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Israel’s military must enlist the ultra-Orthodox. What will that mean for Netanyahu and the war?

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- Israeli police officers remove an ultra-Orthodox Jewish man from the street during a protest against army recruitment in Jerusalem on June 2, 2024. Israel’s Supreme Court on Tuesday, June 25, ruled unanimously that the military must begin drafting ultra-Orthodox men for military service, a decision that could lead to the collapse of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition as Israel continues to wage war in Gaza. (AP Photo/Leo Correa, File)

By Melanie Lidman | AP

JERUSALEM — Israel’s Supreme Court unanimously ordered the government to begin drafting ultra-Orthodox Jewish men into the army — a landmark ruling seeking to end a system that has allowed them to avoid enlistment into compulsory military service.

Roughly 1.3 million ultra-Orthodox Jews make up about 13% of Israel’s population and oppose enlistment because they believe studying full time in religious seminaries is their most important duty.

An enlistment exemption for the ultra-Orthodox goes back to the founding of Israel in 1948, when small numbers of gifted scholars were exempt from the draft. But with a push from politically powerful religious parties, those numbers have swelled over the decades. The court said the exemptions were illegal in 2017, but repeated extensions and government delay tactics have prevented a replacement law from being passed.

Two parties belonging to the Haredim, or “god-fearing” in Hebrew, are essential parts of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s fragile coalition, but the broad exemptions from mandatory military service have reopened a deep divide in the country and infuriated much of the general public during the war in Gaza. Over 600 soldiers have been killed since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. Many reserve soldiers are starting their second tour of duty.

What does the ruling mean for Netanyahu’s government?

Netanyahu’s coalition holds a slim majority of 64 seats in the 120-member parliament, often requiring him to capitulate to the demands of smaller parties like the ultra-Orthodox.

If those parties leave the government, the country would likely be forced into new elections this fall. Netanyahu’s popularity is low as the war in Gaza drags into its ninth month.

Housing Minister Yitzhak Goldknopf heads one of the ultra-Orthodox parties in Netanyahu’s coalition. In a post on X, Goldknopf called the Supreme Court’s ruling “very unfortunate and disappointing,” but did not say whether his party would leave the government. The chairman of the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, Aryeh Deri, denounced the ruling and said religious study was “our secret weapon against all enemies.”

The court this year temporarily froze state subsidies for seminaries where exempted ultra-Orthodox men study. Along with the enlistment decision, the court also ruled Tuesday that that money should be permanently suspended.

Many religious seminaries depend on government funding and “the general assumption is that the government will not survive this crisis,” said Barak Medina, a law professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and an expert on constitutional law.

What did the courts rule?

Military service is compulsory for most Jewish men and women, who serve three and two years, respectively, in active duty, as well as reserve duty until around age 40.

 

The Israeli Supreme Court ruled that compulsory military service applies to the ultra-Orthodox just like any other Israeli. The judges said that allowing a certain community a “sweeping avoidance” of service amounted to discrimination.

“Discrimination regarding the most precious thing of all – life itself – is the worst kind,” the justices wrote in their opinion.

In 2017, the Supreme Court struck down a law that codified draft exemptions. Repeated extensions of the law and government tactics to delay a replacement law have dragged on for years.

Israel’s judiciary plays a large role in checking the government’s executive power. Netanyahu attempted to overhaul the judiciary last year, spurring massive protests across the country before a major part of the overhaul was struck down.

When will this go into effect?
It will be challenging for the army integrate a larger number of ultra-Orthodox deeply opposed to service into its ranks.

Among Israel’s Jewish majority, mandatory military service is largely seen as a melting pot and a rite of passage. The ultra-Orthodox say that integrating into the army will threaten their generations-old way of life, and that their devout lifestyle and dedication to upholding the Jewish commandments protect Israel as much as a strong army does.

The courts did not set numbers for enlistment in their ruling, but Israel’s attorney general’s office suggested that at least 3,000 ultra-Orthodox soldiers enlist in the coming year. The court said in its ruling that some 63,000 ultra-Orthodox students are eligible for enlistment.

For decades, the army has attempted to accommodate ultra-Orthodox soldiers by creating separate units that allow them to maintain religious practices, including minimizing interaction with women. One of the units created for this purpose, Netzah Yehudah, faced possible U.S. sanctions over their treatment of Palestinians, though the U.S. eventually decided not to impose sanctions.

What impact will this have on the war in Gaza?
The ruling will have little immediate effect on the war in Gaza, where more than 37,600 Palestinians have been killed, according to the territory’s Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians in its count. The number of ultra-Orthodox who might enlist because of the ruling is too small to have a significant impact on day-to-day fighting.

Medina, the law professor, said that if the ruling topples the government, it could give Netanyahu more leeway to reach a deal for a ceasefire that could end the war in Gaza.

“Currently, one of the main reasons he’s prevented from reaching an agreement for the end of the war is because it will mean the end of his coalition,” said Medina.

If the ultra-Orthodox parties leave the coalition, Netanyahu has “nothing to lose,” he said. And that could lead to a change in policy without the pressure from far-right ministers opposed to any kind of ceasefire. Netanyahu will also be under a lot of pressure to wrap up fighting if early elections are called, to avoid going into the elections without the hostages and while a war is still ongoing, Medina said.

Parents of Paris antisemitic gang-rape victim speak out

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NBC NEWS SCREENSHOT

JNS)
The parents of the 12-year-old girl, identified only as “A,” who was gang raped in a Paris suburb on June 15 recently spoke with French daily Le Parisien “to bear witness to the ordeal experienced by their eldest daughter.”

The incident sent shock waves through France. Hundreds demonstrated in Paris on June 19 in solidarity with the victim. French President Emmanuel Macron spoke out against “the scourge of antisemitism” at a Cabinet meeting that day.

Three boys were involved. Two of them, both 13 years old, were indicted for gang rape, death threats, antisemitic violence, attempted extortion, invasion of privacy, violence and insults.

A third, age 12, was declared an involved witness in the rape and is on trial for the other crimes.

The shocking incident took place only steps away from their apartment, the parents told Le Parisien.

“Their sense of immunity is amazing. They really thought they would be safe from prosecution and perhaps believed that our daughter would be so afraid that she wouldn’t say anything,” her father said.

“They threatened her with a lighter and forced her to swallow a piece of paper,” he said. “After that she suffered sexual acts and threats while being photographed.”

On a Saturday afternoon, the girl, who had spent the afternoon with friends, was crossing Henri Regnault Park in Courbevoie, a Paris suburb, when she came across two boys, one of whom she vaguely knew.

They blocked her way and forced her to follow them to an abandoned daycare center where they raped her, forcing her to perform oral, anal and vaginal sex.

“There was a very clear desire on the part of her attackers to destroy her life. She is very shocked. They stole her childhood from her,” the mother said. “She is afraid to speak and wakes up at night with flashbacks.”

There’s no question that Jew hatred was a motive for the gang rape as they hurled insults at her like “dirty Jew,” the teens admitted to police.

“Our daughter experienced antisemitism first hand,” the father said. “It has to do with importing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to France.”

The mother said their daughter had been the victim of religious bullying at school. “During this period, we advised her to hide her religious identity,” she said.

One of the assailants told their daughter, “Why did you lie? I know you are not Muslim. So what religion are you?” The attacker then concluded that she was Jewish, pro-Israel and anti-Palestinian, the parents said, noting this reflects a general conflation French Jews endure, where they are held responsible for the Middle East conflict.

“We are not looking for sympathy, but for the public to understand the difference between the conflict in the Middle East and French Jews,” the mother said.

“We want justice done,” the father added. “This incident is a sign of a collective social failure in the fight against antisemitism and extreme violence.”

As if to underscore the deterioriating security situation for French Jews, six Jewish youth were assaulted on June 22 outside a cinema in a Paris suburb. They suffered antisemitic insults by three assailants and one was slapped several times, Le Figaro reported.

Meanwhile, French prosecutors charged a 19-year-old man and a minor in the Paris region with plotting a terrorist attack on Jewish targets, Agence France-Presse reported on Friday.

The man was charged with “terrorist conspiracy” to commit attacks and the “acquisition and possession of arms for a terrorist enterprise,” according to the report.

Robert Kraft Establishes Blue Square Scholars Program at Yeshiva University

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New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft is engaged to New York ophthalmologist Dr. Dana Blumberg. Photo Credit: AP

Robert Kraft Establishes Blue Square Scholars Program at Yeshiva University

 $1 Million Donation Will Help Accommodate Transferring Jewish Students

Edited by: TJVNews.com

Yeshiva University, the nation’s flagship Jewish University, today announced the establishment of the Blue Square Scholars program by leading philanthropist Robert Kraft. This new program is timely as it will help the University accommodate transferring students who are switching to YU for its quality education and nurturing campus atmosphere. In the aftermath of October 7th, YU has been at the forefront of universities fighting the rise of anti-Semitism on college campuses across the country and has opened its doors to transfer students who feel unsafe on their current campuses.

In this environment, the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism founded by Robert Kraft has been a leader in the public battle to fight Jewish hate and all hate. The Foundation’s Blue Square has served as a symbol for unity and its message has spread throughout the world, promoting positive connections of mutual respect among diverse communities.

The Blue Square Scholars program at Yeshiva University will help provide the necessary infrastructure to accommodate the best and the brightest students who are rooted in the university’s values of compassion and respect for all. These students will become the leaders and bridgebuilders our society so desperately needs.

“We express our deep gratitude to Robert Kraft and the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism for establishing the Blue Square Scholars program, and for all they have done to foster a more inclusive society throughout our country,” said Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman, President of Yeshiva University. “Robert sets the standard for impactful leadership in this country and this program will support top tier students who will follow his example to become the leaders of tomorrow.”

“I am honored to establish the Blue Square Scholars program at Yeshiva University in order to give students a welcoming place to further their education and grow into leaders who will serve as advocates for unity and respect and will push back on all hate” said Robert Kraft, Founder of the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism. “At a time where hate has been unleashed across our universities, Jewish students are feeling isolated and unsafe. Yeshiva is providing a safe haven for these students and I look forward to seeing them thrive in an academic environment where they could live and study free of fear for being who they are”.

Robert Kraft directed $1 million to fund the Blue Square Scholars program at YU to further the university’s efforts to support Jewish college students throughout the country during the most recent rise in antisemitism on college campuses. Following the October 7th terror attack on Israel by Hamas, Rabbi Berman convened a groundbreaking coalition of over 100 university presidents who united against the terrorism of Hamas, including public, private, faith-based, and historically Black colleges and universities. In line with this effort, Rabbi Berman recently led a diverse group of university presidents on the March of the Living, for university leadership to commemorate life in Auschwitz on Holocaust Memorial Day.

About Yeshiva University

As the flagship Jewish university, Yeshiva University is animated by its five core Torah values: Seek Truth (Torat Emet), Live Your Values (Torat Chaim), Discover Your Potential (Torat Adam), Act With Compassion (Torat Chesed) and Bring Redemption (Torat Tzion). Founded in 1886, Yeshiva University brings together the ancient traditions of Jewish law and life, and the heritage of Western civilization. More than 7,400 undergraduate and graduate students study at YU’s four New York City campuses: the Wilf Campus, Israel Henry Beren Campus, Brookdale Center, and Jack and Pearl Resnick Campus. YU’s three undergraduate schools – Yeshiva College, Stern College for Women, and Sy Syms School of Business – offer a unique dual program comprised of Jewish studies and liberal arts courses. Its graduate and affiliate schools include Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Wurzweiler School of Social Work, Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration, Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies, the Katz School of Science and Health and Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary. YU is ranked among the nation’s leading academic institutions.

Real Jewish Leadership – It Is “Unrealistic”

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Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu holds a press conference at the Ministry of Defense in Tel Aviv on February 29, 2024. (Nimrod Klikman/POOL)

Real Jewish Leadership – It Is “Unrealistic”

By:  Aviad Gadot

Thanks to Channel 14, thanks to Linon Magal and the Patriots team. I think that the interview with Prime Minister Netanyahu did an excellent service in every respect for the success of the war, for the improvement of the media, for the religious camp that was left alone to bear the leadership burden of the campaign, and this interview did an excellent service above all – to the Prime Minister himself.

No. It was not an easy interview for Netanyahu. See that he is ready. There were also difficult questions. In my opinion, not difficult enough, but certainly comprehensive and those that left almost half a million intelligent viewers the ability to understand what is the real answer, what is diplomatic, where are the strengths and where are the weaknesses of what used to be called the War Cabinet and now the War Kitchen, and of the one who heads it.

Netanyahu is a leader on an international level, a statesman who is running a heavy political campaign against Biden’s USA, which stuck a knife in our back during an existential war and in an unforgivable way, and is helped to do so by its metastases here in Israel: petty politicians, failed generals and the media establishment that makes sure to blow wind every day afflicted in the nation.

But Prime Minister Netanyahu is not free from the same errors that allowed the failed senior security establishment to create all the conditions for the horrible failure of the Simchat Torah massacre. We have been crying out for years that the security system needs governance, or rather real reform, and we show every day how the conception, aka the progressive concept that gripped the heads of the IDF and the other security arms – is still with us, still kicking throughout the war. What will defeat the The war is the other spirit, the Jewish spirit expressed by our determined fighters and worthy commanders who are still removed and blocked within the system.

Indeed, the Prime Minister presents a different line, more determined than Defense Minister Galant, who defected to the left a long time ago, more determined than Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, who was supposed to be replaced at the very beginning of the campaign, and their ilk. But the interview with the Patriots proved that this other spirit, the healthy spirit, Menasha is in the camp that is represented in the patriots in a much more clear and sharp way, than in the Prime Minister’s office.

Core issues such as the Jewish settlement in Gaza, the concept of a central command, the displacement of Hamas (and not just “mowing the grass”) the defeat of Hezbollah and more – were asked in the Patriots studio appropriately, but were answered with a weak answer. A big boost is needed here.

When a Jewish leader answers that settlement in the Land of Israel is not realistic during a course of occupation in a just war like no other – something very basic is missing.

We would not have established the State of Israel based on realistic considerations, we would not have won the War of Independence, not even the Six Day War, and we would not have liberated the Western Wall and the Temple Mount, we would not have collected postcards and we would not have maintained this lone Jewish outpost called “Israel”, in the heart of a hostile Middle East. Yes, everything starts with a vision, not just political maneuvering, “and keep our eyes on your return to Zion with mercy”, a vision that sees far – and achieves what is possible with realistic tools.

To my delight, this spirit was expressed by Yanon Magal and his friends, as well as the stormy applause in the audience specifically for the questions. Hoy says, the rising media voice of the religious camp – is a powerful engine for Israel’s victory. After all, we already learned in the Simchat Torah, that long, long before tanks, airplanes, long before technology and the Iron Dome, and certainly long before political generals – the consciousness, the spirit, the deep and visionary Jewish identity are needed for the State of Israel.

This is also what we learn from the Parshat of the week, Parshat Shelah. Ten spies sent by Moses see the data, and empty the people of the desire for the Land of Israel. Only two of them express “another spirit”. An “unrealistic” spirit, a spirit of “an exalted leaf and we will inherit it” – Yehoshua ben Nun and Caleb ben Yefuna. The eyes saw the same thing, but the heart is the main thing, the heart that bears the name of heaven that expresses the spirit of Israel, this is the heart with which justice is done.

I came out of this Patriots interview a little worried. I saw the “realistic” thinking that failed in Simchat Torah. But I also came away encouraged, there is a huge camp here that takes the fate of the country in its hands, is given a powerful expression in a religious Jewish channel with a lot of si’ata shammia, thus strengthening the Jewish spirit – which is the way to victory.

The author is the CEO of the organizations ‘Hotum’ and ‘Torat Himah’.

LA Mayor Floats Mask Bans at Protests in Response to Anti-Semitic Synagogue Violence

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By Blake Mauro (Free Beacon)

In response to Sunday’s violent clash between anti-Semitic protesters and Israel supporters at a local synagogue, Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass (D.) announced she is considering a mask ban during protests within the city.

Speaking to the public on Monday, Bass said the city was examining several issues related to public protests, including “the idea of people wearing masks at protests.” Many of the anti-Semitic protesters on Sunday were wearing headdresses and masks, obscuring their identity from police. Pro-Palestine protesters blocked the entrance to the Adas Torah synagogue and beat, wrestled, kicked, and bear-sprayed those trying to defend the house of worship.

Los Angeles is not the only city pushing anti-mask laws as violent anti-Semitic protests continue to spread across American towns and college campuses. Last month, Ohio attorney general Dave Yost sent a letter alerting the state’s 14 public universities that protesters could be charged under a state anti-mask law. Similarly, students arrested during a protest at the University of Florida were charged with wearing masks in public.

Protest organizers encourage participants to wear masks during demonstrations to hide their identity against video surveillance and facial recognition technology, making it difficult for police to identify suspects. They also said masks help “prevent the spread of infectious diseases.”

Earlier this month, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D.) proposed a mask ban to reduce the rampant crime in her state.

“We will not tolerate individuals using masks to evade responsibility for criminal or threatening behavior,” Hochul told reporters at a news conference. “My team is working on a solution. … People should not be able to hide behind a mask to commit crimes.”

The push against masks at protests is an about-face for these Democrat-run cities, whose leaders mandated masks during the George Floyd riots of 2020 in the name of COVID-19 prevention.

As police dispersed the protesters Sunday, they arrested one participant for carrying a spiked post.

“Blocking access to a place of worship is absolutely unacceptable,” Bass said in response to Sunday’s events. “What we witnessed was anti-Semitism in the heart of one of our Jewish communities.”

Anti-Semites Rally To Save Jamaal Bowman From Primary Loss

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Andrew Stiles(Free Beacon)

Prominent anti-Semites are rallying behind Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D., N.Y.), who faces a much-contested primary on Tuesday, as the radical lawmaker seeks to avoid becoming the first “Squad” member to lose his seat.

Bowman earlier this month sat for an interview with Cynthia Nixon on Zeteo, a new media platform founded by former MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan, whose show was canceled after he repeatedly disparaged Israel in the weeks following the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks. Hasan is also an outspoken defender of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D., Minn.), the “Squad” member whom StopAntiSemitism.com named as its 2019 anti-Semite of the year.

Nixon, best known as a Sex and the City actress, condemned Israel for defending itself and led a group of left-wing activists who marched outside the White House in November. The activists also announced a five-day hunger strike in support of Hamas, the terrorist organization waging war on Israel. In 2018, when Nixon mounted a failed campaign for governor of New York, Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz denounced the actress as an “anti-Israel” bigot over her support for boycotts of the Jewish state.

Over the weekend, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.) joined Bowman onstage at a campaign rally and attempted to fire up the crowd using a tone that most Americans would describe as shrill. “Are we ready to take on AIPAC?” Ocasio-Cortez shrieked in reference to American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a pro-Israel advocacy group. “Are we ready to kick some Wall Street ass? Good. Because we are tired of having corporate lobbies trying to buy up our communities and sell them to the highest bidder.”

Several days before the campaign event, Ocasio-Cortez accused supporters of Israel of “weaponizing anti-Semitism” by leveling “false accusations” against “people of color and women of color by bad-faith political actors.” The radical left-wing politician did not explain what was false about the anti-Semitism charges leveled against Bowman, who was forced to apologize for describing reports of sexual violence that Hamas committed in Israel on Oct. 7 as “lies” and “propaganda.”

Another “Squad” member, Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D., Mass.), defended Bowman during an interview with anti-Israel activist and Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman. Pressley touted Bowman as an “unapologetic black man” and “truth-teller” who understands that “our destinies are tied from Gaza to Haiti” and who is “doing the work [and] leading with love.”

Recent polling suggests Bowman will lose the Democratic primary to George Latimer, the Westchester County executive, who is endorsed by Hillary Clinton. Latimer said this week that beating Bowman in the primary would be a signal that the “people who believe that it’s trendy to attack Israel are failing.”

This Week’s Televised Debate Is Crucial for Biden and Trump — And for CNN as Well

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FILE - CNN anchors Jake Tapper, left, and Dana Bash, right, speaking to members of the audience before the start of the CNN Republican presidential debate in Des Moines, Iowa, Jan. 10, 2024. Joe Biden and Donald Trump won't be alone at the debate Thursday, June 27. Moderators Bash and Tapper of CNN will be on camera, too, and there's a lot on the line for their network as it fights for relevance in a changing media environment. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)

(AP) — Joe Biden and Donald Trump won’t be alone at Thursday’s debate. Moderators Dana Bash and Jake Tapper of CNN will be on camera, too, and there’s a lot on the line for their network as it fights for relevance in a changing media environment.

CNN has hosted dozens of town halls and political forums through the years, but never a general election presidential debate, let alone one so early in a campaign. No network has.

“This is a huge moment for CNN,” said former CNN Washington bureau chief Frank Sesno, now a media and public affairs professor at George Washington University. “CNN has to reassert itself. It has to show that it led a revolution in news before and can do it again.”

As a television network, CNN is struggling at a time many consumers are cutting off cable and most news outlets wonder if the campaign will ignite consumer interest.

Those that remain have expressed a clear preference for opinion programming. Fox News Channel has averaged 2.14 million viewers in prime time this month, with MSNBC at 1.22 million and CNN at 525,000, according to the Nielsen company. That’s down 17% from last June for CNN.

CNN’s chairman and CEO, Mark Thompson, has been with the company for less than a year and has spoken more about the internet than television as an opportunity for growth. Yet it means something that both campaigns chose CNN for the first debate. A well-run, illuminating event can open some eyes and remind people of CNN’s legacy as the first all-news television network. If it goes off the rails, that’s a stain that could take years to wash away.

“This is a hugely consequential moment in this campaign,” said David Chalian, CNN’s vice president and political director. “It’s the earliest presidential debate ever. It’s obviously a huge privilege and a huge responsibility for CNN to host it.”

Looking hard for more viewers
It’s possible — even likely — that CNN won’t even have the biggest American audience on Thursday.

Choosing public service over pure profit, CNN offered to let other networks carry the debate feed; ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox News Channel, MSNBC, PBS and C-SPAN will all do so. The other networks also have the right to sell their own ad time during the two commercial breaks.

The networks had to agree to CNN’s rules — they must keep CNN’s insignia onscreen and can’t interrupt with their own commentators while the debate airs. Internationally, only CNN is carrying it.

The event, in an Atlanta studio, won’t have a live audience. That was important to the Biden campaign but also to CNN. The network’s town hall with Trump in 2023 was panned in large part because of the presence of Trump partisans.

CNN will also control a mute button, to turn a candidate’s microphone off when his opponent is talking. That’s also reactive; Biden and many viewers were frustrated by Trump’s frequent interruptions during the first of two debates between them in 2020.

When he conducted an unscientific poll among listeners to his SiriusXM radio show, Michael Smerconish said that 90% were in favor of the “mute” button. But Smerconish, who also hosts a weekend show on CNN, counts himself among the 10% who don’t like the idea.

“You run the risk that the debate will become an antiseptic experience,” missing some good give-and-take, Smerconish said in an interview with The Associated Press.

Stay tuned, though. Chalian, who would not say who would be in control of the mute button, said an opponent’s voice may still be picked up if he pipes up. It just won’t be the dominant voice.

The network will not attempt to fact-check the candidates in real time, he said.

“Obviously, if there is some egregious fact that needs to be checked or the record needs to be made clear, Jake and Dana can do that,” he said. “But that’s not their role. They are not here to participate in this debate. They are here to facilitate a debate between Trump and Biden.”

Will CNN offer a fair forum?
Well before the debate, Trump and his supporters have been putting forward the notion that because of CNN’s presence, it won’t be a fair fight. At a campaign rally where he denounced “fake Tapper,” Trump said that he would be debating three people instead of one — even though his campaign agreed in advance to the rules and moderators.

On CNN Monday, the network’s Kasie Hunt cut off an interview with Trump press aide Karoline Leavitt after she repeatedly attacked the moderators.

“Our side has zero expectations that this is going to be a fair debate,” said Tim Graham, director of media analysis at the conservative Media Research Center. “When you watch Tapper and Bash anchor, you get the distinct impression that you’re not going to get a fair debate.”

What Graham will be watching for: How many times will the moderators interrupt Trump and how many times do they stop Biden?

To a large extent, the attitude speaks to how CNN is boxed in commercially. Egged on by Trump, many of his supporters perceive CNN as biased against them, not as a network that follows the facts. And if you oppose Trump and want to see your view reflected, MSNBC is a more satisfying destination.

“Our job is simply to make sure that we are best prepared to facilitate and moderate the debate between the candidates,” Chalian said. “That is our focus. I really try not to pay too much attention to the pre-spin or post-spin. I’m really focused on the debate itself.”

Days before the event, a keep-your-head-down-and-work attitude seems to be how he’s dealing with a pressure-filled event that could choke you if you let it.

“Let’s be clear,” he said. “The stakes are highest for Donald Trump and Joe Biden. They’re the participants in this debate.”

 

Gantz says, ‘Israel can destroy Hezbollah in days’

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Former Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Speaking at a conference, Benny Gantz claimed that Israel can destroy Hezbollah’s military in just days.

With the escalation of Hezbollah’s almost daily attacks on Israel’s northern border, Israel’s military has been bracing for a possible all-out war with the Lebanese terror group.

US officials expressed concerns that Hezbollah, armed with sophisticated Iranian missiles, could breach Israel’s Iron Dome and seriously compromise Israel’s security.

However, Benny Gantz, former Defense Minister and IDF Chief of Staff, speaking at the 21st Herzliya Conference at Reichman University, expressed confidence in Israel’s ability to defeat Hezbollah.

He said, “We can bring Lebanon completely into the dark, and take apart Hezbollah’s power in days.”

However, Gantz said the real challenge and goal was to return Israeli evacuees to their homes by September 1st.

He explained that the aim was to “return the southern and northern residents to their homes, even at the price of escalation.”

Gantz explained that Israel’s price “will be heavy. We need to back up our institutions. We need to be ready for major incidents of harm [to the public]. We should try to avoid it, but if we need to do it, we cannot be deterred from it.”

He concluded, “We cannot let Hezbollah keep threats close to the northern border; we need to get the [northern] residents back by September 1.”

In addition, Gantz said that building alliances, including through normalization with the Saudis, was essential for deterring Iran.

“We still have the opportunity of normalization with the Saudis and other states, to build what we started to build, the Middle East air defense, to form a stranglehold on the Iranian axis,” he said.

In addition, Gantz said a main priority would be “to build up Israel’s defenses and to be ready for ‘the Judgment Day’ of stopping Iranian nuclear weapons.”

Gantz also said he supported a hostage deal, even if it meant a cessation of the war for the time being.

He made the analogy that it took the US 10 years after 9/11 to eliminate Osama Bin Laden, and there was time to neutralize the October 7th mastermind Yahya Sinwar.

 

Trump Endorses Oct. 7 Film: ‘Difficult, but I Urge People to Watch’

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Donald Trump posted a $175 million bond in his NY civil fraud case. Photo Credit: AP

(JNS) – Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump urged his social-media followers on Tuesday to watch the film “Screams Before Silence,” which documents the sexual crimes committed by the terrorist organization Hamas on Oct. 7.

“The documentary ‘Screams Before Silence’ is incredibly difficult to watch because, sadly, it graphicly portrays the death and destruction that Hamas has unleashed. I urge people to support the documentary and watch, if able,” Trump wrote on his social-media platform, Truth Social, and on X.

The former president has remained firm in his commitment to Israel even as criticism of its Gaza operation grew. In a March interview with Israel Hayom, Trump said he supports Israel’s defensive war against Hamas and that he would have responded to the Oct. 7 attack in a very similar way.

In his post, Trump also demanded that “all hostages taken October 7 from Israel, and being held in Gaza, be released immediately, including eight Americans, and citizens from over twenty other countries, so that the war can come to an end. Peace through strength!”

Despite the overwhelming evidence of sexual crimes committed by Hamas, Israel has faced an uphill battle convincing world bodies to take note.

Shelly Tal Meron, an Israeli lawmaker from the Yesh Atid Party, told JNS that “on Oct. 7, we had a lot of cases of sexual assault, mutilation, rape and different kinds of abuse. We also know that it’s happening right now in Gaza so to hear that people are even doubting it is outrageous.”

“There are a lot of bodies that had sharp objects in the women’s groins; they shot or cut off their intimate parts. We saw that this was a systematic way of Hamas terrorists harming these women,” Meron said.

Professor Ruth Halperin-Kaddari, founding director of the Rackman Center for the Advancement of the Status of Women at Bar-Ilan University’s Faculty of Law—and co-founder of the Dinah Project 7/10, which seeks justice for the victims of Hamas’s sexual crimes—told JNS that the victims’ testimonies she had heard, “from a legal point of view, led me to the conclusion that sexual violence on October 7 was used as a weapon of war.”

“We have the footage, the pictures taken at the scene, the testimonies of eyewitnesses and those of first responders who found all the bodies,” she added.

The documented incidents followed a pattern and were carried out in a similar fashion, she said. “This could not have happened unless there were directions, and unless it was a premeditated part of the plan of the attack of Oct. 7,” she said.

In January, Haim Otmazgin, a volunteer for Israel’s ZAKA Search and Rescue, a non-governmental first-responder group, confirmed the widespread nature of the sexual assaults on Oct. 7.
“One woman is cuffed, another one is stripped, another one has her body parts cut off. It’s like a series of pictures being repeated again and again. We saw the same things at [Kibbutz] Re’im and later in [other] kibbutzim,” he recounted to an Israeli parliamentary committee.

“We found a young girl, on the bed, clothes rolled up, shot in the head and her throat split. Her pants rolled down, without underwear on her. There are too many instances like these. … The images we saw tell a story that cannot be interpreted in any other way,” he added.

Canada’s Conservatives Win Shock Election Victory in Grim Omen for Trudeau

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Canadian PM Justin Trudeau in Brussels, June 14, 2021. (AP/Olivier Matthys, Pool)

By  John Hayward (Breitbart)

Canadian Conservative candidate Don Stewart won a close election on Monday in Toronto-St. Paul’s, taking a seat that has been held by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal party for the past 30 years.

“Before Monday’s vote, a Conservative candidate hadn’t been competitive in Toronto–St. Paul’s since the 1980s. The party hadn’t won a seat in urban Toronto since the 2011 federal election,” CBC News marveled.

CBC called the race a “nail-biter to the very end,” with Stewart’s Liberal opponent Leslie Church in the lead for about six out of seven hours of vote-counting. Stewart only took the lead when the final batch of votes was counted, vaulting to 42.1 percent over Church’s 40.5 percent. Stewart won the race by 590 votes. Liberals won the previous nine elections in the district by over 20 points each time.

“The Liberals’ poor showing in a stronghold like this could prompt some soul-searching for Trudeau, who has seen his popularity plummet as inflation, the cost of living crisis, high home prices and surging immigration levels drive voter discontent,” CBC suggested.

The Canadian Press compared Church’s glum evening to Canada losing the Stanley Cup on Monday night. The election upset was already so painful for Liberals that the Canadian Press could not bring itself to pour lemon juice on their paper cuts by mentioning who took the Stanley Cup from Canada.

The only consolation for Liberals was that independent candidates might have siphoned off enough votes to make first-time candidate Stewart’s shock victory possible. Amrit Parhar of the New Democratic Party (NDP) finished with 10.9 percent, while Christian Cullis of the Green Party took 2.9 percent.

“The race was considered a must-win for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and the loss is a massive blow that could trigger calls for him to step down after 11 years as Liberal leader,” the Canadian Press warned.

Stewart himself said the election was a “chance to send Justin Trudeau a message.”

The contest on Monday was a “by-election” or special election, prompted when Liberal MP Carolyn Bennett resigned in December.

Bennett, a 73-year-old former doctor who first entered the House of Commons in 1997, decided it was time to end her time in Parliament – but she did not stay out of government for very long, as Trudeau named her ambassador to Denmark in January. She chose to resign her parliamentary seat immediately instead of waiting for the next regular election in 2025.

Bennett, who won almost all of her parliamentary races with over half the vote, was the major reason Toronto-St.Paul’s was considered an invulnerable “safe seat” for Liberals. The party quickly chose Church, a veteran staffer whose last post was chief of staff to Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, as Bennett’s successor.

The Conservatives went with Stewart, an eight-year resident of the St. Paul’s district who served as director of market surveillance at the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization. Stewart is also a military reservist and treasurer of a non-profit organization devoted to veterans. He has long been involved in Conservative politics, but never ran for office before.

CTV News reported Conservative leaders were almost as surprised by Stewart’s shock win as Liberals. Both sides agreed the outcome was a devastating blow to Trudeau and a tremendous boost to Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre.

Most political analysts went into the race assuming Church would win, but they warned that if she won by five points or less, it would still be a sign that Poilievre might crush Trudeau in the next general election.

David Colletto, CEO of analytics firm Abacus Data, said before the election that Trudeau should think about throwing in the towel if Church won by less than ten points. Conservative analysts spoke of internal polls that showed Stewart losing by five points, and said that would be close enough to send Trudeau an unmistakable message. Virtually no one in the media or political sphere expected Stewart to actually win.

CTV spoke to Liberals who grumbled that the deeply unpopular Trudeau was an anchor around Church’s neck. For that matter, CTV’s own commentators blasted Trudeau for dragging Church down.

“I feel sick for Leslie. She poured everything into this, uprooting her life and campaigning endlessly. This isn’t really her loss. But it will still hurt,” sighed CTV analyst Scott Reid.

The Liberal Party pulled out all the stops to save Church, sending in just about every party heavyweight except Trudeau, including Church’s old boss Freeland.

Liberal sources mostly said they were not ready to call on Trudeau to step aside just yet, but their position might change if Conservatives do well in the next few by-elections.

Poilievre’s deputy Melissa Lantsman certainly seemed to think the future looked bright for her party on Monday:

The National Post suggested that in addition to public discontent with Trudeau, another factor in Toronto-St. Paul’s could be Jewish voters, who make up about ten percent of the district.

Canada’s Liberals – like left-wing parties in the United States and across Europe – maintained an awkward silence during vicious pro-Hamas demonstrations, while Stewart loudly declared that “repulsive acts of anti-Semitism” should be “unequivocally condemned by our leaders at all levels of government.” Stewart showed up for massive pro-Israel rallies, while Liberals found reasons to be elsewhere.

Stewart also ran on supporting Poilievre as prime minister-in-waiting and promised to advance his legislative agenda. Stewart said his campaign “echoes the things that Mr. Poilievre has said.”

“We want to axe the tax, build the homes, fix the budget and stop the crime. I think I can add to that in Parliament,” Stewart said.

Poilievre campaigned alongside Stewart and praised him as a “common-sense Conservative” who understands that Canadians are “sick of a government that taxes food, punishes work, doubles housing costs and unleashes crime and chaos in the community.”

Writing at the National Post on Tuesday, columnist Tasha Kheiriddin saluted Stewart as a “giant-killer” and predicted the pressure on Trudeau to resign before the next election would grow intense.

Kheiriddin said Trudeau dropping out would be the worst thing that could happen to Conservatives, because while their “consistent messaging on the economy” and “the populist wave that is sweeping the planet” might be the wind beneath their wings, popular disgust with Trudeau is the jet fuel in their engines.

Kheiriddin tossed in a bonus prediction that Trudeau’s replacement would not be Chrystia Freeland, who came off as ineffective and desperate while campaigning for Church in Toronto-St.Paul.

“Anyone who is part of the current Liberal inner circle will be promptly slammed by the Tories as Trudeau 2.0,” she noted.

 

Top Cats: Panthers win their 1st Stanley Cup, top Oilers 2-1 in Game 7

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AP

. (AP) — Aleksander Barkov put his hands at either end of the Stanley Cup and began skating away to start the celebration that the Florida Panthers have wanted forever.

And as he began to hoist hockey’s chalice for the first time, he had one thought.

“It’s heavy,” he said.

A 37-pound trophy wasn’t too much for him. A three-game slide wasn’t too much for the Panthers. There was no stumble with the Cup, no collapse with the Cup on the line. The Panthers are champions for the first time, after taking about the hardest path possible to the title.

Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe scored goals, Sergei Bobrovsky made 23 saves and the Panthers beat the Edmonton Oilers 2-1 on Monday night in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. It was the third title-round appearance in Florida’s 30-year history; it was swept in 1996 by Colorado and routed 4-1 by Vegas last season. And that loss last year was what this team needed.

 

“You have to go through it first,” forward Matthew Tkachuk said, “to know what it takes to get it done.”

This time, they were on the right side of history — after avoiding what would have been a historic collapse. The Panthers won the first three games of the series, then lost the next three and needed a win on Monday to avoid joining the 1942 Detroit Red Wings as the only teams to lose the final after taking a 3-0 lead in the title round.

“It’s not what I thought it would be,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. “It’s so much better.”

It wasn’t easy. Not even close. But it’s done.

Barkov handed the Cup to Bobrovsky and the celebration was on. It took until the very end for the Panthers to deny Connor McDavid his first title, and Edmonton what would have been its first Cup since 1990.

“You want to become a true champion and you want to win,” said Bobrovsky, a champion for the first time at 35. “But at the end of the day, you don’t do it for the Cups. You do it for the love of the game.”

McDavid won the Conn Smythe as MVP of the Stanley Cup playoffs. He didn’t come out for the trophy. It’s not the one he wanted, anyway. The Cup is what they play for, and it was Florida that hoisted it.

“No player in the world wants to win the Stanley Cup more than him,” Oilers teammate Leon Draisaitl said of McDavid, who had one of the greatest individual postseasons in NHL history with 42 points. “He does everything right, every single day.”

But the Panthers did a little more right on Monday. And that’s the difference.

“It’s not a dream anymore. It’s not a dream. It’s reality,” said Tkachuk, who got traded to Florida two summers ago with this as his goal. “I can’t believe it. I can’t believe it. … I can’t believe how good these two years have been. So thankful for this group of guys. It’s the best place, best guys. It’s something really special here with what we have.”

Mattias Janmark had the goal for Edmonton and Stuart Skinner stopped 19 shots for the Oilers. The Oilers also couldn’t snap Canada’s title drought; it’s been 1993 and counting since a team based in Canada won the Cup.

 

Montreal was the last to do so, 30 seasons ago. Since then, there have been seven attempts by teams from Canadian-based cities — Vancouver in 1994 and 2011, Calgary in 2004, the Oilers in 2006, Ottawa in 2007 and the Canadiens in 2021 — to win titles, and all were in vain.

South Florida now has one of everything when it comes to titles from the four major pro sports leagues in the U.S. The Miami Dolphins were champions twice, the then-Florida Marlins were champions twice, the Miami Heat have three titles and now the Panthers have joined the party.

Welcome, Stanley. The Panthers have been waiting. Maurice hoisted the Cup by the bench, closed his eyes tight to control the emotion and let out a yell. General manager Bill Zito didn’t bother even trying to not let the yell out. And in the stands, Tkachuk’s family — his father, Keith, never won a Cup — reveled in the moment, knowing their surname will soon be on Lord Stanley.

“This is for them,” Tkachuk said.

Bobrovsky was as cool as could be, even in the biggest moments. Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard had a good look from the right circle with about 14 seconds left in the second period; Bobrovsky blocked the shot, and the puck bounced off him and into the air.

No problem. Bobrovsky took his stick and batted the puck away again, more like he was playing morning pickleball at a park than in the biggest game of his life — literally, the last line of defense against the Oilers, and against a piece of history that the Panthers desperately fought to avoid.

Florida led this title series 3-0, then got outscored 18-5 in Games 4, 5 and 6 to waste three chances at winning the Cup. Edmonton was one win away from becoming the second team in NHL history to win the Cup after dropping the first three games; Toronto did it to Detroit in 1942, and no team has pulled off such a comeback since.

Edmonton almost did it. Almost.

“They should have their heads up high,” Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said. “There’s lots to be proud of.”

The Panthers brought in seven-time Grammy winner Alanis Morissette — she was born in Canada and became a dual U.S. citizen in 2005 — to sing the national anthems. Hardly anybody could hear her; the Oilers fans drowned her out for “O Canada,” the Panthers fans did the same for “The Star-Spangled Banner.” They had Panthers legend Roberto Luongo bang the ceremonial bass drum after that; he urged fans to “let’s go” with an extra word in there that needed to be bleeped a few times.

“We have a great team on our side,” said Luongo, whose number was retired by the Panthers and is now part of the team’s front office. “And the boys really dug deep.”

The pregame was raucous. The stage was set.

And the teams came out absolutely ablaze.

The Panthers got the first goal just 4:27 into the game when Verhaeghe waved his stick at the puck that was fired in from the left side by Evan Rodrigues and got just enough to redirect it past Skinner for a 1-0 lead — the first Florida lead since the end of Game 3.

They waited more than a week to be back on top. They stayed there for just over two minutes.

Janmark got behind the Florida defense and beat Bobrovsky over the right shoulder at 6:44, knotting things right back up and ensuring that this Game 7 of the final — like all 17 of the previous such games — wouldn’t end 1-0.

It stayed that way through wild ebbs and flows — the Oilers controlled long stretches, the Panthers would counter, back and forth — until Reinhart scored late in the second to put Florida up 2-1. It capped a crazy sequence, one where Florida defenseman Dmitry Kulikov wound up in the net to help prevent an Edmonton goal seconds before Reinhart beat Skinner. The goal was Reinhart’s 67th of the season, extending his Florida single-season record, and it was up to the Panthers to make it hold up.

“The determination,” Maurice said, “was clear.”

Florida was an NHL-best 44-0-3 entering Monday when leading after two periods this season. An NHL-best 85-2-6 in that situation in the two seasons under coach Maurice, too.

They slammed the door, one last time. And the Cup was their reward.

“This is the best moment of my life so far,” veteran Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad said. “Nothing tops it.”

Al-Jazeera caught censoring Gazans who dare to denounce Hamas

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By Hugh Fitzgerald, Frontpage Magazine

Al-Jazeera is owned by Qatar, that provides Hamas with both money and sanctuary for its leaders, who live luxurious lives in Doha.

So it is no surprise that Al-Jazeera reporters in Gaza are determined not to report any negative views expressed by Gazans about Hamas, cutting off interviewees who express anger at the terror group.

More on this censorship by Al Jazeera reporters can be found here: “‘May Allah reckon with you’: Al Jazeera caught censoring Gazan criticism for Hamas,” by Ohad Merlin, Jerusalem Post, June 16, 2024:

Social media in the Arab world found itself in a tempest as outlets belonging to Al-Jazeera, mouthpiece of Hamas leaders’ haven Qatar, were caught red handed censoring Gazan contempt for Hamas.

 

Last week, Al-Jazeera Palestine, a tributary of Al-Jazeera, posted a video of a Gazan doctor who claimed he was injured in Nuseirat during Operation Arnon to rescue the four hostages, in which the doctor was seen crying and screaming about the casualties, saying: “it is true that we are steadfast;” but then the video suddenly cut, and the man was seen crying again.

However, in a longer uncut version of the video circulating online, the reason for the cutting and editing became clear.

During his original speech, the man also said: “this rotten leadership will end up blaming us that we … it is true that we are steadfast, however our leadership are scum. Our leadership got used to this bloodshed, may Allah reckon with them! …swear to me that this video will reach the Palestinian leadership. This massacre at Nuseirat – we could have prevented it!”

This part of the interview, so furious in its condemnation of Hamas’ “rotten leadership” who are “scum,” was not shown on Al-Jazeera television, but it had been recorded by others at the scene and was uploaded by persons unknown to social media, where it has gone viral, much to the chagrin of Al-Jazeera and Hamas.

It is unclear how the man meant for the so-called “massacre” to be prevented, and some speculated that he was referring to the fact that civilians from the area knew about the holding of Israeli hostages in their neighbors’ home.

In any case, this was not the only time Al-Jazeera attempted to censor or silence Gazan criticism of Hamas.

In November, a viral video circulated of an elderly injured Gazan who was interviewed in a Gaza hospital by an Al-Jazeera reporter, saying: “and regarding the resistance (meaning: Hamas), they hide among the people. Why do they hide among the people?”

The reporter could then be seen immediately cutting the interview and trying to end the broadcast, leaving the interviewee surprised and attempting to get back to his interview….

When the interviewee dares to question — that is, to criticize — Hamas’ policy of using human shields (“Why do they hide among the people”) he is promptly cut off, but he has already said quite enough.

And his telling outburst was also posted on social media.

Clearly the Israeli government is within its rights in shutting down Al-Jazeera’s operations in the Jewish state. Al-Jazeera is not, and has never been, a legitimate news-gathering organization.

Funded by the Hamas-supporting government of Hamas, it is the propaganda arm of the terror group. Its reporters in Gaza promptly cut off interviewees who dare to call Hamas’ behavior into question.

When someone in Gaza criticizes Hamas, whether it be to complain of the danger Hamas puts civilians in, as in its placement of the hostages in private houses, or the harm it does them by seizing so much of the aid that, as the elderly woman put it, goes “down to the tunnels” rather than to the ordinary Gazans, that interviewee is promptly cut off.

People in Gaza have been uploading their own live broadcasts, as well as posts on social media, to express their fury at Hamas both for endangering their lives and for seizing so much of the aid for its own operatives and their extended families.

They know that this is the only way for the truth to get out; the traditional media in Gaza, with Al-Jazeera in the lead, will never permit such criticism of Hamas.

Also in November, Hezbollah-affiliated channel Al-Mayadeen interviewed a Gazan girl asking what she wants to say about the so-called “resistance”, and the girl responded: “The resistance is under the tunnels and they leave the people alone.”…

The girl’s remark that Hamas is “under the tunnels” means its operatives are in hiding, while we ordinary Gazans are the ones who bear the brunt of the IDF’s assault.

HAMAS LIES ARE ‘REGURGITATED’ BY MEDIA OUTLETS: EX-IDF SPOKESMAN
And when she says “they [Hamas operatives] leave the people alone,” she means that they do not give a damn about the people, do not help them in any way, do not allow them to receive the full amount of the aid to which they are entitled but instead seize so much of it for themselves.

All those journalists in Gaza working for Al-Jazeera, the disseminator of propaganda for Hamas, and for other Arab and Western media outlets as well, do not report the truth about the fury at Hamas expressed by ordinary Gazans.

If they dared to do so, Hamas would shut them down. So now the real reporting from Gaza is done by individuals, who post their videos of such outbursts against Hamas on social media.

These anti-Hamas videos, after being posted on social media, have been taken up by media in countries hostile to Hamas, including Saudi Arabia. The Saudi channel Al-Arabiya has broadcast several of these videos.

Despite these instances of brave criticism under Hamas’s oppressive regime, records show that reality is more complex and that many in Gaza still support the terrorist organization.

A poll published recently by renowned Palestinian pollster Khalil Shikaki showed that some 46% of Gazans want the terror group to remain in power after the war, and that 57% of Gazans still support the October 7th attacks….

But the support for the October 7 attacks expressed by a slight majority of Gazans does not mean that Gazans approve of the way that they have been treated by Hamas.

It is they who have suffered thousands of casualties because of Hamas’ practice of embedding its operatives, and hiding their weapons, in civilian areas.

It is they who are not getting the aid — food, medicine — that they are entitled to because Hamas operatives have taken so much of it for themselves. And less than half of Gazans — 46% — want the terror group to remain in power after the war ends.

Shikaki explained the disparity between the Palestinians from the West Bank who want Hamas to remain in power after the war and those in Gaza (71% and 46% respectively), by explaining that, while Gazans can see for themselves the situation on the ground, 83% of West Bankers get their news updates from Al-Jazeera, and thus “seem to come to certain conclusions that are somewhat different than those in Gaza,” tacitly implying that Al-Jazeera’s reports may tend to be unrepresentative of reality.

Shikaki means, in words carefully chosen, that the better the Palestinians know Hamas, the less likely they are to support it.

The Gazans see for themselves how Hamas treats them, with many of its “fighters” hiding in tunnels, while others in the terror group endanger Gazans on the ground above by placing themselves, their weapons, and the hostages, in civilian areas and buildings.

They see, too, how Hamas appropriates — steals — aid for its own members.

This behavior is not observed by the Palestinians living in the West Bank, who rely completely on Al-Jazeera for their news from Gaza, which explains why they are much more favorably inclined toward Hamas than the Gazans themselves.

What I saw at a terrorist rally outside a synagogue

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A bloodied man walks away from getting assaulted by Hamas supporters outside LA synagogue. (Twitter Screenshot)

By Daniel Greenfield, Frontpage Magazine

Thirty minutes after Hamas supporters first set up their operation outside a Los Angeles synagogue, they maced their first Jew. And the Los Angeles police did nothing.

Not until an hour into the terrorist rally outside a synagogue, did the LAPD finally step in, pushing back masked Jihad supporters in keffiyeh terror scarves from the entrance of Congregation Adas Torah (Congregation of the Bible) which they had occupied.

 

 

And then the mob, chanting calls for “intifada” and the destruction of Israel, moved outward to target two smaller synagogues attended by Persian Jewish refugees from Islamic terror in Iran.

“Billions of us will come and kill you,” a heavily accented Middle Eastern man in a keffiyeh unprompted rasped at me as I walked up.

Only dozens had actually shown up, but they made up for it with bullhorns, robotic chants, and assaults in the middle of a Jewish neighborhood.

The Jewish counterprotesters had come waving American and Israeli flags while the other side was a sea of terrorist flags.

 

 

A man wore an Antifa cap, another had come in ski goggles during 90-degree heat, while others toted bear spray, metal bottles, and other implements of violence.

The Jewish community members included older men and women, as well as families, while the Hamas contingent was mostly young and many were masked.

A pair of rabbis led a melodic song that could hardly be heard over the harsh clatter of the hateful terror chants.

Despite knowing that a terrorist rally was planned outside a synagogue, the LAPD had allowed the terrorist supporters to take over the entire sidewalk leaving only a thin lane for attendees to walk through to get inside.

The LAPD did little to interfere with the terrorist supporters, but did block Jewish counterprotesters from reaching their own synagogue.

The police also did nothing as clumps of masked Hamas supporters broke away from the synagogue and began confronting, threatening, and attacking Jewish community members on the street.

 

 

LAPD officers did not stir as confrontations escalated into assaults, shoving into mace and bear spray. Jewish community members rushed to provide water bottles to the affected.

Only after several such incidents did the LAPD finally bring in reinforcements and push the Hamas supporters away from the synagogue entrance (dispersing them to harass and threaten two other synagogues) while also clearing Jewish families away from the other side of the street who had been peacefully waving flags near a children’s school.

The terrorist hate rally spread outside three synagogues, Congregation Adas Torah, Chabad Persian Youth, and Congregation Ateret Israel (Glory of Israel), and the confrontations in the center of the street continued.

There were running battles along the large commercial street with violent assaults outside a Kosher luncheonette and running battles down a residential street in the Jewish neighborhood.

 

 

The terrorist hate rally was not an aberration, It’s become the new normal.

On Thursday, Hamas supporters showed up at Congregation Shaarey Zedek (Gates of Righteousness) in the San Fernando Valley formerly attended by Ben Shapiro, yelling abuse at parents taking their children to school.

Other Jewish schools have been similarly targeted.

Beginning with the assault on the Museum of Tolerance when it was screening a documentary on the Oct 7 massacre to the violence at UCLA, it has played out this way for 8 months.

 

 

The LAPD has consistently failed to secure protest zones, to separate different groups of protesters and to prevent violence, and only steps in when it escalates past a set point.

That point usually comes when the Jewish counterprotesters start fighting back. And then the LAPD begins arresting both sides while politicians, including Mayor Bass, deplore the violence.

Media accounts, especially from the Los Angeles Times, CNN, and the JTA, falsely characterize the violence as coming from the Jewish counterprotesters rather than the terrorist supporters.

I had previously heard first person accounts from people who were assaulted while the police and security at UCLA did nothing, but now I saw it for myself.

 

 

And after 8 months of the same thing, it’s hard to believe that it’s simple incompetence or that a major urban police force has no idea how to handle the same kind of protests and is incapable of figuring out how to do so.

Especially when it’s been standard procedure by other urban police forces.

The LAPD is clearly aware of the potential for violence because it sends out offices in riot gear.

But rather than engaging in proactive policing to prevent violence, they stand passively and wait for orders from higher up before taking any action.

 

 

This is not normal policing during protests and counterprotests when the standard doctrine is for police to set up barriers and stand between groups of protesters before they bring out the riot gear.

But the LAPD brings out the riot gear, allows the radicals free rein and waits as long as possible before taking any action.

Why is this happening? I previously reported that Mayon Karen Bass is a close political ally of BLM LA boss Melina Abdullah, who has backed the pro-terrorist campaign against Jews.

When Jews were attacked at UCLA, Democrat members of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors passed a motion to fund legal support for the terrorist supporters.

The resolution to use taxpayer money to fund legal defenses for antisemites was put forward by Supervisor Lindsey Horvath who ‘represents’ CD3 where the synagogue hate riot was taking place.

After all the antisemitic violence at UCLA, the only one facing serious charges is a Jewish student.

The Democrat leadership of Los Angeles does not stand with the Jewish communities being targeted by hate, but with the antisemitic mobs surrounding synagogues.

Behind the masks, keffiyehs and the terrorist flags is the new Democratic Party.

Airstrikes kill Hamas terrorists involved in Oct. 7 attacks

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IDF airstrike hits Al-Jalaa tower, which houses apartments and several media outlets, including The Associated Press and Al Jazeera, May 15, 2021. (Flash90/Atia Mohammed)

By Pesach Benson, TPS

Israeli airstrikes in Gaza overnight killed several Hamas operatives involved in the October 7 attacks, the Israel Defense Forces said on Tuesday morning.

The terrorists based themselves in school compounds and were operating inside two structures in the Shati and Daraj Tuffah areas of northern Gaza at the time of the strikes.

The army said several of the terrorists killed had been involved in the October 7 attacks, held hostages, and were planning further attacks.

“The Hamas terrorist organization continuously violates international law by systematically exploiting civilian structures and using the civilian population as human shields for its terror activity against Israel,” the IDF’s statement said.

The army has repeatedly found Hamas weapons, tunnel shafts, and command centers in schools, hospitals, homes, and UN facilities.

In recent days, Israeli airstrikes and raids have targeted buildings used by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in a UNRWA facility, a Gaza university, and residential homes, as well as a rocket launching site placed inside a humanitarian zone.

Aerial surveillance checks, precise munitions, and additional intelligence measures were used to mitigate harm to civilians.

Palestinian reports said a sister of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was among the dead in the Shati strike but details were not clear.

At least 1,200 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas’s attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 116 remaining hostages, more than 30 are believed dead.

Julian Assange to Plead Guilty in Plea Agreement with U.S. Government, Avoiding Prison

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AP

Elizabeth Weibel

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will plead guilty to one count of conspiring to obtain and disclose national defense information as part of a plea agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).

A court document from the United States District Court of the Northern Mariana Islands states:

The defendant, JULIAN PAUL ASSANGE (“ASSANGE”), was not a United States citizen, did not possess a U.S. security clearance, and did not have authorization to possess, access, or control documents, writings, or notes relating to the national defense of the United States, including United States government classified information.

Assange will appear in court at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday before a judge in Saipan, which serves as the capital and the largest island of the Northern Mariana Islands, according to a letter from Matthew J. McKenzie.

The letter states:

We appreciate the Court accommodating these plea and sentencing proceedings on a single day at the joint request of the parties, in light of the defendant’s opposition to traveling to the continental United States to enter his guilty plea and the proximity of this federal U.S. District Court to the defendant’s country of citizenship, Australia, to which we expect he will return at the conclusion of the proceedings.

Julian Assange boards flight at London Stansted Airport at 5PM (BST) Monday June 24th. This is for everyone who worked for his freedom: thank you.#FreedJulianAssange pic.twitter.com/Pqp5pBAhSQ

— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) June 25, 2024

Assange had been detained at Belmarsh, a security prison in the United Kingdom, since April 2019 after British authorities arrested him in the Ecuadorian Embassy.

The DOJ had accused Assange of working with former U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning, formerly known as Bradley Manning, in order to steal and disclose classified documents.

In May 2019, Assange was charged with an 18-count superseding indictment from the DOJ:

The superseding indictment alleges that Assange was complicit with Chelsea Manning, a forrmer intelligence analyst in the U.S. Army, in unlawfully obtaining and disclosing classified documents related to the national defense. Specifically, the superseding indictment alleges that Assange conspired with Manning; obtained from Manning and aided and abetted her in obtaining classified information with reason to believe that the information was to be used to the inquiry of the United States or the advantage of a foreign nation; received and attempted to receive classified information having reason to believe that such materials would be obtained, taken, made, and disposed of by a person contrary to law; and aided and abetted Manning in communicating classified documents to Assange.

Assange’s plea agreement with the DOJ comes after London’s high court allowed him to appeal his extradition to the U.S.

Education that Lifts Up All of Our Students

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NYC Mayor Eric Adams. Credit: AP

Education that Lifts Up All of Our Students

By: Mayor Eric Adams

As New York City’s first openly dyslexic mayor, I know what it is like to not have the support I needed in school growing up. School was often difficult for me. I was scared of being called on by the teacher and my fellow students made fun of me. I know how important it is that our children have a bright start and the support they need for a bold future.

That is why this administration is investing in upstream solutions in our education system, creating conditions that improve outcomes for all our students. We don’t want our children to fall behind because they learn differently, we want them to start out ahead. And this week we are taking another big step forward with two major initiatives: a new vision for special education and a new math curriculum, “NYC Solves.”

“NYC Solves,” is a major citywide initiative to make mathematics more accessible for all students — no matter where they go to school or what language they speak at home. This new program will revolutionize how algebra is taught in schools and ensure that all our students have foundational math skills and are being encouraged to excel in mathematics at every level.

We are also creating the Division of Inclusive and Accessible Learning (DIAL), which will be led by a new Deputy Chancellor for Inclusive and Accessible Learning Christina Foti. This new division will utilize a $750 million budget and 1,300 staff to focus on supporting multilingual learners and students with disabilities, so that every student can be prepared for a rewarding career and long-term economic security — no matter their background or ability.

The work of DIAL will be guided by external voices through a new advisory council charged with helping shape support systems for immigrant students and their families, so that we can improve educational opportunities and outcomes for every student.

These two new initiatives build on the generational investments we have already made in public education.

In just two years, our administration has implemented a major initiative, “NYC Reads,” to fundamentally change how students learn to read literacy as the core focus and priority of New York City’s public schools. We have also invested over $600 million to protect critical programs that were funded with temporary stimulus dollars, including arts funding, teacher recruitment efforts, restorative justice programming, computer science programs, “Civics for All,” school social workers and psychologists, and much more. Our mandated universal dyslexia screening for all students are helping us get students the support they need early on, and we have created the first-ever public school dedicated to supporting students with dyslexia and related learning disabilities.

We have also provided over 42,000 students with offers for a 3-K seat — an increase of 300 percent in the last five years, and we are continuing to work to ensure that every child who wants an early childhood education seat will have access to one. We have also added 57 Gifted and Talented programs citywide and added over 26,000 classroom seats through major construction and modernization projects. I am also pleased to report that nine new schools will open in the coming school year, including a new high school focused on health care.

And because we know that learning doesn’t only take place in the classroom and during the school year, we have expanded popular programs like Summer Rising to bring 110,000 students summer programming. We are committed to helping students enter the workforce with programs like FutureReadyNYC that connect our students to apprenticeships that lead to good-paying careers. This work has resulted in students earning a cumulative $8.2 million from paid work experiences at top companies over the past two years alone.

Our New York City Public Schools chancellor, David Banks, and I are both graduates of the New York City school system, and we are committed to continuing our city’s legacy of excellence in public education. We are not going to allow another Eric to sit in the classroom, hoping not to be called on. We are making sure that every student has access to the support and resources they need. We are lifting up our young people and putting them on a pathway to a bright future and making sure that our education system remains unmatched anywhere in this nation.