Recently, two of the largest Jewish philanthropies in Los Angeles changed their names so as to remove the word “Jewish.” Michael Barclay writes:

The Los Angeles Jewish Home, known for over a century as just “the Jewish Home” was founded in 1912 to give shelter to five Jewish men. With an annual budget of more than $50 million, this nonprofit is home to 1,500 Jewish seniors and serves another 2,500 through health and community services. As should be expected, the vast majority of donors to this non-profit organization are Jews and Jewish organizations who want to help [their aged coreligionists] in the last years of their lives.

The organization has now become “LAJHealth,” a change its CEO described as “an evolution in our brand.” Barclay observes:

It’s not just that the leaders of Jewish Home are turning their backs on a tradition of taking pride in their commitment to the Jewish community. It is that they are not alone, . . . as Jews on the boards of non-profit organizations seek to “reach out,” be “inclusive” and “diversify” rather than focus on the Jewish community.

Can any of us imagine other groups changing the names of their institutions and removing their cultural affiliation? Would the NAACP become the National Association of People? Does anyone foresee BLM changing its name to All Lives Matter? . . . Of course not. None of these organizations would ever remove their identity from their names. It seems that only 21st-century American Jews are willing to sabotage their identities, their purpose, and themselves in their quest for inclusiveness.

On Tuesday, a Hizballah drone attack injured three people in northern Israel. The next day, another attack, targeting an IDF base, injured eighteen people, six of them seriously, in Arab al-Amshe, also in the north. This second attack involved the simultaneous use of drones carrying explosives and guided antitank missiles. In both cases, the defensive systems that performed so successfully last weekend failed to stop the drones and missiles. Ron Ben-Yishai has a straightforward explanation as to why: the Lebanon-backed terrorist group is getting better at evading Israel defenses. He explains the three basis systems used to pilot these unmanned aircraft, and their practical effects:

These systems allow drones to act similarly to fighter jets, using “dead zones”—areas not visible to radar or other optical detection—to approach targets. They fly low initially, then ascend just before crashing and detonating on the target. The terrain of southern Lebanon is particularly conducive to such attacks.

But this requires skills that the terror group has honed over months of fighting against Israel. The latest attacks involved a large drone capable of carrying over 50 kg (110 lbs.) of explosives. The terrorists have likely analyzed Israel’s alert and interception systems, recognizing that shooting down their drones requires early detection to allow sufficient time for launching interceptors.

The IDF tries to detect any incoming drones on its radar, as it had done prior to the war. Despite Hizballah’s learning curve, the IDF’s technological edge offers an advantage. However, the military must recognize that any measure it takes is quickly observed and analyzed, and even the most effective defenses can be incomplete. The terrain near the Lebanon-Israel border continues to pose a challenge, necessitating technological solutions and significant financial investment.