“I don’t speak because I have the power to speak; I speak because I don’t have the power to remain silent.” Rav Kook z"l
Monday, March 13, 2023
Testimony from a Heart-Broken Mother Who lives near Huwara
If the Democratically Elected Government of Israel Capitulates on Judicial Reform now, know that the putsch will not stop with judicial reform
1. A judiciary must be fair and balanced. The current Israeli Supreme Court is corrupt and imbalanced, and has been since Aharon Barak took off his mask and made it into a tyranny of the Left thirty years ago. Therefore, because politics is cyclical, one approach to getting a more balanced court is the American way: to allow elected governments to select the judges. That way, when Democrats and the Left are elected, their president and senate select and confirm their judges, and then the Republicans and the Right get their chance to balance it all when they win. It keeps bouncing back and forth in cycles.
If the Israeli Left now wants judicial democracy like America, that would see Israel’s judges named by the elected prime minister and approved by the elected Knesset. That is exactly the American system. Begin names judges approved by Likud. Then Rabin gets his day. Then Shamir. Then Peres. Then Bibi. Then Barak. Etc.
Sunday, March 12, 2023
Moody the Credit Rating Company that predicted a "dark future for Israel" Gave SVB Financial an A3 Rating Just this past Sunday
If I were to give in to my religious aspirations, I would be pointing out the hand of God in the recent downfall of Israeli companies that openly declared their desire to destroy Israel’s economy only to be hit by the collapse of the Silicone Valley Bank (Israel Supporting Hi-Techs that Pulled Out Billions to Destroy Its Economy in Judicial Reform Protest).
But whether you believe in the hand of God, karma, or just luck, you have to agree that one recent agent of chaos that tried to arm-wrestle with Netanyahu’s government, the credit rating company Moody’s, stood out among its competitors in predicting a dark future for Israel (Moody’s Ultimatum to Netanyahu: Stop Judicial Reform or Face Diminished Credit Rating) – that agent of chaos has now taken it on the chin big time.
Listen to this: On March 10, Moody’s downgraded SVB Financial Group to C and announced it will withdraw the failed bank’s previous rating given three days earlier. That previous rating was A3.
In the future, should investors wish to rely on Moody’s judgment, all they need to do is check out their enthusiastic support of SVB the same week it lost $80 billion and went into receivership. Just imagine it’s your $80 billion you are trusting to Moody’s ability to predict the market.
Meanwhile, those Israeli hi-techs who tried to unsettle their country’s economy by dumping their money in SVB, have now brought back––by the skin of their teeth––an estimated $4 billion they salvaged from the disaster area overseas.
“So may all Your enemies perish, O God, and may Your lovers be as the mighty sun rising.” (Judges 5:31)
by David Israel
David writes news at JewishPress.com.
Eynat Guez Who Wanted to Destroy Israel's Economy By Withdrawing Billions from Israeli Banks Lost Most of her Money With the Fall of SVB
But the stupid Israelis are helping her get back on her paws, lets see if the yenta will have any "hakoras hatoiv"
Eynat Guez, CEO and Co-Founder of a billion-dollar Israeli software company called Papaya Global, in late January announced that Papaya Global was withdrawing all its funds from Israeli banks in response to the reform, explaining: “This is a painful but necessary business step.”
Guez tweeted on Thursday: “Following Prime Minister Netanyahu’s statements that he is determined to pass reforms that will harm democracy and the economy, we made a business decision at Papaya Global to withdraw all of the company’s funds from Israel.”
In early February, Guez reportedly said: “If all of us, the heads of high-tech companies, take out in one day just 20% of the money we keep in the [Israeli] banks – they will collapse… that is my right and even my duty.”
Guez and many other Israeli hi-techs all took this painful but necessary business step, creating a self-fulfilling prophecy loop whereby they issued warnings about how the judicial reform would ruin the economy and they, then, went about trying the ruin the economy.
FBI Arrests Yossi Engel For Allegedly Defrauding Chareidi Investors Of $47M In Ponzi Scheme
An Israeli man charged by US authorities with defrauding investors, mainly chareidi Jews, of at least $47 million before fleeing the country in 2021 was arrested this week in Los Angeles, federal prosecutors announced Friday.
35-year-old Yossi Engel was indicted in January in absentia for allegedly using his company iWitness Tech to target potential investors from Orthodox Jewish communities in Los Angeles and New Jersey. The alleged offenses occurred between 2018 and 2021, when he fled to Israel.
In a statement, the US Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California said Engel temporarily returned to the Los Angeles area last month and was arrested Wednesday at Los Angeles International Airport while trying to leave the US.
The attorney’s office said he faces one count of wire fraud and if convicted would face up to 20 years in prison.
China becomes the broker while Joe Biden is the joker
Friday’s biggest headline-grabbing news was the bust of Silicon Valley Bank following a run on its deposits.
The collapse was the second-largest bank failure in the nation’s history and fears of a domino effect rattled stock markets.
Seen from the long run, however, that was probably not the most important event of the day.
The honor goes to the announcement that Saudi Arabia and Iran restored diplomatic relations.
Given their long proxy war in Yemen and fierce sectarian hatred, the sudden agreement (right) was stunning.
Even more so because China brokered it.
As The Wall Street Journal said in a headline that captures the implications: “Accord marks diplomatic victory for Beijing in a region where US has long dominated geopolitics.”
Even The New York Times, usually a mouthpiece for the Biden administration, echoed the grim assessment, saying China’s role displayed President Xi Jinping’s “ambition of offering an alternative to a US-led world order.”
Let that sink in — a new world order, one where China is the leader.
Biden Admin Training Palestinians Security Forces to Fight IDF to Take back Judia & Samaria
On Feb. 27, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) wrote a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken demanding the suspension of a U.S. State Department grant that was awarded to Fares Al Arab for Development and Charity Works in Gaza due to the group’s ties to Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine terrorist organizations.
The State Department gave Fares Al Arab a $41,213 grant for “Developing Palestinian Journalists’ English Skills.” But as The Washington Free Beacon reported, Fares Al Arab issued a grant “to a radio network run by the Islamic Jihad … , honored a self-described journalist who belonged to the PFLP, hosted a press freedom event that featured a spokesman for the Islamic Jihad, and co-led a human rights training course with a convicted terrorist.”
Issa demanded that by March 10, the State Department explain if it “knew the history of the group’s ties to terrorism,” “why the grant was provided if the history was known” and provide a complete accounting for the State Department’s decision to award Fares Al Arab the grant.
The State Department’s funding of Fares Al Arab is a big deal in and of itself. But this week it became clear that it isn’t a fluke. The full expanse of the Biden administration’s policy towards Palestinian terrorists and Israel became clear this week during U.S. Special Representative for Palestinian Affairs Hady Amr’s visit to Israel and Jordan.
Saturday, March 11, 2023
The OU 's R' Moshe Hauer Outrageous and Sick Statement!
Rabbi Moshe Hauer, Executive Vice President of the Orthodox Union (OU), issued a statement after some Jewish men went into the Arab town of Hawara and destroyed property. This was in response to the brutal murder of two brothers, from Har Bracha, who were shot – execution style – while driving through this town.
Rabbi Hauer opened his words with a question: “How can such a thing happen? How could it come to this, that Jewish young men should ransack and burn homes and cars?”
Ok, Rabbi Hauer… you want to know how such a thing can happen? I’ll tell you.
The town of Hawara is the center of Jihadists in the Shomron. Yes, there are some nice and innocent people living there, but most of the 8,000 residents are vicious, violent anti-Semites who advocate, support and celebrate the spilling of Jewish blood. Every day, the Jews who live nearby drive through the center of this Amalekite village. There is no “bypass road” or way around this hate-filled place.
1,600 Jewish families live in Har Bracha, Yitzhar, Itamar and Elon Moreh and their only way home, from the main Tapuach junction, is via this town. Every day, yes! – every single day – at least 20 Jewish cars get stoned while driving through Hawara. I highly doubt that this has ever happened to Rabbi Hauer…
It’s important to note that “stoning cars” is not what you think. None of the violent Jew haters are throwing pebbles. They are throwing bricks and dropping cinder blocks from rooftops.
Imagine a young mother with 3 children in her car, driving home from the supermarket. As she is driving, a brick comes crashing through her windshield. The shock of what happened is enough to give her a heart attack! The children start screaming, there is broken glass everywhere, but she cannot stop for help… because she’s in the middle of Hawara with a mob just waiting to finish the job.
This is not an exaggeration.
This happens every day and the murder of Hillel and Yagel Yaniv was something that Hawara residents live for. After the brutal murder, candies and sweets were handed out, cake was distributed, and people were singing.
When did all this stop? When did the Jew haters of Hawara finally run, hide and shake in fear?
When the Jewish young men, the ones Rabbi Hauer wrote about, entered the town and taught them the Jewish lesson of vengeance. Since that day, not one rock has been thrown at Jewish cars.
Dearest Rabbi Hauer;
you are a good man and the organization you represent – the OU – is one of the finest around. Yet, on this concept you are totally wrong… but you’re not to blame. Most Jewish leaders responded exactly the way you did. As a matter of fact, former Knesset Speaker Avraham Burg said that he has more sympathy for the residents of Hawara than for the Jewish community of Har Bracha! “It is not wise to sympathize with the people on Har Bracha – it is wise to sympathize with the victims in Hawara,” Burg told 103FM Israel Radio. He added that “Har Bracha should be evacuated. It cannot be allowed to remain.”
What should Jewish leaders have said? Nothing fancy and definitely not politically correct.
Allow me to state – loud and clear, with no fear – what my response would have been:
The town of Hawara got what they deserved and the next time a brick is thrown, the response will be even more severe.
Ideally, the IDF needs to respond this way, but if their hands are tied by political sissies then the residents need to teach the lesson themselves. Our goal is to live in peace but “peace” does not mean “weakness”. We will not tolerate living in Israel in a state of fear and if the Jihadists in Hawara want war… they will get it.
Am Yisrael Chai!
by Shmuel Sackett founder and director of the Am Yisrael Chai Foundation.
Simcha (Langeh Reckel) Eichenstein slammed by activists over his Lies Over yeshiva corporal punishment comments
A Brooklyn assemblyman is being called out by activists and childhood friends after claiming he’s “not familiar” with the use of corporal punishment at Hasidic Jewish religious schools in New York.
Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein (D-Brooklyn) sparked a social media firestorm last week with a tweet insisting he’s unaware of any such issues at the schools, known as yeshivas, in the Empire State.
“As a yeshiva parent/former student, I’m not familiar with the use of corporal punishment at yeshivas, nor would I tolerate it,” Eichenstein wrote.
His comments, in response to a new bill from his fellow Democrats that would explicitly bar the use of physical or violent methods to discipline students at private schools, drew rebukes from dozens of advocates and several people claiming to be former classmates.
Chaim Topol of Fiddler On The Roof,’ Learned the Talmud for 40 Years
Topol, who was born and raised on a kibbutz, once confided in an interview about his love for learning Gemara. “I’ve been learning Gemara for 40 years,” he said in an interview on the Orot channel. “I try never to skip it because I really like it and enjoy it.”
“It’s sitting down and sharpening your mind and saying: ‘Why did Rebbe Akiva say this and why did Reb Shimon Bar Yochai say that and why did Abaye say that and why does it say that?’ The interesting thing is that there’s no consensus, that is that ultimately they say that the halacha is like this – but on the way, they clarify and agree with things.”
Topol said he sometimes needed to look outside of acting to find meaning in his life. He devoted much of his later years to charity as chairman of the board of Jordan River Village, a camp serving Middle Eastern children with life-threatening diseases. Years earlier, he founded a nonprofit that services children with special needs.
Karma! Israeli Hi-Tech Companies that withdrew Money from Israel to Protest Judicial Reform Lost their Money in SVB
SVB Financial Group, a.k.a. Silicon Valley Bank, on Thursday, was desperately reassuring its venture capital clients that their money was safe after its stock dropped 60% and more than $80 billion in value in bank shares evaporated. The run on the bank followed a capital raise––also desperate––intended to pay for a lost $1.8 billion, the result of the sale of a $21 billion portfolio of US Treasuries.
SVB presents itself as “the financial partner of the innovation economy, helping individuals, investors and the world’s most innovative companies achieve their ambitious goals.” It’s believed that some of those innovative startups received financing from SVB at very comfortable interest rates, back in the days of zero interest, but also more recently. But the recent dwindling investments in hi-tech companies caused many of them to fall behind on their repayments. And it all came to a head on Wednesday.
SVB has an Israeli branch, managed by David Cohen and Gadi Moshe, and serves an estimated 500 Israeli companies, including giants such as eToro, Redis, Verbit, Fireblocks, and Capitolis. According to reports, companies that tried to take their money out of SVB were refused.
Now for the karma portion of our report: according to Bizportal, several Israeli hi-tech companies that wanted to protest the Israeli government’s judicial reform legislation took their money out of Israeli banks this past month and moved it to… SVB.
SVB CEO Greg Becker said on Thursday: “I ask everyone to relax and support us as we supported you in difficult times.”
And you thought bankers didn’t have a sense of humor.
Friday, March 10, 2023
Sudden Petirah of Chaim Elefant 32 Father of 4
A Flatbush Hatzolah paramedic who happened to be in New Orleans at the time made his way to the hospital to assist and comfort Chaim’s stunned business partners and to ensure kavod hameis.
With tremendous siyata dishmaya, the local coroner swiftly released the niftar after intervention by Chesed Shel Emes and various askanim.
A philanthropist flew a private jet to pick up the niftar to fly him back to Los Angeles for the levaya and kevurah.
The niftar leaves behind his wife Miriam (Nee Citronenbaum) and four children, the oldest who isn’t yet 7 years old, and the youngest who is just a few months old.
He is the son of Yankie and Lisa Elefant of Flatbush.
Thursday, March 9, 2023
Major Antisemitic Abuse at JFK Airport
Liz Mair, a well-known American political and communications consultant and president of Mair Strategies LLC. claimed to have been subject to antisemitic treatment at JFK Airport in Queens, New York because of her Jewish-sounding last name.
In a thread posted to Twitter, Mair claimed that airport staff single out haredi Jewish passengers, who she calls 'ultra-Orthodox.' "Since this is the third time in a row that I’ve witnessed major anti-Semitic behavior from JFK Airport staff— especially but not only TSA— I’m going on a rant about it. Typically it’s just generic rudeness, yelling at people who are obviously Jewish (eg ultra-Orthodox) while treating everyone else nice as pie, etc. Today was much worse."
"Everyone we saw who was identifiably Jewish who tried to progress through security was forced to take off WAY more clothing than anyone who didn’t appear to be Jewish. One woman appeared to be asked to remove her wig," she said,
Orthodox women cover their hair after marriage for reasons of modesty. Many wear wigs while in public.
She went on to say that she was subject to this same treatment because of her name. "JFK Airport security will not comply with the rules for over 75s if the passengers are obviously Jewish. This includes non-ultra-Orthodox whose passports have been checked and names noticed. I’m not Jewish, but everyone in America thinks “Mair” is Jewish. Surprise, surprise, after an initial look at my passport, they steered me and my kid into the line with people who were obviously Jewish, and then moved that line at half the speed of the one next to it."
"We were yelled at to back up and I explained we could not because there was a baby behind us. They did not care. All the blond people magically ended up in the faster moving lane. We, and others who appeared to be Jewish (mostly ultra-Orthodox) were made to remove items from our bags that are not required to be removed under TSA rules. This slowed the line down. Then everyone got yelled at for being slow.
"Literally every time I fly out of this airport lately I see some anti-Semitic sh** and with my last name, I get to be on the receiving end, too. NYC has a major problem with anti-Semitism on the rise and JFK Airport
staff dabble in it heavily. It makes me extremely angry," she said. "I don’t care about the inconvenience. I care about the casual hatred and treating people as lesser than because they wear a particular hat, or a wig, or dress a certain way, or have the last name Meyer, or Mair, or Klein, or Goldberg. This sh** is absolutely unacceptable."
Liz Mair was the Online Communications Director at the 2008 Republican National Committee and the founder and President of Mair Strategies LLC, which bills itself as the "US’ leading right-of-center online communications operative."
5 hurt in Tel Aviv Terror Attack
תיעוד מחיסול המחבל שביצע את הפיגוע הקשה ב-תל אביב pic.twitter.com/FIPX7A3fYy
— בז news (@1717Bazz) March 9, 2023
פיגוע הירי בתל אביב. תיעוד נוסף מחיסול המחבל המתועב pic.twitter.com/TZObIs7VM9
— בז news (@1717Bazz) March 9, 2023
פיגוע הירי בתל אביב. תיעוד נוסף מחיסול המחבל המתועב pic.twitter.com/TZObIs7VM9
— בז news (@1717Bazz) March 9, 2023
The Terrorist
המחבל.. pic.twitter.com/AzpSjvVBDJ
— ינון בן חמו - inon - إينون (@inonbh6) March 9, 2023
DemonRats One-Sided Jan 6 False Narrative Put Protestors in Jail Without Trial for Over 2 Years
For more than two years, while they controlled every lever of power in Washington, the Democratic Party and their media allies told a one-sided story about what happened at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
For more than two years, the surveillance footage from the 2021 Capitol riot, aired this week by Tucker Carlson, was kept from the American public by a Democratic Congress so a false narrative became cemented in the public consciousness.
For more than two years, footage that could have exonerated Jan. 6 defendants was kept from their legal teams.
People are in prison because of that cover-up.
Take the footage aired by Carlson Monday night of so-called “QAnon Shaman” Jacob Chansley being escorted around the Capitol by police officers who help him open the door and enter the empty Senate chamber.
It is hard to reconcile these calm and even cordial scenes with the nearly four-year prison sentence Chansley now is serving for “obstructing an official proceeding.”
Contrary to what apologists have been saying since Carlson began airing the footage, all this material has not previously been made available to the J6 defendants, some of whom have been jailed without trial for two years, in violation of their constitutional right to a fair and speedy trial.
Grounds for appeal
Jill Biden Presents "Women of Courage" Award to a MAN!
Jill Biden presents an "International Women Of Courage Award" to a biological male on #InternationalWomensDay at the White House pic.twitter.com/5fudW9wICM
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) March 8, 2023
MK Gottlieb: Supreme Court President Hayut is inciting and dividing the nation
Today (Wednesday), Member of Knesset Tali Gottlieb (Likud) attacked Supreme Court President Justice Esther Hayut, accusing her of "incitement and dividing the people".
"When a person like the President of the Supreme Court goes to the State of Israel and dares to claim impending dictatorship, it will affect pilots, judges, and doctors," claimed Gottlieb on Radio Tsafon (Northern Radio) 104.5FM. "I accuse her of incitement and dividing the nation to a degree that we have not known for years. When the general population hears a person of her rank and position warning against a dictatorship, they will believe what she says."
According to her, "Even during the time of the Oslo agreements, we did not see soldiers refuse to serve, nor during the Disengagement. But where is President Hayut when she sees such frightening and disturbing incitement? Come out to the people, speak, as you spoke against us, as you created unfounded intimidation against us. Come call for unity. We, the elected officials, are not ready to accept submission or a desire or attempt to subjugate us, and I certainly will not tell any minister or Knesset member what words to use."
About her Likud colleagues who spoke out against the soldiers refusing to serve in the reserves, she said: "When I see a letter from pilots who write 'Galit Distel, who do you think you are anyway?' She is the Information Minister and give her the respect she deserves -- and give Shlomo Karhi the respect he deserves. There is something that cannot be taken away from them, both Shlomo Karhi and Distel-Atbaryan. They love our country and express their pain about the fact that people go against the government and the coalition without any basis in fact. Does that seem normal to you?"
"There is no basis for refusal, we have never seen such a phenomenon, it is despicable and should be denounced. I call on the people of Israel to unite, not to despise each other, and not to humiliate each other. We will succeed; the coalition has the power, we will legislate excellent laws", she concluded.
Jewish Italian translator Olga Padua refuses to translate for 'dangerous' Netanyahu in Rome
An Italian translator has refused to translate for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his speech at a Rome synagogue over the weekend, calling him "dangerous."
Translator Olga Dalia Padua was contacted by the Israeli Embassy in Rome, and wrote about her refusal on Facebook: "Not only do I not share Netanyahu's political views, but his leadership is extremely dangerous in my view when it comes to democracy in Israel. What's more: if I agree to cooperate in translating his words, my children will not forgive me."
"I tried to convince them that it was only a matter of work, and that if I refused, my gesture would change almost nothing - but they were not ready to accept any explanation. They amazed me: they usually seem to have little hope for the future of the human race during these troubled and turbulent times, and they always encourage me to take on new jobs. But in this case they were determined: they will not cooperate with those who promote fascist principles and suppress freedom, they simply will not do it. I decided to listen to them," Padua said.
Netanyahu will depart for Italy tomorrow. During his visit, he will visit the Jewish Museum of Rome and meet with the Jewish community at the city's Sephardi Synagogue. On Friday he will meet with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Chaim Topol of Fiddler on the Roof dies at 87
Israeli actor, singer and Israel Prize laureate Chaim Topol passed away overnight Wednesday at the age of 87.
Topol was best known for his portrayal of Tevye, the lead role in both the stage musical Fiddler on the Roof as well as the 1971 film adaptation.
He was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease several years ago, and his condition deteriorated in recent days.
Omer, Topol's son, told the Mako website on Wednesday that his father was on his deathbed. "We are here at home with him, he is surrounded and loved," he said. "He is still with us in his final hours, so it seems. He is here at home, the children are here, the grandchildren are here around him. All his loved ones and lovers are around him. May he pass quickly and easily."
No funeral details have been announced yet.
Topol was born on September 9, 1935 in Tel Aviv. He began his acting career during his Israeli army service in the Nahal entertainment troupe, and later toured Israel with kibbutz theatre and satirical theatre companies. He was a co-founder of the Haifa Theatre.
His breakthrough film role came in 1964 as the title character in Sallah Shabati, by Israeli writer Ephraim Kishon, for which he won a Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer—Male. Topol went on to appear in more than 30 films in Israel and the United States, winning a Golden Globe for Best Actor.
He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for his 1971 film portrayal of Tevye, and was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actor for a 1991 Broadway revival of Fiddler on the Roof.
In 2015 he was awarded the Israel Prize for lifetime achievement. He also received an honorary doctorate from Haifa University and Bar Ilan University.
The Radical Leftist ADL Now Slamming Frum Jews
The @ADL, whose stated goal is to “stop the defamation of the Jewish people” used a photo of me (a jew) to bully anyone they disagree with. They also defamed me (a jew) by calling me an “anti LGBTQ+ extremist.” The @ADL is a complete joke. pic.twitter.com/Ah6WIDh5RX
— Chaya Raichik (@ChayaRaichik10) March 8, 2023
The Anti-Defamation League, which is notorious for holding radical leftist views even at the expense of the Jews it claims to protect, has thrown another Jew under the bus.
The woke group has slammed Chaya Raichik, aka “Libs of Tiktok”, an Orthodox Jew who protects children, calling her an extremist and suggesting that she is a bigot. In response Raichik called the group “a complete joke.”
In an article entitled “At CPAC 2023, Anti-Transgender Hate Took Center Stage”, the featured headline image was Ms. Raichik.
The article wrote, “They [Republican politicians] were joined by conspiracy theorists like Jack Posobiec, purveyors of COVID disinformation like Dr. Robert Malone and anti-LGBTQ+ extremists like Chaya Raichik.”
Their claims were egregiously false and disingenuous, equating Raichik’s vigilance in exposing immorality in classrooms and protecting children from perverse teachers, with extremism and hate.
In addition, it is sadly ironic that the group who claims that its mission is to “stop the defamation of Jewish people”, chose to defame an orthodox Jew, while defending a cause that is unrelated to Jews, simply as a means of pandering to its woke leftist supporters.
In response Raichik tweeted: “The @ADL, whose stated goal is to “stop the defamation of the Jewish people” used a photo of me (a jew) to bully anyone they disagree with. They also defamed me (a jew) by calling me an “anti LGBTQ+ extremist.” The @ADL is a complete joke.”