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We know about France and the rest of Western Europe. We have seen Russia, Ukraine, Persia. The reality is that the Exile slowly, very slowly but quite manifestly, is closing its door in America also.
Jewish fate and destiny not only have been moving away from the American chapter and towards the Israel chapter, but that transition now is apace.
There were historically meaningful Jewish chapters in Babylonia and Persia. We have lived through the West European chapter when Jewish life centered in France, in England, in Germany. The Iberian chapter in Spain and Portugal. The Central and East European chapters extending into Russian/Soviet Asia. The North African chapter.
Next, the American chapter began to unfold in the late Nineteenth Century as 3.25 million Jews came — fled — to the United States during the mad rush between 1881 when pogroms erupted after Tsar Alexander II was assassinated and 1914 when America locked its doors in the face of World War I and her fear of the “Communist menace.”
Others may debate whether the chapter’s wind-down is good. Regardless, the American chapter has had the better part of its run and seen its better days. I write this as fact, not opinion. It just is.
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| Deborah Lipstadt |
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| Eisen with Hussain Obama |
The acrimony between never-Trumpers and pro-Trumpers has generated some fiery accusations from both sides.
As a Jew who admires what President Donald Trump has done in the interest of the United States to promote peace in the Middle East and to bring security to Israel, but who is appalled by his extravagant narcissism and capriciousness, I tolerate what many regard as extreme abuse hurled in print at Trump and his supporters.
Hardened by years of courtroom battles, and the charges and counter-charges made during hotly contested litigation, I calmly read aggressively expressed opinions with which I disagree. Proof is that I even continue to subscribe to The Washington Post.
But the Post published on Dec. 23 a reprehensible and revolting opinion piece that exceeds even my high tolerance level. It is called
“Denying the Holocaust Threatens Democracy. So Does Denying the Election Results” by Deborah Lipstadt and Norman Eisen.
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Today we learn that this Shmidal character was quietly trying to get the vaccine for his cronies ...
Israel’s vaccination program against the coronavirus is underway, with priority being given to certain age groups, at-risk populations, and people working in various forms of employment that give them enhanced exposure to the virus. A few days ago, the Hevra Kaddisha (the organization of those who prepare the bodies of the deceased for burial according to Jewish law) appealed to the Health Ministry to be included among those given priority status for vaccination – and had their appeal rejected.
In their request to the Ministry, Channel 12reports, the Hevra Kaddisha noted that their 500 workers, based across the country, by virtue of the nature of their employment are exposed on a daily basis to people who have passed away with/from coronavirus, and therefore are in increased danger of contracting it themselves.
After receiving a negative reply from the Health Ministry, Avraham Manela, the head of the Hevra Kaddisha’s forum, appealed to the Religious Affairs Minister, Yaakov Avitan, and explained that if those working for the Hevra Kaddisha are not vaccinated, they will not be able to continue with their work due to the dangers it exposes them to.
“In the event that our workers are not included among those workers given priority for vaccination at this stage of the program, within a few days we will be forced to cease dealing with the bodies of people who have passed away from coronavirus,” he wrote.
Manela noted that those who work with other, similar organizations such as ZAKA, have, by contrast, been accorded priority status, “and the Health Ministry’s decision is therefore all the more difficult to understand, and displays a total lack of sensitivity to our position.”
He added that, “Those working for the Hevra Kaddisha have been working with dedication and sacrifice from the time when this epidemic broke out, risking their lives to continue their work. I am now appealing to the Ministers of Health and Religious Affairs to reconsider this decision and resolve this issue immediately.”
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Consistent with federal guidelines, New York plans to offer vaccines next to long-term care residents and staff and other healthcare workers, then to certain essential workers, and finally to members of the general population, beginning with the people at highest risk for severe COVID-19 symptoms (such as those over 65 years old or with underlying health conditions like cancer or heart disease). New York has not yet announced a definitive timeline for distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine to any of these later groups.
“We must remain vigilant about potential scams and ensure New Yorkers know the latest information regarding the COVID-19 vaccine. At this time, there is no government-authorized vaccine available to the general population in New York,” said Attorney General James.
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In a major victory for religious freedom, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit today issued a decision in two cases, Agudath Israel of America v. Cuomo and Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn v. Cuomo, upholding challenges against New York State’s restrictions on attendance at houses of worship during COVID-19.
The Court of Appeals ordered the federal district court to issue a preliminary injunction prohibiting the state from enforcing the 10 and 25 person attendance limits at houses of worship in the “red” and “orange” zones, respectively. It also ordered the district court to consider whether the 25% and 33% capacity restrictions in red and orange zones also violated the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.
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Dr. Anthony Fauci on Sunday dismissed accusations that he deliberately moved the goalposts on when the country would vaccinate enough people against COVID-19 to reach herd immunity, saying he was previously offering "guestimates."
Reported by outlets as a "confession," Fauci told The New York Times: "When polls said only about half of all Americans would take a vaccine, I was saying herd immunity would take 70 to 75 percent …Then, when newer surveys said 60 percent or more would take it, I thought, ‘I can nudge this up a bit,’ so I went to 80,85."
In subsequent interviews, Fauci has focused on the other part of that Times report in which he compared COVID-19 to measles, saying at the time that "I'd bet my house that COVID isn't as contagious as measles."
Fauci appeared on Sunday morning’s "State of the Union," reiterating to CNN’s Dana Bash that he based his numbers on measles – not polling.
"Measles is about 98% effective vaccine; the COVID-19 vaccine is about 94%," Fauci said.
"When you get below 90% of the population vaccinated with measles, you start seeing a breakthrough against the herd immunity, people starting to get infected, like we saw in upper New York State and in New York City, with the Orthodox Jewish group, when we had the measles outbreak."
"So I made a calculation that COVID-19 is not as nearly as transmissible as measles," Fauci added, stressing that measles is "the most transmissible" virus.
Instead, Fauci claimed that he made "a guestimate," and he remained firm that a more realistic range would be 75-80% of the Amercian population needing to be vaccinated before the country reaches herd immunity.
"I think 75-80% for herd immunity for COVID-19 is a reasonable estimate, and in fact, most of my epidemiology colleagues agree with me," Fauci clarified.
Fauci said that he’s doing all he can to encourage people, both in the U.S. and globally, to get the vaccine. He said he uses any discussion or interview to encourage people to reach the threshold for herd immunity.
When pressed as to when he thinks that might be, Fauci speculated that the U.S. might see "open season" – the point at which the vaccine is offered to the general public – around the end of March.
Starting general public vaccinations in April would mean reaching herd immunity around the end of summer, he added, despite vaccination numbers reportedly lower than Operation Warp Speed projected a month ago when the vaccines were still awaiting approval.
"Whenever you roll out a large program that’s a comprehensive vaccine program -- with a brand-new vaccine like this – in the beginning, it starts slow and begins to gain momentum," Fauci said.
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Didn't they mock Trump for saying the exact same thing in August?
Ultraviolet radiation is a common method of killing bacteria and viruses. Now, researchers from Tel Aviv University have proven that the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, can be killed efficiently, quickly and cheaply using ultraviolet (UV) light-emitting diodes (UV-LEDs) at specific frequencies.
“We discovered that it is quite simple to kill the coronavirus using LED bulbs that radiate ultraviolet light,” said Prof. Hadas Mamane, head of the Environmental Engineering Program at Tel Aviv University's School of Mechanical Engineering, who led the study with Prof. Yoram Gerchman and Dr. Michal Mandelboim.KINDLY SUPPORT OUR BLOG BY BROWSING THE ADS
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Did She Just Chew on a Lemon?
BBC diversity chief June Sarpong has insisted that “white privilege” is a fact and white people “will never be discriminated against” for their race.
Sarpong, the London-born daughter of Ghanaian migrants, told the Telegraph that “There is unfairness baked into our system” in an interview on her role as the publicly-funded broadcaster’s director of creative diversity.
“I don’t for a single second say that all white people are privileged. Of course not. But there are benefits even if you come from a low income and you’re white. You’re never judged on your race,” she claimed, adding: “You may be discriminated against because of class, you may be discriminated against because of your age, you may be discriminated against because of gender, size, etc, but you will never be discriminated against because of your race and that in itself feeds into the concept of white privilege.”
This is arguably not the case at the BBC, however, which frequently advertises so-called training opportunities and “internships” — which often pay more than a full-time job on the minimum wage — which white people and sometimes white men in particular are banned from applying for.
Sarpong, who is being paid £75,000 to work three days a week directing a £100 million fund to produce more “diverse and inclusive content” at the BBC — where minorities are already overrepresented and the white working class significantly underrepresented — went on to double down on her belief in the highly contentious idea of “white privilege”, suggesting that many white people merely need to have their eyes opened to it and they will become keen to atone.
“The thing about modern privilege is that if you’re the beneficiary, often you’re unaware that you’re the beneficiary, and that’s the whole point, isn’t it? Because the default is white and everything that isn’t is other,” she said.
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California has imposed some of the strictest lockdown measures of any state but continues to see a surge in COVID-19 cases.
There is a surge in COVID-19 cases in California despite unprecedented lockdowns and restrictions aimed at curbing the spreading of the coronavirus.
Earlier this week, the state surpassed 2 million confirmed cases and beds at many intensive care units are running dangerously low. In Los Angeles County, the epicenter of the virus in California, the county Department of Public Health on Thursday said around 14,000 residents were testing positive for COVID-19 each day and hospitals were admitting 1,000 new coronavirus patients daily.
As of Thursday, the state reported nearly 24,000 deaths and more than 39,000 new cases and 312 deaths in the 24-hour period since Wednesday.
One health expert called the surge a “viral tsunami,” the Daily Mail reported. State leaders have reached out to Australia and Taiwan to fill 3,000 temporary healthcare work positions as hospital remain overwhelmed.
Earlier this month, Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, warned that strict lockdown measures would be enacted regionally when ICU bed capacity dips under the 15% mark. Days later, Los Angeles County was put under the new lockdown orders.
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A former Prince George’s County police officer has a little more to be grateful for this holiday season after receiving a pardon from President Donald Trump.
“I am overwhelmed with all sorts of emotions. Joy, tears of joy, sometimes ugly tears, gratitude. Just so many things,” said Stephanie Mohr.
Her case goes back to 1995 when her police dog bit a burglary suspect on the calf.
It required ten stitches, but she says the suspect didn’t complain and her department didn’t have any issues with the case at the time.
“Much to my surprise, and my shock, five years later, one day before the statute of limitations was to expire, my training officer and I were both indicted,” said Mohr.
Her training officer was eventually acquitted, but after two trials, Mohr was sentenced to 10 years for federal civil rights violations, which she equates to a year for every stitch the suspect received. At the time, the police agency was under federal scrutiny.
Mohr felt she was the scapegoat, though she says her faith helped her get through.
“I always knew that in order for me to survive, wherever I was, whether I was home or whether I was in prison, that I had to put my anger and my bitterness aside, and there was no room for that in my life and to be strong for my son while I was away from him for so long,” said Mohr.
She said now that he’s an adult, he’s even working on becoming a police officer himself.
“It runs in the family, and it’s a profession that we hold very near and dear to us and like I said, couldn’t be more proud of him,” said Mohr.
Mohr says she lost so much over the years, but this pardon is a piece of closure for her family and for herself.
“It just allows me to be able to reclaim a little bit of my life, and it restores a little bit of my faith in justice,” she said.
As for what’s next, Mohr says she wants to enjoy a quiet holiday with her family.
She also thanked President Trump for the pardon.
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| Hailie Soifer Hugging Arab Jew Hater |
Halie Soifer, the CEO of the Jewish Democratic Council of America, claimed Tuesday that Ambassador Richard Grenell had “emboldened actual neo-Nazis” — and she was promptly met by criticism from Jewish leaders and conservatives.
Grenell has served as U.S. Ambassador to Germany, playing a crucial role in pushing Europe to isolate Iran and to declare Hezbollah a terrorist organization, among other achievements. He also served as Acting Director of National Intelligence, becoming the first LGBTQ American to be appointed to a Cabinet role.
Soifer was commenting on President Donald Trump’s decision Tuesday to appoint Grenell to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council, which supports the U.S. Holocaust Museum.
Soifer tweeted: “Today, Trump appointed Richard Grenell to the Holocaust Memorial Council. As US Amy to Germany, Grenell sought to ’empower’ far-right parties & anti-establishment conservatives in Europe. Others have been unqualified, but he’s emboldened actual neo-Nazis.”
Soifer linked to an article by the BBC in which Germans were described as having criticized Grenell for comments on the success of conservative parties across Europe.
Grenell made his comments in an interview with Breitbart News. He said: “I absolutely want to empower other conservatives throughout Europe, other leaders. I think there is a groundswell of conservative policies that are taking hold because of the failed policies of the left.”
He never supported far-right parties, nor did the BBC interview mention “neo-Nazis.”
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Joe Biden, who had difficulty having anyone come to any of his events, whose “rallies” may have had those poor little social distancing circles, just not a lot of supporters, is now really upset that Twitter wouldn’t just turn over to him the presidential Twitter account with President Donald Trump’s massive number of followers.
Twitter has decided that while they are turning over the @POTUS and @WhiteHouse accounts to Biden, the account followers will be wiped to zero, that followers will be notified of the change of account and given the choice if they want to continue to follow. Some media initially falsely claimed this was the president’s decision, but Twitter made it clear that it was theirs and theirs alone.
Biden’s transition team gave a statement to CNN, complaining about not getting the followers who Trump had built up.
“Twitter’s reluctance to transfer millions of followers from the Trump Administration to the Biden Administration unnecessarily politicizes what otherwise should be a routine transfer of communication from one administration to the next,” spokesperson Cameron French declared.
Trump has over 33 million followers on the @POTUS account and 26 million on the @WhiteHouse account.
Twitter apparently told the Biden people their decision was unequivocal and they didn’t give any reason why. Perhaps they are worried that the followers would just be constantly lighting Biden up and so that was the easiest way to stop that?
The Biden folks are clearly worried that he would have to get his own followers. After all, who wants to follow a Biden account that Biden likely wouldn’t even be tweeting from most of the time? With Trump, you always knew it was Trump. But with Biden it will be some boring functionary trying to say the proper thing… and not Joe. But even if they transferred the followers over, many Trump followers said they would just unfollow the account.
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While Israelis are flocking to Dubai in the wake of the normalization agreement between the Jewish state and the United Arab Emirates, the Palestinian Authority’s top cleric has ruled that women cannot travel there without a male chaperone.
According to Palestinian Media Watch, Grand Mufti Muhammad Hussein made his comments while being interviewed on official PA television earlier this month.
On the program Fatwa, Hussein was asked about a hypothetical man whose “wife wants to travel to Dubai with her daughters without the presence of an accompanying man from her family — is this allowed?”
Hussein replied, “There has to be an accompanying man from her family on the trip.”
Hussein, who was appointed directly by PA President Mahmoud Abbas, has a history of making misogynist statements. In one interview, he was asked if a woman could refuse to have sex with her husband, and replied, “It is his right.”
“This woman may not and has no rights to deny him this right, especially during the permissible time, which is night time,” Hussein asserted.
Itamar Marcus, director of Palestinian Media Watch, said of Hussein’s latest comments, “It’s tragic that the PA still treats their women this way. Once again the PA leadership is failing their people.”
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A senior member of Blue and White hired private detectives last year to follow MK Omer Yankelevich, also a member of the party, without the knowledge of party leader Benny Gantz, according to a Friday report.
Yankelevich said she noticed she was being followed after returning to Israel from a trip to New York in July 2019, Channel 12 reported. She was an MK at the time and is now the minister of Diaspora affairs.
The report did not cite its sources or speculate on the motives for tailing Yankelevich. It came a day after a report by the same outlet dropped hints about alleged ties between the minister and Gantz.
Gantz’s Israel Resilience party, which merged with the Yesh Atid and Telem parties to form Blue and White in April 2019, denied any involvement in the incident, the report said.
“No official from Israel Resilience has ever hired people to follow anyone,” the party said.
The Yesh Atid and Telem parties split from Blue and White after Gantz, who serves as defense minister, decided to enter a unity government with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this year. There was no comment from either of the other factions.
Blue and White shed most of its public support following the agreement with Netanyahu’s Likud, and the resulting unity government collapsed earlier this week, sending Israel to its fourth round of elections in under two years.
Yankelevich’s claim that she was followed was first revealed by Channel 12’s “Uvda” investigatory program on Thursday. The report focused on Gantz as well as a scheme by a partner of Netanyahu’s lawyer to smear judges in the premier’s trial on corruption charges.
The Friday report noted that Yankelevich also angered other Blue and White lawmakers last month over her support for legalizing West Bank settlement outposts.
During a Blue and White party meeting, MK Asaf Zamir attacked Yankelevich, saying she was causing “political damage” to the party at a time when the country seemed likely to be heading to early elections.
Zamir resigned from his position as tourism minister in October, citing the passage of controversial legislation to restrict protests during a coronavirus lockdown and what he said was Netanyahu’s focus on his legal woes.
He was one of several lawmakers from Blue and White and Netanyahu’s Likud party who torpedoed a bill this week that would have deferred a deadline for passing a state budget and averted elections, at least temporarily.
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