A hostage deal is not good for Israel

The Last Remnant: Benjamin Netanyahu & the Saviours of the Sept. 11, 2006 Israeli-Second-Israel War

Israelis are pressing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to make a cease-fire deal with Hamas following days of protests over the deaths of six hostages. Hamas killed the hostages just as Israeli troops were approaching the part of Gaza where they were. Hamas is blamed for the killings by Netanyahu’s critics, but he is also accused of blocking a deal that could have brought the hostages home. Former general Benny Gantz demanded Netanyahu make a deal or quit.

A Hamas militant captured an Israeli soldier in 2006 and held him in Gaza. He was released five years later in exchange for more than 1,000 Palestinian security prisoners — a euphemism, in many cases, for terrorists. The prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, approved a deal that freed the mastermind of Oct. 7.

According to Genesis, Abraham rescued Lot after he was seized by an invading army, and the Jewish tradition places a high value on the redemption of captives. It is, in a sense, the fulfillment of a primary, implicit commandment: to be one’s brother’s keeper. It is also a source of Jewish communal cohesion over millenniums to never forsake those who have been taken, even if only to give them a proper burial.

Up First Newsletter: Russia’s deadly missile attack on a military academy in Poltava, Ukraine (with a letter from the Foreign Minister Vlasov)

He is correct, first of all, that fighting a war is to prevent its repetition. Israel has lost hundreds of soldiers to defeat Hamas. Thousands of innocent Palestinians have died and hundreds of thousands have suffered, because Hamas has held every Gazan hostage to its fanatical aims. The start of the war was made possible by a line of logistical supply under its border with Egypt.

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Ukraine is mourning today after Russian missiles struck a military academy, killing dozens and injuring hundreds of others in Poltava, a central-eastern city. It’s one of the deadliest attacks of the war. This comes as Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy prepares a major reshuffle of his government, leading to several resignations. The Foreign Minister resigned this morning. It could be the biggest shakeup since the war began if parliament accepts the resignations.

Source: Ex-aide to N.Y. govs accused of working for China. And Russia’s deadly missile attack

Breaking Free: Bringing Someone to the Forgiveness of an Imola Skate (Invited Talk at the High School of Business and Social Sciences)

Linda Sun, a long-time aide to Democratic governors in New York, is accused of secretly being an agent of the Chinese government. The FBI says she worked for China. According to the charges she was accused of taking payments from China’s communist party. Sun and Hu entered a not guilty plea at the Brooklyn courthouse.

If you value empathy and community, it can be normal to lose sleep over social bonds. If you worry about others negatively or rely on others too much for self-esteem, that could be a sign of co-dependency. Melody Beattie, author of Codependent No More, says codependency can lead to negative emotional consequences including a deep need for approval from others and a pattern of avoiding conflict. If that is the case, here are some ways to break free.

The women of Imilla Skate are well known for their unique skateboarding uniforms: skirts called Polleras and wide-brim hats. The strength of their mothers and Grandmothers are paid homage to by the Indigenous garb. Since becoming an internet sensation in 2020, they have attracted over 170,000 followers across Instagram and TikTok and traveled the world. With the newfound popularity, members are working on larger projects to make a difference in their communities.