IDF Spokesperson Says That the Protests from the Left Including Calls for IDF Refusal had a Direct Connection to the Hamas Massacre

 

IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari spoke for the first time on Monday evening about the rift in Israeli society, including calls for IDF refusal, prior to the October 7th massacre, acknowledging that it is “reasonable to assume” a connection between the rift and Hamas’s decision to attack Israel.

Answering a question by a Ynet reporter whether the IDF identified a connection between the two events, he replied: “These things will be clarified in the in-depth investigation that we will carry out but the answer is that it is reasonable to assume that.”

“The characteristic of a rift,” Harel added, “the readiness of the army, perhaps in its [Hamas’s] perception, is one of the characteristics tied to it. This can be appreciated. I think that now we are focused on the battle, and they [Hamas] are encountering a determined and functioning army. Many things that came up before are expressed on the battlefield.”

“The way we see the reserve system as one system – Air Force, ground, sea, special units – all the things that previously came up in public discourse – all function together, determined against a common enemy.”

“I think in this sense, it is worthy of appreciation. People endanger their lives and unfortunately, some also fall in battle and it reflects the strength and resilience of Israeli society facing historical challenges and periods, and this is how we operate.”

Hagari also spoke about the daily operations of the forces in Gaza and revealed that the IDF recently captured more terrorists who participated in the massacre: “Our forces continue to fight mainly in the southern area. During the fighting in Khan Younis, our forces identified suspects who hid among women and children. We took them for interrogation, where it became clear that there were terrorists among them who participated in the October 7th attack.”

The IDF spokesperson addressed Israelis who evacuated their homes near Israel’s northern border: “In addition to the difficulty of leaving home, your resilience in recent months is inspiring and greatly appreciated. Your concerns are understandable. We will be attentive to every claim and we will build the process of returning to the yishuvim together with the civilian leadership. It’s a long, challenging road and the burden of proof is on us.”

Chareidie Family Did Illegal Renovations Causing the Death of 25 year old Itzik Steinberger

 

In a tragic accident which occurred in Jerusalem’s Beis Yisrael neighborhood, a yeshiva student, 25-year-old Itzik Steinberger, was killed after a wall collapsed on a bed in his apartment. The apartment was located next to a building in which illegal renovations were being performed and during concrete pouring, the wall collapsed, fatally injuring Steinberger.

The levaya took place at 10 PM from Sirkin street in Bnei Brak to the Beis Olam in Elad.

Policemen from the Lev HaBira station, along with other rescue forces arrived at the scene and began to investigate the circumstances of the incident.

Emergency MDA paramedic Haim Neuman and MDA paramedic Benny Kister said: “When we entered the apartment, we saw a 25-year-old man lying unconscious in the wet concrete. We put our hands into the concrete and pulled him out. We immediately started CPR and evacuated him to hospital. His condition was defined as critical.”

Two months ago, residents in the adjacent house complained to the Jerusalem municipality about the renovations being conducted, stating that they had weakened the foundations of other buildings and were being performed illegally and without engineering supervision. The residents added that the renovations including excavations under the home had caused cracks to appear in the neighboring walls as well as in the ceiling, endangering the lives of 20 other people living there.

Good riddance Harvard President Claudine Gay (In Drerd) Resigns

 

Harvard University President Claudine Gay resigned Tuesday amid plagiarism accusations and criticism over testimony at a congressional hearing where she was unable to say unequivocally that calls on campus for the genocide of Jews would violate the school’s conduct policy.

Gay is the second Ivy League president to resign in the past month following the congressional testimony — Liz Magill, president of the University of Pennyslvania, resigned Dec. 9.

Gay, Harvard’s first Black president, announced her departure just months into her tenure in a letter to the Harvard community.

Lakewood Mashgiach Rabbi Matisyahu Salomon Passes On

It is with deep sadness that we report the petirah of Harav Matisyahu Salomon zt”l, revered Mashgiach of Beth Medrash Govoah in Lakewood for decades.

Rav Salomon was a master of Torah and Mussar, who impacted tens of thousands and whose presence and inspiration made an immeasurable imprint on the Lakewood community.

Hatzolah responders rushed to Rav Mattisyahu’s home on Tuesday night when he became ill, however they were unable to resuscitate him.

Rav Mattisyahu zt”l was born in Gateshead, England. He learned for 16 years in yeshiva and Kollel with Rabbi Chaim Kaufman. He also studied under Rav Elyah Lopian zt”l, and it is reported that although he only spent a short time under his guidance, Rav Lopian had a profound impact on him.

Rav Mattisyahu was appointed mashgiach at Gateshead Yeshiva under Rav Moshe Schwab zt”l before becoming senior mashgiach.

In 1998, after more than 30 years in his position in Gateshead, following the petirah of BMG mashgiach Rav Nosson Wachtfogel zt”l, Rav Mattisyahu was asked to assume that position. He moved with his family to Lakewood.

 

Rapid Escalation As Iran sends warship through Red Sea, praises ‘brave’ Houthis

 Iran wasted no time sending a warship into the Red Sea on Monday, just a day after the US killed 10 Houthi fighters attacking commercial vessels in the contentious waters that separate Africa from the Middle East.

Tehran’s Alborz destroyer crossed the Bab-el-Mandeb strait and into the sea the same day Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian lauded the Houthis’ “strong and vigorous stance … in supporting the oppressed people of Palestine,” according to state-run media.

The Houthis, an Islamist military group backed by Iran, have been lobbing drones and missiles at foreign vessels in the Red Sea from their home of Yemen since November in response to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.

On Sunday, the US Navy closed out 2023 by sinking three Houthi ships in the Red Sea in a strike that marked the first time the US had killed any of the members of the Iran proxy group since the recent spate of attacks began.

Helicopters from the USS Eisenhower and USS Gravely warships opened fire on “four Iranian-backed Houthi small boats,” sinking three of them while responding to an SOS from the Singapore-flagged vessel Maersk Hangzhou around 6:30 a.m. local time, according to the US Central Command.

Houthis have launched nearly 20 attacks on such vessels in the Red Sea so far, prompting some shipping companies to avoid the waterway altogether.

 The major trade lane offers passage between the Mediterranean Sea to the Arabian Sea, enabling vessels to bypass Africa with the Suez Canal.

Iran’s decision to send a warship into the Red Sea was an apparent answer to Washington’s calls for Tehran to condemn the Houthi attacks and encourage peace in the region.

But given that Iran has backed most of the warring parties in the region – including Hamas, which caused the conflict with its Oct. 7 attack on Israel – the rejective response was to be expected, defense experts told The Post on Monday.

In fact, Iran welcomed Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam to Tehran on Monday, with Supreme National Security Council secretary Ali Akbar Ahmadian praising the proxy group’s “brave actions” against “Zionist aggression” in the region.

While Houthis have cited the attacks as a response to the Israel-Hamas war and said their attacks will not end until Israel allows humanitarian aid to fully flow into Gaza, none of the attacks have been aimed at Israel Defense Force vessels.

While Iran did not directly link the ship’s arrival in the Red Sea to the simmering conflict, Iranian state media reported that it “comes amid rising tensions following Yemen’s retaliatory attacks on Israeli-owned and -bound vessels in support of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.”

“Since 2009, Iranian warships have been operating in open waters to secure shipping lines, fight against pirates and carry out other missions,” Islamic Republic News Agency reported.

Still, US and coalition forces will also remain in the Red Sea after the Pentagon on Dec. 18 announced a new partnership – dubbed “Operation Prosperity Guardian” – to counter the growing number of attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea.

“This is an international challenge that demands collective action,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in announcing the group’s formation. “The recent escalation in reckless Houthi attacks originating from Yemen threatens the free flow of commerce, endangers innocent mariners, and violates international law.”

Withdrawal of forces sends bad message to Sinwar.."Israel is losing the achievements it gained in the war because of pressure from the US."

 

Economy Minister Nir Barkat and MKs Galit Distel-Atbaryan and Eli Dallal did not attend the weekly Likud faction meeting today (Monday), during which MK Danny Danon strongly criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the withdrawal of thousands of troops from Gaza.

"The publications and reports in recent days point to a worrying trend," said Danon. "Israel is losing the achievements it gained in the war because of pressure from the US."

"Buckling in the face of American pressure does not advance the goals of the war. Neither the release of the hostages nor the defeat of Hamas. What interest does Hamas have in negotiating a deal if they understand that in any case, Israel is going to cease fighting? You led the beginning of the war with determination and strength and the results were clear. We need to continue like this. The message that Sinwar is receiving from us now, about the withdrawal of the forces, is a very bad message," Danon added.

Minister Ofir Akunis said during the faction meeting: "We need to formulate basic fundamental principles on which there is a very broad agreement for the 'day after.'"

"1. A Palestinian state will not be established and the 'two states' principle no longer exists. 2. The Palestinian Authority is not returning to the Gaza Strip. 3. The establishment of a 2-3 km security strip in the Gaza Strip, at the northern, southern, and eastern border.

"These principles, on which there is a broad consensus, should be presented to the public, and the discussion for 'the day after' must be based on them."

It's Unfortunate that the Supreme Court chose wartime to sow division

 

The Kohelet Policy Forum, a right-wing think tank, responded with disappointment to the ruling issued by the Supreme Court during wartime today (Monday) striking down the Reasonableness Standard.

“Israel is united,” said Prof. Moshe Koppel, Chairman of the Kohelet Policy Forum. “Israelis from across political, ideological and religious divides are united like never before. Our families are grieving together, our sons and daughters are fighting for Israel together, and even most politicians have put their differences aside.”

“It is unfortunate that the Supreme Court chose Israel’s moment of unity to bring back division,” he said.

“Now is not the time for division,” added Koppel. “Now is the time to put Israel’s national interest first. Now is the time for Israel to stay united and strong.”

The Kohelet Policy Forum stated that "In what may be remembered as one of the most unfortunate actions in the Court’s history, the Supreme Court has rushed a divisive decision, in the midst of a war – simply for the benefit of two retired Supreme Court Justices who wish to leave their personal stamps on Israeli jurisprudence. "The court's 8-7 decision is the first time in Israeli history in which the Supreme Court has struck down one of Israel's Basic Laws, taking upon itself the authority to strike down laws that have quasi-constitutional status.

Israel, Under US Pressure, Pulls Thousands Of Troops From Gaza

 

Thousands of Israeli soldiers are being shifted out of the Gaza Strip, the military said Monday, in the first significant drawdown of troops since the war began as forces continued to bear down on the main city in the southern half of the enclave.

The troop movement could signal that fighting is being scaled back in some areas of Gaza, particularly in the northern half where the military has said it is close to assuming operational control. Israel has been under pressure from its chief ally, the United States, to begin to switch to lower-intensity fighting.

Word of the drawdown came ahead of a visit by Secretary of State Antony Blinken to the region and after the Biden administration bypassed Congress for the second time this month to approve an emergency weapons sale to Israel.

But fierce fighting continued in other areas of Gaza, especially the southern city Khan Younis and central areas of the territory. Israel has pledged to charge ahead until its war aims have been achieved, including dismantling Hamas, which has ruled Gaza for 16 years.

The military said in a statement Monday that five brigades, or several thousand troops, were being taken out of Gaza in the coming weeks for training and rest.

In a briefing Sunday that first announced the troop withdrawal without specifying how many forces were leaving, army spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari did not say whether the decision meant Israel was launching a new phase of the war.

“The objectives of the war require prolonged fighting, and we are preparing accordingly,” he said.

Dogs are IDF's Best Friends Finding Terrorists that are Hiding

 The IDF on Sunday published a video of the Oketz canine unit’s operations in the Gaza Strip.

The dogs, equipped with video cameras, are sent to scan and map buildings before soldiers enter and locate explosives or terrorists that can harm the soldiers.

In the video below, one of the dogs named Patrick is sent into a building in the Jabaliya neighborhood of northern Gaza and finds and neutralizes a Hamas terrorist waiting in ambush for the soldiers. The terrorist can be heard yelling “Allahu Akbar!”

The second half of the video shows a dog named Toy entering a building in the Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City. Toy found a passageway to another building where a Hamas terrorist was lying in wait for the soldiers and neutralized him.

Buses of Migrants Bound for NY Are Being Dropped off at NJ Train Stations Evading New York Regulations

A New Jersey mayor says buses of migrants bound for New York City have been stopping at the train station in his town and others in an apparent effort to evade an executive order by New York’s mayor trying to regulate how and when migrants can be dropped off in the city.

Secaucus Mayor Michael Gonnelli said Sunday that Secaucus police and town officials had been told by Hudson County officials about the arrival of buses at the train station in Secaucus Junction beginning Saturday. He said four buses were believed to have arrived and dropped off migrants who then took trains into New York City.

The Chasid Who Established Kiryat Malachi’s Local Guard

 At first glance Assaf Peleg presented an unusual sight to residents of Kiryat Malachi. On the one hand he is dressed as a chasid, with a streimel and kapota on Shabbos, but at the same time he carries an M-16, a pistol and a telephone and gives orders to members of the local guard.

When residents learned of Peleg’s military background, they began to understand his unique position and capabilities. Assaf was a member of the crack Duvdevan commando unit, one of the toughest special operation IDF units. Peleg served as a squad commander in the unit before becoming a Baal Teshuva.

Protest Shut Down Belt Pkwy and Airtrain, CreateTravel Mayhem

Pro-Hamas protesters targeted the three major airports in the New York City-area on one of the busiest travel days of the year. 

 The hateful anti-Israel protesters yelled inflammatory chants, snarled traffic, and caused chaos as they descended upon JFK Airport on Monday. 

 The NYPD warned passengers to arrive early for any flights on New Year’s Day. 

 “If anyone is flying out of JFK Airport today, please plan to travel to the airport ahead of time. There are planned protests today and will cause delays. We don’t want anyone to miss their flights!,” NYPD Chief of Transportation Chief Philip Rivera posted on X. 

 According to the NY Post, the Belt Parkway was temporarily blocked off by police near Exit 20 to control the “Flood JFK For Gaza” protest, planned by Within Our Lifetime.

 “NYPD, KKK, IDF you’re all the same,” protesters inside an SUV screeched through a megaphone, according to video posted to X. Other footage posted to social media showed more than a dozen cars waving Palestinian flags and honking horns on the gridlocked parkway. A box truck displayed images of Israeli troops with Palestinian children, claiming “Israel has waged a war on the children in Palestine.” 

Later, some of the vehicles involved headed to LaGuardia Airport. LaGuardia’s X account also told passengers to allow extra time due to police activity. The AirTrain also had to be shut down for more than three hours. 

 Social media users voiced their outrage at the protesters clogging up traffic. “Bring bulldozers… clear the road!!!!,” Rick Gavin wrote on X. “Break out the water cannons. Enough of this…” another user said. X user James Gilmour said that the NYPD should “arrest all of them.” “Absolutely disgusting behavior. Arrest all of them. Scum of society,” Gilmour said. Another X user wrote: “Consequence, please & thx. All for protests, but not when it disrupts innocent lives.”

DIN: A Question to those Roshei Yeshiva that compare IDF Soldiers who are "Moiser Nefesh" to Garbage Collectors

 

זבולון לחוף ישכן  ..  יששכר חמר גרם

"Zevulin shall dwell at the shore of the sea"

"Yissachar is a large-boned donkey"

These words appeared in last week's parsha, when Yaakov on his deathbed blessed his children.

Commentaries are struggling with why Yaakov when addressing Yissacher & Zevulin mentions the younger Zevulin first.

The Rashbam postulates that since Zevulin engaged in trade using ships to trade abroad, it was Zevulin who provided sustenance for shevet Yissachar , allowing the latter to be engaged in the study of Torah, so he, Zevulin is mentioned first for he made it possible for Yissacher to go unscathed and devote himself to Torah. 

Yaakov saw fit to place a son of his who was involved in business, (not involved in putting his life on the line but involved in business,) on a higher pedestal than the one learning Torah because the businessman allowed the Torah Learner to dedicate himself to Torah, yet 3,500 years later a leading Roshei Yeshiva not only doesn't he acknowledge the sacrifice of an IDF soldier, who is protecting those learning, but compares him to a "garbage collector" 

And why did this bully ridicule the IDF soldiers?  

Because this coward is afraid that his talmidim respecting these heroes would come to admire them and maybe they would "chas ve'sholom" want to join. This frightens him! My message to him is, "if you are so worried that your talmidim would want to join them, then you have not instilled the proper love of the Torah in their souls. Someone who loves Torah so much that he makes it his "umnosoh" would never want to leave learning. You must be a very bad mechanich and a poor communicator. Leave your job in Yeshivah and become a garbage collector. 

? זו תורה וזו שכרה

Israeli MKs send letter to Biden demanding US 'share material', explain claims against settlers ..."this is a blood-libel"

Twenty-three Israeli MKs wrote to US President Joe Biden on Sunday, demanding an explanation of his administration's recent statements accusing settlers of violent acts against Palestinian residents in the West Bank.

"First and foremost, We would like to express our gratitude, on behalf of the People of Israel, for your staunch support of the State of Israel and for your unflinching stance in these difficult times," they wrote in the letter. 

They continued: 

"As members of Israel's Knesset and the Knesset Caucus to Combat Antisemitism and Delegitimization, we, like you, denounce violence against innocent civilians. We are turning to you today regarding a number of statements you made recently pertaining to a 'phenomenon' you have called upon our government to address, namely violence perpetrated by Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria against Palestinian Arabs.

The Kanievski Family Raking in a Fortune From the Late R' Chaim ... Now Sold His "rashash" Siddur for $2 Million

 

I have to laugh, the Litvishe fakers always yell that those working for an honest living are "baalei-batim' and are looked down upon by the oilam ha'Yeshivah.

Turns out that the "thumb twisters" are having the last laugh with a fantastic scheme to make money out of nothing!

For years they were taking money from everyone who wanted to see R' Chaim z"l, no one has a clue where that money went.

Everything in the house of R' Chaim z"l is for sale to the highest bidder, the lust for money in this family is one of the largest found in the Lithuanian world, in the past they claimed that the name 'Kanievsky' was a symbol of modesty, remember the articles they did on television about what the house looked like and the old kitchen is old-fashioned, so now we learn the truth because under the floors of the neglected house, they kept many millions

It wasn't too long ago that they were selling R' Chaim Kanievski's pants on ebay for mucho dollars, until the secular press mocked and ridiculed the sale, and they had to withdraw the pants, I wonder who is wearing them now?

Just recently R' Chaim's Children were fighting over the millions of $$$$$ generated from selling his handwritten Torahlech. Last week they sold his Shtreimal for $1.8 million

The Litvishe Velt sees nothing wrong with mocking those "jerks" and "jlubs" who wake up vasikin, run home to get a bite and shlep their lunch that their wives packed in a brown paper bag, come home after a full day of work, try to play with their children for a couple of minutes then run off to a shiur. These guys are looked down upon and called "baalei-batim." but they fail to see the irony of  the oilim ha'Torah selling their venerated  Roshei Yeshiva's underwear !

Give me a break! 

It Didn't Take Long for the Demon'Rats To Attack the Black Jew Running for Santos's Seat

DIN: To disguise their real concern, which is that they are frightened that this Jewish former IDF Soldier may actually win against the Demon'Rat Tom Suozzi they came up with some lame excuse, that Mazi Pilip failed to vote in key elections. But Tom Suozzi voted with President Biden and with Democratic Socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the left-wing “squad” 90%” of the time, resulting in “an open border” and “staggering inflation.” Suozzi also raised taxes by millions of dollars when he was Nassau County executive.

The Republican candidate vying for lying ex-Rep.George Santos’ vacated New York seat failed to vote for years in key elections — including for the congressional office she’s running for, voting records reveal.

GOP hopeful and mom of seven Mazi Pilip, 44, first registered to vote Nov. 6, 2012, as a Democrat, according to her voting profile with the Nassau County Board of Elections obtained by The Post.

But the Great Neck resident — still a registered Democrat and currently a Nassau County legislator — didn’t actually pull a lever until four years later, skipping three years of elections.

She failed to vote in the 2013 election for Nassau County executive, the 2014 midterm congressional elections and the race for governor, and the 2015 vote for Nassau County legislature.

Pilip — an Ethiopian native and former Israeli soldier facing off against Democratic ex-Rep. Tom Suozzi in the Feb. 13 special election for the vacant Santos seat in the 3rd District covering parts of Nassau and eastern Queens — did vote in the 2016 presidential election.

But she did not then vote in the 2017 Nassau elections, 2018 race for governor and Congress and 2019 county elections, according to her records.

The congressional hopeful did not vote again until 2020 — a presidential election year. 

She voted in the 2021 elections — when she first ran and won a seat serving in the Nassau County legislature — the 2022 race for governor and Congress and in 2023, when she won re-election.

According to voting records, after registering as a Democrat in 2012, Pilip registered as a “blank” — not affiliated with any party — April 29, 2015.

She re-registered as a Democrat on May 5, 2015 — six days later — and has remained so.

The Suozzi campaign Democrats pounced.

“Mazi Pilip barely bothers to vote, she won’t debate Tom on TV, she won’t say who she voted for president or where she stands on most of the issues, and she offers nothing but nonsensical talking points dictated to her by party bosses,” said Suozzi senior campaign adviser Kim Devlin.

“The more we learn about her – the more troubling it is. We’ve seen this kind of candidate before in George Santos — the voters in Nassau and Queens won’t be fooled again,” Devlin said.

Nassau County Democratic leader Jay Jacobs added, “If you’re going to ask people to vote for you, you should have been someone who voted for their representatives when you had the chance.”

Pilip, in a statement released by her campaign, said she regretted “having missed voting in some elections” but said constituents should be more concerned about Suozzi’s voting record when he previously served in Congress and when he was Nassau County executive.

“Voting in elections is a privilege that every voter should exercise. As a former IDF [Israel Defense Forces] soldier who fought for freedom and the mother of seven children, Mazi Pilip is committed to teaching her children and all young people the importance of having their voices heard in elections,” a campaign spokesman said.

Her camp added that Suozzi’s voting record in Congress was “deeply troubling” — claiming he always voted with President Biden and with Democratic Socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the left-wing “squad” 90%” of the time, resulting in “an open border” and “staggering inflation.” It claimed Suozzi raised taxes by millions of dollars when he was Nassau County executive, too.

“We are confident that when voters look at the voting records of Mazi Pilip in the Legislature compared to Tom Suozzi’s dangerous and extreme voting record in Congress, they will support Mazi Pilip for Congress,” Pilip’s campaign said.

The race is being closely monitored by both parties, which see it as a potential bellwether for which party wins in the House later in 2024.

The seat that Pilip and Suozzo are competing for was vacated when Santos, 35, became the sixth House member in history to be expelled.

He faced allegations of campaign finance violations and the surfacing of egregious lies about his personal and professional history.

 

Biden’s 2023 failures will only get worse in 2024

By Post Editorial Board

It’s New Year’s Day, time to take stock of 2023 and consider what lies ahead for 2024 — and for President Biden, his grim past presages a harsh future in a reelection battle for the ages. 

Biden took office with expectations high: He was the man who would return us to politics as usual after the disruptions of the Trump years.

He would oversee a period of healing and reconciliation and get the country back on the right track. 

How’d that work out, Joe?

From his first days in the Oval Office, he pursued an agenda 100% driven by the most radical elements within his party. 

On the border, the economy and foreign policy, he followed cues from online activists and insurgent hard-left electeds like AOC and Rashida Tlaib.

He imposed policies that have done this country grave harm and continues to mock and disparage anyone who dares to point out that this doddering emperor has no clothes. 

The past year revealed, in all their full and ugly panoply, the consequences of Biden’s ignorant, arrogant philosophy (if you can call it that). 

Consider the migrant crisis, which he and the open-borders enthusiasts in his Cabinet manufactured. 

The past year was an utter catastrophe, as illegal migrants — including scores of names on the terror watchlist — streamed into the country.

The official tally for fiscal 2023 is 2.47 million encounters at the southern border (with at least 1.7 million “gotaways,” migrants seen but not apprehended, since 2021).

That doesn’t even begin to take into account those never spotted by CBP — or the 483,404 who have streamed in since the end of fiscal 2023. 

The strain from these unprecedented influxes is overwhelming tiny towns at the border, trapping Americans in Mexico and straining the fiscal health of cities as far away as New York to the breaking point. 

Yet Biden remains utterly indifferent, only offering bogus “action” like last week’s pointless Blinken-Mayorkas “mission to Mexico” that simply puffed the ego of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador while doing nothing to slow the illegal tide.

Then there’s the centerpiece of Biden’s re-election campaign, “Bidenomics.” 

The president and his flunkeys in the press insist that Biden’s economic stewardship has somehow been good for average Americans, that it is building the economy “from the middle out and the bottom up.”

No: Prices are up 17.4% since Joe took office.

When you isolate key expenses, the picture’s even worse. Food is up 20.3%; rent is up 18.6%; electricity is up 24.3%. 

Hezbollah may attempt to invade from Jordan

 

The IDF is fundamentally changing its operational preparedness on the Jordanian border in light of an uptick in weapons smuggling from the kingdom and the fear of Iranian-backed terror attacks that may occur along it during 2024, Israel Hayom reported on Monday.

According to the report, the scenario of reference for which the IDF Central Command is preparing is an attempt by Hezbollah, or other pro-Iranian militias, to infiltrate the Jordanian border into nearby Israeli communities.

Israel's eastern border with Jordan is 309 KM (192 miles) long, and it is Israel's longest border with any of her neighbors.

In the past two years, there has been a dramatic spike in arms smuggling from Jordan into Judea and Samaria, and the IDF estimates that Iran is behind the parcels. Over 1,000 weapons of different varieties were caught along the border.

Among other things, the smugglers bring in air-soft M16 assault rifles, which have their parts switched out in Israel to allow them to fire actual bullets.

In one instance, an Iranian-made claymore mine was caught. The IDF knows that only some of the smuggling attempts are caught. This is one of the explanations for the rise in terror attacks and the availability of weapons in Judea and Samaria in the past two years.

The IDF has already doubled the scope of its forces along the border, and its 2024 work plan is even more extensive. The IDF is expected to ask the cabinet to build a barrier along the border as there is between Israel and Egypt.

In addition, watch posts will be erected, security will be increased, and additional means will be installed to contend with smuggling and foil possible terror attacks.

In recent weeks, Israeli inhabitants of the Jordan Valley have been reporting frequent sounds of gunfire from the area of the border. In light of the residents' complaints and as a lesson from the Hamas attack, the community security squads were reinforced with the goal of stopping a possible invasion.

Unbelievable FOOTAGE: New Video Shows Hamas Terrorists Roaming Freely In Israel On Oct. 7

 

Israel Channel 12 news aired previously unseen footage from the Hamas attack on October 7, showcasing the extent of the terror group’s infiltration into southern Israel.

The footage, which was captured by Hamas members, depicted terrorists moving freely for several hours in the region, including incursions into Kibbutz Sufa and other nearby communities.

The video material was obtained by Israeli authorities from the body cameras of the gunmen. This footage provides a rare and direct insight into the actions and movements of the Hamas members during their incursion into Israeli territory.

Video Player

Satmar's "girlfriend" Hochul Stabs them in the back, though they endorsed her and Kicked Lee Zeldin to the curb

DIN: I'm personally for continued development because the Jewish community is growing B"H and needs housing. Having said that, this news item would be too funny for words if it wasn't so tragic.  They endorsed the shiksa because she promised them $$$$$ and permits for development, and threw Lee Zeldin "the Jew" under the bus.  Satmar has a habit of always reminding the Zionists that "we are still in galut" but they refuse to apply this rule to themselves. I am confident that they haven't learned anything from this episode and will continue to endorse candidates that stand against Torah Values as long as those candidates promise them "Benjamins, " and as we all witnessed, they don't even have to deliver!  

A pair of laws signed into effect by Governor Kathy Hochul last week will tighten up the process by which villages can be created, with the proposed Sullivan County village of Ateres the only exemption to the new legislation.

The new laws will raise the 500 person population requirement to 1,500, will require multiple studies to be done to measure potential impact on the area and will create a state commission to decide if a referendum is allowed to proceed. Proponents of the laws had said the existing laws were archaic and needed to be updated.

According to The Journal News (bit.ly/3S31BpS), multiple efforts had been made previously in Albany to raise the population threshold over the years. While the bills that Hochul signed call for a population of at least 2,000 to create a new village, she stipulated that the bills will be amended during the upcoming legislative session to a 1500 person minimum.

The new laws will not apply to any petitions that had been already scheduled for a referendum on December 22nd, an exemption that will allow a referendum on Ateres’ petition to proceed as scheduled on January 18th. A Ateres encompasses an area that is approximately one and a half square miles, whose mostly Viznitzer residents are looking for a government that will be more responsive to their unique needs.

The legislation is anything but good news for the proposed Village of Seven Springs, located in the Orange County town of Monroe. The Journal News (https://bit.ly/3tDB9tM) reported that the Seven Springs proposal was rejected in September by local officials on technical details, with attorneys for the proposed village saying that they intended to appeal that decision in state Supreme Court.

Senator James Skoufis, sponsor of one of the two laws signed into effect by Hochul, said that it would put the brakes on “reckless development.” He noted that new villages require sanitation, highway maintenance and public safety services, a reality that requires a much larger population base than 500 people that could translate to as few as 60 to 70 homes.

“The Seven Springs fiasco, which would have proven an impossible lift for local taxpayers, all so a couple of wealthy developers could make a buck, has come to an end,” said Skoufis.

Seven Springs had only 597 inhabitants when its petition was filed, while Ateres had 834. The only other village in the formation process is Edgemont, located in Westchester, but its population meets the new state-mandated minimums.

In a nod to those who had categorized the 500 person population requirement as archaic, Hochul agreed that the time had come to modernize the state’s village incorporation procedures.

“We want our villages and surrounding towns to thrive,” said the governor.