This week, Republican Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy led a bipartisan US congressional delegation to Israel, a delegation that included Maryland's Democratic Congressman Steny Hoyer. McCarthy addressed the Knesset, Israel's Parliament, and indicated that he might soon invite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahuto address the US Congress.

This is in stark contrast to President Joe Biden, who has so far refused to extend an invitation to Netanyahu to visit the White House since the Prime Minister put together a far-right coalition government that returned him to power last year.

Israel is celebrating the 75th anniversary of its founding, and reeling from a level of internal discord that the young country has never before encountered. Netanyahu is pushing radical reorganization of the judicial system which would greatly diminish the authority of Israeli courts. Mass protests over the past many weeks have forced the proponents of the judicial overhaul to pause their efforts for the moment, but the crisis is far from being resolved.

For an update on the situation in Israel, and perspective on Vladimir Putin’s posture against the Jews in Ukraine, we turn to Sam Sokol, a reporter for Haaretz,and the author of Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews:  Antisemitism, Propaganda, and the Displacement of Ukrainian Jewry. 

Sam Sokol joins us on Zoom from New York.

Sam Sokol will be speaking about his book and the current situation in Israel on Wednesday night (May 3) at 7:00 at Beth Am Synagogue in the Reservoir Hill neighborhood of Baltimore.

For more information and to register for this event, click here.

This week, Republican <a href="https://www.speaker.gov/kevin/">Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy</a> led a bipartisan US congressional delegation to Israel, a delegation that included Maryland's Democratic <a href="https://hoyer.house.gov/">Congressman Steny Hoyer.</a> McCarthy addressed the Knesset, Israel's Parliament, and indicated that he might soon invite <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Netanyahu#:~:text=He%20is%20the%20chairman%20of,after%20its%20Declaration%20of%20Independence.">Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin </a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Netanyahu#:~:text=He%20is%20the%20chairman%20of,after%20its%20Declaration%20of%20Independence.">Netanyahu</a> to address the US Congress.
This is in stark contrast to <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/president-biden/">President Joe Biden</a>, who has so far <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/2023-03-28/ty-article/.premium/white-house-clarifies-no-imminent-invitation-for-netanyahu-to-visit-washington/00000187-28df-ded8-ade7-fbdf3dfd0000">refused to extend an invitation to Netanyahu to visit the White House</a> since the Prime Minister put together a far-right coalition government that returned him to power last year.
<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/26/middleeast/israel-75th-anniversary-crossroads-mime-intl/index.html">Israel is celebrating the 75th anniversary of its founding</a>, and reeling from a level of internal discord that the young country has never before encountered. Netanyahu is pushing radical reorganization of the judicial system which would greatly diminish the authority of Israeli courts. Mass protests over the past many weeks have forced the proponents of the judicial overhaul to pause their efforts for the moment, but the crisis is far from being resolved.
For an update on the situation in Israel, and perspective on Vladimir Putin’s posture against the Jews in Ukraine, we turn to <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/ty-WRITER/0000017f-da5a-dea8-a77f-de7aa79e0000">Sam Sokol,</a> a reporter for <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/">Haaretz,</a> and the author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Putins-Hybrid-War-Jews-Antisemitism-ebook/dp/B09YJ38RS5/ref=sr_1_1?qid=1683041366&amp;refinements=p_27%3AISGAP&amp;s=books&amp;sr=1-1&amp;text=ISGAP">Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews:  Antisemitism, Propaganda, and the Displacement of Ukrainian Jewry. </a>
<a href="https://twitter.com/SamuelSokol">Sam Sokol </a>joins us on Zoom from New York.
Sam Sokol will be speaking about his book and the current situation in Israel on Wednesday night (May 3) at 7:00 at Beth Am Synagogue in the Reservoir Hill neighborhood of Baltimore.
For more information and to register for this event, <a href="https://bethambaltimore.org/learn/continuing-education/lecture-with-samuel-sokol-how-russian-denazification-decimated-ukrainian-jewry/">click here.</a>

Monday-Friday from noon-1:00, Tom Hall and his guests are talking about what's on your mind, and what matters most to Marylander's, the latest news, local and national politics, education and the environment, popular culture and the arts, sports and science, race and religion, movies and medicine. We welcome your questions and comments. E-mail us at midday@wypr.org

Monday-Friday from noon-1:00, Tom Hall and his guests are talking about what's on your mind, and what matters most to Marylander's, the latest news, local and national politics, education and the environment, popular culture and the arts, sports and science, race and religion, movies and medicine. We welcome your questions and comments. E-mail us at <a href="mailto:midday@wypr.org">midday@wypr.org</a>

Midday

Monday-Friday from noon-1:00, Tom Hall and his guests are talking about what's on your mind, and what matters most to Marylander's, the latest news, local and national politics, education and the environment, popular culture and the arts, sports and science, race and religion, movies and medicine.  We welcome your questions and comments. E-mail us at midday@wypr.org.

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