I have often said that Israel is the tip of the spear when it comes to the war against radical Islamic supremacy. They proved that yet again when Israeli forces took out Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.
 
Israel continues to do the hard work that the free world refuses to do. They have taken out more terrorist leaders than the rest of the western democracies put together.
 
Sinwar was the terrorist mastermind behind the murder of more than 1,200 innocent Israeli men, women, and children. He launched his attack on the first day of the Jewish holiday Simchat Torah. As I noted recently, many Israelis refer to what we call the “October 7th attack” as the “Simchat Torah Massacre.”

Over the past year, Israelis have done everything possible to find and kill Sinwar. They were not successful. But during a chance confrontation between IDF soldiers and Hamas terrorists on the first day of the Jewish holiday Sukkot, they ended up taking out the man who planned the Simchat Torah Massacre.
 
 
 
Sukkot
 
For those not familiar with Jewish customs and holidays, Sukkot is a reminder of the 40 years the Jewish people wandered in the desert, depending on nothing but God’s grace and blessing to survive when they had no permanent home.
 
To mark the occasion, Jews build small structures (sukkah) outside their home with no permanent roof. They eat meals in the sukkah, and the very observant will even sleep in the little structure.
 
Leaving their permanent home and going to these exposed, fragile structures is a reminder of what life really is. It may seem permanent, but it is fragile. There are many dangers, and we must depend on God’s providence to survive.
 
When I thought about all of this, I had the urge to go online and pull up Michael W. Smith’s song Awesome God.
 
In recent weeks, violent storms have reminded hundreds of thousands of Americans about the fragility of life and all that we think of as permanent.
 
I believe we are being reminded right now that powerful forces are attempting to unravel everything we have taken for granted and are threatening the very foundation of our country. We need to pray for God’s blessing and protection.
 
 
 
Netanyahu Responds
 
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to Sinwar’s death with a message of strength, determination, and hope. Here are some excerpts of his remarks:
 
“One year ago, Yahya Sinwar, the terrorist chief of Hamas, launched the October 7th massacre against Israel. It was the bloodiest attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust…
 
"Today, the mastermind of this day of sheer evil is no more. Yahya Sinwar is dead. He was killed in Rafah by the brave soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces…
 
"The axis of terror that was built by Iran is collapsing before our eyes. Nasrallah is gone. His deputy Mohsen is gone. Haniyeh is gone. Deif is gone. Sinwar is gone…
 
"All those who seek a future of prosperity and peace in the Middle East should unite to build a better future. Together, we can push back the forces of darkness and create a future of light and hope for all of us.”
 
A final point. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris issued statements congratulating Israel for bringing Sinwar to justice. But both Biden and Harris adamantly opposed Israel’s operation in Rafah. They even threatened to cut off weapons supplies to Israel if the IDF moved on Rafah.
 
They were wrong. Benjamin Netanyahu was right.
 
 
 
Putting Americans Last
 
Former Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal is sounding the alarm about one of Kamala Harris’s major campaign promises, which is also a major priority of the left — socialized medicine. Or as they call it, “Medicare For All.”
 
Harris strongly supported Medicare For All in her first presidential campaign. She also co-sponsored Bernie Sanders’ Medicare For All legislation.
 
But that’s not all. Harris wants you to pay for healthcare for illegal aliens. The American people strongly oppose that, and for good reason. Adding tens of millions of illegal aliens to Medicare would overwhelm the system, resulting in deceased care for American citizens, and it would bankrupt the program.
 
This isn’t just a hypothetical issue if Harris wins in November. The Biden/Harris administration is doing it right now with Medicaid.
 
Only American citizens are eligible for Medicaid, and when people sign up, they are supposed to prove their citizenship status. If they can’t, they’re not turned down. They are given coverage for 90 days. During this “grace period,” they are supposed to return with proof of citizenship.
 
But the Biden/Harris administration issued new regulations prohibiting states from enforcing the 90-day “grace period.” In other words, states cannot kick illegal aliens off of Medicaid as long as they claim they’re trying to verify their citizenship status.
 
By the way, the number of illegal aliens on Medicaid jumped by 500% when Biden/Harris opened our borders.
 
That’s an additional burden on taxpayers that threatens to overwhelm the system, leading to reduced care for everyone else.
 
Just another example of the left putting Americans last.
 
 
 
A Great Tradition
 
The Al Smith Dinner is a great American tradition. It benefits charities in New York and is named after the first Catholic presidential candidate, Alfred E. Smith.
 
Every four years, both presidential candidates attend the dinner and joke about each other. It’s an opportunity for Republicans and Democrats to come together before the election for a good cause and to have some fun.
 
Carol and I are on the road speaking at a conference in Colorado Springs with Dr. James Dobson and dozens of other Christian and conservative leaders. But we managed to catch the Al Smith Dinner Thursday night. Donald Trump had some of the best lines I have ever heard. Here are just a few.
 
“It is a true pleasure to be with you this evening… and these days, it’s really a pleasure ANYWHERE in New York without a subpoena for my appearance.”
 
“Unfortunately, Governor Walz isn’t here himself. But don’t worry, he’ll say that he was.”
 
“Chuck Schumer is here looking very glum… But look on the bright side, Chuck, considering how woke your party has become, if Kamala loses, you still have a chance to become the first woman president.”
 
“I hear that Kamala and her husband carve out some really beautiful alone time at the end of the day for an intimate dinner. Just Doug, her, and the teleprompter.”
 
“All polls are indicating I’m leading big with the Catholic vote, as I should be, but I don’t think Kamala has given up yet. Instead of attending tonight, she’s in Michigan receiving communion from Gretchen Whitmer.”
 
After what was undoubtedly a late evening, Donald Trump was up early Friday morning for a 45-minute appearance on Fox & Friends. He is emptying himself and putting everything he has into a final effort to save the country.
 
For whatever reason, Kamala Harris did not attend this year’s dinner. She is the first presidential candidate to skip the Al Smith Dinner since Walter Mondale in 1984. And we all know how that election turned out for him!
 
She did, however, send a pre-taped message. Oddly, she chose to rehash a 30 year-old Saturday Night Live skit that many feel is offensive to Catholics.
 
 
 
Defending Faith, Family, & Freedom
 
In this week’s Defending Faith, Family, and Freedom podcast for the James Dobson Family Institute, I speak out against the growing efforts to intimidate American citizens into silence. Recent remarks from billionaire Bill Gates and former Democrat presidential nominees John Kerry and Hillary Clinton expose the left’s tyrannical instinct to silence debate.
 
Listen to the podcast now.
 
 
 
Good News 

• Florida is suing the Biden administration because the Department of Homeland Security is refusing to verify the citizenship status of individuals on the state’s voter rolls, thus preventing the state from purging ineligible voters. 

• Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita is fighting a court order to provide a convicted murderer with taxpayer-funded “gender reassignment” surgery. 

• High school students in New York are planning a walkout later this month to protest boys in girls’ sports. 

• The American Society of Plastic Surgeons is rejecting so-called “gender affirming care” because there is “considerable uncertainty as to the long-term efficacy of chest and genital surgical interventions” on children. 

• MSNBC interviewed dozens of early voters in Arizona. They could not find one Harris voter.