Rabbi David Wolpe | This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von #520

I got a few tour dates to tell you about. Wallingford Connecticut Portland Maine. Banger Maine monton. Canada Las Vegas Nevada will be back for. the USC LSU football weekend Oklahoma. City Northern Little Rock Springfield. Missouri Kansas City Missouri sou Fall. South Dakota Lacrosse Wisconsin Green. Bay Wisconsin Molen Illinois you can get. tickets for those.

at theovon. docomo thank you so much for your. support thanks for tuning in today's. episodes are regarding the conflict in. Israel and Palestine I've heard a lot. about this issue and I wanted to deepen. my own understanding I recognize that. this is a sensitive topic but the only. way to learn is to seek. knowledge I decided to have guests from. both sides of of the aisle if you will.

uh to help me learn by sharing their. views I did it in separate episodes. because I'm not a debate moderator I. chose guests who I thought would share. their views sincerely and I think they. both did I'm very thankful to have the. opportunity to learn something that they. don't even have in some. countries today's guest has been called. one of the most influential rabbis in. America until recently he led the Sinai. Temple in Los Angeles and has also. taught at UCLA Harvard Divinity School.

and more he's written nine books LED. numerous missions to Israel and he's. seen a lot in his time I'm really. grateful for his time today today's. guest is Rabbi David. W shine that light on. [Music]. me I'll sit and tell you my. stor sh.

[Music]. and I will find a song I will. [Applause]. sing yeah thank you so much for your. time happy to do it yeah really. appreciate it Rabbi David. walpy yeah you's no way you would know. by looking at it no no not at all I got. WP all the time so yeah walp um the walp. of Wall Street was that ever.

it would be a different type of Wall. Street different kind um you just got. back from Israel yesterday wow welcome. back thank you uh I've never gotten to. go you know a lot of my friends have. gotten to go like on Birthright and that. you know um you should I mean it's. really an amazing thing to do I I. recommend it yeah I always hear great. things you know I would like to get to. go um what was it like over there what's. the like what's the Vibes resilient but. depressed you know I met with uh these. students at the tech which is like the.

Science Tech it's like MIT of. Israel and they all serve they like they. miss 100 days of school because they all. they like literally when you're in. Israel it's an hour's drive and you're. at War wow and then you drive home for. the weekend and then you go back it's. crazy it's not like here where you have. like Canada Mexico and two oceans right. there right next door are the people who. want to kill you just always in the heat. it feels so does it does it like even.

like how close were you to Gaza you. could see it from where you are I mean. it's very easy it's not hard you can see. the West Bank it's just a bit I mean. Israel's really tiny it's like smaller. than New Jersey so oh wow it's yeah is. there a general like sense of like we. are Israel going on is there people like. that are on the fence about what's going. on over there like what's kind of the. the general sense is of course we have. to defend ourselves.

um the government is very unpopular. there right now like really unpop like. the unpopularity of governments here. doesn't compare to how unpopular that. government is right now. yeah they feel like he's badly. mishandled this um so but the sense that. there has to be some that Hamas has to. be eliminated to to the extent that you. can eliminate it I think almost. everybody in Israel agrees with that wow. so how did how did he become so. unfavorable do you feel feel like I.

think honestly I mean this is too easy. but he stayed too long it's like at a. certain point you have to say I've done. what I could I'm getting complacent and. not paying attention and he's out of. touch and he just um I mean Biden. visited some of the families whose kids. were taking hostages before Netanyahu. did WOW which is insane yeah so he gives. me the Jeb sometimes you know I don't.

know why exactly they need someone new. um oh wow yeah 66% of Israelis want Nyah. to leave politics 85 and 85% support an. investigation into what happened in. October 7th and he was prime minister do. they believe I mean you hear rumors you. hear people say that they let their. guard down on purpose do you believe. that that would ever have happened I. don't believe that I really don't cuz. the the the enormity of the destruction. is far too great and no no government.

would every let me put it the other way. any government would know that if you do. that like you will go down in history as. having failed your people so I can't. imagine they did I think was a monument. one of the things that that just is true. in general is I try never to like. attribute to maliciousness things that. can be attributed to incompetence. because it's almost always incompetence. people think ah well that's so. suspicious that like the why did they.

leave the the shooter on the roof for. Trump and I think because it's so easy. to get stuff wrong yeah it's so easy. there are like a thousand ways to get. stuff wrong and only one way to get it. right and generally it's not always true. but generally it's incompetence yeah so. it's a good point it's like and we've. become s in such a place like with media. where people I think don't trust media. are uncertain and there's so many. there's so much media now right like. there's so many there's AI versions of.

things there's animations it's like you. don't even know if the voice you're. listening to is really of the person. that you're listening to so it's almost. impossible to um so I think that just. creates even more uh option for Fantasy. you distrust is going to grow there's no. way it can't grow I mean it's yeah it's. it's scary what AI is doing and will do. to people's perceptions of the world for. all of us you know oh yeah and it's hard. not.

to cuz there's so much stuff you do that. you're used to Believing on your phone. and on your and it's hard not to believe. your eyes yeah it's like they're my eyes. of course I believe them yeah these are. them um Rabbi Wy you were a professor at. Harvard right you've had a storyed. history and I could go into a lot of. stats and I'll put those in the. beginning of this episode so people know. um uh you were a you were working at. Harvard yeah I was a visiting scholar at. the Divinity School okay right and you.

left after the October 7th I didn't. leave Harvard I left what happened was. so I when I got there I was visiting. scholar Divinity School after October. 7th the president asked me would I be a. member of the anti-Semitism commission. she was really shaken up this is. Claudine gay would I would I help her. understand what happened would I give. her some books would I be part of the. anti-Semitism committee I said of course. so I became part of the anti-Semitism. committee and to make a long story short. it was clear to me that they weren't.

doing anything they didn't Harvard. wasn't doing and didn't really intend to. do anything and I that the committee was. kind of a cover for it um and so I. resigned I was going to still teach my. class next semester and I still did the. CL by the way kids were great they were. great and most of the students at. Harvard like students everywhere just. want to get a job want to finish their. degree but not all um but when I. resigned it became a giant like public.

thing which I did not expect because I. think people were so fed up with the. idiocies and the. radicalism and the um just. thoughtlessness of the demonstrations. and also of some of the faculty um and. so we're still as you know we're still. fighting this I mean they they're. lawsuits now and testimony and I don't. even know that oh yeah it's uh it's an. ongoing thing so and all of the all of.

the universities are trying to recover. I've never seen any institution ever. lose as much credibility overnight wow. as har I mean Harvard was Harvard it's. like I watched a season of the show. Suits I don't know if you've ever seen. it yeah I've seen it my friend used to. be in it she had a list actually yeah. but that doesn't matter and it's all. about we only hire from Harvard only. hire from Harvard and it's so funny cuz. I'm watching this and I'm thinking wait. you have no idea you would never say.

that now um because their stock has. plummeted like do you mean just amongst. like Jewish families who would send. their children there or do you just mean. overall overall overall I mean there are. law firms Major law firms some of them. not Jewish law firms who said we're not. hiring from Harvard because we don't. want kids who the part of the part of. the issue is that they were not solely. anti-israel anti-jewish they were.

anti-American anti-democratic. anti-western and so they don't want to. hire from I mean it's all part of the. same complex nobody's like I really love. America I love freedom I love capitalism. I just hate the Jews yeah that's really. rare certainly not on the left maybe it. happens on the right not on the left. that left anti-Semitism is America's bad. Israel's bad colonialism is bad all the. culture they've created is bad.

everything is bad where the Native. Americans exactly burn burn the Israeli. flag and the American flag they were. cheering the hooes theotis have on their. flag this is the flag of the hoties I am. not misquoting it you could see it. online it says death to America death to. Israel death to the Jews God is great. dear God so wow and they put it in. Christmas colors too that's oh there you. go there's there's that beautiful flag. oh my gosh and that the hooes are the. hotis are from Yemen and they were.

blocking all the shipping in the in the. Straits yeah and the and that they were. cheering them on Harvard's campus and. you think to yourself what are you crazy. so you're saying on on the campus it. became it didn't become like a like a um. uh pro-israel or or Pro or anti-israel. or Pro palestin or anti it became all. this other Stu much bigger much bigger. than that yes so as a result um and the. fact that Harvard didn't other places. did take. almost immediate action and guess what.

if you tell students you're not going to. be able to graduate if you don't stop. protesting they stop protesting. amazingly enough um but Harvard didn't. do that and Colombia didn't do that and. Pen didn't do that and then also there. were outside agitators too it wasn't. just students a lot of the people who. came onto campus were from the community. who saw an opportunity to you know yeah. some people was looking for something to. do even I remember somebody sent me it. was an Evite to a protest I like this is.

they're doing evites to it um did you. feel sorry go ahead I was just going to. say I I said to somebody The Secret of. all this is that they are having the. time of their lives yeah they like they. were ordering all sorts of what's a nice. way for a rabbi to say this sexual. paraphernalia to be brought into the. camp to the camps at all the different. colleges sure that condoms other stuff. because they were like they were. basically camping out for and they're. college students ra it is kind of a rave.

I know so anyway watch next year there. are new there's like uh um protest Raves. yeah prot it could easily happen um did. you feel like the students had a right. to get out there and voice their. thoughts yeah I I didn't have and I. don't I don't know anyone who was. reasonable had a problem with the. students protesting yeah I disagreed. with a lot of what they said but. protesting was fine the things that I. objected to were one when they broke the. rules basically by interrupting. classroom room by interrupting people at.

the library by those incidents where. people were pushed or shoved or whatever. and also. like I have to say like when a kid walks. by and he has a head covering a kipa and. you know he's Jewish and you call him a. baby killer that's not really like if I. were the head of the University I would. say look we have limits on the way we. speak to other students and that you. can't you can't do that you know um so. But It's tricky because college is.

supposed to be the place where you can. say whatever you want yeah I remember we. got and protested they were having the. girls soccer team at when I went LSU. they were having them take different. like new um something new had just come. on the weightlifting and athletic Market. was creatine something some advanced. form of creatine and they were having. all the girls taken and some of my. friends were on there but we got out and. protested it was ridiculous but next. thing you know like the news was there. was like we don't even know exactly what. we're doing but yeah College was a time. where you could do that sort of thing. exactly um a lot of uh. backers Financial backers of the.

institutions also pulled their finances. right yes oh a lot of them do um and. that was another that was another. example so like I would hear that people. got upset why are the Jews pulling their. money and I would explain to them it's. not the Jews pulling their. money what you call someone who gives. money when they like what a place is. doing and takes it away when they don't. is a donor yeah donors do that all over. the world it's only when the donor is. Jewish that people go oh look look at. the Jews doing that and that was part of.

a preset Prejudice that people had. before that happened I mean these guys. who who were pulling their money they. also were people who originally were. giving money to higher education that's. a good thing to do good point I think. that that's very admirable that's the. only reason they were pulling it is. because first they were giving it um. there are a lot of rich people who don't. give anything to anyone so I uh it's a. really good point I didn't think about. that I mean I agree if if you if a if a. school is doing something that you don't. support if you're Don to it you. certainly have if I support your podcast.

and you get up tomorrow and you say. something that I really object to and I. come to and I say look I'm not going to. support your podcast anymore you might. be upset but it would make perfect sense. yeah I have to be an understanding about. it right yeah Robert Craft vire pulls. funding from Columbia University made. protest I remember that um it was Robert. Craft and and Mark Rowan from Penn and. Bill Amman from Harvard um and all of. them also felt like this is a way to. draw attention to and then they said. were going to give to universities that.

do protect students it's not like they. weren't going to give to univers they. were going to give to different ones so. you don't think it was that people were. protesting um one way or the other about. the conflict it was more about how they. were doing it and what the school was. allowing. so it's complicated I would say this. that was a big part of it what the. school was allowing and how they were. doing it then there were two parts to. the conflict and here some of your. listeners might agree with me some of. them not but I'll I'll at least tell you. what I think if your protesting the war.

and you think Israel shouldn't be. fighting the war shouldn't be fighting. the war that way or you think they're. being indiscriminate and they bombing. whatever I may disagree with you but I. totally get that that is I mean that's. as legitimate a protest as you could. have as soon as you say therefore Israel. shouldn't exist that Shades into. anti-Semitism yeah because look I I I. went to the encampments and I talked to. the kids the ones that would talk to me. a lot of them wouldn't and I said to. them Assad in Syria killed a half a. million people the Chinese are putting.

the Wagers into concentration camps the. Myanmar is killing the rohinga millions. of people were sent in refugee camps in. in Sudan there slavery in literal. slavery in morania and North Korea I. don't see you protesting any of those. things I see you protesting when the. Jews do it but not any of those other. things and not only that Germany started. two world wars I never heard a protest. there shouldn't be a Germany the only. country I have ever heard people say. shouldn't exist happen to be the only.

country in the world where Jews have a. country none of the 50 Muslim countries. ever ever ever I heard shouldn't exist. and not only that but if there wasn't a. 3,000-year history of persecution of. Jews that just happens to also coincide. with the fact that that's the one. country that shouldn't exist I would. also be a little less suspicious but put. all of that together and I would say. that's an anti-semitic protest there's. enough proof of evidence for you to say. that yeah I never I had thought about a.

lot of that stuff and one of the reasons. that we're here to that we we're happy. you're here today is because we want to. learn um about the conflict and more. about the history of it right because. there's a lot of like even there's me. right I don't know I don't know a lot. like you know it's been kind of tough. because um you you feel certain things. but you don't know a lot of the history. and so yeah that's why we're just really. great it's really hard it's really hard. if I I here I can give you a sort of. capsule history in this way. um I mean obviously there were Jews in.

Israel for thousands of years and. thousands of years ago um nobody. reasonable disputes that you can go and. biblical Jews and also in the time when. Jesus I mean I I used to say to people. who say Jews have no history in Israel. You're about to sing about a Jew who was. born in Bethlehem how can you say they. have no history somebody somebody was. born in Bethlehem there so Jews have. been in Israel for a long time they got. kicked out by the Romans basically in. all that time they always prayed to go.

back and in the 1800s Jews started to. buy their way they started to go to. Israel and buy land from Arabs who. willingly sold them. land um and then the United Nations said. look the Jews deserve a stay especially. after the second world war the Jews. deserve a state none there were actually. sadly there were some Arab groups and. families that said okay but the. overwhelming um Arab Powers said no. we're going to destroy the Jews they. don't get a state. during the war there is no question that.

the Israeli troops forced many Arabs out. of their homes some fled on their own. some fled because their leader said war. during 1948 the founding war of Israel. Israel Independence was that the is. Independence War right cuz what was the. Bal uh the Bal for Declaration was long. before that that was when Britain said. basically that both Jews and Arabs. deserve a state okay in in uh and then. the United Nations said the same thing.

but the Arabs felt like no there's there. is and and why they felt that way is. is dependent on who you ask there are. there is an Islamic law if you ever held. a land you're not allowed to give it up. and if you give it up you have to. reconquer it that was part of the the. issue with the Crusades and that's part. of there was partly so for those who. felt it religiously it's a religious. issue okay so that's a religious element. to it Rel you ever give up your land. sell it or whatever you need to conqu. there are by the way people on the. rightwing of the Israeli Society who.

feel the same way about the land like. God promised it to us and we get all of. it okay so that is a religious element. that's that weighs on some people on. both sides that one's hard but then. there is also that's tough dude yeah. that is tough when your HOA is God or. whatever you know that's a good way to. put it exactly Jesus you sign the. contract I mean what are you going to do. um but but Israel has I mean first of. all in 1948 all the Arab armies attacked.

Israel Israel won that war and was. Israel established at that point just so. super so super so it was a tiny strip of. land that the UN gave them but. immediately all the Arab armies attacked. and tried to went said even to some of. the Arabs leave your home because we're. going to wipe out all the Jews and then. you can come back and that was in 1948. that was4 can you bring that up just I. just want to see what it looks like that. was Palestinian land in 1948 and that. was Jewish land that was 46 that was 46. that was before the United Nations had a.

partition okay then um in 1947 that was. the partition plan that the UN proposed. okay okay so 47 was the partition plan. the UN proposed what you don't see by. the way is all the bottom there that's. Israel almost all desert almost all. uncultivated land all all the best land. is the green land okay um then uh all. the Arab Nations said no we will not. accept that and launched a war Israel. fought a war and you see the results of. that war from 49 to 67 I so they in the. war they won parts of that war and.

actually again they fought the Arabs. fought again in 56 and then again in '. 67 you the Arabs does it just mean. Palestine or does no no no no all the. Arab Nations okay Jordan Syria e Egypt. was actually the most significant enemy. of Israel the most powerful um and then. in. 1967 there was another war in which. Israel conquered Jerusalem and then in. 1973 which he won the series at that. point kind of right 1973 there was.

another War called the Yom kipur war and. that's after that war when finally Egypt. said we're not going to win we're not. going to win that's when Sadat went to. Jerusalem and said we want to make peace. since then saddat was the head of Egypt. the head of Egypt and since that moment. since. 1973 Israel has had peace with Egypt and. then made peace with Jordan okay which. to which I say they're Sadat saddat was. assassinated unfortunately by his own.

people after he made peace um but. somebody Sadat him huh but sorry that's. that's silly and I shouldn't say he was. actually he was truly he was a great man. he really was a great man and was he yes. he was and he was Egyptian he was. Egyptian he was the Egyptian leader who. had the courage to go to Israel and make. peace um and and so who's left in the. other part of the country at this point. so then it's just Palestinians like. where are the Palestinians at they live. the West Bank and in Gaza those two.

places you see okay and there have been. at least five probably more but at at. least five Separate Peace proposals that. Israel has made the Palestinians and. they have said no each time um for a. variety of reasons for each one but I. always tell people like every time. somebody's serious about making peace. with Israel Egypt Jordan now what are. called the Abraham Accord countries. which is the UAE and Bahrain and so on. every time they have peace the people.

that don't have peace are people who. don't make peace with Israel because I I. was just in Israel and I will tell you I. mean first of all what people in America. don't realize is they think that. Israelis are aggressors but israelit are. sending their kids like you go to sleep. at night and you don't know where your. kid is cuz the Army can't tell you and. you don't know if you're going to get a. knock at the door and I know someone. when I was just in Israel now someone. told me that their friends have signs on.

the door do not knock if you come and. visit them you have to call them you. have to let them know you have to sing. outside the door they don't want that. knock because the knock means maybe your. child is dead so Israel doesn't want. this war nobody wants this war except. people who do unfortunately um and so. what I have said to many many many you. know look I had the the very. uncomfortable I don't like doing it um.

position of having to debate this with. other people I would much rather be. making peace than debate I'd rather. debate religion and not debate politics. but I've asked every single one every. time I've had a debate about Israel and. Palestine I've asked the same question. and I've never gotten a good answer I. said If Tomorrow the Palestinians had. the Firepower of the Israelis and the. Israelis had the Firepower of the. Palestinians how many Jews do you think. would be left in that country in a.

week probably not many I'm guessing not. many and so until that answer is. different that is until the Palestinians. as a people not I mean there are many. many many individuals who just one piece. but as a people and as leaders and. people like Hamas until they really want. peace it's impossible I mean if we took. right now if we took I don't know Russia. or Iran and we put them in Texas how how. long do you think America would let them. stay there I you have to know your the.

people on your border we go nuts about. Mexicans coming over the border and the. vast majority of come over because they. want to work and America goes crazy can. you imagine if it was a truly hostile. population how America would handle it. it's very hard Israelis live in a very. tough neighborhood America has lucky. enough to have you know Canada and. Mexico and two oceans yeah oh we. certainly got to I mean we're sitting in. uh the doves Nest here you know we're in.

a very special place we are very lucky. and very blessed so but is it. understandable that. Palestinians feel because was Palestine. a country no there never was a country. in Israel since the it was a succession. of um so what happened was after the. Romans called it they're the ones that. named it Palestine the Romans after the. Romans took over then there were. succession of um Empires. there was the Roman Empire and then you.

had among others the Ottomans the. British and the British were the ones. who controlled it until um Israel became. Israel and the Palestinian. self-identification was in opposition to. Israel if you go back 200 years ex you. don't know the difference between a. Palestinian and other Arabs who live in. the area I mean they were people who. lived in the area and had an the. identifications tended to be much more. local I am from the village of this I am.

from the village of that but there. wasn't a Palestine as a country okay. having said. that anybody whose heart doesn't break. for the plight of the Palestinians I. mean that they are first of all it for. two reasons my heart breaks for the. Palestinians one is because nobody wants. to live under someone else's rule. doesn't matter even how nice the rule is. you don't want to although I will say. what people don't realize is 2 million. Arabs live in Israel proper right full. rights they vote they're on the Supreme.

Court they're in the knesset is it. comfortable over there for them do you. think oh yeah very not only that I was. just in in the National Library of. Israel and they talked about the classes. they give 30% of their classes are in. Arabic so Arabs come to the National. Library of Israel yeah they come to the. National Library of Israel and take. classes they have Representatives they. have representatives in the parliament. called the uh no the Arab people do. Palestine doesn't Palestine those were. Palestinians on the West Bank and in.

Gaza they have their own self-governing. rule but they're definitely under Israel. okay now Gaza doesn't before October 7th. Gaza had no troops I mean Israel had no. troops there they'd completely withdrawn. from Gaza but unfortunately instead of. spending the billions of dollars in Aid. that Gaza got in building sea ports and. restaurants and they built tunnels. underneath so that they could attack. Israel which is what they did some. people say that um it's like a group.

that they feel like they have no choice. but to elect like a dirty government. right or like um and excuse some of my. question like I'm not that great like at. Lear like I'm not always the best at. figuring some of this stuff out but some. people say that that it's basically like. the Palestinian people have become like. kind of a caged people and so they're at. the point where they feel like they'll. elect the craziest element as their. leader because that's the only chance.

they feel that they have all I can say. is they have done that for a long time. and it hasn't worked right and if they. would elect somebody who would actually. make a deal this would have been gone 50. years ago 60 years ago 70 years ago. there were so many times when all they. had to do was say yes look I'll give you. an. anecdote uh Arafat who was the leader of. the Palestinians for many years uh at. Camp David where he was offered 95% of. the West Bank Plus land swaps to. compensate and this was under Clinton he.

said no and uh why do you know and then. he said to Clinton you're a great man. and Clinton said no I'm not I'm a. failure and you made me a. failure I think I know why he said no I. think he said no because he knew that if. he said yes he was in the same he was. going to happen to him what happened to. saddat in fact Clinton even said to. Arafat you and and bar and later on ahud. Barack you might get assassinated for. doing this WOW but think of how many of. your people you will save and that's.

true of Sadat saddat got assassinated. but you know how many Egyptians are. alive today cuz they never had to go to. war again against Israel yeah but you. have to have courage the 2000 cam David. Sumit was a summit meeting at cam David. between United States Bill Clinton uh. President Bill Clinton Israeli Prime. Minister AUD Barack and Palestinian. Authority chairman yaser arat the summit. took place uh July 200 was an effort to. end the Israeli Palestine conflict Sun. let ended without an agreement largely. due to Iran able differences between the. two parties on the status of Jerusalem.

its failure is considered one of the. main triggers of the second in in which. was a big which was basically the issue. with Jerusalem do you remember the inap. the um both places wanted Jerusalem to. be the capital which eventually was able. to be worked out what couldn't be worked. out was What's called the issue of. return so um there the um there are two. kinds of refugees in the world there are. Palestinian refugees and everybody else.

and that's why there are two agencies. from the United Nations who handle. refugees there's one that only does. Palestinians and one that does everybody. else Palestinians are the only people. whose Refugee St status is handed down. there are great great great great. grandchildren of the original conflict. maybe not great great great. grandchildren of the original conflict. who are still called refugees wow that's. because they constantly cultivate that. Consciousness we're going to go back. we're going to go back and also because. the other Arab Nations never took them.

in Jordan didn't take them in right. Jordan which is half more than half. Palestinian didn't say come to Jordan so. why why wouldn't they want more pal. because one of the things that. anti-Semitism does is it creates. coalitions and all these Arab Nations. all of whom had trouble at home they all. have dicey governments like if I said to. you which Arab Nation would you want to. live in the answer would be I'll stay. right where I am thank you and and this. is because for whatever.

reason the Islamic culture which used to. be during the Golden Age the most. advanced culture in the world so it's. not like Islam doesn't have in in it to. be the most advanced culture in the. world for whatever reason and I'm not a. historian I have guesses but who knows. right now they're not doing well. culturally um and as a result they've. used the Palestinians to unify their own. governments because look what the Israel. is doing to the Palestinians and a. mutual hate is the best way to tie.

people together so what you're saying it. Bridges it Bridges them and Israel of. course what a what a 27 28 29 Arab. Nations have in common they what they. have in common is they can all see. Israel as hostile so they don't have to. say what is it that we're not doing with. our people I mean because if you think. about it the biggest war by far in the. Middle East in recent years was the Iran. Iraq war had nothing to do with Israel. but when people say what would solve the. Middle East they always say oh if Israel. would act differently it's not true. there are all sorts of local problems.

but we do the same thing in this country. you know what the problem is that other. party and that other guy who's messing. everything up I on the other hand I'm. Guiltless I like my people we're great. and so it's a human. tendency wow um do the Palestinians have. lost more land over time like even we're. looking at that chart was there like a. lease in the beginning like what did the. original docu say as far as what the. land would be like oh my God that is so.

complicated it depends who because it's. well it you can see what the original un. partition was but then what happened was. the Palestinians La launched a war and. lost land I see and the only way you get. it back is by making peace so Israel. lost I mean Egypt lost the Sinai to. Israel the Sinai is about a third as big. as the entire country of Israel when. Egypt made peace Israel gave the Sinai. back and that was a lot it has oil. fields it has resorts but that's what. you do for peace I think if the.

Palestinians made peace again and again. and again they've been offered but even. if they did now they' get a lot of the. West Bank back and and it would be such. a good thing for the world because. economically what that region I mean you. could have in the Middle East what you. have like in Europe or you have you. could have this huge economic engine. Israel has technology and so on and and. a lot of the Arab neighbors we want that. like when I went to the techon there. were Arab students there they had.

nowhere to study really where they could. study at that advanced level but just. imagine if there was cooperation but but. you have to want it so you think the big. one of the biggest issues probably face. in the the I mean obviously there's huge. like actual physical issues and um. emotional issues but you think one of. the issues facing the governments right. now is that they is that Palestine. doesn't want peace yes because and and. part of that by the way is just. downright anti-Semitism like when you.

hear I I mean this is unfortunately. pretty endemic in the Islamic world so I. don't know if you know emic mean just. tell us endemic means it's like they get. it with their mother's milk okay when. aan hery Ali who grew up in Somalia Yan. hery ali um I spoke to her once she. wrote a book called. Infidel she said when I was growing up. in Somalia I didn't know a Jew I didn't. know anyone who knew a Jew but I knew.

Jews were. evil now when you have that in. kids and that's true that's Ayan um when. you when kids are taught that and and. all through the West Bank all through. the Arab world we know what children are. taught about Jews they're evil they. control the banks they run the world. their you know everything bad comes. sooner or later back to the Jews they. can't drink milk right so what do you do. I mean how do you make peace when people.

believe that you're subhuman subhuman. and superhuman that is you're Vermin but. you control the world that's a really. weird and and strange kinds of prejudice. and you know you grew up in Louisiana so. you know that people still hold that. kind of prejudice in the United States. it's not like that doesn't exist Yeah in. our world so take that and like toxify. it a billion times in the Middle East.

and it becomes very very difficult wow. yeah so it's a tough sitting over there. for Israel it's a very tough setting has. Israel ever thought of just move to a. new place it's funny that you should say. that you know originally I'll tell you. of I don't know if it's a funny story. It's Kind of a Funny Story it's okay to. be it's okay we're we're everything can. have some humor exactly um so the first. president of Israel was named K. whitesman and he was testifying in front. of the peel commission which was the. British commission that was trying to. decide what to do with the and one of.

them said Mr Whitman why don't we just. give you Uganda just take Uganda by the. way I'm not sure the ugandans would have. loved that either but that's s why don't. because there's so much Strife in the. Middle East why don't you just take. Uganda and and whitesman said that's. like my asking you sir why you didn't. drive 50. kilomet why you drove rather 50. kilometers to visit your mother in the. next town when there are so many other. old ladies on your block ah and it's the. same thing like Israel I mean three.

times a day in my prayers I pray for. Jerusalem and Jews have done that for. thousands of years that's where David. walked you know that's where Moses was. Leading the People to that's I mean that. is the Jewish land in in three different. Traditions it's the Jewish land it's. even the Jewish land in Islamic. tradition it's why uh you know uh. Muhammad started out he originally faced. Jerusalem when he prayed and then when. Jews eventually rejected Islam he turned. towards Mecca but Jerusalem is sacred to.

all three traditions and and they want. best feels not only that but it feels to. me like honestly you look there are like. 40 um 40 flags in the world that have. Christian symbols on them and there are. probably 35 that have Muslim symbols on. them and there is one that has the. Jewish star and that one country is the. one that the world's entire hostility is. turned towards and I just feel like. doesn't anyone see that isn't that weird.

just by its nature I mean it's certainly. I could certainly see how if I was from. there I would feel a real Underdog. mentality yeah yeah you know yes um do. you feel like we get Fair coverage of. like a lot of. um like a lot of uh a lot of a lot of. media folks there's a lot of Jewish. media folks right and um and they've. made a lot of like you know a lot of.

great stuff over the years I like the. movie family man I like a lot of. different stuff but um do you feel like. we get a fair coverage of the war in. Israel and Palestine or of the conflict. so I it's really hard to fairly cover a. conflict especially this one because. reporters can say whatever they want if. they're in Israel but if you're in Hamas. controlled. territory you have to say what Hamas. want you to say really you of course I. mean there's no such thing as like we're.

reporting against what Hamas wants. because Hamas is a terrorist. authoritarian group so that makes it. hard so you have the Palestinian people. right right are most of them good people. yeah oh yeah of course most most people. I think everywhere in the world are good. people um but I will say this good. people can be made to do bad things by. ideology so if you say to me we're most. Germans good people I would say. absolutely but they became Nazis yeah. and not because and not because they.

were any different than you are or I am. um oh it's like Raiders fans I'm like. what are we doing here sometimes you. know and that's just a joke guys don't. anybody freaking lose their mind orever. I go way back with the Raiders I. remember I'm a Max Cosby fan I remember. bit nikov oh wow I thought he was a. president of somewhere was he no he was. a wide receiver oh damn I failed that so. um but seriously it's like yes people. are good people but they can be made to. do very bad things if they believe bad. stuff and if you believe that everybody.

over there is evil then you think you're. being good by blowing up buses which. happened during the inapa blowing up. cafes I mean deliberate look what Hamas. did deliberately targeting women and. children and so on why would you do that. because they're evil and it's it's. easier unfortunately than people think. to persuade human beings to not see. other people as human um I mean in war.

that's what people do it's like Judaism. introduce this idea to the world that. Christianity then spread to the world. that every person is in the image of God. it's really hard to hold on to that when. you think that person wants to kill my. family but that's to me that's the only. salvation we have is to sort of double. down on that message do you like support. or I don't know that's EX word but how. do you feel about um the way that Israel.

is dealing with Palestine now because it. feels like there's just so many more. casualties right like if you look at. charts or bar graphs or something or. even maybe so I'll say two different. things about it one is if you ask. experts in. war they'll say that the reason that. people are so surprised is because they. never paid attention to a war before and. in fact the casualty rate is roughly 1. to 1.5 that is one soldier to. 1.5 uh citizens which is actually um.

much better than almost every war. certainly much better than our wars in. Afghanistan and in Iraq but we live in a. different age where you can see the. rubble and you can see the bombs and all. of that stuff and it is heartbreaking I. mean look I see coffins of children and. I know that Israelis were responsible. for that um responsible in one sense and. not in another and it's terrible but I.

also know that tomorrow literally. tomorrow if Kamas said okay we give up. that would be it that would be it the. only one that I mean it's been in their. power since day one to stop this war all. they have to do is say okay we give up. on October 6 there was a ceasefire. Israel didn't break the ceasefire and. then when they went in at any moment if. Kamas had said you know what since it. was clear that is was going to destroy. Gaza that would have been over and yet.

it's not and so there are a lot of ways. of look of of looking at the same. conflict even while being able to hold. the enormity of the suffering and pain. that is there this is says is it really. one to one have this is this is it is. this a I don't know what soures is not. one to one death of Israelis 1 to 1.5. death of Hamas fighters to citizens of.

those let's say it is 38 although that. comes from the Hamas health authority of. those 38 how many are Hamas terrorists. according to most estimates somewhere. between 20 and 25 okay I'm not between. 15 and 20 so if it's 20 that means more. terrorists than citizens if it's 15 that. means like 1 to 1.2 there's a guy John. Spencer who's the world's expert in this. who's going on a bunch of podcast. um and talked about how he he's never.

seen a conflict even though what people. see doesn't Accord with this where in. fact the degree of Civilian casualties. has been as low in comparison to the. degree of fighters in civilian areas. where remember Kamas again and again and. again has in houses in hospitals in. schools in tunnels all those places. where you have to kill cens or you can't. kill Hamas and.

that's a really awful way to fight a war. um another thing I'll point out just uh. if people doubt this just if people are. listening at home just so you can't see. it says this says Palestinians 38,000. israelian 1,200 reported killed now this. is from this is from the United Nations. right United I wasn't saying one to 1.5. Israelis to Palestinians of those. Palestinians right how many are Hamas. Fighters how many are Hamas Fighters and. here's the other. issue if you go to an Israeli home mhm.

which happens all the time and you hear. like sirens above you go to What's. called a mad which is a shelter which is. a bomb. shelter every Israeli home has a bomb. shelter built into it and so all the. communities Hamas built more than 500. miles worth of tunnels all through Gaza. and not a single bomb shelter for its. citizens not one which meant that if. Israel bombed they were counting and. senoir the head of Hamas even said this. explicitly we have them on the record.

saying it they were counting on. civilians dying because every civilian. who dies is a success for Hamas because. they know they're not going to win the. war um militarily they can only win it. reputationally and politically ah so. they're counting on this type of. information sure I mean it's it's a. terrible thing to say but it does them. good to have citizens killed because it. turns the public opinion against Israel. which is the only way they can win the. war has Israel offered a um like okay.

almost like a Red Rover type of day. where it's like if you want to come over. here you can come over here and we'll. take care of you they had several first. of all they had several weeks before. they started the operation but also they. have safe zones now what has happened. with the safe zones and again it's like. agonizing they just killed Muhammad daif. who is the number number one or number. two in um um next to senoir in uh he's.

the one who who planned right there he. is he's the one who planned the October. 7th operation he was like he was like. the most desirable Target and guess. where they killed him in a safe Zone oh. so right so they create safe zones and. then Kamas Fighters invade the safe. zones and people say ah you see the. Israelis are bombing the safe zones you. can't win with people who don't care. about their people and I don't want to. say Palestinians don't of course they do.

like a mother who's bereaved in. Palestine is every bit as bereft as a. mother who's bereaved in Israel it's not. like one mother feels more than the. other but the leaders don't care they. care about getting what they get and by. the way many of them aren't in Gaza. instead they are enjoying their billions. of dollars that were given to them in. Aid in Switzerland in the Canary Islands. um and whether just emailing stuff to do. like that. like right because so it's a very very.

painful situation all around and and I. wish um I wish on both sides um that. there were like Visionary and courageous. leaders who would figure out a way to. stop what is this awful Carnage although. I must say um like every time somebody. you know feels like first of all it's. not true that it's going on forever. and First of and and also conflicts that.

go on a long time like in Northern. Ireland can be solved I don't believe it. can it's not true that it can't ever be. solved like the like the IRA the IRA and. and even countries that were hostile to. Israel like bahra like the UAE now it. looks very soon like Saudi Arabia have. re and and Israel and Jordan have made. peace so whenever someone says they'll. never make peace I think you don't you. don't know you haven't lived long enough. to see for example like I did that. people said the Soviet Union the United. States will always be enemies and then.

the next day there was no Soviet Union. things change and I I can't help it I. have faith and so do you pray also then. for yeah you just pray for both sides of. the conf oh absolutely I pray for peace. and I pray for the best outcome and I I. mean I it's. like to see to see the images we've seen. how can you not you know it's funny uh. Rabbi because like yeah I hear like you. you know I've I've been on the side like. you know I don't know if what's the side. but like you hear free Palestine right.

yeah and so I've always thought like um. if something if you start to hear the. Chan of free something then that's the. place that needs the help right yes of. course um and so I guess a lot of my. like yeah I think that's and I guess you. see more images of damage from there and. so you're just your feelings can't help. but um you know just but but hurt you. know I absolutely and I think they. there's no reason why they shouldn't. hurt I mean like they suffering terribly.

and part of my head is like and this is. why I think I don't I may have a tough. time like just evolve in some of my. thoughts that Israel is the stronger. country yes right they have a more of a. culture they have a more like Charters. and. organization and it feels like it's. their responsibility right to help or to. figure out that's what that's just this. is a blanket statement right it feels. like they the that should have to figure.

this out right and now that might be. delusional but it's just like um it. might be emotionally motivated a lot of. that I but I I totally get that and what. I would say to that is first of all um. it's it does you credit there's no. reason not to feel that way there's only. so much you can do it's almost like this. is not a great analogy and I've just. thought of it and I hope hope it's not a. terrible one but it's like a parent who. has a kid is a drug addict and you say. well look it's the parents. responsibility and they again and again. and again and again and again they.

enable and enable and enable and then. they decide okay I'm going to cut them. off and then they enable again and then. they cut them off and you say actually. at a certain point if the other side. doesn't help you can't do anything a. strong people can't look Israel tried I. mean America tried this America said. okay we're going to impose democracy on. Iraq look how well that worked and we're. much stronger than Israel is other. people have to want. to be helped in order for you to help.

and they not only have to want to be. helped but they have to not want to. destroy the people that are helping them. because although Israel is stronger. that's true there are. 30 Muslim nations around Israel or 25. there's one Israel. so there you know how many like before. the Holocaust there were 18 million Jews. in the world that's like 0.1% of the. world now there are about 15 million. Jews in the world there's a we're very. tiny there are over a billion Christians. over a billion Muslims there's .1% of.

Jews in the world so I probably know 200. you probably do you know but that's I. mean really 15 million is nothing it's. smaller than the population of LA small. in the population of New York and that's. it the over the entire world so Jews. feel frightened I think for legitimate. reasons Yeah well yeah certainly I would. think if there's strength in numbers you. would have to be as um you would rely on.

so many other of your senses you know. and so many of my Jewish friends are so. like. uh they're complex I never I Jewish. people are super complex you know the. whole system it's really fun like fun to. joke around with a lot of my Jewish. friends if you think of a good joke they. like it yeah um I have a I have a theory. about why that's true okay so here's my. here's my theory about why Jews are the. way they not all but I mean there's a. variety always but there are two things.

about Jewish history that actually I. think gave Jews certain cultural. Tendencies one is that our tradition is. very book centered right if you go into. a church you see an image of Jesus you. go into a synagogue you see a Torah you. see a book we don't have a perfect life. in Judaism we have a perfect book that. makes it different so you have to know. like literacy text based literacy was. huge and then the other thing is when.

you have to wander from place to place. to place you have to start learning all. sorts of different cultural cues or you. won't make it and so you have to be like. intellectually agile because if you're. not the host country is not going to. have any use for you and they're not. going to be able to use you wow so both. those things Jews learned and that's why. you have so many Jews in comedy and so. many Jews in music and so many Jews in. literature and so they learned the. cultural cues of wherever they had to. wander um which is you know good and bad.

good and bad well let's talk about. anti-Semitism then yeah if we can is. that all right absolutely I talk about. it all the time oh you do I do yeah um. yeah because we had it so we had an. episode um what a what a [ __ ] weird. let's talk about anti-Semitism is that. all right um we had well sometimes I'll. be honest with you you get scared to. even say the word Jewish or to say like. Israel like like it's you feel scared. sometimes like feel like like well we. had a podcast like Roseanne Bar was on. right and she said she made a sarcastic.

comment she goes yeah she goes yeah and. six million Jews didn't die in the. Holocaust right it was obvious sarcasm. right it was obvious I think if you and. me listen of course but YouTube they. banned us for two weeks and they took. our episode down because they said that. we promoted um Holocaust denialism. something like that right and I and so. it kind of it affected me I was like. well [ __ ] you know like. she is Jewish it was s like you know it.

made me kind of angry kind of not. against Jewish people but it made me. angry that there was this like that felt. like there was a par another parameter. where you couldn't speak about things. you know so look anti-Semitism is a very. it's called the oldest hatred um it's. extremely difficult and there are lots. of factors why I think anti-Semitism. exists but at at least the big part of. it is because Judaism and.

Christianity look Christianity came from. Judaism and so so Judaism was first. Judaism was first by a couple thousand. years oh damn then they and they. probably were then yeah um and that's. why Jesus was born Jewish Saul oh he was. Jewish turned to Paul Paul's original. name was Saul oh really yes he was. Jewish um and and the what happened was. the Believers in. Jesus were all Jews the early disciples.

were all Jews and the other Jews. disagreed with them and I don't know. about you but in my experience family. fights are sometimes the worst fights. and this was a family fight it was like. they all knew each other they all grew. together it was a very small community. they were all Jews together and now they. disagreed about this huge thing it's. like you know the fight over the. Thanksgiving dinner table between the. Democrats and the. Republicans unfortunately the family. fight got put into a book called the New. Testament that lasts. forever and so for thousands of years.

Christians would read this not with a. sense of oh that's my Jewish brother and. I'm fighting him but that's the person. who killed and denied the God that I. believe in and that's a very powerful. thing to I mean the history of Christian. anti-Semitism is long and very ugly. they've had a lot of beef and Christians. and then Muslims have their own history. of anti-Semitism not from most history. as bad as Christian but still and when. you put that together and then Jews.

aren't allowed to own land in almost any. land in medieval um Europe so what do. you do if you don't own land you become. a money lender it's the only other job. you can do you you can't farm the land. you can't grow so Jews were money nobody. likes a money lender because then you. owe them money and Jews every time. people owed too much money you know what. they would do they would kick the Jews. out of the country then they don't owe. money anymore and so Jews got kicked. from from land to land to land to land. um and and because they lived in all.

these different lands it became easy to. develop conspiracies about them that. land Spain or not Spain actually Spain. kicked his Jews out in 1492 but let's. say that land X or Y that we kicked the. Jews out now they're attacking us ah it. must be the Jews that did it and it's. always always great to have someone to. to blame your own problem well yeah. everybody wants an enemy everybody wants. somebody to point the finger at so you. put a lot of these things together. and you get um this enduring hatred and.

this very selective like people don't go. on the internet and say you know what. Jonah sulk gave us the polio vaccine and. and Einstein gave us modern relativity. and Freud gave us psychology and and PR. gave us the greatest modern novel no. they say Jeffrey Epstein gave us. pedophilia and you can do that with any. group the difference is of course people. don't do it with any group they don't. look and say okay okay what white. Anglo-Saxon Protestants have done. terrible things let's make a huge chart.

of all of them and put it on the. internet and say you see white. Anglo-Saxon Protestants are terrible no. but they do it with. Jews yeah that's interesting man that's. one way of thinking about it I mean it's. it's unfortunate too. sorry I say weird sometimes it's like i'. never thought about it no of course why. I mean it's not like and I think some of. maybe like I don't know if like I don't. notice I mean I grew up in a place it. was like racial Division and stuff we.

didn't have any Jewish folks my mom. dated a Jewish guy actually for a little. bit. named and he would drive so far to get. gas that was a little cheaper but we. just thought it was funny and he got us. tickets to like our first football game. we ever went to and you know uh nice guy. um and he was black and Jewish I didn't. even know that he could do that yes and. then um well that's the other thing is. that Jews are white to the left but. they're not white to the right it's. weird like the clan doesn't think of. Jews as white right but all those kids.

on campus were saying Jews are white. colonialists well if you go to Israel. more than 50% of the Jews in Israel are. what are called Jews of color some from. Ethiopia the others from Arab lands wow. so J's baby yeah that's cool yeah they. got some beautiful Jew Jewish uh ladies. I've seen on the internet probably men. too I haven't looked at them but I. believe that there are some we got to. get you to Israel yeah hey look dude I. could end up over there a Jewish lady. asked me to marry her one time but she. only gave me like 7 hours to decide and.

I was like that's a little that's a. little bit of a deadline there oh dude I. asked for more time and she's like I've. had enough of you I'm like then this is. too much I think that you probably made. a wise decision anybody who gives you. seven hours to desde yeah I was like. yeah this marriage wouldn't last um why. do Jew Jewish people have so much. success is that a fair question to ask. do you feel sure sure a lot of my Jewish. friends are successful it's like dude. the more places I go where it's like I. see like oh this is a Jewish business.

owner or a Jewish thinker facilitator. you know it's almost like sometimes I. think of them as like glish right it's. like they're kind of the. like they're. they're they're just they find ways to. like create value you know like um so. what I would say to you yeah I think. first of all what I would go back to. what I said before about there's a. tradition of literacy and they had to. learn the cultural codes but remember. that this is now and and yes it's true. that certain Jewish groups in the past.

have had but there I mean like if you. think about the Jews of Eastern Europe. the ones who were killed by them they. were poor as dirt I mean they lived on. farms they like barely e out a living. imagine that that's true even now even. now there's like I think 10 to 12% of. Jews live under the poverty line there. always but the people that you know of. course are the people who are successful. and there are a disproportionate to our. own proportion successful Jews like I. think it's like 20 to 22% of all the.

Nobel prizes in the world have been won. by Jews even though we're 0.1% of the. world damn dude [ __ ] pull it. somebody's got to start a comeback or. something but here's the question in. reaction to that if you knew that about. another group would you automatically. think well of them or think badly of. them the weird thing is that people look. at that Ates and they think badly of. them if I told you for example which is. true the highest. ethnic or racial or religious earning.

group in America is do you know hold on. give me 30 seconds okay um the highest. racial or ethnic earning gr group in. America is I would probably. say uh Persians Nigerians no way because. of this email stuff is that wild no not. not the I'm talking about in America oh. living here living here. Nigerians which is amazing and yet. nobody says those damn Nigerians yeah. they take all our jobs they do all these.

ter no there's it's because there are. these ancient prejudices that then. people turn against the Jews I would. think if people I mean look the people. who took their money from Harvard and. pen and so on their grandparents weren't. wealthy right I mean these are people. who made tremendous success and then. turned around and turned philanthropic. and then people say look at those dirty. Jews and I think what what do you want. what do you want from us. the world right exactly I mean nobody. looks at Bill Gates Again and says dirty.

wasps they look at Mark Zuckerberg and. say dirty Jew what does wasps mean white. americ white Anglo sax and Protestant oh. they do y wasps. yeah yeah you know it's interesting it's. interesting to think about I appreciate. you talking about it with me too because. it's like I always just get afraid like. sometimes I think in Hollywood like you. know like there's just a lot of Jewish. folks it's been a you know and it's I. don't have any thoughts about it except. that sometimes you like. so at that point you build stereotype. you build like you know you wonder like.

oh well do they have something against. me if I'm not having successes or so I. can see how some people's schools of. thoughts are like um in Hollywood well. also we we really we have a tendency to. group groups together so people will say. this about the blacks and this about the. Mexicans and this about the Jews and. this about on and on about the Hicks. about the you know it doesn't matter gay. freckles Irish Jesus Christ I know so. and so that's also something that that.

everybody fight normal some of it is. normal but it's also we know like we. know that it's not really that it. doesn't really work like did does some. groups Loosely have characteristics yes. but not enough that like yeah you know. this group is good and this group is bad. and also those characteristics change I. know that this shocks people but when. Jews first came in the early 1900s they. didn't want to let them in for immig. because they had low IQs no way that was. what they. said because we don't realize how.

quickly cultural stereotypes change from. one thing to to another um it's. interesting yeah yeah and it's tough too. because I don't know a ton of like. Palestinian you know it's like I have. more of Palestinians are amazing people. I have to say the Palestinians I know. tell me about that are I don't even know. it's like I have a couple of friends. that are part Palestinian maybe there. are now like a bunch of palestin Ian. poets and writers that are getting. translated into English that are just.

like incredibly gifted thoughtful. insightful people and it makes me that. much sadder that you know they don't. have a leadership that they deserve um. and and like that's what I wish for very. much um how do we get there I don't to. you know and it can be vague you know we. don't know I think that you probably you. know the there is this um. there's you there have to be sort of. entrepreneurs of Courage like how did.

Egypt make peace with Israel because one. guy said you know what I'm not gonna I'm. not going to do I'm going to Israel and. Sadat went to Israel and he changed and. people saw that oh my God you can do. this so you need these people who are. willing to stand up and. say we've been doing this wrong I mean. where has it gotten us for the past 70. years to tell our kids we're going to. one day dest destroy Israel which is. what the Palestinians have been telling. their kids for 70 years we're going to. destroy Israel just one day when you.

grow up you're going to fight you're. going to destroy Israel and where has it. gotten you I mean you saw that chart. it's gotten you less and less and less. land and less and less and less. happiness and and most tragically fewer. children so and and when I say fewer. children by the way when people say that. there's a genocide you know the two of. the five the two of the five fastest. growing populations in the world are the. West Bank and Gaza so if Israel's. actually Prosecuting a genocide they're. doing a very bad job of it oh that West. bang and Gaza are Palestinian.

Palestinian they're doing a very bad job. of it making love over there yes because. they have and there are millions of. people and like you just want I mean. want pick up line too it's like we got. about 40 minutes babe you know let's. figure this out um what is isra what can. Israel do you think differently um are. you allowed to comment on that kind of. stuff oh sure absolutely uh I think I. think Israel I think Israel is so there. are two things I'll say one one is hard.

to change and one is easier to change. you know when you go out of when you get. out of high school in America you go to. college and we all know college kids. even though they can be very talented. and very smart and very they're also. stupid and they're not only stupid. because they're 17 18 naive especially. guys but both yeah but when you get out. of high school in Israel You're go into. the army and you give a 17. 18-year-old an a uh an Uzi a machine gun.

and you put them at a Border guard he's. still a 17-year-old and then a. 50-year-old Palestinian comes and and a. 17-year-old should not be able to. control the life of a 50-year-old man or. woman but that's the situation so first. of all the situation is messed up and. that's and that is like intrinsic to it. and that's tragic messed up in the sense. of the organization of the how they IDE. that Aries that armies are young and and. armies control people who are not young. and that built into that is this.

humiliation and humiliation is the worst. yeah humiliation is the worst well every. 17-year-old wants to be Rambo yeah. exactly um and but and what Israel could. do better I believe is there are lots. and lots and lots of small ways in which. they could constantly make it clear that. they esteem the people and that they. respect them and that they want to help. them now now it is true that the people. who did that most in Israel were. actually the people whose kibuts Sim.

were attacked on October 7th those were. all peac snaks on the border there were. some of the people who were kidnapped. and some of the people who were killed. were people who fed medicine to Gaza but. still even so I still think it is true. that it's incredibly important when. you're in the driver's seat to. constantly turn around and say I really. want this to be different I hope for the. day that it'll be different I think that. Israel has not done that as much as it. could or as much as it should um the.

people or the. leadership both yeah both because. there's this great line from the poet. Yates who after all was in Ireland and. saw trouble what they call the troubles. for years he said too long a sacrifice. makes a stone of the heart and like at a. certain point you just go I don't care I. don't care those people I don't care and. that's you have to fight against that. you have to yeah things edify kind of in. you edify is that the right word you. think solidify solidify in you like if. uh they calcify kind of you know right.

and like you can't stand your neighbor. you know you when you first met them you. brought them a cup of sugar but now you. just can't stand or you're a landlord or. whatever and and and it's very human but. if we don't overcome that um it's we go. the way of the Grave America and Britain. after World War II or is it World War I. when they fre World War I okay after. World War I they helped create uh the. space for Israel in the current space of.

Israel especially especially Britain. yeah does do you feel like they should. help now is that part of it or after. World War II well after World War II was. the actual creation of the state after. World War I was when Britain first did. all the initiatives to do it um they try. they do try America America has tried. again and again and again to do this. they have um but also part of this is uh. part of this is that um for a long time. the Soviet Union was the Ally of the.

Arab Nations and the Soviet Union also. was deeply anti-jewish and deeply anti-. capitalist and anti-western there's a. lot of Jewish people in the Soviet un. there were they all left yeah so now. they um so now they I think that there. really has to be like an ideological. change which is the kind of thing that. you see happening in Saudi Arabia with. NBS he's really trying to to change his. country now all of name I'm Sor repeat. his name is Muhammad Ben Sal Muhammad B.

Salon in Saudi Arabia right there he is. Muhammad bin Salon Assa he's like for. example women can now Drive in Saudi. Arabia I know that that seems like but. that's a huge thing which is the other. part of it is that the culture I not. want to be there the first week the. culture the culture no off the culture. in the West Bank and Gaza to Women to. Women is I mean women are very second. class citizens there and lgbtqs have no. rights um quite the opposite so I think.

that there needs to be like a general. sort of Reckoning with the culture and. an openness that would allow people to. live. um and peace and you think so the. responsibility really Falls kind of 5050. do you believe no I I'm going to I'm I. know people will disagree with me I'm. going to say 8020 I really think if. tomorrow the Palestinians said we want. we we don't want to destroy you we want. to live in peace and we want to thrive. there would be peace and they would.

Thrive is there a way for them to even. like verbalize that to the only only if. they have the leaders who promise it. because nobody's going to believe it if. just I mean there are many people who. say it but unless the leaders promise it. it's not going to happen right and the. leaders are Hamas Hamas is there a. president outside of Hamas there is. there's there is Abu Mazin in the. Palestinian Authority but he's in his. 80s he's thought of his corrupt and not. good yeah I can't imagine that somebody. would have a leader in their 80s how.

could that happen right what is he just. Milling around a [ __ ] bot ball court. like get a [ __ ] microphone homie this. is um so uh he what does he say about it. um well this is a guy who did his PhD in. I I don't want to get you canceled but. in Holocaust Deni so I don't think that. he's asp to Jews as he might be see um. but he has been I can't I know they had.

a pH I think he has been okay in the. sense that he has done some cooperation. with Israel but is he a peacemaker has. he really reached out is he a courageous. Visionary leader no which is why he's. not I and the Palestinian Authority is. notoriously corrupt um so he is not. somebody who you know is going to be. able to make peace um but by the way the. corrupt I just want to say just you know. one of the one of the presidents of.

Israel was put away for was put in jail. for corruption and it was an Arab female. Supreme Court Justice that put him away. so it's a very complex cultural picture. over there it's not so easy so they. rarely even have that is that what. you're saying an Arab female Supreme. Court Justice I'm saying that could. happen in Israel but it could never. happen you know when people say Israel. is an apartheid state it's kind of weird. that you have Supreme Court Justices who. are Arab and Arab parties in the knesset. in the Parliament and on and on and on.

so knesset is the Israeli Parliament yes. okay cool yeah it's cool to like learn. like a new term or something um say if. you are a Palestine supporter right how. do you just still be supportive of your. Jewish friends you know like how do is. there ways that people can like manage. that with their friends should they like. so here's here's what's between Israel. Jewish Zion what is the difference. between some of that okay I I'll answer. both I'll answer both those first of all.

um Zionism is the traditional Jewish. desire to return to the land of Israel. it has different forms it has a. political form it has a religious form. but it's the same basic thing so in. theory some Jews say they're not. zionists but the truth is that Zionism. is sort of a part and parcel of being. Jewish the bread and the butter it's. okay. um what I would say to people who have. Palestinian friends have Israeli friends. and disagree is the I I was until last.

year the rabbi of Sinai Temple in Los. Angeles um I had a lot of people who in. that congregation I had a large Persian. community and others as well as the. Persian Community who love Trump and. other people in the congregation who. hate Trump okay and I have to think to. myself like this is one congregation. I don't I'm not going to take a. political position but I want to try to. keep these people together and the way.

to do it is we always start with. politics but if you start with what do. you like to eat how do you raise your. kids what do you care about in your life. in other words the things that are. closest to you then you know someone. before I like I buried their parents and. I married their children and I went to. visit them in the hospital and by then. when I found out their political. opinions I really didn't care because. most of the things in our life that. affect our life are not what we see on.

the screen people scream about Trump all. the time but the truth is whether their. kid is healthy or sick means much more. to their life than how they feel about. him so I try to get people to live. locally you can care about issues should. care about issues I do obviously we. spent the whole hour and a half talking. about issues um but I also know that I'm. not going to judge you as a human being. based on your disagreement with me. unless you hate unless you hate then.

I'll judge then I'll judge you yeah but. but if like it's it's a it's a. disagreement of goodness and of love. then we can argue all day long I got no. problem with that yeah yeah I wish you. could find ways to do that more you know. I me too it makes me sad yeah it is sad. it's painful in this country too it's so. painful because it's like it doesn't. take I mean. I you know it's not the first time we've. seen uh someone try to assassinate a.

political figure but it always like it. always reminds you that that the. difference between chaos and. civilization it's really thin it's like. a bullet away yeah and I've said that. too it's like all it all that needs to. happen is a couple of police stations. need to get kind of commandeered right. and then it's the game could change I. know and you know one thing I noticed. the other day uh W be was um when that. happened with Trump a lot of people like.

it didn't even make them feel like it. made him feel like something but if that. would have happened 20 years ago when. you know uh it would but it's like. almost we've become so. desensitized to um I don't know pain I. don't know what it is it's true and not. only that but don't forget like in in. recent history we've had other political. figures Gabby gford uh I don't remember. I can't remember the name of the. Republican senator who shot at a. baseball game it's not was that um who. was that that was Don no not Don.

madingley or something who was it oh. Steve scaly right Steve scal right. somebody popped off on that bad boy dude. what was he in Short. Stop short stop this sig sour Baby they. really that's insane yeah so I'm saying. it's like this is happening and we have. to be aware of it and it's pretty awful. yeah you know why is why do a lot of Aid. goes to Israel from America people talk. about that a lot you know it's like a. point of like why are we giving money to. Israel you know why are we giving money.

to other countries why is there a bigger. connection that we have with Israel like. are they the footprint in the middle e. or are they like the teammate in the. Middle East or why is that because a lot. of people are like well [ __ ] we have. people that are bleeding to death on our. streets but we're sending billions of. dollars to Israel so there are two. things to know first of all about. foreign aid foreign aid is like 1% less. than 1% I'd love for you to look this up. of our budget we think we're spending so. much money on it's nothing it's.

negligible that's a great question look. that up Nick and we get what percentage. of the budget less than 2% us. government's foreign aid budget is. typically less than 2% of total federal. spending in 2022 the US obligated 70.4. billion in foreign aid which is about 1%. of total spending so that's first of all. when people say it's all this money if. only we brought it home that's not true. it's less than 1% of the budget that's. not going to change everything but you. buy a lot of influence around the world. and most of the money that goes to. Israel we get in arms purchases back and.

in what and also in Innovation back I. mean Google has offices there Microsoft. has off offices there like Israel is. called startup Nation because like your. nav system was built in Israel and you. know um a lot of other uh a lot of other. technological uh. Innovations created in Israel so found. whatever yeah so there's that but also I. think the reason America is tied to.

Israel is not because there are Jews who. Lobby Congress because there are lots of. lobbies in the world you know there's a. huge cigarette Lobby and yet at a. certain point people said you know let's. put warnings on cigarettes and cut down. cigarette and and they had a lot more. money to Lobby then it has to be a. community of interests or people won't. care yeah because there's like APAC. people talk about a lot recently like. but the only reason people listen to. APAC is because APAC makes the case that. here is a country in the Middle East. that shares your Western values that. supports America that listens in you.

need a local listener in in the Middle. East that can actually you know. infiltrate these various countries look. if Iran gets a nuclear bomb yes it's. terrible for Israel but it's not good. for America either right Iran says we're. the big Satan and Israel's the little. Satan so our our money to Israel is. truly I think an investment it's not. just a gift um it's an investment yep. understood do we give money to Palestine. as well billions billions of M how many.

how many dollars do we give to Palestine. um as you will see and and yet despite. this and this is just the United States. um that's additional we give billions of. dollars to Palestine United States I. want to read it I'm sorry Mr W I didn't. mean to interrupt you no no no but I was. just going to say this is just the past. eight months but I'm talking about every. year how much money since October 7th a. little over a billion since October 7th. a little over a billion and for Israel. it's 13.5 billion um and then the also.

the UN and other agencies give money no. one else gives money to Israel obviously. but um other countries give money to. Palestine as well we're the only country. that gives money to Israel uh yes we're. not the only country that trades with. Israel but gives money to Israel oh. interesting so there's a real Ally ship. there then oh it's very deep in fact um. in fact Walter Russell me who is uh the. foreign fairs columnist of the Wall. Street Journal just wrote a a long book. that I actually blurbed and I can't.

remember now the name of it it's I think. it has the word Arc in the title but. it's all about the uh the ark of a. covenant there it is the Arc of a. covenant um and it's all about the long. history of Israel United States. relationship and what he says is you. know basically what Kissinger used to. say countries don't have friends they. have interests and if Israel wasn't in. the interest of the United States the. United States wouldn't be supporting. Israel so sometimes it feels like like.

because there's so many successful. Jewish people in the US it feels like. that America kind of has become just. like a. um like a LLC or something you know do. you feel like that that Israel like owns. America now is that a crazy question. yeah it is actually okay um I I mean. there's never been a Jewish president. there's never been a Jewish vice. president um have we ever tried have we. ever has any have a Jewish president. ever run did Bloomberg almost won was he.

Jewish or not yeah Bloomberg yes. Bloomberg is Jewish run that hard he ran. well he ran as hard as he could but the. point is he didn't he didn't win um the. majority of people who own wealth in. America are not Jewish if you look at. the top 20 families there are a number. of Jews on them but the majority aren't. so the idea again stere it's not a. stereotype it's conspiracy thinking. which is actually more dangerous in some. ways than a stereotype no group runs. America you hear all the time that like.

this group does or that group does. or asked no no no I actually am really. glad you asked I think it's able to like. I think it's really important conspiracy. theories are almost always based on some. previous Prejudice that people have or. would you even say in the beginning what. was the first thing we said we've almost. gone full circle here conspiracy. theories are based sometimes on. well conspiracy theories are a desire to. to do two things one is to explain a. world that's inexplicable why did these.

things happen I know there are complex. causes but I'd like a simple one right. and the other thing is it relieves you. of any responsibility everything that's. bad that happens it's those other people. that are doing it yeah but I got to tell. you I've been a rabbi now for decades I. know many of the most successful and. Powerful Jews in the world some of them. I know very well they haven't let me on. the conspiracy and I I mean and I would. love to know okay no that's cool to know. cuz sometimes you like yeah you just I.

think um I think that some of that's. Hollywood [ __ ] it's like you just feel. like that since so many people are. Jewish you feel like oh they all kind of. work together and that you if you're not. Jewish sometimes you feel like they. don't care or that you're an outsider. and some of that could be your own. thinking it could be and it's and and. there certainly is a function that every. group works that way. farm and it's a lot of farmers and it's. a lot of like Baptist Farmers they're. going the same type of behavior is going.

you see Jews if you go to La New York. Chicago Miami yeah but you know like. growing up in. Louisiana yeah we had two maybe two. Jewish people maybe yeah and one guy I. don't think he was somebody just wrote. Jewish person on his back or whatever. but um um it's uh but no I think it's. great actually it's much better to ask. even the really difficult questions the. questions that might be offensive and.

let somebody answer them than to leave. them unasked because then you know you. think ah he he had no answer for that. one that's why he didn't say that yeah. um I know I don't ever think like that I. think like okay what am I maybe a little. bit scared to ask right now or how or. what it was like well that's the other. thing I was going to say is when you. talked about how it's hard sometimes to. talk about Jews it's like every group is. so sens sensitive now so sensitive um. that yeah he used to be able to make fun. of like I think it's coming back a.

little bit listen Don Rickles I don't. know if you remember he was a member of. my he was a member of my congregation. and he would way you saw him there oh. yeah he was merciless first time he met. me okay I'm the rabbi first time he met. me I was young obviously the first time. he met me I have I've never and I'm. introduced St Rickles I'm like very. intimidated he looks at me for a second. he goes don't worry your skin will clear. up that was the first thing the first. thing just yeah right and I just and of. course I cracked up but but it's like.

it's a shame that people can't I think. we're getting back to it I think a lot. of it has just been just [ __ ] some of. society on sorry some of society sir. just like of. um yeah like every like I don't know we. got into this crazy stuff in the media. things used to be able to be funnier now. live comedy I think is still very good I. think. that one person can object to and put on. social media or two people I mean.

obviously there are things you can say. that are truly objectionable it's not. I'm like I'm a rabbi I take things. seriously but you have to be able to. laugh at yourself you really do if you. can't then you'll just find that other. people do it for. you and when it comes to like different. it's like in the end your your thought. always has to be when it comes to. different groups whether it's Jewish. people black people um uh illiterate. people Chinese or whatever women men we.

all have to live together in the world. right and so it's like like I think when. I was younger I was probably maybe like. a little more dumb about stuff or. whatever we all were but yeah we all. were right but then as you get old. you're like well the only way this all. it either yeah goes left or it goes like. straight it kind of conjoins more you. know yeah the world is a boat and you. know you can't you can't drill a whole. only under your seat if it goes down it. goes down for everybody yeah that's.

interesting and that kind of keeps us. all having it should keep us all making. sure that our neighbor has a life vest. in a way yeah exactly nice you know. because that's really important if it. goes down for one of us it can go down. for all of us um you wrote a book called. why Faith matters yeah and after having. some health issues yeah um can you tell. me just a little bit about that um I had. a brain tumor and then I had lymphoma um. so I had canc I had a couple of cancers.

um and and afterwards there were all. these I mean it's not as popular now but. there were all these people who were. like professional atheists Christopher. Hitchens Sam Harris Richard Dawkins a. couple others and and what they were. describing about religion wasn't at all. the religion that I experienced when I. was sick cuz the religion I experienced. when I was sick was like people gather. around you they help you they care about. you like people in my congregation I. know they've been giving people meals. for years and years and years who are in.

trouble it was a human thing there a. human thing and it but it's done also. out of faith that this is what God wants. you to do and like that other people are. in the image of God and so I wrote this. book like I I mean I talk about science. and faith and other questions that. people have and why God allows bad. things to happen and so on but. essentially I want people to understand. like it's very hard to create that kind. of lasting Community outside of a of a. house of worship outside of a synagogue. a church a mosque um and and that these.

are really the people who will you know. one day your like your gym is going to. close but there'll always be a house of. worship and if you come in you you get. accepted and you belong and so the book. is about the different ways in our lives. um that Faith matters and and and one. story that I tell in there which. actually is very apropo of everything. we've been talking about. is this guy an old story about a guy who. looks up at the heavens and he says God. there's so much trouble and there's so.

much pain and there's so much war in. your world why don't you send help and. God says I did I sent you and I feel. like that sense of personal agency. that's really important wow yeah and it. also even makes you. feel not some responsibility a little. bit but the other part of that is it. makes you feel um purposeful yes you. know or like you were chosen right yep. yeah wow that's pretty cool I did I sent. you um how do you put together a sermon.

we're going to wrap up in a minute I. just uh and if it's too big question you. just saw it that's how um I think of a. theme in a story and then I um I speak. more or less spontaneously I speak from. you'll start something maybe with a note. or two okay and I'll get up with a note. or two and I'll just go I don't know why. but from the time I was young. a lot there are a lot of things that I. don't do well but words don't fail me. for whatever reason and I know if I have.

an idea I can get up and I can give you. my 15 minutes on the idea and somehow it. will tie together um and that's just. I've just been very lucky to be able to. do that and I love to do it also I. really do. so that's cool man um yeah it's. interesting because I think I I think a. lot of my thoughts have just been like. about like Israel Palestine is just like. yeah feeling so much for the Palestinian. people you know and and I think that. does you credit and I would never say.

yeah I would never say to somebody they. shouldn't feel I mean how could you not. right when people suffer you know the. the first reaction should be that's. terrible that people are suffering then. you get to the causes but the first. reaction should just be you know that's. awful well it's nice to have just some. more uh it's nice to have um more. information it's nice to have. information from a Jewish you're you're. fully Jewish I am fully Jewish it's nice. to have information from a Jewish person. and um yeah it's just nice to learn do.

you think Israel has a preference in uh. the presidential. election H I think it depends which. Israelis you ask um Trump has been. pretty popular in Israel though he's. gotten pretty high marks in part because. a lot of a lot of uh presidents promised. to move the embassy to Jerusalem and. didn't and he did. um and also because I think he eggs on.

um some belligerence in Israel and that. makes Israelis feel like you know we'll. be okay with him so I think that that's. probably true but ultimately what I. always tell people which I really deeply. believe is true is the best president. for Israel will be the best president. for America because Israel needs a. strong America more than it needs any. particular policy so not here to tell. you who the best president for America. is but whoever it is that's who I want. for Israel because Israel needs America.

to be strong and prosperous and healthy. in the world um because it's by far. Israel's major Ally and so I want. America to do well not only because I'm. an American um but also because I think. and not only for Israel but also I. really I like I have a deep belief in. America as you know um it's been called. the last best hope of mankind I I hope. it's not the last hope but I think it's.

the best and so when America is at its. best it's really a beacon for the world. and for that I want the best leadership. we can. have um what is a rabbi what I I know. it's like a it's like a priest right. it's like a priest Rabbi means teacher. okay so you do many of the things like. you visit hospitals you do weddings you. do funerals you do bar and Bob Mitzvah. you do you know all those things you. preach um and your central role is to.

teach to teach the Jewish tradition and. to teach values and so on um and uh and. I was lucky enough that I my father was. a rabbi his father by the way was a song. and dance man who was a VOD Vilan so. maybe that's all the same thing I don't. know oh it's wondered CU people tell me. like man one day you should preach or. Pastor you know or get into that world. and I don't know really what God has in. store for me you know like but I do. really there are moments where I'll be. on stage doing comedy and I'll. feel um like I wish what I was saying.

was the most important thing it could be. not from me but just whatever needs to. be said I wish that whatever I was. saying you know like that God would use. me to just would just make it as. important as possible you know what I. will tell you is you never you never. know in this life who you've influenced. and how like you know all of a sudden. someone comes up to you I'm sure and. says you know remember that thing you. said at a comedy show 12 years ago and. you don't remember at all but they.

remember and they say that that Chang. that changed my life cuz you're like. you're in different places different. times I I know we're ending but I'll end. with the story so there was a there was. a a famous he grew up to be a famous. Rabbi but when he was a kid um his name. was called the sear of Lublin and he. used to go into the forest and one day. his father pulls him aside and he says. why do you keep going into the forest. and he says well I go there to find God. and his father said that's beautiful but. don't you know that God is the same. everywhere and he says well God is but. I'm not and so you have to find the.

places in the world where you are at the. place where you can teach whatever it is. you have to teach and maybe the comedy. stage is the place where that you have. found that you have to teach not it. doesn't have to be a Pulpit for. everybody everybody has their own place. yeah sometimes we all feel yeah yeah. everybody has their own place um and so. does Israel and so does Palestine and. hopefully they'll figure it out amen. amen thank you Rabbi David Wy we. appreciate you thank you now I'm just.

floating on the breeze and I feel I'm. falling like these leaves I must be. Cornerstone oh but when I reach that. ground I'll share this piece of mind I. found I can feel it in my. bones but it's going to take. little.