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Netanyahu’s Coalition Talks Hit Dead-End, New Elections on Horizon

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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Flash90)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is struggling to form a coalition in a scenario he probably didn’t predict when he led a decisive right-wing victory in Israel’s elections last month.

By: WIN Staff

But there appears to be a real chance he will not succeed in cobbling together a government before the deadline of midnight Wednesday.

The Likud seems to be preparing for this worst-case scenario. Following a Likud meeting on Sunday afternoon, Likud MK Miki Zohar sounded a pessimistic note, saying “it appears that the Knesset will dissolve on Wednesday night,” meaning a government will not be formed.

Today, Zohar will present a motion to dissolve the Knesset, the Ynet news site reports.

Netanyahu however is still making a last-ditch effort to build a coalition. On Saturday, he huddled with his party’s main negotiators at his home in Caesarea to see if there was a path forward. The meeting followed numerous failed attempts last week to bridge the gap on the main issue.

The sticking point is the military conscription bill, which is geared to drafting male seminary students from the haredi sector, sometimes referred to as the ultra-Orthodox, into the Israeli Army. The issue has caused a great deal of friction in Israeli society over the years, as the general population views haredim as not doing their fair share in a country where serving in the military is mandatory.

Two of Netanyahu’s potential coalition partners stand at opposite ends of the debate. Both have dug in their heels, grinding negotiations to a halt.

The first, United Torah Judaism, led by Yaakov Litzman, is a haredi party and wants to see changes made to the bill that would water it down. It is joined by the Shas party, another haredi party. Together, they control 16 seats in the Knesset.

On the other side stands the Israel Beiteinu party led by Avigdor Liberman. He refuses to join the coalition if any modifications are made to the proposed law. His party holds five seats.

Netanyahu needs all three parties if he wishes to govern. With those three, plus other smaller parties, he would have a comfortable 65-seat majority in the 120-seat Knesset.

According to reports, the haredi parties had shown a willingness to compromise but Liberman remained unyielding, which would explain why the Likud publicly berated the Israel Beiteinu leader in an attempt to pressure him to return to the negotiating table. Liberman has so far proven resistant to pressure.

On Saturday, Liberman went on the attack, taking a crack at Netanyahu in a Facebook post: “The right isn’t a personality cult. The right comprises values. Army service was always an uppermost value in the worldview of the nationalist camp.”

If Israel goes to back-to-back elections, it will be the first time in the country’s history.

But there’s a possibility that the opposition will be handed a chance to form a government, or even another member of the Likud party.

It is clear that the opposition, led by Blue and White party leader Benny Gantz, feels it deserves a chance. Ynet reports that a senior Blue and White official said that it wouldn’t support MK Zohar’s proposal to dissolve the Knesset “if we don’t first get the possibility to form a government first.”

“The law says that if Netanyahu can’t form a government, we or another Knesset member from the Likud should have the opportunity,” a second senior Blue and White member said, the paper reports. (World Israel News)

Read more at: worldisraelnews.com

On Memorial Day – Coney Island’s Comeback Seen as Major Triumph for NYC

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Nothing says Memorial Day like a day at the beach, boardwalk or arcades in Coney Island. In fact, many are hyping the amusement area’s comeback as a major triumph for New York City. Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Nothing says Memorial Day like a day at the beach, boardwalk or arcades in Coney Island.
In fact, many are hyping the amusement area’s comeback as a major triumph for New York City.

By: Kyle Jonas

“Coney Island’s fun zone, which jumps into high gear Memorial Day weekend, marks a victory of civic order over urban chaos — a milestone as precious to the city as was the rebirth of “Slime Square,” the New York Post recently wrote. “The boardwalk and environs miraculously morphed from a creepy, 1980s grotesquerie-by-the sea into today’s easygoing pleasure zone that’s a blast for everyone. Like most of the Big Apple’s recent renaissance hot spots, this one owes itself to our most significant stroke of fortune since the early 1990s: the spectacular drop in crime — especially street crime.”

The Post’s feature story looked back in time to an era in which Coney Island was anything but a New York City bright spot. The arrival of low-income apartment buildings had sounded what was nearly the death knell for the South Brooklyn community. As the feature points out, “The boardwalk and environs miraculously morphed from a creepy, 1980s grotesquerie-by-the sea into today’s easygoing pleasure zone that’s a blast for everyone.”

Nothing makes the case for Coney Island’s resurgence better than crime figures. As the Post found out, “Not a single murder occurred in Coney Island in all of 2018, according to the NYPD. By comparison, the 60th Precinct — which includes Coney Island, Brighton Beach and Sea Gate — saw 21 homicides in 1990. The death toll didn’t tell the full story. While most victims weren’t Cyclone-riding thrill-seekers, but rather innocent residents of nearby housing projects, the lawlessness spilled into the amusement zone, including on the beach and boardwalk.”

The world famous Steeplechase Park amusement complex was bulldozed in 1966, just part of what drove longtime fans away, and to more suburban locations.

“In the crime-scourged 1980s, the boardwalk and beach swarmed with predatory youths, drunks and crack dealers. Shuttered rides and restaurants lent a dystopian air. Winter defined a surreal land-and-seascape dominated by the derelict Parachute Jump and ruins of the crumbling Thunderbolt roller coaster,” the Post explained.

There has been even more for Coney Islanders to smile about. It was announced in January that the city would add Coney Island to the NYC Ferry system, providing a much faster commute to Manhattan for outer-borough New Yorkers. “It shouldn’t be this hard to get around in the greatest city in the world,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said at the time. “And so we’re giving people more and better options.”

Trump to Send 1500 to Middle East to Deter Iran’s Aggression

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The United States is sending 1500 additional troops to the Middle East to protect American forces from potential Iranian threats, President Donald Trump announced Friday. 

By: Carla Babb

“They’re mostly in a protective capacity,” he told reporters in response to a VOA question. 

Acting Defense Secretary Pat Shanahan said the additions to the region would include “a Patriot battalion to defend against missile threats; additional intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft; an engineer element to provide force protection improvements throughout the region; and a fighter aircraft squadron to provide additional deterrence. 

“The additional deployment to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility is a prudent defensive measure and intended to reduce the possibility of future hostilities,” Shanahan added.

Speaking to reporters at the Pentagon, Navy Rear Adm. Michael Gilday said that the actual deployment would be about 900 additional troops. He said 600 service members included in the president’s and defense secretary’s statements were men and women currently in the region, but whose deployments were being extended for additional protection. Gilday said they were attached to a Patriot missile battalion in the Middle East.

The request for more protection came from the U.S. Central Command chief, Marine Gen. Kenneth “Frank” McKenzie. Shanahan said Thursday that the request was part of a “normal back and forth” with CENTCOM, but added that it was “at a higher-elevated level, given all the dynamics there in the Middle East.”

Ahead of a security briefing on the Iranian threat Thursday, Trump appeared skeptical that additional troops would need to be deployed. 

“I don’t think we’re going to need them. I really don’t,” Trump said before adding, “I would certainly send troops if we need them.” 

Some Democrats in Congress have disagreed with the military escalation, with Virginia Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine criticizing the “very bellicose tweets from the president” and warning that it would “be a colossal disaster if the United States were involved in Iran.”

Tensions between Tehran and Washington have been escalating since Trump announced his decision to try to cut Iran’s oil exports to zero and beef up the U.S. military presence in the Persian Gulf in response to what he said were Iranian threats. 

“Iran has been a very dangerous player, very bad player. They are a nation of terror, and we won’t put up with it,” Trump said Thursday.


Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif responded recently to what he called “genocidal taunts” by saying that “Iranians have stood tall for a millennia while aggressors all gone,” including Genghis Kahn and Alexander the Great. “Try respect. It works,” Zarif tweeted. 

Last week, Trump told Shanahan that he did not want to go to war with Iran. 

Sending additional U.S. troops to the region would mark a shift in position for Trump, who has repeatedly said in the past he wanted to reduce the number of U.S. troops in the region. 

Last December, Trump announced the withdrawal of 2,000 U.S. troops from Syria. In February, however, he decided to keep a few hundred troops there. (VOA)

Israeli Fire Department: Mass Blazes Caused by Arson

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The mass blazes in the center of Israel that caused the displacement of thousands and the destruction of dozens of homes is suspected to be an act of arson, the Fire Department stated Sunday. Photo by Rivka Franks/TPS on 26 May, 2019

The mass blazes in the center of Israel that caused the displacement of thousands and the destruction of dozens of homes is suspected to be an act of arson, the Fire Department stated Sunday.

By: Aryeh Savir

Teams investigating the scene at Mevo Modi’im and Kibbutz Harel have discovered that the fires were ignited at several locations, lending credence to the suspicion that the fire was ignited by arsonists.

The investigation is ongoing, the Fire Department said.

Over the course of 41 hours starting on Thursday, fires burned 32,000 acres and 50 homes in Mevo Modi’im and Kibbutz Harel. Most residents lost all their positions and were left with only the clothing on their bodies, and over 3,500 Israelis were evacuated from their homes due to fires caused by an extreme heatwave.

No one was injured by the fires, but 13 firefighters were treated for smoke inhalation.

In related news, the police over the weekend arrested three Arabs who attempted to start fires in Jerusalem as an act of terrorism.

A Police spokesman stated that while firefighters across the country were fighting fires, police in Jerusalem arrested three suspects for attempting to deliberately start fires.

The police arrested a 19-year-old suspect while he was attempting to start a fire near the French Hill neighborhood. A 15-year-old was arrested in similar circumstances in the Har Hazofim area, which borders with Arab neighborhoods and has repeatedly been the target of arson attacks.

A third suspect, 30, was also arrested for attempting to start a fire in the Kidron area.

“Investigations into those three suspects are continuing and they remain under arrest,” the police said.

Arab terrorists over the years have adopted arson as a weapon against Israel, taking advantage of the dry and hot weather to ignite fires and cause mass damage to property as well as the loss of life.

 

The Israeli Air Force (IAF) on Sunday held a special ceremony at Tel-Nof AFB saluting the teams from around the Middle East which arrived in Israel to help it fight the mass blazes that hit the country.

Firefighting aircraft and crews from Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Croatia, Egypt and the Palestinian Authority, arrived in Israel on Friday to provide assistance in fighting the wildfires which began raging in Israel on Thursday as a result of a heavy heat wave.

“Their response warms our heart. We take them in with much appreciation,” said IAF Brig. Gen. Peleg Niego, Commander of Tel-Nof AFB.

The Teams were awarded a certificate and a small token from the Ministry of Public Security.

“We express our gratitude to the countries extending assistance in combating forest fires as well as those who have expressed willingness to help. Thank you Egypt, Cyprus, Greece, Croatia and Italy for your friendship. A friend in need is a friend indeed,” Israel’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon stated Friday.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked “my friend Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi for sending two helicopters to help in putting out the fires that have broken out across Israel.” (TPS)

Following ‘Kippa’ Statement from German Official, High-Profile Leaders Speak Out

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A Kippah (Jewish skullcap) (Shutterstock)

“Wear your kippa. Wear your friend’s kippa. Borrow a kippa and wear it for our Jewish neighbors. Educate people that we are a diverse society,” the U.S. envoy to Germany tweeted.

By: WIN Staff

Following last week’s statement from the Commissioner for Jewish Life in Germany and the Fight Against Anti-Semitism, Felix Klein, who told the Funke newspaper group that Jews should not publicly wear skullcaps due to “ongoing brutalization in German society,” high-profile leaders have strongly condemned the statement.

Richard Grenell, the U.S. government’s ambassador to Germany, tweeted that Jews in Germany should not conceal their skullcaps in public as part of efforts to stem the tide of growing anti-Semitism.

Grenell tweeted, “The opposite is true. Wear your kippa [skullcap]. Wear your friend’s kippa. Borrow a kippa and wear it for our Jewish neighbors. Educate people that we are a diverse society.”

Grenell is recognized for his efforts to combat anti-Semitism in Germany and at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Concerning the matter, Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin stated, “The statement of the German government’s anti-Semitism commissioner, that it would be preferable for Jews not wear a kippah in Germany out of fear for their safety, shocked me deeply.”

Rivlin added “Responsibility for the welfare, the freedom and the right to religious belief of every member of the German Jewish community is in the hands of the German government and its law enforcement agencies…We will never submit, will never lower our gaze and will never react to anti-Semitism with defeatism – and we expect and demand our allies act in the same way.”

Berlin’s Rabbi Yehuda Teichtal urged Jews to wear their skullcaps with pride. Additionally, he wrote on Facebook, “The combating of anti-Semitism is a top priority so it is appreciated that this is being addressed by top representatives of the government.”

In response to Klein’s announcement, London-based expert on anti-Semitism Julie Lenarz posted on his Twitter account, “This policy punishes victims and rewards perpetrators.”

This is not the first time that Jews in Germany have been asked to remove their religious head covering. In 2018, the head of Germany’s central council of Jews, Dr. Josef Schuster, urged Jews to remove their skullcaps while visiting large cities.

In response, Israel’s Chief Rabbi David Lau stated, “Jews should not be demanded to remove their skullcaps from their heads. But Germany’s law enforcement authorities should be appealed to in order to ensure the safety of Jews in Germany.”

Before World War II, approximately 9 million Jews lived in Germany. Today, the German Jewish community consists of less than 100,000 people. (World Israel News)

Read More at: worldisraelnews.com

Jewish Democrats Seeking Trump’s Impeachment Are Far and Few Between

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The buzzword known as “impeachment” has been on the minds and tongues of many a member of the United States House of Representatives as of late, but it appears that among Jewish congress members who represent the Democratic party, very few are angling to push this controversial legislation (aimed at derailing President Trump) ahead before both chambers of Congress.

Edited by: JV Staff

According to a JTA report, at this juncture in time, while investigations against the president are still in progress, “only five of the 25 Jewish House Democrats support launching an impeachment inquiry. Nine are on the record against impeachment (at least for now) and eight appear to be on the fence.” Three have not weighed in on this hot button issue.

Among Jewish Republicans, the case is pretty clear. Lee Zeldin (R-NY) who represents constituents on Long Island as well as Tennessee’s David Kustoff have gone on record opposing impeachment. According to the JTA report, Zeldin called the Mueller report into Russian meddling in the 2016 campaign and how it intersected with the Trump campaign a “witch hunt.” Kustoff said Democrats “can finally move on” following the report’s release.

Among political progressives in the House and those who clearly lean to the left on the political spectrum have expressed dismay that the results of the Mueller report did not reach a judgment. especially on obstruction charges against the president. They have asserted that the president’s insouciant attitude concerning the refusal of certain parties complying with subpoenas warrants impeachment as the most effective modality in probing alleged crimes by the president and some of those in his administration.   

Thus far, speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, who is currently at odds with the president once again and has implied that he is going off the rails has urged caution in proceeding with impeachment. She is of the belief that Congress has other ways to extract purported evidence against the president and she also feels that the Republican-controlled Senate would vote to acquit Trump.

Among the Jewish Democrats in the House of Representatives who are in favor of impeachment are:

Brad Sherman of California. Sherman was totally onboard with an impeachment inquiry against Trump since early in the president’s term in office.   According to the JTA report, Sherman and Rep. Al Green of Texas filed articles of impeachment against Trump in July 2017. They accused Trump of obstructing justice by seeking to end the investigation into former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn and by firing FBI Director James Comey.

Steve Cohen of Tennessee. In November of 2017, Cohen, along with four other members of Congress filed articles of impeachment against Trump. They also accused Trump of attempting to obstruct justice and they also accused the president of violating the Constitution’s foreign emoluments clause due to his alleged business conflicts of interest.

John Yarmuth of Kentucky was one of the lawmakers who joined Cohen’s 2017 articles of impeachment. According to the JTA report, on Tuesday, he told The Hill regarding impeachment, “I’ve been there a long time.”

David Cicilline of Rhode Island said that if former White House counsel Don McGahn did not testify before Congress on Tuesday, the House should begin impeachment proceedings, according to the JTA report. McGahn did not testify.

Using Twitter to communicate his angst, Cicilline called for “Impeachment 101,” which outlined the process.

Jamie Raskin of Maryland had earlier in the year opposed the impeachment process but now has changed his tune, according to the JTA report.

“I flipped over,” he told PBS NewsHour on Tuesday. “Last week I was with where most people were in saying let’s give it some more time. But now I just — I have seen enough. And I think that we do need to move forward at some point, and I hope quickly, to an impeachment inquiry.”

Trump in Tokyo Downplays Concern About North Korea

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President Donald Trump and his national security adviser are publicly at odds about the seriousness of the threat currently posed by North Korea.

By: Steve Herman

In a Sunday morning tweet from Tokyo, Trump issued a retort to John Bolton, who the previous day here had told reporters that there was “no doubt” North Korea’s recent test-firing of short-range ballistic missiles violated a U.N. resolution.

Bolton’s remark was the first by a U.S. official describing the North Korean launches as a violation of U.N. resolutions.

“North Korea fired off some small weapons which disturbed some of my people and others, but not me,” said Trump in his tweet.

Trump also expressed confidence the North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un, “will keep his promise to me” in moving toward denuclearization.

Trump in the tweet also said he smiled when Kim called former Vice President Joe Biden “a low IQ individual.”

The initial presidential tweet misspelled the Democratic Party presidential contender’s name as “Bidan” and was later replaced. And it was not Kim who made the disparaging remark about Biden, rather an unsigned commentary carried by North Korea’s central news agency, which referred to the American politician as a “fool of low IQ” and an “imbecile bereft of elementary quality as a human being.”

Trump concluded his tweet by stating that perhaps Kim was trying “to send me a signal” — apparently a reference that the leader in Pyongyang prefers to negotiate with the current American president over the opposition party’s top-polling contender.

Trump and Kim have held two summits, in Singapore and Hanoi. Neither has led to any significant breakthroughs, although the meetings were seen as reducing tensions between the two countries, which have no diplomatic relations and whose leaders had never met before.

The United States and North Korea were belligerents in a three-year war in the early 1950s, which devastated the Korean Peninsula. It ended with an armistice, but no peace treaty has ever been signed.

Bolton, who 13 months ago replaced retired Army Gen. H.R. McMaster as the president’s national security adviser, is known as a hard-liner who distrusts Pyongyang’s intentions.

North Korea has a long track record of violating international agreements and has repeatedly defied U.N. sanctions against its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs.

Trump fired off his tweet shortly before taking a helicopter from Tokyo to the Mobara Country Club in nearby Chiba prefecture.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, dressed in a blue blazer and white pants, rolled up in a golf cart to meet Trump, who was wearing a red jacket and carrying a red hat in his hand.

After some hours on the golf course, the two leaders are viewed bouts of sumo wrestling, where Trump awarded the large and heavy President’s Cup (quickly nicknamed the “Trump Cup”) to champion Asanoyama, a 177-kilogram (390-pound) wrestler who clinched the Summer Grand Tournament the previous day. (VOA)

Florida Gov Ron DeSantis Heads for Israel on Business Development Mission; Brings Delegation of 100

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Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Saturday left for a visit to Israel with a delegation of close to 100 people, The Associated Press reported.

Edited by: JV Staff

His delegation includes education officials, business leaders, lawmakers and the head of the state’s tourism marketing agency. On Wednesday he will host a meeting with the independently elected Cabinet, comprised of Attorney General Ashley Moody, Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis and Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried.

Fried was already in Israel Saturday for the third day of her own trade mission.

“My meetings are back to back with all type of advancements in agriculture and research,” Fried told AP in a phone interview Saturday. “My brain is going a million miles per hour with ideas and suggestions to bring back to Florida.”

So far she has met with Israeli experts on medical marijuana, irrigation, and treating algae blooms. She has also talked with researchers fighting citrus greening, a disease that’s devastated orange growers in Florida.

On Sunday, she plans to visit a company that works in advanced hydroponics, meet with Israel’s minister of agriculture and visit with cannabis growers.

DeSantis and the Cabinet do not plan to conduct state business at Wednesday’s meeting, but rather sign proclamations declaring their support for Israel, according to AP.

DeSantis, a longtime supporter of Israel, promoted the relocation of the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv Jerusalem, saying that Americans were “excited to see the embassy move”.

In 2017, DeSantis joined other lawmakers in forming the Congressional Israel Victory Caucus.

Shortly after being elected as Governor of Florida, DeSantis promised to be aggressive in the fight against the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.

“As governor, I’m in charge of the anti-BDS list, so when there are boycotts of Israel, I can unilaterally put these companies on Florida’s list so that they can’t do business with the state of Florida. And I’ll be very aggressive in doing that, and I think that that will help combat BDS,” he told the Israel Hayom newspaper in November.

In January, DeSantis placed Airbnb on the state’s scrutinized companies list, which prohibits state investment in companies that boycott Israel, after the company decided to remove listings for about 200 homes in Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria.

Airbnb eventually backtracked on its plans to delist homes in Judea and Samaria.

In a related development, the Tallahassee Democrat reported that an Arab-American coalition has lodged its strenuous objections to DeSantis holding a state cabinet meeting at the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem next week.

“Hosting a Cabinet meeting in a highly secure overseas embassy, where most Floridians would be unable to attend” violates both the Florida Constitution and its Sunshine Law, said members of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination League, a 10-member coalition that includes Arab, Jewish and Immigrant rights organizations.

And they said, it may “expose members of your cabinet to criminal penalties.”

The group urged DeSantis to “uphold the Florida Constitution, comply with Florida Sunshine Law and protect your administration by hosting your cabinet meetings in Florida, where Floridians can exercise their right of public access to government proceedings.”

Tens of Thousands Rally in Tel Aviv Against Netanyahu Immunity

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Benny Gantz, defeated in the recent Israeli election, invited the Arab parties to join the anti-Netanyahu rally despite having called them “irrelevant” before the national vote.

Edited by: JV Staff

Tens of thousands of Israelis gathered in Tel Aviv Saturday evening, protesting proposed legislation granting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu immunity from prosecution on a series of corruption charges.

The protesters outside the city’s Museum of Art also called for protecting Israel’s democratic identity against government overreach.

The rally, titled “Defensive Shield for Democracy,” was organized by the new Blue and White opposition party a month after losing the election to Netanyahu, who was re-elected to his fourth successive term as prime minister. Party leader Benny Gantz, in a Channel 12 interview aired earlier in the day, claimed the Israeli leader was “behaving like a sultan” and that his coalition partners were like lambs.

Initially only the Labor and Meretz parties were invited to address the rally, but later in the day Gantz also included the two largest Arab parties, Hadash-Ta’al and Ra’am Balad. Before the election, Gantz labeled the Arab parties “irrelevant,” saying, “I don’t intend to cooperate with those who go against the State of Israel.”

Addressing the rally, Yair Lapid, the Blue and White party’s number two, compared Netanyahu’s efforts to consolidate his power to Turkey’s authoritarian President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

“We won’t let you be Erdogan. We won’t have a Turkish dictator. We won’t allow it,” Lapid said, addressing Netanyahu.

Some demonstrators wore Ottoman-style fez hats, a reference to Turkey, and waved Israeli flags and banners calling for “keeping Israel free.”

The demonstrators say Netanyahu’s incoming coalition is pushing for legislation to shield him from prosecution and is looking to restrict the power of the Supreme Court. Netanyahu is in the final stages of forming a new coalition government.

“We are not your subjects. We won’t let you destroy the Supreme Court. You are not above the law,” Lapid told the crowds.

Netanyahu has until October to face a pre-trial hearing after Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit announced in February his intention to indict the leader on charges of fraud, breach of trust and bribery in three criminal cases.

“We will fight and we won’t let up until we save democracy until we save Israel… the entire opposition will be united in this,” said MK Ofer Shelah from Blue and White party.

Thousands of people waved Israeli flags and signs with slogans such as “One people, one law”. (WIN & AP)

Read more at: worldisraelnews.com

John Walker Lindh Released from Prison After 17 Years; Fought Alongside Taliban in Afghanistan  

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John Walker Lindh, the former jihadi dubbed the “American Taliban,” was released from prison Thursday after completing 17 years of a 20-year sentence for supporting the Afghan insurgent group.

By: Masood Farivar

The first American detainee in the U.S. war on terror, Lindh, now 38, was captured in late 2001 while fighting alongside the Taliban in Afghanistan. He was later taken back to the U.S., where he pleaded guilty to two terrorism related charges.

The Californian is among at least 427 individuals who have been charged with jihadi terrorism or related crimes since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, according to the think tank New America. Nearly a hundred have been freed, with up to 90 more approaching the end of their prison terms in the next five years, said Jesse Morton, a convicted ex-jihadi who runs Parallel Networks, a group that works with former extremists.

That has rekindled a debate over how to reintegrate former American jihadis into society. Unlike other Western nations, the U.S. has no rehabilitation programs for former jihadists, leaving them largely to their own devices.

Lindh’s case has drawn attention in part because of concern he continues to harbor radical Islamist views. At his sentencing in 2002, Lindh denounced terrorism and said the attacks of Sept. 11 were against the teachings of Islam. But U.S. counterterrorism officials have assessed in recent years that his views haven’t changed. A 2017 National Counterterrorism Center document obtained by Foreign Policy magazine stated that as of May 2016, Lindh “continued to advocate for global jihad and to write and translate violent extremist texts.”

Lindh will remain on supervised release for the next three years, barred by a federal judge from communicating with known extremists, viewing extremist online content, possessing internet capable devices, traveling internationally without prior approval.

Morton said his organization reached out to Lindh to offer reintegration services but hasn’t received a response.

A convert to Islam, Morton co-founded Revolution Muslim, a group that propagandized and recruited on behalf of al-Qaida online and on the streets of New York from 2006-2011. He spent nearly four years in prison after pleading guilty to inciting attacks against the creators of “South Park” and agreeing to cooperate with the FBI. (VOA)

 

Massive Wildfires Sweep Israel Day After Palestinians Launch 10 Arson Balloons

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Wildfires raged in Israel on Thursday amid a major heatwave, with police ordering the evacuation of several communities in the country’s center and south.

Edited by: JV Staff

Firefighters battled brushfires along the Gaza boundary, as well as near the country’s main international airport and outside Jerusalem on Thursday, according to an AP report. A major Tel Aviv-Jerusalem highway was also closed to traffic because of the fire.

A spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed “incendiary balloons launched by Hamas” for fires near the Gaza Strip in southern Israel.

AP reported that Gaza terrorists floated at least 10 incendiary balloons into Israel on Wednesday, and in response, Israeli authorities reduced Gaza’s fishing zone from 15 nautical miles to 10.

An Israeli police official told Hebrew media that a fire had almost completely destroyed the village of Mevo Modi’im — a community founded by the late classic Jewish singer and songwriter Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, of blessed memory.

Israel and the region are gripped by a major heatwave, with temperatures around the country reaching 100 F (38 C) and higher.

Netanyahu instructed the Foreign Ministry and Public Security Ministry to seek firefighting aircraft from abroad to help battle the blazes, a spokesman for the premier’s office said.

Residents of the nearby town of Gimzo evacuated Torah scrolls from the community synagogue as the flames approached.

Police said emergency services were still working to bring the fires under control and had no immediate indication of their cause. On Wednesday evening, Israelis marked the joyful Jewish holiday of Lag Ba’Omer with bonfires. Lag B’Omer commemorates the yahrzeit of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, the author of the Zohar, which explores the mystical teachings of the Torah.

For 12 years, Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai and his son hid out in a cave to escape the Roman decree to kill him. Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai was highly critical of the Roman rule in the land of Israel and as a result the Roman authorities targeted him for persecution. While in the cave in the northern Galilee, G-d caused an open miracle to occur when a stream of water and a carob tree suddenly appeared, which provided for the physical sustenance of the Rashbi and his son as they dedicated their days and nights to learning Torah and praying.

A massive forest fire in 2010 burned for four days on northern Israel’s Mount Carmel, claiming 44 lives and destroying around 12,000 acres, much of it woodland. (AP)

India’s Modi Wins Elections in a Landslide; Pro-BDS Parties Eliminated

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Pro-Israel Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has won the elections in a landslide, while anti-Israel elements have essentially been wiped off the political map. Photo by Avi Ohayon/GPO on 23 May, 2019

Pro-Israel Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has won the elections in a landslide, while anti-Israel elements have essentially been wiped off the political map.

By: Aryeh Savir

According to the latest polls, Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won well over 300 seats, taking the majority in the parliament.

The opposition, led by the Congress Party and Rahul Gandhi, is ahead in fewer than 100.

Some 8,000 candidates and some 670 political parties ran in the six-week-long voting process that involved 600 million people.

This is the first time in 50 years that an Indian leader wins a second term.

Relations between Israel and India have warmed up considerably in recent years, especially since Modi took office.

Modi is responsible for the tectonic shift in the country’s foreign policy, a fundamental departure from India’s traditional support of the Arabs to an alliance with Israel.

Prime Ministers Netanyahu and Modi met at the UN in September 2014, the first such meeting in over a decade. Netanyahu last visited India in January 2018, reciprocating Modi’s visit to the Jewish State in July 2017.

In the meantime, the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) was almost eliminated in the elections.

AIKS, the largest national organization representing farmers in India, announced in October 2017 that it endorsed the BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement) and boycotts against Israel until it “complies with international law, in order to stand for the rights of the Palestinian people and to resist the corporate takeover of the Indian agriculture sector by Israeli companies.”

AIKS is a communist organization that is spread across 21 states in India and is over 16 million members.

Similarly, the Communist-Marxist party in the Indian state of Bengal, which ruled for over four decades and was a supporter of anti-Israel elements, has also suffered its worst defeat in 50 years.

Lev Eran, an expert on Israel-Indian relations, explained that elections results are really good news for Israel, and that while the relations between the two countries are close, they can grow even closer.

India has shifted from voting against Israel at the United Nations to abstaining in such resolutions. It can still move to support Israel.

Furthermore, India condemned the US’ relocation of its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem a year ago. Modi can shift his support for such a move. (TPS)

The Jewish Voice Joins the Sephardic Community in Brooklyn in Mourning the Passing of Our Beloved Julie Dweck, a’h

By
Administrator
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JULIE DWECK

It is with great sorrow that the Jewish Voice announces the passing of our highly esteemed community member, dear friend and Aishet Chayil, Julie Dweck, a’h.

Julie Dweck was the beloved wife of Haim Dweck, a’h and the adored mother of Sam (Sonny) Dweck, Frieda (Cookie) Dweck, Marvin Dweck and Robert Dweck.

Her loss leaves an aching void in the hearts of her children and their families as well as profound sadness in the hearts of all who had the distinct pleasure of knowing Julie.

She was an indomitable spirit, a woman of genuine kindness and compassion and a paradigm of true Emunah in Hashem.

Julie was also the sister of Rae Dweck, a’h, Sam Betesh, a’h, Bob Betesh, a’h, Violet Sutton, a’h, Joe Betesh, a’h and Linda Falack.

May Julie’s precious neshoma have an aliya in Gan Eden and may she always be a melitzes yashara for her family and the entire community.

May Hashem console her family amongst the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem and may her memory always be for a special blessing.

COJO of Staten Island Congratulates Capt Bruce Ceparano on his Appointment as Commanding Officer of Pct. 121

By
Sholom Schreirber
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Rabbi Mendy Mirocznik, president COJO-SI congratulating Captain Bruce Ceparano, the newly appointed Commanding Officer of Pct. 121

Rabbi Mendy Mirocznik, president of COJO-SI declared that, “Pct. 121 is fortunate to have Captain Ceparano, a veteran officer as its new Commanding Officer” and that, “Captain Ceparano is joining a great team headed by Chief Kenneth Corey, the Staten Island Borough Commander. We at COJO-SI look forward in working and in collaborating with Captain Ceparano on quality of life issues in further enhancing Staten Island as a great place to live, work and raise a family.”

 

 

 

 

A Unifier Prevails in Special Election: Farah Louis Emerges Victorious in Bklyn’s 45th City Council District Race

By
Sholom Schreirber
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Councilwoman-Elect Farah Louis

In a special election that was held on May 14th, Farah Louis, a fresh, new face on the Brooklyn political scene was resoundingly elected to the NYC council, representing the 45th council district in the heart of Kings County.  Ms. Louis has now assumed the seat on the city council that was vacated by Jumaane Williams when he was elected as the city’s new Public Advocate several months ago.

Ms. Louis ran on a platform predicated on the values of respect for racial, cultural and religious diversity, as well as the preservation of individual rights, freedoms and community unity. She was represented on the ballot on the United 45 ticket.

“This very special community, this amazing city council district, is comprised of a vast array of minorities and nationalities. We are exceptionally proud to say that living among us are our brothers and sisters from Jamaica, Trinidad, Haiti and all over the Caribbean. We wholeheartedly embrace the richness and beauty that all cultures bring to our community; Jewish, Christian and Muslim. We are also incredibly proud of those of the Muslim and Jewish faith in which we share our lives on a daily basis. They are our esteemed friends and neighbors and we have gained so much from their remarkable faith and their drive to enhance and improve the lives of every constituent in the district, “ said Ms. Louis at her victory address.

Unity in Action Team Visits Israel in July of 2018

Addressing her supporters at her victory party subsequent to her election to the city council, Ms. Louis added that her decision to “throw her hat in the ring” and seek elected office was due to the inspiration she received on a recent trip to Israel. “It was while I was immersed in prayer at Jerusalem’s Western Wall did I decide to continue to dedicate my life to public service and try to help as many people as I can,“ she added.

She said that what she learned while visiting a large number of various religious sites in Israel that played a paramount role in the growth of Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism was that each religion has an incredible amount of wisdom and faith to add to this world. Ms. Louis took note of the fact that people can overcome differences in terms of belief systems and can find common ground in which to coalesce and improve the quality of life for all of us.

Ms. Louis had spent 10 days in Israel last summer with the Unity in Action team led by “The Bridge” founder, Mark Meyer Appel. Upon her victory, Mr. Appel said, “Farah is a true leader and I am sure her call for unity and her strong commitment to social and economic justice will make us all very proud to have her represent our district in the city council.”

The electoral results confirmed that Louis received 42 percent of the votes in the 45th city council district. She earned 3861 votes out of a total 9,235 ballots cast with more than 99 percent of scanners counted by Wednesday morning, May 15th.

The 45th city council district includes parts of the Flatbush, East Flatbush, Flatlands, Midwood, Canarsie and Marine Park sections of Brooklyn.

In terms of hands on experience in city government, polls indicated that what impressed voters about Ms. Louis was her firm commitment to making the daily lives of her constituents better in a multitude of ways. Said one voter, who chose to remain anonymous, “While I really admired the slate of candidates who ran for this position, I felt that Ms. Louis really had her finger on the pulse of the people in this community. She had a precise understanding of what they desired to improve the quality of their lives and she offered real and workable platforms in which people could progress both professionally and personally. I think she gained this awareness from her prior experience in city government. I might also add that her knowledge of how government can help the people was simply remarkable.”

Ms. Louis served as the deputy chief of staff for six years for former city councilman Jumaane Williams as did former staffer Monique Chandler-Waterman, who came in second with 2,790 votes, just north of 30 percent.

Mr. Williams sent his congratulations to Louis on her victory on social media.

“Congratula­tions to @FarahNLouis Councilmember of the 45th District,” he wrote on Twitter.

The two front runners soared ahead of the other candidates, with Jovia Radix — daughter of New York Supreme Court judge Sylvia Hinds-Radix — coming in third at a mere nine percent of the vote and 849 ballots cast.

The councilwoman-elect garnered the backing of multiple political heavyweights including NYS Assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte (D-Flatbush), who labored assiduously to unite the community in support of Ms. Louis.  Additionally, Ms. Louis had the support of the NYPD union of the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association, Assemblywoman Helene Weinstein (D-Flatlands), and the late former city councilman Lew Fidler. Ms. Louis also received the full-throated support from Councilman Chaim Deutsch and Councilman Kalman Yeger who campaigned with alacrity for Ms. Louis in the Jewish community, along with the Flatbush Jewish Coalition.

Louis also received the endorsement of powerful Brooklyn Democratic Party boss Frank Seddio, who had previously thrown his support behind the campaign for Public Advocate that Jumaane Williams waged.

Among the many planks in her party platform, Ms. Louis campaigned on stemming the displacement of locals by a new wave of developers.  She has advocated for what she calls “contextual zoning” – a concept that would mandate new buildings be built in accordance and in concert with the neighborhood’s existing character and building sizes.

Ms. Louis has also called for significant reforms in the federally-mandated formula of the Area Median Income for determining so-called “affordable housing”. She has said that such imperative reforms will serve to better reflect the composition of local communities.

Ms. Louis will serve out the remainder of the current term of the office and will soon be poised to revive her campaign in order to place her name on the ballot in the upcoming June primaries. Subsequently, the general election will be held in November for a two-year term ending in 2021.

Louis profusely thanked her team of volunteer supporters and those who cast their votes for her. She said that had it not been for their tireless efforts and the fact that each person threw their heart and soul into this campaign, she would not be celebrating a victory.

“This campaign has shown me the beauty, resiliency & power of this district,” she said on Twitter. “Every person who contributed, volunteered, voted & every person who offered a word of encouragement played an integral part in tonight’s outcome. It is my deepest honor to represent you on the city council.”

NYU Graduation Speaker Smears Trump, Israel

By
Administrator
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Speaking at the convocation ceremony for NYU's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Steven William Thrasher called President Donald Trump a "fascist," described Israel as an "apartheid" state, endorsed the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, and praised Occupy Wall Street. Photo Credit: Washington Free Beacon

A graduation speaker at New York University called President Donald Trump a “fascist,” described Israel as an “apartheid” state, endorsed the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, and praised Occupy Wall Street in a two-minute excerpt from his Monday speech.

By: Mikhael Smits

Speaking at the convocation ceremony for NYU’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Steven William Thrasher praised his fellow doctoral graduates for their fight against the various perceived evils.

“Many of us have been together at Occupy Wall Street, and at Black Lives Matter protests, and against that fascist in the White House,” Thrasher said to cheers.

When the applause quieted, Thrasher took aim at Israel, which hosts the largest pro-gay “Pride Parade” in the Middle East.

“I am so proud, so proud, of NYU’s chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voices for Peace,” he said, “for supporting the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement against the apartheid state government in Israel.”

The BDS movement targets Israeli organizations and companies doing business in Israel in an effort to weaken Israel economically and politically, forcing the Israeli government to change its policies. Israel is not an apartheid state.

In 2018, Northwestern University named Thrasher its inaugural Daniel H. Renberg Chair.

According to an announcement from Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications, Thrasher will “will focus on social justice in reporting, with an emphasis on issues relevant to the LGBTQ community.”

A campus newspaper story following the announcement stated Thrasher hopes to “establish programs and classes that examine media coverage of sexual and gender minorities.”

The Washington Free Beacon contacted Northwestern’s Medill School for its views on Thrasher’s comments and the BDS movement. It declined to comment.

During the Monday convocation ceremony, Thrasher placed his political causes at the center of the university’s mission.

“This is what we are called to do,” he said. “This is our NYU legacy, that we are connected in radical love.”

NYU awarded the Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) a Presidential Service Award earlier this year. SJP members around the country have engaged in physical violence, apologized for anti-semitic activity, and praised terrorists. Its funding comes heavily from organizations like American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), which has ties to Palestinian terror.

Thrasher previously received his bachelor’s degree in dramatic writing and film/TV production from NYU. In the interim, he worked as a journalist and at NBC’s Saturday Night Live. (Washington Free Beacon)

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