Sunday, April 2, 2023
Saturday, April 1, 2023
The Dark Side of Ukraine: Its History of Nazi Collaboration and Animus Towards Israel
As the war that Russia launched on Ukraine in early 2022 continues unabated, it has become abundantly clear that the international community of nations, for the most part, are throwing their support behind Ukraine as they battle for their survival against the Russian onslaught.
Earlier this year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky even addressed a joint session of Congress and is the recipient of tens of billions of dollars in US military aid.
Since the war began between Putin’s troops and the civilian army of Ukraine, the one nation that has provided extensive humanitarian aid to Ukraine but not military aid, despite the repeated requests and even demands from President Zelensky has been Israel. The question that begs to be answered is why has Israel taken this position of reluctance to in helping to arm Ukraine with technologically advanced military hardware.
Ukraine has had an historically adverse relationship with Jews and were unapologetically supportive of the Nazi regime during World War II. Moreover, Ukraine has consistently voted against Israel in the United Nations and has taken positions that foster the support of Israel’s hardened foes.
In January 2020, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported that Ukraine’s ambassador to Israel told Jerusalem to butt out of the debate about the country he represents honoring Nazi collaborators.
Friday, March 31, 2023
Here’s what happens next for Donald Trump now that he’s been indicted
Former President Donald Trump will likely dodge a perp walk but still be fingerprinted, have his mugshot taken — and possibly be led into Manhattan court in cuffs — following his criminal indictment by a Manhattan grand jury.
The stunning turn — marking the first ever criminal case against a former US president — will propel the country’s legal system into “unprecedented territory,” experts say — with court officials adding that the publicity surrounding the event will mirror that of convicted Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein.
The charges contained in the indictment were not immediately made public. But the grand jury that voted to indict the ex-president has been probing “hush money” payments made by Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen ahead of the 2016 election. Trump has vehemently denied any claims of wrongdoing.
Here is what happens next now that Trump has been indicted:
What is an indictment?
An indictment solidifies the charges against a defendant, meaning a grand jury has determined there is enough evidence to warrant a trial after reviewing testimony presented solely by prosecutors.
Grand jury proceedings are held in secret, and their findings are usually first released by a judge at the suspect’s arraignment.
Still, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg could make the finding public beforehand, given the importance of the case. And there are always leaks.
“This is unprecedented territory,’’ defense lawyer and former Manhattan prosecutor Mark Bederow told The Post this month.
Charedi couple brutally beaten by Leftist protesters in Tel Aviv
A haredi couple who were driving through Tel Aviv on Sunday night found themselves in the midst of an anti-judicial reform demonstration. The demonstrators surrounded the car and proceeded to attack them, lynching the husband. Israel National News spoke with the victim's wife about the traumatic incident and the media's silence.
"We were in Tel Aviv. We wanted to go home. We didn't know that there was a protest. There were no police there. We wanted to turn left with another car, and we found ourselves in the middle of the rage," she recalls. "They banged on the car and shouted curses at us. There was no option to drive in reverse, and my husband stopped when he saw that the protesters were blocking the road.
When he stopped, they surrounded us again, banged on the car, and tried to break the windows. The whole time I was screaming so people would see that we were just a lost couple and not someone who wants to cause harm," she states. "My husband said he'll open the door so they won't break the window. We didn't do anything. What do you want? They began beating him up. They got into the back of the car since the back seat was folded down. They beat him, I saw the blood, and he told me, 'take me to the hospital. I can't see out of this eye, and I'm going to faint.' I cried. I asked them to let us go, and they just continued."
Ron DeSantis: Florida won't assist in any extradition request of Trump
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Thursday called the indictment of former President Donald Trump “un-American” and said the state would not assist in any extradition request, The Hill reported.
“The weaponization of the legal system to advance a political agenda turns the rule of law on its head. It is un-American,” said DeSantis.
“The Soros-backed Manhattan District Attorney has consistently bent the law to downgrade felonies and to excuse criminal misconduct. Yet, now he is stretching the law to target a political opponent,” DeSantis continued, adding that Florida would not assist in an extradition request “given the questionable circumstances at issue.”
The comments came after a Manhattan grand jury voted to indict Trump on criminal charges for his role in organizing hush money payments made to an adult film star during his 2016 campaign.
Trump, who is a Florida resident, is expected to be arraigned next week.
The former President is expected to turn himself in early next week, his attorney Joe Tacopina told NBC News.
DeSantis is seen as the most serious challenger to Trump for the Republican 2024 presidential nomination. While he hasn’t announced a bid yet, he’s been actively preparing for a campaign and is widely expected to make a final decision later this year.
Chaya Raichik and AOC Finally Friends? NOT!
AOC has absolute TRIGGERED tantrum, storms off like toddler after Libs of TikTok founder confronts her in public for smearing her:
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) March 30, 2023
"You're actually super transphobic and I never wanna share a space with you." 🤣🤣🤣
pic.twitter.com/PmUHY5W2jU
Trump Indicted
A lawyer for Donald Trump said Thursday he’s been told that the former president has been indicted in New York on charges involving payments made during the 2016 presidential campaign to silence claims of an extramarital sexual encounter.
It becomes the first ever criminal case against a former U.S. president and a jolt to Trump’s bid to retake the White House in 2024.
Joe Tacopina, a lawyer for Trump, told The Associated Press he had been told that a grand jury that had been meeting for months voted to indict Trump. The specific charges were not immediately made public.
Trump, who has denied any wrongdoing and has attacked the investigation, was expected to surrender to authorities next week, according to a person familiar with the matter who was not authorized to discuss a matter that remained under seal.
The grand jury indictment of Trump, 76, is an extraordinary development after years of investigations into his business, political and personal dealings. It is likely to galvanize critics who say Trump lied and cheated his way to the top and embolden supporters who feel the Republican is being unfairly targeted by a Democratic prosecutor.
Thursday, March 30, 2023
R' Moshe Wolfson's "Moonies" Granddaughter Chavie Weisberger Tells her Story
Chavie Weisberger reveals what it was like to grow up as a Chasidic Jew in an extreme branch of an ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in New York started by her own grandfather, R' Moshe Wolfson, founder of the Sect, Amunas Yisrael (Moonies). I have a friend who is a "moonie" more on that another time.
In episode 240 of "On the Edge" with Andrew Gold podcast, she talks of some aspects of her ultra orthodox Jewish wedding, and losing her kids .
The reason I decided to post the above video of Chavie Weisberger's story is because of a recent encounter that I had here in Israel with a member of the extremist Chassidic sect that follow the Toldos Ahron Rebbes and who are referred to as "arrelich."
The "aarilich" are extreme anti-Zionists, and they are the ones that yell "nazi" on firefighters that come to put out fires in their communities and throw stones on police who return their lost children. The Todos Ahron Rebbe is a leader of a cult that worship him. Hence their total disrespect of other Jews and even other Chassidic sects. I became pretty close to one of them who confided to me what really goes on behind the scenes. I will one day write about that, it is truly fascinating. He was telling me how he met his wife and a little bit of their relationship, sounds a lot like Chavie's story.
The story of Chavie Weisberger is her own unique story with her very own experiences and is really not a reflection of every Chassidic family, but what I found very telling was that rabbonim would make fundraisers that raised over a million dollars to take children away from a mother because she doesn't follow their values! I find that very disturbing.
It reminds me of the Yossele Shumacher Story in the 1960's when a grandfather decided to kidnap his own grandchild, decided to rip a child from his mother, and shipped him off to another country because he wanted the child to be a shomer shabbos. Mind you, this grandfather brought up his daughter the mother of this child as a chiloinie, he later became frum. I don't care what his reasoning was, you don't rip children away from their mother, period!
You may disagree with Chavie's lifestyle, her values, but one has to respect that she is a mother and as a mother she has the same entitlements to bring up her children as her ex-husband. One could argue, well, they married, with both on the same page, hashkafa wise, and she is changing the script. To that I say, well just too bad. When you get divorced, they both have the same rights to bring up the children the way they see fit. The mother is still a mother, and she should have custodial rights and if she is the one who changed the rules, then so be it; this is what happens when there is a divorce.
Bar Ilan Professor Solves Age Old Issue: How Big Was the Talmudic Egg? Was The Shiur of the "Chazon Ish" Correct?
As the Jewish holiday of Passover approaches, new questions about eggs, an important component in the festive seder feast, are being answered.
When in history were the first eggs eaten and what size were they? The answers have emerged from a new study, published in the scientific journal JSIJ, conducted by Prof. Zohar Amar, an expert in ancient flora and fauna from Bar-Ilan University’s Martin (Szusz) Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology. Back in 2019, we reported his discovery: Israeli Scientist Reveals First Temple Period Eggs Differ Little Than Today’s Fare On the Passover Plates of Jerusalem Residents. His research is more
complete now and was recently published (שיעור “כביצה” לאור המציאות הקדומה – seventh PDF document down on the list of Bar Ilan University’s Dept. of Jewish Studies published articles for 2022).
Due to their delicacy and fragility, eggs are generally difficult to preserve and, therefore, a rare archaeological find. In his in-depth study, Prof. Amar surveyed 15 of the most ancient, well-preserved eggs ever found in and outside of Israel.
The earliest evidence examined is large eggshells from the First Temple period uncovered during excavations of the City of David. Eggs dating to the Roman period and the Middle Ages were also studied. These eggs, completely intact, were well-preserved because they were found in septic tanks and sewage
According to the findings of the study, chicken eggs became a significant part of the food basket only during the Hellenistic-Roman period, and their size at the time was different than thought until now. Further, Amar’s analysis of historical sources revealed that the average egg volume in all periods was 40-44 cc, less than that accepted in Jewish law (Halakha). This new data may carry important halakhic implications, as various halakhic rulings are determined according to the size of an egg, for example, the directive to eat matzah “the size of an olive” during the Passover seder. According to different halachic opinions, this is calculated as between a quarter to half an egg.
“The eggs are smaller than what is accepted nowadays according to the calculation of 57 cc made by the late halachic scholar Rabbi Avraham Chaim Naeh,” explains Prof. Amar. “The late leader of Haredi Judaism in Israel, Rabbi Avraham Yeshaya Karelitz, also known as the Chazon Ish, thought that modern-day eggs were smaller, and twice the size in the past, approximately 100 cc.”
The eggs’ relatively small volume existed until the middle of the twentieth century. Their size and volume increased only in recent generations, following the cultivation of hen breeding.
Ehud Barak Explains how a mere 3.5% of Israel Population will Take Down Israel’s Elected Government
On Monday, former Labor Prime Minister Ehud Barak sat down for an interview on the stage of the Royal Institute of International Affairs, a.k.a. Chatham House, in London, to describe his counter-revolution (Ehud Barak’s words) strategy that involves mobilizing a mere 3.5% of the Israeli population to force the democratically elected government to “either fall or capitulate.”
Analyst J Michael Waller, who tweeted the excerpt below, noted that “the same people have been trying to do this in the United States, using legal mechanisms and mob action. They will not stop.”
ORGANIZED INSURRECTION IN ISRAEL: Left-wing former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak describes what he calls his 'regime change' strategy to mobilize 3.5 percent of the population to make the Israeli government 'either fall or capitulate.' pic.twitter.com/MaJOmmKYQ9
— J Michael Waller (@JMichaelWaller) March 29, 2023
Waller was referring, of course, to the January 6, 2021 insurrection.
‘Outrageous’ For Biden To Lecture Israel On Domestic Issues: Nikki Haley
“It’s outrageous for Joe Biden to lecture Israel on a matter that is entirely their domestic concern,” Nikki Haley, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and presidential candidate for 2024, said in a statement that the campaign provided JNS and that she posted on Twitter.
“We would never want the Israeli government to push America on issues surrounding our Supreme Court, and they wouldn’t do it,” she added. “We should let Israelis decide this themselves.”
Legal experts recently told JNS that the White House and U.S. State Department have criticized Israeli judicial reform in bad faith. “You get this sort of pious talk coming out of these characters, but they are as anti-democratic as you could possibly imagine with respect to the way in which they do this business,” Richard Epstein, law professor and director of the Classical Liberal Institute at NYU Law, told JNS of the Biden administration.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected U.S. President Joe Biden’s intervention in the debate. Nonetheless, Netanyahu declared on Wednesday that U.S.-Israel ties remain “unshakeable.”
Overdose-Reversing Drug Will be Sold Over-the-counter
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved selling naloxone without a prescription, setting the overdose-reversing drug on course to become the first opioid treatment drug to be sold over the counter.
It’s a move that some advocates have long sought as a way to improve access to a life-saving drug, though the exact impact will not be clear immediately.
Here’s a look at the issues involved.
WHAT IS NARCAN?
The approved branded nasal spray from Gaithersburg, Maryland-based Emergent BioSolutions is the best-known form of naloxone.
It can reverse overdoses of opioids, including street drugs such as heroin and fentanyl and prescription versions including oxycodone.
Making naloxone available more widely is seen as a key strategy to control the nationwide overdose crisis, which has been linked to more than 100,000 U.S. deaths a year. The majority of those deaths are tied to opioids, primarily potent synthetic versions such as fentanyl that can take multiple doses of naloxone to reverse.
Advocates believe it’s important to get naloxone to the people who are most likely to be around overdoses, including people who use drugs and their relatives.
Police and other first responders also often carry it.
WHAT DOES THE FDA APPROVAL MEAN?
Narcan will become available over-the-counter by late summer, the company said.
Other brands of naloxone and injectable forms will not yet be available over the counter, but they could be soon.
The nonprofit Harm Reduction Therapeutics Inc., which has funding from OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma, has an application before the FDA to distribute its version of spray naloxone without a prescription.
HOW IS NALOXONE DISTRIBUTED NOW?
Even before the FDA’s action, pharmacies could sell naloxone without a prescription because officials in every state have allowed it.
But not every pharmacy carries it. And buyers have to pay for the medication — either with an insurance co-pay or for the full retail price. The cost varies, but two doses of Narcan often go for around $50.
The drug is also distributed by community organizations that serve people who use drugs, though it’s not easily accessible to everyone who needs it.
Emergent has not announced its price and it’s not clear yet whether insurers will continue to cover it as a prescription drug if it’s available over the counter.
DOES MAKING NALOXONE OVER-THE-COUNTER IMPROVE ACCESS?
It clears the way for Narcan to be made available in places without pharmacies — convenience stores, supermarkets and online retailers, for instance.
Jose Benitez, the lead executive officer at Prevention Point Philadelphia, an organization that tries to reduce risk for people who use drugs with services including handing out free naloxone, said it could help a lot for people who don’t seek services — or who live in places where they’re not available.
Now, he said, some people are concerned about getting naloxone at pharmacies because their insurers will know they’re getting it.
“Putting it out of the shelves is going to allows people just to pick it up, not have stigma attached to it and readily access this life-saving drug,” he said.
But it remains to be seen how many stores will carry it and what the prices will be. The U.S. Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services, which now cover prescription naloxone for people on the government insurance programs, says that coverage of over-the-counter naloxone would depend on the insurance program. The centers have not given any official guidance.
Maya Doe-Simkins, a co-director of Remedy Alliance/For The People, which launched last year to provide low-cost — and sometimes free — naloxone to community organizations, said her group will continue to distribute injectable naloxone.
ARE THERE DRAWBACKS TO OVER-THE-COUNTER SALES?
One concern is whether people who buy Narcan over-the-counter will know how to use it properly, said Keith Humphreys, a Stanford University addiction expert, though the manufacturer is responsible for clear directions and online videos on that.
One benefit of having pharmacists involved, he said, is that they can show buyers how to use it. One key thing people need to be reminded of: Call an ambulance for the person receiving naloxone after it’s been administered.
He also said there are fears that if the drug isn’t profitable as an over-the-counter option, the drugmaker could stop producing it.
Wednesday, March 29, 2023
Police Return Lost Chareidie Child in Bet Shemesh Bet, Instead of thanking them, They Riot and call Police "Nazis"
Watch the video, and you will notice that it isn't only a handful of ungrateful Chareidim, but actually a mob of hundreds. I am not the one causing a Chillul Hashem and I'm not the one causing Sinas Chinum, I am just posting how these "tzaddikim" behave. As far as Loshon Hara is concerned I suggest you learn the Chofetz Chayim' sefer on Loshon Hara before you criticize me.
Their was a WhatsApp message to all who live in Beit Shemesh that a child from Beit Shemesh Bet was lost. Beit Shemesh Bet is where the crazed "ahrelich" live and it was actually one of their own that went missing.
Well the police were notified, and they found the child walking near highway 3885 or Route 10, a very dangerous highway in Beit Shemesh that has no lights, and cars speed there all the time. The Police called the parents notifying them that they found their little "jewel" and are coming to return him.
When the police came to return the child, instead of having a welcoming committee greet them, they were met with a full blown riot with grown men yelling "Nazi" at the cops, and who tried smashing the police cruiser and putting obstacles on the road so that they could beat the hell out of the cops that found the child.
No good deed goes unpunished!
*Beit Shemesh News*
Chairman of the Likud in the city of Shalom Edri condemning the violence against the police officers
As we reported yesterday, there was a violent incident against policemen in the Rambash B neighborhood, this after policemen returned a missing child.
The residents of the neighborhood gathered around the policemen shouting insults and using severe violence.
Shalom Adri, chairman of the Likud and a member of the city council, commented on the event:
"It is unthinkable that Israel Police officers, after doing their job, would receive a barrage of curses and unbridled behavior from residents of the Rambash 2 neighborhood.
Nasty chants such as Nazi nicknames are a red line that must not be crossed.
I request that they be treated with intolerance and that the city leadership, and the police take enforcement action against them."
יו"ר הליכוד בעיר שלום אדרי בגינוי נגד האלימות כלפי השוטרים*
כפי שדיווחנו אתמול התקיים אירוע אלים נגד שוטרים בשכונת רמב"ש ב', זה לאחר ששוטרים החזירו ילד נעדר.
תושבי השכונה התקבצו סביב השוטרים בקריאות גנאי ואלימות קשה.
שלום אדרי, יו"ר הליכוד וחבר מועצת העיר הגיב על האירוע:
"לא יעלה על הדעת ששוטרי משטרת ישראל, לאחר שעשו עבודתם, יקבלו שטף של קללות והתנהגות חסרת רסן מצד תושבים בשכונת רמב"ש ב'.
קריאות נאצה כמו כינוי נאצים הם קו אדום שאסור לחצות.
אני מבקש לנהוג בהם בחוסר סובלנות ונקיטת אכיפה נגדם מהנהגת העיר והמשטרה."
Israel launches 'Ofek 13' satellite into space
משרד הביטחון והתעשייה האווירית שיגרו בהצלחה לחלל את לוויין "אופק 13", לוויין תצפית מכ"מי בעל יכולות מתקדמות, משדה ניסויים במרכז הארץ
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) March 28, 2023
(צילום: קובי ריכטר, TPS) @ItayBlumental pic.twitter.com/Al2ByWTtdH
The IMoD Space and Satellite Administration in the Directorate of Defense Research & Development (DDR&D), the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) successfully launched the "Ofek 13" satellite into space at 2:10 a.m. on Wednesday.
The launch took place at a test site in central Israel using a "Shavit" launcher.
The "Ofek 13" satellite is a SAR observation satellite with advanced capabilities. Once the satellite enters into orbit, it will undergo a series of tests to ensure its propriety and performance levels.
The IMoD's Space and Satellite Administration has led the development and production of the satellite and its launcher. The development process also included the IDF's 9900 Intelligence Unit and the Israeli Air Force.
The Space & Missile Division in IAI is the prime contractor for the program alongside with ELTA, an IAI subsidiary, and other divisions in the company.
The launch engines were developed by Rafael Advanced Systems and Tomer, a government-owned company.
Ministers blast Biden for 'meddling' in Israel's internal affairs over judicial overhaul remarks
Netanyahu was quick to respond to Biden's warning with a statement in which he said Israel will not make decisions "based on external pressures, including from our best friends."
Government ministers expressed similar opinions on Wednesday morning, claiming Biden should not meddle in Israel's internal affairs, and accusing the U.S. government of failing to recognize Israel's sovereignty.
"The Americans need to understand that Israel is an independent state and not another star on the American flag," said National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. "It needs to be clear to the whole world that the nation here has had an election and it has its wishes."
Some lawmakers took a more fiery line in response to Biden's remarks, including Deputy Knesset Speaker Nissim Vaturi of Netanyahu's Likud Party, who went so far as to blame former U.S. President Barack Obama for the death of IDF soldiers during Israel's 2014 military campaign in the Gaza Strip.
"There was a case during Operation Protective Edge in which the U.S. decided on an arms embargo on Hellfire missiles for Apache [helicopters], and Israel got by," he said. "In my opinion, soldiers were killed also because of the quote-unquote American support."
Vaturi was then asked to clarify whether he truly believed that IDF soldiers were killed as a result of what he called an "American embargo", to which he replied "yes."
"The question is whether this is a democracy for the U.S. president to come and dictate to us," he continued. "The U.S. cannot meddle in Israel's internal affairs. This is a democracy, he shouldn't force anything on us."
The firebrand lawmaker also claimed that while he understands the security reliance on the U.S., Israel will be able to defend itself without U.S. aid if need be.
"If Biden will be so kind as to meet with Netanyahu, he will be able to explain the judicial reforms to him," he scoffed. "Right now, he is influenced by left-wing journalists and opposition members."
Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar tweeted "It's sad that President Biden has also fallen victim to the fake news that was spread in Israel against our justified judicial reform."
He deleted his post shortly after and shared another tweet that read: "Out of respect for our important relations with our greatest ally, the U.S., I deleted the tweet. My heart is broken seeing how much damage is being done to Israel due to all the fake news being spread on our justified judicial reform."
Yad Vashem records names of millions of Holocaust victims in new commemoration project
Experts estimate that the final number of names recorded would be around 5.1 million, which means hundreds of thousands of Holocaust victims will go unrecorded.
While experts believe the number of those who perished at the hands of Nazi Germany and its accomplices stands at around 5.8 million, the rounded figure of 6 million has been cemented into Jewish consciousness.
All names are available on Yad Vashem's official website, and are the result of decades of research, collecting WWII-era manuscripts, diaries and other types of documents.
The project's curator Alexander Abraham, says that the sources for additional names of victims could be exhausted within a few years.
"With time, generations of those who were there have naturally passed away and there is no other way to know their names," he says. "We're in contact with many different archives that deal with commemorating historical data of this kind, but we're on the verge of exhausting those options as well.
"Collecting the names of the children who perished is the most difficult part since they were forcibly separated from their parents and their names were never listed in any document. The Nazis wanted the names to be lost to history, which is why every name collected is a victory."
Yad Vashem Chairman Danny Dayan says: "Each Jew who perished had a name, a story and an identity. They weren't nameless figures devoid of identity like the Nazis wanted us to remember. It is incumbent upon us to exhaust every avenue to collect every name possible.
"The book enables everyone to touch those names and be mindful of the deep sense of loss of the Jewish people."
The names in the book are accompanied by each person's place of birth, their birth date and the location where they perished, provided those details are known. The book itself is quite large, standing at over 26 feet long. Its size is meant to signify the collective loss humanity has sustained when these horrors occurred.
As the full list of names will never be known, the latter pages of the book are kept empty in their memory.
Biden Contradicts his Ambassador: Won’t Invite Netanyahu to the White House
There were several tweets on Tuesday that cited President Joe Biden essentially contradicting his ambassador to Israel Tom Nides, who earlier in the day told Israel’s Army Radio Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was going to be invited to the White House soon (US Ambassador: Netanyahu Will Be Invited to the White House after Passover).
Below are all the citations taken from Biden’s two conversations with reporters on Tuesday that touched on the subjects of Israel and Netanyahu. In summation: there will be no invitation to the White House any time soon, and it’s hard to tell whether the president had been briefed on Netanyahu’s announcement that he is suspending the judicial reform:
Biden: "Like many strong supporters of Israel I'm very concerned. I'm concerned that they get this straight. They cannot continue down this road. Netanyahu won't be invited to the White House in the near term" pic.twitter.com/YeuH6QbT3c
— Yosef Yisrael (@yosefyisrael25) March 28, 2023
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