means, computers and hidden cameras and technology to to track down people. We think they're still arresting and and we believe they are executing. Uh the number executed, we don't know. Some say it's in the tens of thousands, some say it's 15,000. Whatever it is, it's a huge number. And of course the demonstrations at Colombia and NYU and all those places that are such great human rights advocates, you know, really overwhelm us by their intensity. The the fact that that young people, most by the way, most of the victims were young people, which should have also inspired them. And the number of wounded is astronomical because they they trained for this. the uh siege and the police, they trained for it and they shot for the eyes and for the head. >> Oh god. >> And I saw those pictures and some of the ones that you're referring to. I >> I can only watch the first second and then I I got to shut it off. >> But the the piles of of body bags and the eye doctors, by the way, who treated people who are wounded are now being rounded up and arrested as well. Uh >> and so people who think that somehow this is going to be a reformed place that this you can no there has to be a total change if we're going to see a a new Iran which could emerge and the people would support it if it emerged and it would be a constructive could be a constructive part of the region and certainly change so many things like the Houthis like the the like Hamas without the mother ship they will not be the same. >> I mean you will you you seem to to feel that there's some type of split in Washington about how to proceed when it comes to the Iranians, you know, diplomacy versus um >> Absolutely. I do feel that I think that >> and that's my question. Is it a feeling or do we know this as a fact? Like I mean are the president is the president and the secretary of state on the same page for instance? Uh well the president I think is just listening to everybody and you know he sends mixed signals but that could be a tactic. We've seen it in the past where they famed one way or another. Uh but look he he's brought out tremendous firepower. It's it's the Armada as he called it of of ships that are there in the region. Uh it takes time to to get all the ducks lined up to be able to protect our bases to have all the the power and when especially when Saudi Arabia UAE even others Qatar don't won't let them fly over their airspace in an attack on Iran. America could do it a good job without that. uh but also Azerbashan even joined and they're a strong ally of the United States uh because of the regional pressures that are on them and I don't know if at the moment of an attack that they're really going nobody's going to shoot down an American plane so the your question though there is a split I think that JD Vance is the ones I think Rubio is more supportive Lindsey Graham is more supportive I heard that some of the special boys are not uh it's It's there is divisions. Look, there are legitimate debates, but not today. Today, this regime has to come down after what they did. And if they if they survive this, you can be sure that the crackdown against the civilian population is going to be awful against the minorities and majority population. >> But I think you're the only source who has who has even suggested that there's someone who could actually replace the current regime. One of the biggest problems, and we've discussed this now for weeks, one of the biggest problems is you you really had nobody who could step in in this revolutionary leader role. Is that different now? Do you feel someone actually could? You're really picking up an important nuance and uh or maybe even more than that. Look, I don't know if he has the capability to be the long-term ruler, but he certainly can be a transitional leader and be a figurehead who could remain afterwards, you know, in that position and maybe they will elect a government and they'll go to elections. We have to see. But his power in pulling the people became evident in the demonstration that we did not see before, right? Uh I think that the administration is not convinced that one or the other. There are for you know people on both sides. Um there are people in Iran who remember the days of the Sha without not feeling as as warmly. We do more because after the revolution things deteriorated so quickly. Uh so it it's um that it's understandable that there splits but this now requires a unified approach. That's really what's necessary. Both unified internally in Iran, externally with the groups who are working against the regime and with the West and particularly with the United States. Look at Europe. They're doing nothing. All of this the deaths and all of this thing and here you have the most vicious regime in the world and they're sitting on their hands. So all of their the the you know the crocodile tears about human rights and all that. You see that it's all fake. It's only if there's a Jew involved, if Israel's involved, they condemn, they condemn, they condemn. And here this massive activities and you see nothing. >> Yeah. >> Maybe the Board of Peace can uh appoint somebody to be the next leader of Iran. >> Maybe. But uh maybe >> Come on, Malcolm. That was a great line. Come on. >> I didn't I I said maybe. So >> the board of peace. We'll get into that folly if if one is ready to admit that it is one uh in a couple of minutes. I mean, look, you're in Jerusalem. You know what's most frightening? We don't, you know, all of us are connected in some way to the Holy Land with people that we care about. I mean, you know, you don't want to see uh you don't want to see a military action by the United States that's obviously going to have a response of these ballistic missiles and other types of missiles that are going to be aimed at and shot at Israel. And you know, earlier you said that with the Armada, as he described it, that could be you didn't use the word bluff, but I think you you know, you said something similar to that. And I'm wondering, say it again. >> I said I figning. >> Right. Right. Correct. And I'm wondering with the demand or the strong suggestion now that every American get out ASAP. It was even stronger language than ASAP. Oh, yeah. They said I think they said immediately that everyone get out immediately. And uh and with the with the you know aftermath of Venezuela still in the air cuz without that whole Venezuela episode I don't know if anybody in Iran would even suspect that the United States would actually you know have any success in a military regime change but that of course you know is looming over the whole things they saw what happened over there. So with all these threats, whether they're veiled or not, is it possible that there will be some type of backdown from Iran because of all these threats? And you know, our brothers and sisters in Israel want to run to shelters, you know, all night long for a couple of weeks. >> Israel and the people of Israel do not want to see this, not have a conclusive outcome. not do not want to see that this regime can continue to threaten them. They need to see something that says you're going to have quiet days and quiet nights and you're not going to have to mobilize for um you know raids and and stuff. So I am not so much afraid of the ballistic missile or the nuclear program that they're going to have a weapon. I don't think they have the weapon now to use and we got to destroy the system before they do. But I think Israel is prepared to take the actions necessary to prevent and to take out again the um the missile capacity which as you see they emphasized even more than the nuclear because it's a more immediate threat. We saw it before. We're going to see it again. But I think that it's more limited now. I think that a lot of their capacity was destroyed. It's not complete. I think that they will go after the supreme leader who's, you know, living underground ina in in these tunnels. He has 17 17 connected ones that are super um reinforced. His son is in a different one. >> It's Venezuela 2.0, but it's a million times more difficult. >> Well, I'm going to come to that in a second, but I I just think that that, you know, it's easy to say that we have regime change. It's not so easy to carry out because again, you have to worry about the day after. have to worry about the circumstances in the country. You don't want to see massacres. We don't want to see the besiege going out, you know, unfettered, just murdering people as they did during those days. And in the movies that you the pictures that you referenced are only a sampling of of how barbaric they are. Uh so history teaches us that that the worst thing is to leave a vacuum because you can often get an outcome that is worse. even though it's hard to think of that in the current circumstance. >> I I think there's also not enough attention paid to what happened in Venezuela, but more the revolution and I had a chance here to meet with some South American diplomats and and officials. There was an event in Washington with the foreign minister with the foreign ministers of a of a bunch of South American countries. It's a it's amazing. South America, which was going against us. All of these countries now one by one are falling in line back into the Costa Rica, Honduras, Ecuador, one after another. And if Venezuela is neutralized and we continue to to put the pressure on Bolivia is renewing ties with Israel that uh if Venezuela and that is Iran's you know for forefront in in South America uh that will be a radical change in the defense of America and also in terms of relationships with Israel trade other things and you know they have been a source of a lot of fear because weapons and smuggling drugs, all those things coming from South America. We could see a radical change in that. So the you know this is all in the western hemisphere then Middle East changing I mean I think that the the global implications will be immense if they can carry it out and then the president I think will be guaranteed that Nobel Prize >> and the Abra Yeah. if the Nobel committee is you know brave enough to actually give it to them. >> Yeah. Right. >> And then and the Abraham Accords will stay stable. I mean, the countries that are in the Abraham Accords will be happy to see Iran fall at the hands of the United States. >> Well, as you know, I'm going to Central Asia next week and uh we're going to meet some of the countries. They are all, I think, ready to participate. I think more countries and even if they don't sign peace agreements right away, they they'll sign trade agreements. They can do a lot of other things as interim steps as we build it. But, um, you know, we were in touch with Greece and Cyprus. You see that coalition strengthening all the time. The UAE has remained steadfast throughout this period. Their flights were not cancelled. Azer Bjan has 20 flights a week between Israel and uh and Baku. 20 flights a week. They replace Turkish Air which used to have I don't know 13, 15, 17 flights depending on what time of the year. And they are screaming now because they're they're losing. It was the most profitable uh route. So we we uh you know these countries people don't know them they don't understand why Kazakhstan is important or Usbekiststan all these countries saved hundreds of thousands of Jews during World War II and did not get much acknowledgement but these could be a buffer against Iran a buffer against Russia and and uh counterpart to the to the road and belt initiative of China. on all those fronts, this could have great significance. Wow. And and you know, people mock the Somali land deal. They don't understand it. They don't understand that this could be a strategic location that when the Houthies now threaten to attack Israel, that Israel can hit them back with drones. >> They don't need missiles. that fly and they don't have to fly 1700 miles the same distance as to Iran because if they can get establish a base there or work with them even though that that is not happening now uh but that all of those are future developments which I think can make a big difference >> boy the Russia piece you mentioned we could spend an hour talking about that I'm glad >> look at by the way just in one note look at Russia and China are not rallying to Iran's defense >> right yeah >> notice how quiet they are and Yeah. And Trump realizes that, right? I mean, it's not like Yeah. No. Okay. I'm just Somebody was grief, but yes. >> Yeah. Some you have to overstate the obvious with him, but I guess he realizes that they're um I mean that they're they're as quiet as anything. I wonder if it's going to have an effect on Russian Ukraine if they keep going in this direction, especially if the United States does take the military action in >> and the strongest weapon we have is his unpredictability. It always was in wars. You know, when George Bush when Bush too had 150,000 troops in in Iraq, we had the Iranians on their knees. They were so scared that they thought he was actually going to invade and could have done and they weren't prepared. >> And and so the as President Trump is seen as unpredictable that, you know, he says things and he does them. And I hope in this case he will do them. >> And you know where else you have to be thankful to him? I'm sure you've seen these reports about uh kamas leaders who said they were planning on holding on to the hostages for at least 10 years and using them as pawns and negotiating uh you know for them for whatever length of time. And believe me folks if you think about it for a minute even though it's hard for us to fathom this because all of us always thought that these hostages are going to be returned you know at the first available moment. If you look at, you know, recent Jewish history, they they've used plenty of opportunities to keep hostages for years and years and even remains for years and years in order to uh, you know, gain an upper hand. And I and I think we have to acknowledge that the only reason they're all back within a period of, you know, whatever it was, 27 months, is because of President Trump. Are you are are you willing to say it like that, Malcolm? I'm willing to say that he played a very critical role and it's true that that their leadership but of course it was Israeli soldiers and Israeli uh you can't dismiss that part of it but but I do think on the diplomatic front absolutely the pressure that he brought to bear consistently and demanding that as in in stage one it's also the disarmament which we haven't yet seen but he keeps repeating those commitments so hopefully that will be implemented as well >> and until the last time she's not let Oh, I I thought for sure he would just, you know, stop talking about it when there was the remains of one hostage that that remained in Gaza, but he he was relentless. He never stopped talking. >> And I think I think what you're saying something else is that he took it very personally that you could see the sincerity and and Mrs. Trump met with the seagulls and uh people say, "Oh, it was promotional thing." And she said, "What do you promotional thing? They call me they're they're hostages. We we love each other. We and they loved her." and uh push he stood up and and the president consistently kept the hostages on the front line and he met with them repeatedly at the White House. I mean there were a few Americans but to many of them were not Americans and yet he consistently kept this issue on the front pages. >> Uh and we haven't even spoken really about the future of Gaza. Um the the prime minister has certain thoughts he will not allow based on a statement that he made this week and I don't know what the US position is on this. you may may have more insight. Uh he will not allow the PA to have any role in the future um you know whatever the f however the future of Gaza is negotiated. They will not be part of it. Plus I think the PA announced this week that they are going to new elections or something. Am I right about that? >> Parliamentary elections I think in September. U they had a voter registration drive and it was supposed to be sooner but now it looks like I think it's in the early fall if I'm not mistaken. Is this is this going to be any type of game changer? I mean, does does the United States claim that the PA must be involved in a Gaza rebuild? >> So, we don't know yet how Israel is very adamant against it and rightly so because they they know that that their track record and it has to be some something clean. The UAE has offered and has asserted that they were prepared to take it over. >> Wow. >> And to run it. >> I think that is something Israel would accept. Yeah. >> Uh again, I think the UAE deserves recognition that they didn't cancel their flights and that they maintained the the Abraham McCord commitments throughout as did Morocco and Bahrain even when others waffled and they uh I think deserve that very strong recognition. Uh but they offered to to to administer it and that means that they would bring investment. Others I will not probably not accept that. I think Turkey and others would probably want to have a say. Israel doesn't want Qatar Turkey on the ground there. The US does want them involved. So all of these things have to be negotiated uh out. But but look the there has to be a a concerted effort. Number one, that if there's a leadership that comes in, it has to disarm. They know that that that uh the Palestinian Authority is not about to disarm. They didn't disarm them in the territories now that they control. They're certainly not going to do it there. They also there's so much corruption and stuff there and I don't think the people if you look at the poll in in Gaza they don't have any confidence in in this and so we need a really new group somebody that will be accountable and responsible that you have the peace board and all the other setups the national uh you know governance council I think it's called something like that uh these are all very critical as to to provide new leadership that will come in there and stabilize this region maybe build it up and if there is billions of dollars in investment but we saw that when Israel left the the green houses when they left other things to them they destroyed everything so if you don't want to have a redux of that you have to have new leadership perhaps people from the outside with real authority that will assure that it doesn't become another cesspool for terrorism >> right uh hate to end by reminding you about the amani administration but what did you think of the appointment of felissa wisdom um um to take the role of uh what do they call it? Anti-semitism ZAR or or >> director director of the office of anti-semitism. >> You're right. This is certainly not a ZAR and I think it's a I think her name should be lack of wisdom that the uh appointment was insulting uh inappropriate if you want to bring somebody who who who will bring build bridges etc. I mean, he has been making a lot of statements. Every time there was an anti-semitism event, but in the first month, anti-semitism attacks were up 185%. I think that speaks volumes. And it uh and he doesn't back off his anti-Israel uh comments. I think we'd all agree that Jessica Tish has done a great job. We agree that others have uh but the appointments in the administration certainly are not giving people a sense of confidence about the the change and uh you know even we see ties to Epstein all sorts of things that are coming out that um you know I diverged from the real thing and that is did he did he shovel the snow and I think most communities that I hear the answer is no. >> Well what do people on your block tell you? I mean, are you going to come back to a car that's completely underneath piles of snow or have you been dug out already at this point? >> Well, I'm dug out from the last one because before I left, I I I already moved it. But but I understand the new one and but but many roads and many of the streets I I you know, honoring chair of the Flatbush Jewish Community Coalition and we get the complaints. Many people were complaining that the snow was not removed and then you have big files up pileups at school bus stations and um and corners and that's an invitation to accidents or to injury. >> Yeah. >> So, so far I I think that he did not get a passing grade on any remember what it did to Lindsay. >> Yeah. >> We'll see. >> Yeah. The way we're going we're going to be walking to the Pesak sader with snow around us because I don't see this stuff going away too quickly. Uh well, I made a mistake. I really should have I should have spent this shabas in uh in Jerusalem with you. Maybe I would have gotten ley at the great synagogue. Are you there at the big synagogue tomorrow? >> This shabas we have a very special shabas at the great synagogue. I guess I will be there as president because we have the Shabbat for the Drews because Parisro is Yro is their uh religious leader their their uh the person point of reference >> and so on parro we invite them 100 people Drew's leaders are coming tomorrow to the synagogue we do a lunch for them we the mayor of the city is coming others are coming to speak they have the kazanim and the choir it'll be a beautiful shabas a lot of people come for it but You know, because of it, others started recognizing them on this weekend, but we're the only ones tomorrow morning that will have them actually in shul and it's so moving. I I was there last year for the first time. It's incredible. So, Para Cisro is very important at the Great Sed. >> Yeah, humor me, Malcolm. It's my barited. Humor me. I would have gotten Ley if I would have been with you. Come on, humor me. >> Guaranteed. And master. >> Wow. He's given me both. Amazing. Maybe next year I'll reconsider. Dros is taken, but everything else is >> Well, that one I don't think I'm I don't have the lineage. I would let me get that one. Uh Malcolm Homeline from Jerusalem. Uh will you reveal what city you'll be in next week, assuming you'll be able to join us? >> I will be back from Baku that Friday morning. So, I will be available Friday afternoon for our weekly get together. >> Uh enjoy Shabbat >> with an update on Central Asia. >> And we're looking forward to that. Enjoy Shabbat in Jerusalem and thanks so much for joining us. Malcolm Homeline everybody in Jerusalem, a conference of presidents of major American Jewish organizations. We call this the weekly update.