QOSHE

It appears that Hamas is sending kites over into Israel’s territory. In the time leading up to the attack on October 7, Hamas was floating balloons with improvised explosive devices (IEDs), burning rags and other flammable materials into Israel. Sometimes they would carry explosives hidden in objects that looked like toys, clearly meant to attract the attention of children. There were no casualties, but they did cause considerable damage.

There should be no repeat of an accident in which those working for safer railway operation lost their lives after being struck by a train. Four workers were killed when a limited express train entered a Tobu Railway Co. station and struck them as they were spraying weed killers on the tracks. Tobu Railway rules call for placing lookouts during work on or near the tracks and having them alert workers when a train approaches.

A few geographical problems in the world are so magnificently overworked as the one called the “West Bank.” Every week, the international community assembles to discuss it. The United Nations discusses it. European governments discuss it. Human-rights organizations discuss it. Newspapers discuss it. Diplomats discuss it. The Vatican, which one might reasonably expect to remember the Bible, discusses it.

In the current climate of global anti-Zionist sentiment, many liberal Diaspora Jews have begun to question the perceived burden of Israel and whether it is possible to express a Jewish identity without any meaningful connection to the modern State of Israel. A distinction is often made between Zionism and the religious concept of the Land of Israel. The latter is rooted in the Torah, Jewish law, the Talmud and the prophetic expectation of redemption with the coming Messiah.

Shver Tsu Zayn A Yid! [It’s hard to be a Jew!] Sholom Aleichem (1914) Although both Rav Moshe Feinstein and the Lubavitcher Rebbe discouraged the usage of this discouraging phrase, it’s undeniably true, 613 times over. It’s also true it’s hard to be a baseball fan. There are 30 teams. Only one wins the World Series to become champion. That means, on average, over the course of six decades, fans are only twice satisfied.

The death of Cambridge professor Jason Arday should indeed be a reason for reflection, as British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said. Reflection, however, should mean that we resist both the sanctification of Arday and his complete condemnation. We do not yet know the whole truth behind all of the allegations, while the Arday case is already at the center of a broader discussion about academic ethics, the responsibility of universities, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies.

August is Japan’s hottest and most humid month. At the same time, it’s a month of reflection and looking back on history. Japan has a lot to overcome in the next ten years, but this year is one of the most defining years for Japan, in my opinion. First of all, I don’t want to talk about victory or loss, but rather think of those who lost their lives in the war, regardless of nationality. The war left poignant memories in many people. My mother is the only child born in Japan.

The national debt now exceeds $40 trillion. That equals roughly $117,000 for every man, woman and child in the United States. The number is shocking, but the direction should worry us even more. Washington no longer borrows only during wars, recessions or national emergencies. The federal government now runs huge structural deficits every year. Congress spends far more than the government collects, then adds the difference to the debt with no credible plan to stop.

A suspected car thief in Jerusalem’s Katamon neighborhood crashed and died overnight during a police chase, law enforcement officials said Wednesday. An officer and a civilian also received medical treatment for light wounds sustained in the incident, according to police. Officers who were responding to a report of a car theft located the vehicle on the road and ordered it to stop, but the suspect refused, police said.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has told counterparts around the world that Washington does not currently expect to launch new offensive strikes against Iran, as the Trump administration shifts its focus to economic pressure and restoring shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, Channel 12 reported Tuesday. Rubio did not rule out US military action if Iran initiates new hostilities, according to two sources familiar with the conversations.