RUTHFULLY YOURS

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/14627/arrow-missile-test-alaska

Hitting a missile with a missile is what we do.

American and Israeli missile technology, missile capabilities and production capabilities are closely interwoven. They can be because our defense goals are interwoven. The ability to defend civilians from an enemy — regardless of the weapon the enemy brings to the battlefield — is the first and highest priority of both governments.

At the edge of Alaska, Israeli and American cooperation and coordination produced another test of a more humane way for “free people to rest secure.” Just watch out for those rogue amendments.

The recent Arrow 3 missile test in Alaska, announced on Sunday, was nearly taken out by a rogue. Not a rogue missile, mind you, but a rogue amendment to the to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Earlier this month, Congresswoman Lois Frankel (D-FL) proposed the following language:

“None of the funds authorized to be appropriated by this Act or otherwise made available for the Department of Defense for fiscal year 2020 may be made available for the research, development, testing, evaluation, procurement, or deployment of a United States shorter- or intermediate-range ground launched ballistic or cruise missile system with a range between 500 and 5,500 kilometers…”

The prohibition was aimed at the Trump administration’s decision to withdraw the United States from the Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. But according to one analyst:

(It) would prohibit funding for the U.S.-Israeli cooperative Arrow-3 missile defense interceptor and also severely impact the planning, execution, and evaluation of flight test of the United States Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS), integrated testing with friends and allies… The U.S.-Israeli cooperative Arrow-3 missile defense interceptor would be subject to the prohibition in the amendment and as a result the Missile Defense Agency would be unable to provide (funding) as required by the U.S.-Israeli Memorandum of Understanding…

https://saraacarter.com/israel-demolishes-illegal-buildings-international-leaders-media-demolish-truth/?

Last week Israel demolished 13 illegally built buildings which were being erected by Arab Palestinians. Arab leaders screamed “war crimes” and “ethnic cleansing.” That the denunciations were absurd and based on utterly false predicates had no impact on the international response. In a perfect Pavlovian chorus, the media amplified the hysteria, followed by the United Nations the EU and other European leaders who claimed Israel’s action was akin to the destruction of peace in the Middle East. Only the refusal of the United States to join in the lynch mob prevented a formal UN Security Council measure against Israel.

But the real outrage was not Israel’s action in demolishing the buildings. The audacity, and the sloppiness, of the international media and international political leadership is the real outrage.

Because as anyone can see by reading the Israel Supreme Court opinion authorizing these demolitions, every single material “fact” asserted by these outraged protectors of the peace process is wrong:
– The land on which the buildings stood is not under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority, but, as explicitly provided by the Oslo Accords, under the jurisdiction, for security purposes, of the Government of Israel
– Instead it was included inside Israel’s security barrier at the request of the very Arabs who are now complaining;
– The Arab complainants had the benefit of years of due process, which they flaunted by continuously disobeying orders of the Israeli courts that required both the Army and the Arabs to maintain the status quo until the courts could assess the legal merits of the Arabs’ claims;
– The Arabs chose to build right up against Israel’s security barrier even though they had clear notice that such construction was illegal because it impeded the Israeli army’s ability to defend Israel’s citizenry from Arab terrorist attacks.
The fact that these realities are completely ignored by all of the outraged international “authorities” is a disgrace.

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/14620/palestinians-freedom-of-expression

The [Palestinian Committee for Supporting Journalists] revealed that there has been a “marked increase in violations against journalists by the Palestinian security forces in recent months” and said that it has documented more than 104 trespasses since the beginning of 2019.

Thus far, however, the new Palestinian government has dashed these hopes for basic journalistic freedom.

The continued crackdown on public freedoms under the Palestinian Authority means one of two things — both of which are bad news: either the prime minister has no real control over the Palestinian security forces, or he truly cares nothing about freedom of expression and unimpeded journalistic jurisdiction. Neither scenario bodes well for the future of human rights for Palestinians.

During a meeting with a Human Rights Watch (HRW) delegation last week, Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh promised that no Palestinian will be arrested or prosecuted for exercising his or her freedom of expression.

“Freedom of expression is a sacred right for every citizen,” Shtayyeh was quoted as saying. “The government has guaranteed citizens the right to express their opinion through constructive criticism, whether in terms of social media or websites.”

Only one day before Shtayyeh assured the HRW delegation that his government would not crack down on Palestinians for expressing their views, however, Palestinian security forces in the West Bank arrested journalist and political activist Thaer al-Fakhoury, 30, for allegedly “vilifying the public authority.”

Fakhoury’s lawyer, Hijazi Obeido, said that his client had gone on a hunger strike after his incarceration. “The Palestinian Preventive Security Force summoned the journalist for an interview and arrested him immediately after his arrival,” Obeido said. “Last Wednesday, he his detention was extended for four days, and not 15 days as requested by the prosecutor-general, due to his health condition.”

The lawyer continued that al-Fakhoury, a resident of the West Bank city of Hebron, had remarked during a court hearing that he was being interrogated about a video he allegedly posted on social media. The video reportedly mentions the names of Palestinians who work with the Palestinian security forces, the lawyer added. The journalist has denied any connection to the video.

http://verygoodnewsisrael.blogspot.com/

ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS

How to stop melanoma turning lethal. Tel Aviv University researchers have discovered that fat cells close to melanoma cells cause them to become aggressive and form secondary cancers. Removing the fat cells, calms down the melanoma cells and they stop migrating to the organs. The study also suggests new cancer treatments.

https://www.israel21c.org/israelis-discover-way-to-prevent-melanoma-turning-lethal/

The microbiome impact on ALS. (TY UWI)  A study by researchers at Israel’s Weizmann Institute shows intestinal microbes can have a direct effect on the course of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS / Lou Gehrig’s disease).  Certain strains of gut microbes (or their secretions) slowed ALS-like diseases in the lab.

https://www.israel21c.org/major-study-shows-gut-microbes-may-impact-course-of-als/

https://www.timesofisrael.com/treatment-with-gut-microbes-may-slow-progression-of-als-israeli-study/

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-019-1443-5

Early warning of TB danger. Some 2 million people die of Tuberculosis (TB) every year. Scientists at Israel’s Weizmann Institute have developed an algorithm that can predict those whose immune system response to TB infection would put them at risk. These people can then be treated while the level of TB bacteria is low.

https://wis-wander.weizmann.ac.il/life-sciences/first-impressions-go-long-way-immune-system

AI to detect sleep apnea. An international research team led by the Technion–Israel Institute of Technology has developed innovative, Artificial Intelligence-based software to detect obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), in which people stop breathing during their sleep. The software can be implanted on a smart watch or bracelet.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-led-research-team-develops-ai-based-model-to-detect-sleep-apnea/ 

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(19)30093-8/fulltext

VR for the elderly. Many elderly Israelis wear Virtual Reality (VR) goggles, not only to have fun, but also to maintain health. Israeli startup VRHealth’s VR therapy platform provides real-time data analytics and warn of neurodegenerative conditions such as dementia. It can also jog memory, reduce stress and counter loneliness.

http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-11/10/c_137597513.htm

Medtronic partners Israeli stroke detection startup. I reported previously (see here) on Israel’s Viz.ai and its AI brain scan analysis technology. Viz.ai’s new partner is medical device giant Medtronic, who will distribute Viz.ai’s technology in the U.S.

https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3766812,00.html

Improving treatment results. Israel’s Well-Beat has developed an Artificial Intelligent system that improves the effectiveness of chronic treatment. It provides healthcare professionals with the tools to change their patients’ lifestyles plus communication and motivation techniques to help patients comply with the treatment.

https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3766801,00.html

Therapeutic farm for teens. The Nachliel farm in Samaria has rehabilitated hundreds of at-risk boys for over 20 years. They cultivate the land, ride horses, swim and catch fish. They learn to navigate, take care of themselves in difficult conditions and most importantly how to look after one another.

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/266060

The first seven minutes. Israeli emergency organization Magen David Adom has used its “First 7 Minutes” program to train over 3,000 people in 15 countries to respond to mass casualty events. These include Canada, Australia, South America, Italy, Switzerland, Holland, Belgium, Greece and now in the United States.

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/266256

https://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Antisemitism-anti-Zionism-and-the-occupation-596950

This has two parts: 1) the “occupation of Palestinian territory” and 2) the “occupation of Palestinian people.” Many in the international community and some Israelis, therefore, have accepted what they believe is a threat to Israeli democracy and a corrosive moral problem. But is the accusation true?

The first argument has been refuted extensively, the second has not.

Recently, Micah Goodman wrote in The Atlantic that Israel was guilty of the second offense, and offered a number of suggestions which would minimize this. He and others argue that Israel is guilty of a moral transgression – controlling the lives of “another people,” Palestinians. This resonates with many who are concerned about humanitarian, moral issues. 

Especially for Jews, if Israel is guilty of “stealing Palestinian land,” “depriving Palestinians of their civil and humanitarian rights,” and “persecuting” them, then opposition to Israeli policies is justified. 

For many, such as Senators Lindsey Graham and Cory Booker, and for Joe Biden, the “two-state solution” – an independent Palestinian state in Judea and Samaria – is the only reasonable alternative to what they call the “one-state” situation that now exists. Although simplistic, it is a persuasive argument because it seems to make sense: One nation (Israel) should not dominate another nation/people, the Palestinians.

Missing, however, is a fundamental question: Does Israel have the right, duty and obligation to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state which poses a threat, and to control the lives of Palestinians in order to protect itself? This raises an additional question: Is “the occupation” undermining Israeli democracy, its values and its society?

https://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Right-from-Wrong-Iran-Iran-Iran-and-Netanyahu-596824

This was by no means the first time that Netanyahu had pointed to the perils posed by Tehran’s race to acquire nuclear weapons, nor would it be his last.

Indeed, Netanyahu has been warning the world about Tehran’s global terrorist reach for so long that his speeches on the issue, both at home and abroad, have become a source of ridicule. Accusing him of fear-mongering as a ploy to stay in power, his detractors berate him for comparing the mullah-led regime’s evil hegemonic aspirations to those of the Nazis.

Yes, the very enemies who think nothing of comparing Netanyahu and his ally in the White House to Hitler have been downplaying the concrete danger that has been emanating from the Islamic Republic since its establishment 40 years ago – a menace that has escalated to alarming levels. Thanks to the “appeasement deal of the century,” otherwise known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA, pushed forth by a coalition of ostriches, led by former US president Barack Obama and his criminally negligent, if not outright criminal, administration.

Netanyahu’s repeated appeals to the so-called “international community” not to enter into a nuclear agreement favorable to Iran initially fell on deaf ears. But it did not deter him from his two-pronged approach: gathering and exposing intelligence about Tehran’s spinning centrifuges on one hand while launching limited military strikes against Iranian and proxy Hezbollah targets in Syria on the other.

I respectfully disagree…there is no point in a visit to Israel for those harridans . They will be shown Yad Vashem and come back and opine that America’s immigration policy mirrors concentration camps, and include several libels of Israel. I say “stay where you are” to the two harpies….rsk

Israel Ambassador to the USA, Ron Dermer, is correct to recommend welcoming a visit to Israel by House Representatives Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) – the first two US Muslim Congresswomen – “out of respect for the US Congress and the great US-Israel alliance.”

Israel’s high respect of both chambers and both parties in the US Congress supersedes Israel’s deep reservations about the two legislators’ support of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel; their identification with Palestinian and Islamic terror organizations (e.g., Muslim Brotherhood); their embrace of themes perpetrated by Palestinian hate-education, which have denied Israel’s right to exist; and their determination to weaken the 400-year-old bonds between the American people and the Jewish State, and undermine the mutually-beneficial US-Israel strategic cooperation. 

In fact, the worldview of these two legislators departs sharply from the vast majority of the legislators on Capitol Hill, as well as in the US State Legislatures, 27 of which have already adopted anti-BDS legislation. It was evident on July 23, 2019, when the US House of Representatives overwhelmingly (398:17) passed the anti-BDS House Resolution 246.