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Why Do We Light the Menorah with Olive Oil?

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The most preferred way of lighting the menorah is with olive oil. Why olive oil? This is the oil that the Jewish people used to light the Menorah in the Holy Temple, and it was with olive oil that the miracle occurred. Today, when we light our menorahs using olive oil, we closely mirror the way the kohanim lit the Menorah in Jerusalem.

By: Rabbi Aaron Goldscheider

There are several ways that one may fulfill the mitzvah of lighting the Hanukkah menorah. While one may certainly use wax candles, beeswax candles, paraffin, and an assortment of oils, the most preferred way of lighting the menorah is with olive oil. Why olive oil?

This is the oil that the Jewish people used to light the Menorah in the Holy Temple, and it was with olive oil that the miracle occurred. Today, when we light our menorahs using olive oil, we closely mirror the way the kohanim lit the Menorah in Jerusalem.

Yet, there are other reasons why olive oil is significant and contains special symbolism, especially on Chanukah. For the Greeks, everything that was externally beautiful was good; to the Jew, everything that is inwardly good is beautiful. The victory of Chanukah was the victory of an inner essence over external appearance, of light over darkness.

The olive is an appropriate symbol of this victory, for the light of the Menorah comes from the oil of the olive. Although the olive seems to be just a small and undistinguished fruit, its outer appearance is misleading. There is actually so much more to the olive than meets the eye. Inside this tiny fruit is the oil that can light an entire room. While the olive appears to be just a small and simple food, when transformed into oil, this simple fruit turns out to have contained light.

Seeing the light that emanates from the olive’s oil, we are awakened to the possibilities of light hidden in other places, light packed into the simplest of physical things – waiting to be revealed through our usage and understanding. We are also reminded that if we look beyond the superficialities of this world, beyond the mask of darkness, we can perceive light.

At Chanukah time the olives on the trees are late in their season and have been darkening from green to black. It is the black olives that contain the most oil. The blacker the olive, the more light it contains. Sometimes we need to wait, to bide our time, in order to have greater understanding. The lighting of the menorah by the Maccabees was the victory of this patient understanding that there is so much more to the world than meets the eye.

Chassidic tradition teaches that the Hebrew word hashemen “the oil,” has the same Hebrew letters as neshamah, “soul.” The oil is the hidden essence of the olive; the soul is the hidden essence of man.

  (Aish.com)

Discover Torun’s Medieval Charm & Jewish Legacy

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Memorial plaque of Zvi Hirsch Kalischer in Torun, Poland – New York Jewish Travel Guide

By: Meyer Harroch

This medieval town located in northern Poland is the birthplace of the famed astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus and is also known for their gingerbread making as well as being one of the few Polish cities to escape major damage in World War II. The city earned its UNESCO status for its preserved street pattern and medieval brick buildings. Torun — about halfway between Warsaw and Gdansk — is also called ‘Krakow of the North’ for its charm and is one of the most important and crowded tourist centers, right after Krakow. It also has the richest of original and best-preserved historical monuments in Poland. This magnificently walled Gothic town on the Vistula should be high on every traveler’s list.

Torun, Poland: Memorial plaque on the site of a former synagogue destroyed by the Nazis in 1939 – New York Jewish Travel Guide

The Jewish Community of Torun started at the end of the 18th century with only three Jews living in the town: a teacher, a kosher butcher, and a cook. After Torun reverted to Poland in 1920, the local Jewish population became one of the smallest in Polish towns numbering 354 in 1925. Upon the outbreak of World War II, there were about 1,000 Jews in Torun. Some of them did not engage in Jewish organizations or in the life of the community. The changing geopolitical situation and demographic conditions at that time caused the Jewish community to systematically drop in numbers. Some left, while others decided to assimilate within Polish society.

Old Town Square – New York Jewish Travel Guide

This small town was influenced by the presence of Rabbi Zvi Hirsch Kalisher, an Orthodox German rabbi, born in 1795 in Lesano, Prussia (now Leszno, Poland). He was considered to have been one of the most important pioneers for the foundation of modern Zionism. He expressed views, from a religious perspective, in favor of the Jewish resettlement of the Land of Israel. As an adult, he settled in Torun and spent his life there, serving for 40 years as “acting rabbi.” He did not receive any remuneration for his work but was supported by his wife, who ran a small shop. In 1862, he published “Drishat Tzion” and wrote: “When we redeem the land, we make a pathway for our God and a kalischer way towards final redemption.” A street is named after him in Tel Aviv off of HaCarmel Street as well as a religious kibbutz in the Bet She’an valley called Tirat Tzevi. An Israeli postage stamp was also issued in his honor in 2008. In Torun, there is a plaque commemorating him on the wall of the building where he used to live at 46 Szeroka Street.

Statue of Dog Filus with hat and umbrella in the city of Torun, Poland, bronze sculpture in Old Town – New York Jewish Travel Guide

There was a synagogue that was situated ul. Szczytna 12 that was built in 1847 and used by the local congregants as a space for prayer. Unfortunately, the synagogue was destroyed by the Nazis during the war and was the only building that was destroyed. The city of Torun’s coat of arms displays a gate protected by the angels, who perhaps were looking out for the city during this time. A commemorative memorial plaque now marks the former synagogue space.

Visitors will also find an interesting house in the middle of town that was occupied by the Lachmann family. In this building, a Jewish star remains inside by the window stairwell. This home is now a regular rental apartment complex. The Lachmann were traders of corn and wool with Russia and Germany and moved to Hamburg more than 120 years ago. NYJTG was fortunate to have Mr. Szymon Wisniewski, director of the Tourist Information Center, share the house’s details during a recent tour.

Cosmopolis Fountain in Torun – New York Jewish Travel Guide

But Torun has a great deal more to offer visitors. Torun oozes medieval charm and it is hard not to feel like you’re visiting a different century. In 2016, the city attracted a record number of almost two million tourists.

Enjoy walking through the delightful sights of Torun. One could easily spend a full day of solid sightseeing here…if you have time, two or three days would be well spent there and will pass very quickly.

Old Town Square. As is the way in Europe, the Town Hall, located in the center of the Old Town Market Square, is the focal point for Torun and a perfect place to start your visit. It is the most important building in Torun, dating back to the late 14th century, where you will find some of the most beautiful buildings in the city, such as the Postal Building and the Arthus House.

Teutonic Castle Ruins – New York Jewish Travel Guide

Capture the monuments. There are plenty of statues and monuments throughout the Old Town of Torun and most come with a legend or story, such as the dragon of Torun that was apparently spotted by a couple in 1746. The torture wooden donkey directly across from the Copernicus statue shows a painful contraption used to torture and humiliate the criminals who were forced to sit on it before being whipped.

Keep your eyes open in the town center! My favorite is the statue of Filus, an adorable puppy with a hat in his mouth known from a popular Polish comic strip. It is in honor of the Polish cartoonist Zbigniew Lengren, whose well-known comic series involved Professor Filutek and his dog, Filus.

One of the cute little spots in the Old Town Market Square is the Frog Fountain. The fountain tells the story of Torun’s own version of the Pied Piper. The statue at the center is of Janko Muzykant, who saved the town from a plague of frogs, by playing his fiddle and luring them to the forest.

Torun, Poland, Old Town Hall, Copernicus Statue – New York Jewish Travel Guide

Cosmopolis fountain show. Each evening, at the Cosmopolis Fountain just outside of the Old Town, there is an impressive light and sound show. While it isn’t a large or spectacular multimedia fountain, it is definitely worth seeing while in Torun. The times vary depending on the season but will start once it gets dark and continue until midnight. Another reason to love it: it’s among the many free things to do in Torun.

Visit the Gingerbread Museum. The city is well-known for the tradition of gingerbread making and this museum has a really fun and interactive show that shares the secrets of Torun’s gingerbread with visitors. This is one of the most popular — and definitely one of the most memorable — things to do in Torun. The baking of gingerbread has been part of the city’s culture since as far back as the 14th century and the baking tins and molds themselves were works of art.

Explore the castle ruins. East of the remnants of the Old Town walls are the ruins of the Teutonic Castle, destroyed in 1454 by angry residents of the city protesting against the Knights’ oppressive regime. Although much of the castle is in ruins, there are some really well-preserved parts, including a bridge and a tower to see. The ruins of the Teutonic Castle is listed by the UNESCO organization.

Lean against the leaning tower. An important landmark and must-see is Torun’s own Leaning Tower. It’s a medieval tower that shifted over time. Instead of walking up it like in Pisa, you stand at the base of the wall with your legs together and arms outstretched in front of you. Local superstition claims that if you can balance longer than five seconds, then you are considered unfaithful to a partner!

Copernicus. While visiting Torun it won’t take long to learn who the city’s favorite son is. Right on the busiest corner in the old town is a large statue to famed astronomer and Torun native, Nicolaus Copernicus.

To plan a trip to Poland, contact the Polish National Tourist Office in North America or go to: https://www.poland.travel/en and http://visittorun.com/ (New York Jewish Travel Guide & New York Jewish Guide)–The author took part in a press trip sponsored by the Polish National Tourist Office in North America.

NYC Health + Hospitals Expands Role of Clinical Pharmacists to Include Management of Hypertension

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NYC Health + Hospitals recently announced that it has expanded the role of its clinical pharmacists to help patients manage hypertension

Expansion of clinical pharmacists to help manage chronic diseases is part of the health system’s broader multi-year redesign to build a competitive, sustainable organization

Edited by: TJVNews.com

NYC Health + Hospitals recently announced that it has expanded the role of its clinical pharmacists to help patients manage hypertension. The public health system’s clinical pharmacists work closely with primary care teams, and had previously just focused on diabetes care management. There are more than 98,000 New Yorkers diagnosed with hypertension who receive care in the City’s public hospitals and community-based health centers. Clinical pharmacists act as part of patients’ care teams, but operate independently to assist patients with uncontrolled hypertension or complicated hypertension medication regimens, to manage their medications between primary care visits with their doctor.

Clinical pharmacists are certified to adjust, stop or start any medications related to the disease they are treating. The City’s public health system launched its clinical pharmacist program in March 2019 to improve patient experience and to help patients manage their diabetes. Clinical pharmacists at NYC Health + Hospitals will begin to treat patients for hypertension by spring 2020. The integration of clinical pharmacists to help manage chronic diseases is part of the health system’s broader multi-year redesign to build a competitive, sustainable organization that will continue to offer high-quality and accessible health care to the people of New York City.

“The expansion of our clinical pharmacists’ role demonstrates how NYC Health + Hospitals is making efficient care more accessible to patients,” said Ted Long, MD, MHS, Vice President for Ambulatory Care at NYC Health + Hospitals. “Managing chronic diseases can be challenging for some, creating reoccurring doctor visits and creating some backlog in scheduling. Utilizing all appropriate health providers is crucial in streamlining care and ensuring patients are seen when they need for exactly what they need.”

“NYC Health + Hospitals prides itself in meeting patients where they need healthcare, meaning in different settings and capacities,” said Hannah Jackson, MD, MPH, Senior Director of Ambulatory Care Innovation at NYC Health + Hospitals. “Managing chronic diseases can be challenging, but accessing the care you need shouldn’t be. The City’s public health system is finding ways to streamline care as much as possible to fit New Yorker’s lifestyles, and the expansion of the role of clinical pharmacists is just one example.”

“We’ve come to understand that managing chronic diseases is not a one size fits all, and there isn’t a quick fix to medication,” said Jason Lee, Pharm.D, a Clinical Pharmacist at NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue. “Medicine that helps control chronic diseases need to be adjusted regularly. Clinical pharmacists play an integral role in keeping the patient and the primary care provider focused on how medication management can have a positive impact on managing chronic diseases.”

Patients are referred to clinical pharmacists by their primary care physician after diagnosis to help manage their chronic disease medications, streamlining the care process. Since March, 420 unique patients with diabetes have been treated by a clinical pharmacist to help manage their chronic disease. Of those patients, about 83 percent saw a reduction in their blood sugar levels (A1c levels). The average reduction was 1.58 percent, which is a significant reduction across the board, with many moving from “uncontrolled” to “controlled” diabetes by health metric standards.

During a visit, a clinical pharmacist reviews the patient’s blood sugar levels, evaluates their medications and, if necessary, adjust dosages and combinations to help control A1c levels. In addition to medication adjustments, the clinical pharmacist identifies barriers the patient might face in taking their medication (i.e. shelter insecurities, cost), teaches them to use certain medications like insulin injections, discusses diet and exercise changes, and provides education on how the combination of lifestyle and medicine work together for better outcomes.

As part of NYC Health + Hospitals’ emphasis on improving both diabetes and hypertension outcomes, the expansion of the clinical pharmacist’s role to include hypertension was evolutionary. Approximately 120,500 of NYC Health + Hospitals patients are diagnosed with diabetes and hypertension. Moreover, a number of the diabetic interventions – lifestyle changes and medication adherence techniques – can also be used for hypertensive patients.

Today, there are 11 clinical pharmacists at NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue, Harlem, and Queens, as well as NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health, Gouverneur and Morrisania. The public health system is investing approximately $3M to help hire a total of 20 clinical pharmacists as part of the first phase of implementation, and hopes to add additional chronic diseases to the portfolio aside from diabetes and hypertension. Clinical pharmacists will be integrated in all acute-care facilities by the end of 2020.

Approximately 1,847,000 New Yorkers have hypertension, according to the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, with higher rates for those above the age of 45. According to a study published in the Journal of the American Heart, Black adults are up to two times more likely to develop high blood pressure by age 55 compared to whites. The average medical expenditures for people with diagnosed hypertension are about $2,000 more annually compared to those without. Uncontrolled hypertension can lead to stroke, heart attack, heart failure and other heart conditions; cause damage to your kidneys, memory and vision.

About NYC Health + Hospitals

NYC Health + Hospitals is the largest public health care system in the nation serving more than a million New Yorkers annually in more than 70 patient care locations across the city’s five boroughs. A robust network of outpatient, neighborhood-based primary and specialty care centers anchors care coordination with the system’s trauma centers, nursing homes, post-acute care centers, home care agency, and MetroPlus health plan—all supported by 11 essential hospitals. Its diverse workforce of more than 42,000 employees is uniquely focused on empowering New Yorkers, without exception, to live the healthiest life possible. For more information, visit www.nychealthandhospitals.org and stay connected on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NYCHealthSystem or Twitter at @NYCHealthSystem.

Intel Acquires Israeli Habana Labs for $2B; Largest Buy of Private Chip Company in the World

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According to published reports, American technology titan Intel Corporation is engaging in advanced stage talks to purchase Israeli startup Habana Labs. Calcalist reported that Intel might be planning to dole out anywhere between $1 billion to $2 billion for the Tel Aviv based startup.

Israel-based tech company is a developer of artificial intelligence and machine learning accelerators

Edited by: TJVNews.com

Giant tech Intel Corp announced Monday the purchase of Israeli-based Habana Labs startup company in a deal worth of approximately two billion dollars, as was reported by i24 News. 

Habana Labs is a developer of programmable artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning accelerators for cloud data centers. It will remain an independent business unit and will also maintain its current management team, reporting to Intel’s data platforms group, according to Reuters news agency.

i24 News reported that this acquiring deal comes three years after Intel had purchased another Israeli startup, Mobileye, for $15 billion.

According to Hebrew-language daily Calcalist, chairman and entrepreneur Avigdor Vilantz had already two successful exits prior to this one. He will continue to serve as senior adviser to the business unit as well as to Intel, Venture Beat reported.

The employees of the company and the investors will have one of the largest returns for investment after raising $75 million in venture capital last November, according to the i24 News report. The deal is considered to be the largest Israeli buy-out in cash and the largest purchase of a private chip company in the world.

In an official statement, Intel said that “This acquisition advances our AI strategy, which is to provide customers with solutions to fit every performance need — from the intelligent edge to the data center.

“More specifically, Habana turbo-charges our AI offerings for the data center with a high-performance training processor family and a standards-based programming environment to address evolving AI.”

Intel Israel commenced operations in 1974 and is a development and manufacturing center of Intel Corporation. As a leading technology company in Israel and in the world, Intel develops and manufactures integrated and connected digital technology and computing platforms. 

Although Intel is known primarily for development of semiconductors, they engage in other aspects as well. In recent years, they have evolved from a company that served primarily the personal computing industry to becoming a company that drives the largest data centers in the world, connecting millions of mobile installations and Internet of Things devices, as well as providing information systems protection for organizations and governments.

They employ nearly 13,000 workers in the country, exporting products worth $3.9b. in 2018 and procuring local materials and services worth $1.7b., primarily from peripheral areas, according to the JPost report.

In January, Intel announced plans to invest approximately $10.9b. in the company’s Israel-based operations to construct a vast production facility in Kiryat Gat. The 370,000 sq.m. expansion is expected to add 1,000 new employees to Intel’s existing workforce, as was reported by the JPost. (i24 News)

 

Was UK Election Victory Divinely Inspired? – Senior Sephardi Rabbi Says Yes!!

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Rabbi Joseph Dweck also told the Post, “To think that the existence of the State of Israel has no part to play in worldwide antisemitism is, in my opinion, quite naïve. But there is an old and underlying culture of antisemitism that has laid its shadow for many centuries over the European continent, and it seems that when any laxity occurs in its vehement opposition, its waves gain strength.”

Jews in the UK breathed a hearty sigh of relief last week when anti-Semite Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party was defeated in the elections.

“I believe that it was a divinely inspired result,” Rabbi Joseph Dweck, senior rabbi of Britain’s Sephardi Jewish community, to The Jerusalem Post.

By: Jon Plonowitz

Rabbi Dweck, a member of the Conference of European Rabbis, told the paper in an interview that he felt “grateful for the results. I believe that there is a renewed confidence that the Jewish community has both in Britain and the British people. We know now that we have a fast friend of the Jewish community at 10 Downing Street [Prime Minister Boris Johnson], who has, throughout his political career — especially during his time as mayor of London — proven his care, attention and protection of the Jews of Britain.”

In an opinion piece published at Bloomberg.com, Therese Raphael noted that Corbyn’s “failure to get a grip on anti-Semitism prompted an extraordinary intervention this week from Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, who normally stays removed from politics. Corbyn has tried to dismiss the complaints and change the subject to the National Health Service, but his record is impossible to ignore. It now threatens to contribute to a “Never Corbyn” vote that takes the Dec. 12 election away from the battleground of inequality where Labour would prefer to be fighting — something that might ease Boris Johnson’s path to Downing Street.”

Rabbi Dweck recommended that Prime Minister Boris Johnson “should continue as he has: denouncing antisemitism, and to work with his government to eradicate any and all expressions of it in the country.” He admitted to being “deeply concerned” about the growth of antisemitism, adding he was as “concerned about it here in Europe as I am about it in America. We have seen a great upsurge of antisemitic crimes occurring in the States, and the antisemitic rhetoric that is rampant in many American universities is profoundly worrying. It will not be long at all until those students hold government office.”

Rabbi Dweck also told the Post, “To think that the existence of the State of Israel has no part to play in worldwide antisemitism is, in my opinion, quite naïve. But there is an old and underlying culture of antisemitism that has laid its shadow for many centuries over the European continent, and it seems that when any laxity occurs in its vehement opposition, its waves gain strength.”

In 2013, Rabbi Dweck was appointed Senior Rabbi of the Spanish and Portuguese Sephardi Community of the United Kingdom. He was elected with a 270-4 vote, a margin believed to be the largest in UK synagogue history. In 2014 Rabbi Dweck was officially installed as Senior Rabbi at the community’s cathedral synagogue, Bevis Marks.
The Jewish Chronicle reported that: ‘Religious leaders from across the Anglo-Jewish spectrum, from Liberals to Lubavitch, came to celebrate the arrival of the fresh-faced new leader, aged just 39, at the community’s oldest congregation. Dayanim from the Federation and United Synagogue and a large contingent from independent Sephardi communities attended, as well as Emeritus Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks, who took part in the ceremony’.

McGowan & Arquette Hurl Accusations at Weinstein After $25M Settlement

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Rosanna Arquette says the producer took liberties with her. She recently tweeted, “I’ll never forget when you Harvey Weinstein … when you told me that I was making a big mistake … and I told you I’ll never be that girl. I’ll never forget when you told me look what you did for an Oscar winners career (a lie).” Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Two ladies. Two opinions of Harvey Weinstein.

But are they really two opinions, or just the same one from two ladies?

Rosanna Arquette says the producer took liberties with her. She recently tweeted, “I’ll never forget when you Harvey Weinstein … when you told me that I was making a big mistake … and I told you I’ll never be that girl. I’ll never forget when you told me look what you did for an Oscar winners career (a lie).”

By: Billy Paulson

She added, “It’s a shame you’ve abused your power because you did have some great taste in films but you’ve Hurt threatened and destroyed so many people’s careers and still continue playing the sympathy card. We know the powerful people who feel sorry for you, but why? blackmail?”

Actress Rose McGowan also took to Twitter, writing: “I didn’t forget you, Harvey. My body didn’t forget you. I wish it could. I refused to sign an NDA after it happened because I knew I would come for you. And I did. This is about stopping a prolific rapist. You.”

McGowan, according to Page Six, “was one of the first women to publicly speak out against Weinstein, claiming he sexually assaulted her in a hotel in 1997. She alleges that he later enlisted a team of “fixers” to silence her when she came out with rape allegations against him and tried to sideline her career.”

A formal statement signed by 23 of his accusers provided to the Los Angeles Times reads as follows: “Harvey Weinstein is trying to gaslight society again. He says in a new interview he doesn’t want to be forgotten. Well, he won’t be. He will be remembered as a sexual predator and an unrepentant abuser who took everything and deserves nothing. He will be remembered by the collective will of countless women who stood up and said enough. We refuse to let this predator rewrite his legacy of abuse.”

“Two of Weinstein’s most high-profile and vocal alleged survivors, actresses Rose McGowan and Ashley Judd, penned their names in resistance,” the Times reported. “The other signatories were Rosanna Arquette, Jessica Barth, Zoe Brock, Rowena Chiu, Caitlin Dulany, Dawn Dunning, Lucia Evans, Louisette Geiss, Louise Godbold, Larissa Gomes, Dominique Huett, Katherine Kendall, Jasmine Lobe, Sarah Ann Masse, Emily Nestor, Tomi-Ann Roberts, Erika Rosenbaum, Melissa Sagemiller, Lauren Sivan, Melissa Thompson and Paula Williams.”

Jews Offered Axe-Throwing Classes in Aftermath of Jersey City Murders

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As the New York Post recently reported, Rabbi Gary Moskowitz, a one-time officer in the New York City Police Department, is putting on an axe-throwing “counter-terrorism” class in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Photo Credit: bt24news.com

And now it has come to this: axe-throwing practice.

The antisemitic shooting in Jersey City, NJ, last week has American Jews even more on red alert.

By: David Avrushmi

The attack was carried out by a derange couple at a Jersey City kosher market in what law enforcement representatives would label an act of domestic terrorism. In its wake, four people were dead and police remain in shock. As the New York Times recounted, “Scores of law enforcement officers engaged in a harrowing firefight with the couple that turned the neighborhood into a combat zone. The assailants — David N. Anderson, 47, and Francine Graham, 50 — were both killed, leaving their relatives, friends and authorities trying to understand what set them off. The two had been dating for a couple of years and seemed to have recently begun a transient lifestyle.”

Now, Jews there and around the country are scrambling to figure out the best way to prepare for the worst. As the New York Post recently reported, Rabbi Gary Moskowitz, a one-time officer in the New York City Police Department, is putting on an axe-throwing “counter-terrorism” class in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

“The situation in Jersey City changed everything. In a few lessons and with practice, this is the quickest way for Jewish people to have a chance to mitigate terror and murder. At least they’ll have a fighting chance,” martial arts expert Moskowitz told The Post. “Civilians need training. No one can help you but yourself — you need zero response time.”

Before their rampage, the deranged couple came across Jersey City Detective Joseph Seals at a nearby cemetery. According to the New York Daily News, Seals “was investigating the murder of a livery driver in Bayonne, N.J., on Dec. 7 — a crime cops now believe the couple committed. Seals was gunned down in cold blood. Anderson and Graham left him to die, and headed for the kosher market. They then tried to kill many more cops while making their final stand in the supermarket, blasting away with an arsenal that included an AR-15-style assault rifle and a Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun bought by Graham last year, authorities said. The domestic terrorist duo died in the firefight. Officials found a “rambling” manifesto and a live pipe bomb in the van.”

Police have arrested a man from Monmouth County who may be linked to the suspects in the Jersey City shootout, according to ABC News. “Ahmed Hady, 35, of Keyport was found in possession of 10 illegal guns and 400 rounds of ammunition. Hady, the son of a pawn shop owner, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. After the shootout, a note was found in the male shooter’s pocket containing a telephone number and a Keyport address, according to authorities.”

Family of Murdered Barnard College Student Says Police Boss Trying to Blame Victim

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When an innocent 18-year-old girl is savagely murdered, the back story becomes unimportant, but in the case of Barnard College freshman Tessa Majors it only adds to the tragedy. According to police, she was reportedly in Morningside Park to buy pot. Photo Credit: Fox News

When an innocent 18-year-old girl is savagely murdered, the back story becomes unimportant, but in the case of Barnard College freshman Tessa Majors it only adds to the tragedy. According to police, she was reportedly in Morningside Park to buy pot.

By Tom Roberts

“What I am understanding is that [Majors] was in the park to buy marijuana,” Sergeants Benevolent Association president Ed Mullins told radio host John Catsimatidis on his AM 970 show, “The Cats Roundtable.”

“Here we have a student murdered by a 13-year-old, we have a common denominator: marijuana,” said Mullins.

One of the animals charged with the murder of the Barnard College freshman reportedly told police that “he and two middle-school buddies robbed her before one of the boys knifed her, sources said. It wasn’t clear what sparked the fatal knifing or whether the boys were involved in any drug deal that went down or one that was supposed to,” the New York Post reported.

However, the report that Majors was seeking to purchase marijuana may have been inaccurate. NBC News has reported that the girls’ family “issued a searing rebuke Monday of the police union president’s radio comment a day earlier that she was in the park to buy pot.

“The remarks by Sergeants Benevolent Association president Ed Mullins we find deeply inappropriate, as they intentionally or unintentionally direct blame onto Tess, a young woman, for her own murder,” the family said Monday. “We would ask Mr. Mullins not to engage in such irresponsible public speculation, just as the NYPD asked our family not to comment as it conducts the investigation.”

Majors “was in the park just before 7 p.m. Wednesday when, according to the NYPD, she was a victim of a “robbery gone wrong.” The NYPD has not mentioned anything about a possible marijuana connection,” according to NBC. “A 13-year-old boy has been charged with second-degree murder and other crimes as a juvenile in Majors’ death — and last week, a 14-year-old was being questioned by the NYPD based on the younger boy’s statements, a senior law enforcement official previously told News 4.”

The outpouring of grief has been substantial. CBS reported that the “grieving Barnard College community came together once again Sunday night to mourn the tragic killing of an 18-year-old student, stabbed to death in Morningside Park on Wednesday evening.

On Sunday, hundreds gathered, fighting back tears, embracing and comforting each other as they mourned the loss of the talented musician, singer and aspiring journalist. “

“The fact that she’s not going to have any of those experiences, that’s what I’m thinking about. That’s what I’m feeling,” Barnard College graduate Darcy Cassidy told CBS. “Tessa must have been extraordinary. Feminist, iconoclast, musician, friend … I want to know more about Tess. Together we will, we must, find en enduring way to remember and honor her,” added Lisa Carnoy, co-chair of the Columbia University Board of Trustees.”

WeWork’s Adam Neumann; The Rise to Fame & Fortune and then the “Fall from Grace”

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Former WeWork CEO Adam Neumann and his wife, Rebekah, are reportedly in search of a luxury apartment in the Big Apple’s Upper East Side. Photo Credit: Wikipedia.org

The business press continues to try and make sense out of Adam Neumann’s rise to fame and fortune, and precipitous fall from grace.

By: Sirita Milhelm

“His story should make for one heck of a movie,” offered Crain’s New York Business in a recent profile article about the WeWork founder. “In fact, the film practically writes itself, starting with the modest origins of a young Israeli entrepreneur trying to make it in the big city and failing with a few startups before hitting it mind-bogglingly big with an office-subleasing company, WeWork. His firm quickly grows into the world’s biggest startup, with a $47 billion valuation, thanks to a never-ending stream of cash from a true-believing venture- capital investor in Tokyo.”

Then, the fall. “But when profits became an issue—as in, WeWork didn’t have any—the spell was broken and Neumann went from tech darling to the poster child of everything wrong with unicorns,” Crain’s continued. “In the aftermath, startups everywhere have learned they need to pave a plausible path to profitability before going public and that VC funders’ love and money might seem bottomless—but they do have limits. As for that Hollywood ending, Neumann walked away from the catastrophe he helped create with an exit package worth $1.7 billion and a whole bunch of pricey real estate in his personal portfolio. As we said, the movie script writes itself. No surprise the guy who brought The Big Short to the big screen is on the job.”

Marcelo Claure, recently named as WeWork’s executive chairman, recently talked to the New York Times about some of his experiences with Neumann. “I said: ‘Adam, we trusted you. We gave you everything. And it’s fair to say things didn’t work out the way we originally planned. Now it’s your turn to turn around and basically pay back that trust and provide us with a proxy of all of your shares.”

While Neumann has stepped down from the firm he founded nine years ago, he is still said to be a board observer and a paid consultant. Said Claure, “I value his opinion a lot in terms of where he wanted to take the business. He has 10 years of experience, and it’d be foolish not to take full advantage of — not the mistakes he has made — of the great things he created.”

WeWork designs and builds physical and virtual shared spaces and office services for entrepreneurs and companies. At one time, it boasted more than 5,000 employees in over 280 locations, spread across 86 cities in 32 countries. In January of this year, it announced it would be rebranding to The We Company, and its valuation was stated as $47 billion. The Wall Street Journal noted that upon the release of its public prospectus in August 2019, the company was besieged with criticism over its governance.”

Body of Cryptocurrency Boss to be Exhumed at Behest of Investors

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Investors say they want to dig up some dirt on Gerald Cotten --- literally. They want his corpse exhumed so they can confirm the crypto currency magnate’s death. Cotten “held the virtual keys to a whopping $137 million in online currency kept in “digital wallets,” when he died suddenly last year of complications of Crohn’s Disease, according to the BBC.
Investors say they want to dig up some dirt on Gerald Cotten --- literally. They want his corpse exhumed so they can confirm the crypto currency magnate’s death. Cotten “held the virtual keys to a whopping $137 million in online currency kept in “digital wallets,” when he died suddenly last year of complications of Crohn’s Disease, according to the BBC.

Investors say they want to dig up some dirt on Gerald Cotten — literally.

By: Astrid

They want his corpse exhumed so they can confirm the crypto currency magnate’s death.

Cotten “held the virtual keys to a whopping $137 million in online currency kept in “digital wallets,” when he died suddenly last year of complications of Crohn’s Disease, according to the BBC.

“The QuadrigaCX founder was the sole person with passwords to the wallets — and only $25 million of the funds have been recovered. The company had 115,000 customers,” the New York Post reported. “Rumors have been swirling online that Cotten faked his own death and ran off with the funds after an investigation by Ernt & Young alleged Cotten had created Quadriga accounts under different names, and that “substantial funds” were transferred to him. That has prompted lawyers for some QuadrigaCX customers to request exhumation of Cotten’s remains, and an autopy on the corpse “to confirm both its identity and the cause of death,” claiming new information “further highlight(s) the need for certainty around the question of whether Mr. Cotten is in fact deceased.”

Cotten “made headlines in late 2018 when it was announced that he had passed away due to complications from Crohn’s disease while performing charitable work in India,” reported livebitcoinnews.com. “What was so important about his passing was that Cotten was the only person working at Quadriga to allegedly possess the private keys that could permit access to users’ exchange funds.”

Now that Cotten is presumably gone, “nobody possessed the means to allow customers to withdraw funds. Naturally, this didn’t sit well with several of the investors, and many grouped together to harass the executive’s widow to see if there was anything that she could do to potentially release their funds. Sadly, this effort proved fruitless, and many turned to legal action as a way of getting their money back,” livebitcoinnews.com added.

The web site heavy.com has reported that “Online conspiracy theories have alleged that Gerald Cotten might have faked his own death and taken the money. Ernst & Young “alleged Cotten had created Quadriga accounts under different names,” and received “Substantial funds,” according to The New York Post.

“That’s the context behind the request to exhume his remains to prove its him, an action sought by QuadrigaCX customers, the Post reported, adding that they want “to confirm both its identity and the cause of death,” claiming the questions about money transfers “further highlight(s) the need for certainty around the question of whether Mr. Cotten is in fact deceased,” the site added

Brazil Opens Trade Office in Jerusalem, Promises Embassy Move in 2020

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Brazil on Sunday officially opened a trade office in Jerusalem, and promised to move its embassy to Israel’s capital in 2020. Photo by Kobi Gideon on 31 March, 2019

Brazil on Sunday officially opened a trade office in Jerusalem, and promised to move its embassy to Israel’s capital in 2020.

By: Arye Green

The trade office will be operated by the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency, known as Apex-Brasil, which operates under the authority of the Foreign Ministry.

At the trade office inauguration, Eduardo Bolsonaro, a top Brazilian politician and the son of Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro, said the South American country is sure to relocate its embassy to Jerusalem next year.

“I spoke with President Jair Bolsonaro before coming here. He told me that the commitment still stands – he intends to move the embassy to Jerusalem. He will do it. We want to move to Jerusalem not just for Brazil but to set an example for all of Latin America,” he said.

“You have political arguments; you have historical arguments. You have many arguments to recognize that Jerusalem is your capital. So, we are not going to do something extraordinary. We are doing a normal thing — to recognize your capital,” he added.

Bolsonaro also said Brazil plans to designate Hezbollah a terror organization, as part of its effort to fight with Israel against terror.

“Sooner or later, we will designate them a terror organization, especially after what they did in Argentina in 1992 and 1994,” he said, referring to the terror attack Hezbollah committed that killed 114 people.

Eduardo Bolsonaro is currently heading a delegation of members of the Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee of the Brazilian National Congress’ Chamber of Deputies in their visit to Israel.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke at the opening ceremony, reiterating that the trade office that opened today was “a part of President Bolsonaro’s commitment to open an embassy in Jerusalem next year.”

“The Apex office can help Brazil and Israel realize the potential of cooperation between us. Israel is the most dynamic, innovative nation in the world… Brazil has an unbelievable potential. With its vast size, its diverse population, its universities, the talents of its people. And we think that if we merge the great potentials that our two countries have, we learn from each other unbelievably. And this office, Apex, will actually be the spearhead of this vital development,” he said.

In March, Brazil’s foreign ministry in a statement acknowledged that “Jerusalem has been inseparable from the identity of the Jewish people for over three millennia and has become the political heart of the modern and thriving State of Israel,” and announced the establishment of an “office in Jerusalem for the promotion of trade, investment, technology and innovation to be coordinated by the Foreign Ministry.”

The US was the first country to make the historic move and relocate its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem last year. Guatemala followed suit shortly after, and several countries have opened diplomatic and economic missions in the city.

In September, Honduras opened a diplomatic trade office in Jerusalem and recognized the city as Israel’s capital.

Hungary in March opened its new diplomatic trade mission in Jerusalem, a branch of the Hungarian Embassy in Tel Aviv. Slovakia announced its plans to open similar diplomatic offices in the city. (TPS)

Pawnshop Owner With Possible Connections to Jersey City Killers Arrested for Illegal Possession of Weapons 

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The scene of the murders of three people at a kosher grocery store in Jersey City. Photo Credit: Yeshiva World News

A New Jersey man whose number was found in the back pocket of one of the perpetrators of last week’s fatal attack on a Jewish market has been arrested for illegally possessing a weapon, federal authorities said.

By: David Ben Hooren

A pawn shop owner in Keyport, NJ has been arrested on weapons-related charges after his phone number was found on one of the suspects in the Jersey City shooting, NBC New York has reported.

Yeshiva World News reported that officials are now looking into whether any of the guns used in the shooting came from that Keyport pawn shop, which was full of firearms, including three AR-15-style assault rifles.

Ahmed A-Hady, 35, of Keyport, New Jersey, is charged in a criminal complaint with one count of being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm, as was reported by YWN.  He was arrested by FBI agents early Saturday morning and is expected to appear on Monday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph A. Dickson in Newark federal court.

According to the complaint, filed today:

On Dec. 10, 2019, there was a mass shooting in Jersey City in which two individuals, a male (Individual 1) and a female (Individual 2), killed three civilians after earlier killing a law enforcement officer. After the shooting, law enforcement recovered from Individual 1’s right rear pants pocket a handwritten note that contained a telephone number ending in 4115, and a Keyport, New Jersey, address. Law enforcement also recovered several weapons carried by Individuals 1 and 2, including an AR-15 rifle.

FBI agents determined that the phone number ending in 4115 contained on the note belonged to A-Hady. Law enforcement also determined that the Keyport address listed on the note was a storefront for a pawn shop.

Law enforcement obtained records of A-Hady’s history of firearm purchases. Those records indicated that around May 23, 2007, A-Hady purchased a Smith and Wesson .45 caliber handgun bearing serial number NHN5284 (the “.45 caliber”). Records also indicate that on or about June 2, 2007, A-Hady purchased a Smith and Wesson .44 caliber handgun bearing serial number CEV4085 (the “.44 caliber”).

Subsequent to purchasing the firearms, A-Hady was convicted on April 2, 2012, in Monmouth County Superior Court, of attempting to obtain a controlled dangerous substance or analog by fraud, a crime punishable by more than one year in prison. As a result of that conviction, A-Hady is no longer permitted to possess a firearm.

On the evening of Dec. 13, 2019, law enforcement officers traveled to the pawnshop and interviewed A-Hady and two of his relatives. During the course of A-Hady’s interview, he admitted to owning both the .45 caliber and the .44 caliber, but falsely denied that they were on the premises.

After A-Hady was interviewed, one of his relatives (Relative-1) told law enforcement that there was a safe located inside Company A. Relative-1 further stated that the safe contained firearms, including A-Hady’s .44 and .45 caliber handguns. Relative-1 subsequently consented to a search of the safe located inside the pawnshop. Law enforcement recovered three firearms: (i) a PK 380; (ii) a Ruger 9mm bearing serial number 33389546; and (iii) the Smith and Wesson .44 caliber handgun bearing serial number CEV4085 referenced above.

Law enforcement then lawfully searched both the pawnshop and A-Hady’s private residence. During the search of the pawnshop, law enforcement recovered six rifles (including three AR-15-style assault rifles), three handguns, and one shotgun. In addition, during the searches of the pawnshop and A-Hady’s private residence, law enforcement recovered over 400 rounds of ammunition, including a large number of hollow point bullets.

The two New Jersey attackers, David Anderson and Francine Graham, were armed with multiple weapons including an AR-15-style rifle and a shotgun, and a pipe bomb was also found in the stolen U-Haul van they drove to the market, according to an AP report. Two of the weapons used by Anderson and Graham were bought by Graham in Ohio last year, police have said. It’s not known where they got the three other guns.

No information was provided about any possible relationship between A-Hady and the attackers. A-Hady is expected to appear Monday before a federal magistrate; it’s unclear whether he has an attorney, and a message could not be left at a number listed in his name. (YWN & AP)

 

Sacha Baron Cohen Gets Golden Globe Nod for Role in Netflix Series in Israeli Spy Eli Cohen

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UK actor Sacha Baron Cohen was nominated for a Golden Globe on Monday for his role as famous Israeli agent Eli Cohen in the Netflix miniseries “The Spy.”

UK actor Sacha Baron Cohen was nominated for a Golden Globe on Monday for his role as famous Israeli agent Eli Cohen in the Netflix miniseries “The Spy.”

By: No Camels Team

The Golden Globe Awards recognize excellence in film and television through awards bestowed by 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association since January 1944. Golden Globe nominations were announced Monday on the Hollywood Foreign Press Association Facebook page.

Cohen received a nomination for “Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made For Television.”

“The Spy” is a six-episode miniseries based on the true story of Eli Cohen, an Israeli selected by the Mossad to infiltrate the Syrian government in the 1960s as a fake persona — wealthy businessman Kamel Amin Thaabet — in order to provide Israel with vital intelligence. His true identity was late discovered and he was hanged in Damascus in May 1965.

The Spy was created by Gideon Raff, the Israeli film and television director, screenwriter and writer best known for his hit Israeli and American series Homeland and Prisoners of War.

“I am hugely proud of The Spy and thrilled that it has been seen and embraced by audiences around the globe. I share this recognition with Eli Cohen’s family and everyone who worked on The Spy,” Baron Cohen wrote on Twitter following the nomination.

The actor, known for his comedic roles, was touched to be recognized for his dramatic turn. “A heartfelt thank you to the members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for this honour. I have long wanted to move away from comedy and do something uncommercial, not reliant on jokes, that few people would see.”

Baron Cohen was nominated for a Golden Globe last year for best musical or comedy television actor for his performance in “Who is America,” a satirical show where the actor pranked politicians by posing as different characters including an Israeli counterterrorism expert.

The English actor won a Golden Globe in 2007 for Best Performance By An Actor In A Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for his role as Borat, a Kazakh resident traveling to the US in the movie Borat: Cultural Learnings Of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation Of Kazakhstan.

The 77th Annual Golden Globes Awards will air live in the US on Sunday, January 5, 2020. (No Camels)

NYU Student Thanks Trump for Issuing Exec Order Protecting Jewish Students from Campus Ant-Semitism

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New York University alumna Adela Cojab Moadeb. Moadeb is a Syrian-Lebanese, Mexican Jew who graduated from NYU’s Gallatin School of Individual Study in May 2019, according to a JPost report. Photo Credit: YouTube

This past Wednesday, at the annual White House Chanukah party, President Trump offered a very special Chanukah gift to the Jewish people. Unlike any president before him, President Trump signed an executive order aimed at fighting anti-Semitism at universities and colleges across the country by protecting Jews under federal law.

Edited by: TJVNews.com

The measure interprets part of a U.S. civil rights law to include members “of a group that shares common religious practices.” Part of the law bars discrimination based on race, color and national origin in federally-supported programs.

The Trump administration said it will, as a policy, extend protections under the law to Jewish people. Some major Jewish organizations praised the action. They said it means that universities could lose federal money if they do not stop discrimination against Jews at their schools.

Rabbi Abraham Cooper, of the Los Angeles based Simon Wiesenthal Center said, “This is a very critically important move…that will set an environment wherein Jewish students who were targeted with anti-Semitism on university campuses in America will actually have…protection and recourse.”

In an article that appeared on December 15th on the FrontPageMag web site, prolific writer Daniel Greenfield said the media “lied about President Trump’s executive order against anti-Semitism. It lied about it because it wanted to gaslight American Jews into opposing a measure meant to fight campus anti-Semitism.” Below, are excerpts on an article written by New York University alumna Adela Cojab Moadeb. Moadeb is a Syrian-Lebanese, Mexican Jew who graduated from NYU’s Gallatin School of Individual Study in May 2019, according to a JPost report.

She praised President Trump’s executive order, which recognized Jewish students as a protected group under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.

“When I sued NYU for campus antisemitism, college leaders shrugged. It took the US president to do something about it,” Moadeb, who sued the school over allegations of allowing antisemitism on campus, wrote in a New York Post op-ed.  She said that Trump’s executive order “corrects a longtime gross injustice against Jewish students.”

Speaking of her battle against harassment of Jewish and pro-Israel students on the NYU campus by the Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) group, she wrote:

“When I first started at NYU, I was excited to go to a school that championed diversity and inclusion — until that diversity and inclusion applied to everyone except my community. After years of overt protests, boycotts, and direct aggression toward Jewish students from NYU’s chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), the university honored the organization with the President’s Service Award for “outstanding contribution to NYU life.”

What did SJP do to “earn” this prize? They organized a 53-group boycott against Realize Israel, a non-political student organization, depicting assault rifles on flyers calling for a revolt. Further, at the 2018 Rave in the Park in which NYU students celebrated Israel Independence Day, one SJP member burned an Israeli flag and another physically assaulted a Jewish student; both students were arrested.

Throughout the year, I spoke with eight administrators from multiple NYU departments — the Office of Student Affairs; Center for Student Life; Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards; and even the Office of Public Safety — about rising hostility against the Jewish community on campus. My concerns were brushed off, and after the arrests, I was asked not to draw attention to the issue.

The presidential award solidified the university’s stance: violent acts against students on the basis of their views are not only tolerated, but celebrated, and the concerns of Jewish students are not to be taken seriously.

When I sued NYU for campus anti-Semitism, college leaders shrugged. It took the US president to do something about it.

Although my legal complaint argued that NYU’s reaction — or lack thereof — to its Jewish community’s plight already violated Title VI, religion was not a protected class under civil rights law — at least until this week. President Trump’s new executive order not only changes that reality, but corrects a longtime gross injustice against Jewish students. The order expands Title VI’s existing protections to explicitly include discrimination against Jews.

Standing with President Trump on stage allowed me the opportunity to elevate the voices of Jewish students nationwide

This is the basic reality of what the executive order did. It protected the civil rights of Jewish students. And we’re talking about people who are being violently assaulted on campuses.”

Turkey’s Erdogan Threatens to Close 2 US Military Bases

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened on Sunday that his country could shut down its Incirlik air base, which hosts US nuclear warheads, in response to threats of US sanctions and a separate Senate resolution that recognized mass killings of Armenians a century ago as genocide, as was reported by INN. Photo Credit: MANDEL NGAN/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened on Sunday that his country could shut down its Incirlik air base, which hosts US nuclear warheads, in response to threats of US sanctions and a separate Senate resolution that recognized mass killings of Armenians a century ago as genocide, as was reported by INN. 

Edited by: TJV News

“If it is necessary for us to take such a step, of course we have the authority … If this is necessary, together with our delegations, we will close down Incirlik if necessary,” Erdogan said, as quoted by Reuters.

Turkey can also close down the Kurecik radar base if necessary, he added.

“If they are threatening us with the implementation of these sanctions, of course we will be retaliating,” said Erdogan.

Israel National News reported that last Thursday, the Senate unanimously passed a resolution that recognizes as a genocide the mass killings of Armenians a century ago. The bill has yet to be signed by President Donald Trump.

The resolution asserts that it is US policy to commemorate as genocide the killing of 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman Empire from 1915 to 1923. The Ottoman Empire was centered in present-day Turkey. 

Armenians have long sought international recognition for the 1915-1917 killings in the Ottoman era as genocide, which they say left some 1.5 million of their people dead.

Turkey — the Ottoman Empire’s successor state — strongly rejects that the massacres, imprisonment and forced deportation of Armenians from 1915 amounted to a genocide.

Separately, tensions between Washington and Ankara have soared due to Turkey’s purchase of advanced S-400 missile systems from Russia, as was reported by INN. 

A Senate committee last week backed legislation to impose sanctions on Turkey in response to the purchase. Turkey, for its part, has made clear it will use the Russian system despite US threats of sanctions.

VOA reported that the U.S. Air Force uses the airbase at Incirlik for raids on positions held by the  so-called Islamic State group in Syria. The Kurecik base houses a major NATO radar station.

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu raised the issue of the bases last week. Responding to the U.S. threat of fresh sanctions, he warned that their closure could be “put on the table”.

How Should the Senate Deal with an Unconstitutional Impeachment by the House?

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Pictured: Speaker of the House Rep. Nancy Pelosi speaks on December 10, 2019 in Washington, DC at a news conference, in which House Democrats announced two articles for the next steps in the House impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

If the House of Representatives were to impeach President Trump on the two grounds now before it, the senate would be presented with a constitutional dilemma. These two grounds— abuse of power and obstruction of Congress— are not among the criteria specified for impeachment. Neither one is a high crime and misdemeanor. Neither is mentioned in the constitution. Both are the sort of vague, open-ended criteria rejected by the framers. They were rejected precisely to avoid the situation in which our nation currently finds itself. Abuse of power can be charged against virtually every controversial president by the opposing party. And obstruction of Congress — whatever else it may mean — cannot extend to a president invoking privileges and then leave it to the courts to referee conflicts between the legislative and executive branches.

By: Alan M. Dershowitz

Hamilton feared that vague criteria would allow a majority of the House to impeach a president from the opposing party just because they had more votes than the president’s party. He called that “the greatest danger.” Madison worried that open-ended criteria, such as “maladministration” would give Congress too much discretion and power, and turn our republic into a parliamentary democracy in which the chief executive serves at the will of the legislature. To prevent these dangers, the framers settled on criteria with well-established meanings: treason, bribery and other high crimes and misdemeanors.

The House Democrats are simply ignoring these words and this history, because they have the votes to do so. They are following the absurd notion put forth by congresswoman Maxine Waters that when it comes to impeachment “there is no law,” and the criteria are anything a majority of the House wants it be, regardless of what the constitution mandates. This lawless view confuses what a majority of congress can get away with (absent judicial review) with what the constitution requires. It places Congress above the supreme law of the land, namely the constitution.

Were Congress to vote to impeach President Trump on the two proposed grounds, its action would be unconstitutional. According to Hamilton in Federalist 78, any act of Congress that does not comport with the Constitution is “void.” This view was confirmed by the Supreme Court in Marbury v. Madison and is now the law of the land.

So, what options would the Senate have if the House voted to impeach on two unconstitutional grounds? Would it be required to conduct a trial based on “void” articles of impeachment? Could it simply refuse to consider unconstitutional articles? Could the president’s lawyer make a motion to the Chief Justice — who presides over the trial of an impeached president — to dismiss the articles of impeachment on constitutional grounds?

This is uncharted territory with little guidance from the Constitution or history. There are imperfect analogies that may be informative. If this were an ordinary criminal case, and a grand jury had indicted a defendant for a non-crime (say, having gay sex) or an unconstitutional crime, the trial judge would be obliged to dismiss the indictment and not subject the defendant to an unconstitutional trial. Impeachment, however, is not an ordinary criminal proceeding. 

So, the analogy is not directly on point. But impeachment by the House is similar in many ways to indictment by a grand jury, and a removal trial by the Senate is similar to a criminal trial, including being presided over by a judge. It is entirely possible that the president’s lawyers may file a motion seeking dismissal of the impeachment as unconstitutional. It is impossible to predict whether such a motion would be entertained and if so, how it would be decided.

Another option would be for the president’s lawyer to seek judicial review of the House’s unconstitutional action. Despite the fact that the Constitution says that the House shall be the “sole” judge of impeachment, two former justices have opined that there might be a judicial role in extreme cases.

The most likely option for the president — and the one hinted at by White House sources — is for the Senate to conduct a scaled down trial focusing on the constitutional defects in the articles of impeachment. No fact witnesses would be called: that would turn the proceeding into a he said/she said conflict with no clear resolution. Only legal arguments — neater and quicker — would be presented before a vote was taken.

Whichever option is pursued, the ultimate outcome seems clear: the Senate will vote to acquit President Trump. Regardless of the outcome, the damage will have been done by the House majority that will have abused its power by weaponizing the House’s authority over impeachment for partisan purposes — exactly as Hamilton feared. (Gatestone Institute)

Alan M. Dershowitz is the Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law Emeritus at Harvard Law School, a Distinguished Senior Fellow at Gatestone Institute, and author of The Case Against the Democratic House Impeaching Trump, Skyhorse Publishing, 2019, and Guilt by Accusation, Skyhorse publishing, 2019.