In this week's parasha we see the story of Balaam, tasked by Balak the king of Moab to curse the Israelites.
This Torah portion is highly unusual because the entire story - the danger to the Jews, the drama of Balak and Balaam trying to send the curse, God's turning the curse into blessings - happens with the Children of Israel unaware of what is happening.
They were saved but didn't know it.
How many times does this happen? How many plots against us are foiled?
One of the themes we hear from the "progressive" crowd is that the major physical danger to Jews in America comes from the Right. Most of the major attacks against Jews indeed have come from the far Right.
But there have been a lot of planned attacks by Muslim extremists in America that were foiled by the FBI. I once listed a number of them:
In 2018, Damon Joseph, an Islamist who called himself "Abdullah Ali Yusuf,"was caught plotting to shoot Jews at at least one Toledo synagogue. He wanted to "kill as many people as possible."
Also in 2018, a Muslim was arrested for attempting to run over two Jews outside a Los Angeles synagogue, while shouting antisemitic slurs
In 2016, a Muslim convert was arrested and later convicted after plotting to blow up a synagogue in Aventura, Florida.
In 2011, two Muslim men were arrested for trying to blow up two Manhattan synagogues. One said he hated Jews and was a supporter of Palestinians.
In 2009, four Muslim men were arrested, and ultimately convicted, of a plot to blow up four New York synagogues.
In 2005, a group of Islamists were caught trying to bomb Los Angeles synagogues along with military targets.
Since then, in 2023 a New Jersey, man named Omar Alkattoul was sentenced to 15 months in prison for threatening to attack a synagogue and Jewish people.
Other plots have been foiled as well with non-Muslims. Many do not get much news coverage. But we should be just as appreciative for surviving the plots that get stopped before they start as we are for the ones that unfortunately cause damage, injury or deaths.
