“Since the massacre, Israeli and American officials have played down the Egyptian military’s culpability and nefarious inclinations. Instead, they’ve reverted to past habits: treating Egypt as an economic basket case and the army as the only bulwark against state collapse or another Islamist resurgence. This approach has effectively neutralized censure in Washington and Jerusalem while indulging Egyptian dysfunction.” – Reuel Marc Gerecht
SHABBAT READING:
Balaam from “Divinerville”: Dr. Ethan Schwartz, The Torah.com, July 14, 2022— Central to the narrative of Balaam son of Beor is the fact that his is not an Israelite. When Balak, king of Moab, needs someone to curse Israel and stop their encroachment on Moabite territory, he invites the non-Israelite prophet and diviner, Balaam to perform this task.[1]
Balaam’s Origins in the Prose Account
The specifics of Balaam’s national identity or geographic extraction are ostensibly clarified in the verse when Balaam is introduced:
במדבר כב:ה וַיִּשְׁלַח מַלְאָכִים אֶל בִּלְעָם בֶּן בְּעוֹר פְּתוֹרָה אֲשֶׁר עַל הַנָּהָר אֶרֶץ בְּנֵי עַמּוֹ לִקְרֹא לוֹ…
Num 22:5 So [Balak] dispatched emissaries to Balaam son of Beor, to Pethor, which was on the river, [in] the land of his people, to summon him..
The Egypt-Hamas Question: Mohamed Saad Khiralla, Israel Hayom, June 16, 2024
The Philadelphi Corridor: A Job Only Israel Can Do: Nadav Shragai, Israel Hayom, July 10, 2024
Israel and the U.S. Need to Get Tough on Egypt: Reuel Marc Gerecht, WSJ, June 23, 2024
Egypt’s Energy Challenges and Their Political Implications for the War in Gaza: Ambassador (ret.) Michael Harari, BESA, June 23, 2024
For Further Reference:
PM Netanyahu Refutes Reuters’ Claim Israel Intends to Withdraw from Gaza-Egypt Border: Reuters, Jerusalem Post staff, Jerusalem Post, July 12, 2024 — The Prime Minister intends to maintain its presence at the Philadelphi Corridor, the Prime Minister’s office posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Friday, following an exclusive report on Reuters claiming Israel is discussing the possibility of withdrawing from said area.
Update: Everything You Need to Know About Rafah, Its Importance to Hamas, and Protecting Its Civilian Population: AJC, July 17, 2024 — The southern Gaza city of Rafah sits strategically along the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt. In May, after months of deliberations and international concerns about the humanitarian impact, Israel launched a limited and phased operation to dismantle the remaining Hamas terror battalions in the city.
Egypt Must Pay a Price for Its Sponsorship of Hamas: Caroline B. Glick, JNS, May 23, 2024 — Israelis have long viewed Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi as an ally in the fight against the Muslim Brotherhood and Iran.
Inside Hamas’ Last Stronghold: ‘More Tunnels Here Than I’ve Seen Anywhere Else in Gaza’: Yossi Yehoshua, Ynet News, June 19, 2024 — This was the first time Israeli journalists have been inside Rafah since 2005. We were allowed to join the IDF forces fighting in Gaza’s southernmost city for the past 42 days and counting.