The maggid HaRav Yaakov Galinsky once told (in Vehigadeta, Shemos):
When HaRav Yosef Shlomo Kahaneman zt"l was appointed as rav of Ponovezh, he turned it into a focal city for Torah, founding a Talmud Torah, a Yeshiva Ketanoh, a Yeshiva Gedolah, a Kollel for Avreichim, and educational institutions for girls. 2000 students learned in all the schools, and the community subsidized their education.
New winds began to blow in the city, and after the elections it turned out that the compromisers and the secular were in the majority. They summoned the rav and ordered him to introduce secular learning in the yeshiva, and they warned him that if he refused they would kick him out of his job and get a more "progressive" rav for the city.
The Ponovezher Rav did not know what to do. So he traveled to speak with his rov, the Chofetz Chaim, for his advice.
The Chofetz Chaim told him: You should know that when there are two opposing forces in a civil war, then the regular citizens just hole up in their homes until one of the sides prevails. But what happens — and it does happen — when the army decides that each citizen must fly the flag of the party they identify with, so that everyone will know where they stand? Then there is no choice. One must figure out which side is the stronger and then fly its flag.
The Ponovezher Rov was stunned at this answer.
"Do you understand what I said?" asked the Chofetz Chaim.
"Yes," answered the rov.
"And what did you understand?" asked the Chofetz Chaim.
"That the compromisers and the secular and the majority of the community and they have the power. So I should give in to them and try to minimize the damage."
"If so, you did not understand," concluded the Chofetz Chaim. "They do have a majority in the community, but HaKadosh Boruch Hu is on our side. We are the stronger! The Greeks had many, many troops, fully armed and thoroughly trained. But HaKodosh Boruch Hu was on the side of the weak and outnumbered, the tzaddikim and Torah learners. And they won!"
The Ponovezher Rov accepted the advice of the Chofetz Chaim. He went back to the community council and told them of his intent to continue to run the institutions according to the pure Torah line, and if they want a fight, he is ready.
"No, why, you did not understand us," they said. "We were just suggesting. It is for you to decide."
Qatar and Israel
It was never a secret that Qatar supported terror organizations all over the world. The endless money of this little country greased the operations of terror bodies all over the world, to operate against Israel. But it was not just anti-Israel terrorists but also Islamic jihadists wherever they were.
This never stopped any of the countries of the world from seeing Qatar as a partner in various ventures. It is not only in Israel that a sports complex was built that sports the name of the capital of Qatar: Doha. Qatari money bought everyone. A huge sport even was held there and not even one country refused to participate because it was being held in a dictatorship that tramples on human right, oppressed minorities and sponsors worldwide terror.
Israeli policy towards Qatar was similar to the rest of the world. Everyone knew that senior anti-Israel terrorists were sheltered there and financed generously. There was nothing secret about it, but nonetheless the Israeli security establishment decided to try to use Qatari officials to restrain the terrorists. This was the basis of the decision to allow Qatar to funnel money to Gaza, to support workers there. It was all part of the "conception" that was widely shared by politicians of a broad range of parties, that economic calm in the Strip will also yield political calm. Peace for money. That was the slogan and even if there were, here and there, objections, those who supported the approach prevailed.
