“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
Tuesday, October 25, 2022
Satmar Fraud and the Daf Ha'Yoimie
Who’s Afraid of Itamar Ben Gvir?
Everything you didn’t know about Itamar Ben Gvir because nobody told you.
First, a necessary disclosure: on November 1 this year, after much deliberation, I intend to vote for Otzma Yehudit Chairman Itamar Ben Gvir and his partner, Religious Zionism Chairman Bezalel Smotrich.
As a liberal Orthodox Jew, I am aware that their platform is not a perfect match to my views, and there are even some positions I disagree with (just as I disagree with some of the positions on all the other lists), and yet I will vote for them because I see them as great reformers of the Zionist enterprise.
Based on media reports, most of you are aware that Itamar Ben Gvir is a vehement advocate of law and order everywhere in Israel, including in Jewish and Arab communities. You also know that he is a strong advocate of an iron fist policy against terrorists, including the deportation of terrorists, and of MKs who deny Israel’s right to survive as a Jewish State.
But did you know that Ben Gvir is a successful civil liberties attorney? That he advocates for freedom of worship in Israel? That he has expressed warmth and empathy for homosexuals?
I’ll explain.
The Jerusalem Post’s Editor-in-Chief Yaakov Katz warned a week ago:
“A government in which the leader is focused on evading trial and top ministers are messianic, anti-Arab, anti-progressive Jews and anti-LGBTQ, anti-women and anti-religious freedom is a government that will not advance Israel.”
First, Katz is absolutely right in his assertion. Second, every single part of his paragraph is false and misleading. But it’s thanks to that paragraph that I can clear up these mistaken notions, one by one. Here goes:
Adidas, which has refused to cut ties with Kanye West over his antisemitic comments, was founded by brothers who later joined the Nazi party
As rap star Kanye West continually refuses to back down from his antisemitic rants, some of the many institutions he has ties with have begun to jump ship. The fashion tastemakers Balenciaga and Vogue have announced they will no longer be working with him. Hollywood talent giant CAA has dropped him, and a planned documentary about him has been scrapped.
But one formidable company remains, for now, in West’s corner: Adidas.
United Torah Judaism at risk of losing Knesset seat due to indifference and quarreling among its leadership.
While politicians are focused on the Arab vote and what percentage of that community will go to the polls, and the Likud party focuses on bringing more of its supporters to the polls, a potentially deadly blow may be coming to the right-wing bloc from one of its own: The haredi United Torah Judaism (UTJ) party may lose a seat due to infighting.
According to Israel Hayom, even though UTJ has enough potential voters to win nine or even ten Knesset seats, this time there is great concern that not only will the party not grow, but that it may even lose a seat. The greatest threat, from the perspective of the right-wing bloc, is not that UTJ will lose seats to Religious Zionism, but the complacency and lack of enthusiasm in the haredi streets, which may lead potential voters to remain at home on election day.
IDF destroys 'Terrorist Den' infrastructure in Shechem
DF, Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) and Yamam counterterrorist forces raided overnight Monday a hideout apartment in the Kasbah of Shechem (Nablus) that was used as a headquarters and explosives manufacturing site. The site was used by the main operatives of the “Lion’s Den” terrorist group. The forces detonated the explosive manufacturing site.
During the activity, multiple armed suspects were hit and Palestinian Arab reports indicate that were multiple injuries.
During the operation, dozens of Palestinian Arabs burned tires and hurled rocks at the troops. The troops responded with live fire toward the armed suspects who were shooting at them.
The “Lion’s Den” terrorist group is responsible for carrying out the shooting attack that killed IDF soldier Staff-Sargent Ido Baruch, as well as attempting to carry out a terrorist attack in Tel Aviv (an attack that was thwarted by the Israel Police) and the planting of an explosive device in the Kedumim gas station.
They also attempted to carry out a shooting attack in Har Bracha and hurled a grenade towards IDF soldiers who were adjacent to Havat Gilad.
The terrorist group is also in charge of multiple shooting attacks throughout the city of Shechem.
Over the last period of time the terrorist group continued to recruit, plan, and carry out attacks aimed against innocent Israeli civilians.
According to Palestinian Arab reports, four terrorists were killed and 19 wounded in the gun battle between the Israeli forces and the terrorists.
Early Sunday morning, Tamer Kilani, a senior member of the Lion’s Den, was killed in a motorcycle explosion in Shechem.
According to the Palestinian Arabs, the explosion occurred after an explosive device was planted in Kilani’s motorcycle and activated by a Palestinian Arab who cooperated with Israel. The reports also claimed that the operative was recorded on security cameras activating the device.
Other reports said the explosion was caused by a "mishap" after Kilani tried to mount an explosive device on his own motorcycle and failed.
The IDF and Shin Bet did not comment on the incident, but the Lion's Den blamed Israel and threatened, "We promise [IDF Chief of Staff] Kochavi a hard and painful response."
Getting Kids Into School Should NOT Be Hard
When calling out the double standards of Shraying Givalt about New York State’s crackdown on some Chassidishe Yeshivas while ignoring the crisis of girls and bochrim who do not get into any school and are left on the sidelines, there was one common response I got from several people: “How dare you speak that way, do you know how much time other Askanim and I dedicate to getting kids into schools.”
Incidentally, this is exactly the problem I was talking about. Unfortunately, our current system is built to fail a percentage of our children–a situation we cannot remain silent about.
Monday, October 24, 2022
Whatever Happened to Bruria Rav Meir's Wife?
Rabbi Dovid Abenson Wants an "Asifa" Declaring that Students Cannot be Rejected
I have been working with a set of parents whose child has been rejected from Yeshiva in his final year and has now unfortunately moved to a non-Jewish school.
I discussed this trend of rejection with a friend who has been an Asken in our community for 50 years. I told him about the feedback I had received from the published article “Accept the with Love” and consequent calls from parents who have reached out to me, looking for mosdos for their children without success, and asking for my help. We lamented that so many boys and girls are being rejected or expelled, and parents having sleepless nights about their child’s future, ultimately scared their child will leave the fold.
Sex Pervert Berland 's Chassidim Attack Jerusalem Deputy Mayor
Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Aryeh King was lightly injured Sunday evening after being attacked by Hasidic supporters of convicted sex offender Rabbi Eliezer Berland in East Jerusalem.
The incident took place during public celebrations at the Tomb of Simeon the Just as King and Chief Rabbi of Safed Shmuel Eliyahu arrived at the site within the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood.
According to a police report, rioters began throwing rocks toward King and Eliyahu, while shouting toward Eliyahu: “He incarcerated the rabbi [Berland].”
Eliyahu was not injured in the incident.
Police said two rioters were arrested and that police forces were at the scene to restore public order.
“Unfortunately, some lawbreakers are trying to sabotage the event and hurt other participants. We won’t allow these extremists to disturb the public order and will show zero tolerance toward any kind of violence,” police said in a statement.
Eliyahu, who is considered one of Berland’s harshest critics, accused Berland of inciting his followers.
“Jerusalem’s deputy mayor has been injured by supporters of the criminal named Berland. A real criminal whose advocates nearly killed a person. I think those people require real repentance and that person [Berland] should be jailed immediately because he incites people to do terrible things,” the rabbi said.
Berland, the leader of the Shuvu Bonim religious cult, has served separate prison sentences in the past for sex offenses and fraud, and last year was implicated but not charged in the decades-old murder of a teenager.
Berland fled Israel in 2013 amid allegations he had sexually assaulted several female followers. After evading arrest for three years and slipping through various countries, he returned to Israel and was sentenced to 18 months in prison in November 2016 on two counts of indecent acts and one case of assault, as part of a plea deal that included seven months of time served.
He was freed just five months later, in part due to ill health.
He was arrested again, this time for fraud, in February 2020 after hundreds of people filed police complaints saying that he had sold prayers and pills to desperate members of his community, promised families of individuals with disabilities that their loved ones would be able to walk, and told families of convicted felons that their relatives would be freed from prison.
Berland was convicted last year under a plea bargain and given an 18-month sentence, but was released in December.
In November 2021 police investigating the murder of a teenage boy in the 1980s told a court that Berland had ordered the killing. Police said Berland allegedly sent the suspects who kidnapped and killed 17-year-old Nissim Shitrit, but that he was not present at the time of the murder.
Berland is linked to three suspects arrested for their involvement in the crime, which went unsolved for 35 years.
Genes Link Bipolar, Schizophrenia, Once Thought Unrelated
When Chastity Murry had her first psychotic break, she went into her bathroom and downed a whole bottle of pills, hoping to die. Her teenage daughter had to perform CPR to save her life.
Around that same time more than a decade ago, the man who would become her husband, Dante Murry, also lost touch with reality and considered suicide.
Different illnesses led them down similar paths – bipolar disorder in her case and schizoaffective disorder in his – conditions long considered by many to be distinct and unrelated.
Senior Shechem Terrorist Blown to pieces
Tamer Al-Kilani, a senior member of the “Lion’s Den” terror cell in Shechem was eliminated after his motorcycle exploded at 1:45 AM early Sunday morning. The Palestinians claim that Israel is behind the explosion and even published a clip in which a collaborator allegedly planted the explosive device moments before Al-Kilani’s death. However others claimed that Al-Kilani himself had attempted to place the explosive device and it accidentally exploded earlier. Israel has not confirmed reports of its involvement.
Al-Kilani has orchestrated numerous shooting attacks against the IDF in northern Samaria and had even recently sent a terrorist to Jaffa, where he was caught by security forces.
The Lion’s Den group affirmed his death, stating that “the traitorous occupation placed a TNT package. We call on our men to continue their opposition and state that ‘the West Bank is ours and every citizen can enter Shechem.”
Two weeks ago, the PA had asked the IDF not to enter Shechem and had assured that it would try and stop the Lion’s Den terrorists by itself, according to a Ynet report.
In other security activities, the IDF, GSS and border police arrested nine terror suspects in Judea and Samaria. The suspects were taken for interrogation by security forces.
Sunday, October 23, 2022
Rabbi Shmuel Knopfler's Fourth Yurzeit ...... Was DIN Torah Contributer
"Der Goy's" Take on the Israeli Elections
The lying headline reads:
"Thousands of Observant Jews, "Bnei Torah" , headed by the Litvishe Ge'doilei Harabanim are expected to congregate at a Huge Knessia this coming Thursday in the Holy Land to support the Prohibition of taking part in the Tumedika Elections!"
I don't even know where to begin to take apart this huge unmitigated lie.
First of all, practically all "Litvishe Ge'doilei Harabanim" are not only for the voting process in Israel, but they call voting "an obligation" a "mitzvah."!
In addition, Litvishe Parties have candidates running in the elections.
Second of all, except for a few "Auerbach Peleg Crazies" which call themselves now "Bnei Torah," they will come out to vote in mass, they vote in bigger numbers percentage wise than the chilonim. Yesterday, R' Deutech who now heads the PelegCrazies under the banner "Bnei Torah" told his Talmidim that Natanyahu called him to make a deal with him in return for votes. I don't know this fellow, Deutsch" but he sure has a wild imagination. Why would Netanyahu call a leader of maybe a couple of hundred crazies, whose policy is not to vote period. Why would he make a deal with a bunch of mishagayim?
Finally, the sheer chutzpah of these Romanian peasants, to call elections in Israel "Tumedika" when both feuding Satmar Rebbe Brothers endorsed a Shiksa as Governor in NewYork, because of promises she made to Satmar Askanim in "yechidus" privately (Hmmmm?).
Hochul stands for "No-Bail" for violent criminals and she backs introducing LGBT studies in all private schools. Satmar's nemeses, Naftali Monster wants Hochul elected.
So again, I ask, which elections are "tumidik?"
What Do You Get by Offering Palestinians a State?
Palestinian Flag Waiving in Meah Shearim |
For more than 50 years, Israel’s critics have claimed that if Israelis would just agree to create a Palestinian state, the Palestinians would live in peace with them. Well, last month, Israel’s prime minister offered to create a Palestinian state. How did the Palestinians respond? Is the long-promised peace at last dawning upon the Middle East?
Not quite.
At the United Nations on Sept. 22, Prime Minister Yair Lapid announced his willingness to create a non-terrorist Palestinian state. Did the Palestinian Arab leadership respond by announcing an immediate return to the negotiating table to work out the details of the new state?
Hardly. The Palestinians responded with murderous violence. Within 24 hours of Lapid’s declaration, there was a car-ramming attack against Israelis near Havat Gilad that was publicly cheered by the Fatah movement, which is headed by Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas. Another terrorist was caught trying to smuggle several dozen handguns into Israel via the Jordan Valley. Handguns for peace?
How the Ancient Romans Built Bridges ... Facinating
How ancient Roman bridges were builtpic.twitter.com/bRYeKGzMxC
— Fascinating (@fasc1nate) October 21, 2022
China's former President escorted out of party congress
Former Chinese President Hu Jintao was physically removed from the Community Party Congress Saturday and his name was scrubbed from the country’s Internet as his successor tightened his ironclad hold on power.
The frail Hu, 79, appeared to look confused as he was hauled from his seat by a steward who repeatedly tried to lift the older man from his seat, drawing concerned looks from officials seated nearby.
Hu, who was seated next to Chinese president Xi Jingping, then put his hand on a sheet of paper placed on a folder in front of the leader.
Xi quickly put his own hand on the paper.
China’s top legislator Li Zhanshu, seated to Hu’s right, gave the former president’s folder to a steward, wiping his own head with a cloth after Hu finally stood up.
Looking distressed, Hu appeared to resist leaving as the stewards escorted him out, turning back to his seat at one point. On his way out, he exchanged words with Xi and patted Premier Li Keqiang, seated to the right of Xi, on the shoulder.
Baruch Levine Put His Video on Instagram But Deleted All 900 Comments Because Women Responded
Saturday, October 22, 2022
Former ‘Antisemite of the Year’ Ilhan Omar Featured as Antisemitism Commentator by MSNBC
MSNBC’s Medhi Hasan was blasted for turning to U.S. congresswoman Ilhan Omar as a commentator on Jew-hatred when she herself has promoted antisemitic conspiracy theories, pushed the dual loyalty canard, and incited animosity towards Jews in the U.S. and Israel.
Omar was tapped by MSNBC to respond to comments made by former President Donald Trump’s that American Jews need to “get their act together” before “it is too late,” and his claims that “no President has done more for Israel than I have.”
It remains unclear why Hasan, who has a history of misrepresenting Israel to demonize the Jewish state, would feature Omar as some sort of authority on antisemitism or hate speech.
Omar’s history of antisemitic rhetoric includes tweeting, “Israel has hypnotized the world, may Allah awaken the people and help them see the evil doings of Israel.”
In 2018, she claimed that U.S. support for Israel was “all about the Benjamins,” alluding to the image of Benjamin Franklin on $100 bills. She has also insinuated that her Jewish Democratic colleagues on Capitol Hill have dual loyalties and falsely accused Israel of a number of heinous crimes.
Based on her record, Omar earned the “Antisemite of the Year” award in 2019 from the StopAntisemism.org NGO.
“The NGO announced that Omar would be awarded the title of biggest antisemite of the year…including a video listing her achievements in the field of Jew-hatred, accompanied sarcastically by congratulatory music and confetti,” reported the Jerusalem Post at the time.
Despite her troubling record, Hasan picked Omar to discuss antisemitism on his show.
For his part, Mehdi “tweeted a libelous claim” in 2021 about an “Israel Defense Forces sniper injuring a Palestinian boy,” reported JNS.org at the time, based on an expose by media watchdog group CAMERA.
“Hasan retweeted a post by Palestinian activist Issa Amro that included a nine-second video of a Palestinian boy in a vegetable store in Hebron. The youngster runs off-camera by the end of the clip, while another man in the video ducks for cover,” reported JNS. “The video does not show violence or a shooter, and it’s unclear from the footage how the Palestinian boy was injured.”
“After being contacted by CAMERA, Hasan published a tweet on Tuesday noting ‘conflicting accounts’ surrounding the incident and provided a link to a Times of Israel article with more information,” added the JNS report.
CAMERA followed up on that incident, reporting, “Apparently emboldened by MSNBC’s failure to broadcast a clarification debunking the grotesque falsehood that Israel is burning down Palestinian villages, a libel which Mehdi Hasan allowed to pass without challenge Feb. 5 on ‘All In With Chris Hayes,’ the MSNBC host again promotes egregious, unverified anti-Israel smears.”