Danielle Berrin

The year since October 7th has meant many different things to those whose lives were shaped by that terrible day. Here’s a reflection on how it shaped mine forward.com/opinion/665554…

This has been a profoundly painful time for those suffering the terror and trauma of war. Can an ancient practice help us heal? jewishjournal.com/community/3711…

Young person on #USC campus justifies tearing down posters of innocents taken hostage by #Hamas by saying: “It’s not helping the conflict.” Meaning: It’s not helping to “Free Palestine” to bear witness to Palestinian crimes against Jewish humanity. Agreed!

For all those easily persuaded by mass demonstrations, I refer you to Plato on the delirium of the mob. There’s a reason we place trust in a constitutional republic. That “everyone is doing it” does not make it right or good. Human emotions, easily stirred, are unreliable guides.

Must-read speech on the legality of Israel's fight against Hamas, delivered in 🇬🇧 House of Lords yesterday by Lord Guglielmo Verdirame KC, professor and barrister in public international law: “There has been a lot of talk about proportionality in the law on self-defence. I refer to the words that the noble Lord, Lord Pannick, used a few days ago on the test of proportionality. It does not mean that the defensive force has to be equal to the force used in the armed attack. Proportionality means that you can use force that is proportionate to the defensive objective, which is to stop, to repel and to prevent further attacks. Israel has described its war aims as the destruction of Hamas’s capability. From a legal perspective, these war aims are consistent with proportionality in the law of self-defence, given what Hamas says it does and what Hamas has done and continues to do. Asking a state that is acting in self-defence to agree to a ceasefire before its lawful defensive objectives have been met is, in effect, asking that state to stop defending itself. For such calls to be reasonable and credible, they must be accompanied by a concrete proposal setting out how Israel’s legitimate defensive goals against Hamas will be met through other means. It is not an answer to say that Israel has to conclude a peace treaty, because Hamas is not interested in a peace treaty. Proportionality also applies in the law that governs the conduct of hostilities, not only in self-defence. The law of armed conflict requires that in every attack posing a risk to civilian life, that risk must not be excessive in relation to the military advantage that is anticipated. That rule does not mean, even when scrupulously observed, that civilians will not tragically lose their lives in an armed conflict. The law of armed conflict, at its best, can mitigate the horrors of war but it cannot eliminate them. The great challenge in this conflict is that Hamas is the kind of belligerent that cynically exploits these rules by putting civilians under its control at risk and even using them to seek immunity for its military operations, military equipment and military personnel. An analysis of the application of the rules on proportionality in targeting in this conflict must always begin with this fact. There has also been some discussion about siege warfare. The UK manual of the law of armed conflict, reflecting the Government’s official legal position—it is a Ministry of Defence document—says: “Siege is a legitimate method of warfare … It would be unlawful to besiege an undefended town since it could be occupied without resistance”. Gaza is not an undefended town. It is true that obligations apply to the besieging forces when civilians are caught within the area that is being encircled, and those obligations include agreeing to the passage of humanitarian relief by third parties. But it is not correct to say that encircling an area with civilians in it is not permitted by the laws of war. A further point that concerns the laws of war is also of particular relevance to the British Government’s practice. It has already been mentioned that the Government have taken the view that Gaza remains under Israeli occupation, even though Israel pulled out in 2005. The traditional view until 2005 was that occupation required physical presence in the territory. That view is consistent with Article 42 of the Hague regulations of 1907, which states that a territory is occupied when it is actually placed under the authority of the occupying power. Again, it is also the view taken by the UK manual of the law of armed conflict, which reflects the UK’s official legal position and states that occupation ceases as soon as the occupying power evacuates the area. The European Court of Human Rights, in its jurisprudence, has also adopted a similar approach to occupation. So I have always been rather baffled by the British Government’s position on this issue, which, as far as I know, has not changed. Yes, it is true that Israel has exercised significant control over the airspace and in the maritime areas, but even as a matter of plain geography it takes two—Israel and Egypt —to control the land access points to Gaza. More fundamentally, it is Hamas that has been responsible for the government and administration of Gaza. I appreciate that this is a legal matter on which the Minister may not want to respond immediately but it is an important one, because the legal fiction that Israel was still the occupying power under the laws of armed conflict has been relentlessly exploited by Hamas to blame Israel for everything, while using the effective control that it has over the territory, the people and the resources to wage war. On a final note, I would like to say something briefly on the way in which the war is being reported. When a serious allegation is made, particularly one that could constitute a war crime, the immediate response of the law-abiding belligerent will be to say, “We are investigating”. The non-law-abiding belligerent, by contrast, will forthwith blame the other side and even provide surprisingly precise casualty figures. The duty to investigate is one of the most important ones in armed conflict. What happened in the way in which the strike on the hospital was reported is that the side that professes no interest whatever in complying with the laws of armed conflict was rewarded with the headlines that it was seeking.”

2/ We are doing everything we can to help you — mobilizing our members of Congress, raising money, sending supplies and support. We will not rest until you are out of danger. We love you and pray that Israel prevails and peace reigns soon. Am Yisrael Chai!

1/ To the People of Israel: Your American Jewish family is heartbroken by the monstrous acts of terror committed against you on Shabbat Simchat Torah and beyond. Please know you are not alone: your pain is our pain, your losses our losses.

I stand with Israel

Nice to have a little wink from the universe.

@TheRaDR @rabbimarkiz @Jerusalem_Post @yaakovkatz @LahavHarkov @RabbiWolpe Oh yeah I think much better to disregard what is said and pay attention only to who says it. That’s Justice.

🎙️The Jerusalem Post Podcast with @yaakovkatz and @LahavHarkov is LIVE 🔴! This time they talk to @RabbiWolpe, one of America’s leading rabbis and Jewish thinkers about the controversial Supreme Court decision. Listen to the podcast here 🎧👇 jpost.com/podcast/yaakov…

Noah Farkas is leaving the pulpit to become the next President and CEO of @JFedLA, placing him in one of the city's most public and powerful positions. Here's what he has to say about Jewish communal priorities at a time of political and cultural upheaval. jewishjournal.com/community/3413…

Lately @danielleberrin has been writing outstanding profiles of Rabbis for @JewishJournal - this week the subject is my colleague at Sinai, @RabbiGuzik jewishjournal.com/community/3411…

@PiaMalaney @JosephNSanberg Thank you so much to our amazing moderator @danielleberrin and panelists @JosephNSanberg, @PiaMalaney, and @rabbisimonds for joining us!

Many of the problems that plague our society are rooted in issues of economics. Join me this Thurs when @USJewishDems hosts a vital & rare community conversation on poverty, inequality & the 'good' economy w/ @JosephNSanberg @PiaMalaney @rabbisimonds mobilize.us/jewishdems/eve…

My grandmother, a 97-year old Holocaust survivor, has lost more than anyone I know and yet is the happiest person I know. Grateful beyond words to @cbsthismorning for sharing the story of how she survived and thrived. twitter.com/CBSThisMorning…

A quick reading from the charter of Hamas. For @bellahadid @gigihadid @dualipa @theweeknd @kendalljenner enjoyment. Each one of you has more followers than the entire Jewish population of the WORLD. Claiming you don’t help spreading antisemitism is absurd. instagram.com/tv/CO78CzxpRLv…

"Westerners see Hamas flags in the Al-Aqsa Mosque & perceive a civil rights protest; a Hamas leader [says] to buy “five-shekel knives” to cut off Jewish heads, some hear a call for social justice Israelis should try to accommodate." @MattiFriedman tabletmag.com/sections/israe…

A two-state solution, you say? Been there, done that.

In our age of hyperpartisan politics, Merrick Garland offers us a very human moment and shows us the virtues of good character.

@AmydKlein @nytimes @KamalaHarris @DouglasEmhoff Thank you Amy Klein!

Why can't this @nytimes article call @KamalaHarris husband @DouglasEmhoff Jewish?? Is being a #jew a slur? Why point out he is white and went to #Jewish summer camp? nytimes.com/2021/01/17/us/…