Hunter Biden Met With Russian Oligarch Now Wanted For Murder

 

When his father was the second most powerful man in the world, Hunter Biden met in Russia with at least four oligarchs closely aligned with Vladimir Putin — including one who is now wanted for murder in the country, the NY Post reports.

The meeting with Telman Ismailov took place on Feb. 17, 2012 at the Moscow headquarters of AST Group, his vast holding company which once owned a publishing house, a tour company, and had a telecom division, according to the Moscow Times.

Ismailov was accused in 2017 by Russian authorities of paying $2 million for the murder of two entrepreneurs a year earlier, Agence France-Presse reported. Vladimir Savkin, a shopping mall magnate and Yury Brilev, founder of Lyublino Motors, were both bumped off on the Novorizhskoye highway in Moscow, allegedly over a business dispute with Ismailov, according to the Investigative Committee of Russia, the country’s primary federal investigations agency.

It’s unclear what Hunter Biden wanted with Ismailov, but the trip was part of a two-day meet and greet between Hunter and wealthy oligarchs in the country — which at least in part focused on seeking foreign cash for Rosemont Realty, an offshoot of Hunter Biden’s Rosemont Seneca Partners. The investment company was co-founded by Hunter Biden, Devon Archer and Chris Heinz. The flurry of meetings raise questions about what matters were discussed and whether the oligarchs sought any untoward access to Hunter Biden’s father.

Ironically, it was Joe Biden who lambasted President Trump over his ties to Russia. “Donald Trump’s entire presidency has been a gift to Putin,” then-candidate Biden said in a June 2020 tweet. “Unlike Trump, I’ll defend our democratic values and stand up to autocrats like Putin,” he added in August.

Vatican Releases Archives of Thousands of Jewish Pleas for Help in WW2

 

Thousands of records detailing requests to the Vatican made by Jews who were being persecuted by the Nazis were made available online to the public, the Vatican announced last Thursday. 

Allowing access to the documentation titled “Ebrei” (“Jews”), which has been available to researchers since March 2020, was made “at the request of the Holy Father,” who ordered universal access aimed “to preserve the petitions for help from Jewish people all over Europe, received by (Pope Pius XII) during the Nazi-Fascist persecutions.”

The letters, written by Jewish people across Europe begging Pope Pius XII and other Roman Catholic officials for help, total 170 volumes, equivalent to nearly 40,000 digital files, containing some 2,700 individual appeals, the Vatican said.

While the Vatican made no such direct link publicly, the decision to make the documents available online closely follows the controversy over a new book by historian David I. Kertzer, titled, “The Pope at War,” in which Kertzer suggested that Pope Pius remained silent out of fear of the Nazis and that the Vatican prioritized saving Jewish converts to Catholicism from persecution.

Remembering the King of Chazzanim Yossele Rosenblatt's 89th Yarhzeit

 

Zelensky the Liar says that Jews and Ukrainians have a common Bond

 

VP Kamala Harris is now Blond

 

Uncanny Kamala impression: pic.twitter.com/AHn2f7Xx5s

— Michael Knowles (@michaeljknowles) June 25, 2022

Russia now threatens POLAND

 

 

Tensions between Russia and NATO member Poland have been cranking up to boiling point in recent days amid Russian claims that it has killed 'up to 80 Polish mercenaries' in missile strikes.

The reported losses come on the same day that Russia confirmed it has removed a Polish flag from a memorial commemorating the murder of thousands of Poles by the Soviet Union in 1940.

To the north, Moscow has been furious over Lithuania's blocking of EU-sanctioned goods from reaching the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, sandwiched between the Baltic state and Poland.

This has prompted Poland to call on NATO to further bolster its security presence in the Suwalki Gap, the narrow corridor of territory that connects the three Baltic states to the rest of their NATO allies and separates Kaliningrad from Russian ally Belarus.

'We are going to seek the reinforcement of this corridor... in our talks with our partners from NATO,' Mateusz Morawiecki told a news conference in Brussels after a European Union summit. 

Kaliningrad and the Suwalki Gap, on Polish territory, would be ground zero for any military conflict between NATO and Russia, as Vladimir Putin would immediately move to cut the Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia off from the rest of NATO and shore up the isolated exclave from inevitable NATO strikes.

DemonRats Freaking Out over SCOTUS Decision to Protect Unborn Children

 

President Biden: "This fall, Roe is on the ballot."

PASS IT ON. pic.twitter.com/iPJgQXbqrQ

— BrooklynDad_Defiant!☮️ (@mmpadellan) June 24, 2022

BREAKING: Congresswoman @AOC has arrived in front of the Supreme Court and is chanting that the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade is “illegitimate” and calls for people to get “into the streets” | @TPUSA pic.twitter.com/jNkCYDrLtz

— Drew Hernandez (@DrewHLive) June 24, 2022

Democrat Rep. Maxine Waters calls for pro-abortion extremists to "fight": "The hell with the Supreme Court! We will defy them!"

"You ain't seen nothin' yet." pic.twitter.com/T35haOT6Dr

— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) June 24, 2022

Speaker Pelosi on the SCOTUS ruling overturning Roe: "I would say good morning but it's not a good morning" pic.twitter.com/a3iSYa0sdI

— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) June 24, 2022

Across the country, states have already passed bills restricting choice. If you're looking for ways to respond, @PPFA, @USOWomen, and many other groups have been sounding the alarm on this issue for years—and will continue to be on the front lines of this fight. pic.twitter.com/PpXBEcbL2S

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) June 24, 2022

Zera Shimshom Parshas Korach

 

Korach , Meraglim & The Anti-Zionist Tzaddikim

 

It is important to understand  that Korach was no common rabble-rouser, and his supporters were no common street-urchins. The two hundred and fifty people who rallied to Korach’s call were “princes of the congregation, those called to the meetings, men of renown” (16:2).

That is to say, “they were the most distinguished of the community; ‘those called to the meetings’ – they were skilled in determining leap years and months; ‘men of renown’ – famous throughout the world” (Sanhedrin 110a).

Rashi (commentary to Sanhedrin 52b, s.v. למה תלמיד) states unequivocally that these 250 men were תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים, talmidei chachamim; and the Metzudat Zion (commentary to Ezekiel 23:23) calls them “gedolim” – Torah-leaders of the generation.

But maybe this should not be all that surprising: after all, Korach and his gang were continuing in the footsteps of the meraglim, who were also among the greatest Torah-leaders of the generation, and who so recently had led the nation into disaster by rejecting the Land of Israel.

Rabbi Yissachar Shlomo Teichtal Hy”d (1885-1945), in his seminal work “Em ha-Banim Semeichah”, has fascinating insights into the spies’ character and the implications for today.

Rabbi Teichtal, who was initially fervently anti-Zionist, changed his views entirely during the Holocaust; he wrote “Em ha-Banim Semeichah” while on the run from the Nazis in 1943, and was murdered on a train transporting prisoners from Auschwitz to Mauthausen on 10th Sh’vat 5705 (24th January 1945).

He wrote:

“The holy Zohar and the Shelah explain that selfish motives caused the spies to commit [their sin]. They feared that they were fit to be princes [only] in the desert, but once they enter the Land of Israel new princes would be appointed. Let this be an instructive lesson.

"Even the greatest gadol in Torah and righteousness should not trust himself when he opposes the movement to build the Land. He should not think that his intentions are fully for the sake of Heaven, for he is certainly no greater in Torah and righteousness than the princes whom Moshe sent. Consider and study this well and you will see that it is the truth” (Chapter 3).

Watch Turkish & Israeli Agents nab Iranian cell planning attacks on Israelis

 

Turkey has detained several people allegedly working for an Iranian intelligence cell that planned to assassinate or snatch Israeli tourists in Istanbul, local media reported Thursday.

The news of the bust came weeks after Israel ordered its citizens in Istanbul to leave immediately, warning of an imminent Iranian attack plot targeting Israelis in Turkey.

Among those who were being targeted for kidnapping were a former Israeli diplomat and his wife, Hebrew media reported, citing Turkish outlets. The diplomat’s name was not published.

Israel’s Mossad spy agency chartered a private plane to immediately bring the pair and others back to the country, reports said.

The suspects, who were not all Iranian nationals, were detained in a raid last week in three houses in Istanbul’s popular Beyoglu district, the IHA news agency reported. The outlet said eight people had been arrested.

Turkey’s Hurriyet newspaper reported on Thursday that Turkish authorities detained five Iranian nationals on Wednesday suspected of involvement in the alleged plot to assassinate Israeli citizens in Istanbul.

Reports of the detentions came as Israel’s Foreign Minister Yair Lapid arrived in Turkey Thursday for high-level talks, amid a recent rapprochement between the countries after years of frayed ties.

The terror warnings had both strained ties as Ankara chafed at being portrayed as an unsafe tourism destination in international media reports, but also allowed the two countries to showcase newly revived ties by cooperating on intelligence and security.

According to Channel 13 news, Israel was considering somewhat walking back its warning following Lapid’s visit, with the travel advisory revised to state that only non-essential travel should be canceled rather than all visits.

The warning, however, remained in force as of Thursday evening.

“We will complete the work [of thwarting attacks] and we won’t hesitate to lower the travel warning, maybe in a few days,” a security source was quoted as saying by Channel 12 news.

“We’re at the beginning of the end [of the crisis],” the source added.

The network, without citing a source, also reported that there were believed to be three more Iranian cells in Istanbul.

Iran and Israel have been engaged in a years-long shadow war but tensions have ratcheted up following a string of high-profile incidents Tehran has blamed on Israel.

The Islamic Republic claimed Israel was responsible for the killing of Revolutionary Guards Colonel Hassan Sayyad Khodaei in his Tehran home on May 22.

Khodaei’s assassination was the most high-profile killing inside Iran since the November 2020 killing of top nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh.

IHA said Iran sent agents disguised as businessmen, tourists and students to Istanbul to assassinate Israelis in retaliation for Khodaei’s murder and other attacks.

It said the Iranians had split into four groups of two assassins who could better track their Israeli targets.

The suspects rented apartments and hotel rooms in the area, and had $30,000 to set up a network of agents.

Police seized two pistols and two silencers in searches conducted in houses and hotels where the suspects were staying, according to the Hurriyet report.

“The hitmen in the assassination team, who settled in two separate rooms on the second and fourth floors of a hotel in Beyoglu, were [detained] with a large number of weapons and ammunition,” IHA said.

Channel 12 reported that the Mossad and Turkish security forces were working in full cooperation, and that some of the people arrested in the operations were Iranians and others were locals.

Israeli security forces will continue operating in Turkey for at least a few more days, the network said.

Later Thursday, Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, which also handles operations outside of the country, announced that it was replacing the head of its intelligence unit Hossein Taeb, who had held the position for over a decade.

Taeb has been repeatedly named in Hebrew media reports as the man behind the planned attacks on Israelis in Turkey.

Guards commander Major General Hossein Salami appointed General Mohammad Kazemi to head the intelligence organization instead, Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported.

The reported arrests were the first time that Turkish media have reported on the subject of Iranian attacks that have been making headlines in Israel for over two weeks amid warnings from officials of Iranian cells on the loose in Turkey.

A report last week claimed that several Israelis visiting Istanbul were whisked out of Turkey the week before by Israeli security officials, who were acting on intelligence showing that the visitors were at immediate risk from Iranian assassins.

Media reports that Israeli and Turkish intelligence were cooperating in rounding up a network of Iranian operatives and that several attacks were foiled, were confirmed Monday by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.

Kathy Hochul to probe LI libraries that reportedly removed LBGTQ materials for kids

 

Gov. Kathy Hochul is launching an investigation following reports that the Smithtown Library Board of Trustees voted to pull LBGTQ materials from the children’s section at four branches – during Pride month.

“Public places are prohibited by law from engaging in discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Everyone — and particularly our state’s young people — deserves to feel welcome at the library. For many LGBTQ+ kids, libraries are a place of refuge and information where they can be welcomed and affirmed for who they are,” the governor said.

Hochul likened the policy to a Florida law restricting the discussion of LGBTQ issues with very young school children. 

“We will not tolerate a ‘Don’t Say Gay’ philosophy taking root in our state. I look forward to seeing the Division of Human Rights take prompt action to investigate these reports,” Hochul said in the Thursday press release. 

The move – which reportedly included removing LBGTQ books from the children’s section – also earned Smithtown libraries a rebuke from the New York Library Association. 

“This ban of any displays related to Pride sets a dangerous precedent for libraries across the state because it normalizes the victimization of LGBTQ+ youth in their schools and in their communities, which has dire consequences,” reads a statement from the association. 

A representative of the Board did not respond to a request for comment.

Biden Advisors Control Every Move…Even Remind Him to Say ‘Hello’ & "Take YOUR Seat"

 It seems that President Biden’s handlers are so concerned about his ability to perform in public, they control his every move.

A photo has surfaced of Biden at a recent gathering, holding a “cheat sheet” with specific instructions. Like, really specific.

The card title is “sequence of events”, and the word “YOU” appears in caps throughout the list. The list even reminds the president to say “hello” and take his seat.

The list of instructions includes:

-YOU enter the Roosevelt Room and say hello to participants

-YOU take YOUR seat

-YOU give brief comments

-YOU thank participants

-YOU depart

This man is supposed to be the leader of the free world. Is it any wonder why foreign leaders have zero respect?

Lakewood’s “Sary Wigs” Closes Instagram Account ‘To Make Space for Something Higher’

  Shaindy Braun has decided to close her “Sary Wigs” Instagram page, which has over 40,000 followers.

She wrote one final post, including this excerpt: “I am making this choice to close this page in order to make space for something higher. I want more אמת and more קדושה in my life and by extension for all of you my dear followers.”

The decision comes one day after Wednesday’s “Nekadeish” event for women warned of the dangers of technology and social media, although it’s not clear if there is a connection.

The Jerusalem betrayal by Biden

 

The US administration, led by Joe Biden, is trying to erase any achievement of the previous administration.

The Americans are interested in re-establishing the Palestinian consulate in Jerusalem alongside the American embassy, to the displeasure of Israel.

Jay Shapiro thinks that the Biden administration is trying to produce gestures to the Palestinians that will come at the expense of Israel's sovereignty over Jerusalem, and this has been done quite consciously.

Biden will do everything he can to help Lapid and sabotage Netanyahu

 

Despite outrage about interventions in its own elections, America has often sought to influence Israeli politics. Expect Washington to pull out the stops to try to sabotage Netanyahu

The latest developments in Israeli politics provided President Joe Biden with a good excuse to postpone his visit to Israel next month. With the collapse of Israel’s coalition government this week, the country is saddled with an interim government headed by an unelected prime minister in Yair Lapid who is about to launch his campaign to hold onto the office. Scheduling a visit by the leader of Israel’s sole superpower ally at the start of what promises to be a bitterly fought election campaign will make it clear that Washington is far from neutral when it comes to the outcome.

And that is exactly the impression that Biden is hoping to leave when he goes to the Jewish state in July.

Gloves Are Off as Maloney accuses Nadler of using Jewish faith to appeal to voters

 

Pass the popcorn watching DemonRats eat each other alive!

Rep. Carolyn Maloney accused her longtime-colleague-turned-opponent Rep. Jerry Nadler of using his religious faith as a “divisive tactic” in the heated primary race.

Maloney said Nadler, who is Jewish, was playing identity politics as a method of appealing to voters when the race should be focused on the issues that affect voters.

“It’s a strange way to run, it’s sort of like, ‘Vote for me, I’m the only woman, or I’m the only white person, I’m the only Black person,’” Maloney told the New York Times. “Why don’t you put forward your statement, your issues, what you’ve done and the merit you bring to the race?”

The Times article focused on the decline in New York City’s Jewish representation in Congress over the year — with the city at risk of losing its last remaining Jewish congress member, Nadler, should Maloney win.

Allies of three decades, Nadler and Maloney, found themselves facing off head-to-head in the primary race for the 12th Congressional District when a court-appointed special master redrew the district to include portions of Nadler’s current 10th district.

Maloney’s accusation of Nadler using identity politics as a divisive tactic was at least the second time she fired an attack at her former ally this month. In early June, she accused Nadler of sexism for allegedly asking her to step aside and let him run for their newly-combined district.

She told the Post that she believed Nadler would not have asked a male rival to do the same.

The pair each started their Congressional careers in the ’90s with Nadler representing a district running down the Upper West Side in the 10th District and Maloney holding down the Upper East Side in the 12th District.

In May, the special master combined the neighborhoods into one district, the new 12th District. Despite the new district being 60% Maloney’s, Nadler jumped into the race, rather than potentially face alien territory in his newly redrawn 10th district — which has now become a fiercely competitive open seat.

The political careers of the two Democrats, who are each longstanding powerhouses and committee chairs in Congress, desperately hinge on who wins the Aug. 32 primary.

The new 12th district they are both hoping to win is believed to be the most Jewish in the country, according to the Times.

While Nadler was raised Jewish and worships at B’nai Jeshurun, a historic synagogue in the Upper West Side, Maloney, who is Presbyterian, has attempted to appeal to Jewish voters throughout her campaign.

For instance, her campaign highlighted her bill promoting Holocaust education in schools as well as her vote against former President Barack Obama’s Iran nuclear deal — which Nadler supported.

The "Children of Korach Didn't Die" ..... All Mosdos Ha'Torah Endorse Hochul for Governor!

 

I'm wondering what would happen if Hocos-Pocus lost the general election?

I'm reminded of what the Yaavetz said about the Inquisition. He remarked that it was the leaders and the gedoilim that were the ones who converted, the "Poshiteh Yid" stood by their Creator and were steadfast in their beliefs.

For a couple of $$$, these Torah leaders will endorse people that stand against all Torah values, and just yesterday Yitzchok Fleischer the "Chief Tuchis-Lekker" invited that sick woke dog, DeBlassio to Boro Park to clear the path to endorse him for a congressional seat; how pathetic!

The leaders of prominent Chassidic sects and school administrators in Borough Park have endorsed Governor Kathy Hochul and her running mate, Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado for re-election on Tuesday. 

The endorsement is signed by a coalition of congregations calling itself “Borough Park United” that includes the Bobov, Belz, Satmar, Sanz-Klausenburg, Bobov 45, Gur, Viznitz, Pupa, Svker, Spinka, Rachmastrivka, among other sects. The heads of Bais Yaakov, Bnos Chaya, Bnei Torah, Tomer Dvora, Vien and other major schools have also added their signatures. 

“In these critical and challenging times, it is important to have sympathetic representation in the halls of government so that we can continue with our religious practices without interference, have our streets and neighborhoods safe and protected, and see our needs addressed in a respectful manner,” the statement reads. 

The leaders stressed that Gov. Hochul has managed to develop positive working relationships with the Jewish community and has been proven as a reliable and sympathetic ally in her years in government.  

The endorsement comes a week ahead of the June 28 Democratic primary for governor and lieutenant governor, giving the incumbent a major boost and locking up support in the Orthodox community, who historically have proven to be an influential voting bloc in local elections.

Recent polls show Hochul with a large lead over her primary challengers. The letter urges community members to come out to vote as a token of appreciation and to show the governor and the state’s leadership that they have earned the community’s trust and have their back. 

The primary is on Tuesday, June 28. Early voting started on June 18 through Sunday, June 26.

Unbelievable : Boro-Park "Tuchis-Lekkers" Invite the Anti-Chareidie De Blassio for an eventual endorsement for a Congress Seat

 

Seeking the endorsement of Borough Park Orthodox leaders in his run for Congress, former mayor Bill de Blasio apologized for a 2020 tweet berating Jews for large gatherings held during the pandemic.

In a video of Sunday’s meeting, called by an activist of the Bobov Hasidic movement, de Blasio is seen being asked about the tweet. In the tweet, he blasted “the Jewish community” following the packed funeral for a rabbi who died of COVID-19, and said the NYPD had been instructed to “summons or even arrest those who gather in large groups.”

“It was a mistake and I shouldn’t have done it,” de Blasio said in the video. “It was a moment of passion and pain over what was happening in the city.”

Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump Visit Kosel With Their Children

 

ADL Chief J Greenblatt Angry That The Supreme Court Favored Yeshivas in Maine

 

Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, has again placed his woke leftist agenda above his Judaism.

Greenblatt attacked this week’s bombshell Supreme Court ruling, forcing the state of Maine to stop discriminating against religious schools.

On Tuesday, he posted a tweet saying: “We are deeply concerned by yesterday’s Supreme Court decision in #CarsonvMakin. While private religious education can be costly, this ruling weakens the core principle of church-state separation and could set a highly problematic precedent.”

Herman Kahan Brooklyn Charedi Man Wins $126 Million Jackpot

His name is Herman Kahan, he is a Haredi Jew from Brooklyn, and on Tuesday it was reported that he had won the $126,000,000 jackpot of the March 8 Mega Millions drawing. His winning numbers, although it’s probably too late to do anything with them, were: 07 18 38 58 64 and the Mega Ball 24.

The NY Lottery said about the win: “What makes this even more interesting is that the winner is a New York Lottery subscriber. The subscription program offered by the New York Lottery lets players enter into every drawing for the duration of their pre-paid subscription.
“The winning ticket for the March 8 drawing was worth $126 million. The cash value of the jackpot (if the winner wants to withdraw the whole amount at once – DI) is $85,848,424 before taxes,” the statement continued.

 We’re told that after taxes, Herman took home $52,559,839.00 – just $161 short of $52,560,000.

It’s interesting to note that local Jewish newspapers inevitably added to their headline something about hitting the winner for charity, and Yeshiva World reported: “Photos of various individuals are already viral on WhatsApp – all of them confirmed to be false,” and added, “While all of our community detectives will be hard at work trying to figure out who he is, it will take one Tzedakah or Yerushalmi Meshulach two minutes to figure it all out.”

Poor Herman is about to find out that $52 million don’t go very far…

Satmar Convinces Woke Leftist Chicago Reform Shul to Hate Israel

 

Harav Ha'gaon Brant Rosen Shlitah 

The following are words straight out of this horse's (Brant Rosen) mouth:

“I oppose the very concept of an exclusively Jewish nation-state in historic Palestine.” 

So I'm asking you readers isn't this the exact position of the Va'Yoel Moshe?

The only connection that the Reform movement had with Judaism was the State of Israel. now that's over. We are going to lose them all. 

For those who predicted that the Zionists will destroy Torah in Israel; they are in for a big surprise. There is more Torah learning in Israel than all other countries combined.  The place for kiruv is now only in Israel, as the chutz le'aaretz Jews are assimilating at an alarming rate. 

But can we complain about this foolish rabbi, when we have Shoimrei Torah Umitzvois Jews who are davening for the demise of the Jewish State as we know it? 

They keep coming up with statements "that until Moshiach, we cannot have a State al-pi-Torah." 

So good,  give all the Satmar Institutions and all buildings that are owned by anti-Zionists to the Arabs, and move to Gaza, Gaza is part of biblical Eretz Yisrael. Pick yourselves up with your families and move to Gaza or Ramallah and wait there for Moshiach.  Who is forcing you to live under the Israeli flag?

Reading this article below, I was at first outraged, but then I thought, why am I getting all worked up, after all we have our very own meraglim. 

As Rav Teicthtal z"l said "the meraglim were Tzaddikim and they were the ones responsible for this galus." 

Brant Rosen is no different than the leaders of our frum world who are destroying the connection that a Jew has to Eretz Yisrael. Yes, notice I say Eretz Yisrael" and I didn't say the State of Israel. Because when I grew up in the communities of the survivors, Eretz Yisrael and the State of Israel were one of the same. They were proud of the State of Israel's accomplishments.They were thrilled and ecstatic when Israel won the wars. 

Satmar destroyed all that when they made a distinction between the State of Israel and Eretz Yisrael. When they said that it wasn't Hashem that helped Israel win the wars, it was the "Samach Mem" They in effect separated the Jew from Eretz Yisrael. 

 The Brant Rosen's of the world are taking the  Jews  down a slippery slope sliding quickly  into  the woke cesspool. When I say  "Jews" I'm talking about the majority of Jews, the majority are not religious and have no affinity or connection to their religion. Until now, there was a straw they could grab onto and that was their connection to the State of Israel. There was hope that because of their connection to Israel they would see the light and identify as Jews. But that's all over! 

The bottom line is that Brant Rosen and Satmar are on the same page vis-à- vis the State of Israel.!

Progressive synagogue Tzedek Chicago, founded in 2015 and led by Rabbi Brant Rosen, recently made an announcement that elicited strong reactions in much of the Jewish press and beyond. Opting to change their identity from “non-Zionist” to “anti-Zionist,” they released the following statement: 

While we appreciate the important role of the land of Israel in Jewish tradition, liturgy and identity, we do not celebrate the fusing of Judaism with political nationalism…We are anti-Zionist, openly acknowledging that the creation of an ethnic Jewish nation-state in historic Palestine resulted in an injustice against the Palestinian people – an injustice that continues to this day.

The fusion of Judaism and nationalism is an important and complex point as that was the initial protest against Zionism in many liberal Jewish circles in America. Zionism “nationalizes” the Jew, and Judaism, in ways that ostensibly subverted the normalization of the Jew as citizen in the post-emancipated Diaspora. This is how it was articulated in the 1885 Pittsburgh Platform of Reform Judaism in America which stated that “we [Jews] no longer consider ourselves a nation, but a religious community.” 

France rules against Arab "tzneesdikeh" "Shvimkleid" for religious reasons

 

France’s top administrative court ruled Tuesday against allowing body-covering “burkini” swimwear in public pools for religious reasons, arguing that it violates the principle of government neutrality toward religion.

While worn by only a small number of people in France, the head-to-ankle burkini draws intense political debate in the country.

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin hailed the ruling by the Council of State as a “victory for secularism.” Some Muslim women decried it as unfairly targeting their faith and their bodies, and based on outdated misconceptions about Islam.

The city of Grenoble, led by a mayor from the Greens party, voted last month to allow women to wear burkinis in public pools after campaigning by local activists. The city also voted to allow women to swim topless, as part of a broader relaxation of swimwear rules.

Charedim follow Arab "shita" of using violence against a Kosher Cell Phone Store Because they refuse to cave to extortion

 

Draft them all to the army!  

Another Charedi protest against a cell phone store turned violent on Tuesday.

Several protesters were arrested after they smashed the store’s front door and glass, and clashed with police officers.

Hundreds of Charedim attended the protest. Posters around the city called on the public to demonstrate against “isolated cell phone shops which remain unsupervised and a threat to the city’s residents”.

According to the Kikar Shabbos website, organizers claimed that the store sells defective devices, but in fact the store refuses to pay for kosher supervision from the “Communications Vaad”, yet insists on selling kosher devices.

The “mostly peaceful” demonstration turned violent when protesters tried to break into the store and eventually smashed the front door. A number of people were injured due to shattered glass.

The storeowner posted a video on social media blasting the protesters, saying: “Complete vandalism. Breaking our door…violent people, this is not religion, not Judaism, this is nothing, it’s against everything we know.”