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Hamas MP Calls for Murder of Jews, says Israeli Annexation violates Allah’s will

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(JNS) Hamas MP Yunis al-Astal said in a parliament session last week that Israeli annexation of parts of Judea and Samaria would constitute a crime against the will of Allah, and called for the parliament to recommend the murder of Jews “wherever they may be found.”

In the May 6 session, which aired on Hamas’ Al-Aqsa TV, al-Astal said that the Jews were “the most corrupt of Allah’s creatures,” and that annexation went against Allah’s will for them, which was that they suffer “humiliation, misery and wrath.” The Jews, he said, are more dangerous than the coronavirus, and are planning to eventually occupy parts of the Arabian Peninsula, including Medina.

The solution, he said, “was that the Jews should be treated according to Allah’s decree about them. Allah decrees [in the Quran]: Kill them wherever you may find them, and drive them away from wherever they drove you away.”

Report: China President Xi Pressured WHO Leader To Hold Back On Virus Warning

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World Health Organization Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (L) and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands in Beijing on Jan. 28, 2020, ahead of their meeting to discuss how to curb the spread of a new pneumonia-causing coronavirus. (Kyodo via AP Images) ==Kyodo

By Cathy Burke  (NEWSMAX)

China’s President Xi Jinping reportedly pressured the director of the World Health Organization in January to hold off issuing a global warning about the coronavirus outbreak.

German media outlet Der Spiegel, citing intelligence from the country’s intelligence service, Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND), reported the pressure came in a Jan. 21 call to WHO leader Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

The BND estimated China’s action to conceal information resulted in a loss of four to six weeks in the fight against COVID-19.

The WHO denied the claim as “unfounded and untrue.”

“Dr. Tedros and President Xi did not speak on January 21 and they have never spoken by phone. Such inaccurate reports distract and detract from WHO’s and the world’s efforts to end the COVID-19 pandemic,” the organization tweeted.

The WHO also tweeted China confirmed human-to-human transmission to the UN health agency on Jan. 20 and the WHO “publicly declared” two days later that “data collected … suggests that human-to-human transmission is taking place in Wuhan.”

President Donald Trump has condemned China for holding back critical information about the virus to the world, including failing to accurately report on the number of cases — and called WHO a “pipe organ” for China’s communist party last month.

US virus Patients and Businesses Sue China over Outbreak

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By CURT ANDERSON (AP)

Before the coronavirus outbreak, Saundra Andringa-Meuer was a healthy 61-year-old mother of six who never smoked or drank alcohol. Then she became seriously ill with the disease after traveling from her Wisconsin home to help her son move from college in Connecticut.

She was hospitalized in March, ending up in a coma and on a ventilator for 14 days. Doctors told her family she had a slim chance to live. When she emerged, she was told she was the sickest COVID-19 patient they had seen survive.

Now Andringa-Meuer has joined with dozens of other American virus patients and some U.S. businesses in taking a new legal step: They are attempting to sue China over the spread of the virus, which has killed at least 75,000 people in the United States.

I do feel that they hid it from the world and from Americans,” she said. “I don’t feel we had to have the loss of life. I don’t think we had to have the economy shut down. It disrupted all of American lives. I do believe we need to right some of these wrongs.”

So far, at least nine lawsuits have been filed in the U.S. against China claiming authorities there did not do enough to corral the virus initially, tried to hide what was happening in the outbreak center of Wuhan and sought to conceal their actions and what they knew.

Eight of the lawsuits are potential class actions that would represent thousands of people and businesses. One was filed by the attorney general of Missouri, which is so far the only state to take legal action against China.

The cases face several hurdles under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, which states that foreign governments cannot be sued in the U.S. unless certain exceptions are met. And those are not easy to prove, experts say.

“We think it’s going to be an uphill battle for them to ultimately take advantage of those exceptions,” said Robert Boone, an attorney in Los Angeles who specializes in class action cases.

One exception involves commercial activity that directly affects the U.S. Another is misconduct inside the U.S. under certain circumstances that is traceable to a foreign government. A third exception is whether the foreign entity explicitly waived its immunity, such as through language in a contract.

Attorneys who have filed the lawsuits say they can prove those claims, and, if they win, find some method of collecting damages, perhaps by seizing Chinese bank accounts or other assets in the U.S. if the Chinese refuse to pay.

In one case filed in Miami federal court on behalf of Andringa-Meurer and many others, attorneys Matthew Moore and Jeremy Alters are suing the Chinese Communist Party as an entity separate from the Chinese government.

“They have their own assets. They are recognized as an independent organization. We are going to argue they are not a part of the government,” Moore said. “There has been personal injury that happened in the United States.”

Added Alters: “They’re going to have to pay … We can say, ‘We’re not going to do business with you anymore.’ When you hit them in the (gross domestic product), it hurts.”

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang defended his country’s record of fighting the virus. He said the lawsuit filed by the Missouri attorney general is “very absurd and has no factual and legal basis.”

Since the outbreak began, China has proceeded in an “open, transparent, and responsible manner,” and the U.S. government should “dismiss such vexatious litigation,” he said.

Efforts are underway in Congress and in some state legislatures to make it easier to sue China and other countries. One bill was introduced by Republican U.S. Sens. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee and Martha McSally of Arizona, and GOP U.S. Rep. Lance Gooden of Texas in the House.

“The Chinese government must be held accountable for the pain it’s inflicted across the United States,” McSally said in a statement. The proposed legislation “will give the U.S. a piece of justice.”

In New Jersey, three Republican state lawmakers introduced a resolution urging President Donald Trump and Congress to pass a bill letting citizens sue China for “mishandling” the pandemic.

State Sen. Jim Holzapfel and Assemblymen Greg McGuckin and John Catalano said in a statement that they believe Chinese leaders did little to stop the spread of the virus and that residents and local governments should be legally allowed to recover some of what they lost financially.

It’s not clear if any of the legislation will pass. If the bills were enacted, legal experts say they could open the floodgates for hundreds more lawsuits against China.

“If that immunity were stripped, it’s going to produce a gigantic burden on the court system,” said Boone, the class action lawyer. “That’s a factor that will need to be weighed in deciding whether to pass it.”

As for Andringa-Meurer, she said she’s still somewhat frail but getting better all the time.

“I’m weak, but I’m fabulous. I’m alive,” she said. “I want to give back, not only to the doctors and nurses who gave me the opportunity to live. They are the heroes. But also to all of the Americans who were affected by this.”

Virus Cases Rise in China, South Korea; Obama Bashes Trump

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People watch a TV screen showing the live broadcast of South Korean President Moon Jae-in during a news conference to mark the third anniversary of his presidency at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, May 10, 2020. President Moon Jae-in urged citizens not to lower their guard down, but said there's no reason to be panicked amid worries about a new surge in the coronavirus outbreak in the country. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

By: Nicole Winfield, Vanessa Gera & Amy Forliti

Both China and South Korea reported new spikes in coronavirus cases on Sunday, setting off fresh concerns in countries where local outbreaks had been in dramatic decline.

Former President Barack Obama, meanwhile, harshly criticized President Donald Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic as an “absolute chaotic disaster,” while  states began gradually reopening, even as health officials are anxiously watching for a second wave of infections.

China reported 14 new cases on Sunday, its first double-digit rise in 10 days. Eleven of 12 domestic infections were in the northeastern province of Jilin and one in Hubei, whose capital Wuhan was the epicenter of the global pandemic. The Jilin cases prompted authorities to raise the threat level in one of its counties, Shulan, to high risk, just days after downgrading all regions in the country to low risk.

Authorities said the Shulan outbreak originated with a 45-year-old woman who had no recent travel or exposure history, but spread it to her husband, her three sisters and other family members. Train services in and out of the county were being suspended through the end of the month.

Responding to the latest, cases, the Jilin Communist Party secretary, Bayin Chaolu, the province’s highest official, told local media that “epidemic control and prevention is a serious and complicated matter, and local authorities should never be overly optimistic, war-weary, or off-guard.”

Jilin also shares a border with North Korea, where the virus situation is unclear but whose vastly inadequate health system has been offered help by China in dealing with any outbreak.

South Korea on Sunday reported 34 additional cases as a spate of transmissions linked to clubgoers threatens the country’s hard-won gains in its fight against the virus. It was the first time that South Korea’s daily jump has marked above 30 in about a month.

On Sunday, President Moon Jae-in said citizens must neither panic nor let down their guard, but warned that “the damage to our economy is indeed colossal as well.”

Around the world, the U.S. and other hard-hit countries are wrestling with how to ease curbs on business and public activity without causing the virus to come surging back.

During a conversation with ex-members of his administration, Obama said combating the virus would have been bad even for the best of governments, but it’s been “an absolute chaotic disaster” when the mindset of “what’s in it for me” infiltrates government, according to a recording obtained by Yahoo News.

The United States has suffered nearly 80,000 deaths from COVID-19, the most of any nation.

In Australia, Health Minister Greg Hunt said the government supports a European Union motion for an independent investigation into the origins of COVID-19 in China, a proposal stiffly resisted by Beijing, Australia’s No. 1 trading partner.

“We support the EU motion which includes an independent investigation, regulatory work on wet markets and also the potential for independent inspection powers,” Hunt told Sky News on Sunday.

Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the EU’s executive arm, said last week she would like to see China work together with her organization, and others, to determine how the virus emerged.

While the virus is believed to have originated in Wuhan, most scientists say it was most likely transmitted from bats to humans via an intermediary animal such as the armadillo-like pangolin. That has placed the focus on a wet market in the city where wildlife was sold for food.

However, Trump and allies have expressed confidence in an unsubstantiated theory linking the origin of the outbreak to a possible accident at a Chinese virology laboratory in Wuhan, something Chinese officials and state media have called an attempt to divert attention from U.S. failings through the dissemination of groundless accusations.

China says its too early to launch an investigation into the virus’ origin and angrily rejects accusations that it covered up the initial outbreak and didn’t do enough to prevent the global pandemic.

In New York, the deadliest hot spot in the U.S., Gov. Andrew Cuomo said three children died from a possible complication of the coronavirus involving swollen blood vessels and heart problems.

Three members of the White House coronavirus task force, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, placed themselves in quarantine after contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19.

Worldwide, 4 million people have been confirmed infected by the virus, and more than 279,000 have died, including over 78,000 in the U.S., according to a tally kept by Johns Hopkins University. Spain, France, Italy and Britain have reported around 26,000 to 32,000 deaths each.

Businesses in the U.S. continue to struggle as more employers reluctantly conclude that their laid-off employees might not return to work anytime soon.

Some malls have opened up in Georgia and Texas, while Nevada restaurants, hair salons and other businesses were able to have limited reopenings Saturday or once again allow customers inside after nearly two months of restrictions.

About 1,500 opponents of Washington’s stay-at-home order to slow the coronavirus rallied again Saturday at the state Capitol, while some residents who reported stay-at-home violators said they’ve received threats after far-right groups posted their personal information on Facebook. Such protests have drawn relatively small crowds in several states despite encouragement from the White House, which is anxious to see the economy reopen.

The federal government said it was delivering supplies of remdesivir, the first drug shown to speed recovery for COVID-19 patients, to six more states, after seven others were sent cases of the medicine earlier this week.

In the U.S. Southwest, some small Native American villages are embracing extraordinary isolation measures such as guarded roadblocks to turn away outsiders as the virus ravages tight-knit communities.

Italy saw people return to the streets and revel in fine weather and Rome’s Campo dei Fiori flower and vegetable market was also bustling in Rome. But confusion created frustrations for the city’s shopkeepers.

In Spain, certain regions can scale back lockdowns starting Monday, with limited seating at bars, restaurants and other public places. But Madrid and Barcelona, the country’s largest cities, will remain shut down. (Associated Press)

 

Hezbol-Law: Behind Germany’s Long-Awaited Ban of the Terrorist Organization

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Pro-Hezbollah supporters at a rally in Germany. Source: Screenshot.

The move to ban the Iranian-backed Shi’ite terror group was more than a decade-long process in the famously bureaucratic Germany.

By: Orit Arfa

On April 30, Germany officially banned all Hezbollah activities in Germany. In a dramatic demonstration of its execution, authorities raided four mosques believed to have ties to the Lebanese terror group.

Critics of Germany’s reluctance to make a distinction between the political and military wing of Hezbollah, such as the German Jewish community and the Israeli government, praised it as a long-overdue policy. Others called it a partial step.

“Germany has taken a major step, and we’re glad they’ve done so,” U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell told JNS. Along with his embassy staff, he has made blacklisting Hezbollah a top priority. The U.S. State Department designated Hezbollah as a foreign terrorist organization in 1997, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has long pushed for Germany to outlaw the group.

 

The road to banning Hezbollah

 

The move to ban the Iranian-backed Shi’ite terror group was over a decade-long process in the famously bureaucratic Germany.

The first move to sanction the organization came in 2008, when Germany restricted Hezbollah’s al-Manar satellite station. In 2014, the country banned an alleged charity that was a front for the Martyrs Organization of Hezbollah and the following year, Germany’s Supreme Court ruled that Hezbollah was an organization that “disrupted global peace.”

Despite this, the Germany government and its major political parties seemed to delay a full ban on the terror group.

At a Bundestag debate last June led by the right-wing Alternative for Deutschland (AfD), which introduced a motion to ban Hezbollah’s political arm, German lawmakers stated collective disdain for Hezbollah’s genocidal, anti-Semitic aims but argued the ban might cause instability in Lebanon (where Hezbollah is a central political player) or that it should be a pan-European initiative. The E.U. only recognizes Hezbollah’s so-called “military wing” as a terror organization. Yet other European and E.U. countries, such as the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, list the entire organization as a terror group.

However, the push to outlaw began to gain momentum in December 2019, when the ruling coalition parties, the Christian Democratic Union/Christian Socialist Union and the Socialist Democrats, as well as the Free Democrats (FdP) passed their own non-binding resolution calling on the government to ban Hezbollah’s activities.

“It’s good that, following the clear decision of the joint motion in the Bundestag in December 2019, the Federal Ministry of the Interior has finally become active and brought about the ban on activity,” said MP Strasser, who said he and his party, the Free Democrats (FDP) spearheaded and pushed the motion.

Ban on Hezbollah had to be ‘legally airtight’

Behind the scenes, Grenell and his embassy staff were also working to encourage the Germans to make the ban. Ultimately, the decisive logic employed by the U.S. embassy focused less on ethical, historical and political considerations, but on legal ones.

According to a U.S. official, embassy personnel had extensive discussions with German officials about how the ban fits under the parameters of German federal law, the same laws that justified the banning of ISIS and Al-Qaeda. Any ban on Hezbollah had to be legally airtight to avoid being challenged in court, which could effectively, and permanently, overturn it.

“They did everything that they could under the law, and they’re not going to operate outside the law,” said the U.S. official.

Keeping the letter of the law—i.e., freedom of assembly—has ostensibly prevented Berlin authorities from forbidding the annual Hezbollah-affiliated Al Quds march, which is permitted under strict prohibitions against hate speech, the burning of Israeli flags, and the waving of Hezbollah flags. One the same day that Germany’s Interior Ministry banned Hezbollah, the Al Quds organizers canceled the scheduled May 14 anti-Israel rally, conveniently blaming the Corona pandemic.

According to Berlin’s Interior department, the office had already begun examining, prior to the cancellation, which legal measures could be invoked to get it off Berlin’s streets.

Berlin’s Interior Senator, Andreas Geisel, who participated in counter-demonstrations, said in a statement: “I do not want such anti-Semitic events to take place in Berlin. We are therefore exhausting all constitutional possibilities to make something like this impossible in our city.”

The true test of Germany’s application of the 40-page Hezbollah ban towards the Al Quds rally will therefore be next year (assuming no pandemic).

The AfD, which credits itself as the parliamentary champion of Hezbollah’s demise in Germany, called the move insufficient.

“The German law makes the difference between a ‘Betätigungsverbot’ (Prohibition to Act) and an ‘Organisationsverbot’ (Prohibition of the Organization),” said AfD’s MP Beatrix Von Storch, the sponsor of the June anti-Hezbollah motion. “The German government introduced only a ‘Betätigungsverbot’ for the Hezbollah. That prohibits the Hezbollah to act, but this will not lead to the end of the Hezbollah organization in Germany. But it is necessary to destroy the Hezbollah organization, seize the property and force its extremist members to leave Germany.”

According to the U.S. official, a ban on the activity and the organization are essentially one and the same given that Hezbollah does not exist as a legal entity in Germany (as is the case with ISIS and Al-Qaeda.) The Hezbollah ban on activity subsumes any and all legally incorporated associations, transactions, and assets with proven links to Hezbollah, including those in the digital sphere.

‘Not the beginning of the end’ for Hezbollah in Germany

The question now becomes how vigorously Germany will enforce the ban, said Michael Rubin, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute specializing in Iran.

“Hezbollah will play Three-card Monte with shell organizations and front groups, much like the Muslim Brotherhood does,” Rubin told JNS. “This is the end of the beginning, not the beginning of the end. German authorities will need to show their seriousness by continuing to close front groups as they try to open.”

“I consider it absolutely necessary that the Federal Government does not now sit back and do nothing,” said FDP’s Strasser. “It must use the German E.U. Council Presidency in the second half of 2020 to arrive at a new assessment of Hezbollah at European level as well.”

According to Benjamin Weinthal, fellow for the Foundation for Defense of Democracies who has covered the matter extensively, the next step would be to sanction Hezbollah’s chief sponsor, Iran. “That means pulling out of the deeply flawed Iran nuclear, joining U.S. sanctions targeting Tehran, and not agreeing to allow Iran to buy arms after the weapons embargo on the rogue nation expires in October,” he said, adding that Germany should next outlaw the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, another U.S.-designated terrorist entity.

While Israel and the Jewish community, in addition to several German lawmakers, have rallied for the ban, the credit, said Weinthal, goes to Grenell’s efforts, which won’t stop here. Next up: the European Union.

“But now it’s time for the rest of the E.U. to follow through and take a similarly strong stance,” said Grenell. “There can be no doubt Hezbollah is a global threat. Germany has recognized this, and it’s time to make sure this terrorist organization doesn’t have safe haven anywhere in Europe.” (JNS.org)

 

A Distinct Possibility: ‘Temporary’ Layoffs May Be Permanent

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Foxwoods Hotel & Casino in Connecticut. Photo Credit: AP

By: AP

In late March, Britney Ruby Miller, co-owner of a small chain of steakhouse restaurants, confidently proclaimed that once the viral outbreak had subsided, her company planned to recall all its laid-off workers.

Now? Miller would be thrilled to eventually restore three-quarters of the roughly 600 workers her company had to let go.

“I’m being realistic,” she said. “Bringing back 75 percent of our staff would be incredible.”

Call it realism or pessimism, but more employers are coming to a reluctant conclusion: Many of the employees they’ve had to lay off in the face of the pandemic might not be returning to their old jobs anytime soon. Some large companies won’t have enough customers to justify it. And some small businesses won’t likely survive at all despite aid provided by the federal government.

If so, that would undercut a glimmer of hope in the brutal April jobs report the government issued Friday, in which a record-shattering 20.5 million people lost jobs: A sizable majority of the jobless — nearly 80 percent — characterized their loss as only temporary.

That could still turn out to be the case for some. The federal government may end up allocating significantly more financial aid for people and small businesses. And more testing for the coronavirus, not to mention an eventual vaccine or an effective drug therapy, would make more Americans comfortable returning to the restaurants, shops, airports and movie theaters they used to frequent. That, in turn, would lead companies to recall more laid-off workers.

Yet Congress remains sharply divided about additional aid, with some Republicans expressing concern about escalating federal debt. President Donald Trump’s top economic adviser, Larry Kudlow, said Friday that negotiations have “paused.”

If most layoffs become permanent, the severe recession the economy has slid into would likely last longer, the recovery would be slower and the toll on laid-off workers would be harsher, economists say. Unemployment soared to 14.7 percent in April — the highest rate since the Great Depression — and analysts predict it will rise still further in May. It could remain in double-digits into next year.

“For a lot of those furloughed workers, a non-trivial number will have no job to go back to, because the company they worked for will have failed or will need fewer workers than they used to,” said Claudia Sahm, a former Federal Reserve economist who is now director of macroeconomic policy at the Washington Center for Equitable Growth.

In March, MGM Resorts let go 63,000 employees and described them as furloughed, meaning temporarily laid off. Yet this week, the company acknowledged that many of those people will become permanently laid off by August 31. The hotel and casino operator didn’t provide precise figures.

“We were optimistic at the time of the initial layoff in March that we would be able to reopen quickly,” Laura Lee, head of human resources, said in a layoff notice letter to the state of Michigan. “However, we have had to reassess our reopening date, given the duration and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

In some ways, Miller, the restaurant owner, is more hopeful than she was when the shutdowns began: The states her company operates in — Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee — have begun to gradually reopen portions of their economies. Customers are phoning to see when they can make reservations. She hopes to reopen the five Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouses and two other restaurants the company operates by early June.

Yet business won’t be returning to what it was before. In Kentucky, the restaurants will be limited to 33 percent of capacity. They are putting 6 feet between tables in all their restaurants, thereby limiting seating. Miller estimates that the company’s revenue will plunge by half to three-quarters this year.

And expenses are rising because the company must buy face masks and other equipment for the workers it does recall and restock its food, drink, and equipment supplies.

If many of the job losses do prove only temporary, it would raise the possibility of a relatively swift economic recovery. It’s much easier for someone out of work to return to a former job than retrain for a new one or shift to a new industry. After the previous three recessions, the vast majority of people who were laid off lost their jobs permanently. Some were essentially replaced by new software or factory robots. In other cases, their employers folded or entered new lines of business.

After those recessions, the unemployment rate took so long to fall back to normal levels that economists began applying a chilling label: “Jobless recoveries.”

If a substantial number of small businesses are forced into bankruptcy, a similar dynamic could emerge this time, economists warn. Most job cuts by small companies in this recession have occurred because the business has shut down, whether by government order or from lack of demand, according to research released this week by Tomaz Cajner at the Federal Reserve and seven other economists. If those companies can’t reopen, those layoffs will become permanent.

Research by the JPMorgan Chase Institute has found that only half of all small businesses have enough cash on hand to last a month without revenue.

Even after government closure orders are lifted, many consumers won’t likely be comfortable shopping, eating out or attending concerts, movies or sporting events, especially as they used to — as part of tightly seated crowds. Not until the virus is well under control can a full economic recovery likely happen, economists say.

In the meantime, structural changes in the economy might help make many temporary layoffs permanent. It’s not clear, for example, when restaurants will need anywhere near as many workers they did before the virus struck.

Nelis Rodriguez has worked as a server at the M Restaurant & Lounge in the Warwick Hotel in downtown Chicago for 21 years. But revenue at the restaurant steadily disappeared as conventions that are critical for spring sales were canceled. She received two days’ notice of her layoff before the restaurant closed March 15.

Rodriguez, 45, never thought she’d be thrown out of work, so she’d never thought about finding another job. But now she fears that as the coronavirus lingers, she might be laid off again and again.

“I think I will try to get out of the restaurant business altogether because I am afraid now,” she said. (AP)

 

Agudath Israel Releases Roadmap & Instructions To Reopen Shuls & Minyanim

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The goal of this comprehensive document is to lay out a plan to return to davening b’tzibbur in a safe and halachically sanctioned way. 

Edited by: JV Staff

On Motzei Shabbos (Saturday night), the Yeshiva World News web site reported that: “We are all encouraged to see several states ease, or begin talks of easing, the long and difficult quarantine which has successfully slowed the progress of COVID-19. We pray that the trajectory witnessed in several states continue its downward trend until this menace is totally eradicated.”

Notwithstanding our eagerness to “return to normal,” Agudath Israel of America reminds our constituents that the road to recovery will, and should be, deliberate. Easing restrictions abruptly and without closely monitoring its impact risks forfeiting the gains achieved by enduring this difficult quarantine.

For this reason, at the direction of the Moetzes Gedolei Hatorah, Agudath Israel has worked closely with prominent rabbonim and infectious disease specialists to develop A Roadmap for Rabbonim and Community Leaders to Safely Reopen Our Kehillos.

The goal of this comprehensive document is to lay out a plan to return to davening b’tzibbur in a safe and halachically sanctioned way. Even if your state – like New York – has not yet eased restrictions, there should be a clear, advance game plan for how to move forward when it does. The Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah-approved guidelines contained in the Roadmap are designed to achieve this purpose.

Yeshiva World News also reported that on Friday afternoon, the Orthodox Union and the Rabbinical Council of America issued guidelines to synagogues and communities regarding reopening.

This document presents thirteen principles that should guide the decisions and planning of synagogues and communities throughout the country. They focus primarily on the eventual reopening of communal davening. Guidance on other matters will follow. As made clear within the document, the issuance of this guidance does not imply that any reopening should be done at this point.

The situation continues to evolve and thus these recommendations and guidelines are formulated based solely on currently available information and advice. As always, shuls and communities must strictly follow the guidelines provided by local and national authorities, including the CDC and local health departments. (YWN)

 

 

White House Virus Task Force Members Face Quarantine

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(AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

By: Kevin Freking

Three members of the White House coronavirus task force, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, placed themselves in quarantine after contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19, another stark reminder that not even one of the nation’s most secure buildings is immune from the virus.

Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a leading member of the task force, has become nationally known for his simple and direct explanations to the public about the coronavirus and COVID-19, the disease it causes. Also quarantining are Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, Stephen Hahn.

Fauci’s institute said that he has tested negative for COVID-19 and will continue to be tested regularly. It added that he is considered at “relatively low risk” based on the degree of his exposure, and that he would be “taking appropriate precautions” to mitigate the risk to personal contacts while still carrying out his duties. While he will stay at home and telework, Fauci will go to the White House if called and take every precaution, the institute said.

Redfield will be “teleworking for the next two weeks” after it was determined he had a “low risk exposure” to a person at the White House, the CDC said in a statement Saturday evening. The statement said he felt fine and has no symptoms.

Just a few hours earlier, the Food and Drug Administration confirmed that Hahn had come in contact with someone who tested positive and was in self-quarantine for the next two weeks. He tested negative for the virus.

All three men are scheduled to testify before a Senate committee on Tuesday. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., the chairman of the panel, said the White House will allow Redfield and Hahn to testify by videoconference, a one-time exception to the administration’s policies on hearing testimony. The statement was issued before Fauci’s quarantine was announced.

Vice President Mike Pence’s press secretary tested positive for the coronavirus on Friday, making her the second person who works at the White House complex known to test positive for the virus this week. White House officials had confirmed Thursday that a member of the military serving as one of Trump’s valets had tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday.

President Donald Trump, who publicly identified the affected Pence aide as spokeswoman Katie Miller, said he was “not worried” about the virus spreading in the White House. Nonetheless, officials said they were stepping up safety protocols for the complex.

Miller had been in recent contact with Pence but not with the president and had tested negative a day earlier. She is married to Stephen Miller, a top Trump adviser. The White House had no immediate comment on whether Stephen Miller had been tested or if he was still working in the White House.

The CDC and FDA would not disclose the identity of the person who had tested positive and with whom the agency leaders had come in contact.

Redfield sought to use the exposure as a teachable moment. The CDC statement said if he must go to the White House to fulfill any responsibilities as part of the coronavirus task force, he will follow CDC practices for critical infrastructure workers. Those guidelines call for Redfield and anyone working on the task force to have their temperature taken and screened for symptoms each day, wear a face covering, and distance themselves from others.

Trump has resisted wearing a mask, and in a meeting with the nation’s top military leaders Saturday evening, he did not wear a mask during the brief portion that reporters were allowed to view. The generals around Trump also did not wear a mask, but participants did sit a few feet away from each other.

FDA spokeswoman Stephanie Caccomo said Hahn tested negative for the virus after he learned of the contact. He wrote a note to staff on Friday to alert them.

Six people who had been in contact with Miller were scheduled to fly with Pence on Friday to Des Moines, Iowa, on Air Force Two. They were removed from the flight just before it took off, according to a senior administration official.

None of those people was exhibiting symptoms, but all were asked to deplane so they could be tested “out of an abundance of caution,” a senior administration official told reporters traveling with Pence. All six later tested negative, the White House said.

The official said staff in the West Wing are tested regularly but much of Pence’s staff — which works next door in the Executive Office Building — are tested less frequently. Katie Miller was not on the plane and had not been scheduled to be on the trip.

Pence, who is tested on a regular basis, was tested Friday. Miller tweeted she was “doing well” and looked forward to getting back to work.

White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said the administration was stepping up mitigation efforts already recommended by public health experts and taking other unspecified precautions to ensure the safety of the president. He said the White House was “probably the safest place that you can come,” but the he was reviewing further steps to keep Trump and Pence safe.

The White House requires daily temperature checks of anyone who enters the White House complex and has encouraged social distancing among those working in the building. The administration has also directed regular deep cleaning of all work spaces. Anyone who comes in close proximity to the president and vice president is tested daily for COVID-19.

Trump’s valet’s case marked the first known instance where a person who has come in close proximity to the president has tested positive since several people present at his private Florida club were diagnosed with COVID-19 in early March. (AP)

 

Poll: Majority of Israelis Support Annexation of Judea & Samaria Among right-wing Israelis, 71 percent support declaring sovereignty.

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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made declaring sovereignty a central campaign promise. (Flash90/Yonatan Sindel)

By: David Isaac

With the pieces falling into place for an Israeli declaration of sovereignty over some 30 percent of Judea and Samaria, a new poll shows the majority of Israelis are in favor of applying Israeli law over those territories.

According to the Israeli Voice Index for April 2020, 52 percent of Jewish Israelis support Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s policy of extending Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria. That number jumps when surveying Jewish Israeli right-wing voters (71%).

If Israel were to go forward with extending its sovereignty, only 20 percent of Israelis polled say that Palestinians in the areas affected should be granted full citizenship while 37 percent said that their legal status should remain unchanged.

Nevertheless, only 32 percent says Israel will in fact move forward with this step in the coming year.

Curiously, among Arab Israelis, less than half say they should be made full citizens of Israel, (47%) with 9 percent saying that Palestinians should not be given any political status beyond what they have today. Four and a half percent say they should be granted the status of residents, and 39 percent did not know or refused to answer the question.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on April 26 that in “a couple of months,” Israel will establish sovereignty in Judea and Samaria.

Netanyahu had campaigned on a promise to annex parts of Judea and Samaria and the Jordan Valley. That promise took on greater meaning when it was included in the unity agreement between the Likud and Blue and White.

Netanyahu and the Likud insisted that the agreement include a provision allowing them to bring forward in Israel’s parliament the issue of annexation by summer.

U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman said that America would support Israel’s sovereignty move.

Israel’s erstwhile peace partner the Palestinian Authority condemned the move.

The European Union Minister for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell is reportedly weighing ways to punish Israel if it declares sovereignty.

The Israeli Voice Index is a monthly survey conducted by the Guttman Center for Public Opinion and Policy Research at the Israel Democracy Institute. (World Israel News)

Read more at: worldisraelnews.com

Largest Real Estate Deal Since Coronavirus Pandemic Hit NYC – Joseph Chetrit Gets $25M for Luxury UES Pad

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The top floor of this luxury pad that has a glass-enclosed gym that overlooks a 36-foot long swimming pool. Photo Credit: Brian Wittmuss/VHT Studios

Edited by: JV Staff

While the world is caught up in the news pertaining to a nightmarish pandemic that has taken hold of our lives, the good news is that other significant events are taking place in the world of real estate.

According to the Mansion Global web site, renowned and highly respected real estate investor Joseph Chetrit has netted approximately $25 million for a townhouse that he owned in Manhattan. What makes this real estate transaction so unique in that this deal is one of the largest in New York City to close since the Cornoavirus outbreak began in March, according to the Mansion Global web site.

Chetrit is a name that is well known in Brooklyn’s Sephardic Jewish community. As both a savvy investor and philanthropist, Chetrit came from humble beginnings in Morocco. Chetrit was born in Morocco to Simon and Alice Chetrit. He has four brothers: David, Meyer, Jacob and Juda Chetrit. The Chetrit family made their initial fortune in textiles and shipping.

In 2013, Chetrit and his partner David Bistricer, purchased the Sony Tower in New York City for $1.1 billion, according to a Wikipedia report, with plans to convert the building into condominiums.  In 2016, they halted the project due to fears of an over-supply of luxury housing; instead selling the building for $1.4B+ to the Olayan Group of Saudi Arabia. Additional projects include the renovation of the Temple Court Building and Annex with Charles Dayan; and the $290 million 2005 purchase along with partners Charles Dayan and Yair Levy of the 800,000 square foot historic 620 5th Avenue and its 2011 sale to RXR Realty, LLC for $500 million.

As an investor who made his primary wealth from buying low in a downturn and selling high later, Chetrit’s strategy has been market timing rather than development. He typically selects structures with flexible zoning (which broadens the pool of future purchasers) in areas seeing a downturn and thanks to his minimal use of debt, he has the ability to wait the market out. 

The Mansion Global reported that a person familiar with the deal who chose to remain anonymous said that Chetrit’s Upper East Side pad had been in contract for a much larger amount of money. Due to the sudden emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the unsteadiness of the stock market, the selling  price of the eight-bedroom, 32-foot-wide townhouse on East 76th Street had to be renegotiated.  

Originally, the selling price for the apartment that has six floors and is approximately 13,000 square feet in size was going for $39 million when it was placed on the market in 2017. Other swanky amenities include an elevator, a rooftop garden and a cigar bar, according to the Mansion Global report.  The top floor of this luxury pad that has a glass-enclosed gym that overlooks a 36-foot long swimming pool, according to the Douglas Elliman listing with Tal Alexander and Richard Steinberg.    

So, how did this property land in Chetrit’s hands to begin with? According to the Mansion Global report, Chetrit plubked down a cool $26 million back in 2007 when he purchased this property from Lenox Hill Hospital in 2007, according to the Mansion Global web site. The property was one of the three townhouses created from the combination of six brownstones, as was reported by the Mansion Global site.    

The site reported that he facades of the original buildings were preserved while the interiors were completely reconstructed. Another one of the houses was purchased for $40.25 million in 2018 by the late David Koch, the prominent investor and Republican donor, and his wife Julia Koch.

Iconic Jersey Shore Boardwalk Reopens; Long Branch Gets Ready for Memorial Day Weekend

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Long Branch's boardwalk, adjacent roadway and promenade will reopen following its recent coronavirus closure. (Google Earth)

Edited by: JV Staff

Good news for New Jersey residents who are just itching to get out of their homes and into the great outdoors. So, after almost two months of scrupulously adhering to the self-isolation and quarantine guidelines offered by Garden State Governor Phil Murphy, along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it now appears that among the restrictions that are in the process of being eased is the opening of the iconic Long Branch, New Jersey boardwalk. 

As of 6 am on Saturday, May 9th, the boardwalk, adjacent roadway and promenade all opened. The closures of the boardwalk and its amenities began on March 31st due to the  rapid spread of the Coronavirus in places like New York and New Jersey.   

Due to health concerns the bathrooms on the boardwalk will stay closed, and social distancing rules will continue to apply.  Wearing protective masks and latex gloves are encouraged if social distancing is not possible.

Long Branch Mayor John Pallone decided to announce the closures in March to prevent a surge of visitors who would likely gravitate there with the upcoming warm weather. The beaches, however, have remained open for residents, sightseers and tourists.     

Long Branch is complete with sandy beaches, oceanfront promenades, delicious food and plenty of summertime events. The town also hosts parades, antique shows, holiday events and great live theatre. And, of course, the annual Oceanfest, the biggest Independence Day celebration anywhere in New Jersey.

According to the Patch.com web site, New Jersey county officials have worked with mayors on gradually reopening their cities and towns.

“I have been working closely with the governor’s office on beaches reopening and I hope to have more guidance next week,” said Freeholder Director Thomas A. Arnone. “I am in constant communication with our shore town mayors and I would like to see the beaches open by Memorial Day weekend.”

According to a recent report on the nj.com web site, in his strongest indication yet, Gov. Phil Murphy said Friday “optimism is high” that New Jersey’s beaches will be reopened by Memorial Day weekend, with some strict measures, even as the coronvirus continues to grip the state.

Murphy had signaled Thursday evening of potentially opening up the beaches for the holiday, which is only a little over two weeks away.

The nj.com report also indicated that Cape May County officials sent Murphy a plan earlier this week to incrementally reopen beaches, boardwalks, bars and other staples of the county’s tourism industry over the next two months.

 

Encouraging Illegal Aliens To Remain In The US Is A Crime, Supreme Court Rules

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(DCNF) The Supreme Court unanimously upheld a federal statute that forbids encouraging illegal aliens to remain in the U.S. unlawfully in a decision Thursday.

The Supreme Court justices voided an earlier decision by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which had ruled that a federal anti-harboring statute was unconstitutional on the grounds that it violated the First Amendment by restricting free speech. The ruling by the nation’s highest court Thursday upholds the law.

The Supreme Court not only vacated the appeals court’s decision, but also criticized the judges for “drastically” straying from judicial norms.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a liberal stalwart of the bench, wrote the high court’s opinion.

“[T]he appeals panel departed so drastically from the principle of party presentation as to constitute an abuse of discretion,” Ginsburg wrote, and later stated that “a court is not hidebound by the precise arguments of counsel, but the Ninth Circuit’s radical transformation of this case goes well beyond the pale.”

The decision brings to a close a court battle that lasted roughly 10 years.

A grand jury indicted California immigration consultant Evelyn Sineneng-Smith in 2010 for multiple violations of anti-harboring laws, which make it a felony to “encourag[e] or induc[e] an alien to come to, enter, or reside in the United States, knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that such coming to, entry, or residence is or will be in violation of law.”

Sineneng-Smith encouraged illegal alien clients to apply for a certification that would allow them to remain legally in the country, despite them not qualifying for the certification, according to the indictment. She would charge her clients a fee for this service, and allegedly made millions off of the scheme.

Sineneng-Smith earned more than $3.3 million off of her clients, legal affairs outlet Jurist reported.

In a challenge to the decision, Sineneng-Smith argued that the law violated her right to free speech. The Ninth Circuit reversed her conviction, finding that the entire law was invalid as an over broad restriction of speech.

The Ninth Circuit’s reversal however, was not based on arguments presented by her defense, but by third party arguments submitted to the panel of judges.

The Supreme Court ruled that the Ninth Circuit overstepped its authority by injecting an argument not made by the defendant herself. The decision ultimately reaffirms that parties — not the courts — shape issues in a court case.

The case is now to be sent back to the Ninth Circuit “for reconsideration … bearing a fair resemblance to the case shaped by parties.”

The decision was hailed by immigration hawks.

“We applaud the Court’s well-reasoned decision,” Dale L. Wilcox, executive director and general counsel of Immigration Reform Law Institute, said in a statement.

“Unfortunately, the Court did not have to reach the issue of whether this important statute is constitutional, but it did keep the law in place. When and if the overbreadth issue is brought up properly by a defendant in the future, we will be there,” Wilcox said.

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Wall Street Journal: Economic Lockdown Is the ‘Catastrophe’

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Visitors to the Department of Labor are turned away at the door by personnel due to closures over coronavirus concerns, Wednesday, March 18, 2020, in New York. Applications for jobless benefits are surging in some states as coronavirus concerns shake the U.S. economy. The sharp increase comes as governments have ordered millions of workers, students and shoppers to stay home as a precaution against spreading the virus that causes the COVID-19 disease. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

By Eric Mack (NEWSMAX)

Those saying we had to sacrifice the economy to save lives have succeeded in only the former, according to The Wall Street Journal ;opinion piece in a scathing rebuke of lockdowns at all costs amid the global coronavirus pandemic.

“The tradeoff isn’t between lives and livelihoods,” the Journal editorial board concluded. “The policy goal has to be to protect both as much as possible.

“Deploy more personal protective equipment, greatly increase testing, build surge capability to handle flare-ups, and isolate society’s most vulnerable to keep hospitals from getting overwhelmed.

“But for heaven’s sake reopen the economy so we don’t consign millions to years of poverty.”

The op-ed was in response to those denouncing a past call back on March 19, “Rethinking the Coronavirus Shutdown,” when the shutdowns were only beginning.

“Well, after Friday’s horrific jobs report, how do you like the shutdown now?” the Journal wrote. “The people who said we have to sacrifice the economy to crush the virus have succeeded in the former even as the virus will be with us for many more months or longer.”

April’s unemployment rate showed 14.7% of Americans out of work, the highest rate in record U.S. history, until 6.4 million workers were added to the unemployment line.

“Much of the media continue to treat the economic destruction as a sideshow and present a false choice between saving lives and jobs,” the board wrote. “But this is the fastest jobs collapse in modern history. The Great Depression drove millions of Americans into poverty and caused many suicides, and there’s a substantial risk this could happen again.”

And, most notably, even hospitals are cutting essential frontline workers, as elective surgeries have put healthcare facilities on life support.

“Congress has appropriated $175 billion to shore up hospitals, but this won’t help small physician practices much,” the board wrote. “Many healthcare providers warn they may not survive if their privately insured patients lose jobs and sign up for Medicaid, which doesn’t cover their costs.”

The board even rebuked Democrats’ plan to keep paying Americans’ unemployment indefinitely, until a vaccine that may or may not come.

“The crowd that demands the economy remain locked-down until there’s a vaccine, miracle therapy or daily testing of everyone in the country seem to think the government can replace the private economy,” the board wrote. “That’s a fantasy, and they are betraying the very low- and middle-income workers they claim to represent. Average wages in April rose sharply because so many low-income workers were laid off.”

The Journal went as far as sharing President Donald Trump’s mantra, “Americans need to work to make a living, and they want to work,” even amid the desire to “blame President Trump for the economic pain.”

“It is important to stress that the strict lockdowns were a government policy choice,” the board wrote. “But the damage is done, and our focus isn’t on recriminations. The issue is what to do now, and the public is wise enough to know that public health can’t be sustained without a healthy economy.

“Americans can see the destruction all around them. They know the virus will be with us for a long time unless there’s a vaccine, so we have to learn to live with it and have a functioning economy.”

No Israeli Corona Deaths in 24 hours for First Time in 6 Weeks

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By Ebin Sandler, World Israel News

On Saturday morning, Israel announced that the nation recorded no new coronavirus-related deaths over the past 24 hours.

This was the first full day since March 28 that Israel reported no new deaths from COVID-19, which has infected over 16,400 Israelis and killed 247 as of Saturday evening.

The announcement arrived just days after malls and open-air markets reopened for business, with national parks permitting visitors on Saturday for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic brought the nation and much of the world to a grinding halt.

On Thursday, Jerusalem’s iconic Mahane Yehuda market reopened, a national landmark where locals and tourists alike crowd in six days a week to buy fresh fruits and vegetables and dine at trendy gastro pubs and eateries.

Tel Aviv also reopened its Carmel and Hatikva markets on Thursday.

All businesses in Israel must comply with a detailed set of rules that requires social distancing of customers, maximum numbers of patrons per square meter, and health and hygiene protocols for employees and facilities.

At open-air markets in Tel Aviv, for instance, authorities fenced off entrances, placed markings on the ground to insure social distancing, and hung posters with the Ministry of Health’s guidelines visible to customers and merchants alike.

As Israel sees coronavirus infections and fatalities plummet, it prepares to face its next big test with arrival of the Lab B’Omer holiday on Monday evening and Tuesday. The day is usually marked with massive bonfires across the country that attract huge crowds, with the nation’s largest holiday gathering taking place at Mount Meron. Hundreds of thousands of thousands of religious pilgrims and casual revelers descend on the holy site in northern Israel to celebrate the legacy of the Jewish sage Rabbi Simeon bar Yochai, who died on this day during the second century and is buried there.

While mass celebrations have been cancelled at Meron this year, Israelis may be tempted to gather in other locations in light of loosened restrictions on gatherings and movement.

Last Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that starting on Lag B’Omer, Israelis may hold weddings and funerals with 50 people in attendance. Netanyahu also announced that Israel plans to abolish all restrictions on June 14, provided that no red flags indicate heightened risks of infection.

As a precaution, Netanyahu announced that Israel will use three criteria to determine if Israel needs to reimpose restrictions. Specifically, Israel will monitor whether: (1) 100 new cases arise in one day, (2) cases double within 10 days, and (3) hospitals report 250 severe cases of the virus.

Netanyahu also stressed that Israelis for the time being must continue to observe social distancing, wash hands frequently, and wear face masks in public.

Tucker Carlson Calls For ‘Sociopath’ Adam Schiff To Resign For Knowingly Lying To Americans For Years

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House Intelligence Committee Chairman, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., speaks before Acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire testifies before the House Intelligence Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2019. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Fox News host Tucker Carlson called on Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) to resign after 57 closed-door Congressional transcripts were finally released, showing once and for all that no evidence of collusion or conspiracy between Russia and Donald Trump exists.

Tucker pointed out on Friday that not only did Schiff claim evidence existed of a conspiracy between Russia and Trump, but that he had seen it firsthand.

“Adam Schiff is a sociopath. He will do or say anything to achieve power. He is unfit to hold office. He should resign,” Carlson said. “And not just Adam Schiff. The entire apparatus of official Washington has been exposed by these transcripts, as well as by the documents just released in the Michael Flynn case”, Newswars reported.

“It was all lies, literally all of it, even the core claims about hacking that formed the basis of the entire story and the investigation that followed.”

Legal group Probes de Blasio, NYPD over Alleged Targeting of Jews in Brooklyn

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(JNS) The Lawfare Project, a Jewish legal and civil-rights group, has filed a Freedom of Information Act request as part of an investigation into the alleged targeting of New York City’s Jewish community.

The investigation comes as after New York Mayor Bill de Blasio upset many with a series of tweets about the Jewish community after hundreds gathered in the Williamsburg neighborhood in Brooklyn for the funeral of Rabbi Chaim Mertz. The synagogue that held the gathering later apologized for the crowd.

“The Lawfare Project is concerned that, at a time when anti-Semitic hate crimes are skyrocketing in New York City, Mayor de Blasio has added fuel to the fire by singling out the entire Jewish community for the spread of the coronavirus, even threatening its members with arrest,” Gerard Filitti, senior council at the Lawfare Project, said in a statement. “In light of the mayor’s outrageous statement, we have filed FOIL requests to investigate whether the mayor and the NYPD have taken actions that have disproportionately, and unlawfully, targeted the Jewish community.”

In documentation provided to JNS by the Lawfare Project, several high-profile instances did not result in the NYPD issuing summonses or arrests for social-distancing violations.

This includes a March 26 incident where dozens of people were gathered in Astoria Park in Queens; an April 3 event where hundreds of motorcyclists ignored social-distancing guidelines and participated in a funeral procession; and during a flyover of the Blue Angels on April 28, when a number of media reports suggested social-distancing was ignored. No arrests or summonses were reported from these event.

Following de Blasio’s apology, the NYPD also broke up a second overcrowded Jewish funeral later that week.

As part of the request, the Lawfare Project is seeking communications related to the Mertz funeral, the NYPD’s response, the Blue Angels event and other documentation concerning any individuals who violated mandatory social-distancing orders.

In addition to targeting the Jewish community, African-Americans and Latinos have been issued more than 80 percent of summonses for social-distancing violations in the city, reported CNN. Local officials have spoken out regarding the unfair targeting of these communities.

“We will always fight to protect and preserve the civil and human rights of the Jewish community,” said Brooke Goldstein, executive director of the Lawfare Project, in a statement. “It is outrageous for the mayor, charged with protecting the rights of all New Yorkers, to seemingly selectively enforce the law only against the Jewish community. That is the essence of anti-Semitism, and it must stop.”