Is Trump an “Officer of the United States?”

Colorado has tried to remove Trump from state ballots under the argument that the 14th Amendment disqualifies “officers of the United States” who participate in insurrections. Trump’s lawyers are trying to convince the Supreme Court that the president is not an “officer of the United States.”

Americans from the very beginning recognized that presidents in a regime in which the people were sovereign were officers of the United States.

Article II gives the President the power to appoint “Officers of the United States” with the advice and consent of the Senate. The President doesn’t nominate himself.

The Constitution uses various terms to refer to government officers or offices. The conventional view is that they all share the same meaning. But by his account, each is distinct — and that, crucially for the case before the court, the particular phrase “officer of the United States” refers only to appointed positions, not the presidency.

What Should Be Done About the Haredi Draft?

The unveiling of draft of the government’s new military service bill has surfaced an old controversy has erupted in Israel about Haredi (ultra-orthodox) exemption from military service.

The significance of this is that hundreds of thousands of productive people will serve in the army while tens of thousands of young Haredi men will remain in their religious seminaries and not contribute to the war effort, or to economic efforts.

Everyone wants Haredim in the army, but everyone understands, and certainly ought to understand, that Haredi recruitment en masse is simply unfeasible, certainly not “now…”

There might be as many as six models going around right now about how Israel and the IDF should restructure military service, including dealing with integrating the ultra-Orthodox, or Haredim, in the post-Oct. 7 world.

Does the West Really Need to Sanction Settlers?

France has joined the US and the UK in placing sanctions on West Bank settlers guilty of acts of terror against Palestinians.

France’s decision to impose sanctions on 28 settlers involved in violence against Palestinians in the West Bank is another step in the right direction by the international community.

Israel should take this very seriously. Settler extremism and terrorism is a problem that’s not going away. It is a constant torment to Palestinians. It threatens Israel’s security. And it brings shame to Israel.

Israel, for its part, claims that it investigates, enforces the law and punishes wrongdoers. As we know, the state also brings into play draconian measures (against Jews) such as restraining orders and even administrative detention, according to the discretion of security officers.

Do UNRWA and Hamas Share a Headquarters?

The IDF has discovered a Hamas data center built underneath the headquarters of the main headquarters of UNRWA, the UN agency tasked with serving Palestinians.

That this organization is also swarmed with terrorist supportive employees is not a bug, but a feature.

He questioned how the agency could have been expected to know what was happening so deep beneath the ground, and noted that the tunnel network — hundreds of miles long — extended far beyond just the area beneath the UNRWA compound.

…the existence of an important Hamas asset under a U.N. facility highlights Hamas’s use of civilian infrastructure as shields, and consequently the difficulty in fighting the terror group while minimizing damage in Gaza.

What’s the Future of Israel Advocacy?

Israel is winning on the battlefield but losing in the court of public opinion. Here are three takes on how Israel can make its case to the world:

They have understood that this is not just a question of educating people who don’t understand, “building allies,” “reaching young people,” or “getting out the facts”; it is an information war…

Traumatic moments like October 7 are powerful reset moments. The American Jewish community has a remarkable opportunity to revitalize a constructive Zionist debate about what Israel means individually and communally, in Israel and abroad.

Israel advocacy star Eylon Levy auditioned for the new season of Dancing with the Stars, Ynet has learned.

Is Moscow “Nicer” Than American Cities?

One controversial outcome of Tucker Carlson’s interview of Putin was Carlson’s comment that Moscow is “nicer” than most American cities.

I also felt safer walking around Moscow late at night than in cities in the U.S., especially Philadelphia, New York, and Washington.

…if you’re an average person, Moscow is awful. The average Muscovite is most likely to live in some grim outlying apartment complex, many of which were built during the Soviet era.

All of you who believe his hype “Moscow is nicer than any American city” have been taken for a ride. He got the rich guys tour. (Mumbai, which I visited, is also very nice, if you don’t look at the slums.)

Today’s Hot Issues

Is Trump an “Officer of the United States?” What Should Be Done About the Haredi Draft? Does the West Really Need to Sanction Settlers? Do UNRWA and Hamas Share a Headquarters? What’s the Future of Israel Advocacy? Is Moscow “Nicer” Than American Cities?