Opinion

 On Monday, Israel’s voters will go to the polls to choose the leaders who will help shape the future of Israel. While we cannot vote in the Israeli elections, we too have the opportunity to participate in shaping the future of Israel by voting in the elections for the World Zionist Congress, which are already underway and will end on Shushan Purim, Wednesday, March 11. You can vote online at www.ZionistElection.org.

I am in Israel, which is moving towards its third election in less than a year. This year, we too will have the opportunity and the responsibility to vote early and often. There will be five elections for us to participate in this year, and all are of major significance.

When acts of anti-Semitism occur, they are usually followed by statements of condemnation, security measures, and policy changes, along with assistance offered to families of the victims and survivors. Reward amounts are offered by law enforcement agencies and community organizations to encourage participation in solving the crime.

Last week, President Trump delivered his annual State of the Union (SOTU) address. As in previous years, acute onset Trump Derangement Syndrome fell upon members of the Democratic Caucus, who remained firmly in their seats throughout most of the speech. New York voters who witnessed the galling behavior of their Representatives have the opportunity to have their voices of disgust heard at the ballot box this November, when all Members of the House are up for re-election.

In fiction, there is no more “wretched hive of scum and villainy” than the Mos Eisley spaceport. In reality, that title is conferred on the United Nations, which once again singled out the Jewish state for economic annihilation. Their latest salvo came in the form of a blacklist of 112 companies that do business out of Judea and Samaria, for the sole purpose of boycotting those companies.

Donald Trump’s long-awaited “Deal of the Century” was finally revealed last week and has received mixed reception everywhere in the world. Prime Minister Netanyahu was ecstatic, but quickly backtracked from his initial promises of applying sovereignty after confusing signals emanated from the White House. The British government has shown support, the French government has announced that it was going to study it, and the German government has said that the plan raises questions it wishes to discuss with its European partners. The representative of the European Union for foreign and security policy, Josep Borrell, accused the plan of undermining the “1967 borders” and hinted that it was not in accordance with international law. The Gulf countries, for the most part, welcomed a plan that will take the Palestinian burden off their shoulders. Finally, the Israelis back at home are as divided as always – and rightfully so, because the plan is, at its core, a lot of déjà vu.