Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth had a meeting on Monday in Israel. The meeting was "secret" in that it was not in either man's official schedule, and neither the U.S. nor Israel ever mentioned it. It was apparently a long meeting, and suspicions are that they were discussing the renewal of the war against Iran.
Abdul El-Sayed seems to spew hate against Israel, Jews, and Western Civilization every time he opens his mouth. On Monday, this candidate, who has financially supported the Muslim Brotherhood and whose family members are proud of their association with the terror group, decided to give more of his personal opinions about Israel in an ABC interview. El-Sayed said that Israel should not be considered an ally of the United States, and accused Israel of accepting American financial assistance while drawing Washington into military conflicts, saying, "an ally that takes your money to push you into wars you shouldn't be fighting is not an ally."
It is terrifying that he is actually on the national stage and could potentially, God forbid, become a senator. He is open about his support of Hamas, Iran, and his hatred for Israel, the only democracy in the region, and America's one true ally there. We must all pray that this man of hate gets relegated to the back of politics, disappears, and goes back to Egypt, Iran, or another extremist Islamic regime.
This all sounds so dark and depressing, but it is important to realize that it is actually the exact opposite.
We are currently in the Hebrew month of Marcheshvan, which has many lessons inherent in it. One of the lessons is that even bitterness allows us to perceive the light of God in different ways. Challenges are also opportunities. Darkness is an opportunity to become aware of and bring light into the world. I know that sounds like platitudes, but it's actually the truth.
The evils and hate espoused by El-Sayed give each of us an opportunity to be inspired to speak the truth against his lies. The recognition of a "secret" meeting allows us to understand that the alliance between the Trump administration and Israel is strong, and that there are plans being made to protect Israel and the world from the Iranian regime even though we may not always be aware.
We can see the riots in France and say that Western Civilization is being destroyed. Or we can see it as a cautionary warning that if Americans don't recognize the danger of jihadi communities, no-go zones, and the reality of Sharia law-compliant Muslims (like El-Sayed, who proudly admits he and his family follow Sharia law), then God forbid, New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago will soon look like Paris.
The bottom line is that each piece of darkness that we see gives us a choice: to get depressed or to fortify ourselves and bring more light into the world.
May we always view obstacles as challenges, and darkness as an opportunity to bring light into the world. And may we have the courage to act on the truths that we recognize.
Chazak u'Baruch
Rabbi Michael Barclay
October 20, 2026
9th of Marcheshvan, 5787