Michael Oren: The wrong judicial reform * Arieh Deri as the ’Creator’s Emissary on Earth’ * An undressed hero at the Kotel * Date night at the protests

[Times of Israel]( [The Blogs Weekly]( Thursday, February 16, 2023 Michael Oren [Judicial reform: Right problem, wrong solution]( [This past Shabbat in my synagogue in Jaffa, one of the leaders of our community, a former Likud official with a PhD, told me that all the demonstrations against the government’s judicial reforms were merely the latest attempts to overthrow Netanyahu. “The fact that he wins drives the elitists mad,” he explained. “Netanyahu will never give in.” Later, during the Torah reading, a young man dressed all in black and cowering under a black hoodie, came in and stood next to me. “Netanyahu thinks he can be a dictator?”...]( [Date night at the protests]( By Shira Pasternak Be'eri Chanting ’De-mo-crat-ya!’ with Israel’s hordes isn’t our usual fare, but it’s exactly where we belong Eliyahu Berkovits [There’s a new player in Haredi politics: Voters]( Arieh Deri is now the ’Creator’s Emissary on Earth.’ An MK invites constituents to WhatsApp him. It’s a political earthquake. Sarah Tuttle-Singer [Not all heroes wear capes]( Is there a ’best way’ to protest the rising tide of religious Jewish extremism encroaching on our holy Western Wall? [‘A beacon of light’: The Abrahamic Family House opens in Abu Dhabi]( By Jason Isaacson The three houses of worship are a prime example of the UAE’s commitment to a more inclusive, more peaceful region Michael Marmur [When a rabbi knows why earthquakes devastated Turkey and Syria]( In hokey theodicy, disasters may vary, but glib explanations remain. For God’s sake, we must replace them with empathy Benyamin Moalem [It’s time to formally divide Jerusalem]( The idea of an undivided capital is precious, but terrorism is too high a price to pay [You know Herzl — what about Max Nordau, intermarried father of Zionism?]( By Zack Rothbart The pioneer of ’Muscular Judaism’ inspired Rabbi Kook and Menachem Begin – it’s time he got his due more choice voices Raoul Wootliff [A strange sense of hope]( It was a deeply heartening sight to see so many people coming together, united in a common cause Dan Perry [Wanted: Five righteous persons in Sodom]( These are the MKs who can keep the coalition from turning Israel into a dictatorship [The Blogs Weekly]( [facebook]( [twitter]( [instagram]( [View in browser]( [Contact support](mailto:support@timesofisrael.com) [Advertise with us](mailto:advertise@timesofisrael.com) Were you forwarded this email? [Subscribe here]( [Unsubscribe]( from this List © 2023 The Times Of Israel, All Rights Reserved