RUTHFULLY YOURS

https://www.jns.org/opinion/yair-lapids-holiday-bloopers/ 

During a memorial ceremony for Israel Defense Forces soldiers who fell 49 years ago in the Yom Kippur War, interim Prime Minister Yair Lapid made a blooper that gave his rivals further cause to ridicule him.

The Yesh Atid chairman took the opportunity of the somber event, held on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, to talk about “societal unity,” a favorite campaign mantra of the parties in the anti-Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu camp. The point that the caretaker premier wanted to make was that the Israeli public had banded together when a coalition of Arab armies, led by Egypt and Syria, launched their infamous surprise attack on the country.

“When thousands of worshipers were torn from synagogue and forced to replace their tallit [prayer shawl] with uniforms and their tefillin [phylacteries] with rifles, they did not ask who was right-wing and who was left-wing, or who fasted and who did not,” he said of the response to the massive Oct. 6, 1973, assault, which began on the holiest day in Judaism.

“The religious person exiting the synagogue and the secular one teaching his children to ride bicycles [on the vehicle-free] streets all donned uniforms and headed shoulder-to-shoulder into battle,” he added.
What Lapid hadn’t realized was that tefillin aren’t laid on Yom Kippur or on any other holiday. Ditto where Shabbat is concerned. Woops.

In fairness, the former journalist-turned-politician—like many of his colleagues and much of the populace—is a secular Jew. And though he would have been taught some level of Torah in elementary school (he didn’t matriculate from high school), his unfamiliarity with the rituals of his religion isn’t terribly shocking.

https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-719065   

US House Rep. Brad Sherman (D-California) took to Twitter on Monday to “urge Israeli political leaders from all sides of the political spectrum to ostracize extremists like Itamar Ben-Gvir, whose outrageous views run contrary to Israel’s core principles of a democratic and Jewish state.”

These “extremists,” he added, “undermine Israel’s interests and the US-Israel relationship, which I and my colleagues have worked to strengthen.”

Sherman was the second “pro-Israel Democrat” to issue a warning against Otzma Yehudit leader MK Ben-Gvir. According to a report earlier this week in Axios, New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez said something similar last month in a private meeting with opposition leader Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu.

“The senator told Netanyahu he needed to realize [that] the composition of …[a] coalition with the likes of Ben-Gvir] could seriously erode bipartisan support in Washington, which has been a pillar of the bilateral relationship between the US and Israel,” a source cited by the outlet revealed.

As No. 2 on the Religious Zionist Party list, which most polls are predicting will garner some 12-13 mandates in the November 1 Knesset election, Ben-Gvir is guaranteed to retain his seat in Israel’s parliament. More significantly, he could end up with a ministerial portfolio in the next government if Netanyahu is able to form a coalition.

With friends like these, the Jewish state doesn’t need the rest of the increasingly left-wing Democratic Party’s actual enemies. Leaving aside the chutzpah of American politicians basically demanding that Israel cancel an Israeli counterpart whose views they don’t share, the idea that the elevation of a certain candidate could and would damage the country’s ties with America is as outrageous as it is disingenuous.

Menendez’s moaning that it “could seriously erode bipartisan support in Washington” is particularly laughable. As Israel’s failed outgoing government illustrates, ideological schisms do not allow for the crossing of aisles without one side utterly capitulating to the other on matters of import.

https://www.jns.org/opinion/when-anger-undermines-atonement/

 As always in the lead-up to Yom Kippur, Israelis have been wishing one another an “easy fast” and a “good signing” in the Book of Life. It’s a customary greeting, which slips off the tongue without a moment’s thought for the actual process of penitence and prayer that is supposed to accompany the 25-hour fast.

The print and broadcast media also tend to focus on the more superficial aspect of the high holy day, with tips on how best to get through the round-the-clock abstinence from food and drink. These include warnings about caffeine withdrawal and dehydration, the latter being of particular concern during what always turns out to be a heavy-duty heat wave.

Taking for granted the serious business of atonement for sins against God—after spending the nine days beforehand asking forgiveness from the people around us whom we have hurt or wronged in some way—is a function of familiarity with the ritual, even on the part of those who don’t practice it. Ironically, the casualness of this period of deep religiosity contributes to the secular Jewish state’s unique character and beauty.

The climate surrounding the upcoming national election has been putting a bit of a damper on this year’s Days of Awe, however. Though there’s nothing new about the mutual hostility of politicians in competing camps, the fact that Nov. 1 will constitute the fifth time in three and a half years that the public is called to the ballot box—amid a cynical game of musical Knesset chairs—has caused an almost contradictory societal mixture of apathy and anger. Naturally, neither of these is conducive to self-reflection and remorse on the path to purification and renewal.

Indeed, it’s hard to imagine that when the Israeli airwaves go dark on Tuesday at sundown and remain so until Wednesday night, campaign rivalries will really be set aside for a higher purpose. In fairness to both lawmakers and voters, there’s a lot more at stake than merely the identity of the candidates or the parties they represent.

https://www.jns.org/opinion/a-political-ploy-to-curb-free-speech/

 In an act of chutzpah characteristic of the Israeli left, Prime Minister Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid Party has petitioned the Central Elections Committee (CEC) to declare Channel 14 a “propaganda platform” for Likud, headed by opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu.

According to the petition, submitted to the CEC on Wednesday by Economy and Industry Minister Orna Barbivai and Energy Minister Karine Elharrar, the right-wing news outlet, owned by billionaire Yitzchak Mirilashvili, “is a real threat to the basic principles” of Israeli elections, as it is “fully harnessed in favor of a candidate and a party, without balance and contrary to every standard of reasonableness, fairness and common sense.”

Barbivai claimed that the move isn’t intended to “influence the content of the broadcasts,” but to demand transparency—to report to the public that the “content constitutes election propaganda.”

Elharrar accused the outlet of “posing as a news channel [but whose] entire purpose is improper propaganda” for Netanyahu.

“Allowing the channel to continue deceiving the public is a real danger to the press in Israel and to democracy as a whole,” she said.

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/18941/israel-palestinians-peace-partner

These two bodies [Palestinian Authority (PA) and its ruling faction, Fatah] are headed by one man: Mahmoud Abbas, who has zero compunction about his loyalists murdering and wounding Israelis. On the contrary, he encourages it and pays generously for it — with money from Europe and the United States.

Despite [an extremely long list of terrorist attacks against Israel], Fatah is also often mystifyingly referred to by some Israelis and Westerners as a “moderate” Palestinian faction as opposed to the Iranian-backed Palestinian Islamist groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

Fatah, however, has proved over the years that its actions and rhetoric are actually no different from those of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, the terror groups that openly call for the elimination of Israel.

In 1993, Yasser Arafat, then leader of Fatah and the PLO, committed “to a peaceful resolution of the conflict” with Israel and claimed that the PLO “renounces the use of terrorism and other acts of violence.” His loyalists, however, continued to murder and wound Israelis even after making these commitments, signing the Oslo Accords and supposedly beginning an Israeli-Palestinian “peace process.”

The groups are so proud of their terrorism that they have started filming their gunmen preparing and carrying out the attacks. They are, in addition, calling on Palestinians to escalate the fight against Israel, while enthusiastically and warmly endorsing the terrorists.

The growing involvement of Fatah and PA members in terrorism is one of the direct results of the Palestinian leadership’s extreme incitement against Israel. Abbas and his aides continue to level the worst charges and libels against Israel. It is this kind of rhetoric, as well as generous payments, that encourage Palestinians to carry out attacks against Israelis. The fact that Abbas and his entourage do not even bother to rein in or denounce the terrorists is apparently seen by many Palestinians as a green light to continue the attacks.

The international community, for its part, is so preoccupied with bashing Israel that no one is calling out these putative Palestinian “peace partners” over their role in terrorism. This silence is also encouraging these Palestinian “peace partners” to continue their attacks.

That is why the Fatah-affiliated Lions’ Den group has felt confident enough to publish a new threat: “O Jews, The Countdown For Your Demise Has Begun; Stabbings, Car-Rammings, Clashes.”

This is the “peace partner” that the Biden administration is hoping to assist in establishing a Palestinian state next to Israel. With a partner like this, it is easy to imagine what the situation in the Middle East will look like — more violence, terrorism and bloodshed. Israel’s “peace partners” are doing everything in their power to confirm the fears of Israelis about the presence of a Palestinian state just a handful of kilometers from their homes.

In the past few months, there has been a rise in the number of terrorist attacks against Israelis carried out by gunmen belonging to, or associated with, the Palestinian Authority (PA) and its ruling faction, Fatah. These two bodies are headed by one man: Mahmoud Abbas, who has zero compunction about his loyalists murdering and wounding Israelis. On the contrary, he encourages it and pays generously for it — with money from Europe and the United States.

The very first newsletter from Israel in 5783 is Michael Ordman’s weekly compilation of Israel’s dazzling contributions to the health and welfare of the entire world in science, medicine, technology and rescue institutions. This adds considerably to wishes for a sweet new year. Rsk

https://verygoodnewsisrael.blogspot.com/

ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS

Israeli-led European cancer consortium. Professors from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Hadassah Cancer Research Institute are leading CanceRNA – a European consortium working to develop novel immunotherapy treatments for cancer. The consortium will initially focus on treating acute myeloid leukemia.

https://www.jns.org/israelis-lead-intl-hunt-for-innovative-cancer-treatments/   

Turning cancer into a chronic disease. Ofer Shalev, Founder & CEO at Israel’s New Phase (see here previously) spoke at CTech’s Mind the Tech NY Conference.  New Phase’s hyperthermic therapy reduces cancer from Stage 4 to Stage 2 so patients can live with a better quality of life. Clinical trials have started.

https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/bjux3bn11j  https://newphase.co.il/clinical-trials/

The full picture of cancer diagnosis. (TY UWI) The death of his mother led Dean Bitan to found Israel’s Imagene (see here previously). The startup has developed tech that can conduct a full molecular analysis on a digitized biopsy image in real time and give a result in minutes, instead of the current situation of a few weeks.

https://www.israel21c.org/diagnosing-cancer-from-biopsies-in-minutes-not-weeks/

Finding the right antidepressant. Israel’s Genetika+ is developing a precision tool to determine if a particular antidepressant will work for an individual. It will also apparently highlight any side effects. (See also Taliaz.)

https://nocamels.com/2022/09/brain-in-a-dish-tech-antidepressant/  https://www.genetikaplus.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oovQR2j1M8

Algae for mind and body. A recent clinical study has shown that AstaPure Arava® by Israel’s Solabia- Algatech Nutrition benefits the immune system and lowers stress. It boosts the gut microbiome while lowering the stress hormone cortisol. The result is a much better resistance to infections.

https://www.prnewswire.com/il/news-releases/astapure-arava-microalgae-astaxanthin-shows-beneficial-mind-body-effects-301624135.html

A new center for neuroscience. Israel’s Sheba Medical Center is partnering with Thomas Jefferson University in the USA, to promote neuroscience research and clinical treatment at both institutions. It includes construction of a cutting-edge neuroscience center on Sheba’s Tel HaShomer campus, targeted to open in late 2024.

https://www.jns.org/sheba-medical-center-thomas-jefferson-university-to-build-neuroscience-center/

https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-717825

The names of the perpetrators of the war against the Jews have changed since the Nazi era but those who support terrorists and entities who wish to destroy Israel have the same goal: Holocaust.

In response to the recent closure of seven anti-Israel Palestinian NGOs for supporting terrorist organizations, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell condemned Israel, claiming that there was no evidence of wrong-doing. But their work is not secret, nor is their message: Israel is a racist, Nazi, Apartheid state. Resistance (violence and terrorism) against Israeli Jews, therefore, is not only legitimate, it’s a sacred duty.

PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas described the work of the NGOs: “to expose the occupation and its crimes against our people.” They are part of a strategy to promote a global intifada against Israel led by Iran, Qatar and the Muslim Brotherhood, the most influential organization for Muslims. The Brotherhood backs Hamas and operates throughout the world and in North America via many front groups, such as the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), and student groups, such as Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP). It is the basis for the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement and other organizations that seek to isolate, demonize and destroy Israel.

Abbas acknowledged that the seven NGOs are Palestinian institutions, which operate according to Palestinian law, and he offered them offices in the PLO headquarters in Ramallah.

https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-717948

When 28-year-old Mousa Sarsour from the Kalkilya area of the Palestinian Authority bludgeoned to death 84-year-old Shulamit Rachel Ovadia in Holon on Tuesday evening, it took the Israel Police hours to determine that the killing of the married, mother-of-three was “nationalistically motivated.”

This euphemism for anti-Jewish terrorism was created to distinguish it from regular criminal violence.

Due to the current wave of the former, most Israelis assumed that Ovadia, who had been battered repeatedly with a steel pipe or other blunt object, was a random target of a terrorist out for Jewish blood. Security forces realized it, too, when they discovered that the perpetrator hadn’t even stolen the victim’s wallet.

After a night-long manhunt, the suspect, who was identified through CCTV footage, was found dead in the center of Tel Aviv. It turned out that he had hanged himself in an abandoned apartment building.

Due to the uncharacteristic nature of the attack – which involved suicide, but only after the fact – Israeli authorities are baffled. An investigation into Sarsour’s background doesn’t seem to have cleared up their confusion.

But it appears to be providing a few go-to excuses for their inability to have prevented the evil deed in the first place. Let’s start with the main one, gleaned from interrogations of Sarsour’s family members and acquaintances: that he suffered from mental health problems.

Naturally. Why else would someone described by one of his relatives as a “very shy and quiet person” prey on an elderly woman walking home from a nearby grocer after doing some Rosh Hashanah shopping?