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Hamas says latest cease-fire talks have ended. Israel vows military operation in ‘very near future’

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(AP) — The latest round of Gaza cease-fire talks ended in Cairo after “in-depth and serious discussions,” the Hamas militant group said Sunday, reiterating key demands that Israel again rejected. After earlier signs of progress, the outlook appeared to dim as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to resist international pressure to halt the war.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant claimed Hamas wasn’t serious about a deal and warned of “a powerful operation in the very near future in Rafah and other places across all of Gaza ” after Hamas attacked Israel’s main crossing point for delivering badly needed humanitarian aid, killing three soldiers. Israel’s military said it believed Hamas was targeting soldiers massed on the Gaza border in preparation for a possible Rafah invasion. Hamas said it targeted soldiers in the area.

But Israeli media reported that CIA chief William Burns, a main mediator in the talks, would meet with Netanyahu on Monday. An official familiar with the matter told The Associated Press that Burns was traveling to meet the prime minister of Qatar, which along with Egypt has been an intermediary dealing with Hamas. It was not clear whether a subsequent trip to Israel that had been planned would happen. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door negotiations.

Israel didn’t send a delegation to the latest talks. Egyptian state media reported that the Hamas delegation went for discussions in Qatar, where the group has a political office, and will return to Cairo for further negotiations on Tuesday.

Another threat to talks came as Israel ordered the local offices of Qatar’s Al Jazeera satellite news network to close, accusing it of broadcasting anti-Israel incitement. The ban did not appear to affect the channel’s operations in Gaza or the West Bank.

Netanyahu, under pressure from hard-liners in his government, continued to lower expectations for a cease-fire deal, calling the key Hamas demands “extreme” — including the withdrawal of Israel forces from Gaza and an end to the war. That would equal surrender after the Hamas attack on Oct. 7 that triggered the fighting, he said.

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in a statement earlier said the militant group was serious and positive about the negotiations and that stopping Israeli aggression in Gaza is the main priority.

But Israel’s government again vowed to press on with a military operation in Rafah, the southernmost Gaza city on the border with Egypt where more than half of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents now seek shelter from Israeli attacks. Rafah is a key entry point for aid.

Israeli soldiers jump off a tank at a staging ground near the border with the Gaza Strip, in southern Israel, Sunday, May 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)
Israeli soldiers jump off a tank at a staging ground near the border with the Gaza Strip, in southern Israel, Sunday, May 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)

Kerem Shalom, now closed, is another. The Israeli military reported 10 projectiles were launched at the crossing in southern Israel and said its fighter jets later struck the source. Israel’s Channel 12 TV channel said 10 soldiers remained hospitalized. It was unclear how long the crossing would be closed.

The head of the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, Philippe Lazzarini, called for an independent investigation and “accountability for the blatant disregard of humanitarian workers.” He also said Israel this week denied him entry to Gaza for a second time.

The closing of Kerem Shalom came shortly after the head of the U.N. World Food Program asserted “full-blown famine” in devastated northern Gaza, one of the most prominent warnings yet of the toll of restrictions on aid entering the territory. It was not a formal famine declaration.

In the full NBC interview, WFP chief Cindy McCain said famine was “moving its way south” in Gaza and that Israel’s efforts to allow in more aid were not enough. “We have right now a mass on the outside border, about enough trucks and enough food for 1.1 million people for about three months. We need to get that in,” she said.

Gaza’s vast humanitarian needs put pressure on cease-fire talks. The proposal that Egyptian mediators put to Hamas sets out a three-stage process that would bring an immediate, six-week cease-fire and partial release of Israeli hostages taken on Oct. 7, and would include some sort of Israeli pullout. The initial stage would last for 40 days. Hamas would start by releasing female civilian hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

An Israeli soldier walks past a line of tanks at a staging ground near the border with the Gaza Strip, in southern Israel, Sunday, May 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)
An Israeli soldier walks past a line of tanks at a staging ground near the border with the Gaza Strip, in southern Israel, Sunday, May 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)

Netanyahu claimed that Israel has shown willingness to make concessions but “will continue fighting until all of its objectives are achieved.” That includes the stated aim of crushing Hamas. Israel says it must target Rafah to strike remaining fighters there despite warnings from the U.S. and others about the danger to civilians.

In a fiery speech for Israel’s annual Holocaust memorial day, Netanyahu added: “I say to the leaders of the world, no amount of pressure, no decision by any international forum will stop Israel from defending itself.”

An Israeli strike Sunday on a house in an urban refugee camp near Rafah killed four children, including a baby, and two adults, all from the same family, according to Abu Youssef al-Najjar Hospital. Another Israeli strike on the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza killed at least five people, according to Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, which received the bodies. Israel’s military said it struck a Hamas command center in central Gaza. It didn’t mention casualties.

The Hamas cross-border attack on Oct. 7 killed some 1,200 people and took 250 others hostage. Israel says militants still hold around 100 hostages and the remains of more than 30 others. Netanyahu is under pressure from some hostages’ families to make a deal to end the war and get hostages freed.

Israeli’s air and ground offensive has killed over 34,500 people, according to Palestinian health officials, who don’t differentiate between civilians and combatants but say women and children make up a majority of those killed.

Israel blames Hamas for civilian deaths, accusing it of embedding in residential and public areas. The Israeli military says it has killed 13,000 militants, without providing evidence to back up the claim.

$400 Million Boost in Federal Funds for Security at Places of Worship

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(AP) — A $400 million increase in federal funding is available for security in places of worship, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced Sunday.

The boost in money comes as concerns rise over threats against Jewish and Muslim communities, fueled in part by the Israel-Hamas war.

Places like synagogues and mosques could apply to use the money to hire security personnel or install cameras under the new increase in funding to the existing federal Nonprofit Security Grant Program, Schumer, a Democrat, said from New York City.

“We’re going to keep funding so that no synagogue or other religious institution is going to have to live in the fear that they now live with,” Schumer said.

The program allocated $305 million last year to nonprofits to help protect their facilities from potential attacks.

Three New York City synagogues and the Brooklyn Museum received bomb threats through email on Saturday, a spokesperson for the New York Police Department said. The threats prompted two synagogues to evacuate, though no explosives were found.

Houses of worship will need to apply by May 21 to tap into the first round of funds.

As NYC’s Migrant Crisis Continues, Posh Bdwy Hotel Converts into a Shelter

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Migrants prepare to be transported by bus to processing faciities in Yuma, Arizona, on May 18, 2023. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

As NYC’s Migrant Crisis Continues, Posh Bdwy Hotel Converts into a Shelter

By:  Ilana Siyance

In the latest sign of the looming migrant crisis, another posh hotel in the center of Broadway is reportedly being utilized as a shelter.

As reported by the New York Post, The Square Hotel, located at 226 West 50th Street between Eighth Avenue and Broadway, across the street from Gershwin Theatre, has been converted into a shelter. The Square Hotel posted a message on its Facebook page saying: “To our valued guests: it is with great sadness that we announce the Square Hotel will be closed for the foreseeable future. We appreciate your patronage and hope to welcome you back someday soon.”  The hotel’s website has a similarly cryptic post, making no reference to its use as a shelter, saying: “Please pardon our appearance as we slip into something new! We look forward  to welcoming you in the future.”

The 141-room boutique hotel, centrally located in the theatre district and less than 10 minutes’ walk to  Rockefeller Center, was built in 1904 and last renovated in 2017. The 7-story hotel boasts “Art Nouveau styled hotel rooms”  with “sophisticated furniture, plush beds with down comforters and deluxe linens, flat-screen televisions with cable”, and a rooftop terrace.  It still features a Japanese restaurant and bar in its lobby.  According to the information in the Post report however, the scene inside the hotel has completely changed.  There is now a National Guard soldier stationed at the entrance of the lobby. A couple signing in with luggage was escorted by National Guard troops.

Critics were disappointed that the hotel would convert into a shelter.  “These hotels could be doing a fine tourist business right now, but they are being lazy, and a sure-thing 100-percent occupancy on the city dime, and without having to provide traditional hotel services, is just too good a deal to pass up,” said Nicole Gelinas, a senior fellow at the Manhattan  Institute in a highly astute comment.

Other pro-business advocates said it’s sad that the city and the hotel industry are turning the iconic Broadway District into a hub for illegal migrants.  “We consider the Broadway District a key to the city’s economy. There is only one Broadway —in the entire world!” said state Conservative Party Chairman Gerard Kassar, who seeks to preserve the legacy of the “Great White Way” and what it means for New York City.

The head of the Hotel Association of New York City said hotels are helping the city deal with the migrant  crisis.  “The hotels make their own choices as to whether or not to participate. During the Covid crisis, hotels stepped up to the plate, and when it ended they went back to their normal course of tourism business,” Hotel Association CEO Vijay Dandapani said, in a statement, according to the Post report.

For their part, the migrants say the shelters are their only hope as they flee their homelands, which are

in upheaval and where poverty is the only option.  They say the shelters act as a lifeline while they adjust and find work to become self-sufficient.  “We all pay the price for one or two bad guys. One guy goes to do something bad and then they say all Venezuelans  are bad,” Jesus Delber, 27, told The Post.  “But not everyone is like that. I came to work. I didn’t find work for three months. But I didn’t give up. If you are willing to work hard, life will always help you find honest work,” added Delbert.

Trump Vows to Deport ‘Nearly 20 Million’ Illegal Migrants from the United States 

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In all, his personal net worth is roughly $6.4 billion. For the first time ever, Trump will be on the world’s top 500 wealthiest people in the world, based on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Credit: AP

 

By:  Ilana Siyance

As the 2024 Presidential election heats up, former President Donald J. Trump, the Republican candidate, vowed to resolve the migrant crisis via mass deportations.

As reported by the NY Post, Mr. Trump has frequently spoken about his deportation plans, and recently said in a TIME Magazine interview that he would utilize local law enforcement as well as the National Guard and the military to move his plan forward to fruition.  The Trump campaign has said there are “nearly 20 million” illegal migrants currently in the United States,  potentially ripe for the “largest” deportation operation in American history.  Such an initiative would follow on the heels of former President Dwight Eisenhower’s “Operation  Wetback”, during which over 1 million migrants were shipped out of the country in 1954.

The Trump campaign has not specified the details of what resources would be needed to identify, detain and deport the illegal immigrants, but clearly such a big operation would require a massive expansion of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, generous funding from congress, and collaboration with the State Department, former ICE officials told The Post.

Experts have backed the Trump campaigns’ estimate figure of migrants.  The 20 million stated from the Trump campaign is “not an unreasonable estimate” given the record-breaking  number of migrants entering the country under the Biden administration, Eric Ruark, NumbersUSA’s director of research, told The Post.  “There’s probably between 15 and 20 million, given the number of people we’ve seen coming over,” Ruark said, in stark  contrast with the US Census Bureau’s official estimate of 11 million.

Tom Homan, former acting director of ICE under former President Trump, said the agency has “systems in place that are very good at identifying people,” but that the speed of the deportations would depend on the resources allowed and cooperation from other branches of government.  “A lot of that is going to be up to Congress … We need officers, we need detention beds,  we need transportation contracts … because [we would have] more flights heading out of the country and more bus removals down to the border,” Homan said.

“We would still prioritize criminals and national security threats first, they are the most dangerous  for the country.” he added. “But I would say no one is off the table. If you’re in this country illegally… then we’ll remove you.”  Asked by The Post if he would return to work under Trump term if reelected, Homan said he would “strongly consider” taking a job if asked.

Jon Feere, former ICE chief of staff under Trump, said ICE already has the capacity to detain more migrants  than are currently being held by the Biden administration.  Still, he said “there’s no doubt that ICE would benefit from a significant increase in officers, agents and detention space” and that if elected Trump would “undoubtedly” make that request of Congress.

Feere told the Post, “I’m sure I will be” involved “in some capacity” if Trump takes office, but he stopped short of specifying what role he might take on.

Aside from potential resistance from the Democratic-led congress and reluctance to cooperate from sanctuary cities, such a massive plan for deportation would also run into obstacles if the countries of origin refuse to allow reentry to their migrants. Such a situation would need to be handled by the State Department, which would need to take on a hard line foreign policy, the former officials told The Post.  Feere said the State Department could use the Section 243(d) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to issue visa sanctions against countries that refuse to take back their citizens.  “When a country hears  that the United States will not allow its residents in if they don’t take their people back, those countries quickly cooperate,” he said.

Gas Stoves Called Out for Indoor Pollution Risk in New Study

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The Consumer Product Safety Commission threatened to ban gas stoves based on the assumed threat to the product’s negative impact on public health safety, Photo Credit: FotoCuisinette/Shutterstock

Gas Stoves Called Out for Indoor Pollution Risk in New Study

By:  Hellen Zaboulani

Researchers are increasingly pointing a finger at gas stoves as a troubling source of indoor pollution.

On Friday, researchers at Stanford University published a new study focusing on how much Americans may be exposed indoors to nitrogen dioxide, which comes from burning coal and gas.  The gas stove being called out as one of the biggest contributors to indoor pollution.  As reported  by the New York Times, short-term nitrogen dioxide exposure has been linked to asthma and other respiratory conditions.

The new research shows that exposure from typical gas stove use, often exceeds the safe benchmarks set by  both the World Health Organization and the United States Environmental Protection Agency.  In the longer term, using gas or propane stoves translates into breathing in about 75% of the nitrogen dioxide levels deemed safe by the W.H.O. within their own homes.

The research also notes that disadvantaged households are more adversely affected, as gas spreads more easily in smaller spaces.  People living in homes smaller than 800 square feet were exposed to four times more nitrogen dioxide in the long term than people in homes larger than 3,000 square feet, the data showed. Black and Latino households were exposed to 20% more nitrogen dioxide, in comparison with the national average.

“We’ve done a really good job in this country of reducing outdoor pollution,” said Rob Jackson, professor of earth system science at the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability and a principal investigator in the study published in Science Advances. “But we’ve ignored the risks that people face indoors. And that’s the air that we’re breathing most of the time.”

Health experts say that the health risks posed by gas stoves are significant, and its not just for the cooks,  but easily migrates down the halls in an apartment building. “There really is no safe amount of exposure to these toxicants produced by gas or propane, or any fossil fuel, outside or inside,” said Kari Nadeau, chairwoman of the Department of Environmental Health at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

As per the Times, the Stanford study estimated that long-term exposure to nitrogen dioxide from stoves was likely causing up to 50,000 cases of asthma in children.  The Stanford data was obtained by taking direct  measurements of nitrogen dioxide emissions and concentrations at some 100 homes across San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York City and other major U.S. cities, and by using indoor air-quality monitoring and epidemiological risk calculations to estimate exposure and health consequences.

While this is hardly the first time officials have spoken about the health hazards of gas stoves, there

are many who oppose making policies to ban gas stoves.  Some cities and counties already sought to curb the use of gas stoves, at least in new constructions, as part of a transition to cleaner forms of energy. Per the NY Times, in the past few years, over 140 cities and local governments have made efforts to restrict gas hookups in new buildings or have taken other measures to end the use of natural gas in new buildings, but these efforts have been challenged in court.

“It isn’t ideal to tell people, they have to rip a perfectly good gas stove out of their home,” Dr. Jackson  said. “But requiring new homes to install electric stoves, which the study found had virtually no harmful emissions, made sense, he said. “Otherwise, we’re putting dirty polluting infrastructure into the next set of homes, and it will be there and 50 years. No one benefits from that.”

 

 

 

Lando Norris earns 1st career F1 victory by ending Verstappen’s dominance at Miami

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(AP) — Lando Norris should take a lesson from his last big party and perhaps tone down the celebration for his first career Formula 1 victory.

His reaction following the Sunday victory in the Miami Grand Prix showed the British driver probably doesn’t plan to miss a beat.

“Tonight’s going to be a great time,” Norris promised. “I’m just really proud. A lot of people, I guess, doubted me along the way. I’ve made a lot of mistakes over my last five years, my short career, but today we put it all together so this is all for the team. I started with McLaren because I believe in them and today proved exactly that.”

Norris won in his 110th career start after a mistake by Max Verstappen ended Verstappen’s dominance at the circuit in the parking lot surrounding Hard Rock Stadium. The 24-year-old driver sprinted down pit lane to leap into the arms of his McLaren crew, which crowd surfed Norris until he finally got to boss Zak Brown, who wrapped Norris in a bearhug.

 

Norris arrived in Miami with a bandage covering stitches on his nose from a cut received by broken glass while he was in Amsterdam following F1’s last outing. Norris was celebrating King’s Day with DJ Martin Garrix when he cut his nose.

F1 now makes 3 stops a season in the United States. Could Miami become a victim of oversaturation?

“I’m going to go all night,” Norris promised of the post-race party. “I may have more than a bandage on my nose.”

Verstappen, who started from the pole and won Saturday’s sprint race, was out front when he hit a chicane and knocked a cone out of place on the circuit. It forced the three-time reigning F1 champion to pit and gave Norris the lead.

Norris then controlled the race to give McLaren its first win since a Daniel Ricciardo victory in 2021. Ricciardo was among the handful of drivers who found Norris for a congratulatory hug following the race.

Norris is the second British driver in F1 history to be feted on the podium by “God Save the King.” George Russell in 2022 is the only other British driver to win outside of Queen Elizabeth’s reign; Russell’s victory in Brazil came two months after Queen Elizabeth’s death.

The song seemed to affect Norris, who closed his eyes as he turned his head to the sky with a huge grin on his face. When it came time for the champagne celebration, he was doused by runner-up Verstappen and third-place finisher Charles Leclerc, who sprayed the champagne directly into Norris’ eyes.

It took him a few minutes of wiping his eyes clear before he slammed his own champagne bottle to the ground to force it into a heavy stream he used to soak his McLaren team below the podium. He also tossed the winning trophy into the air, but caught it.

With about 10 laps to go, Norris realized the race was his to lose when his lead over Verstappen hit 5 seconds.

“Five seconds?” Norris radioed his team. “Am I alive?”

Indeed he was as an ecstatic McLaren squad celebrated a rare victory on a weekend in which it debuted significant upgrades on its two cars. McLaren now has 13 wins in races in the United States — tying a record with Ferrari — but it was the first on American soil since Lewis Hamilton at Circuit of the Americas in 2012.

Norris’ final margin of victory was 7.6-seconds over Verstappen of Red Bull. Verstappen had been undefeated at Miami with wins in its first two races and the sprint race on Saturday.

Norris said he knew when he entered the track Sunday morning that he’d end the day atop the podium.

“Finally. I am so happy. I knew it. I knew it when I came in this morning,” Norris said. “And I nailed it.”

McLaren has now won an F1, Formula E and IndyCar race in the past two months. Norris is the first driver since Carlos Sainz Jr. to beat Verstappen this season — and Verstappen was eliminated from that race in Melbourne with a mechanical failure.

“You win. You lose. I think we’re all a bit used to that in racing,” Verstappen said. “Is a bad day P2? I will take it. I am happy for Lando, it’s been a long time coming and there’s more to come from him.”

As for his incident in the chicane, Verstappen tried to joke about it hitting the cone.

“I didn’t like it. So I took it out,” he said. “And tested the front wing. So crash-test done.”

McLaren before the start of the race hosted former President Donald Trump, who chatted with F1 officials from inside the McLaren garage. When he made his way toward the starting grid, fans began chanting “USA! USA!” and Trump pumped his fist in approval.

Ferrari drivers Leclerc and Sainz finished third and fourth and were followed by Sergio Perez of Red Bull.

Hamilton was sixth for Mercedes, Yuki Tsunoda of Red Bull’s junior team was seventh and Russell was eighth for Mercedes. Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin and Esteban Ocon of Alpine rounded out the top 10. Ocon did it with team investors Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs in attendance.

About halfway through the race, Logan Sargeant crashed and brought out the safety car that forced the Pompano Beach native out of his car. The 23-year-old and only American driver on the F1 grid is clinging to his seat with Williams as speculation is rampant he could be replaced before the end of his second season.

It marked Sargeant’s second consecutive last-place finish at his home race.

The Sargeant crash handed control of race strategy to McLaren, who held the lead with Norris at the time of the caution. Norris had taken over the lead when Verstappen was forced to pit from the lead after hitting a chicane that knocked a cone onto the racing surface.

As Red Bull was looking for any damage to Verstappen’s front wing, a race marshal entered the circuit and scooped up the cone as F1 avoided having to use the safety car for the incident. But just moments later, Kevin Magnussen made contact with Sargeant and it gave McLaren the chance to strategize a victory over Verstappen.

For Magnussen, it marked another bad day in a long weekend in which the Haas driver was accused of unsportsmanlike conduct for his strategy in Saturday’s sprint race.

___

IDF strikes Hamas command and control center in UNRWA complex

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A Palestinian woman is seen outside the UNRWA's Gaza Headquarters in Gaza City in 2015 | Photo: AP / Khalil Hamra

(A7) Following precise IDF and ISA intelligence, IAF fighter jets struck a Hamas command and control center in the central Gaza Strip which served as central terrorist infrastructure. The strike was carefully planned and carried out using precise munition in order to minimize harm to uninvolved civilians.

The command and control center was used as a staging ground for multiple attacks on IDF troops located in Gaza’s central corridor in recent weeks. Furthermore, the forward operations base was used to carry out attacks on humanitarian efforts, which aimed to increase the distribution of humanitarian aid to Gazan civilians.

In addition, Hamas oversaw the supply of weapons to dozens of Hamas terrorists from inside the command and control center, including those located and operating inside underground terror tunnels.

According to the IDF Hamas intentionally positioned the command and control position within the vicinity of an active UNRWA location, jeopardizing the Gazan civilians taking refuge there.

“The Hamas terrorist organization systematically exploits the civilian population and institutions as human shields for their terrorist activities against the State of Israel,” the IDF stated.

As a result of the strike, the Hamas’ command and control center located in the UNRWA complex is no longer operational.

Netanyahu to the world: ‘We will fight alone if we have to. Never again is now’

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Israel is preparing to escalate its military campaign against the Hamas organization in the Gaza Strip, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. Credit: AP

(A7) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday addressed the opening ceremony of Holocaust Remembrance Day.

During the address, the Prime Minister turned to the world in English: “Eighty years ago, in the Holocaust, the Jewish people were totally defenseless against those who sought our destruction. No nation came to our aid.

“Today, we again confront enemies bent on our destruction.”

Netanyahu continued: “I say to the leaders of the world, no amount of pressure, no decision by any international forum, will stop Israel from defending itself.”

He concluded by pledging: “As the Prime Minister of Israel – the one and only Jewish state – I pledge here today from Jerusalem on this Holocaust Remembrance Day: If Israel is forced to stand alone, Israel will stand alone. But we know we are not alone because countless decent people around the world support our just cause. And I say to you, we will defeat our genocidal enemies. Never again is now!”

Hitler’s book which was found in Gaza displayed at March of the Living

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Davidi Ben Zion shows the book that was found in Gaza Alex Kolomoisky/KKL

(A7) Davidi Ben Zion, KKL-JNF representative at the March of the Living in Budapest, presented during his speech on Sunday a copy of the book “Mein Kampf”, which was written by Nazi leader Adolf Hitler and found during the war in the house of a Hamas commander in Khan Yunis.

Major (res.) Ben Zion, who fought in Gaza, specifically brought with him the book that was translated from German to Arabic and found by his soldiers during the Swords of Iron war. The book was presented to the approximately 8,000 participants in the March of the Living and in front of the cameras of international media outlets.

“A few months ago, when we were serving in Gaza, we came across a chilling reminder of the darkest chapter of humanity: Mein Kampf. We found this book in the home of a Hamas commander in the town of Bani Suheila in Khan Yunis,” said Ben Zion.

He added, “Today, when we are at a gathering of solidarity with the Jewish people, our hearts are with the brave IDF soldiers, who stand at the front and defend our homeland against terrorism and hatred in all sectors. Our thoughts and prayers go to our kidnapped brethren, innocent victims held captive by the Hamas terrorist organization in Gaza in inhumane conditions. Our hearts ache with their families and we all hope for their safe return soon.”

“When we recount the struggles and victories of the Jewish people, we are reminded of the resilience of the human spirit and the tremendous power of hope. As we commemorate Yom Hashoah here in Budapest, we vow never to forget the horrors of the past and to stand guard against the forces of hatred and evil that threaten to harm us again and again,” continued Ben Zion.

Ben Zion later wrote on social media, “There was one thing I knew I would take with me from Khan Yunis to the March of the Living in Budapest. It was Hitler’s Mein Kampf book, which we found in the house of a commander in Hamas. Today in my speech, in front of 8,000 participants of the March of the Living, I presented the Nazi book found in Gaza. The world must remember and understand. The Nazis are still here, they just change their style and language. The people of Israel are here to stay forever. Of course, a pro-Palestinian protester interrupted my speech, connecting the denial of the massacre committed by Hamas with the denial of the Holocaust. I answered him at the end of my speech: Am Yisrael Chai.”

Yad Vashem Chairman | From Auschwitz and Berlin to Be’eri and Columbia University

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The State of Israel will mark the beginning of Yom HaShoah, its national Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Day, on Wednesday night with an official ceremony at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem. Photo by Hillel Maeir/TPS on 11 April, 2018

(A7) On the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day, Yad Vashem Chairman Dani Dayan, speaks to Israel National News – Arutz Sheva about the Hamas massacre on October 7th, the Holocaust, the similarities and differences between the two, and antisemitism today around the world.

Dani Dayan, agrees that there is a definite comparison between the Holocaust and the massacre of October 7th: “There is no doubt that it’s felt by everyone, but one of the first lessons I was taught by the historians at Yad Vashem is that you can compare a pair of events with one condition; if you define the similarities, must also define the differences. There are similarities – the cruelty, the sadism, the intention to kill us all, but there are also a lot of differences that I think are much more powerful. The members of the first response teams, the volunteers, the first responders, the soldiers, and the policemen that fought in Be’eri and Sderot and Nir Oz, had the same heroism as Mordechai Anielewicz and Pavel Frankl in the Warsaw Ghetto, but there was a completely different purpose. Anilevitz and Frankl fought in order to die with dignity. They fought in southern Israel in order to save lives, expel the enemy, and exert a toll on the perpetrators, and indeed they did.

Dayan continued, “We have an independent state today. The IDF eventually arrived and the differences are much more powerful than the similarities.”

Dayan believes that the responses to the October 7th attack were very individual, and the pictures from the south could trigger responses from some people. “I think that the most powerful effect will be on Monday morning when the sirens sound all across Israel and each Israeli will stand still in silence with himself or herself, and his or her thoughts. We have a diverse society, and I am sure that there will be different thoughts and different personal responses to each one of us on the linkage and the effect of October 7th on the Holocaust memories”

 

Over the past seven months, the world has seen a resurrection of antisemitism around the world; not just the stats, but the story is right here in front of our eyes.

Dayan believes that there is, “There is no doubt that the resurgence of antisemitism is horrendous. We see it, especially in the US campuses, in the Ivy League universities, which I know intimately, and I told the presidents of the universities that I met recently, as well as in letters I wrote to them, that this is a cancerous process and I’m not saying that easily. If they let this process reach the final stage, the terminal stage of cancer, it will be destructive mainly for the universities.

Dayan continued: “There is this romantic idea that causes advanced by students and faculty academics are always good causes, sometimes ahead of their time, but good causes. Nothing is further from the truth. The thugs that burnt Jewish books in front of the Universitätsplatz in Heidelberg, were the students and professors of that University. So, I think that the leadership of those universities has to make a moral decision, not an administrative decision; police, not police, online study classes, not online classes. A moral decision that calls for the idea of eliminating the existence of the state of Israel is illegitimate in the discourse, like racism and homophobia and misogamy, that everyone agrees are outside the legitimate discourse, so also the elimination of the Jewish State should be in that category. The moment if and when they make that decision, then we will start the process of really healing those institutions.”

Dayan concludes, “We have to hope that it’s not too late and we have not only to hope, but we have to work hard in order to make it happen, to exert pressure and influence, in order to make that happen.

Hamas health ministry can’t find 10,000 names of those it claims died

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Israeli forces operating in the Gaza Strip, Feb. 8, 2024. Credit: IDF.

(JNS)
The Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health can’t provide names of more than 10,000 of the 34,000 it says have died during the war with Israel, the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies reports.

“While the Health Ministry conceded earlier this month that it has ‘incomplete data’ for nearly one-third of the deceased, this is the first admission that it lacks an essential data point necessary to establish these deaths have even taken place,” the Washington-based think tank noted on May 2.

On April 24, the ministry released a graphic to mark the 200th day of the war that started when Hamas invaded Israel on Oct. 7, repeating its claim that hostilities took more than 34,000 Gazan lives. However, it added that only 24,000 of the dead are “martyrs whose idintities [sic] are recognized.”

As of April 21, 10,152 of the ministry’s fatality records had incomplete data. “An explanatory note in the April 1 digest says incomplete records lack one or more of five basic data points: ID number, full name, sex, date of birth, or date of death,” FDD reported.

While it was unclear which of those data points was missing, “it is now clear the ministry does not have names for these individuals,” FDD said.

U.S. President Joe Biden has cited figures from the Gaza Health Ministry without identifying them as such.

“Before citing them again, he should ask the intelligence community to evaluate the data’s sources and accuracy,” FDD said. “Likewise, journalists should press the Gaza Health Ministry to explain the increasing number of inconsistencies in its reports.”

Some have challenged the Hamas casualty figures.

Abraham Wyner, a professor of statistics and data science at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, wrote in Tablet magazine in March, “The numbers are not real. That much is obvious to anyone who understands how naturally occurring numbers work.

“The casualties are not overwhelmingly women and children, and the majority may be Hamas fighters,” he wrote.

Wyner noted that child casualties should track with women casualties. This has to do with the daily variation in strikes on residential buildings and tunnels.

“Consequently, on the days with many women casualties there should be large numbers of children casualties, and on the days when just a few women are reported to have been killed, just a few children should be reported,” he wrote.

FDD noted in its report that economist Michael Spagat, who defended the ministry’s methods, admitted that when looking only at the complete records, “then the percentage of women and children drops to 53.3%,” as opposed to the 70% or more the ministry has often claimed.

Hamas began to retreat from that claim in April.

The IDF says it has killed more than 13,000 terrorists inside the Strip during the current war, and around 1,000 inside Israel on or immediately after Oct. 7

Rabbi Shmuel Lynn – From Hollywood Aspirations to Holocaust Education Through Film

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screenshot

Rabbi Shmuel Lynn – From Hollywood Aspirations to Holocaust Education Through Film

Edited by: Fern Sidman

In an inspiring turn of life events, Rabbi Shmuel Lynn, a US-based Jewish educator with roots in Hollywood’s filmmaking industry, has returned to his artistic origins to create a powerful movie about an obscure yet captivating Holocaust story, as was reported on the Algemeiner.com web site. His latest film, “Bardejov,” named after the small town in Slovakia, marks a significant pivot in his career, from a secular upbringing in Florida to becoming a key figure in Jewish education and outreach.

Originally from Florida and raised in a secular environment, Lynn’s early ambitions were firmly planted in the entertainment industry. According to an interview that Rabbi Lynn gave to the Algemeiner.com website, he earning a degree in film from Duke University and then moved to Los Angeles, where he was intent on carving out a career in screenwriting. His days were filled with scripts, storyboards, and the pursuit of bringing compelling narratives to life on the big screen, the Algemeiner.com report added. However, his path took an unexpected turn following a burgeoning interest in Judaism.

This newfound interest led Lynn to Jerusalem, where he embarked on a multi-year journey of religious and spiritual study, a decision that would see him step away from filmmaking. He recounted to the Algemeiner.com,  “I was always involved in the arts, music, and theater,” but it was his religious awakening that redirected his energies towards a deeper exploration of his Jewish heritage.

By 2004, Lynn had fully transitioned into Jewish outreach, focusing his efforts on educating Jewish students on college campuses, primarily at the University of Pennsylvania. His work quickly expanded, and he soon helped to establish Meor Manhattan, an organization dedicated to engaging young professional Jews in New York City, according to the information in the Algemeiner.com interview. Under Lynn’s guidance, Meor Manhattan flourished and later evolved into what is now known as Olami.

Despite his years away from the film industry, Lynn’s passion for storytelling never waned. This passion, combined with his deepened understanding and connection to Jewish history, culminated in the creation of “Bardejov,” as was indicated in the Algemeiner.com interview. The film explores one of the Holocaust’s lesser-known stories, bringing to light the experiences of a community during one of history’s darkest periods.

In discussing his motivation for the film with the Algemeiner.com, Lynn expressed a desire to illuminate the untold stories of the Holocaust, believing that each story has unique lessons and insights that are relevant today. “Bardejov” is not just a return to Lynn’s artistic roots but also a fusion of his dedication to Jewish education and his skills as a filmmaker, the Algemeiner.com interview said. The project reflects his journey full circle—from arts to faith and back to arts—this time, however, infused with a mission to educate and memorialize.

With “Bardejov,” Lynn aims to reach a broad audience, both within and beyond the Jewish community. He told the Algemeiner.com that he hopes the film will serve as an educational tool that promotes understanding and awareness of the Holocaust’s complexities, ensuring that such histories are not forgotten. The movie is also a testament to Lynn’s belief in the power of film as a medium to convey profound truths and foster meaningful dialogue.

Rabbi Lynn, has also taken an innovative approach to teaching Jewish history and heritage by organizing international summits and immersive theatrical experiences in historically significant locations, as per the information provided in the Algemeiner.com interview.  These initiatives aim not just to educate but to profoundly connect participants with their cultural past, calling attention to the sacrifices made by previous generations.

Lynn’s idea to hold summits in places with tumultuous Jewish histories, such as Spain during the Spanish Inquisition, stems from a belief in the educational power of understanding one’s heritage. “The idea is that if you know where you come from, you will cherish and appreciate the sacrifice that got you where you are,” Lynn explained to the Algemeiner.com during the interview.  He emphasized the impact of historical awareness, recalling how generations faced adversities such as the Cossacks and the Nazis to secure a future for the next generations.

During these trips, Lynn’s artistic talents resurfaced, merging his past in filmmaking with his current educational endeavors. To engage participants effectively, he introduced the concept of staging impromptu plays in significant historical settings. This approach evolved into what Lynn described to the Algemeiner.com as “street theater,” a form of live, public performance that proved to be a “eureka moment” for him. By staging these performances in the streets of places such as Spain, Lynn found a dynamic way to educate people about Jewish history through the arts.

Back in the United States, Lynn’s organization, Olami, continued to innovate Jewish historical education through interactive plays. One notable production, “New York Circa 1909,” allowed attendees to step into the lives of Jewish immigrants in New York City at the turn of the 20th century, as was noted in the Algemeiner.com interview.  This interactive play was designed to give participants a tangible sense of the challenges and triumphs experienced by their ancestors who sought new lives in America.

Lynn’s commitment to a comprehensive understanding of Jewish history also led him to organize trips to Poland, which are notably distinct from the typical visits to Nazi concentration camps. His objective was to showcase not only the sites of immense Jewish suffering but also the vibrant Jewish life that once thrived in the region, as was indicated in the Algemeiner.com interview.  He told the publication that this balanced approach helps participants appreciate the full spectrum of Jewish historical experience—from thriving cultural epochs to tragic periods.

The concept for Lynn’s film “Bardejov” originated during one of these educational journeys. While traveling through Slovakia, a conversation with a donor piqued his interest in the town of Bardejov, a site with a rich Jewish history that had not been widely explored, as was detailed in the Algemeiner.com interview. This visit inspired him to delve deeper into its story, eventually leading to the production of his film, which focuses on one of the Holocaust’s lesser-known narratives.

 

Upon visiting Bardejov, Rabbi Lynn told the Algemeiner.com that he was met with overwhelming emotion from the locals, who were moved to see interest in their town’s historical significance. Bardejov, a town with a tragic past involving early collaboration with the Nazis, holds stories that are not widely known outside of Slovakia. Lynn recounted to the Algemeiner.com how a local man cried upon their arrival, touched by the attention to their history.

One of the most poignant tales from Bardejov is that of 312 girls who were nearly deported to Auschwitz under the guise of being sent to work in a shoe factory. As was noted in the Algemeiner.com interview, just hours before their scheduled deportation, the townspeople uncovered the Nazis’ true intentions. In a desperate bid to save the girls, the town’s rabbi, Rafuel Lowy, orchestrated a daring plan. The Algemeiner.com report said that he arranged for the girls to receive Typhus vaccines, causing them to test positive for the disease. This outbreak led to the quarantine of the town and ultimately spared the girls from being sent to the death camp.

Tragically, while the girls were saved, Rabbi Lowy was later captured and died at Auschwitz. This stark contrast between his heroic rescue of the girls and his own fate adds a deep, somber layer to the narrative, illustrating the harsh realities of the Holocaust.

Moved by what he learned in Bardejov, Rabbi Lynn told the Algemeiner.com that he penned a screenplay titled “Bardejov,” encapsulating the dramatic rescue of the 312 girls. Describing the story to the Algemeiner.com during the interview as “a Hollywood story for the ages,” Lynn managed to translate this screenplay into a film that has been directed and is now available on major streaming platforms such as Apple TV and Amazon Prime. Noted in the Algemeiner.com interview was that this project not only marks Lynn’s return to his filmmaking roots but also fulfills his vision of using cinema as a powerful tool to educate and inspire global audiences about Jewish history and resilience.

Rabbi Lynn advocates strongly for the use of film to convey the nuances of Jewish history. He told the Algemeiner.com that in his view, filmmaking has the unique ability to reach people worldwide, including those who might not otherwise engage with traditional forms of education such as books. He emphasized the importance of “flooding the airwaves with true stories of Jewish history” to the Algemeiner.com as a means to recalibrate understanding and combat ignorance and misinformation.

While Rabbi Lynn remains committed to his primary role as a rabbi, he is enthusiastic about the potential of filmmaking to bring other significant Jewish stories to the forefront. According to the Algemeiner.com, his work on “Bardejov” is just the beginning of what he hopes will be a series of impactful films that bring to light the many untold stories of heroism, sacrifice, and survival during the darkest times in Jewish history.

 

 

 

Israeli withdrawal from Gaza would be a ‘great victory for Hamas’ – Netanyahu

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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at a cadets graduation ceremony at the IDF’s officers school in southern Israel, known as Bahad 1, March 7, 2024. (Amos Ben Gershom/GPO)

By World Israel News Staff

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed not to end the war with Hamas in exchange for a hostage deal with the terror group, saying that the demands issued by Hamas could never be accepted by Israel.

In a video statement released Sunday, on the eve of Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day, Netanyahu blamed Hamas for the failure of the two sides to reach and agreement for a ceasefire and release of dozens of Israeli captives held in the Gaza Strip since October 7th.

“It is Hamas that is holding up the release of our hostages,” the prime minister said. “We are working in every possible way to free the hostages; this is our top priority.”

“Israel has been, and still is, ready for a pause in the fighting in order to free our hostages. This is what we did when we freed 124 hostages, and resumed fighting – and this is what we are ready to do today as well.”

Netanyahu rejected Hamas’ two key conditions for a hostage release, including the terror group’s demand that the ceasefire become permanent – ending the current war – and that Israel withdraw its forces from the Gaza Strip.

“Throughout the negotiations, Israel has shown a willingness for significant movement, which has been described by U.S. Secretary of State Blinken and others as ‘very generous.’”

“But while Israel has shown this willingness, Hamas has still held to its extreme positions, first and foremost the withdrawal of our forces from the Strip, the conclusion of the war and leaving Hamas intact.”

Ending the war without the dismantling of Hamas would constitute a “great victory for Hamas,” Netanyahu continued.

“The State of Israel is not willing to accept this. We are not willing to accept a situation in which Hamas’s battalions leave their tunnels, reestablish control over the Strip, rebuild their military industries and go back to threatening the citizens of Israel in the communities of the Western Negev, the cities of the south and throughout the country.”

“In such a case, the next October 7 would only be a matter of time. Hamas would be able to realize its promise to carry out repeated massacres, rapes and abductions.”

“Capitulating to Hamas’s demands would be a terrible defeat for the State of Israel. It would be a great victory for Hamas, Iran and the entire axis of evil.”

 

Yom HaShoah: A Solemn Remembrance Amidst Current Global Tensions

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Yom Hashoah. Bushko Oleksandr/Shutterstock.

Yom HaShoah: A Solemn Remembrance Amidst Current Global Tensions

Edited by: Fern Sidman

Yom HaShoah, Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day, commences this Sunday night, marking a poignant moment of reflection not only for the tragic historical events of the Holocaust but also amid the contemporary backdrop of the war that Hamas launched on Israel on October 7th. According to a report on the Times of Israel web site, this day, dedicated to memorializing the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust, coincides this year with escalating tensions and ongoing violence, casting a stark light on the enduring relevance of such a remembrance.

Established in 1951 and legally enshrined later that decade in Israeli law, Yom HaShoah aligns with the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, symbolizing resistance against Nazi oppression. Unlike the United Nations’ International Holocaust Remembrance Day observed on January 27, which also aims to educate the global non-Jewish community, Yom HaShoah serves primarily as a day of remembrance within the Jewish community, as was reported by The Times of Israel.

The significance of Yom HaShoah this year is profound. With the Israel-Hamas conflict now in its seventh month and described as the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust occurring last October 7, the commemoration brings an acute awareness of historical and recent atrocities, as per the information provided in the TOI report. The day’s resonance is further amplified by the ongoing captivity of about 132 hostages in Gaza, alongside widespread pro-Hamas and anti-Israel protests across universities in the United States and Europe.

Yad Vashem, Israel’s national Holocaust memorial and museum, hosts an annual ceremony that, this year, takes on heightened significance. Planned under the theme “A Lost World: The Destruction of Jewish Communities,” the event prior to the recent conflict now shines a spotlight on the continued threats to Jewish communities globally, as was noted in the TOI report.  The ceremony will feature Holocaust survivors lighting six torches, each representing one million of the Holocaust victims, symbolizing both remembrance and the resilience of the Jewish people.

The global Jewish community, particularly organizations such as Boston’s Jewish federation, have expressed that this year marks “the most significant Yom HaShoah in the last 76 years,” the report in the TOI said.  This statement reflects both the historical weight of the day and the current anti-Semitic crisis impacting Jews worldwide.

According to Yad Vashem spokesperson Simmy Allen, this year’s theme echoes the harrowing experiences of October 7, the day in which 1200 Israelis were brutally massacred by Hamas terrorists and 250 were taken into captivity in Gaza.  This linkage aims to draw parallels between historical and contemporary Jewish experiences of persecution and resilience.

Shai Azoulay, Yad Vashem’s artist-in-residence, has infused his artwork with themes from the current conflict, attempting to capture the emotional and psychological impact of these events on the Jewish community. According to the TOI report, Azoulay described the recent conflict as a “sample of the Holocaust,” emphasizing the profound shock and despair felt by many, likening it to a “wake-up call” for the community, reminiscent of historical pogroms.

The International March of the Living, an annual educational event that brings participants to Auschwitz to remember the Holocaust, has adapted its focus this year to include reflections on recent events. Indicated in the TOI report was that the march will feature 55 Holocaust survivors, among them seven who were directly impacted by the October 7 attacks. This inclusion of “double-survivors” — those who have endured the Holocaust and recent acts of aggression adds a layer of depth to the event, with survivors drawing connections between their experiences.

This year, the March of the Living has extended invitations to numerous American and Canadian university presidents and chancellors, as they call attention to the educational importance of Holocaust remembrance. The group, led by former Secretary of Education John King, now Chancellor of the State University of New York, and Rabbi Ari Berman, President of Yeshiva University, includes leaders from a diverse array of institutions, as was noted in the TOI report.  This initiative sheds light on the commitment to educating future generations about the Holocaust and the importance of combating anti-Semitism.

YU President, Rabbi Ari Berman, emphasized the critical role of educational leaders during this period of crisis. According to Rabbi Berman, this collective act of remembrance by educators is crucial not only in honoring the memory of Holocaust victims but also in strengthening the resolve against modern forms of anti-Semitism and discrimination, from Eastern Europe to U.S. college campuses, the report in the TOI affirmed.

The Israeli-based AI transcription company Verbit is at the forefront of using technology to preserve Holocaust history. In collaboration with the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, commonly known as the Claims Conference, Verbit has undertaken a monumental project to transcribe Holocaust survivor testimonies, as was reported by the TOI. Their goal is ambitious: to transcribe a total of 8 million minutes of testimony. According to the information provided in the TOI report, there are currently 400,000 minutes of these vital historical records that are accessible and searchable, making them an invaluable resource for educators, scholars, and the public. Verbit is also partnering with Yad Vashem, to transcribe parts of the museum’s extensive archives.

This initiative is particularly impactful following the barbaric massacre on October 7 in Israel, which Verbit notes has illustrated the critical need for preserving firsthand survivor testimonies, the TOI report said.  Such efforts ensure that the voices of those who witnessed the horrors of the Nazis continue to educate and inform future generations about the roots and ramifications of anti-Semitism.

The significance of this year’s Yom HaShoah is magnified by a highly significant escalation in anti-Semitism globally, which has spurred a larger turnout at remembrance initiatives and gatherings. These events serve not only as a memorial to the victims of the Holocaust but also as a platform for raising awareness about the continuous struggle against visceral Jew hatred.

One significant project that is gaining traction is spearheaded by the global Jewish organization Olami, in partnership with the Harvey & Gloria Kaylie Foundation, as was noted in the TOI report. This initiative focuses on the personal act of lighting memorial candles for Holocaust victims, a poignant symbol of remembrance and reverence. To facilitate this, the TOI reported that the project offers printable labels for candles dedicated to over 300,000 individual victims, personalizing the act of remembrance.

This year, in anticipation of an increase in participation, more than 10,000 labeled candles have been distributed across the U.S. and Canada, the TOI report indicated. This widespread distribution ensures that many will hold in their hands a tangible symbol of remembrance, each candle representing a life extinguished too soon but not forgotten.

In New York, the solemnity of remembrance and the strength of community come together at the Annual Gathering of Remembrance, hosted by Temple Emanuel-El and the Museum of Jewish Heritage. According to the TOI report, this event is a cornerstone of Yom HaShoah commemorations in the city, featuring music, a candle-lighting ceremony, and remarks from prominent Jewish leaders and clergy. This year, New York Representative Jerry Nadler is among the speakers expected to address the gathering, which organizers believe will draw thousands of attendees.

Halfway around the world, in Australia, the klezmer band Chutney has chosen to mark Yom HaShoah through music, sharing their rendition of “Avinu Malkeinu,” a prayer that resonates during the High Holidays and at times of communal sorrow. The TOI report said that the band’s message to its followers highlighted the profound impact of this year’s observance, stating, “This Yom HaShoah cuts us more deeply than any before,” a sentiment reflecting renewed pain and resilience in the face of ongoing global anti-Semitism.

Each candle lit, each song sung, and each word spoken during these events serves as a poignant reminder of the atrocities of the Holocaust, the lessons learned, and the vigilance needed to ensure such horrors are never repeated. As the global Jewish community continues to face the challenges stemming from the most egregious and pervasive manifestations of anti-Semitism,  these commemorations stand as beacons of hope and action, rooted in the painful lessons of the past.

 

How Hamas bought Joe Biden – opinion

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Man at Stanford University wears Hamas headgear (X screenshot)

By Daniel Greenfield, Frontpage Magazine

On March 1, 2018, Joe Biden got a $200,000 check. The story of where that check came from involves everything from “bloodstained currency” to smuggled gold bars to ‘The Exorcist’.

But above all else it involves an enemy Muslim tyranny with ties to 9/11 and Hamas.

When I first broke the story a week before Election Day, it was about how hospital patients in smaller poorer hospitals, including one that had inspired ‘The Exorcist’, had suffered because of the corrupt greed of the Biden family.

But even then there was a strange element which led to one of the key figures in the case receiving “blood-stained currency from a Middle Eastern country” and a “torture ticket” after suing James Biden: Joe’s brother.

Four years later, in the midst of the Hamas war, the identity of the “Middle Eastern country” behind the Biden business takes on new importance because it is a state sponsor of Hamas.

And congressional investigators and investigative journalists have also traced a trail from Qatar, through James’ health care business to that $200,000 check he sent to Joe Biden.

The health care business that brought together the Biden family and an Islamic terror state had targeted stricken rural hospitals in Kentucky, Missouri, and Pennsylvania.

Americore’s CEO was introduced by James Biden to Joe at a fundraiser for the Beau Biden Foundation: co-chaired by Hunter Biden whose infamous laptop bore the foundation’s sticker.

James Biden allegedly promised that Joe would get behind the company, join its board and that the company’s work would even “help his brother get elected.”

“There’s not a single door in the country that we can’t open,” James promised the company.

But the money wasn’t coming in and James Biden was taking out major personal loans from the company that was supposed to be managing struggling hospitals.

And with Joe out of the White House, there wasn’t going to be any government bailout of Americore any time soon.

James Biden didn’t set out to open doors in this country, but in an enemy of the United States.

The Americore pitch sought $30 million to buy up hospitals and named Jim as the “Brother and Campaign Finance Chair of former Vice President Joe Biden.”

Internal documents showed that this resulted in a meeting with a Qatari “minister”.

While the Qataris had plenty of money to burn, getting it to America involved conspiracies more often associated with drug dealers.

A “former executive recalled discussion at one point of trying to move money across a Middle Eastern border in the form of gold bars”.

Qatar’s ties to the Muslim Brotherhood (the parent organization of Hamas) and Iran had led to an embargo by its neighbors.

And Qatar’s ties to terrorists, including to Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the mastermind of 9/11, who hid out there until he was allegedly tipped off by a member of the Islamic tyranny’s royal family that America was coming to get him, may have complicated the proposed investment funding mechanisms.

The next stage of the plan involved James Biden becoming the “chief global banking emissary” for Billerfy which processed payments for a cryptocurrency exchange known as Quadriga that traded money for crypto.

Later that year, Billerfy’s accounts were frozen and millions were found in a personal account.

Six days later, Quadriga’s 30-year-old CEO suddenly died in India, locking up $70 million in cash and $191 million in crypto.

Another co-founder, Michael Patry, whose real name turned out to be Omar was raided and authorities discovered gold bars in a vault.

The whole operation was then exposed as a massive ponzi scheme.

But by then James Biden had already benefited from $600,000 in “personal loans” from the health care company.

On March 1, 2018, Americore wired $200,000 to James and he wrote a $200,000 check to Joe.

But the loans, according to bankruptcy court documents were conditioned based on “representations that his last name, ‘Biden,’ could ‘open doors’ and that he could “obtain a large investment from the Middle East based on his political connections.”

Desperate for cash, James Biden traveled to Qatar with the aim of personally presenting to Qatari Finance Minister Ali Sharif Al Emadi who was later arrested and charged with bribery and laundering over $5 billion and sentenced to 20 years in prison.

While little is known about the details behind the internal power struggle in the corrupt terror state, Al Emadi had been accused of “channeling Qatari support to various Islamist groups over the years” as well as subverting American and European institutions with sizable infusions of Qatari money.

As the American end of the deal fell apart in recriminations and lawsuits, one of the litigants received “blood-stained currency” and a “torture ticket” after suing James Biden and his partners.

The blood money came from a Middle Eastern country known to be associated with terrorists.

But the FBI refused to name the country and insisted the media also hide its identity.

Qatar is one of the few countries with that degree of political influence in Washington D.C.

But the single most shocking document from James Biden’s relationship with Qatar may be a letter that he allegedly wrote to the Qatari leadership on “behalf of the Biden family.”

“We are not particularly close to this administration and have a different vision,” Biden’s brother wrote, accusing the Trump administration of being “fractured” and “beleaguered by major issues that are not soon to be resolved.”

However he promised that the Biden “family could provide a wealth of introductions and business opportunities at the highest levels that I believe would be worthy of the interest of His Excellency.”

“If this is in keeping with the vision of His Excellency, on behalf of the Biden family, I welcome your interest here,” he concluded.

Even while undermining the sitting administration, Biden’s brother was offering the services of his family to an enemy nation.

This has wider implications beyond Qatar’s role backing Hamas.

Qatar was also the central intermediary in the Taliban “deal” and had formed an alliance with Iran.

It is difficult to know whether the “Biden family” relationship with Qatar played any role in the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan and in the sanctions relief offered to Iran.

We do know there was a relationship between the Biden family and a state sponsor of Hamas, which Joe Biden profited from, and that has disturbing implications for our national security.

“We’ve got people all around the world who want to invest in Joe Biden,” James Biden once bragged. One of those investors had ties to Iran, Al Qaeda, Iran and Hamas.

Three IDF soldiers killed as Rafah terrorists fire 14 mortar shells

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Israeli security and rescue forces at the scene of a mortar shell attack near the Kerem Shalom Crossing in southern Israel, May 5, 2024. Photo by Flash90.

JNS)
Three Israel Defense Forces soldiers were killed and at least three others were seriously wounded on Sunday when Hamas terrorists fired 14 mortar shells from the Rafah area of southern Gaza at Kibbutz Kerem Shalom, the military announced.

The slain troops were identified as Staff Sgt. Ruben Marc Mordechai Assouline, 19, from Ra’anana; Staff Sgt. Ido Testa, 19, from Jerusalem; and Staff Sgt. Tal Shavit, 21, from Kfar Giladi.

Another 11 soldiers sustained wounds, the IDF said. The wounded were evacuated to nearby hospitals and their families were informed.

The Israeli Air Force subsequently attacked terrorist targets in Rafah, in the areas from which the missiles were fired towards Kerem Shalom.

“Fighter jets, directed by the Gaza Division, attacked the launch pad that carried out the launches towards the area. In addition, fighter jets attacked a military structure in the launch area,” the IDF said.


The military noted that “the launches were carried out by the Hamas terrorist organization near the Rafah Crossing, around 350 meters from civilian shelters. This is another clear example of the systematic exploitation by Hamas of humanitarian facilities and areas for terrorist purposes, while using the civilian population as a human shield.”

The Kerem Shalom area, located at the Israel-Gaza-Egypt border triangle, is the site of the primary crossing between Israel and Gaza, where thousands of humanitarian aid trucks have passed through during the war.

The Kerem Shalom crossing is currently closed to the passage of humanitarian aid trucks, the IDF said.

The attack comes as the military prepares for an offensive in the last Hamas bastion along the Egyptian border should the terrorist organization reject Jerusalem’s latest truce offer, described by U.S. mediators as the most generous yet from the Israeli side.

Jerusalem says going into Rafah is essential to winning the war, given that four of the final six Hamas battalions—thousands of gunmen—are entrenched there. If the Rafah operation does not move forward, Israel has warned that Hamas will regroup and threaten Israel again. The terrorist group has pledged many repeats of the atrocities committed on Oct. 7.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir tweeted following the attack: “We did not attack Gaza and we received the seventh of October, We didn’t attack in Rafah and we received a precise attack, Netanyahu, go into Rafah now!”

An Israeli Air Force strike killed Saleh Jamil Muhammad Amad, a Hamas terrorist commander responsible for combat support within the Bureij Battalion in central Gaza, the IDF said on Sunday.

He was slain alongside several other operatives who were with him inside Hamas terror infrastructure.

In another airstrike, three Hamas terrorists from the elite Nukhba unit, some of whom participated in the Oct. 7 massacre, were killed.

Additionally, IDF artillery fired towards a Hamas launch area where ready-to-use rocket launchers aimed at southern Israel were present.

Over the past 24 hours, IAF fighter jets and aircraft struck additional Hamas terrorist targets throughout the Gaza Strip, including weapons storage facilities, a structure with a sniper threatening troops and two terrorists operating close to a launch post.

Furthermore, IAF aircraft struck and killed three Hamas terrorists in the area of Jabaliya in northern Gaza, including a deputy company commander, a tunnel operative and a drone operator.

PIJ operative who commanded forces on Oct. 7 killed
The IDF announced on Saturday night that earlier in the day, IAF fighter jets killed senior Islamic Jihad operative Aiman Zaarab in a strike in southern Gaza.

“As part of his role, Zaarab was responsible for the Islamic Jihad Nukhba forces’s attack on Kibbutz Sufa and the Sufa military post during the Oct. 7 massacre,” the IDF said. “Additionally, over the past few days, Zaarab led the Islamic Jihads’ preparation for combat in the southern Gaza Strip.”

Two additional PIJ operatives were killed alongside Zaarab; they were staying in his operational apartment.

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