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‘Beatrix Potter: Drawn to Nature’ Exhibition in New York City

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Sholom Schreirber
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Drawing of a walled garden, Ees Wyke, Sawrey, circa 1900, by Beatrix Potter. (Courtesy of The Morgan Library & Museum)

Spring has hopped into New York City with a delightful exhibition of Beatrix Potter’s art and life story at The Morgan Library & Museum.

By: Michelle Plastrik

Spring has hopped into New York City along with The Morgan Library & Museum’s delightful exhibition “Beatrix Potter: Drawn to Nature.” Potter is the universally beloved writer and illustrator of “The Tale of Peter Rabbit” and other children’s books.

A portrait of Beatrix Potter photographed by Rupert Potter, circa 1892. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
(Courtesy of The Morgan Library & Museum)

The exhibit, which originated at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and has been traveling the world, showcases the origins of these stories, but there was much more to Beatrix Potter’s life and artistic output. This exhibition highlights her scientific studies, botanical illustrations, watercolors, marketing genius, and conservation efforts.

Pencil drawing of a bridge scene and hares at play, April 7, 1876, by Beatrix Potter. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
(Courtesy of The Morgan Library & Museum)

 

The School of Nature

Beatrix Potter (1866–1943) was born into an affluent British family. Their primary residence was in London, but they spent months at a time holidaying throughout Britain, including letting houses in Wales, Scotland, and Northern England. The young Potter loved the countryside and the opportunities it provided to explore and learn about nature. She disliked city life and its societal obligations, feeling awkward and shy. Both of her parents were artistically inclined, and her father was an amateur photographer who often documented the family.

Design for a greetings card, 1890, by Beatrix Potter. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London. (Courtesy of The Morgan Library & Museum)

While in London, Potter and her brother spent much of their time in the third-floor nursery. There, they kept a menagerie of pets that over the years included birds, dogs, hedgehogs, frogs, lizards, mice, salamanders, snakes, a bat, and of course, rabbits. Her pet bunny, named Peter Piper, was later the inspiration for the character Peter Rabbit.

Potter’s pencil drawing of a bridge scene and hares at play is an amusing sketch from the artist’s childhood included in the exhibition. While she received some formal artistic instruction in her youth, Potter was mostly self-taught. As she grew older, she used her considerable skill as a watercolorist to document animal and botanical specimens as well as experiments.

“Mrs. Rabbit Pouring Tea for Peter,” 1902, by Beatrix Potter. Book illustration for “The Tale of Peter Rabbit.” © Victoria and Albert Museum, London. (Courtesy of The Morgan Library & Museum)

Potter was particularly passionate about studying mushrooms, and this exhibit includes examples of her fungi watercolors. Though much of her scientific work was ignored at the time, today mycologists use her beautiful, accurate drawings for identification purposes.

 

Illustrated Letters

With the aim of earning her own money, Potter’s first commercial and publishable ventures were the creation of Christmas and greeting cards in 1889 and 1890. Financial independence from her parents came unexpectedly with the phenomenal success of Peter Rabbit. The tale’s origin dates to one of her enchanting picture letters, of which The Morgan has a notable collection.

Miniature letters, 1905–1912, by Beatrix Potter. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London. (Courtesy of The Morgan Library & Museum)

In 1893, she composed an illustrated letter to the 5-year-old son of her former governess: “I don’t know what to write to you, so I shall tell you a story about four little rabbits, whose names were Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail, and Peter.” The boy’s mother encouraged Potter to turn the story into a book.

From the start, part of the appeal of “The Tale of Peter Rabbit” was Potter’s thoughtfulness about her readers. She insisted that the work be published in a small format convenient for little hands, and be affordable. Successful sales led to demand for more of her stories.

In her lifetime, Potter wrote and illustrated a total of 28 published books, including 23 tales. She created other popular characters, including Jemima Puddle-Duck, Mr. Jeremy Fisher, Squirrel Nutkin, Tom Kitten, Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle, and Appley Dapply. Further revenue came from her branding initiatives. Indeed, Peter Rabbit was the first fictional figure to become a patented stuffed toy. The year was 1903, which makes it the oldest licensed character. The Morgan exhibit includes wonderful merchandising examples such as period toys, board games, and even chintz.

(L) An illustration of Mrs. Rabbit shopping for Windermere Fund in 1927 and a drawing of a hedgehog, assumed to be Mrs. Tiggy, circa. 904, by Beatrix Potter. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
(Courtesy of The Morgan Library & Museum)

Hill Top Farm

In 1905, Potter was able to purchase a home, Hill Top Farm, in her favorite region of Britain—the Lake District. She left London behind for good several years later. She had been introduced to North West England on her family holidays and had long loved the area. Elements of her new house and garden went on to feature in her work.

As she continued to experience success, Potter bought up vast tracts of land in her new community in order to preserve its ecology and farming culture. Particularly fond of a Lake District breed of sheep known as Herdwick, she became active in their preservation. Upon Potter’s death in 1943, she gifted the National Trust over 4,000 acres, 14 working farms, and a further 60 properties.

Hill Top Farm is now a museum treasured by the Lake District community and Potter fans from all over the globe. For those visiting The Morgan’s exhibit, the spirit of Hill Top has been lovingly recreated in the form of a dedicated space. It features objects from and photographs of the house, and it is even decorated with the William Morris wallpaper that can still be seen at Hill Top today.

Drawing of Appley Dapply going to the cupboard, 1891, by Beatrix Potter. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
(Courtesy of The Morgan Library & Museum)

Potter’s Gardenscapes

An unexpected pleasure in the exhibit is the inclusion of several of Potter’s exquisite watercolors of natural landscapes and blooming gardens. Depicting different areas in the British countryside, their mastery of line and color confirms Potter’s great artistry. In the book “Beatrix Potter’s Gardening Life: The Plants and Places That Inspired the Classic Children’s Tales,” author Marta McDowell observes, “As well as characters, Beatrix Potter drew garden settings for Peter Rabbit from various holiday homes.”

In preparing her book, McDowell poured over Potter’s published book illustrations. She was thrilled to be able to identify flora and other garden elements and match them to locations where Potter had lived or visited.

Sketch of the garden at Gwaynynog, Denbigh, probably March 1909, by Beatrix Potter. Watercolour over pencil. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London. (Courtesy of The Morgan Library & Museum)

The family-friendly “Beatrix Potter: Drawn to Nature” exhibit sheds new insights on the bestselling author and on the wonderful fine art she produced. Potter’s books of anthropomorphic characters remain enchantingly imaginative and her branding of them innovative. Notably, her passion for and protection of the natural world shines through in the displays. Potter was a woman ahead of her time. She gets her due in this exhibition as a timeless inspiration. The “Beatrix Potter: Drawn to Nature” exhibition is at The Morgan Library & Museum until June 9, 2024. To find out more, visit themorgan.org.

            (TheEpochTimes.com)

Michelle Plastrik is an art adviser living in New York City. She writes on a range of topics, including art history, the art market, museums, art fairs, and special exhibitions.

Mayorkas-Linked NGO Caught Distributing Fliers to Illegal Aliens Directing Them to Vote For Joe Biden

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TJV news
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The U.S. House voted Tuesday to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, with the Republican majority determined to punish the Biden administration over its handling of the U.S-Mexico border after failing last week in a politically embarrassing setback. Photo Credit: AP
By (American Greatness)

Anon-governmental organization (NGO) tied to U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has been caught distributing fliers to illegal aliens urging them to vote for Joe Biden.

The shocking fliers, posted on the walls of portable toilets and handed out to migrants at the Resource Center Matamoros (RCM) in Matamoros, Mexico, were discovered by independent journalist Muckraker, and shared with the Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project.

Translated from Spanish, the fliers read: “Reminder to vote for President Biden when you are in the United States. We need another four years of his term to stay open.”

The city of Matamoros is located in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas and borders Brownsville, Texas.

RCM’s six-unit office complex in Matamoros is “the home for HIAS, which is providing legal assistance and assistance with obtaining formal documents for job search and integration into the city of Matamoros as they wait to access the asylum process in the U.S,” the Daily Signal reported.

RCM founder and executive director Gaby Zavala was previously an organizer for La Union del Pueblo Entero (LUPE), which is reportedly a partner of George Soros’ Open Society Institute.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, who recently was impeached by the House for not enforcing border laws, is a former board member of the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS), which has reportedly received numerous grants from the Open Society Foundation over the years.

RCM also has deep ties to Soros-funded non-profits operating in the United States, according to the Daily Signal, “including Save the Children, Team Brownsville Texas, and Angry Tias and Abuelas.”

Soros’ Open Society Foundation has reportedly donated over $650,000 to Save the Children, which, in turn, has provided grants to Team Brownsville.

The website of Resource Center Matamoras says its founder and executive director, Gaby Zavala, partnered with Mike Benavides of the community organization Team Brownsville in November 2023 to brief members of Congress about the humanitarian crisis at the Mexico-Texas border.
Zavala previously was an organizer for La Union del Pueblo Entero, or LUPE, a group founded by the late labor leader Cesar Chavez, who was an opponent of illegal immigration. LUPE is listed among partners of the George Soros-backed Open Society Institute.

 

According to documents obtained by Judicial Watch, Mayorkas secretly met with some of these Soros-funded open border groups during a trip to the border in August of 2021, including Team Brownsville and Angry Tias and Abuela.

 

RCM is allegedly “sponsored by Asylum Seeker Network of Support (ASNS),” which had it’s 501c3 status forfeited by Texas in 2022.

Flyers like the ones seen in Matamoras may explain why some migrants are under the impression that they can vote in U.S. elections.

As American Greatness reported in February, a group of illegal immigrants in Denver, Colorado nonchalantly indicated on camera that they believed that they would be allowed to vote for Biden in the 2024 election.

Billionaire X owner Elon Musk has warned repeatedly that Democrats have been encouraging illegal immigration as part of a plan to gain a “permanent majority.”

Back in February,  Musk accused the Biden regime importing millions of migrants because it wants create new Democratic voters before Election Day.

“Homeland Security Secretary [Alejandro] Mayorkas issued written guidance making it clear that: Illegal presence alone is not grounds for deportation,” the tech tycoon wrote on X.

“Criminal charges, convictions or gang membership alone are not enough for deportation,” he said. “You basically have to be a convicted axe murderer to be deported!

“That’s because every deportation is a lost vote,” Musk added. “They are importing as many votes as possible before the elections.”

A recent Rasmussen Reports national survey found that 78 percent of likely U.S. voters believe it is important to prevent illegal immigrants from voting in American elections, including 62 percent who said it is “very Important.” Just 17 percent disagreed.

Rep. Marjorie-Taylor Greene took the opportunity Tuesday to lambaste Mayokas during a House Homeland Security Committee hearing on Joe Biden’s 2025 budget, citing the Oversight Project’s disturbing report.

“The open border is the number one issue across America in poll after poll and that is exactly why this committee impeached you,” she began.

“You worked as a board member of an NGO that is working in conjunction with other NGOs which are not only financing the invasion of the country, but are also telling illegal aliens to vote in the United States elections,” MTG continued. “They are telling illegal aliens—noncitizens!—to come vote for Joe Biden. That’s your boss.”

The Georgia congresswoman accused Mayorkas of facilitating the NGOs plan steal the upcoming U.S. elections through the DHS budget.

“This is corruption at the deepest level. As a matter of fact, I would call it treason,” she declared.

The House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday released a new report titled: HOW THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION’S LAX IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT ALLOWS DANGEROUS CRIMINAL ALIENS TO RUN FREE IN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES:

“Beginning on January 20, 2021, the Biden Administration has prioritized the welfare of illegal aliens over the security of the southwest border and the safety of American citizens,” the report begins.

Since President Biden took office, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has encountered more than 7.6 million illegal aliens along the southwest border.
Under the Biden Administration, there have been 38 straight months with more than 100,000 southwest border illegal alien encounters. Meanwhile, since January 20, 2021, more than 1.8 million known illegal alien “gotaways” have evaded Border Patrol and escaped into the United States.
In addition, the Biden Administration has released nearly 4.7 million illegal aliens into American communities.

As MTG bluntly put it, illegal aliens “have declared war on our citizens by raping our women, our children, and murdering people.”

Federal law bans non-U.S. citizens from voting in federal elections, but currently, 27 states and Washington DC don’t require photo ID to vote. Eleven of the 27 states do require ID, just not a Photo ID.

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson and former president Donald Trump met last Friday in Palm Beach, Florida, to promote a bill designed to stop noncitizens from voting. The bill would require proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections.

The two leaders agreed that strict voting requirements are needed because of the Biden administration’s open border policies.

“Election integrity is tied to (the) border, the lack of border security,” Johnson said.

MTG demanded that proof of citizenship be required to vote in the November elections. “That is something every single member of Congress should care about,” she said.

Ultra-Orthodox MKs agree to draft 50% of yeshiva students into IDF – report

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Soldiers of the Neztah Yehuda Battalion, a haredi brigade,(Flash90/Abir Sultan)

By Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

Ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) lawmakers have agreed in preliminary discussions with fellow lawmakers that a quarter of Ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students reaching draft age should be inducted into the army, Israel Hayom reported Tuesday.

Moreover, in coming years, that number could be increased to 50%, which would mean some 6,000 additional annual recruits to the IDF.

While the general outline for an agreement has been laid out, there are many details which would have to be settled for the plan to be adopted, the report noted.

Not least among them is whether the numbers could be anchored in a new draft law to replace the previous law, which was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2017.

Just as it has in the past, the courts could strike it down by saying that this threshold does not meet the requirements of a universal draft, meaning that the burden of army service is still shouldered unequally by the secular and national-religious populations.

If it is just passed in a government decision, however, it could be easily overturned when a new coalition takes power.

 

In addition, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has conditioned his approval of a new Draft Law on the agreement of War Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz.

However, Gantz, the report said, “does not intend to agree” to the idea.

Gantz had presented a proposal in February whereby most haredim would be either drafted or do national service in dozens of new alternate tracks in “recognized security, emergency and charity organizations.” An “elite” would continue studying Torah full-time, and “many” would be able to “serve at the same time as studying.”

The report emphasized that the fact that the haredi politicians admitted that it would be possible to draft thousands of yeshiva students was unprecedented.

It “puts on the table,” the report said, “what is known to everyone as well as to the ultra-Orthodox – there are masses … who do not really study around the clock.”

The Hebrew daily cited “data from ultra-Orthodox sources” that more than a thousand students who receive exemptions do not attend their institutions.

“Many more,” it added, go to “yeshivas for dropouts” but do not learn.

According to IDF figures, 540 males from the haredi sector voluntarily enlisted after October 7th, instead of continuing to use their annual deferments as full-time Torah students.

Dozens completed a shortened basic training course that included how to respond to Arab infiltrations and using weapons in a civilian setting. They were sent this month to guard ultra-Orthodox towns in Judea and Samaria.

USC Cancels Speech From Pro-Palestine Valedictorian After She Posted Israel Should Not Exist

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TJV news
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screenshot

(Daily Caller) The University of Southern California (USC) decided Monday its valedictorian would no longer speak at the university’s graduation ceremony, citing safety concerns.

There was a growing “intensity of feelings” and “an alarming tenor” of discussions around the university’s choice of Asna Tabassum as valedictorian, USC’s Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Andrew T. Guzman said in a statement.

“After careful consideration, we have decided that our student valedictorian will not deliver a speech at commencement. While this is disappointing, tradition must give way to safety,” Guzman added.

Tabassum was not named in Guzman’s statement but was identified by USC Annenberg Media.

The decision to drop Tabassum stemmed from concerns about the potential of “harassment and even violence” and was “consistent with the fundamental legal obligation – including the expectations of federal regulators – that universities act to protect students and keep our campus community safe,” Guzman said in his statement.

The selection process for a valedictorian that led to Guzman’s ultimate decision in Tabassum’s favor was “based on various criteria – which did not include social media presence,” Guzman said.

Social media presence, however, appeared to be what lit the fuse following Tabassum’s emergence as valedictorian, according to USC Annenberg Media. Tabassum’s Instagram bio reportedly contains a link to a blog about Palestine and Israel. Some students took exception on social media to the information in the blog, the outlet reported.

“palestine is a country located in the levant in western asia. it borders lebanon, syria, jordan, and egypt. currently, it is being occupied by the state of israel, a jewish ethnostate established by zionists in 1948,” ran the blog’s opening salvo.

“one palestinian state would mean palestinian liberation, and the complete abolishment of the state of israel. this way is the only way towards justice,” the blog proposed.

We Are Tov accused Tabassum of “openly promoting antisemitic writings” and of liking Instagram posts from “Trojans for Palestine,” according to the Los Angeles Times. The group is “dedicated to combatting antisemitism” and debunking misinformation,” its website said.

 

Tabassum, while acknowledging the honor of being declared valedictorian, blamed “anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian voices” for running “a campaign of racist hatred because of my uncompromising belief in human rights for all,” according to her statement via the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).

Self-described as “a proud Trojan,” the student of history with a minor in resistance to genocide added in her statement, “I am not surprised by those who attempt to propagate hatred. I am surprised that my own university—my home for four years—has abandoned me.”

Hussam Ayloush, the Executive Director of CAIR‘s Greater Los Angeles Area office (CAIR-LA), labeled the university’s decision “cowardly” and its called security concerns “disingenuous” in a statement. Tabassum had suffered “dishonest and defamatory attacks” and USC “must stand by her,” he added.

Tabassum’s “remarkable academic achievements” remained undiminished, Guzman said, adding that the university would work out other ways to recognize her and other outstanding students’ academic achievements.

USC respected “free speech rights and academic freedom” and acknowledged that dissent was “an integral aspect of expression in higher education,” according to Guzman’s statement.

Some 19,000-odd graduates will be honored at the commencement ceremony with an estimated audience of 65,000 people, Guzman said. Film producer John Chu will give the commencement address at the May 10 ceremony, USC Annenberg Media reported.

Survivor claims: Nearly 50 survivors of Nova massacre have committed suicide

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TJV news
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flash90

(A7) The State Control Committee on Tuesday held a meeting discussing the bureaucratic difficulties faced by the survivors of the Nova music festival massacre on October 7, as they attempt to receive treatment for their trauma.

Guy Ben Shimon, a survivor of the massacre said, “There are nearly 50 suicides among the Nova [survivors] – that is a number from two months ago. There are many more who are forcibly admitted.”

The Ministry of Health responded that the statement is untrue and that there are less than 10 suicides among those who survived the massacre.

Na’ama Eitan, who also survived the massacre, said, “I participated in a study which checked my heartrate and other parameters and showed me how I really am not okay at all. The average number of hours I sleep each night is two. I spent seven hours under a tree, while terrorists passed beside me and I called the police and asked, ‘Where are you? Why is no one coming?’ If there is quiet around me, my head is noisy and I go back to there. I need someone to accompany me at all times.”

She stressed, “If it weren’t for my psychologist, I would not be here. I have friends who have not yet gotten out of bed, and they have no help. Twenty-four treatments? What is that? Nothing! Why do I need to prove to someone what I experienced? Why do I need to prove and explain what happened to me? I was there.”

Or Nasa, another survivor, shared, “We don’t wake up at night and we can’t do anything, and now they come and we need to fill out this form or that form. This could ruin our entire day. We are not able to do anything. A friend stopped working because of a mental breakdown that she experienced, but the National Insurance Institute doctors did not recognize her as suffering a work injury. I need to go to a psychologist but there is an appointment only five months from now.”

What Can We Do to Help Israel?

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Israelis wave national flags during protest against government plans to overhaul the judicial system, outside the Knesset, Israel's parliament, in Jerusalem, Feb. 13, 2023. (AP/Ohad Zwigenberg)

What Can We Do to Help Israel?

By: Kenneth Abramowitz

Israel has been fighting a war for its existence since 1948. Since October 7, 2023, it has been fighting for its very survival.  The first war in 1948, against six Arab armies supported by the British, won Israel’s independence. In this most recent war Israel must defeat the radical Islamist Iran and its proxies in the region. While Israel will have to continue fighting, the leadership of the Islamic Republic of Iran is undeterred and bolder than ever. On April 14, for the first time, it attacked Israel directly with hundreds of drones and ballistic and cruise missiles. This time, Israel was prepared and survived. But the war is far from over.

The Israeli economy of nearly $550 billion grew 6% in 2022 but fell 2% in 2023. Economic growth in 2024 is forecast to be 2%, half the country’s usual growth rate of 4%. Enormous economic and physical burdens are being placed on the standing army of about 150,000 soldiers and the reserve forces of about 350,000. Most businesses are suffering. Tourism has significantly slowed down. The south of Israel will revive itself, but the north is still challenged until Hezbollah is moved nearly 10 miles north to the Litani River and the 100,000 residents of the north can return to their homes.

The lack of venture capital financing will challenge young startups. Student schedules will be disrupted by army reserve duty. However, the 750 local military contractors will witness spectacular growth as the Ministry of Defense dramatically steps up armament manufacturing to partially wean the military from American and other increasingly unreliable suppliers.While Israel is now consumed by fighting to save the Jewish State and Western civilization, survival is not enough. Israel must also continue to be strong. Without a strong Israel, Jews and, eventually, Christians will be hunted down worldwide by Islamists and the radical Left. Therefore, Jews and Christians from all over the world should do their best to support Israel.

Here are 20 activities that Jews and Christians can engage in to help ameliorate the economic situation in Israel and support the spirit of its brave citizens:

1) Visit Israel often, either alone or with friends’ political or religious missions. Teach yourself about the situation. Visit struggling communities and provide comfort. Buy products and services whenever appropriate. Buy Israeli art, fashion, and jewelry for yourself, your children, and your relatives. Enjoy Israeli restaurants, cultural events, and entertainment.

2) If possible, buy a second home in Israel now with extra reasonable prices.

3) Buy Israeli products online from the convenience of your home. Ask your local wine store or restaurant to carry a broader array of Israeli wines. Ask your pharmacy to fill your prescriptions with Teva and other Israeli-sourced products.

4) If possible, consider investing in an Israeli venture capital fund.

5) Contribute generously to non-profit groups such that support Israel, such as the Friends of the IDF, Israel Independence Fund, and American Friends of Likud, all of which are now focused on meeting the unique needs (not weapons, which is the sole responsibility of the IDF) of the soldiers who fight for Israel.

6) Educate yourself by reading numerous books and websites on national security such as:

The Multifront War

The Soros Agenda

Hamas: The Story of Islamic Jihad on Israel’s Front Lines

Hamas, CAIR, and the Muslim Brotherhood: The Plot to Destroy America

Also see recommendations at Recommended books | Save The West

7) Increase financial contributions to national security think tanks in Israel and America, as these organizations can educate policymakers and the public.

8) Use your rapidly increasing knowledge to educate your friends and family. Don’t be shy! Speak up!

9) Befriend your local political leaders and educate them on critical national security issues.

10) Make sure your children’s schools are not teaching false narratives about our numerous enemies and domestic issues.

11) Do not tolerate antisemitism and anti-Christian behavior in the workforce, schools, or anywhere else in society.

12) Listen to numerous webinars that bring notable speakers and ideas directly to you.

13) Legally arm yourself with side arms or simply non-lethal pellet guns. Be sure to hire professionals to teach you how to handle weapons safely, and join a gun club if you can so you can practice with your handgun or rifle.

14) Stay alert at all times, as the forces of evil never rest.

15) Write letters to the editor of your favorite newspapers. Do not be afraid to defend your rights in the face of authoritarian bullies and antisemites.

16) Plan for special occasions in Israel, such as Bar Mitzvahs, honeymoons, anniversaries, and birthdays.

17) Invite Israeli speakers to your local synagogue or church to educate yourself and the congregation.

18) Support your local newspapers ‘if deserving’, as well as Israeli news services. Dramatically increase your number of paid subscriptions, to such publications as “The Jewish Voice”. Place advertisements for your own business in worthy Jewish news sites.

19) Write to your Congressmen and request they publicly demand the US continue offensive and defensive arms sales to Israel and support it at the UN unconditionally

20) Christian friends of Israel should comment to or criticize any Christian friend who makes an antisemitic comment.

This is the time to pull out all the stops. Israel needs and deserves our help and investment. We have 3,800 years of history and challenges to defend. Onward to victory!

Artist and Curators Refuse to Open Israel Pavilion at Venice Biennale Until Cease-Fire, Hostage Deal

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A woman takes a photo as an Italian soldier patrols the Israeli national pavilion at the Biennale contemporary art fair in Venice, Italy, Tuesday, April 16, 2024. The artist and curators representing Israel at this year's Venice Biennale have announced Tuesday they won't open the Israeli pavilion until there is a cease-fire in Gaza and an agreement to release hostages taken Oct. 7.(AP Photo/Colleen Barry)

(AP) — The artist and curators representing Israel at this year’s Venice Biennale announced on Tuesday they won’t open the Israeli pavilion exhibit until there is a cease-fire in Gaza and an agreement to release hostages seized by Hamas on Oct. 7.

 

Their decision, praised as courageous by the festival’s main curator, was posted on a sign in the window of the Israeli pavilion on the first day of media previews, ahead of the Biennale contemporary art fair opening on Saturday.

“The art can wait, but the women, children and people living through hell cannot,” the curators said in a statement together with the artist. It expressed horror at both the plight of Palestinians in Gaza and that of the relatives of hostages seized in the militant Hamas group’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

Israel is among 88 national participants in the 60th Venice Biennale, which runs from April 20-Nov. 24. The Israeli pavilion was built in 1952 as a permanent representation of Israel inside the Giardini, the original venue of the world’s oldest contemporary art show and the site of 29 national pavilions. Other nations show in the nearby Arsenale or at venues throughout the city.

This year, the Israeli exhibit has been titled “(M)otherland” by artist Ruth Patir.

Even before the preview, thousands of artists, curators and critics had signed an open letter calling on the Biennale to exclude the Israeli national pavilion from this year’s show to protest Israel’s war in Gaza. Those opposed to Israel’s presence had also vowed to protest on-site.

Italy’s culture minister had firmly backed Israel’s participation, and the fair was opening amid unusually heightened security.

Written in English, the announcement Tuesday of Israel’s delayed opening read: “The artist and curators of the Israeli pavilion will open the exhibition when a cease-fire and hostage release agreement is reached.” Two Italian soldiers stood guard nearby.

In a statement, Patir said she and the curators wanted to show solidarity with the families of the hostages “and the large community in Israel who is calling for change.”

“As an artist and educator, I firmly object to cultural boycott, but I have a significant difficulty in presenting a project that speaks about the vulnerability of life in a time of unfathomed disregard for it,” Patir said in the statement.

Patir, who remained in Venice on Tuesday, declined further comment. Neither the Biennale organizers nor the Israeli culture ministry commented.

The curators of the Israeli pavilion, Mira Lapidot and Tamar Margalit, said they were delaying the opening of the exhibit because of the “horrific war that is raging in Gaza,” but that they hoped the conditions would change so the exhibit could open for public view.

“There is no end in sight, only the promise of more pain, loss, and devastation. The exhibition is up and the pavilion is waiting to be opened,” they said. For now, a video work made by Patir can be seen through the pavilion window.

Adriano Pedrosa, the Brazilian curator of the main show at the Biennale, praised the gesture.

“It’s a very courageous decision,” Pedrosa told The Associated Press. “I think it’s a very wise decision as well” because it is “very difficult to present a work in this particular context.”

The national pavilions at Venice are independent of the main show, and each nation decides its own show, which may or may not play into the curator’s vision.

Palestinian artists are participating in collateral events in Venice and three Palestinian artists’ works are to appear in Pedrosa’s main show, titled “Stranieri Ovunque — Foreigners Everywhere,” which has a preponderance of artists from the global south.

Pedrosa, the artistic director of Brazil’s Sao Paulo Museum of Art, said one of the Palestinian artists, New York-based Khaled Jarrar, was not physically in Venice because he couldn’t get a visa.

Geopolitics is no stranger to the Biennale. The Italian festival discouraged, and then banned, South Africa’s participation during apartheid. Russian artists withdrew their participation in 2022 to protest the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine, and the Biennale said Russia did not request to participate this year.

The war in Gaza erupted after Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants carried out a cross-border attack on Oct. 7 that killed 1,200 people in Israel and kidnapped 250 others.

Israel’s retaliatory offensive in Gaza has so far killed over 33,700 Palestinians, according to local health officials, causing widespread devastation. The United Nations has warned of imminent famine in northern Gaza.

Over 1,300 African Migrants Gather Outside New York City Hall over Promise of Green Cards

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AP Photo/Cedar Attanasio

By Paul Roland Bois(Breitbart)

Roughly 1,300 African migrants gathered outside New York City Hall on Tuesday over what some believed were promises of a green card or work visa if they appeared.

“Only 250 people were allowed inside for the 10 a.m. hearing, while the hundreds of others who flocked downtown were left outside in a park, where footage showed them chanting and cheering,” noted the New York Post.

The migrants were mostly from countries in West Africa and Guinea. Speaking to the NY Post, some say they were lured to city hall by an activist group promising they’d receive work visas or green cards if they appeared.

“They told me that they would help me to get a work permit and a green card if I came here today,” said 44-year-old Amadou Sara Bah, who migrated from Guinea in November.

Bah had applied for a work permit in March but became stressed over the five-month waiting period. He and his friends had been waiting on a bench near city hall for several hours.

“There are many people here and we don’t know how to get the help they told us would be here,” he told the NY Post. “I came here for a green card. I’m looking for help.”

 

Dial Lochitlio, a 19-year-old from Guinea, said that “elders in the community” told him to come to city hall in search of an asylum.

“They told us to be here at this time on this date and they would give us more information,” he said

Assitan Makadii of the organization African Communities Together said he went to city hall after learning migrants were lured there under false pretenses.

“They received some miscommunications, so we are here to provide clarification,” Makadii said.

“They don’t have nothing and they deserve everything because they are human. We are all human,” Makadii added. “They don’t have a place to go. As you can see I don’t think [the city housing is] happening because they’re all here because they don’t have a place to sleep.”

 

 

The joint hearing from the City Council’s Committee of Immigration and Committee on Hospitals discussed the experiences of migrants in the shelters to “understand how the [Adams] Administration is addressing language access barriers, cultural competency challenges, health needs, and other roadblocks” that migrants face.

One of the key issues has been overcoming language barriers, especially from a continent like Africa, which contains nearly 3,000 languages.

“This is mostly an issue that belongs to the federal government. They need to do better at providing training in these languages,” Manuel Castro, commissioner of the Mayor’s Office on Immigrant Affairs, told the council.

“Early on in the situation with the arrival of asylum seekers, it was primarily Venezuelan, Ecuadorians and other Spanish-speaking asylum seekers. But we started seeing more people from across the world arrive, so there’s a bit of an adjustment period that we’re undergoing,” Castro added.

Paul Roland Bois directed the award-winning Christian tech thriller, EXEMPLUM, which can be viewed for FREE on YouTube or Tubi. “Better than Killers of the Flower Moon,” wrote Mark Judge. “You haven’t seen a story like this before,” wrote Christian Toto. A high-quality, ad-free rental can also be streamed on Google Play, Vimeo on Demand, or YouTube Movies. Follow on X @prolandfilms or Instagram @prolandfilms. 

    Donald Trump Visits NYC Bodega Where Worker Was Wrongfully Prosecuted by Alvin Bragg

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    Former president Donald Trump talks with bodega owner Maad Ahmed during a visit to his store, Tuesday, April 16, 2024, in New York. Fresh from a Manhattan courtroom, Donald Trump visited a New York bodega where a man was stabbed to death, a stark pivot for the former president as he juggles being a criminal defendant and the Republican challenger intent on blaming President Joe Biden for crime. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

    Elizabeth Weibel (Breitbart)

    Former President Donald Trump visited a bodega in New York City where a worker was attacked, robbed, and wrongfully prosecuted for murder by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

    Prior to his visit, Trump issued a press release revealing that he would be “visiting” the bodega where Jose Alba, who had been working as a bodega clerk, was “robbed, attacked, and, ultimately, wrongfully accused of murder” after he had defended himself.

    “President Trump’s visit to one of New York City’s bodegas comes at a time when retail theft is skyrocketing and the New York City police force is on track to fall to its lowest numbers since the 1990s by 2025,” Trump’s press release said. “Bodegas are a lifeline to underserved communities, and President Trump believes that only by undoing the Democrat party’s soft-on-crime policies can law and order be fully restored to every borough throughout New York City.”

    As Trump visited the Sanaa Convenient Store, a crowd of people could be heard chanting, “Four more years! Four more years!”

    During his visit, Trump met with, Maad Ahmed, the co-owner of the store, and Francisco Marte, a bodega owner and small business advocate.

    On July 1, 2022, Alba, who is in his 60’s, defended himself when 35-year-old Austin Simon entered the bodega and went behind the counter after his girlfriend was unable to make a purchase as her benefits card was declined.

    After a confrontation between Simon and Alba ensued, in which Simon can be seen on video footage grabbing Alba by his shirt’s collar and allegedly pushing him, Alba fatally stabbed Simon in an attempt to defend himself.

    Bragg arrested and charged Alba with second-degree murder. On July 19, 2022, Bragg dropped the charges against Alba.

    In September 2023, Alba filed a lawsuit against George Soros-funded Bragg claiming he was “wrongfully prosecuted.”

    NYC bodega worker Jose Alba defends himself against an alleged attacker. (Screenshot)

    “I have never voted, because I’ve been working, but this time I will,” Ahmed told the New York Post. “We need Donald Trump back in the White House because he’s a strong guy.”

    As of the week of April 8 to 14, there were 4,531 reported robberies in New York City, an increase from the 4,346 reported robberies during that time period in 2023, according to crime data from the New York City Police Department. There have also been 7,419 reported felony assaults so far in 2024, according to the data for the week of April 8 to 14, an increase from the 7,281 reported during that time period in 2023.

    ‘Don’t Know Why Anybody Would Think I Like Hoodies,’ Says Fetterman of New Yeshiva Sweatshirt

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    Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) meets at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., with more than 100 Yeshiva University students in April 2024. Credit: Courtesy of the office of Sen. John Fetterman.

    (JNS) – More than 100 Yeshiva University students met last week in Washington with Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), one of Israel’s most vocal supporters in the U.S. Congress.

    The Pennsylvania Democrat posted photos on social media holding a blue Yeshiva sweatshirt that states “Yeshiva University. Am Yisrael chai. Together with Israel.” (The Hebrew phrase means, “The nation of Israel lives.”)

     

    John Fetterman Yeshiva University
    Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) meets at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., with more than 100 Yeshiva University students in April 2024. Credit: Courtesy of the office of Sen. John Fetterman.

    “I don’t know why anybody would think I like hoodies,” the senator, known for his hooded sweatshirts, joked on Friday.

    “Thanks to the 100-plus students from Yeshiva University for stopping by the Senate,” he added. “You’re always welcome back to my office.”

    Jon Greenfield, assistant vice president of government relations at Yeshiva University, told JNS that hundreds of students in Yeshiva’s Political Action Club travel annually to Washington to meet with members of Congress and their staffs to support Israel.

    “This latest mission was the group’s second trip to Capitol Hill since Oct. 7 and comes at a time when pro-Israel voices are most needed in the halls of Congress,” Greenfield said. “We were proud to see our students engage such a broad, bipartisan cohort of lawmakers during their trip, including Senator Fetterman, and gain firsthand experience in grassroots civic engagement.”

    “Their efforts truly represent the values of Yeshiva University as a top-tier academic institution and strong advocate for Israel,” he added.

    “Hoodie with a backbone,” wrote Eli Lebowicz, a Jewish comedian.

    Dov Hikind, a former New York state legislator and founder of Americans Against Antisemitism, expressed his appreciation for the senator’s post.

    “Love that YU students got Sen. Fetterman a YU hoodie to add to his collection,” wrote the Jewish educator Dovid Bashevkin. “There’s no way they got the right size.”

    “Beyond well deserved,” Bashevkin added. “Sen. Fetterman has been a beacon of hope and moral clarity. We appreciate you.”

    “Thank you, Sen. Fetterman, for your unflinching support,” wrote Rabbi Tzvi Pittinsky, director of educational technology at the Frisch School, Yeshivat Frisch in Paramus, N.J. “You are a true friend of the State of Israel, the Jewish people and all people who love freedom throughout the world.”

    Anti-Israel protestors wave Hezbollah flags, chant ‘Death to America in NYC, Laura Loomer Assailed

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    (A/TJV)  Anti-Israel protesters declared their “love” for the Hezbollah terrorist organization and carried the Hezbollah flag during a march in New York City yesterday (Monday).

    Hezbollah is a designated terror group, yet the FBI and law enforcement alllowed  possible  supporters of a designated terror group to freely protest and show their support for an enemy of America.

    During the demonstration, protestors chanted “Death to America” and burned the American flag. Chants of “from the river to the sea” were also heard.

     Near Wall Street, the protestors were confronted by activist Laura Loomer, who was in New York for the hush-money trial of former President Donald Trump. Protestors told Loomer, who questioned the presence of the terrorist organization’s flag, to kill herself.

    Loomer wrote on X: “At the pro-HAMAS rally today in NYC, I was assaulted, harassed for being Jewish, screamed at by grown men, had my life threatened by a man in a HAMAS Bandana, and witnessed countless innocent New Yorkers get accosted by terrorist supporters.”

    “Then I got to watch many of these jihadis get arrested after they stormed a gate, hopped fences, and shut down the Brooklyn Bridge,” she added.

     

    In Chicago, protestors blocked an access road leading to O’Hare International Airport. The protest forced commuters to leave their cars and walk from the highway to the airport terminals.

    About 40 protestors were arrested in Chicago.

    In addition, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco was blocked for several hours.

    Iranians call for Israel to attack IRGC leaders

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    ISTOCK

    (A7)) BBC has published a letter signed by numerous Iranian activists, both inside Iran and in other countries, expressing anger against the IRGC.

    “No to warmongering!” the letter declares, and asserts that Iranians also see the emerging war as being more for the government than the country.

    Iran has recently increased police presence in Tehran, under the guise of enforcing Islamic dress codes, itself a matter of controversy, but in reality working to quell any resistance to the regime.

    Some graffiti has appeared on walls in Iranian cities – “Israel, strike the supreme leader’s [Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s] house,” reads one. “Israel hit them, they lack the courage to retaliate,” read another.

    The government has posted its own messages on billboards – “Tel Aviv is our battleground, not Tehran,” reads one. Immediately after the IRGC attack, supporters of the Islamic Republic celebrated and a banner warning Israelis that “the next slap will be fiercer” was hung from a building in Tehran.

    “I believe it was the right decision to attack Israel to prevent further killings of Iranian commanders in Syria and elsewhere,” one woman said in a voice message. Another said: “Iranians themselves are in a state of war with the current regime. We harbour no animosity towards any nation, including Israel.”

    Due to economic struggles in their country, many Iranians see war as the worst possible state of affairs. Fears of a regional war have Iranians flooding supermarkets and gas stations to stock up on supplies.

    Iranians have also begun posting the hashtag #IRGCterrorists to call for the international community to boycott the IRGC as a terrorist organization. Popular Iranian soccer player Ali Karimi, also based outside Iran, meanwhile posted a photo of intertwined hands overlaid with the Israeli flag and a previous version of the Iranian flag that was in use before the 1979 Islamic revolution.

    “We are Iran, not the Islamic Republic,” he said.

    Anti-Israel activist threatens to murder Calif. city council members

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    (A7) An anti-Israel protestor has been arrested after threatening to murder members of the city council of Bakersfield, California.

    During a meeting of the city council to discuss a resolution calling for a ceasefire between Israel and the Hamas terrorist organization, Riddhi Patel threatened Mayor Karen Goh and other municipal officials.

    Patel said during the public comments section of the meeting that “you guys are all horrible human beings, and Jesus probably would have killed you herself.”

    She condemned the city council’s decision to install metal detectors for the meeting, and her rhetoric grew increasingly violent and threatening.

    “I hope that one day, somebody brings the guillotine and kills all of you mother-s,” she said.

    “We’ll see you at your house. We’ll murder you,” Patel declared.

     

    The court ordered that Patel be held on $1 million bail and that she be kept at least 500 yards away from city hall.

    IDF: Israel will strike Iran at ‘time and place of our choosing’

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    (Israel Hayom) Jerusalem will respond to Iran’s unprecedented aerial assault “at the time and place of our choosing,” IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said on Tuesday.

    Israel Hayom‘s “Tomorrow’s Conference” opened Tuesday at the International Convention Center in Ashkelon. Hagari was a guest at the conference and was asked about a possible response to the Iranian attack, the regional anti-Tehran coalition, a framework for a deal to free the captives in Gaza and the situation on the Israeli home front.

    “On Saturday, Iran attacked the State of Israel with 350 launches. This was blocked and Iran failed in its attack. It was blocked thanks to capabilities built up in the State of Israel over years in the defense industries. It was blocked thanks to a historic air defense battle that will be studied extensively around the world. A defensive battle in which Israeli Air Force pilots downed swarms of aircraft,” Hagari said.

    “Additionally, something very big happened: a regional coalition led by the U.S., Britain and France came together perfectly—in the air, on land and at sea—and together intercepted 99% of the threat before it entered Israel[i airspace].

    “In the end, four ballistic missiles hit the Nevatim [Air] Base without causing damage. Thanks to our operational success on Saturday, we now have many options for how and when to act. We will act properly and at the right time, and any discussion on this matter is unnecessary,” Hagari continued.

    “It is impossible not to respond to such an attack. We will act at the time and place of our choosing, and any discussion about it is unnecessary. We are in a high state of readiness even as we speak—pilots are defending the skies, we have fighters on the borders. Just a few minutes ago there was an incident on the northern border with unmanned aircraft.

    “In the past six months, we have been working to protect the citizens of the State of Israel. There was a failure on October 7, and since then there has been a great recovery. In recent days, there has been a development due to what happened with Iran, but it also brings strategic opportunities,” the admiral said.

    “A coalition arose and said, ‘No more, we will not allow this.’ This is a great opportunity that must be seized. We must remember that our war is in Gaza, we have captives in Gaza, and we must not divert our attention from there,” he said.

    The home front
    Hagari also addressed the plight of Israeli citizens who have been displaced from their homes for six months due to the conflict.

    “This is an opportunity to talk about the home front and the residents, especially those who left their homes and are in difficulties that no one can understand, a difficulty that we as a society must be sensitive to,” he said.

     

    “In the military, we need to act and do everything we can so they can return home, but only when there is no threat. All Israeli citizens are living in difficulty, and we need to be sensitive and coordinate with the municipalities,” Hagari added.

    The IDF spokesman continued, “We will do everything we can to ease the situation. We feel the difficulty. Our role is to ease the situation for the public, but the security of the state’s residents is paramount. So far, the residents have acted with exemplary responsibility. We need to do everything so that 1.9 million people can return to their schools and homes.”

    Hagari said, “I want to talk about the captives because that’s what’s important. I don’t think [Hamas chief in Gaza] Sinwar doesn’t want a deal—he wants it on his terms. It was the same during the time of Gilad Shalit,” the IDF Armored Corps soldier who was held in Gaza for five years and then released in 2011 in exchange for Israel releasing 1,027 Palestinian terrorists from prison.

    The military spokesman vowed that Israel would eventually decapitate the Hamas leadership through targeted killings.

    “We are at war with Hamas, and on a military level we have defeated 19 out of 24 of its battalions, but it is a terrorist organization and we need to make sure we eliminate the leaders—it will take time but we will get to all of them.”

    Hagari said Sinwar is in hiding, speculating, “Maybe he expected that the Iranian war on Saturday would work in his favor. We need to see that our regional balance is strengthening—this will weaken Hamas. Any action we take in Gaza, in maneuvers and eliminating leaders, needs to advance the return of the captives.”

    The IDF spokesperson said investigations of the events of Oct. 7 have already begun to yield lessons, adding, “We will also take responsibility at all levels. We must earn the public’s trust, and public trust comes with taking responsibility.

     

    “We will do everything in the IDF, with a wide deployment, to allow the citizens of the State of Israel to sit securely at the [Passover] Seder night [next Monday]. We are in a complex security reality; if there are changes, we will update the public.”

    Originally published by Israel Hayom.

    California School System Sued Over Falsified History About Israel-Hamas War

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    A student's father sues California's Berkeley Unified School District, accusing it of hiding pro-Hamas "history" lessons at Berkeley High School from parents. (Photo: Berkeley Unified School District)

    Tony Kinnett(Daqily Signal)

    A California public school district that attempted to hide pro-Hamas course material from parents now faces legal action.

    The Deborah Project, which describes itself as “a public interest law firm that defends the civil rights of Jews in education,” filed suit April 8 against the Berkeley Unified School District, accusing it of “intentionally trying to prevent parents from knowing what their kids are learning.”

    The lawsuit, filed in Alameda County Superior Court, also accuses the school system of “teaching kids mendacious and malicious lies about [Hamas’s terrorist attack on Israel] that are grossly inaccurate and, on the basis of this false information, fomenting hatred against the Jewish State.”

    The Deborah Project went to court on behalf of a parent in the Berkeley school district, Yossi Fendel, who says he was delayed and denied information about his child’s curriculum after a social studies teacher, Alex Day, announced at a school board meeting in November that he was going to incorporate lessons about “Palestine.”

    Day also stated at the school board meeting that he wouldn’t be “censored” from lecturing his students about “colonialism.”

    Day is a ninth-grade social studies teacher at Berkeley High School, according to the school system’s website.

    Alex Day in a photo obtained from Berkeley High School’s staff page

    Fendel repeatedly attempted to gain information about Day’s course material, but was obstructed constantly “for months” by rescheduling, cancellations, and other delays by Berkeley High School and district staff, The Deborah Project said in a press release.

    The lawsuit asserts that Day cast Jews as abusive, land-stealing colonizers, ignoring thousands of years of history to make a political assertion, while soft-pedaling the Hamas terrorist organization. Day explicitly refrained from describing as “terrorism” Hamas’ Oct. 7 rape and murder of over 1,200 in southern Israel and its kidnapping of over 200 civilians, according to the lawsuit.

    The suit adds:

    We seek as well to learn how it came to be that [Berkeley Unified School District]—in violation of California law—inexcusably but intentionally delayed access to the curriculum, ensuring that parents could not learn what was being fed their kids until after a stream of antisemitic falsehoods had already been planted not only in Mr. Fendel’s son’s mind, but in the minds of all his classmates.

    According to slides for Day’s lessons obtained by The Daily Signal, the teacher used one slide and half of another to describe Hamas’ massacre of civilians in Israel, and 43 slides to describe what he called Israel’s “all out assault on Gaza.”

    Hamas, which is known for using civilians as shields for its military operations, has been the elected government of the Gaza Strip since 2006.

    In my analysis as a former teacher and curriculum developer, Day’s slides are absolutely riddled with leading questions and weighted comparisons, in what appears to be an attempt to paint Gazans as the victims of unwarranted colonial aggression.

    Day makes a comparison on slide 14, titled “Consequences of War,” that dishonestly portrays Israeli citizens as only having to postpone funerals and weddings while Gazans have “no food, no water, no electricity,” and “humanitarian aid was/is being blocked.” (The teacher doesn’t specify who blocked aid.)

    The repeated rocket strikes and other horrors Israeli civilians have faced during the war, and for decades before, are not mentioned in Day’s slideshow.

    Although the teacher claims in slide 29 that “we take care of each other,” his slides decidedly paint Israelis and Republicans in America as unfeeling and uncompassionate. The slides ask loaded questions such as: “Why do you think there aren’t more politicians calling for a ceasefire?”

    Day’s slides include quotes only from, and photos of, Democrats.

    Day included several questions asking students what they thought about Israeli actions toward “Palestinians,” but didn’t ask a single question about what students thought of Hamas’ actions, media coverage, or related U.N. resolutions.

    For example, question 10 asks, referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: “Do you think that Netanyahu’s directions to the Palestinians are fair? Why or why not?”

    Outside of a brief reference to Oct. 7, Day’s slides don’t mention Hamas at all, nor is its leader, Ismail Haniyeh. Students aren’t asked whether Haniyeh’s actions toward Israelis “are fair.”

    Both questions 6 and 7 ask students how they feel “about lives lost or damage done to Gaza’s infrastructure,” but no question asks students about Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks.

    California State Standards require history teachers to point out “bias and prejudice” in historical interpretations, but the slides in Day’s presentation don’t mention the blatant antisemitism of Hamas or other Iranian proxy groups.

    Not referenced a single time: the tens of thousands of social media posts, press releases, recordings of public chants, and other blatant expressions around the world in support of Hamas that call for the death of all Jews.

    The Berkeley school district didn’t respond to The Daily Signal’s request that it confirm the authenticity of Day’s slides by time of publication. However, hyperlinks in the slides link to electronic forms hosted by the school district’s official internet domain.

    If the Berkeley Unified School District attempted to hide or delay access to this information, it wouldn’t be the first time a public school district was caught trying to keep parents from seeing disturbing or controversial curriculum or pedagogy.

    Hundreds of public school districts around the country have attempted to hide racially discriminatory and sexually explicit curriculum from parents, as confirmed by Freedom of Information Act requests, recorded admissions by school administrators, and dozens of whistleblowers.

    Berkeley Unified wouldn’t be California’s first public school district to protect antisemitic actions within its schools.

    Within weeks after the Hamas attack in Israel, the Manhattan Beach Unified School District forced a gag order on four 11-year-olds so they wouldn’t talk about the antisemitic death threats other students made against them.

    Congress should cut Israel aid loose from Ukraine

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    U.S. President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Feb. 20, 2023. Credit: Adam Schultz/White House.

    By Jonathan S. Tobin

    (JNS) This past weekend’s Iranian missile attack on Israel was, among other things, a wake-up call for Congress. More than six months after Oct. 7, a bill that would provide supplemental military aid to the Jewish state that would help it fight the Hamas terrorists responsible for the massacres and defend itself against Iran is still languishing on Capitol Hill. And while the number of those who oppose helping Israel has increased in the intervening months, the reason why passage of the measure is still very much in doubt is not entirely the fault of the growing number of Democrats who have turned on the Jewish state.

    The problem is Ukraine.

     

    In February, after months of wrangling over foreign aid, a bipartisan majority in the Senate passed a $95 billion assistance package. It has not come to a vote in the House of Representatives because much of the Republican caucus objected to the decision of President Joe Biden andSenate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to link their favorite cause—funding Ukraine’s war against Russia—to something that almost all Republicans and most Democrats backed: assistance for Israel. Because most of the slender House Republican majority opposed the idea of doubling down on a blank check to maintain the stalemate in the Ukraine-Russia war, the only way to get around that would be to force their hand by making it the only way Israel could also be helped.

    They did that by tying a massive $60.1 billion in additional assistance to Ukraine to a smaller $14.1 billion allocation to Israel, plus $9.1 billion in aid to various humanitarian causes, including Gaza, and $4.83 billion to Taiwan. They argue that the war begun by the illegal and brutal Russian invasion of Ukraine is part of the same struggle as Israel’s fight for national existence against a genocidal Palestinian terrorist movement.

    A political impasse

    Indeed, the rhetoric backing the omnibus aid bill conjures up that of the Cold War, an era in which supporters of Israel were happy to link their cause to that of the West’s fight against Soviet communism. But while there is considerable and understandable sympathy for Ukraine—and very little for the Russians, even among those skeptical of the embrace of Kyiv’s cause—the notion that the two conflicts are related other than as pawns in a Washington political battle is a pernicious myth. That’s something that supporters of Israel—on either side of the aisle—need to understand if they are to break the impasse and get the Jewish state the military aid it needs.

    The political problem involved in the aid standoff is just as complex and in some ways contradictory as the U.S. stand in both conflicts.

    Democrats are split on supporting Israel. A growing number of so-called “progressives” have joined with the openly antisemitic members of the left-wing “Squad” and grassroots party activists to oppose any aid to the Jewish state.

    Meanwhile, Republicans are split on Ukraine. McConnell and the older establishment wing of the party are ardent supporters of the Ukraine war. Most House Republicans and most grassroots GOP voters believe that more funding to continue a war that clearly can’t be won and has no end in sight is a terrible idea. They believe that is especially true considering that Washington is doing nothing to deal with the open border disaster created by Biden’s policies that have let between 7 million and 10 million illegal immigrants into the country.

    House Republicans want to pass a separate, “clean” aid bill for Israel and let aid to Ukraine pass on its own merits. Although there is a majority for Israel aid on its own, Biden has threatened to veto such a bill if it doesn’t also include the much larger allocations for the Ukrainians and the Palestinians. The GOP would need a two-thirds majority to override it. And they don’t have it.

     

    If that wasn’t confusing enough, the Biden administration is afflicted with what might well be described as a case of schizophrenia. It has helped defend the State of Israel against Iranian missiles while at the same time using threats and diplomatic pressure to prevent it from finishing the job of eliminating Hamas in the Gaza Strip, even though the president had initially stated his support for that goal. That means that the administration is pushing for the passage of aid to Israel even though it’s also threatening to cut that aid if Israel seeks to win the war.

    Aid urgently needed

    The attack of more than 300 missiles and drones launched by Iran late Saturday night has lent new urgency to the effort to address Israel’s military needs. Jerusalem is almost completely dependent on the United States for the resupply of arms and ammunition—not only for the war against Hamas but for the anti-missile defense required to fend off Iran and its other major proxy, Hezbollah to the north. But House Republicans—most of whom are lockstep supporters of Israel—do not take kindly to what they consider to be a dirty trick on the part of Biden. They regard the money for Ukraine as a poison pill they not only won’t swallow but also a sign of whether their leader—House Speaker Mike Johnson—has been co-opted by what many conservatives consider to be the inside the Beltway “uniparty,” rather than serving the interests of GOP voters.

    Right now, most of the drama concerning this standoff centers on Johnson, who already has the unenviable job of trying to manage the unruly House with a razor-thin, one-vote majority. The current caucus rules enable any one member to “vacate the chair” or put the speakership up for another divisive vote, such as the one that opened this session of Congress in 2023 and then again later last year when Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted in what was widely derided as a dysfunctional congressional clown show. With Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) an unpredictable extremist who opposes Ukraine while supporting Israel aid in principle (and who is best known for voicing antisemitic tropes about “Jewish space lasers”) threatening single-handedly to take down Johnson over Ukraine, chaos in Congress looms.

    Johnson has the advantage of the support of former president and certain 2024 GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump, who wants aid to Israel but is also a Ukraine skeptic. If, as sometimes appears to be the case, Johnson has succumbed to pressure from party establishment figures and lets the combined aid package come up for a vote, he hasn’t a prayer of retaining the speakership.

    His solution is to have separate votes on Israel and Ukraine. He also thinks any money to the latter should be a lend-lease loan rather than direct aid, though it’s unclear why anyone believes it could ever be paid back. The Democrats aren’t likely to go along with that plan, and when the dust settles, neither Israel nor Ukraine will get anything out of this.

    This mess exasperates the pro-Israel community. Any aid bill that provided the money needed to cope with Israel’s extraordinary military needs since Oct. 7 (although almost all of it will be spent in the United States, making it as much of an aid bill for the American arms industry as one for Israel), would be welcomed in both Jerusalem and by pro-Israel groups. And as far as they are concerned, if the price of obtaining what is needed is to tie the Jewish state’s dilemma to that of Ukraine, then so be it.

    This is a mistake, both in terms of politics and policy.

    Some in the pro-Israel community support the narrative about Israel and Ukraine being part of the same struggle against international villains. This is wrong. Both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Hamas are bad guys, but the Cold War is over.

    Myths about Ukraine

    Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was both illegal and immoral, but the notion that Moscow’s current intentions are remotely comparable to the Stalinist goal of worldwide Communist domination is risible. Putin may dream of reconstituting the Soviet or Tsarist empires, but that is mere braggadocio. The current Russian Federation is a shadow of its predecessors—a corrupt failed state with oil money but saddled with an incompetent army that proved incapable of achieving Putin’s goal of conquering Ukraine in the first months of the war. Their only goal now is to hold onto Crimea and the parts of Eastern Ukraine that Russia seized in 2014 when neither President Barack Obama nor anyone else in the United States thought it was worth getting worked up about.

    The war in Ukraine has settled down to a World War I-style trench warfare stalemate that Kyiv can’t possibly win. The United States should be pushing for a negotiated end to the conflict. That won’t satisfy those who want to see Putin punished, but neither Biden nor McConnell—or anyone else—can explain how they plan to defeat a nuclear power. Contrary to the hero’s treatment the West has given Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, his government isn’t much more democratic or a defender of freedoms than Putin’s. Yet Americans are still expected to foot the tab for a war Washington seems to be intent on escalating, such as last summer’s disastrous offensive that merely added to the growing toll of lost lives and destruction in an already devastated country.

    Assistance to Kyiv is also going to a corrupt government with little of the accountability required for Jerusalem. Some criticize the annual $3.8 billion military-aid package to Israel as too much money. However, in just the last two years, Congress has committed to sending Ukraine $113 billion. With the extra $60 billion Biden wants to add, Kyiv would have sums that would far exceed all of the U.S. aid ever given to Israel.

    Double standards

    Moreover, Biden has never sought to limit or second-guess Ukraine’s military efforts against its foes or questioned how many civilian lives are lost in the course of either self-defense or offensives aimed at seizing back territories that include Russian speakers, who may not be longing to be ruled by Zelenskyy any more than Putin. Nor has he tried to stop them from firing into Russian territory. Yet he is determined that Israel not defeat Hamas and is equally intent that it not retaliate against Iran for launching missiles at the Jewish state. Restraint is the only course of action America ever thinks is appropriate for Israel. That’s not a word Zelenskyy ever hears from Washington.

    That’s not merely unfair. It’s also a symptom of the double standard that is always used to judge Israel—a country that can’t afford to lose a war, lest it be subjected to genocide, but that is never allowed to win one.

    While completely abandoning Ukraine while it’s still fighting Russia isn’t an option, a commitment to a forever war is equally untenable.

    Friends of Israel ought not only to reject the false equivalence put forward about Israel and Ukraine. They should understand that an endless commitment to the war in Ukraine is so costly that it will, in the long run, make it impossible for America to defend other interests elsewhere. The United States doesn’t manufacture enough weapons, including sophisticated air-defense systems Ukraine wants in quantities that far outnumber Israel’s needs, to satisfy Kyiv’s needs—let alone those of Israel, Taiwan or any other U.S. defense requirement. Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), a Ukraine skeptic, isn’t wrong to note that it’s nothing less than a “fairy tale” to pretend it can do so in the foreseeable future.

    Public discourse about foreign aid has become toxic. Any pushback about the myth of Ukraine being a bastion of liberty that must be given unlimited funds is wrongly smeared as the work of a Putin puppet. Support for Israel to fight Islamists who hate the West as much as they do Jews is termed “pro-genocide” by the left-wing base of a Democratic Party indoctrinated in toxic woke ideologies of critical race theory and intersectionality, which falsely brand Israel and Jews as “white” oppressors.

    Expecting a dysfunctional Congress to sort out these complex issues while wars are being fought in real time may be asking too much. Still, those seeking separate votes on aid to Israel and Ukraine are correct. The only link between the two causes is a political tactic on the part of the White House. Were it not for the injection of Ukraine into the conversation, military assistance to Israel would have been passed by Congress months ago. It’s time to end the stalemate by letting each cause have an up or down vote. If that happens, Israel will likely get the help it needs against Hamas and Iran. Without it, the Jewish state will be left in the lurch.

    Jonathan S. Tobin is editor-in-chief of JNS (Jewish News Syndicate). Follow him: @jonathans_tobin.

     

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