DV Journal

The call for a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah (or Hamas) has become a common refrain in the media, diplomatic circles, and public discourse. The latest ceasefire deal championed by the Biden administration is nothing more than a farce. These calls are not just misguided—they are part of the problem.

Ceasefires do not bring peace; they preserve the status quo, allowing terrorist organizations to regroup, rearm, and renew their attacks. There is no scenario where a ceasefire results in lasting peace—it only delays the inevitable. If we want to end the cycle of violence, we need to stop entertaining the idea of a ceasefire and pursue real victory.

A ceasefire is often framed as a “pause” in hostilities. On the surface, it seems reasonable: halt the fighting temporarily to allow for humanitarian aid, broker a dialogue, and prevent further casualties. But in reality, ceasefires are nothing more than a reset button on an intractable conflict. They do not solve underlying issues, nor do they bring lasting peace. Instead, they only serve to maintain the status quo, leaving the door open for future violence.

The failure to acknowledge this is a dangerous delusion. There’s a fundamental difference between negotiating with a sovereign nation and negotiating with a terrorist organization. Nations have an interest in maintaining stability and peace because their survival depends on it. Terrorist organizations, however, are not interested in peace; they seek destruction. For Hezbollah, every ceasefire is just a tactical retreat—a chance to reload, reorganize, and rearm for the next wave of violence. There is no incentive for them to abide by agreements when their ultimate goal is the annihilation of Israel. Negotiating with such an entity on equal terms is not just naive; it’s counterproductive.

Ceasefires are not a victory. Wars are meant to be won, not tied. Conflicts are defined by power dynamics and survival, and any attempt at peace through a ceasefire with Hezbollah is akin to rewarding failure. It’s a participation trophy for an adversary that offers only violence. There is no reason to believe a temporary cessation of hostilities will lead to progress. This also comes at a time when Israel was systematically destroying the enemy and making it difficult, if not impossible for them to regroup. This postpones the inevitable—more violence, more death, and more suffering; or it sends the message that terrorism will be tolerated within certain boundaries.

The truth is that every time a ceasefire is called, Hezbollah wins. It buys them time to rearm, retrain, recruit new fighters, regroup their leadership, and prepare for the next round of attacks. The same rockets that targeted civilians before the ceasefire are fired again after it ends. The cycle of violence continues, and Israel is left with no choice but to defend itself again. This isn’t peace—it’s a vicious circle that keeps turning, consuming lives on both sides but never getting closer to resolution. UN Resolution 1701, which was supposed to keep peace, clearly didn’t work.

What we are witnessing is an illusion being sold as diplomacy by the Biden Administration. A ceasefire does nothing to address the root causes of conflict; it merely buys time for those who wish to destroy Israel. It’s like putting a Band-Aid on a bullet wound. The real solution lies not in negotiating with terrorists but in decisively defeating them. Israel must act in its own self-interest to ensure its survival, and that means rejecting the temptation of short-term appeasement. Victory, not compromise, is the only way forward. Let’s never forget there was a ceasefire on 10/6/23.

Moreover, the constant push for a ceasefire sends a dangerous message to the international community: terrorism is negotiable, something to be appeased rather than eradicated. The United States, the European Union, and other powers must recognize that calling for a ceasefire only rewards terrorism. It strengthens terrorist regimes, emboldens their supporters, and undermines Israel’s right to defend itself. To call for a ceasefire is to ignore the simple reality that Hezbollah will never be satisfied until it has wiped Israel off the map. The idea that this could lead to peace is both naive and dangerous.

There are no shortcuts to peace in the Middle East, and calling for a ceasefire is one of the greatest illusions of our time. The only way to end the madness is through victory. Israel must continue to decisively defeat and eradicate Hezbollah and make it clear that terrorism will not be tolerated. This is not about achieving temporary respite—it’s about ensuring long-term security, stability, and peace for future generations.

The time has come for world leaders to stop entertaining the notion of a ceasefire and focus on what matters: victory. Anything less is a betrayal of those who live under the shadow of terrorism. Wars are meant to be won, and only through victory can we break the cycle of violence and bring lasting peace to the region.

The adults are back in charge. With Donald Trump poised to return to the White House, he’s sending a message loud and clear: America will no longer tolerate weakness, nor will it abandon its allies, especially Israel.

As Trump begins to fill his cabinet with pro-Israel patriots, the world is being put on notice — a new era of strength, clarity, and unwavering support for our closest ally in the Middle East is beginning. This administration’s commitment to the U.S.-Israel relationship will be elevated to heights unseen, bringing stability to the Middle East and restoring America’s role as a formidable global leader.

For too long, antisemitism has been allowed to simmer unchecked in America, especially on college campuses where extremist ideologies often thrive under the guise of academic freedom. However, with Trump’s new cabinet, the days of looking away from these dangers are over. This administration will be unapologetically pro-Israel, pro-freedom, and pro-democracy, taking a hard stance against the forces that threaten our allies abroad and create division at home. The time of tiptoeing around antisemitism in academia and politics is finished; the Trump team is putting America on a new path, one defined by action and accountability.

The appointment of staunch pro-Israel advocates to the highest positions of power marks the dawn of a new day, signaling a seismic shift in U.S.-Israel relations. These leaders aren’t just committed to supporting Israel — they are dedicated to ensuring that America and Israel stand strong together in a world increasingly hostile to democratic ideals. Unlike past administrations, Trump’s approach is one of unwavering support, putting any ambiguity about where America stands to rest.

The message is clear: the United States will not only defend Israel’s right to exist but will also champion its success as a beacon of democracy in the Middle East. Elise Stefanik, Marco Rubio, Mike Waltz, Kash Patel and others will lead by example. Winning will become a credible and relevant word again – one that we won’t shy away from.

This strengthened alliance will reverberate across the Middle East. Trump’s cabinet, with its pro-Israel convictions, will bring a vision for stability, security, and economic growth that challenges the status quo and builds on the historic Abraham Accords. These agreements, one of Trump’s crowning achievements, began the transformation of the Middle East from a region of conflict to one of cooperation and prosperity.

Now, the renewed commitment to these Accords under Trump’s leadership promises to expand them further, inviting new allies and setting a foundation for enduring peace. For Israel, this means security. For America, it means allies. For the world, it means an unshakeable commitment to freedom and resilience against extremism.

The implications of this shift reach far beyond foreign policy; they speak to the cultural and social battles playing out within our own borders. Universities that have for too long allowed antisemitism to fester unchallenged will now face the consequences of their neglect. With this administration, federal funding for institutions that fail to protect Jewish students and foster safe, inclusive environments will come under scrutiny.

It’s time to ensure that taxpayer dollars aren’t supporting institutions that allow hatred to thrive. Trump’s team is prepared to hold academia accountable, sending a strong message that antisemitism will no longer be tolerated under the banner of free speech. American universities are being put on notice: protect all students or prepare to answer for it.

This bold new direction will undoubtedly be met with resistance from those who have grown comfortable with the passive foreign policies and lukewarm domestic strategies of past administrations. But the Trump cabinet is undeterred, viewing this pushback as proof that it’s time for real change.

These leaders are experienced, determined, and committed to reshaping America’s role in the world. They are focused on rebuilding American strength, restoring respect on the international stage, and ensuring our values are preserved at home. In this team, the Jewish community has true allies who will not shy away from confronting antisemitism or supporting Israel’s right to defend itself against those who would seek its destruction.

As Trump’s cabinet steps into their roles, the world will see that America is no longer divided in its commitment to Israel. Gone are the days of indecision and soft diplomacy; instead, we are ushering in an era where allies are protected, enemies are warned, and moral clarity drives every decision. This administration will not mince words or actions when it comes to defending Israel. Doing so will set a powerful example to the world: America will stand by its friends, especially in times of need, and will not be swayed by hostile rhetoric or ideological threats.

The implications of this administration’s pro-Israel stance extend into every aspect of American governance. It’s more than just a promise to protect our ally in the Middle East; it’s a commitment to moral leadership, restoring faith in American strength, and holding those who harbor hatred and extremism accountable. This cabinet of patriots understands that the fight against antisemitism, both at home and abroad, is a fight for America’s soul — one that will determine the kind of nation we are and the kind of legacy we leave.

As the Trump administration steps forward with these goals in mind, one thing is clear: the dawn of a new day has arrived. The U.S. is reclaiming its role as the leader of the free world with a renewed commitment to Israel and a dedication to wiping out antisemitism wherever it hides. This moment signals a turning point for Jewish students on American campuses, our allies overseas, and all Americans who believe in justice and strength.

This is the era of pro-Israel patriots, of a cabinet filled with adults who understand the stakes and are prepared to lead. Together, they are charting a course for a stronger America, a safer Middle East, and a future where allies can count on each other in times of both peace and adversity.

Republican Senate candidate Dave McCormick promised to support Israel and fight against rising antisemitism during a town hall with a Jewish group on Sunday, drawing contrasts with incumbent Democratic Sen. Bob Casey Jr.

And he called out Vice President Kamala Harris for a failure of courage in passing over Gov. Josh Shapiro for her running mate, calling it a “tragedy” the Democratic presidential nominee would cave to anti-Israel sentiment in her party.

McCormick made his remarks during a Philadelphia event hosted by Matthew Brooks, CEO of the Republican Jewish Coalition, before about 300 Jewish residents last Sunday.

McCormick said the mass shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue on 2018 and the Hamas terror attack on Israel last year impacted him personally.

“I live in Squirrel Hill in Pittsburgh, literally right around the corner from Tree of Life. So, I’m part of that community.  Every weekend on Sundays, there’s a vigil in Squirrel Hill for the hostages, a weekly reminder so we can’t lose sight of what happened on Oct. 7, and the fact that we still don’t have the Israel hostages, the American hostages, they’re still not home.”

McCormick called Oct. 7 “a huge wake-up call.”

Quoting writer Dan Senor, he said, “When a flare goes up, beware. You can see who are the friends, [and] who are the foes. And Oct. 7 was a flare. It forced people to say who they are, either in their word or their deed.”

McCormick and his wife, Dina, travelled to Israel in January to see “first-hand” what happened during the Hamas terror attack. They visited Kfar Aza, a community of 700 people. The terrorists killed 100 that day, he said.

“Families. Parents killed in front of their kids. Kids killed in front of their parents. Babies burned,” said McCormick. “People decapitated. It’s beyond imagination.”

McCormick and his wife also met with the hostage parents and a “young woman who was wounded at the music festival.” She survived because her friends who were shot dead fell on top of her.

“I came back with a profound sense of the need to stand with Israel in its existential crisis,” said McCormick. “This isn’t a skirmish. The future of Israel is at stake. It’s been attacked from all sides.”

And while President Joe Biden has been reluctant to praise Israel’s recent military actions against Hezbollah and has called for a ceasefire that would benefit the terrorist organization, McCormick — a West Point graduate who served in the 82nd Airborne in Iraq during the Gulf War and was awarded a Bronze Star — had nothing but praise.

“What’s happened in the last couple of weeks has been a brilliant military operation. Make no mistake: What’s happening with Israel is an array of forces underwritten by Iran that is a fight for the very future of Israel’s existence.”

McCormick said as someone who isn’t Jewish, he realized there was antisemitism, but “I was shocked, and I suspect many of you were, by the degree that exists on our nation’s campuses.”

The leadership of universities “unwillingness to stand up for right and wrong, and the hypocrisy of many of our leaders. The willingness to say you’re pro-Israel, pro-Jewish and then capitulate because of the extreme forces in the Democratic Party,” he said. “So this is a battle at home for the heart and soul of our country.”

“For Jews in general, what happens in this election is of the greatest consequence of many we’ve had in modern times,” McCormick added. “You get to decide, now that the flare is up, who you’re for.  And this transcends party, right?”

The group applauded.

Brooks asked him about Harris’ not choosing Pennsylvania’s Gov. Josh Shapiro as her running mate.

“The reality is Josh Shapiro is too Jewish and too pro-Israel to be on today’s Democratic ticket,” said Brooks. “I know you’ve been very critical of your congresswoman, Summer Lee, and the tone-deafness of some, both in the Jewish community and the Democratic Party.”

McCormick said, “I don’t think there’s any doubt that Josh Shapiro is a very formidable person and would have been a very capable pick to be VP. It’s hard to imagine, if you’re in the zone of complete honesty and candor, the fact that him being Jewish would have alienated a certain part of the extreme part of the Democratic Party. It’s hard to imagine, which is such a tragedy for our country, that that kind of calculus would be factored into that choice.

“And such a tragedy that Kamala Harris wouldn’t have the courage to make a selection that would have transcended those considerations.”

McCormick contrasted the actions of Democrat U.S. Sen. John Fetterman and his opponent, Sen. Bob Casey. While Fetterman has been an outspoken defender of Israel and critic of antisemitic campus protests, Casey failed to call for the ouster of former University Penn President Liz Magill after her equivocation on antisemitism during congressional testimony.

Casey has also endorsed U.S. Rep. Summer Lee (D-Pa.). “She is an avowed antisemite,” McCormick said. “And Bob Casey kept his endorsement,” he said.

Casey also supported the 2015 Iran deal that gave “the sponsor of terror throughout the Middle East $100 billion of sanction money,” said McCormick.

After the town hall, Gerri Richmond of Elkins Park said McCormick’s military service and business acumen impressed her. “When I heard him speak, I was inspired that he is the hope for our future in Pennsylvania,” said Richmond.

Retired cantor Elliott Tessler called McCormick a “down-the-line conservative and a likable fellow.”

“He came out as positively as I could have hoped for Israel,” said Tessler.

And Lower Merion resident Jeff Bartos, who ran for governor in 2018 and Senate in 2022, said, “Over the past year, Dave McCormick has led with strength and moral clarity.  Sen. Casey, on the other hand, has all too often been silent and has failed to meet the moment.  Sen. Casey’s weakness, coupled with his disastrously poor judgment in voting for the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, is disqualifying.”

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Below is an edited transcript of U.S. Sen. Tim Scott’s address to the Republican Jewish Committee on September 5, 2024.

One year ago, Israel was attacked. Homicidal terrorists had desecrated Israeli communities, bombarding and invading the Jewish state.

So many innocent men, women, and children — killed in cold blood on their own soil. And many more carried off as hostages.

We were stunned. But it was also a time of clear-eyed resolve.

We knew that America had to stop sending love letters and wire transfers to the terrorist supporters in Tehran. We knew that Republicans had to unite and bring an end to this failed Biden-Harris Administration that pays lip service in public to Israel while undermining them behind closed doors.

We were also confronting something deeper than policy failures. In our city streets, on our college campuses, we saw how the rot of anti-Semitism had spread throughout our institutions here at home.

And we resolved that we would cut out that cancer.

One year ago, I gave the terrorist sympathizers a few reminders.

Getting a federal subsidy for your education is not a right. It’s a privilege. Getting a student visa so you can be a guest in our country is not a right. It’s a privilege.

Let’s talk about what is a right: The right of Jewish Americans to walk their own neighborhoods in safety. The right of Jewish students to study and worship in peace.

It turns out a lot can change in one year

The elites who coddle anti-Semitism have seen enormous scrutiny. And many of them have gotten pink slips.

The president of the University of Pennsylvania — gone. The president of Columbia — see ya! The president of Harvard — hit the road, jack, and don’t come back. Two of the craziest Israel haters in the House Democrat caucus lost their own primaries.

Americans overwhelmingly support Israel over Hamas. We are the mainstream. We are on the right side of history. The vast majority of the American people count themselves as members of our parade — and we’re on the march.

Our work isn’t finished, not even close — but we’re beginning to put the cancer of anti-Semitism back into remission.

But there’s a problem.

There is one institution in America where the regime change ran in the other direction.

One powerful place, where a leader who half-heartedly supported Israel was forced out and replaced with somebody who the radical, anti-Israel, far left likes much better.

It’s called the Democratic ticket for 2024.

Joe Biden has been a weak, disloyal partner for our friends in Israel. He’s slow-walked. He’s equivocated on the world stage. He’s emboldened Israel’s enemies and meddled in Israeli politics.

But even so, the radical left thought President Biden was too pro-Israel.

All those same people seemed mighty happy when Joe Biden was shoved off stage for the coronation of Kamala Harris. She’s pretending to sprint back towards the middle.

The Democrat Party and the corporate media are working overtime to rebrand this radical San Francisco liberal as some kind of centrist. She ran for President on racial reparations, socialized medicine, and open borders. And now these people want us to believe she’s somewhere between Bill Clinton and Barry Goldwater.

Just how dumb do they think we are?

I know Kamala Harris. I served in the Senate with Kamala. I’ve seen her in action. She’s going to pretend to be a moderate for the next nine weeks. And the media will bend over backwards to help her.

But come Inauguration Day that mask of moderation would fall right off.

The failed Joe Biden foreign policy we see today — with a weak America, an emboldened Iran, land wars in Israel and Europe, and terrorists on the march — would be the absolute best case scenario under President Harris.

There’s a reason why the radicals and the socialists and the anti-Semites were popping champagne corks when the Democrats coronated Kamala Harris.

It’s our job to make sure they aren’t drinking champagne on November 5th.

The stakes for America and the stakes for Israel are even higher today than they were two months ago. We have nine weeks to continue our momentum and keep building on our success where it matters most.

We have nine weeks to re-elect the best friend and partner the Israeli people have had in the White House in our lifetimes — President Donald J. Trump.

And we have nine weeks to put the most liberal presidential nominee in American history out to pasture.

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David Winkler says he believes he has a good chance of beating three-term  incumbent Congresswoman Madeleine Dean (D-Montgomery) in November.

Winkler is running for Congress because he cares “deeply about America.”  He served in the U.S. Marine Corps and fought in Iraq and Afghanistan. After leaving the Marines, he joined the Army.

“A lot of people died to preserve our freedoms and way of life,” said Winkler. “I feel like right now our government is failing the people. And that it’s my duty to stand up and fix it.”

His changes have improved because of the rising popularity of former President Donald Trump, whose coattails might lift down-ballot Republicans.

And, the first-time Republican candidate notes that Dean’s far-left votes against Israel and pro-Palestinians have alienated a sizable portion of the area’s Jewish voters. According to the Jewish Federation of Philadelphia, Jews comprise about 10 percent of Montgomery County residents.

Dean is “one of the most divisive people we have in the government,” said Winkler, 38. “Everything she’s done has torn America apart, from her volunteering to be an impeachment manager to her voting record, even at what’s happened with the Jewish community, the blatant antisemitism. We need people in D.C. who bring people together, not divide… She only caters to the far left.”

Commentary magazine editor John Podhoretz wrote in June that Trump is poised to get more support from Jews than any Republican presidential candidate in modern history due to Biden’s lukewarm support of Israel. He noted a drop in votes for Democrats from Pennsylvania Jews “may be the game right here.”

Rabbi Matthew Adelson, a Conservative rabbi and member of the Philadelphia Board of Rabbis, supports Winkler for Winkler’s position backing Israel.

“David is a wonderful person,” said Abelson. After he met Winkler, “it became very clear to me that he’s someone who is capable of leading on that very critical issue.”

In the months since the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attacks, Dean has “made it very clear she is not a supporter of Israel,” said Adelson, who cataloged a long list of Dean’s pro-Palestinian votes.

“On Nov. 7, there was an opportunity to censure (Rep.) Rashida Talib (D-Mich.) for promoting false narratives regarding the Oct. 7 attack, and (Dean) voted no,” said Adelson. “She allowed funds to go to Iran, and voted against putting sanctions on Qatar.” Iran funds Hamas, and Qatar has given money and sanctuary to its leaders.

“In December, she did not condemn antisemitism on university campuses amid the testimony of university presidents to Congress,” Abelson said. “She voted no on the Israel security supplemental Appropriations Act on Feb. 24.  She called for a ceasefire with Hamas on Feb. 29.”

On April 5, Dean voted with members of the “Squad” to cut U.S. military aid to Israel.

“And she wrote a letter asking Biden to ‘use all the tools’ there are to prevent Israel from going into Rafah,” he said. “When the IDF did go into Rafah, they found tunnels between Rafah and Egypt, which is a grave concern.”

“On April 16, around Passover, she voted present when there was an opportunity to condemn the slogan ‘From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,’ which is clearly genocidal,” he added. In May, she backed Biden’s withholding of offensive weapons from Israel.

And in July, Dean “rose on the House floor” to say the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine (UNRWA), which is anti-Israel with employees who took part in the Hamas terror attack, “is doing ‘God’s work,’” said Abelson.

“It’s very obvious she doesn’t have the back of her Jewish constituents,” he said.

Christian Nascimento, chair of the Montgomery County Republican Committee, said, “Whether it is her doubling down on support for Joe Biden after the recent debate debacle or her one-sided approach to the Israeli-Hamas conflict, Rep. Dean has shown that her far-left views are outside the mainstream of Montgomery County voters. In David Winkler, we have a candidate that has a commonsense approach and a different perspective as a person of color and a veteran – a perspective that better aligns with the majority of residents of the 4th Congressional district.”

Winker also holds Dean, who sits on the foreign affairs committee, partly responsible for the disastrous American withdrawal from Afghanistan, where 13 U.S. troops died in a suicide bombing at Abbey Gate near the Kabul airport.

“She should have been able to push back on Biden to keep Bagram Air Base open,” he added. He noted military equipment worth billions was left behind, but more importantly, so were American citizens and Afghans who helped Americans.

“One of those was my interpreter,” said Winkler. “This was a complete failure of the U.S. State Department and the Department of Defense.” His interpreter is still trapped in Afghanistan.

That withdrawal is “one of the reasons I’m running. Once a Marine, always a Marine. Semper Fi. We don’t leave people behind.”

Winkler was a biracial foster child who was adopted by “two loving White parents.” His father was an engineer with Raytheon, then a merchant marine. Winkler grew up in Canada, southern California, and Northern Ireland. Winkler joined the Marines when he turned 18. He also worked as a police officer in Murfreesboro, Tenn. and led a nonprofit, Wings for Warriors. He moved to Montgomery County in 2021 after marrying his wife, Kay, who grew up here. She is a first-generation American whose family came from Sierra Leone. The Winklers, who live in Elkins Park, are raising a stepdaughter and a baby son. David Winkler currently employed as a property manager.

“I’m just a pissed-off veteran,” said Winkler. “You can call it MAGA. You can call it whatever you want. I’m just very commonsense.”

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Families of the Israeli hostages who were kidnapped during the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attack continue to advocate for their loved ones’ release. Recently, two of them spoke to about 50 people at Main Line Reform Temple, asking the audience to pressure their elected officials for help.

Hamas terrorists killed more than 1,200 people, raped women, and abducted 251 people, including five Americans, according to Israeli officials. More than 100 were released during a temporary ceasefire and prisoner swap in December. The Israeli military rescued four hostages last month, but a senior Hamas official told CNN that no one knows how many hostages remain alive.

Moshe Lavi showed a video of his 3-year-old niece, Roni, kissing a picture of her father, Omri Miran. Hamas terrorists kidnapped Miran from kibbutz Nahal Oz. Roni asks her mother, “’Why do you keep traveling, and you don’t bring my father back?’ The younger one, Alma, now 1, one of her first words was ‘Daddy.’”

Lavi, who graduated from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, said, “I was in a nightclub in Brooklyn, listening to music. I started getting notifications of rocket launches. Because I grew up in Sderot, I didn’t deem it important enough. It was normal for us…About 20 minutes after, it was clear it was different. Videos were emerging from my town, Sderot, of people in pick-up trucks shooting civilians.”

“My family texted me,” he said. He asked his family to keep him in the loop. But his sister, Lishay Lavi, stopped reporting in, and he assumed her cell phone battery died.

The terrorists invaded kibbutz Nahal Oz, “choosing who to kill, choosing who to skip, choosing who to hold captive for hours in their homes and eventually kidnap. There was no rationale for who was chosen. To be honest, if the terrorists were more efficient, they would have killed hundreds more.”

The “terrorists came to (his sister’s) home, using a teenage boy from the kibbutz to get them to open their door for them by asking for help,” he said. The terrorists later executed the boy.

“They were held captive. It was livestreamed on Facebook.  And yet there are people who deny all this happened,” said Lavi.  When the terrorists took his brother-in-law, Roni tried to run to her dad, but her mother prevented her.

“My sister told him she loved him, that she would take care of the girls and not be a hero. That was the last time she saw him,” said Lavi.

Hamas released a propaganda video of Miran in April.

“He doesn’t look well, but it gives us hope we can bring him home alive,” said

A Bala Cynwyd resident,  Senderowitsch and her family are initially from Argentina, where they met Iair Horn. He was 16, and she was 8. Her parents worked with troubled kids, she said.

“He made Aliyah shortly after we went back to Israel.He would come to our house on break, for holidays. We were his family,” she said.

Senderowitsch was about to have her bat mitzvah in the kibbutz where her family lived in the Golan Heights, but she was sad that Horn would not be able to come. But her parents sent her to the bus station on the day of the ceremony.

“He was going through a rough time,” she said. “He’s usually a happy jokester. I didn’t know what depression was. I just wanted my big brother to be there.”

“I see Iair getting off the bus,” she said. “He came off the bus with a gigantic stuffed animal. He showed up there. He didn’t look good. I remember being concerned. But I was so happy. He was at the lowest of the low, and he took that time to make a 12-year-old girl happy.”

Eitan Horn, Iair’s brother, also made Aliyah and was a youth counselor.

“On Oct. 7, the missiles were raining down at kibbutz Mir Oz.  Eitan (was visiting) Iair for the holidays…They go into their safe room. It’s insane. Everybody (there) has one.”

“We didn’t even know if they had been kidnapped for a long time,” she said. “When the second round of hostages was released in November, we found out they were in the tunnels…Everybody was being held in brutal conditions. We haven’t heard anything else.”

Lavi is often at the United Nations to plead for the hostages’ freedom.

“We’ve been advocating everywhere we can. In Israel. In the U.S. I know the Capitol here too well. We’re doing all we can,” he said. “We’re speaking to whoever is willing to listen.”

Senderwitsch and Lavi implored Americans to lobby for a peace deal.

“A deal is the only way to bring home the hostages,” said Lavi. “We need that pressure from the American Jewish diaspora on our politicians, as well.”

“I don’t need your sympathy. I’m sick of hugs. I need you to keep supporting communities and the families who were destroyed. You wake up in the morning, and instead of going to Starbucks and pay, for some reason, $7 for your coffee, just donate it.  That’s a piece of clothing for my niece. That’s a meal for someone else.”

“We give speeches. We try to advocate everywhere we can,” he said. “Use your voices as citizens in a democratic country. You can call your elected officials every day…up to the White House…Tell your friends, tell your colleagues.”

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Around 100 people rallied for Israel outside the courthouse in Doylestown Sunday, many waving Israeli and American flags.

Ellen Cox, with the Doylestown Republican Club, was one of the organizers and spoke to the crowd.

“There are thousands of children in Israel who lost their mothers and countless mothers who’re waiting for their children to come home,” said Cox, acknowledging that it was Mother’s Day. “This nation was founded on Judeo-Christian principles, and we will not be silenced.” Both Jews and Christians are “under attack,” she said.  Just under the surface, there is “horrific antisemitism.”

“The latest trend is in college campuses all over the United States,” she said. “Jewish kids are afraid to attend classes.” Those who are protesting for Palestinians “are cowards who are hitting soft targets of colleges and graduations. They’re so brave. I think we should send them to fight in Gaza. Guess what? No green pup tents. No organic and vegan food and no Wi-fi. They are cowards.”

“It’s now here in CBSD [Central Bucks School District],” she said. “We condemn it. It is not OK.” Jewish people “are our friends, our coworkers.”

“We need to stand with them or we—you—will be next. We don’t want our Jewish family and friends and neighbors to feel scared and alone,” said Cox.

She read from a 1790 letter George Washington sent to the Jewish congregation in Newport, R.I., telling its members they were welcome in the newly-founded nation.

“May the children of the stock of Abraham who dwell in this land, continue to merit and enjoy the good will of the other inhabitants,” Washington wrote. “While everyone shall sit in safety under his own vine and fig tree.”

Rabbi Mendel Prus, director of Chabad of Doylestown, thanked the group for coming to support Israel. Israel contributes technology “to make the world a better place,” he said. “And a more peaceful place.” It’s contributed military advances to the U.S. and intelligence to “make the world a safer place.”

He then spoke of the Biblical history of the Jews in Israel from the time of Abraham.

Richard Tems said, “I am a Jew. I am an American. I am an Army veteran. I am the son of Holocaust survivors. We will not bend. We will not surrender. We will not comply.”

He noted that all the Jews left Gaza nearly two decades ago and billions [of dollars] poured in to help the inhabitants make “an idyllic homeland.” The residents voted in Hamas to lead them and Hamas spent the money on miles of underground tunnels and “thousands of rockets to fire into Israel” and mansions in Qatar for Hamas leaders.

On Oct. 7, Hamas invaded Israel and attacked farming communes and a music festival near the border. They raped, tortured, mutilated and incinerated  thousands defenseless men, women, children and small infants.”

Tems said, “[President] Biden, on the day he delivered a speech to remember the Holocaust, cut off military supplies to Israel. He told Israel he forbade them to secure the final Hamas stronghold in Rafah.”

Cox introduced Steve Mekanik, who is running for state representaive in District 29.

“It’s not about me today. It’s about Israel. We’re here for the support of Israel,” Mekanik told DVJournal.

Huntingdon Valley resident Monique Hofkin attended the rally because she is concerned about antisemitism at colleges and also in schools.  She noted the U.S. Department of Education is investigating Central Bucks for antisemitism. And there was also a teacher at Baldi Middle School in northeast Philadelphia, who crossed Israel off a list of countries and substituted Palestine.  There’s “systemic antisemitism [in the schools] and we aren’t going to allow it to continue,” she said.

Mara Witsen was wearing a sweatshirt with the images of the hostages Hamas is holding.  The five American hostages are Keith Sieel, Omer Neutra, Sagui Dekel-Chen, Dan Alexander, and Hersh Goldberg-Polin.

Jack Potok of Warrington noted that while the pro-Israel group carried both American and Israeli flags, “where on campus have you seen an American flag, except being burned on the ground? They’re not just anti-Israel, they’re anti-West.”

The Israeli army is the only army in the world that tells civilians to leave before it attacks, warning civilians with flyers, phone calls, and knock-knock (warnings) on their roofs,” he said.

Philadelphia resident Malcolm Ratson added that historically, armies kill 30 civilians to one soldier. The IDF has a 1 to 1 ratio in Gaza. “That’s how stringent the Israelis are,” he said.

A small group of pro-Palestinian counter-protesters came as the pro-Israel rally was winding down, and stood in a traffic island across from the pro-Israel rally and began chanting slogans: “Free, free Palestine” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”

People at the pro-Israel rally began singing “Am Israel Chai,” dancing and  chanting “Free Palestine from Hamas,” and “Islamist terror will not be a threat to our democracy.”

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In the early morning on Friday, police in riot gear showed up on the University of Pennsylvania campus, gave pro-Palestinian protesters two minutes to leave their tent encampment, then began making arrests.

University officials had asked protesters to leave for days as pressure from students, alums, professors, and others in the Penn community grew. Last week, more than 3,000 people signed a petition asking Penn officials to remove the protesters.

On Thursday, Gov. Josh Shapiro, who had served as state attorney general before running for governor, spoke out strongly against the protest.

He called the encampment “unstable” and “untenable.”

“It is past time for the university to act to address this, to disband the encampment,” said Shapiro. “And to restore order and safety on campus. Universities need to work with their own police departments or within the framework of their local police departments in order to make sure students are safe on campus.”

Shapiro’s remarks apparently gave Penn officials the impetus they needed after more than two weeks to move in and break up the encampment.

The protestors demanded information on the university’s investments and that it divest from any companies doing business with Israel.

For about two weeks, Bala Cynwyd resident Beth Samberg and friends have been going to the encampment at 4 a.m. with air horns to wake up the protesters.  There is an encampment at her son’s university, but it is too far away for her to try to intervene, so she’s been going to Penn.

Samberg, who is “proudly Jewish,” said her son, 19, feels threatened by the pro-Palestinian protesters. “We brought him home a week early because of the encampment,” she said. “The [university] administration would not guarantee the safety of the Jewish kids.”

“I am not there to engage or escalate,” said Samberg about her early morning visits to the former Penn encampment. “I am only there to irritate.”

Now that the encampment is cleared, Samberg fears the protesters will return to Penn since she doesn’t have any confidence that progressive Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner will charge them. But if they do, she will continue to wake them up at 4 a.m.

“And at the encampment itself, there were more non-Penn affiliated individuals than Penn students, she added.

A spokesperson for Krasner said his office is not involved.

“They were given Civil Violation Notices (CVNs) by Philly police and released,” said Krasner spokesman Dustin Slaughter.

Penn’s interim president, J. Larry Jameson, issued this statement, which says in part, “This decision is viewpoint neutral and affirmed by our policies. There are times when our abiding commitment to open expression requires balancing free speech with our responsibility to safety, security, and continuing the operations of the University. This is one of those times and why we have acted. Open expression and peaceful protest are welcome on our campus, but vandalism, trespassing, disruption, and threatening language and actions are not.”

The Jewish Federation of Philadelphia issued a statement saying it “commends the University of Pennsylvania for taking decisive action to disband the pro-Palestinian encampment on University of Pennsylvania’s campus this morning. While free speech and critical thinking are essential tenets both on and off college campuses, it had become increasingly clear over the past two weeks that the encampment fostered an atmosphere of intimidation and harassment, particularly towards Jews on campus.

“At a time when antisemitism is at an all-time high, institutions of higher education have a responsibility to ensure that the safety and well-being of Jewish students and faculty is protected. We thank Governor Shapiro, Mayor Parker, the Philadelphia Police Department, and the University of Pennsylvania Police Department for their help in resolving this issue so campus safety and inclusion can be prioritized.”

Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) told Fox News anti-Israel activists should protest Hamas instead.

“It’s actually working against peace in Gaza, and Hamas is convinced that they’ve won the PR war and they keep seeing all these kinds of protests across the nation on these campuses. And it’s not helpful, but it’s actually — it works against peace, I think,” Fetterman said.

Sen. Bob Casey Jr. (D-Pa.) did not immediately respond when asked to comment.

Casey’s Republican opponent Dave McCormick, who told DVJournal that he opposed the university encampments, posted to social media Friday, “Good. The encampment should have been disbanded weeks ago.”

The Philadelphia Antidefamation League posted to X, “Now is the time for policy breakers to be held accountable. As we’ve said, we support and defend free speech; but free speech is not a free license to violate time, place and manner restrictions, harass peers, interfere with the education rights of other students on campus.”

Manuel Bonder, a spokesman for Shapiro, told DVJournal, “As Gov. Shapiro has made clear multiple times, all Pennsylvanians have a right to peacefully protest and make their voices heard. The governor has also made clear that universities have a legal responsibility to keep their students safe and free from discrimination.

“Unfortunately, the situation at Penn reached an untenable point – and as the university stated publicly, the encampment was in violation of university policy, campus was being disrupted, and threatening, discriminatory speech and behavior were increasing. After Penn’s weeks-long efforts to engage protestors were met with further escalation, today, the University of Pennsylvania’s leadership made the right decision to dismantle the encampment.

“We thank the City of Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Police Department, and University of Pennsylvania Police Department for their professional work to resolve the situation quickly and peacefully,” Bonder added.

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(For a different point of view see: Counterpoint: Students’ Struggle for Justice in Gaza Must be Protected at All Costs)

The protesters taking over college campuses are not antisemitic, so we’re told, they want to destroy the only Jewish state. They just want all of the Jews to go  … somewhere else. They chant for the creation of Palestine from the river to the sea, an explicit call for the end of Israel.

Would Jews be welcome in the Palestinian state? Consider the only Jews in Gaza are Israeli soldiers trying to free Israeli captives.

They’re not antisemitic; they just have an affinity for all the organizations that have spent decades explicitly calling for the murder of Jews and carrying out those crimes whenever possible. They proudly wear headbands of Hamas and fly Hezbollah flags, and, yet we still pretend not to know who they are and what they want. They are terrorist wannabes at best, and they want what all Islamic extremists want: dead Jews.

For the Daily Wire last week, Kassy Akiva reported, “One of the most vocal student activists leading the anti-Israel Gaza Solidarity Encampment at Columbia University, Khymani James, openly stated in a livestream of an official university inquiry in January that ‘Zionists don’t deserve to live.’” Only because of the following uproar did Columbia take action, booting James from the university.

And yet, the day after Akiva’s report was published, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez praised the encampment during a visit, gushing, “The leadership you have is just so fantastic.”

Ocasio-Cortez, a founding member of the Squad, a group of legislators with a long problematic history of antisemitism themselves, isn’t the only one wholeheartedly supporting the protests. Rep. Ilhan Omar joined the protests after her daughter was suspended for her involvement and called some Jewish students “pro-genocide,” drawing a deserved rebuke from the Anti-Defimation League.

The protests aren’t just in response to how Israel has handled its operations in Gaza. Their love of terror was immediately evident before Israel launched its response to the attacks of October 7. It’s not about what Israel has done or what they have alleged it has done. It’s that the Jewish state dares to exist. The Jerusalem Post reported in October, before any Gaza operation began:

“A tenured professor at New York’s Columbia University authored an article praising Hamas’ attack on Israeli civilians last Saturday, less than a day after the attacks took place. What can motorized paragliders do in the face of one of the most formidable militaries in the world?” asked Joseph Massad, who has taught Modern Arab Politics at Columbia since 1999, in his article for the website Electronic Intifada. “Apparently much in the hands of an innovative Palestinian resistance.”

The protests taking over America’s college campuses can’t be more explicit. And their love for terror organizations is reciprocated. Sami Al-Arian, convicted financier of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, tweeted his support of his wife, Nahla, who had set up camp at Columbia’s encampment. She knows who her friends are.

In an email recently, Columbia’s president, Minouche Shafik, told the campus community that the pro-Hamas camp and the environment on campus have become intolerable to Jewish students and others. Many Jewish students, at the behest of their rabbi who sent a WhatsApp message to observant students on campus, have already fled. Shafik went on to explain that antisemitic language and actions, not to mention calls for violence, have no place on campus.

This had to be said because this is the environment that these protests have created. They are antisemitic at their core, and they need to be dismantled immediately.

These protests and encampments have shown that there is a large and growing fifth column of terrorist sympathizers in our most elite institutions from coast to coast.

(For an alternative viewpoint see: Point: Protesters Are Adamant–Eliminate Israel)

University campuses nationwide have long been the focus of political debates and battles in the form of protests and demonstrations. In recent weeks, students galvanized by their consciences have been leading an anti-war movement that our nation hasn’t seen the likes of in decades, and it is spreading like wildfire. At last count, at least 100 Gaza solidarity encampments have been launched at colleges and universities.

These students are setting up tents, staging sit-ins, and raising their voices in solidarity with the people of Gaza. But their courageous actions are about more than protesting the war. They’re about demanding justice, challenging authority, and reshaping and normalizing the conversation around one of the most pressing issues of our time — freedom and liberation for Palestine.

The urgency of this moment is spurred by the reality that for more than 200 days, they, along with the rest of the world, have witnessed the Israeli government’s brutal massacring of at least 34,000 Palestinian civilians in Gaza, including more than 14,000 children.

On April 30, Haaretz reported that Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who is a member of the security cabinet, called for the “total annihilation” of Rafah and other areas of Gaza. He said: “There are no half measures. (The Gazan cities of) Rafah, Deir al-Balah, Nuseirat — total annihilation. ‘You will blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.”

This genocide is being waged with American students’ tax and tuition dollars. A growing number of them recognize they have a moral obligation to mobilize swiftly against the Israeli government’s violent, catastrophic rampage bolstered by the Biden administration and Congress.

These students feel compelled to act, knowing it’s wrong for their colleges and universities to invest their tuition funds into weapons manufacturing companies like Lockheed Martin and Boeing, enabling these institutions to profit off Israel’s military campaigns against Palestinians.

They’ve done their homework, and they know that many universities, such as Yale, aren’t obligated to disclose most of their investable assets in SEC filings, and their investment portfolios are often not publicly accessible. This lack of transparency means there’s no way of knowing the actual dollar amount their institutions are investing in these companies.

That’s why two of the critical demands of many student protesters launching encampments, such as at Johns Hopkins University, is that their universities disclose financials and divest from weapons manufacturing companies.

Student activists courageously leading the charge to demand justice, transparency and accountability are risking their safety, freedom, education, future, and even lives. They deserve our gratitude, attention and support. Instead, as one student put it, “We’re often met with tear gas, threats and intimidation.”

According to sources, more than 1,200 people have been arrested in college protests. That number has risen as New York officers stormed Columbia University and arrested dozens more people Tuesday.

To understand the significance of what’s happening on campuses today, we must first look back at history. In 1970, during the Vietnam War, the world was shaken by the events at Kent State University. Students protesting the war were met with violence, and four students were tragically killed by the National Guard. The Kent State shootings became a symbol of the struggle for justice and a rallying cry for those who refused to accept the status quo.

Today, the parallels between Kent State and the Gaza solidarity encampments are impossible to ignore. Just as the students at Kent State were protesting the violence of war, today’s students are protesting Israel’s decades-long violence and oppression of the Gazan people. They are demanding an end to Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine, lifting the siege on Gaza, and an end to violations of Palestinian human rights. Like the students at Kent State, they are too often facing criticism, pushback and violence for daring to speak out.

Despite their challenges, these students are determined to make their voices heard. As one student organizer said, “The violence I’m risking here can’t compare to the violence Hind Rajab experienced there.”

They acknowledge that they’re protesting on their campuses while there are no universities remaining in Gaza. They recognize that silence in the face of oppression and genocide is not an option. They believe in the power of collective action and the importance of standing up for what is right. And they’re willing to do what many others lack the courage or conviction or willpower to do: risk sacrificing to fight for a better world.

The significance of the current campus activism represents an unequivocal rejection of the politics of fear and division. It’s a reminder of what’s possible when people unite and organize.

Perhaps most important, it’s a testament to the power of young people, proving they can shape the course of history and to create real change. They are a reminder that the future belongs to those who are willing to stand up and fight for what they believe in.

These students are on the right side of history. They inspire hope. They deserve our advocacy and solidarity. Please support their efforts, amplify their voices, and join them in the fight for a better world.