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I should be frightened.

With everything that is going on… with all the existential threats… Coupled with my return to Israel over the next few months…

You’d think that I would be petrified. Shaking in my boots. You’d think that any thought of returning to Israel would be the last thing that I’d want to do.

But, I am returning to Israel – and paying a fairly hefty price for that return, I might add.

Why?

Because I believe in miracles. Oh, I believe in lots of other things too, and I can certainly point to many other reasons why I am returning to Israel. But, the main one is miracles. I believe in them.

I should be frightened.

With everything that is going on… with all the existential threats… Coupled with my return to Israel over the next few months…

You’d think that I would be petrified. Shaking in my boots. You’d think that any thought of returning to Israel would be the last thing that I’d want to do.

But, I am returning to Israel – and paying a fairly hefty price for that return, I might add.

Why?

Because I believe in miracles. Oh, I believe in lots of other things too, and I can certainly point to many other reasons why I am returning to Israel. But, the main one is miracles. I believe in them.

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In a surprise ‘incident’ last Thursday night, two companies of Swiss infantry crossed the border of Lichtenstein and advanced almost two miles under the cover of darkness before turning back to base.

Reports of  the population of 34,000 turning out to wave Swiss flags and do the Swiss Wave have not been confirmed (or even heard). Nor have any of the Lichtenstein armed forces been seen anywhere.

Some have speculated that invasion may be the result of feelings of Swiss inferiority. Lichtenstein recently caused widespread consternation when they achieved the appellation of “The Country with the Happiest Cows in Europe”.

In a surprise ‘incident’ last Thursday night, two companies of Swiss infantry crossed the border of Lichtenstein and advanced almost two miles under the cover of darkness before turning back to base.

Reports of  the population of 34,000 turning out to wave Swiss flags and do the Swiss Wave have not been confirmed (or even heard). Nor have any of the Lichtenstein armed forces been seen anywhere.

Some have speculated that invasion may be the result of feelings of Swiss inferiority. Lichtenstein recently caused widespread consternation when they achieved the appellation of “The Country with the Happiest Cows in Europe”.

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I’m not sure that any of you should aspire to be the dangerous fanatic that I am. How dangerous am I? Well, you should probably keep me away from any buttons that impact on American foreign policy, such as voting booths and nuclear weapons.

I have a friend, D, who threatens to vote me in as Prime Minister of Israel. After every election he tells me that he wrote me in on his ballot. And, since he’s crazy enough to do it, I have this nagging worry that the General Security Service (GSS) is going to knock on my door one day and ask why I keep getting votes for Prime Minister of Israel.

I’m not sure that any of you should aspire to be the dangerous fanatic that I am. How dangerous am I? Well, you should probably keep me away from any buttons that impact on American foreign policy, such as voting booths and nuclear weapons.

I have a friend, D, who threatens to vote me in as Prime Minister of Israel. After every election he tells me that he wrote me in on his ballot. And, since he’s crazy enough to do it, I have this nagging worry that the General Security Service (GSS) is going to knock on my door one day and ask why I keep getting votes for Prime Minister of Israel.

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Too many of us don’t want to know.

Myself included.

We don’t want to know about situations that would make us spend money or time. We DON’T want to know anything that would encourage us to change our lives into something less comfortable.

How many of you think first about yourself when you see an increase in income? When you get your tax refund? A raise?

I know that I do. In fact, when all is said and done, I probably spend that raise several times before I even get it.

Too many of us don’t want to know.

Myself included.

We don’t want to know about situations that would make us spend money or time. We DON’T want to know anything that would encourage us to change our lives into something less comfortable.

How many of you think first about yourself when you see an increase in income? When you get your tax refund? A raise?

I know that I do. In fact, when all is said and done, I probably spend that raise several times before I even get it.

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I have a new passion for an old problem.

I don’t know why I haven’t been more aware of this problem. Nor do I know why this problem hasn’t been given more attention. But, that doesn’t matter. What matters now is that I’m giving it attention, and I hope to continue to give it attention.

That problem is poverty in children – in Israel.

In Israel today, 22.6% of people in Israel live below the poverty line. That is a big number, but that says nothing about the impact on children. In Israel, 33% of all children live below the poverty line. Let me say that in another way: one in three kids in Israel is poor.

I have a new passion for an old problem.

I don’t know why I haven’t been more aware of this problem. Nor do I know why this problem hasn’t been given more attention. But, that doesn’t matter. What matters now is that I’m giving it attention, and I hope to continue to give it attention.

That problem is poverty in children – in Israel.

In Israel today, 22.6% of people in Israel live below the poverty line. That is a big number, but that says nothing about the impact on children. In Israel, 33% of all children live below the poverty line. Let me say that in another way: one in three kids in Israel is poor.

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