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If you're thinking of converting to Judaism: Completion of the Intro Program fulfills the learning requirements for conversion of the Rabbinical Assembly of America. Once you finish the course requirements and secure a sponsoring rabbi, you are eligible to become officially part of the Jewish People. If you're already Jewish: Whether you were born Jewish but never quite learned what it’s all about, you’re back after a long hiatus, or you’re just looking for a deeper understanding of your heritage, most of us could use a bit of a refresher. Jews from all walks of life enroll in the program: from people who had a Jewish day school education to those whose strongest connection was the annual box of matza on the kitchen counter. Topic: 2022 Miller Introduction to Judaism Sundays, Starting January 23, 2022 Time: 11:45 AM – 1:15 PM Pacific Time Join Zoom Meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89104655894?pwd=MHZ5clB6alBzYjBMZkIzWXllcndiZz09 Meeting ID: 891 0465 5894 Passcode: 228084

Parashat Bo 5786 / פָּרָשַׁת בֹּא 24 January 2026  / 6 Sh’vat 5786 10-Minute Torah on YouTube Parashat Bo is the 15th weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading. Torah Portion: Exodus 10:1-13:16 Bo (“Come”) recounts the last three plagues that God inflicts on the Egyptians: locusts, d arkness, and death of firstborns. God commands the Israelites to offer a Passover lamb sacrifice. After the last plague, Pharaoh and the Egyptians demand that the Israelites leave. [1] Triennial year 1 1: 10:1-3  · 3 p’sukim                p. 248 2: 10:4-6  · 3 p’sukim                p. 248 - 249 3: 10:7-11  · 5 p’sukim    p. 249 4: 10:12-15  · 4 p’sukim            p. 249 - 250 5: 10:16-23  · 8 p’sukim            p. 250 - 251 6: 10:24-29  · 6 p’sukim            p. 251 - 252 7: 11:1-3  · 3 p’sukim                p. 252 maf: 13:14-16  · 3 p’sukim        p. 262 Haftarah: Jeremiah 46:13-28  · 16 p’sukim  p. 263 - 264 Commentary and Divrei Torah   Sefaria     OU Torah     Rabbi Sacks z”l      Jewish Theological Seminary   So, it took ten plagues to convince Pharaoh to let Israel leave the bondage of Egypt.  These are the last three: locusts, darkness and finally, the killing of the first born.  Not a household was left without a death.  Except Pharaoh, who himself was a first born.  He was spared to see the results of his stubbornness and ego.   Or was it the other way around?  Was his ego that caused his stubbornness?  How many of us have refused to relent a situation because of how bad we thought it would make us look?  How many of us looked at a situation in which we were involved, knew either very apparently or perhaps slightly that we were wrong.  We want to make amends but how is the other party going to react? What happens if we apologize or admit we were wrong and that person uses that vulnerability to demean and castigate us?   Consider Pharaoh.  He was king of Egypt, exploiting his power, using it to enslave Israel.  Of course he thought he was better than his subjects, a god even.  How would Egypt have reacted if he had relented and let us go?  Ultimately it would have made him look weak to his people and perhaps invited a coup. Such is the nature of politics and human behavior.   Let’s consider Pharaoh’s actions against our own.  The best way to avoid tentative situations is to not let them happen in the first place.  Let’s monitor our behavior as best we can so in times of challenges, our integrity testifies to our moral and ethical behavior.   Parashat Bo 5786 / פָּרָשַׁת בֹּא 24 de enero de 2026 / 6 de Sh’vat 5786   Parashat Bo es la decimoquinta porción semanal de la Torá en el ciclo anual judío de lectura de la Torá. Porción de la Torá: Éxodo 10:1-13:16 Bo (“Ven”) relata las últimas tres plagas que Dios inflige a los egipcios: langostas, oscuridad y la muerte de los primogénitos. Dios ordena a los israelitas que ofrezcan un sacrificio de cordero de Pascua. Después de la última plaga, el Faraón y los egipcios exigen que los israelitas se vayan. [1] Año trienal 1 1: 10:1-3 · 3 versículos                 pág. 248 2: 10:4-6 · 3 versículos                 pág. 248 - 249 3: 10:7-11 · 5 versículos               pág. 249 4: 10:12-15 · 4 versículos             pág. 249 - 250 5: 10:16-23 · 8 versículos             pág. 250 - 251 6: 10:24-29 · 6 versículos             pág. 251 - 252 7: 11:1-3 · 3 versículos                 pág. 252 maf: 13:14-16 · 3 versículos         pág. 262 Haftará: Jeremías 46:13-28 · 16 versículos       pág. 263 - 264 Comentario y Divrei Torá   Sefaria   OU Torah   Rabino Sacks z”l    Seminario Teológico Judío   Así pues, hicieron falta diez plagas para convencer al Faraón de que dejara salir a Israel de la esclavitud de Egipto. Estas son las últimas tres: las langostas, la oscuridad y, finalmente, la muerte de los primogénitos. No quedó ni un solo hogar sin una muerte. Excepto el del Faraón, que también era primogénito. Él se salvó para presenciar las consecuencias de su terquedad y su ego.   ¿O fue al revés? ¿Fue su ego lo que causó su terquedad? ¿Cuántos de nosotros nos hemos negado a ceder en una situación por miedo a cómo nos verían los demás? ¿Cuántos de nosotros, ante una situación en la que estábamos involucrados, sabíamos, de forma evidente o quizás sutil, que estábamos equivocados? Queremos enmendar el error, pero ¿cómo reaccionará la otra persona? ¿Qué sucede si nos disculpamos o admitimos nuestro error y esa persona usa nuestra vulnerabilidad para humillarnos y castigarnos?   Consideremos al Faraón. Era rey de Egipto, abusaba de su poder, usándolo para esclavizar a Israel. Por supuesto, se creía superior a sus súbditos, incluso un dios. ¿Cómo habría reaccionado Egipto si hubiera cedido y nos hubiera dejado ir? En última instancia, lo habría hecho parecer débil ante su pueblo y quizás habría provocado un golpe de estado. Tal es la naturaleza de la política y del comportamiento humano.   Consideremos las acciones del Faraón en comparación con las nuestras. La mejor manera de evitar situaciones difíciles es no permitir que ocurran en primer lugar. Monitoreamos nuestro comportamiento lo mejor que podamos para que, en momentos de desafío, nuestra integridad dé testimonio de nuestra conducta moral y ética.

Parashat Vaera 5786 / פָּרָשַׁת וָאֵרָא 17 January 2026  / 28 Tevet 5786 10-Minute Torah on YouTube Parashat Vaera is the 14th weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading. Torah Portion: Exodus 6:2-9:35 Vaera (“I Appeared”) opens as God promises to redeem the enslaved Israelites and bring them to the Promised Land. When Pharaoh repeatedly refuses to let the Israelites go, God sends a series of plagues: water turning to blood, frogs, lice, wild animals, death of livestock, boils, and hail. [1] Triennial year 1 1: 6:2-5  · 4 p’sukim  p. 232 - 233 2: 6:6-9  · 4 p’sukim  p. 233 3: 6:10-13  · 4 p’sukim  p. 233 - 234 4: 6:14-19  · 6 p’sukim  p. 234 5: 6:20-25  · 6 p’sukim  p. 234 - 235 6: 6:26-28  · 3 p’sukim  p. 235 7: 6:29-7:7  · 9 p’sukim  p. 235 - 236 maf: 9:33-35  · 3 p’sukim  p. 244 Haftarah: Ezekiel 28:25-29:21  · 23 p’sukim   p. 244 - 247 Commentary and Divrei Torah   Sefaria     OU Torah     Rabbi Sacks z”l     Jewish Theological Seminary Now we see the start of the plagues, “signs and wonders”, to compel the Pharaoh to release Israel from bondage.  At the end of our last portion, Moses complains and rebukes (yes, the audacity to rebuke) Hashem putting Moses in the awkward position of confronting Pharaoh, who has made life worse for the Israelites.  Hashem says to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh”.  Hashem now discusses with Moses how Abraham, Isaac and Jacob did not know Him by His Name.  Well, yes they did.  They knew “Hashem”, and some of the other of G-d’s “names”.  What they didn’t know was how that applied and what His “Name” really meant. These signs and wonders are now verification that this G-d who Pharaoh did not know, really is.  That is the one true G-d of the Universe.  And Pharaoh, and the rest of the world, will see who their idols and gods of wood and stone do not compare to the might and majesty of Hashem.  This is really what Hashem is showing Pharaoh. And what Hashem shows us every day. Parashat Vaera 5786 / פָּרָשַׁת וָאֵרָא 17 de enero de 2026 / 28 de Tevet 5786 Torá en 10 minutos en YouTube Parashat Vaera es la decimocuarta porción semanal de la Torá en el ciclo judío anual de lectura de la Torá. Porción de la Torá: Éxodo 6:2-9:35 Vaera (“Me aparecí”) comienza con la promesa de Dios de redimir a los israelitas esclavizados y llevarlos a la Tierra Prometida. Cuando el Faraón se niega repetidamente a dejar ir a los israelitas, Dios envía una serie de plagas: el agua se convierte en sangre, ranas, piojos, animales salvajes, muerte del ganado, úlceras y granizo. [1] Año trienal 1 1: 6:2-5 · 4 versículos pág. 232 - 233 2: 6:6-9 · 4 versículos pág. 233 3: 6:10-13 · 4 versículos pág. 233 - 234 4: 6:14-19 · 6 versículos pág. 234 5: 6:20-25 · 6 versículos pág. 234 - 235 6: 6:26-28 · 3 versículos pág. 235 7: 6:29-7:7 · 9 versículos pág. 235 - 236 maf: 9:33-35 · 3 versículos pág. 244 Haftará: Ezequiel 28:25-29:21 · 23 versículos pág. 244 - 247 Comentario y Divrei Torá Sefaria OU Torah Rabino Sacks z”l Seminario Teológico Judío Ahora vemos el comienzo de las plagas, "señales y prodigios", para obligar al Faraón a liberar a Israel de la esclavitud. Al final de nuestra porción anterior, Moisés se queja y reprende (sí, la audacia de reprender) a Hashem, lo que coloca a Moisés en la incómoda posición de confrontar al Faraón, quien ha empeorado la vida de los israelitas. Hashem le dice a Moisés: "Ahora verás lo que haré con el Faraón". Hashem ahora conversa con Moisés sobre cómo Abraham, Isaac y Jacob no lo conocieron por Su Nombre. Bueno, sí lo conocían. Conocían a "Hashem" y algunos de los otros "nombres" de Dios. Lo que no sabían era cómo se aplicaba esto y qué significaba realmente Su "Nombre". Estas señales y prodigios son ahora la verificación de que este Dios que el Faraón no conocía, realmente existe. Él es el único Dios verdadero del Universo. Y el Faraón, y el resto del mundo, verán que sus ídolos y dioses de madera y piedra no se comparan con el poder y la majestad de Hashem. Esto es realmente lo que Hashem le está mostrando al Faraón. Y lo que Hashem nos muestra todos los días.

Parashat Shemot 5786 / פָּרָשַׁת שְׁמוֹת 10 January 2026  / 21 Tevet 5786 10-Minute Torah on YouTube Parashat Shemot is the 13th weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading. Torah Portion: Exodus 1:1-6:1 Shemot (“Names”) is the first Torah reading in the Book of Exodus. It opens describing the enslavement of the Israelites in Egypt. Moses is born, placed in a basket on the Nile, and adopted into Pharaoh’s household. He later encounters God at a burning bush and begins his mission of demanding that Pharaoh let the Israelites go. [1] Triennial year 1 1: 1:1-7  · 7 p’sukim  p. 206 2: 1:8-12  · 5 p’sukim  p. 206 - 208 3: 1:13-17  · 5 p’sukim  p. 208 4: 1:18-22  · 5 p’sukim  p. 208 - 209 5: 2:1-10  · 10 p’sukim  p. 209 - 211 6: 2:11-15  · 5 p’sukim  p. 211 - 212 7: 2:16-25  · 10 p’sukim  p. 212 - 213 maf: 5:22-6:1  · 3 p’sukim  p. 224 Haftarah for Ashkenazim: Isaiah 27:6-28:13 , 29:22-23  · 23 p’sukim  p. 225 - 228 Commentary and Divrei Torah   Sefaria   OU Torah      Rabbi Sacks z”l       Jewish Theological Seminary Our second book of Torah starts out with a recounting of those who came from Canaan to Egypt.  These were the sons of Jacob, who would be the ancestors of their respective tribes.  While Torah is called the five Books of Moses, it is really only here, in the second book that we meet him. The narrative then quickly turns to the task at hand.  A new Pharaoh arose that did not know Joseph.  Some believe that it was a new dynasty that was native to Egypt that overthrew the previous dynasty of outside conquerors.  Others believe it was a new king who was ambitious or a king who did know Joseph and needed an enemy to strengthen his power. In any case, things got really bad for Israel. Unfortunately, this has become a familiar story, where some countries have welcomed or at least tolerated Jews, but then the situation changed when new governments took hold.  Spain is an example.  There was a golden age when Judaism flourished and Kabbalah was developed.  Jews also flourished in many Arab countries, like Egypt, the home of Maimonides.  However, like the burning bush, we have all persevered.  When situations look bleak, Hashem sees to it that we are saved.  Let this give us comfort in these troubling times. Parashat Shemot 5786 / פָּרָשַׁת שְׁמוֹת 10 de enero de 2026 / 21 de Tevet de 5786 Parashat Shemot es la decimotercera porción semanal de la Torá en el ciclo judío anual de lectura de la Torá. Porción de la Torá: Éxodo 1:1-6:1 Shemot (“Nombres”) es la primera lectura de la Torá en el Libro del Éxodo. Comienza describiendo la esclavitud de los israelitas en Egipto. Moisés nace, es colocado en una cesta en el Nilo y adoptado por la familia del faraón. Más tarde, se encuentra con Dios en la zarza ardiente y comienza su misión de exigirle al faraón que deje ir a los israelitas. [1] Año trienal 1 1: 1:1-7 · 7 versículos pág. 206 2: 1:8-12 · 5 versículos pág. 206 - 208 3: 1:13-17 · 5 versículos pág. 208 4: 1:18-22 · 5 versículos pág. 208 - 209 5: 2:1-10 · 10 versículos pág. 209 - 211 6: 2:11-15 · 5 versículos pág. 211 - 212 7: 2:16-25 · 10 versículos pág. 212 - 213 maf: 5:22-6:1 · 3 versículos pág. 224 Haftará para los asquenazíes: Isaías 27:6-28:13, 29:22-23 · 23 versículos pág. 225-228 Nuestro segundo libro de la Torá comienza con el relato de quienes llegaron de Canaán a Egipto. Estos eran los hijos de Jacob, quienes serían los ancestros de sus respectivas tribus. Si bien la Torá se conoce como los cinco Libros de Moisés, es realmente aquí, en el segundo libro, donde lo conocemos. La narración se centra rápidamente en la situación actual. Un nuevo faraón subió al trono, uno que no conocía a José. Algunos creen que se trataba de una nueva dinastía nativa de Egipto que derrocó a la dinastía anterior de conquistadores extranjeros. Otros creen que era un nuevo rey ambicioso o un rey que sí conocía a José y necesitaba un enemigo para fortalecer su poder. En cualquier caso, las cosas empeoraron mucho para Israel. Desafortunadamente, esta se ha convertido en una historia recurrente: algunos países han acogido o al menos tolerado a los judíos, pero luego la situación cambió cuando nuevos gobiernos tomaron el poder. España es un ejemplo. Hubo una edad de oro en la que el judaísmo floreció y se desarrolló la Cábala. Los judíos también prosperaron en muchos países árabes, como Egipto, la tierra de Maimónides. Sin embargo, al igual que la zarza ardiente, hemos perseverado. Cuando las situaciones parecen sombrías, Hashem se asegura de que seamos salvados. Que esto nos sirva de consuelo en estos tiempos difíciles.

At ModernRabbiShmuel, I officate at all Jewish Life Cycle Events including traditional and non-traditional, affiliated and non-affiliated, and Jewish and Interfaith. Personalized and meaningful services for lasting, beautiful memories. https://www.modernrabbistephen.com Top of Page Upcoming Events Shabbat Times Services New Blog Videos Upcoming Events Upcoming Events Multiple Dates Friday Evening Shabbat Ma'ariv Services מערב שבת Fri, Dec 05 Temple Sholom of Ontario More info RSVP Multiple Dates Saturday Morning Shabbat Shacharit Services שבת שחרית Sat, Dec 06 Temple Sholom of Ontario More info RSVP Multiple Dates Children's Religious School-First Sunday of the Month special activities Sun, Dec 07 Temple Sholom of Ontario More info RSVP Congregation Meeting Sun, Dec 21 Temple Sholom of Ontario More info RSVP Hanukkah Party Sun, Dec 21 Temple Sholom of Ontario More info RSVP New Blog NewBlog D'var Torah for פָּרָשַׁת וַיֵּשֶׁב / Parashat Vayeshev 5786 13 December 2025 / 23 Kislev 5786 Rabbi Stephen Epstein 7 days ago 4 min read D'var Torah for פָּרָשַׁת וַיִּשְׁלַח / Parashat Vayishlach 5786 6 December 2025 / 16 Kislev 5786 Rabbi Stephen Epstein Nov 19 3 min read D'var Torah for פָּרָשַׁת וַיֵּצֵא / Parashat Vayetzei 5786 29 November 2025 / 9 Kislev 5786 Rabbi Stephen Epstein Nov 17 3 min read D'var Torah for פָּרָשַׁת תּוֹלְדוֹת / Parashat Toldot 5786 22 November 2025 / 2 Kislev 5786 Rabbi Stephen Epstein Nov 11 3 min read D'var Torah for פָּרָשַׁת חַיֵּי שָֹרָה Parashat Chayei Sara 5786 15 November 2025 / 24 Cheshvan 5786 Rabbi Stephen Epstein Nov 5 4 min read D'var Torah for פָּרָשַׁת וַיֵּרָא Parashat Vayera 5786 8 November 2025 / 17 Cheshvan 5786 Rabbi Stephen Epstein Oct 24 4 min read Services Services Offered Rabbi Stephen S. Epstein A Modern Conservative Rabb i Baby Naming Bar & Bat Mitzvot Spiritual Counseling Individualized Torah Study Funerals & Memorials Conversions Weddings Videos All Videos All Categories Play Video Play Video 54:58 Rabbi Stephen Epstein (Rav Shmuel) Adult Hebrew II Parashat Vayishlach Tri Yr 1 Reviewing the Upcoming Torah portion of Vayishlach, Triennial Year 1 Play Video Play Video 10:23 Rabbi Stephen Epstein (Rav Shmuel) Friday Night Sermon (28 November 2025) Gratitude. And what happens when there is no gratitude? Play Video Play Video 10:48 Rabbi Stephen Epstein (Rav Shmuel) Parashat Vayeshev 5786 (13 December 2025 / 23 Kislev 5786) Enjoy your family; Who's the prophet?; What do you do with your gifts? Play Video Play Video 10:40 Rabbi Stephen Epstein (Rav Shmuel) Parashat Vayishlach 5786 (6 December 2025 / 16 Kislev 5786) Happy Holidays; Jacob is a warrior; Taking all precautions and maximizing your outcome. Play Video Play Video 11:40 Rabbi Stephen Epstein (Rav Shmuel) Parashat Vayeitzei 5786 (29 November 2025 / 9 Kislev 5786) Travelog; E Pluribus Unum; Jacob on the run; Guilty as charged? Play Video Play Video 53:13 Rabbi Stephen Epstein (Rav Shmuel) Adult Hebrew II Parashat Toldot Tri Yr 1 Reviewing the Torah reading for Parashat Toldot, Triennial Year 1 Load More Videos Shabbat Times

To see this working, head to your live site. Categories All Posts My Posts Forum Explore your forum below to see what you can do, or head to Settings to start managing your Categories. Create New Post General Discussions Share stories, ideas, pictures and more! subcategory-list-item.views subcategory-list-item.posts 3 Follow Israel Media Media that gives an accurate and true story of what's happening in Israel subcategory-list-item.views subcategory-list-item.posts 11 Follow New Posts Gene Trosper Sep 03, 2021 Conversion question: acceptable activities? General Discussions When seeking conversion what is and is not acceptable? I know some say that non-Jews cannot fully participate in Shabbat, while others are less stringent. How would this apply to Sukkot or other observances? Speaking for myself, there is the desire to act, but on the other hand, there is a hesitancy for fear of doing something prohibited or "pretending" to be someone you are not by virtue of being a non-Jew doing "Jewish things." Due to a variety of viewpoints/approaches on this matter, I'm looking for clarification. Like 2 Rabbi Stephen Epstein Jun 07, 2021 I Worked on the Abraham Accords. It's Time to Free the Palestinians from Hamas—and Iran | Opinion Israel Media DR. ALI AL NUAIMI , CHAIRMAN OF THE DEFENSE AFFAIRS, INTERIOR AND FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE OF THE UAE'S FEDERAL NATIONAL COUNCIL ON 6/7/21 AT 12:06 PM EDT https://www.newsweek.com/i-helped-broker-abraham-accords-its-time-free-palestinians-hamas-iran-opinion-1598198 Last August, we entered a new era: A 70-year stalemate was exchanged for an era of greater coexistence. The signing of the Abraham Accords between the United Arab Emirates and Israel that I helped broker was a bold, courageous move which promised to finally make progress where everything else had failed. After the recent conflict with Gaza, though, many thought the Abraham Accords was dead. Where was the promised peace, with rockets flying? To these skeptics, I would say, look at the bigger picture. The Abraham Accords are not about an Emirati and Israeli future but the whole region's future. The truth is, the Middle East conflict isn't between the Israelis and Palestinians but between Israel and Iran. Ask yourself who benefits from this conflict? The Palestinian people's rights and hopes have been hijacked by Hamas to serve an Iranian agenda. And it is against Iran's extremism that we must continue to fight. When the UAE leadership decided to move forward with the Abraham Accords, it was done with a strategic vision not only for the UAE but for the whole region. Skeptics thought the agreement was tied to the Trump administration, as if it might just fade away with the new administration. But there is no going back. We move forward with full speed and have already seen the added value of having such initiatives, not only for the UAE and Israel but for the whole region. Since the announcement of the Abraham Accords, we have seen that we can build bridges of trust and respect. We in the UAE had laid the foundations; we had already changed the education system and the narrative of the religious figures, readying our people for the path to peace. But it's not just about us. The people of the region are craving change, not least among them the Palestinian people, who are desperate for fresh leaders, leaders who can move beyond a rigid regime with an agenda that abuses the very people it rules. For this to happen, we also have to fight the war of propaganda—one that the Israelis lost in this last round of fighting between Israel and Hamas. I saw narratives coming from not only the Middle East but the West too, which represented a shift. One of the biggest errors in this narrative, which I saw repeated over and over in the media, was the way they speak about Gaza as if it's occupied by the Israelis. It's not: It's occupied by Hamas. And the Palestinian people in Gaza are suffering because of Hamas, not the Israelis. Unfortunately, though the propaganda of Hamas and Iran is not true, to the world, it is now dominant. Still, there is reason for hope. Twenty years ago, the Palestinian cause was priority number one in the region. Now, people in the Gulf see things differently. We still care. We still support support the Palestinians. We believe in the two-state solution. But people in the Gulf no longer believe that this should come at the expense of our national interest. Many activists responded to Hamas- and Jihad- influenced media and social media posts to say, we do care about the Palestinians—but we don't care about these terrorist organizations. What the public doesn't understand is who is behind so much of the media they read—who is funding this misguided narrative, which only serves to protect Hamas, and ultimately, Iran. This past conflict with Gaza should be the last war. We should all learn to speak one language: the language of peace. Now is the time to not just talk the talk, but for us all to walk the walk. Hamas and the Palestinian leadership have hijacked the minds of 2 million Palestinians to sell their political and terrorist agendas. We want the Palestinian people to enjoy what we enjoy, to have what we have and create a better future for a new generation. But we have to do this together, with all the stakeholders in the region, from NGOs to schools, religious leaders and governments. We cannot do this alone. Dr. Ali al Nuaimi is chairman of the Defense Affairs, Interior and Foreign Relations Committee of the UAE's Federal National Council, a representative legislature whose 40 members, half elected indirectly and half appointed, serve in an advisory role to the emirates' leadership. Like 0 Rabbi Stephen Epstein Jun 01, 2021 Bill Maher: Hamas negotiation demands are, 'You all die' Israel Media https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/307095 https://www.jta.org/quick-reads/bill-maher-defends-israel-on-his-hbo-show-you-cant-learn-history-from-instagram Comedian Bill Maher hits back after Israel is accused of 'apartheid,' 'war crimes.' 'Hamas's charter just says they want to wipe out Israel.' https://youtu.be/qONHQ_ePIB4 https://youtu.be/4wFQB-oeKGs https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=306607757763548 https://youtu.be/YIbXJsgKU3Q Comedian Bill Maher REUTERS/Danny Moloshok "Real Time" host Bill Maher on Friday night defended Israel's actions during the recent Operation Guardian of the Walls, Fox News reported. "One of the frustrations I had while I was off is that I was watching this war go on in Israel … and it was frustrating to me because there was no one on liberal media to defend Israel, really," Maher, 65, said at a panel discussion. "We've become this country now that we're kind of one-sided on this issue. And I'd also like to say off the bat I don't think kids understand -- and when I say kids I mean the younger generations – you can't learn history from Instagram. "There's just not enough space." Responding to The New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof's claim that Israel committed "possible war crimes," Maher said: "Well, Gaza fired 4,000 rockets into Israel. What would you say Israel should have done instead of what they did?" Hamas, Maher pointed out, "purposely put the rockets in civilian places. That's their strategy." Maher also added that, "The Jews have been in that area of the world since about 1200 B.C., way before the first Muslim or Arab walked the earth." "I mean, Jerusalem was their capital. So if it's who got there first, it's not even close. The Jews were the ones who were occupied by everybody; the Romans took over at some point and then the Persians and the Byzantines and then the Ottomans. So yes, there was colonization going on there. Beginning in the 19th century, they started to return to Palestine, which was never an Arab country. There was never a country called Palestine that was a distinct Arab country." According to Fox News, Maher then pointed out that under the proposed 1947 plan, the Arabs would have had a "good part of the country," calling the Arabs "the people who rejected the half a loaf and continue to attack." "Hamas's charter says they just want to wipe out Israel. Their negotiation position is 'You all die.' The two-state solution has been on the table a number of times. There could be an Arab capital in East Jerusalem now if Yasser Arafat had accepted that in 2003. He did not. "I mean, they have rejected this and went to war time and time again," he emphasized, "And, you know, as far as Gaza goes, it's amazing to me that the progressives think that they're being progressive by taking that side of it, the Bella Hadids of the world, these influencers. "I just want to say in February of this year, a Hamas court ruled that a unmarried woman cannot travel in Gaza without the permission of a male guardian. Really? That's where the progressives are? Bella Hadid and her friends would run screaming to Tel Aviv if they had to live in Gaza for one day." Maher also noted that neither Britain nor Holland had any claim to South Africa, while in Israel the situation is different, Fox News said. "The Israelis, they have made mistakes, but it's an ‘apartheid’ state because they keep getting attacked! If they don't keep a tight lid on this s---, they get killed! That seems like something different!" he said. Like 0 Forum - Frameless