This Is Where "Zionism" Is Headed

7 Elul 5786 

Why a Jewish-Arab alliance is the truly Zionist act

From Altneuland to the present day, a model society requires cooperation. Instead of pushing Arab-Israeli citizens beyond the political field of vision, the time has come to build a courageous alliance that can curb fanaticism and moral decline.

In Altneuland, there is an episode centered on a debate over whether non-Jews should have the right to vote in the new society. In Theodor Herzl's seminal novel, the camp supporting equal rights defeats the camp seeking to reserve those rights for Jews alone. That is no accident.

The hardly concealed message of Altneuland is that without openness and cooperation between Jews and non-Jews for the benefit of everyone living in the land, there can be no model society. Political scientist Shlomo Avineri, in The Making of Modern Zionism, also noted that Herzl portrayed Rabbi Geyer as having originally been an anti-Zionist before converting to a narrow, fanatical form of Zionism. Was Herzl not suggesting that both extremes were harmful to the Zionist enterprise?

Against the stifling sense of political inevitability surrounding talk of a "third bloc," the emerging partnership between Ra'am Chairman Mansour Abbas and former Yesh Atid MK Yoav Segalovitz, and the prospect of a Jewish candidate running on the slate of an Arab party, are especially important precisely because of their audacity and because of the horizon they open up. Talks between Abbas and Segalovitz over such an arrangement are indeed underway ahead of Israel's October 27 election.

...Building alliances between Jewish and Arab citizens of Israel is therefore not merely politically wise and culturally groundbreaking. It is also a Zionist act, at least if you consider Herzl a Zionist. And as for the value of such cooperation in halting the catastrophic inflation of a new Israeli Jewish supremacism, growing wild on the hilltops of Judea and Samaria and across social media, I need not say another word.

If you will it, I believe that only courageous cooperation with those Arab citizens who seek it can save us, the Jews living here between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, from fanaticism, from the hubris of believing we are living through an "age of miracles," from moral decline and, ultimately, from ourselves.

In this respect, Mansour Abbas is both a leader and an opportunity that must not be squandered. It is always possible to search with a flashlight for flaws. But this is a man who condemned the Oct. 7, 2023, attack, who has declared his recognition of Israel as a Jewish state and who, more importantly, has consistently extended a hand to the Jewish public. We must not refuse it. Abbas has repeatedly condemned the Oct. 7 massacre, and he has publicly said that Israel "was born as a Jewish state" and would remain one.

This did not appear in Haaretz, but on the "right-wing" Israel HaYom website.

Arab-Israeli activist Yoseph Haddad enters politics with new party ahead of elections

Haddad has held talks with potential political partners, including Brig.-Gen. (res.) Ofer Winter, a controversial figure on the Right, as he weighs his options.

Arab Israeli activist Yoseph Haddad registered a new political party ahead of the upcoming elections and has been holding talks with various figures about joining his slate, Haddad’s office confirmed to The Jerusalem Post on Sunday.

Haddad is a vocal supporter of Israel, advocating consistently for the country on news outlets and social media. He has also gone on numerous international speaking tours.

Haddad’s spokesperson said that he has been in contact with several political figures about joining the party, including Brig.-Gen. (res.) Ofer Winter, a controversial figure on the Right who has reportedly been weighing which political framework to join ahead of the elections.

“Yoseph Haddad hasn’t hidden that he’s considering entering politics and has recently been weighing his options,” his spokesperson told the Post.

“Among other moves, he’s registered a new party with partners who believe in his path.”

* * * 

Who Is Yoseph Haddad?

AI Overview

Yoseph Haddad is 40 years old, born in Haifa. He comes from an Arab Christian family and belongs to the Greek Orthodox Church. He was a commander in the Golani Brigade. He is a journalist and activist who advocates for Israel on social media and international speaking tours. He has been recognized by Israeli media and the Israeli Foreign Ministry for his pro-Israel advocacy.

Will the "Jewish" State finally be accepted by the Nations when it has an elected Christian-Arab Prime Minister?  That's where the Zionist vision is taking us. 

The Difficulty in Uprooting False Ideology

6 Elul 5786 

When I was growing up in Texas, we had this very nice grass in our yard that made for a beautiful and comfortable lawn.  It was called St. Augustine grass.  Occasionally, a foreign invader would appear - Johnsongrass - and it had to be uprooted fast before it multiplied.  The memorable thing about Johnsongrass is that it was so very difficult to uproot.  It hung on so tenaciously to the soil that it was impossible to pull up by hand.  You had to actually take a spade and dig the thing out of the ground. 

This is how false ideologies take hold in a person's mind.  Erroneous ideas, once rooted, are very, very difficult (and sometimes impossible) to eradicate.  And one always leads to another, and another, and another until, if left in place, it takes over the entire lawn.  And just like the Johnsongrass, it can prove to be poisonous.

From where I sit, Zionism is the spiritual equivalent of Johnsongrass.  Sure, it's a grass, but you still don't want it growing in your lawn.  It is itself unsightly and even more so when mixed in together with the traditional lawn grass.  It adds nothing, but it takes away much.

Johnsongrass is very detrimental to other grasses and crops. It is an aggressive, invasive weed that outcompetes desirable forage and native grasses by blocking their sunlight, stealing water and nutrients, and spreading rapidly through a massive network of underground roots and seeds.

Under stress, johnsongrass can become poisonous and produce toxic amounts of prussic acid (cyanide) following frost, drought or physical stress such as from trampling. All livestock are susceptible to cyanide poisoning, but ruminant animals are the most susceptible. Cyanide is rapidly active in cattle and can cause symptoms within five minutes after ingesting. Death can occur in as little as 15 minutes or within a few hours. Additionally, the plant can accumulate high nitrate levels and produce nitrate poisoning in sheep and cattle. The plant could develop high nitrate levels after fertilization and during drought. Horses should never graze johnsongrass because of the potential for sorghum cystitis, which can eventually cause permanent damage to a horse’s spinal cord.

Native to Turkey, the grass was introduced in the southeastern U.S. in South Carolina in the early 1800s. Johnsongrass is named after Colonel William Johnson, who planted the species on his river bottom farm in Alabama around 1840. Since its introduction, the grass has spread throughout the southern U.S. and is now listed as a noxious weed in 46 states. It is so highly invasive and yield-limiting in crops that it ranks as one of the 10 worst weeds in the world.  (Source)

The very fact that there are Chr*stian Zionists and Arab Zionists is a good clue that Zionism is not Jewish.  But, it IS Israeli!  The IDF is not a Jewish army, but it is the Israeli army.  The Knesset is not a Jewish institution, but it is Israeli.

The Zionists did not create a Jewish State here, but they did create an Israeli State - not Judea, but Israel!  And it is a nation of a mixture of Jews and gentiles - Chr*stians, Muslims, and many others.  Its laws and values are Western-oriented and disconnected from the Torah of the Jews.

What is Religious Zionism then but Zionism practiced religiously!!!!

Those who practice this hybrid religion would have you believe that everyone who is anti-Zionist is an enemy of the Jews.  That's a clump of Johnsongrass growing in your brain.  

ALL of the "-isms" will eventually be uprooted and cast into a heap for destruction.  Torah, and the Jews who faithfully cling to it, are all that's eternal.

The Sound of Elul

3 Elul 5786

Slichot prayers began today...

Adon Haselichot אדון הסליחות

(See First Night of Slichot at the Western Wall)

"The Alien, Non-Jewish Opposition to 'Religious Coercion'”

1 Elul 5786
Rosh Chodesh/Erev Shabbat Kodesh
Parashat Shoftim 

(Excerpted from The Jewish State - Rabbi Meir Kahane)

...The Jewish government, the king and the police apparatus were mainly intended to run the Jewish State as a theocracy in accordance with G-d's mitzvot.  Regarding the verse, “Appoint yourselves judges and police [officers] (Deut. 16:18), R. Eliezer ben Shamua says (Sifri, Shoftim, 144), “If there are police, there are judges. If there are no police, there are no judges.”  The intent is clear: If there are police to enforce the judge's Torah rulings, then the judges' word will endure.  Otherwise, it is as though there are no judges.  Their rulings are then nothing but a farce.  In essence, G-d commanded that there be governmental coercion so as to ensure that the people follow G-d's path.  G-d scornfully cast off of Himself and of us the alien non-Jewish opposition to “religious coercion”, opposition that is nothing but rebellion against G-d and His decrees.  Sefer haChinuch wrote (Mitzvah 491): To appoint judges and policemen who will coerce mitzvah observance and restore to it by force those who have strayed from the truth.  They will command regarding what is appropriate to do and will prevent unsavory acts from occurring, and they will uphold punishments against violators until people cease to relate to the mitzvot and prohibitions according to how they personally interpret them. This concept stands in absolute opposition to the alien culture and to the licentiousness and abominations at its core.

...For Jacob, however, there is only one truth, and it does not matter whether the whole world differs with it, because it is impossible to decide against the truth.  Even if, to our great chagrin, most of Israel choose falsehood over Torah, that does not matter, since Jacob already has the truth.  Thus, it is explicit that among Israel there is just one viewpoint, that of Torah; and even if a majority of the Jewish People differ with it, their view is considered deviant and is discounted.  A great rabbi once gave a reason for this: The law is that we do not follow the majority when there is testimony for the opposing view; and since Israel saw the Sinai Revelation with their own eyes, confirming G-d's existence, no majority in the world could decide anything against this testimony (See Torah Shlemah, Shemot, 23, se'if katan 38).  R. Chama's comment[...] - “If one of them sins, it is attributed to them all” (Midrash HaGadol, Shemot, 1:5) - ...] serves to establish the other side of the rule that there is one truth, and not two.  Not only must the righteous minority not surrender to or tolerate the erring majority, but they have a duty to protest against them.  Not only must they not accept their viewpoint, but they must also demand that they correct their error and accept G-d's viewpoint.  The mutual responsibility which exists among the Jewish People requires every Jew to share in the fate of his fellow; and if he does not protest the sins of the individual, let alone those of the community, he, too, will be punished.

Do you see any wiggle room here that would allow a Torah-observant Jew to actually vote his support for any non-Torah observant leader or party?

The thinking of the vast majority of Jews in this generation, especially in Eretz Yisrael in regard to the State, is so corrupted, that the vast majority measure the worth of a leadership candidate by his adherence to right-wing ideology rather than how strictly he conforms to the Torah ideal.  

The tragedy of our times is that very few Jews can see how unworthy we are of redemption right now.  How many of us are ready and willing to accept everything that the Torah demands of us without argument or disagreement or complaint.

Elul is the perfect time to work on getting this right.

~ SHABBAT SHALOM and CHODESH TOV ~

"Crisis" in Qusra

30 Menachem Av 5786
Rosh Chodesh

Huckabee fancies himself the Roman Governor of the District of Palestine...  Maybe he is a gilgul of Pontius Pilate.  

Note how he is really pushing that "terrorist" label for Jewish self-defense!!

* * *

'Israeli terrorists': Why the Qusra controversy angered the US

The roots of the crisis

At the center of the current controversy is the Tel Talpiot outpost, near the Palestinian villages of Qusra and Jalud. The outpost has been evacuated several times over the past two years, but each time settlers returned to the site and reestablished it.

The latest escalation began in recent days, when the settlers went beyond simply returning to the original outpost site and began expanding their presence. They erected tents very close to homes in Qusra, including one directly on a Palestinian access path. Local residents said the new Israeli presence had frightened them and, in practice, restricted the movement of several families.

IDF response

The IDF responded forcefully. Even before the tents were evacuated, the IDF Spokesperson issued an unusually severe statement describing the settlers' actions as "illegal, reprehensible and unacceptable activity that harms the residents of the villages and the fabric of their lives."

In response to the tensions, the IDF took several significant steps.

A closed military zone order was imposed on the area, barring entry to anyone who was not a local resident. On Wednesday, IDF and Border Police forces arrived at the site, closed down the tent erected on the access path and evacuated the position. The military also decided to reinforce the sector with an additional infantry battalion in an effort to restore order and operational control and prevent further incidents, while placing additional forces on alert.

Troubling incidents on the ground

The events in Qusra also included several other problematic incidents. Footage circulated in recent days showed soldiers who had arrived at the site praying together with settlers inside one of the tents. The IDF said the incident was under review and made clear that if reserve or active-duty soldiers were found to have participated in illegal activity, they would face disciplinary action.

The US angle

Huckabee's comments have now added an extraordinary diplomatic dimension to what had been a local incident. The US ambassador, long identified with strong support for Israel and the settlement movement, used the highly charged term "Israeli terrorists" and disclosed that the US Embassy had approached Israeli authorities and asked them to remove those involved.

...The Qusra incident, which began with the reestablishment and expansion of an outpost that had previously been evacuated, has thus become an issue involving both the IDF and the US Embassy in Israel.

* * * 

Further: Diplomatic Clash Over A Shed In The Shomron:

Residents Reject “Siege” Claim; Huckabee Issues Harsh Statement

The media has been in an uproar for several days over an Arab from the murderous Palestinian village of Qusra who claims that “settlers are laying siege to his home.” The incident has developed into a major diplomatic clash, especially since one of the members of the Palestinian family holds US citizenship. 

...It should be noted that the Palestinian homeowner at the center of the incident has been involved in multiple violent attacks on Jews.

Local Jewish residents reject the account that the house is under siege and argue that the picture being presented in the media and on social media is partial and detached from the security and regional context on the ground.

A source familiar with the details told JDN News that the house in question is not located within the built-up area of Qusra, but in a remote location on Jabal Ein Eina, which overlooks the entire Shiloh bloc and is considered a strategically significant point in the area. According to the source, the scattered Palestinian structures in the area were built as part of an effort by the Palestinian Authority and nearby villages to establish a foothold on the strategic mountain.

“There was no siege whatsoever on the house,” the source said, saying that the structure was erected nearby for Jewish shepherds to use for shade during the summer. He added that the residents of the house were able to enter and leave and that no one prevented their movement.

It's well worth reading the whole long article.  Some reports remark on the "surprise" experienced by Huckabee's strong reaction considering his "love for Israel" and "support for the settlement enterprise."

This is not the first time we've seen this.  Have we already so soon forgotten the "burned church" blood libel that he condemned and never corrected once the facts were out?

The fact is that all of our Eisavian "friends" only "love" and "support" us as long as we look like them. talk like them, behave like them and take our orders from them and never attempt to exceed the limitations they impose on us.

* * *

~ CHODESH TOV UMEVORACH ~ 

The Sins of Spain

29 Menachem Av 5786
Erev Rosh Chodesh
Yom Kippur Katan

"...Arise, O Jerusalem, you who has drunk from the hand of Hashem the cup of His fury, the phial of the cup of stupefaction have you drunk, have you drained.  

...Behold!  I have taken from your hand the cup of stupefaction, the phial of the cup of My fury; no longer shall you drink from it again.  But I will put it into the hand of your tormentors, who have said to you, 'Prostrate yourself, that we may step over you,' who set your body as the ground and as the street for wayfarers."  (Haftarat Shoftim, Yeshayahu 51.17, 22-23) 

The Alhambra Decree (1492 Edict of Expulsion)

...issued on 31 March 1492 by the joint Catholic Monarchs of Spain, Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon, ordering the expulsion of unconverted Jews from the Crowns of Castile and Aragon and its territories and possessions by 31 July of that year.  Its primary purpose was to minimize the influence of the remaining Jews on Spain's large converso New Christian population, converted from Judaism, to minimize the possibility that the latter and their descendants would be able to secretly practice their former faith.

Over half of Spain's Jews had converted as a result of the religious persecution and pogroms which occurred in 1391.  Due to continuing attacks, around 50,000 more had converted by 1415.  A further number of those remaining chose to convert to avoid expulsion. As a result of the Alhambra Decree and persecution in the years leading up to the expulsion of Spain's estimated 300,000 Jewish origin population, a total of over 200,000 had converted to Catholicism in order to remain in Spain, and between 40,000 and 100,000 remained Jewish and suffered expulsion.  An unknown number of the expelled eventually succumbed to the pressures of life in exile away from formerly-Jewish relatives and networks back in Spain, and so converted to Catholicism to be allowed to return in the years following expulsion.

The Spanish Inquisition

The Tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition ... was authorized by Pope Sixtus IV in 1478 and the first inquisitors, Miguel de Morillo and Juan de San Martín, were appointed by the future Catholic Monarchs, King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile, in 1480.  Although its stated aim was to maintain Christian orthodoxy, it became an effective instrument of state power by replacing the Medieval Inquisition, which was under Papal control.  Over the course of the Inquisition, the Inquisition prosecuted an estimated 150,000 people for various offences.  Of these, an estimated 3,000–5,000 were turned over to the state for execution, particularly in the initial 50 years, mostly by burning at the stake. Other punishments included penance and public flogging, exile, enslavement on galleys, and prison terms ranging from several years to life imprisonment.  According to Joseph Pérez an important aspect of many of these punishments was the profit motive confiscation of all the victims' property.  The Inquisition was originally intended primarily to identify heretics among those who converted from Judaism and Islam to Catholicism. The regulation of the faith of newly converted Catholics intensified following the royal decrees issued in 1492 and 1502 ordering Jews and Muslims to either convert to Catholicism, leave Castile or face death.  Hundreds of thousands of forced conversions, torture and executions, the persecution of conversos and moriscos, and the mass expulsions of Jews and Muslims from Spain all followed.  An estimated 40,000–100,000 Jews were expelled in 1492.  Conversos were subjected to blood purity statutes (limpieza de sangre), which introduced racially-based discrimination and antisemitism, lasting into the 19th and 20th centuries.  The inquisition expanded to other domains under the Spanish Crown,....

Current Relations With the State of Israel 

Spain’s official position on Israel is highly critical, characterized by a major diplomatic rupture and a sharp condemnation of Israel's military actions. Under Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Spain has positioned itself as one of the most vocal opponents of Israel within the European Union, moving from early support for Israel’s right to self-defense to direct diplomatic confrontation. 

The official stance is defined by several core policies and recent actions:

Permanent Diplomatic Downgrade

Ambassador Withdrawal:  In March 2026, Spain officially withdrew its ambassador to Israel. The Spanish Embassy in Tel Aviv, alongside the Israeli Embassy in Madrid, is now permanently downgraded and led only by a chargé d'affaires. 

Rejection of Military Operations: Spain has officially condemned Israeli military campaigns in Gaza, Lebanon, and its early-2026 strikes on Iran, labeling them as flagrant violations of international law.

Comprehensive Sanctions and Embargoes

Total Arms Embargo: Spain maintains a strict and total arms embargo against Israel. This policy prohibits the sale or transfer of weapons and bars any third-party ship or aircraft carrying arms destined for Israel from utilizing Spanish ports or airspace.

EU Partnership Suspension: Spain, alongside Ireland, has officially petitioned the European Union to suspend its Association Agreement with Israel. Spain argues that Israel is breaching the human rights clauses embedded in the EU-Israel trade and cooperation pact.

Support for Palestinian Sovereignty

Two-State Solution: Spain’s foreign policy centers heavily on a two-state solution. Following its formal recognition of a Palestinian State in May 2024, Spain advocates for Palestinian self-determination and demands an immediate, unconditional ceasefire accompanied by unfettered humanitarian access.

Opposition to Settlements: Madrid heavily penalizes and condemns Israeli settler actions in the West Bank and opposes legislative actions like potential applications of the death penalty by the Israeli parliament.

Now, they are being called to account
 and judgment is being rendered... 

Spain has faced a relentless series of devastating natural disasters in 2026, alternating between historic winter flooding and unprecedented summer wildfires fueled by extreme heat waves.

The chronologically ordered list below covers the major disasters that have struck the country this year:

Winter Floods and Winter Storms (January – February 2026)

Following a heavily unstable start to the year, a sequence of severe atmospheric river events and named storms battered the Iberian Peninsula.

Late-December to Early-January Floods: Successive storm systems dumped intense rainfall over southern and eastern Spain, leading to severe flooding that damaged critical infrastructure in Málaga, Murcia, and the Valencian Community, resulting in three deaths.

Storm Francis (Early January): Hit already-saturated catchments in Andalusia, compounding the flood risk and severely damaging roadways.

The Late-January Severe Weather Front (Early February): A widespread system brought heavy rainfall, high wind gusts, and coastal floods to 33 provinces. High tides in Galicia produced waves up to 8 meters, while flooding triggered at least 30 major road closures in Cádiz.

Storms Kristin and Leonardo (Late January – Early February): Storm Leonardo alone forced the mass evacuation of over 11,000 people across southern Spain due to rapidly rising waters. 

Storm Marta (February 2026): Moving immediately behind Leonardo, Storm Marta dropped another wave of torrential rain over Andalusia, causing catastrophic agricultural damage to thousands of hectares of winter crops.

Extreme Heatwaves and Sahara Heat Dome (June – August 2026)

Historic June–July Heatwaves: Multiple consecutive heatwaves pushed hot, dry air masses from North Africa across mainland Spain, shattering historical temperature benchmarks. 

Record July Temperatures: According to the national weather agency, AEMET, July 2026 stood as mainland Spain's joint-hottest month since data collection began in 1961. Thermometers regularly spiked past 40°C to 45°C (104°F to 113°F). 

Saharan Dust ("Calima"): The extreme temperatures were worsened by recurring massive plumes of Saharan dust, causing severely degraded air quality and unsafe respiratory conditions nationwide. 

Historic Summer Wildfires (July – August 2026)

Supercharged by the country's driest July on record (only 26% of normal rainfall), explosive wildfires have consumed between 150,000 to 244,000 hectares of land, making 2026 one of Spain's deadliest fire seasons in decades.

The Almería Disaster (Early July): A fast-moving, devastating wildfire swept through the Almería province in Andalusia, killing 14 people and triggering a massive rescue operation.

Guadalajara Fire (Mid-July): A sweeping wildfire in the Sierra Norte Natural Park consumed over 32,000 hectares of protected land.

Madrid and Ávila National Emergency (Late July): Massive fires (such as the Burgohondo blaze) merged and threatened to expand out of control, prompting the Spanish government to declare a National Emergency. The fires forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of residents across towns like Villa del Prado and Navas del Rey.

August Blazes (Castellón, Segovia, and Huelva): In early August, new level-two severity fires broke out. In Castellón, over 700 people were abruptly evacuated due to heavy smoke, while wind gusts in Niebla (Huelva) pushed fires completely beyond the firefighting crew's ability to contain them.

Severe Storms and Flash Weather

While the dominant narrative is dry heat, the atmosphere has remained highly volatile. Spain has faced recurring bouts of severe weather and violent thunderstorms. These sudden, localized thermal storms have brought destructive lightning strikes—which have exacerbated the wildfire crisis—along with flash flooding and high wind gusts that have severely hampered firefighting efforts.

Solar Eclipse Threat: With a highly anticipated total solar eclipse occurring over Spain, authorities have deployed 35,000 emergency officers and closed down natural parks in regions like Valencia to prevent an influx of tourists from inadvertently sparking new disasters.

Major 2026 Border and Migration Crisis

In late July, Spain was hit by an unprecedented border breach in its North African enclave, Ceuta.

The Influx: Between July 30 and July 31, an estimated 70,000 to 80,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into Ceuta. Most individuals entered by swimming around breakwaters or walking along the shoreline after Moroccan border patrols temporarily ceased.

Tragic Toll: The chaotic crossing resulted in the deaths of over 100 people who drowned in the Mediterranean.

The Catalyst: Spanish authorities blamed human trafficking networks that weaponized a recent Spanish Supreme Court ruling (which limited immediate deportations for migrants intercepted at sea) by spreading false social media claims that anyone reaching Ceuta could legally stay.  (Source: Gemini search)

Soon Spain will be "crossed" off the list.

It couldn't happen to a more deserving people.

Transitional Upheaval - A New World Is Being Born

28 Menachem Av 5786 

Connect the dots...

Mount Etna's Sliding Into The Sea Could Trigger Deadly Tsunamis, Scientists Warn

For thousands of years, the chief danger of Europe's most active volcano has been the threat of something akin to hellfire. In the future, the peril could be the exact opposite: water.

That's because Mount Etna, on the Italian island of Sicily, is slowly, inevitably sliding into the Mediterranean Sea – a creeping movement scientists have observed for decades. But new research suggests this colossal phenomenon could be a greater hazard than anyone realised.

"The entire slope is in motion due to gravity," explains geophysicist Heidrun Kopp from the Geomar Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research in Germany.

"It is therefore quite possible that it could collapse catastrophically, which could trigger a tsunami in the entire Mediterranean."

Heralding the Beginning of
the Forty Days of Awe

MEGA TSUNAMI OBLITERATES
THE MEDITERRANEAN

It would take approximately 3.5 hours for a tsunami triggered by a Mount Etna landslide to reach the coast of Israel.

In the event of a Mediterranean-wide tsunami triggered by a Mount Etna flank collapse, the water would realistically travel between 300 meters and 1.5 kilometers (roughly 0.2 to 1 mile) inland across most of Israel's modern coastline.

How far the water penetrates depends heavily on the specific coastal topography, the height of the incoming wave, and the presence of river inlets.  (Source: Gemini)

Where Does the Truth Stand?

27 Menachem Av 5786 

There are two extremes at war for the soul of mankind. 

Truth is found in the balance between the two.

Torah Judaism is less "free" than Chr*stianity, but also less restrictive than Islam.  Modest dress is a good example.  In Chr*stian countries, people often appear on the public streets with very little clothing.  On the other hand, in Muslim countries, you can see women wearing a virtual tent with not one cm of skin exposed.  Torah Judaism exhibits the moderation that Truth provides.  The limits of exposure are detailed in Torah law which was revealed to the Jews by the Creator at Har Sinai.  And then, we were exhorted not to add to or subtract from this revelation and were given the mandate to be the "light to the nations" - the radiating light of Truth as lived out in the Land of Israel.

The Creator allows the extremes to exist in order to give human beings a choice.  After all, making choices is what life in this world is all about.  But what happens to the world when the light of Truth is dimmed down by the defection of its own torchbearers.  Suddenly, the choice is between two falsehoods and Truth can't be found.  Confusion reigns and chaos results.

By trading Torah Judaism in for Zionism and building a "state like all the nations" in the Holy Land; portraying Israel as the protector and defender of "The West" - another lie has been created.  Or more correctly, yet another religion has been created meant to undermine whatever Truth remains.  

Loyalty to the Sinai Covenant is no longer the measure of Truth, but loyalty and fealty to the Zionist State, chas v'shalom.  

On the soul level, humanity understands this and it is this failure that is driving the hatred for Israel around the world.  The nations are calling for the destruction of the Zionist State and rightfully so.  We have the power to actually do it - to replace it with the Torah-prescribed Kingdom of God that all of humanity desperately wants in their heart of hearts.  It's up to us to show them the way, but right now we appear to have become lost.  

The biggest hurdle is that very few of our people even know that have wandered off the path and fewer still will agree to acknowledge it when it is pointed out.  So we suffer and the world suffers with us.  The blind leading the blind and staggering into each other, falling down, most never able to get back up on their feet again.

So where does it end?  Mashiach can come today - if we will but listen to Hashem's voice in His Torah.  Do what He has commanded without any calculation but to obey and He will deliver us!!

* * *

The statement that truth will be missing at the End of Days appears in the Babylonian Talmud (tractate Sanhedrin 97a) and the Mishnah (tractate Sotah 9:15), quoting the biblical verse from Isaiah 59:15.

Primary Textual Sources

Babylonian Talmud (Sanhedrin 97a): Discusses the signs preceding the arrival of the Messiah, noting: "And the truth will be lacking [or missing], as it is stated: 'And the truth is lacking, and he who departs from evil is negated.'"

Mishnah (Sotah 9:15): Lists the chilling conditions of the generation just before the Messiah, stating that "truth will be absent."

Hebrew Bible (Isaiah 59:15): The original prophetic root text reads, "And the truth is lacking [ne’ederet], and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey."

Traditional Explanations

The Flocks of Truth: The Talmud explains the phrase "truth is lacking" (ne'ederet) by noting the interpretation from the school of Rav: truth will splinter into separate herds or flocks (adarim) and walk away from each other, meaning people will no longer see a unified standard of truth.

Perception of Righteousness: The commentary explains that "he who departs from evil is negated" means anyone who tries to act honestly or stay away from wrongdoing will be viewed by society as a fool or insane.   (Source: Gemini search)