“The elimination of Yahya Sinwar improved the already-joyful Sukkot holiday for millions of Israelis and Jews and their supporters around the world. In all likelihood, it will also irritate President Joe Biden, as the Hamas leader was killed in Rafah, where he demanded Israel not enter under threat of an arms embargo, and a warning by Vice President Kamala Harris that it was impossible.”
“Israel, wisely, didn’t listen.”
If the people speaking to you are friends, it is wise to listen. They have your best interests at heart, and may warn you to avoid a dangerous move. On the contrary, if the people speaking to you are not friends – in fact, are very far from friends – then you should take note of what they say, but NOT listen in the sense of doing what they say.
In fact, a person demonstrates intelligence by what he does NOT listen to. “Do not take counsel of your fears” was a favorite saying of General George S. Patton. And “Do not be afraid” is the most frequent sentence in the Bible. Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald J. Trump are different in many ways, but they would agree on this sentiment:
Do not be afraid, but be careful whom you listen to.
If you doubt this, just ask Joe Biden. Smiles and hugs may precede a stab in the back.
