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April 2018

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MY SAY: ON ISRAEL

By on April 29th, 2018

My e-pal Michael Ordman sends a weekly compilation of good news from Israel. The accomplishments and the incredible contribution to the welfare of the entire world is dazzling. What can account for the proliferation of groups in the arts and academies that libel, defame and seek to boycott Israel, but benefit from all of Israel’s incredible technology and science? No answer, but in spite of it all Israel survives and thrives.

Here is what may be an apocryphal tale with the ring of truth:

In the late 19th century. Queen Victoria asked Prime Minister Disraeli the following question:

“Mr. Prime Minister, what evidence can you give me of the existence of God?”

Disraeli thought for a moment and then replied, “The Jew, your majesty.”

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WORLD NEWS Comments turned off

Facebook’s Censorship in Germany by Stefan Frank

By on April 29th, 2018

Marlene Weise was banned from Facebook for 30 days, for posting a set of two pictures: One showed the Iranian women’s national volleyball team from the 1970s, wearing t-shirts and shorts; the other, the current Iranian team, wearing hijabs and clothes that cover arms and legs.

“Does a law- and contract-abiding user have to acquiesce to companies like Facebook or Twitter deleting his content or banning him for it? The ruling is an important stage victory for the freedom of speech.” — Joachim Nikolaus Steinhöfel, attorney and anti-censorship activist.

A court in Berlin has issued a temporary restraining order against Facebook. Under the threat of a fine of 250,000 euros (roughly $300,000 USD) or a jail term, Facebook was obliged to restore a user’s comment that it had deleted. Moreover, the ruling prohibited the company from banning the user because of this comment.

This is the first time a German court has dealt with the consequences of Germany’s internet censorship law, which came into effect on October 1, 2017. The law stipulates that social media companies have to delete or block “apparent” criminal offenses, such as libel, slander, defamation or incitement, within 24 hours of receipt of a user complaint.

As many critics pointed out, this state censorship makes freedom of speech subject to the arbitrary decisions of corporate entities that are likely to censor more than absolutely necessary, rather than risk a crushing fine of up to 50 million euros ($65 million USD). According to a newspaper report, Facebook’s censors have just ten seconds to decide whether to delete a comment or not.

The case with which the court in Berlin had to deal was that on January 8, 2018, the Swiss daily Basler Zeitung posted an article with the title “Viktor Orban speaks of Muslim ‘invasion'” on its Facebook site. The blurb read:

“Viktor Orban wonders how in a country like Germany… chaos, anarchy and illegal crossing of borders can be celebrated as something good.”

Facebook user Gabor B. posted a comment:

“Germans are becoming increasingly stupid. No wonder, since the left-wing media litters them every day with fake news about ‘skilled workers,’ declining unemployment figures or Trump.”

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Has Pope Francis Read the Quran? by A. Z. Mohamed

By on April 29th, 2018

Pope Francis fails to differentiate between violence motivated by religious faith and violence committed by followers of all religions, but motivated by reasons having nothing to do with religion.

Among the main duties of the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church is to protect the Church’s followers, be empathic and understanding of their needs, and not deceive them into a condition of subjugation.

In his prayer during the Good Friday, Via Crucis (“Way of the Cross”), at the Colosseum in Rome, Pope Francis said that for many reasons, Christians ought to express shame for choosing power and money over God, and for the actions of those who are leaving future generations “a world shattered by divisions and wars, a world devoured by selfishness.”

The Pope’s statement follows a pattern that consists of a steady, firm defense of Islam and Muslims, and accusations against Western civilization and Christians. Pope Francis persistently confuses his audience by claiming that violent people belong to all religions and that all religions are religions of peace. He fails to differentiate between violence motivated by religious faith and violence committed by followers of all religions, but motivated by reasons having nothing to do with religion. His goal in this intricate confusion appears to be to negate any connection between Islamic teachings and violence committed by Muslims who themselves proclaim that they had been motivated by their Islamic faith to kill and terrorize. “Islam is a religion of peace, one which is compatible with respect for human rights and favours peaceful coexistence,” wrote Francis in his letter to the Christians in the Middle East in 2014. “Authentic Islam and the proper reading of the Koran are opposed to every form of violence” said Francis in his Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (2013).

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Islam contra the West: Surrender is not an option By Amil Imani

By on April 29th, 2018

Who are we? We are individuals dedicated to expose Islamic tyranny for what it is. There are not many of us. I am going to name just a few who have been on the front line to stop the incursion of the Islamic ideology in the West: Pamela Geller, Robert Spencer, Dr. Ali Sina, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Ibn Warraq, Brigitte Gabriel, and Geert Wilders come to mind, along with many others who have sacrificed the comforts of life just to sound the alarm, only to be mercilessly attacked by elements of the global left.

All of us have to constantly look over our collective shoulder to make sure the knife of an Islamic zealot doesn’t slash our throats as he aims to secure a posh place for himself in Allah’s paradise. Not a good feeling to have to live with, is it?

The potential killers take all the advantages this benign society and culture offer to implement their dastardly schemes, while people like us are virtual prisoners.

We have been challenged. They say, “You want us to go to war with 1.5 billion Muslims? Is that what you’re proposing we do?”

Not at all. We are peaceful, non-violent individuals. We despise wars and killings – the favorite activities of Muslims the world over and ever since the birth of their faith.

What we are saying is that Islam is at war with us and the free people of the world. We are saying we shouldn’t surrender. We should reject in no uncertain terms their historical ultimatum of aslam taslam (surrender, become Muslim, and you will have peace). We refuse to become Muslims. And no, thank you, we don’t want your peace. We should do all we can to defeat this menace.

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GOOD NEWS FROM AMAZING ISRAEL FROM MICHAEL ORDMAN

By on April 29th, 2018

ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS

New pathway to treat Parkinson’s. An Israeli-led international study has discovered that proteins called BMP5/7 are essential for the latest stem cell replacement therapy for Parkinson’s disease. The proteins help to stimulate the production of dopaminergic neurons, which Parkinson’s patients lack.
https://www.israel21c.org/cell-discovery-holds-out-promise-for-parkinsons-therapy/
http://www.jneurosci.org/content/38/7/1662

New vaccine for Alzheimer’s. Professor Eitan Okun at Israel’s Bar-Ilan University has developed a vaccine that primes the body to attack amyloid beta protein accumulations in the brain, one of the signature signs of Alzheimer’s disease. He is also working on early diagnosis using MRI detection of amyloid protein in the brain.
https://www.israel21c.org/israeli-scientist-working-on-alzheimers-vaccine/

US approval for stroke detection. I reported previously (28th Jan) that Israel’s Viz.ai had received the CE mark (European approval) for its brain scan analysis system for detecting strokes. Now the US FDA has also approved the system. http://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3736574,00.html

Treating bipolar depression. Tel Aviv University researchers have confirmed the effectiveness of bipolar depression sufferers combining mood stabilizers with anti-depressants. 81.7% of patients using both avoided re-hospitalization (for manic episodes), compared to only 57.6% of patients who did not receive the combination.
https://www.israel21c.org/study-identifies-new-method-of-treating-bipolar-depression/
https://www.europeanneuropsychopharmacology.com/article/S0924-977X(18)30030-0/abstract

Alerting patients to ALL relapse risk. (TY Atid-EDI) Israeli biotech Curewize successfully completed the clinical trial of its lead product ProALLBM on acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients. ProALLBM reveals patients’ risk of relapse with just one bone marrow sample. They can then be given early treatment.
https://www.bizjournals.com/newyork/prnewswire/press_releases/Georgia/2018/04/03/enUK201803265602?ana=prnews

An atlas of the human genome. Scientists from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have generated an atlas of the human genome. It includes the roles that genes play in health and disease, plus the effect of over 180,000 gene mutations. http://www.jewishpress.com/news/israel/jerusalem/hebrew-u-scientists-use-stem-cells-to-generate-atlas-of-human-genome/2018/04/23/ https://www.nature.com/articles/s41556-018-0088-1

Trauma training for South African medics. I reported previously (3rd Sep) on the work of Israeli emergency NGO United Hatzalah’s Psychotrauma and Crisis Response Unit in Houston Texas. Now the unit, headed by its director Miriam Ballin, is travelling to Johannesburg, South Africa to train 60 Jewish EMTs there.
https://www.israel21c.org/israelis-to-train-s-african-medics-in-emotional-first-aid/

Ovarian failure patient has healthy son. Sigalit suffered from “premature ovarian failure” that typically causes loss of normal ovarian function, resulting in infertility. After many years of suffering she was about to have a hysterectomy. Then she discovered she was pregnant and, aged 40, gave birth to a healthy baby boy.
http://www.sdjewishworld.com/2018/04/25/ovarian-failure-didnt-stop-a-babys-birth/

Cornerstone laid for new Zaka HQ. The cornerstone has been laid for a new ZAKA volunteer organization’s world headquarters in Jerusalem. ZAKA’s volunteers assist ambulance crews, aid in the identification of the victims of terrorism, road accidents and other disasters, and ensure proper burial where necessary.
http://www.jewishpress.com/news/israel/jerusalem/zaka-lays-cornerstone-for-jerusalem-world-headquarters/2018/04/24/

ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL

Annual Israeli-Druze festival. (TY WIN) Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and many Israeli politicians joined in the annual Druze festival celebrations. Many Druze traveled from afar to visit the Tomb of Jethro near the Sea of Galilee. Jethro (father-in-law to Moses) is one of the main prophets of the Druze religion.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/amoUTjg0i5A?rel=0

$5.6 million for Israeli-Arabs hi-tech jobs. (TY UWI) Israel’s parliamentary committee for Arab affairs has allocated $5.6 million (NIS 20 million) to a new program that will provide thousands of Israeli-Arabs with jobs in the local tech sector. The funds will be used to establish tech workspaces and improve roads in Arab towns.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3736640,00.html

Israeli Arab lights Independence Day torch. I reported previously (Aug 2014) on Israeli Arab Professor Ahmed Eid who is Head of General Surgery at Jerusalem’s Hadassah Medical Center. Professor Eid proudly lit one of the twelve torches at the 70th Anniversary Independence Day ceremony.
https://unitedwithisrael.org/watch-meet-the-israeli-arab-doctor-who-is-one-of-israels-top-surgeons/
http://www.hadassah-med.com/doctors/prof-eid-ahmed

A new lease of life. Another talk by Sivan Yaari, CEO of Innovation: Africa, this time at UK’s Manchester Grammar School. The solar electricity and water generating facilities provided by the Israeli NGO means no more famine in poverty-stricken African villages – and has even kick-started an entrepreneurial spirit.
http://jewishnews.timesofisrael.com/africa-gains-from-israels-solar-system/

Israeli solar power is vital to Liberia. I reported previously (Nov 2016) that Israel’s Energiya Global is to install Liberia’s first ever solar field. I hadn’t realized that the 10MW plant will supply 25% of the country’s generation capacity. Following its civil war, Liberia is rebuilding its power infrastructure from scratch.
https://www.pv-magazine.com/2017/06/06/israels-energiya-global-to-build-liberias-first-10-mw-plant-invest-1-billion-to-african-pv/

250 US delegation for Embassy opening. A huge delegation of 250 American dignitaries will arrive in Israel to attend the official dedication ceremony for the US Embassy in Jerusalem on 5th May. They include Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Jared Kushner, Jason Greenblatt, and Senators Ted Cruz and Lindsay Graham.
https://unitedwithisrael.org/massive-us-delegation-to-attend-jerusalem-embassy-dedication/

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Israeli gas and oil exploration. Geologist Eitan Aizenberg discovered Israel’s giant natural offshore gas field, Leviathan. He reveals that talented Israeli graduates are now exploring for oil and gas in South America, Malta, Ireland and the Philippines, using Israeli supercomputers to analyze 3D seismic tests.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/octogenarian-geologist-behind-israels-giant-gas-field-eyes-foreign-waters/

Preventing the spread of forest fires. 17-year-old twins Gilad and Neta Drori have developed a system to identify wildfires before they spread. Their system takes aerial photos taken by satellite or cameras attached to observer balloons, which then analyses and compares them using an algorithm for image processing.
https://www.jpost.com/Jpost-Tech/Israeli-students-develop-tech-to-identify-wildfires-before-they-spread-552514 https://www.youtube.com/embed/-kDTIzAngGU?rel=0

Israel’s involvement in Orion space project. The launch date for EM-1 – the first of NASA’s Orion deep space exploratory missions – has been moved to Dec 2019 when it will test the innovative radiation protection suit from Israel’s StemRad. EM-2, scheduled for 2023, will use over 100 parts 3D printed by Israel’s Stratasys.
http://nocamels.com/2018/04/nasa-to-test-israeli-made-radiation-protection-space-vest-on-orion-em-1-flight/
http://www.globes.co.il/en/article-stratasys-to-provide-3d-printed-parts-for-orion-spacecraft-1001232359

A simple robot to pick fruit and more. (TY Hazel) Researchers at Israel’s Ben-Gurion University have developed a low cost, low energy robot resembling a snake. It has applications from picking fruit to search and rescue to repairing satellites. https://www.israel21c.org/new-snake-robot-could-pick-fruit-or-fix-satellites/
https://www.youtube.com/embed/HEHuoeMLV_o?rel=0

Israeli agricultural novelties. Comedian Yuval Haklai takes us on a light-hearted tour of some of the latest Israeli agricultural innovations on show at the Arava 2018 Agricultural Exhibition. They include natural pesticides and pollinators, the world’s smallest tomato, winter-grown raspberries and medicinal plants.
https://www.israel21c.org/21see-explores-israels-latest-agricultural-novelties/
https://www.youtube.com/embed/ntSL-BOtKwQ?rel=0

Visual artificial intelligence. I reported previously (Aug 2012) about Israeli startup Cortica which had developed an image analysis system with marketing potential. Cortica has since applied its self-learning visual intelligence technology to autonomous cars, drones, media, robotics, smart cities and medical image analysis.
http://nocamels.com/2018/04/cortica-autonomous-tech-elon-musk/
https://www.youtube.com/embed/1cZAAMk2GkI?rel=0 https://www.youtube.com/embed/a3qsoevtDiU?rel=0

Detecting when students cheat. Israeli startup Copyleaks Technologies has developed a system to help identify plagiarism (i.e. where students copy material and try to pass it off as their own without attributing the sources). Copyleaks’ system understands the ideas behind the texts – i.e. not just an exact word comparison.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3735323,00.html

Monitoring cargo in transit. Israel’s Contguard provides real-time data analysis for managing cargo in transit. It provides IoT (Internet of Things)-enabled shipment monitoring, real-time data and business intelligence to manufacturers and suppliers who ship goods globally. Contguard has just received funds from Citi Bank.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3735345,00.html

We deliver in 15 minutes. (TY Atid-EDI) Israeli startup GetPackage offers delivery services inside Israel within 15 minutes after the order is made. The company monitors each delivery and the route taken. It is now setting up infrastructure on the US East Coast, with a database of 7,000 registered delivery people.
http://www.globes.co.il/en/article-2m-invested-in-home-delivery-startup-getpackage-1001231022

Tools to develop AI products. Israel-based Allegro.AI offers a development and management platform for artificial intelligence (AI) technology. It simplifies the process of developing and managing AI-based services such as autonomous vehicles and drones, security, and logistics, with a special focus on computer vision.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3736776,00.html

Chocolate and ice cream for diabetics. Israeli startup A1C Foods develops chocolate and ice cream that do not impact blood sugar levels. Instead of substituting real sugar with artificial sweeteners, traditional ingredients like flour and sugar, are mixed with a patent-pending formulation that lowers their glycemic index.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3736497,00.html

3D-printed veggie burgers. (TY WIN) Israeli startup Chef-It is developing a 3D printer that can “print” and grill/bake/fry a hamburger made of cellulose plus plant-based proteins, fats and flavorings. Chef-It co-founder Professor Oded Shoseyov of Jerusalem’s Hebrew University has already made a prototype of the printer.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3736700,00.html

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

At 70 – Israel’s economy exceeds expectations. Ambassador Yoram Ettinger compares Israel’s situation now to that earlier in its history. The statistics are quite staggering. Population, GDP, employment, national debt, exports, foreign investment, inflation, life expectancy, women in work and much more.
http://theettingerreport.com/Overseas-Investments/At-70-%E2%80%93-Israel-s-economy-exceeds-expectations.aspx

Israel – Island of Success. Promotion video for a new book “Israel – Island of Success” by Noga Kainan and Adam Reuter. It asks and answers questions such as, “Why is Israel a success?”, “Is this success sustainable?” and “What is Israel’s probable future? “ https://www.youtube.com/embed/MnNEO9DIf1o?rel=0
http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Israels-economy-Reasons-to-be-cheerful-and-some-for-concern-452550
https://www.amazon.com/Israel-challenge-mechanism-sustainable-probable/dp/1979817170

The largest group of tech investors to visit Israel. A delegation of 300 international Kauffman Fellows to their Annual Summit is the largest contingent of global VCs ever to come to Israel as a group. The venture capitalists represent the likes of Microsoft, Intel, Google, BlackRock etc. and are invested in some 500 startups.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/global-vc-execs-flock-to-israel-to-study-tech-ecosystem/

New health fund raises $200 million. Israeli life-sciences venture capital firm aMoon Partners has raised $200 million for a new fund aMoon II that will invest in digital health life-science companies. The final target for the fund is $500 million. The $200 million fund, aMoon I, was set-up two years ago and is invested in 16 startups.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/billionaire-nachts-new-israel-healthcare-fund-raises-200-million/

Amsterdam to Eilat. Air France – KLM subsidiary Transavia Airlines is to fly twice weekly during the winter months from Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport to Ovda, north of Eilat. 17,700 Dutch tourists entered Israel in the first quarter of 2018 – a 37% increase on 2017 and 80% up on 2016.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3736273,00.html

Lab for food-innovation startups. Israel’s Frutarom is setting up FoodNxt, a lab for startups and ventures specializing in food innovation to address obesity and diabetes, to find protein alternatives, natural, healthy foods and more. The lab in Migdal HaEmek will provide financing, advanced equipment, and a support team.
http://www.frutaromnatural.com/frutaroms-food-innovation-lab

Smart videos for Chinese soccer teams. Israel-based startup Pixellot has sold its video production systems to Chinese Premier League’s Jiangsu Suning Football Club as the first of its deal with China Sports Media. Pixellot’s automated multi-camera system gives a panoramic view of sports events for coaching purposes.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3736585,00.html

The US’s 5th largest convenience store business. Israel’s Arko Holdings has completed a complex deal for the purchase and lease of 267 US fuel stations and convenience store sites, including E-Z Mart. Arko’s GPM subsidiary now controls 1,224 sites and fuels another 138 stations in 22 states – the US’s 5th largest operator.
https://www.globes.co.il/en/article-arko-holdings-further-expands-us-fuel-station-business-1001232594

CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT

Front row at Israel’s birthday show. My friend Sharon was in the Press stand at the 70th Anniversary Yom Ha’Atzmaut show on Mount Herzl Jerusalem. Here are her photos of the event and afterwards.
http://rjstreets.com/2018/04/23/best-of-independence-day-israel-at-70/

Tel Aviv’s new Independence trail. (TY Janglo & Jacques) Tel Aviv’s new day/night interactive 1km Independence Trail uses a unique mobile app to guide tourists past 10 heritage sites. A map is also available in Hebrew, English, French, Spanish, German, Arabic, Chinese and Russian.
https://www.israel21c.org/a-walk-down-tel-avivs-new-independence-trail/
http://israelbetweenthelines.com/2018/04/26/follow-tel-avivs-new-yellow-brick-road/

Israel loves The Backstreet Boys. (TY Hazel) Following their successful Israel concert in 2015 (see here)The Back Street Boys performed again in front of 15,000 enthusiastic fans in Rishon Lezion Live Park.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/backsteets-back-in-israel-and-15000-fans-want-it-that-way/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyE6NsQ8-0g

19 more Israeli summer concerts. Up-coming Israeli performances include Jamiroquai, Azealia Banks, Milky Chance, Enrique Iglesias, alt-J, Matisyahu, Jessie Ware, Sofi Tukker, The Stranglers, Ringo Starr, Avenged Sevenfold, Gilberto Gil, Ozzy Osbourne, Alice in Chains, Ziggy Marley, Beach Boys and Grandmaster Flash.
https://www.israel21c.org/19-must-see-concerts-in-israel-this-summer/
And (hot off the press) it’s certainly not “ironic” that Alanis Morissette is returning to Israel on 30th July.
https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Culture/Alanis-Morissette-returning-for-Israel-concert-552665
https://www.youtube.com/embed/Jne9t8sHpUc?rel=0

Israel’s most advanced stadium. (TY Janglo) Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem is being upgraded. Its roof will be completed to make it Israel’s largest indoor stadium, with 32,000 seats. Other upgrades include to its sound system, dressing rooms and heating. It is already powered by a 686KW solar energy system.
https://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/israel-news/1505159/photos-jerusalems-teddy-stadium-to-be-overhauled.html

2.1km tunnel – for cyclists. Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat inaugurated Jerusalem’s 2.1km “Gihon” tunnel – Israel’s longest underground cycling tunnel. “We use tunnels for good purposes, such as sports, in contrast to Hamas,” Barkat told reporters. The tunnel connects Ein Lavan (Biblical zoo) to Kerem junction, near Hadassah.
http://www.jewishpress.com/news/israel/jerusalem/israel-gets-its-first-cycling-tunnel/2018/04/24/

The London Marathon in an Israeli exoskeleton. Simon Kindleysides of Norfolk, England became the first paralyzed man to finish the London Marathon when he completed the 26.2 miles in 36 hours wearing an Israeli Rewalk exoskeleton robotic suit. Simon raised £19,000 for charity and won the #SpiritofLondon award.
https://www.jpost.com/International/Paralyzed-man-finishes-London-Marathon-thanks-to-Israeli-robotic-suit-552678 https://www.youtube.com/embed/aB0pfAL6MdU?rel=0

THE JEWISH STATE

How Israel evacuated Ethiopian Jews from Sudan. Great story on the BBC website about the Israeli scuba diving center on the Sudanese coast that was really a secret base from which Israel’s Mossad ran “Operation Moses” – flying thousands of Ethiopian Jews to Israel from their temporary camp in the Sudan desert.
http://www.bbc.com/news/stories-43702764

The future of Israel looks good. Professor Efraim Inbar is President of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategic Studies. He analyzes Israel positively in terms of its security, economy, society, democracy, and international relations. http://jiss.org.il/en/inbar-future-israel-looks-good/

70 years in 2 minutes. Quite amazing to see what Israel has achieved in such a short time.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/HIQedN2QCZk?rel=0

Mezuzah for US Jerusalem embassy. As part of the May 14 ceremony to mark the official opening of the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem, a mezuzah will be affixed to the embassy building. The U.S. embassy will initially be situated in what is now the U.S. Consulate building, whilst a new building is being constructed.
http://www.jewishpress.com/news/us-news/may-14-opening-of-us-embassy-in-jerusalem-to-include-mezuzah-hanging-ceremony/2018/04/24/

Jerusalem embassy for Czech Republic. The Czech Republic is to start moving its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Czech President Miloš Zeman, ended his speech at a Prague Castle event to celebrate Israel’s 70th anniversary with “Next Year in Jerusalem”.
http://www.bicom.org.uk/news/czech-republic-move-embassy-jerusalem/

$70 million for Taglit-Birthright. On the eve of Israel’s 70th Independence Day, Dr. Miriam and Sheldon Adelson surprised the 650 audience at the 18th annual Taglit-Birthright Israel gala by donating $70 million to the project. Since its inception in 2000, Taglit-Birthright has brought over 600,000 Jewish youths to Israel.
http://www.israelhayom.com/2018/04/17/to-celebrate-israels-70th-anniversary-adelsons-donate-70m-to-taglit/

Keeping the Land beautiful. (TY Avi) The Beautiful Land Initiative (BLI) aims to clean up the litter in Israel through the help of volunteers and businesses. Israel is holy and needs to be kept clean and beautiful. Their Pesach video shows them cleaning up the Kinneret shore.
https://israelunwired.com/when-people-of-all-backgrounds-come/
https://www.youtube.com/embed/7gvDgu6U6OY?rel=0

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The ‘Pension Palace’ for Illinois Lawmakers 2017 Adam Andrzejewski ,

By on April 29th, 2018

Nobody knows how to game the system for personal gain like an Illinois lawmaker. The political class voted themselves tens of millions of dollars in lifetime pension payouts. It’s time to end their ‘pension palace.’

Consider just one gross example. Have you ever heard of retired back-bench state senator John Friedland?

Millions of dollars in pension payouts flowed to John Friedland since 1992. Friedland earned $35,661 as a state senator, plus another $46,500 as a part-time employee at the Fox River Water Reclamation District. When he retired from the General Assembly, he received a one month full-time pay spike at the water district for $8,000 – causing his legislative pension to start at $80,856 instead of $30,312. Today, Friedland is pulling down $172,981 per year, due to lucrative ‘cost of living’ adjustments.

Although the ‘Friedland loophole’ was closed, Illinois state legislators still have one of the sweetest retirement deals in the country – and it’s at an amazing cost to taxpayers.

According to General Assembly Retirement System (GARS) disclosures, 137 lawmakers chose to participate in the state pension system while the rest have thankfully opted out. To fund these future retirement annuities, the state government made a $21.7 million payment in 2017, meaning each participating lawmaker’s future pension cost taxpayers $158,547 last year.

See the top all-time GARS pensions here.

At OpenTheBooks.com, we checked out who’s receiving what, when, and after how long – and it’s not pretty. For example, the largest pension of all-time goes to a 31-year long-forgotten state senator. After retiring from Springfield in 2000 – with a pension spiking stop at the Chicago schools – Arthur Berman (D) receives $20,849 every month. Annually, Berman receives $250,191 – that’s four times more than he ever made as a Springfield lawmaker.

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RUSSIA REPORT: Three Major Take-Aways Republican members clear Trump; Object to ‘excessive and unjustified redactions’ Sara Carter

By on April 29th, 2018

The House Intelligence Committee released its long-anticipated and highly redacted Russian intelligence report Friday clearing President Donald Trump’s campaign from “colluding” with Russians in the 2016 presidential election and chiding the intelligence community for “significant intelligence tradecraft failings” as the committee found no evidence to date that collusion had occurred.

The 248-page report, of which some pages were completely redacted after review by FBI and DOJ officials, have raised the ire of committee Republicans and will lead to a review of the report once again in an effort to un-redact elements of the report that the Committee says does not relate to the classified material. Numerous Congressional committees have complained openly that the DOJ and FBI continue to “stonewall” their investigations and have slow rolled documents needed for adequate oversight of the highly controversial investigations into Trump and the Bureau’s handling of former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server for government business.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, R-CA, said in a press release that due to public interest and the importance of the report the Committee chose to make the report public. Nunes has had to threaten Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and FBI Director Christopher Wray with contempt of Congress before documents have been provided. It’s a battle that he continues to fight but one that has slowed down the progress of the Committee’s investigations, say congressional sources, familiar with the investigations.

Nunes stated in the press release that “we object to the excessive and unjustified number of redactions, many of which do not relate to classified information. The Committee will convey our objections to the appropriate agencies and looks forward to publishing a less redacted version in the near future.”
Three Major Takeaways from the Russia Report’s Findings:
1. Flynn Didn’t Lie

Former National Security Advisor Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, the embattled three-star general who was fired by the White House for allegedly misleading Vice President Mike Pence about his conversation with former Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, did not lie to the FBI special agents who interviewed him at the White House in January 2017.

This is important because Flynn eventually plead guilty to one count of making false statements about his December 2016 phone conversation with Kislyak to DOJ Special Counsel Robert Mueller, “even though the Federal Bureau of Investigation agents did not detect any deception during Flynn’s interview.”

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The Tangled Web Comey Weaves By Peter Berkowitz

By on April 29th, 2018

“I explained that he could count on me to always tell him the truth. I said I don’t do sneaky things, I don’t leak, I don’t do weasel moves.” So said then-FBI Director James Comey, according to his own memo, to a recently inaugurated President Donald Trump on Jan. 27, 2017, at a private White House dinner.

In early May 2017, Trump fired Comey. Contrary to FBI policy, Comey promptly leaked four of the seven memos—at least one may have contained classified information—that he wrote concerning his conversations with the president. In short order, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein (Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself) appointed Comey’s friend and former colleague Robert Mueller as special counsel. Mueller’s task was to continue the counterintelligence investigation Comey initiated in July 2016 into possible cooperation between the Russian government and the Trump campaign. Within weeks of Mueller’s appointment, Comey testified to Congress that he had hoped his leaks would trigger such a result.

Apparently, Comey did not tell the president the truth when he assured him that he doesn’t do sneaky things, he doesn’t leak, and he doesn’t do weasel moves.

Launched last week with a massive media campaign, Comey’s new book, “A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership,” aims to cement his reputation for impeccable honor and irreproachable integrity. Instead, the book confirms that on matters of great public interest, he doesn’t always tell the truth.

Any author can make mistakes. Even the most meticulous sometimes get a date wrong, blur a crucial detail, overlook an important aspect of context. And it is distressingly ordinary for a writer, on behalf of a pet point, to exaggerate small matters and minimize large ones.

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A Tale of Two Bills by Mark Steyn

By on April 29th, 2018

By strange serendipity, Bill Cosby was convicted of three counts of sexual assault on the day Juanita Broaddrick marked the 40th anniversary of her rape by Bill Clinton. Mr Cosby is eighty years old and likely to die in prison; Mr Clinton is still, in every sense, at large.

Mrs Broaddrick has provided a timeline of the events of April 26th 1978. Clinton’s defenders have responded as one has come to expect. Last year, after the sudden, dizzying implosion of Harvey Weinstein, Democrats were briefly distancing themselves from the pathologies of their hero:

Steyn noted how a recent mainstream media headline read “I Believe Juanita,” referring to Juanita Broaddrick, a former nursing home administrator who says then-Arkansas Attorney General Bill Clinton (D) raped her.

He said he wrote the same post in February 1999…

That’s true. I did. From The National Post of Canada over 19 years ago:

He raped her. Old news. Get over it.

He raped her. Or rather (for we must observe the niceties) she alleges he raped her. That’s what Juanita Broaddrick told The Wall Street Journal last Friday. That’s what The Washington Post reported Saturday —on page one. That’s what The New York Times somewhat tardily got around to letting its readers in on yesterday — although the fastidious Times boys forebore to let the word “rape” sully their account, preferring the term “assault” and noting only that “he forced her down to the bed and had intercourse with her,” which would be rape if Mike ‘Tyson did it but with Bill Clinton qualifies merely as a marginally non-consensual relationship.

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Comey Confirms: In Clinton Emails Caper, the Fix Was In By Andrew C. McCarthy

By on April 29th, 2018

While promoting his memoir, A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership, former FBI director James Comey sat for what turned out to be a tough but fair and refreshingly civil interview by Bret Baier, host of Fox News’s Special Report. (See Part 1 and Part 2.) Owing to President Trump’s comparatively unhinged interview earlier in the day on Fox & Friends, the Trump–Comey feud over alleged leaking of classified information is drawing most of the media attention. But something more important is less apparent: Comey has implicitly confirmed what we’ve been saying here for well over a year: In the Clinton emails caper, the fix was in.

Before we turn first to leaking, some disclosure. I am fond of Jim Comey and have been for 30 years. I vigorously disagree with both his handling of the Clinton emails investigation and the manner in which the FBI has conducted what is supposed to be a classified, counterintelligence probe of Russia’s interference in the 2016 election — not a public, government-orchestrated campaign of insinuation that Trump was complicit in Russian perfidy.

No doubt because of my personal regard for him and respect for his high-end ability, I am inclined to cut the former director slack. He was thrust into a no-win situation: It is not his fault that Democrats nominated a criminal suspect, or that Republicans nominated an irregular politician heedless of the norms of discretion and distance that a president should maintain when dealing with his law-enforcement subordinates. Comey aside, I had no better friends in nearly 20 years as a federal prosecutor in New York than Dan Richman, the Columbia Law School prof through whom Comey transmitted information to the New York Times, and Pat Fitzgerald and Dave Kelley, Comey’s lawyers. These aren’t just former colleagues of mine; they are old friends. I haven’t tried to speak to any of them about this matter, but my esteem for them weighs on me — as does my duty to be an honest analyst. How well I resolve that tension is not for me to say; I can just tell you it is real.

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