Facebook ‘Fact Checkers’ Punish and Censor Debate on Climate Science Katie Pavlich

https://townhall.com/columnists/katiepavlich/2021/05/20/facebook-fact-checkers-punish-and-censor-debate-on-climate-science-n2589647

Steven Koonin is one of the country’s top physicists. He worked for President Barack Obama, a Democrat, as Under Secretary for Science at the U.S. Department of Energy. Science Feedback, one of Facebook’s “independent fact-checkers,” is barring reviews about his book, “Unsettled: What Climate Science Tells Us, What It Doesn’t and Why It Matters,” and classifying its content as false. 

“Mr. Koonin is no ‘climate denier,’ to use the concocted phrase used to shut down debate,” The Wall Street Journal writes in a review of the book. “The word ‘denier’ is of course meant to associate skeptics of climate alarmism with Holocaust deniers. Mr. Koonin finds this label particularly abhorrent, since ‘the Nazis killed more than two hundred of my relatives in Eastern Europe.’ As for ‘denying,’ Mr. Koonin makes it clear, on the book’s first page, that ‘it’s true that the globe is warming, and that humans are exerting a warming influence upon it.'”

“The heart of the science debate, however, isn’t about whether the globe is warmer or whether humanity contributed,” The Wall Street Journal continues. “The important questions are about the magnitude of civilization’s contribution and the speed of changes; and, derivatively, about the urgency and scale of governmental response. Mr. Koonin thinks most readers will be surprised at what the data show. I dare say they will.”

Israel’s public relations outreach can’t combat Jew-hatred By Ruthie Blum    

https://www.jpost.com/opinion/israels-hasbara-cant-combat-jew-hatred-opinion-668708

As has been the case during every war forced on the Jewish state by enemies bent on its destruction, Israel’s ostensibly poor public-diplomacy performance is currently a topic of heated debate. No TV panel is complete without a discussion on the discrepancy between the country’s prowess plus “purity of arms” on the battlefield and its hasbara flop.

Ironically, it’s one issue on which even politically diverse pundits – other than those who agree with their counterparts abroad that Israel deserves every military and rhetorical attack it gets – seem to agree. The only real distinction between them is where they place the blame for the sorry situation.

But even this generally enjoys consensus, with the main target being – what else? – the government. It’s the Israeli public’s go-to culprit for all internal and external ills, after all.

As prime minister for the past 12 years, Benjamin Netanyahu is thus treated to the lion’s share of the finger-pointing. Today, with fruitless coalition negotiations leading to a feared fifth round of Knesset elections, the so-called “absence of a government” is also faulted.

Some critics argue that Israel’s difficulty in countering hostile press coverage and Twitter blitzes is due to the clipping of the Foreign Ministry’s budget and wings, with embassies around the world short-staffed. And this isn’t even taking into account that Gilad Erdan is serving two crucial ambassadorships, to the United Nations and the United States, simultaneously.

Will Vaccine Passports be America’s Version of Yellow Badges? By Janet Levy

https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2021/05/will_vaccine_passports_be_americas

With millions of Americans vaccinated against COVID-19, a national debate now rages over “vaccine passports” (or vaxxports) that privilege those who have taken “the jab.” These proofs of immunization take the form of a smartphone app with a personalized QR code. Those favoring such digital certification say it makes us “safer” as a society and hastens a return to pre-pandemic normalcy. But critics liken it to China’s social scoring system (Social Credit System) aimed at rewarding those who conform and punishing those who don’t. They decry it as government overreach, invasion of privacy, and curtailment of personal freedom. They believe Americans shouldn’t be required to show proof of vaccination or reveal personal information to go about their daily lives. Anti-vaxxport protesters in California’s Orange County – who are on the frontlines in this battle – even had a placard saying “‘Show Your Papers’ is a Nazi Plan.”

The Biden administration ushered in the vaxxport program deviously, freeing itself of accountability and letting private companies in tune with it to implement the agenda. The idea was floated as a trial balloon with a statement by White House press secretary Jen Psaki: “There will be no federal vaccinations database and no federal mandate requiring everyone to obtain a single vaccination credential.” But by adding that “the development of a vaccine passport, or whatever you want to call it, will be driven by the private sector,” Psaki admitted that the policy would be enforced by private companies.

The effort is spearheaded by the usual suspects – Microsoft, Oracle, the Commons Project (a Rockefeller Foundation-funded non-profit that is part of the World Economic Forum), and other corporations committed to global vaccination certification. They claim to follow an “equitable and privacy-preserving approach to verifiable data sharing.” Their project, the Vaccination Credential Initiative – a coalition of more than 300 healthcare and technology groups – is working on the upcoming implementation of a SMART health card that stores vital medical data, including vaccination records. But such record-keeping systems are at risk. In 2019, a University of California test found the healthcare reporting mechanism vulnerable to cyberattacks, data privacy breaches, and even data manipulation that could result in patient injury or death.

Withholding Weapons from Israel Makes the US Weak Shoshana Bryen

https://www.jewishpolicycenter.org/insight/

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and a group of like-minded colleagues want to sink the proposed $735-million sale of a Boeing-built arms guidance kit to Israel.  The Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) kit converts unguided or “dumb” bombs into precision-guided munitions.  The goal, according to Politico, is “leverage to push the Israelis to drop their resistance to a ceasefire.”

In fact, Israel’s resistance is not to a ceasefire, but to the continued rocket attacks by Hamas into Israeli civilian centers.  The Biden administration has no leverage at all with Hamas and is pushing desperately for an Iran deal, which precludes asking Iran to rein in its Hamas terror-proxy.  For America to consider punishing Israel is nasty at best and counterproductive of AOC’s stated goal at worst.  Would she prefer that Israel use “dumb” bombs to defend itself and its people?

We’ve seen this before.

In 2009, Barak Obama’s administration blocked delivery of six Apache helicopters to Israel on the grounds that Israel might use them in Gaza.

During Israel’s 2014 response to Hamas rockets and mortars fired into Israel, President Obama accused Israel of “heavy-handed battlefield tactics” and halted the supply of Hellfire missiles.  Military equipment supplied to Israel would also have to be vetted individually in the White House instead of shipped by the Pentagon according to prior agreements.  The irony of withholding precision missiles — precision being the operative word — was lost on the White House.

The Squad Enables Pelosi’s Massive Capitol Police Spending Bill While Cynically Feigning Opposition Three Squad members — all of whom recently chanted “Defund the Police” — had the power to kill a $1.9 billion increase in Capitol Police and security spending. Instead, they ensured its passage. Glenn Greenwald

https://greenwald.substack.com/p/the-squad-enables-pelosis-massive?token=e

By a margin of one vote, the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday approved a bill that allocates $1.9 billion to intensify security and increase policing at the U.S. Capitol. Among other things, the bill would boost armed security for members of Congress, fortify security protections at the Capitol, provide funds in “reimbursement” to the National Guard, and increase funding for the Capitol Police. A small portion of it would provide counseling services to Capitol Police officers dealing with trauma.

The 213-212 vote was a party line vote with six exceptions. All Republicans voted against it. All Democrats voted for the bill except for six. Three members of the left-wing faction of the House known as the “Squad” joined their GOP colleagues to vote against the bill: Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO), and Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA). But the other three members of the Squad — Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) — voted neither “yes” nor “no” but rather “present.” All six had previously told activist groups that they opposed the bill.

Europe: Anti-Israel Protests Descend into Anti-Semitism by Soeren Kern

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/17389/europe-anti-semitism-protests

The current crisis of anti-Semitism is a testament to the failure of European multiculturalism, which is making Jewish life in Europe increasingly unviable.

“Open, disgusting hatred of Jews and Israel, but not only: It was also hatred of our free, tolerant democracy.” — Peter Wilke, correspondent, Bild.

“It is astonishing that, only 76 years after the Shoah, many people fail to understand that the Jewish state cannot accept a threat to its existence without being able to defend itself. The anti-Semitic attacks of the past few days have once again made it clear how fragile Jewish life is in Germany.” — Andrei Kovacs, managing director, “321-2021: 1700 Years of Jewish Life in Germany.”

“Angela Merkel’s refugee policy, which no longer bothers to identify true war refugees, has imported hundreds of thousands of times an ideology that focuses on the Jew as an eternal enemy… Too many streets were in the hands of people at the weekend who want a different Germany, a country without Jews.” — Julian Reichelt, editor-in-chief, Bild.

“A large part of this mob consists of people who came here as refugees and brought their hatred of Jews with them and continued to expand it here.” — Michal Kornblum, German commentator.

“German politicians have not understood that immigration from Iraq and Syria, from the Arab countries, also brings more anti-Semitism to Germany. Anyone who says that is immediately branded as right wing and there is no fair discussion or debate about it.” — German-Egyptian political scientist and author Hamed Abdel-Samad, Die Welt.

“In the end, not even schools can talk about anti-Semitism or the Middle East conflict. Or about Erdogan or about Islamism. Even at universities, Muslim students refuse to speak about such topics. Universities should be a safe haven for opinions. But for many Muslim students, universities are now safe spaces from opinions and criticism, even though that is where we have to start.” — German-Egyptian political scientist and author Hamed Abdel-Samad, Die Welt.

“This isn’t about Gaza. We’ve never seen such hate after any Western action in Syria or Afghanistan. No British crowds marching through malls to protest airstrikes in Iraq. This is bigotry in its most ugly, rawest form. Gaza is an excuse to find a socially acceptable way to publicly express Jew-hatred while pretending that your hate is righteous…. Arab persecution of Palestinians is ignored by the anti-Israel crowd as well.” — Elder of Zion blog.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrations in cities across Europe have descended into unrestrained orgies of anti-Semitism after protesters opposed to Israeli military action in the Gaza Strip openly called for the destruction of Israel and death to Jews.

The protesters, numbering in the tens-to-the-hundreds of thousands, include a hodgepodge of anarchists, hard-left anti-Israel activists and immigrants from the Middle East and North Africa. Many demonstrators — carrying flags of Muslim countries, including Algeria, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Tunisia, Turkey and Syria, as well as the green flag of the Islamist terrorist group Hamas and the black flag of global Jihad — have shouted Islamist chants such as ‘Allahu Akhbar’ (‘Allah is the Greatest’), and have openly called for Jews to be murdered or raped.

MY SAY: MAY 1948 A MONTH TO REMEMBER

Only three years after the end of the Holocaust when the world was still reeling with horror  at the murder of one of every three Jews in the world, despair led to hope when President Harry Truman formally recognized the state of Israel.

On May 12th, President Truman heard his top advisers in the White House advisers at the White House. Clark Clifford made the case for recognition. Secretary of State George Marshall led the opposition, saying he couldn’t vote for President Truman if he pursued recognition. President Truman weighed personal, political and strategic concerns. On May 14th he acted. America recognized the new state of Israel.

This was an ultimate answer to the prayers of millions who died with the words “Hear oh Israel.”

Israel heard and the world heard and the Arabs heard and attacked the newborn state with blood curdling threats of annihilation.

Some things never change…..rsk

MORE HEADLINES MAY 20, 2021

AIPAC urges Congress, White House to ‘unequivocally’ stand by Israel https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/aipac-urges-congress-white-house-to-unequivocally-stand-by-israel/
Democrats Really Hate Jews https://townhall.com/columnists/derekhunter/2021/05/18/democrats-really-hate-jews-n2589582
Is Biden Another Neville Chamberlain? https://townhall.com/columnists/olivernorth/2021/05/18/is-biden-another-neville-chamberlain-n2589601?
Meet the Team of Israel-Haters Joe Biden Has Assembled https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/robert-spencer/2021/05/17/meet-the-team-of-israel-haters-joe-biden-has-assembled-n1447402
AP torched for claiming they were unaware of Hamas intel operation in their building: ‘Difficult to believe’ https://www.foxnews.com/media/ap-torched-for-claiming-they-were-unaware-of-hamas-intel-operation-building-difficult-believe
Pompeo says evidence suggests coronavirus originated from Wuhan lab, risk of bioterror ‘very real’ https://www.foxnews.com/politics/pompeo-coronavirus-wuhan-china

Why Does the Left Hate Israel? Hating Israel has become the surrogate Western way of hating itself. By Victor Davis Hanson

https://amgreatness.com/2021/05/19/why-does-the-left-hate-israel/

As over 3,000 rockets are fired into Israel by Hamas, the establishment of the Democratic Party seems paralyzed over how to respond to the latest Middle East war. 

It is not just that they fear that the squad, Black Lives Matter, the shock troops of Antifa, and the woke institutions such as professional sports, academia, and the media are now unapologetically anti-Israel. 

They are in terror also that anti-Israelism is becoming synonymous with rank anti-Semitism. And soon the Democratic Party will end up disdained as much as was the British Labour Party under Jeremy Corbyn. 

The new core of the Democrats, as emblemized by Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), has in the past questioned the patriotism of American Jews who support Israel, and often has had to apologize for puerile anti-Semitic rants. 

The Left in general believes we should judge harshly even the distant past without exemptions. Why then, in venomous, knee-jerk fashion, does it fixate on a nation born from the Holocaust, while favoring Israel’s enemies, who were on the side of the Nazis in World War II? 

It was not just that the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Amin al-Husseini, was a Nazi sympathizer. Egypt, for example, welcomed ex-Nazis for their hatred of Jews and their military expertise—whether the infamous death camp doctor Aribert Ferdinand Heim or Waffen-SS henchman Otto Skorzeny. The Hamas charter still reads like it is cribbed from Hitler’s Mein Kampf. 

The Left claims it champions consensual government and believes the United States must use its soft power clout to isolate autocracies. But the Palestinian Authority and Hamas refuse to hold free and regularly scheduled elections. If an Israeli strong man ever suspended free elections and ruled through brutality, U.S. aid would be severed within days. 

If history and democratic values cannot explain fully the hatred of Israel on the Left, perhaps human rights violations do. But here too there is another radical asymmetry. Arab Israeli citizens enjoy far greater constitutional protections than do Arabs living under either the Palestinian Authority or Hamas. 

Is the Left bothered by the allies of Hamas? After all, most are autocracies such as Iran, North Korea, China, and Russia. 

We return then to other reasons for the woke furor directed toward Israel. 

Biden Praises Rashida Tlaib As She Pushes Antisemitic BDS Movement During Conflict By Tristan Justice

President Joe Biden praised Michigan Democrat Rep. Rashida Tlaib during his latest trip to the Midwestern state this week, as the member of “the squad” demands divestment from Israel during conflict with Hamas.
https://thefederalist.com/2021/05/19/biden-praises-rashida-tlaib-as-she-pushes-antisemitic-bds-movement-during-conflict/

“I want to say to you that I admire your intellect, I admire your passion, and I admire your concern for so many other people,” Biden said at a Ford plant in Dearborn. “You’re a fighter, and God thank you for being a fighter.”

On the same trip, Tlaib confronted Biden on the airport tarmac in Detroit and reportedly demanded the president condemn Israel and support the Palestinians. Biden’s approach as Israel faces its worst attacks in years from the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas has remained largely muted, with the president only saying he hopes the conflict comes to a quick end while professing the Jewish state’s right to self-defense.

On Wednesday, Biden told Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the White House expected “a significant de-escalation today” to reach a ceasefire.