(((Michael Jacobs)))

@JCRC_of_Atlanta president; @israeleddotorg VP; "aggregate of anthropomorphized ennui"™
Views are mine alone. Am Yisrael Chai.

[Simply Buckhead @SimplyBuckhead]

RUNNING WILD

Ironman takes seven-continent marathon challenge to an extreme.

Sometime by 2030, Matthew Krivanek expects to cross a finish line in Australia or South America and complete a marathon on each of the seven continents.

But the Sandy Springs resident has an extreme twist on the seven- in-seven challenge: He prefers the marathon as the last leg of an Ironman triathlon, which first requires a 2.4-mile swim and a 112- mile bike ride.

Krivanek first heard of the Ironman while training with Operation Boot Camp around 2007. His first reaction was that it was impossible. His second: “I’ve got to do one.”

The University of Georgia grad built up slowly. He completed a sprint triathlon in 2007 and ran marathons in Philadelphia and Chicago in 2009. An Olympic-length triathlon, ending in a 10K, led to a couple of half-Ironmans in his hometown, Augusta, before he was ready for a full Ironman in 2012.

“I said to myself, ‘If I’m damn near going to kill myself to do this crazy race, I might as well do it somewhere epic,’” he says.

He chose South Africa’s Indian Ocean coast. He planned the trip himself, from a couple of days to acclimate before the 14-hour race to a week and a half afterward backpacking, waterfall rappelling, cliff diving, swimming with sharks and doing the world’s highest bridge bungee jump...

Read more in the latest issue of @SimplyBuckhead out now!

📝 Michael Jacobs

#RunningWild #IronmanTriathlon #SandySprings #SevenContinents #SimplyBuckhead @ChipJake

[Center for Israel Education @israeleddotorg]

Today in Israeli History: Alfred Mond, an ardent early British Zionist, is born in England. After the Balfour Declaration, he finances Jewish settlement in Palestine and helps found the Jewish Agency.

Learn more: https://t.co/3sONEsXX8p

[Sonny Bunch @SonnyBunch]

J.D. Vance is a garbage human being and I think much, much less of the (thankfully, fewer) people I still see on here defending him. https://t.co/ca9yVYI3cy

[David Makovsky @DavidMakovsky]

Tonight’s polls on Israel’s Channels 12 and 13 suggest Trump’s endorsement on Sunday has yet to lift Netanyahu: Likud remains at 19–20 seats and his bloc at 49–51 range, trailing the opposition on both networks. Gadi Eisenkot has also publicly today ruled out a unity government with Netanyahu, staking his credibility on keeping his word.

Friday brings the final broadcast polls before Tuesday’s election. Netanyahu is counting on a late shift toward larger parties as voters seek to avoid wasting ballots on lists that may fall below the 3.25% threshold—roughly four seats. (It is estimated that earlier this week 8 seats worth of voters are supporting parties that could fall below the threshold.)

In 2022, votes lost below the threshold helped turn an apparent 60–60 deadlock into a 64–56 Netanyahu majority. This time, his own bloc -- not the centrists of 2022-- feels the pressure. Yesterday, he took the extraordinary step of appealing to Rabbi Eli Sadan, mentor to Ofer Winter, whose right-wing party risks falling short. Netanyahu is begging Winter to drop out. Tonight, Winter publicly reaffirmed that he is staying in the race.

[(((Michael Jacobs))) @ChipJake]

Interesting.

[Todd Richman @toddrichman]

Forget for a moment that I strongly support the U.S.-Israel relationship. Forget that I am Jewish and a Zionist.

Let’s examine Abdul El-Sayed’s interview with ABC’s Linsey Davis strictly as Americans, through the lens of U.S. foreign policy and national security, issues that play a MAJOR role in the United States Senate.

There is so much wrong with his argument.

Israel is one of America’s most important strategic allies. Period. It is a critical bulwark against Iranian-backed terrorism, violent Islamic fundamentalism and forces seeking to destabilize the Middle East. The intelligence sharing, military cooperation and counterterrorism partnership between our countries is second to none and have helped protect American lives and interests.

El-Sayed portrays Israel as a country that takes our money and drags Americans into wars. That is an extraordinary oversimplification of American foreign policy and simply not true and dangerous to American lives.

Dozens of countries receive American foreign assistance. We have deployed troops, spent billions and billions of dollars and sadly lost thousands of American lives defending other nations and protecting shared strategic interests. We currently protect South Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines, and Japan. We stand strong on the front lines of Central and Western Europe. We are throughout the Middle East. Kuwait has directly requested American military intervention. Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries have urged Washington to confront Iran militarily. And the list goes on and on….

Israel has advocated American military action and so have many other countries, but it is American presidents who decide whether to send Americans to war. Blaming Israel for those decisions erases American responsibility and our duty as the world’s super power to stand with our allies.

And there is something deeply troubling about repeatedly portraying the Jewish state as taking American money while making Americans fight wars and subsequently put their lives in perilous danger. Such accusations risk reinforcing antisemitic narratives about Jewish influence and control and it threatens our community.

Israel is not simply a recipient of American generosity. It is a strategic partner that provides extremely important intelligence, military technology, regional deterrence and counterterrorism cooperation that benefit the United States and its people. The U.S.-Israel relationship is not charity. It is a partnership built around substantial shared security interests.

Anyone seeking to serve in the United States Senate should be prepared to explain both the costs and benefits of that relationship, and distinguish legitimate disagreements over policy from sweeping accusations against one of America’s most important friends and ally.

[Center for Israel Education @israeleddotorg]

Israel’s electoral history reflects decades of shifting political alliances, changing leadership and evolving voter priorities. Explore how past elections have shaped the country’s government and political landscape.

Learn more: https://t.co/NRxA3ejNmz

[(((Michael Jacobs))) @ChipJake]

It's always nice when the two best teams in the regular season make it to the World Series, and it's great that we'll have a first-time World Series champ.
Besides, it's not as if my team is likely to win a playoff series in my lifetime, let alone win a ring.

[Center for Israel Education @israeleddotorg]

From Israeli naval history to the quixotic quest for a two-state solution to views on the Diaspora in the current election campaign, our weekly Chalk newsletter is out and free.
https://t.co/KfcAoIZkw7
Subscribe at https://t.co/oN1zUBqn4e

[Center for Israel Education @israeleddotorg]

Today in Israeli History: The warships Haganah, Wedgewood and Noga attack an Egyptian troop carrier near Ashkelon in the first major battle for the Israeli navy.

Learn more: https://t.co/YJcsnkhhOV

[(((Michael Jacobs))) @ChipJake]

How was what Penix just did different from what Goff did in Week 1, other than the fact that the ball just now went forward?

[(((Michael Jacobs))) @ChipJake]

Hell of a second quarter for the Wave.

[Jamie Dupree @jamiedupree]

The final deficit report shows the federal deficit grew to $1.992 trillion for FY 2026 - up from $1.775 trillion in 2025.

Tax revenues were up $168 billion.
Federal spending rose by $386 billion.
The deficit rose by $217 billion (12 percent).

[Center for Israel Education @israeleddotorg]

Ze’ev Jabotinsky’s 1923 essay “The Iron Wall” argued that Jewish military strength was essential to securing statehood and eventual peace. His philosophy emphasized self-defense, deterrence and the pursuit of security through strength.

Learn more: https://t.co/2uv343oxl0

[(((Michael Jacobs))) @ChipJake]

A moment of silence for the Mooch, whose tenure has been displaced as the standard for short-time flacks.

[Center for Israel Education @israeleddotorg]

Today in Israeli History: Ron Arad, 28, an F-4 Phantom II navigator, is captured by Amal terrorists after bailing out over Lebanon. He is never seen in Israel again.

Learn more: https://t.co/91nOb7WosW

[Nickolay E. MLADENOV @nmladenov]

I have a received a letter from @cogatonline on the suspension of private-sector goods coordination into Gaza as a result of reports of threats and coercion by Hamas. As I have warned repeatedly, such practices are unacceptable and must end immediately. The intimidation of merchants and interference in the supply chain only deepen the suffering of Gaza's civilians.

These developments demonstrate why the rapid deployment of the @NCAG, supported by the International Stabilization Force (ISF), is urgently needed. Civilian supplies, humanitarian assistance and commercial activity must be protected from coercion, exploitation and interference.

All parties should work with the @BoardOfPeace and move without delay to implement the Comprehensive Plan endorsed by #UNSC Resolution 2803, including the arrangements required for NCAG and ISF operations in Gaza. This includes the decommissioning of weapons, the transition to legitimate transitional governance and the protection of humanitarian and commercial supply chains.

[Center for Israel Education @israeleddotorg]

Today in Israeli History: Yaakov Farkash, known as Ze’ev (Wolf) and considered the father of Israeli political cartoons, dies at 79. A Holocaust survivor, he had his first newspaper cartoon published in 1953.

Learn more: https://t.co/9Qao0BKLkf

[Center for Israel Education @israeleddotorg]

President Herzog is determined to avoid repeat Israeli elections even as polls show no bloc is likely to win a majority Oct. 27. Is a unity government the answer?

Learn more: https://t.co/zaLbiqmnmA

[Center for Israel Education @israeleddotorg]

Our free weekly Chalk newsletter highlights the history of ex-generals as Israeli prime ministers, plus Zionism, anti-Zionism, antisemitism and the Nobel Peace Prize.
Check it out: https://t.co/ff8bdWSCQm