To those that do not believe in Hanukkah and claim it is not real, I would like to show you what Jerusalem thinks about it.

We hold no animosity toward the people of Gaza; rather, we feel a deep compassion for them, as our shared humanity connects us. Our criticism is directed solely at Hamas and its extremist ideology, which has influenced many Gazans to sacrifice their children's lives for a futile cause. Why can’t they simply recognize Israel's existence and work toward peaceful coexistence? Israel has never launched an unprovoked attack on Gaza; it has always been Hamas that initiated aggression. Is a singular, unified Palestinian state truly essential? Couldn’t there be a self-governing Palestinian entity under Israeli oversight? Israel might even offer various benefits and support to Palestinians if they acknowledge the rightful place of Jews in the region. Unfortunately, groups like the Muslim Brotherhood and pan-Islamic extremists have led Palestinians to see Jews as eternal enemies. At this juncture, the people of Gaza should recognize Israel as a permanent presence, dismantle Hamas, and adopt liberal democracy alongside Western principles and secularism—these alternatives are far superior to the destructive, death-focused ideology promoted by Hamas.

Japan just did something that will absolutely melt down the “diversity means you must change” crowd: it said no to new Muslim cemeteries. And no, this wasn’t some cartoonish act of intolerance. It was Japan doing what Japan has always done—prioritizing its own laws, land, culture, and environmental realities over imported demands. Let’s start with the obvious problem no one wants to talk about. Japan cremates over 99% of its dead. That’s not a trend; it’s a necessity. The country has limited land, high population density, and centuries-old customs built around cremation. Islam, however, forbids cremation and requires ground burial. That’s not a minor disagreement—it’s a direct collision of incompatible practices. So when activists demand special cemeteries carved out for one religious group, Japan’s answer has essentially been: We’re not rewriting national norms to accommodate foreign customs. Cue the outrage. Some Japanese lawmakers—most notably Mio Sugita and Mizuho Umemura—were blunt about it. Japan will not overhaul its burial practices, zoning rules, or environmental safeguards to meet religious requirements imported from elsewhere. A few even suggested the obvious solution: if cremation is unacceptable, families can choose burial in their country of origin. Shocking, I know—personal responsibility in 2025. At the local level, resistance has been even stronger. Residents have raised concerns about groundwater contamination, land use, and the rapid increase in foreign residents. In other words, the same arguments communities everywhere make when the government proposes something they didn’t ask for. Apparently “listen to locals” only applies until locals say no. Yes, Japan’s Muslim population has grown—roughly 350,000 people as of early 2024, including foreign workers and Japanese converts. And yes, there are only about ten small Muslim cemeteries nationwide, making burial expensive and difficult. That’s unfortunate. But difficulty does not magically translate into entitlement, and scarcity does not obligate the state to restructure itself.