[One hour, five minutes] [56 minutes] JERUSALEM, ISRAEL – One of the biggest debates raging in Israel today is this: Should the government of Israel require – that is, force – ultra-Orthodox men to serve in the Israeli Defense Forces just like every other able-bodied man in the country? Our answer is: Yes – absolutely, yes. ...this hot-button issue remains as controversial as ever. It’s time to resolve it once and for all with a law and policy that requires the same level of burden and service from everyone – no special exceptions, no political exemptions.. After all: · the IDF says it needs at least 20,000 more recruits to serve in the active duty forces annually to adequately protect the country on all sides · our Reservists are exhausted after two years of bitter, non-stop fighting, and they shouldn’t have to be required to keep serving in the military, away from their families and jobs, month after month with no end in sight. · and Israel’s government is, once again, on the verge of collapsing over this question. Yet the ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) political parties adamantly refuse. If Netanyahu accedes to their demands, the Haredi parties promise to remain in his coalition. If he doesn’t, they threaten to bolt, bring down the government, force early elections, and not serve with Netanyahu in the future. He desperately needs these parties to stick loyally to him as he cannot form a government without them. Yet if he goes to elections having made these concessions, Netanyahu and his allies will likely be punished severely in the next elections (that legally must take place in 2026, no later than October). Those numbers climbed dramatically since the October 7th War began as Israelis found it not only unfair but infuriating that the ultra-Orthodox community consistently refuses to bear the burden of defending the country from the many and grave threats around us. A meager 9% of Israelis support exemptions for the Haredi... Enforcing mandatory service that is equal for all is not discrimination against Haredim. What truly is discrimination, is allowing every Haredi man to study Torah all day – and not work, and not pay taxes, and get a government check each month for studying Torah – while the rest of Israel’s sons are dying, and fathers have to leave their families for months on end to serve in Gaza. Notably, modern Orthodox Israelis – those Jews who are religiously observant, try to keep the Torah, eat kosher, and celebrate all the Jewish holidays but don’t consider themselves “ultra-religious” – faithfully serve in the IDF. Evangelical Christian Israelis – and Messianic Jewish Israelis – have also long served faithfully in the IDF, often in combat and special forces units, for the same reasons. Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett – a modern Orthodox Jew – recently made this point, which has been used in Israel’s public debates on this issue for decades. He cited passages from the Bible – specifically Numbers 32 and Joshua 1 -- in which the tribes Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh are allowed to settle east of the Jordan river, in an arrangement that is often compared to the Haredis’ separate lifestyle in their own towns and neighborhoods. But Moses gave them permission to do so only if they agreed to aid their brothers in taking possession of the land of Israel through military service. Moses was clear: the answer is “no.” On Monday’s broadcast of NPR’s “All Things Considered,” NPR International Correspondent Aya Batrawy discussed her interview with Hamas leadership member Bassem Naim and stated that, in Hamas’ view, “the world witnessed these Israeli attacks in Gaza and that it turned public opinion against Israel globally and in the U.S. And they call this a strategic, irreversible win, despite the very high cost” of people in Gaza suffering. Co-host Scott Detrow asked, “[B]ig picture, you have this interview with Hamas leaders after two years of war. This is a war that began with the group’s deadly attack on Israel on October 7. And two years later, Gaza is in ruins. Tens of thousands of people have been killed in Israeli airstrikes. How are they viewing this military campaign?” Batrawy responded, “Yes, Gaza has become unlivable, people are wounded, living in tents, winter is coming, families are still hungry, hospitals are decimated, and the group has lost a lot of popularity in Gaza because of this. But they say the world witnessed these Israeli attacks in Gaza and that it turned public opinion against Israel globally and in the U.S. And they call this a strategic, irreversible win, despite the very high cost.” The bronze menorah, or chanukiyah, which measures some 6.5 by 6.5 feet, will be lit every evening during the eight-day holiday, which runs until Dec. 22, the foundation said in a statement. This year, the Chanukah festivities at Judaism’s second-holiest site will be held under the banner of “And the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and they shall come to Zion with song” (Isaiah 51:11), in a reference to the return of the last remaining 20 living captives from Gaza on Oct. 13. https://www.jns.org/menorah-installed-at-western-wall-ahead-of-chanukah/ [One hour, three minutes] Global Antisemitism Explodes as Bible Prophecy Unfolds | MidEast & Beyond: [About one hour] This Christmas season marks something Israel has not seen in far too long: the return of tens of thousands of Christian pilgrims to the places where their faith was born. After months of war, uncertainty, and isolation, the Ministry of Tourism is preparing for roughly 130,000 visitors in December, including about 40,000 Christians arriving to celebrate Christmas in Israel. That number is more than a statistic. It is a signal that Israel is reopening not just its skies, but its spirit. For Christians around the world, Christmas in Israel is not a vacation. It is a pilgrimage. Nazareth, Bethlehem, Acre, and the Galilee are not symbolic backdrops. They are living places where faith, history, and modern life meet. The return of pilgrims means those connections are being restored after a painful interruption. The government understands what is at stake. The Ministry of Tourism has invested significant resources to ensure these celebrations take place with dignity and joy. More than 600,000 shekels have gone into upgrading infrastructure and decorations in Nazareth, transforming the city with lights, public events, and festive displays. Additional funding has supported marketing efforts to let Christians around the world know they are welcome again. There is a deeper message here for the world. Even after war and trauma, Israel is choosing openness over retreat. It is choosing pilgrimage over paralysis. It is inviting people back to places that remind them why faith endures through history’s hardest chapters. It is about Christians once again praying in the land where Christianity began. And it is about Israel reaffirming its role as guardian of sacred space for all faiths, even after a year that tested its resilience. 
They Couldn't Keep It a Secret From Us:
Let’s CONNECT: with Special Guest Samuel (Shmulik) Smadja:
It’s time for ultra-Orthodox Israeli men to serve in the IDF like everyone else, not get more special political exemptions:
“Shall your brothers go to war while you sit here?” (Numbers 32:6).
NPR’s Batrawy: Hamas Views Dislike of Israel Due to Strikes as ‘Win’ Despite Suffering, Loss of Popularity in Gaza:
Menorah installed at Western Wall ahead of Chanukah:
The “chanukiyah” will be lit every evening at the Western Wall during the eight-day holiday, which starts on the evening of Dec. 14.
Q&A: Israel, Antichrist, & End Times Prophecy:
Christmas is coming back to Israel, and that matters more than tourism:
