RUTHFULLY YOURS

https://www.jns.org/writers/benjamin-kerstein/

The words “settlement” and “settler” have decidedly nasty connotations these days. I am not speaking only of the discourse on Israel and Zionism, in which the settlers in Judea and Samaria are routinely portrayed in the most negative possible terms. On a global scale, “settlement” and “settler,” as writer Victor Sharpe has been warning us for years, have become not only pejoratives but synonyms for absolute evil.

It is only fair to say that there are some good reasons for this. The dominant “post-colonialist” paradigm sees settlement as inherently colonialist, imperialist and often genocidal—the brutal oppression of indigenous populations of color by white Western empires. And indeed, this has often been the case.

Thanks to the prodigious efforts of Israel’s enemies, much of the world’s elite has applied this post-colonialist paradigm to the Jewish state. Israel, they claim, is a “settler-colonialist” society created by foreign conquerors who stole and continue to steal the land of “Palestine” from the indigenous population.

A great many people have dealt rather summarily with these charges, and I will not reiterate their arguments here. I will note, however, that once one begins to unpack the post-colonialist paradigm—with its metaphysical dichotomy of “settler” and “indigenous”—it becomes much more problematic than it appears at first glance.

One could argue, for example, that with the exception of a handful of sub-Saharan Africans, no one is indigenous to anywhere. The theory that different species of Homo sapiens rose up more or less out of the ground in various parts of the world—which was the foundation of 19th- and 20th-century racism—has been thoroughly discredited. It is now universally accepted.

https://www.jns.org/opinion/judgment-day-for-israels-legal-system/

 Nationwide outrage over the light sentence meted out by the Beersheva Juvenile Court last Wednesday to a Bedouin who sodomized a little girl two years ago sheds light on why the right garnered a clear victory on Nov. 1.

As the 25th Knesset is sworn in today (Tuesday), with coalition negotiations in full swing, the above heinous crime and measly punishment can help explain the election results. Chattering-class hysteria notwithstanding, the probability that Religious Zionist Party member Itamar Ben-Gvir will be given the public-security portfolio he’s been demanding is actually a relief to much of the public.

Ben-Gvir is by no means the only figure who’s been bemoaning the loss of Israeli governance in the Negev, which, despite being located in the south of the country, is often referred to as the “Wild West.” But his shouts about and proposed remedies for restoring law and order in that and other key areas have resonated far and wide; as has the rape case in question.

The horror story took place on a Friday night, after the child and her family had finished their Shabbat meal and gone to sleep. Three young men—two of them aged 17, and the third, who waited outside in a getaway car, past his 18th birthday—approached the house.

The “teenagers” had already burgled other residences, so they must have been feeling pretty confident when they entered this one. All their scrounging produced, however, was 50 shekels ($14.50) and a few toys.

www.verygoodnewsisrael.blogspot.com

On average, Israel has about 300 sunny days a year with hot summers and mild winters. While beautiful beaches, cafes and cuisine, scuba diving in Eilat, ruins in Caesarea, and ancient Churches which have been meticulously restored by Israel, are among the sites that lure tourists of all faiths from all over the globe.

 As Michael Ordman details in his essential newsletter, scientists in Israel work 24/7 to harness the benefits of sunshine and clement weather to produce innovations in the production of food for citizens throughout the world.

This evokes Psalm 107-9 “Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.”     rsk

ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
 
Nitric Oxide speeds recovery from Covid-19. The LungFit Nitric Oxide device from Israel’s Beyond Air (see here previously) speeds up the recovery of hospitalized COVID patients. Clinical (human) trials showed they needed less oxygen support and spent less time in the hospital than those who didn’t receive the treatment.
https://nocamels.com/2022/10/covid-patients-recover-more-quickly-with-nitric-oxide/
 
Device avoids need for open-heart surgery. (TY UWI) Israel’s Cuspa Medical is testing the Cusper – a device that takes over the job of a damaged heart valve that can no longer open and close properly to control blood to the heart. The Cusper is inserted using a catheter in a minimally invasive procedure, avoiding major surgery.
https://nocamels.com/2022/11/simple-device-spares-patients-from-heart-surgery/
 
Preventing secondary cancer. It’s early days, but Tel Aviv University scientists have managed in lab tests to reduce the incidence of breast cancer relapse by 88%. They used two chemotherapies – doxorubicin and cisplatin together, which reduced the spread of cancer cells (metastasis) that occurred using just one therapy.
https://www.israel21c.org/existing-drug-may-reduce-breast-cancer-relapses-by-88/
https://www.jns.org/israeli-researchers-improve-chemotherapy-treatment-for-breast-cancer-patients/
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-33598-x
 
Preventing hair loss from chemo. Decursin is a substance that promotes hair growth, especially in chemotherapy patients. Decursin is normally extracted from a rare seasonal flower in an expensive process, but students at Israel’s Technion Institute have just won awards by synthesizing it using enzymes from bacteria.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/technion-undergrads-wow-paris-meet-with-plan-to-reduce-chemo-induced-hair-loss/   https://www.jpost.com/health-and-wellness/article-720574
 
Medical research to use real-world data. Israel’s Ministry of Health is partnering with Israel’s Lynx MD (see here previously) to make patient data from 49 Israeli medical centers available for research. Lynx MD’s medical intelligence platform anonymously secures the data before releasing it to researchers.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/nw2pq59af
 
Medicine and Peace conference. (TY Hazel) The 3-day medical conference “Tomorrow’s Medicine as a Bridge for Peace” in Morocco brought together 60 cancer specialists from Morocco, Israel, and France. It was organized by Pax Medicalis, a France-based nonprofit known in English as the Peace Medical Association.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/medicine-and-peace-conference-in-morocco-features-israeli-docs-and-shabbat-songs/
 
On the spot. Israel is a small country, and paramedic training is a priority.  A volunteer EMT from NGO United Hatzalah was walking on the same Netivot street as a man who had a heart attack. The EMT began CPR and was soon joined by another EMT with a defibrillator. Shortly afterwards, the man regained consciousness.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/361982
 

https://dailycaller.com/2022/11/11/opinion-the-us-israel-relationship-navigating-the-post-election-landscape-bryen/

The confluence of Israeli and American elections has brought the pundits out in full force to dissect the question, “What does this mean for U.S-Israel relations?” Two points should illuminate the conversation.

First, for all the hyperbole, there is a fundamental sharing of democratic Western values between the two countries, and confluence of interests on basic international security issues — with the possible exception of Iran, but that is changing. Second, in both countries, there are domestic considerations on people’s minds that foreign friends would do best not to meddle in.

Israel was, is and will remain a free and democratic country. Voters had choices ranging from an Islamic Arab Party to a far left anti-Zionist party, to several in the secular left and center-left to right and center-right, to both the religious and anti-religious right. That’s a lot more choices than American voters had.

More than 70% of eligible Israeli voters went to the polls, which is a lot higher than American turnout. For those worried that a religious right wing party may be in the government, please note that it won 7% of the vote.

Which is the second point. When American voters elected Ilhan (“It’s the Benjamins, baby”) Omar, Israelis did not fret about the end of America. When the death of George Floyd sparked deadly riots across the United States, Israel did not denounce American police as racist. When protesters entered the Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021, the Israeli government did not bewail “insurrection.” Those are not issues that need Israeli government input.

And neither does judicial reform in Israel. It is worthwhile to understand that Israel, with no written Constitution, has a different set of issues for its Supreme Court than Americans might have for our own. But that’s as far as it goes. No one in Israel said a word about the Democrat plan to expand and stack the U.S. Supreme Court.

https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-722050

During the course of the coalition consultations that kicked off on Wednesday, President Isaac Herzog had a hot-mic moment that has been causing pundits to wonder whether the “faux pas” wasn’t actually intentional. 

At the end of his meeting with representatives of the ultra-Orthodox Sephardi Shas party, when the video of the televised broadcast was paused yet the audio remained on, he was heard saying: “There’s one issue I didn’t talk about, because I don’t want to shame anyone. You’re going to have a problem with the Temple Mount. That’s a critical issue.”

He was referring, as his office later confirmed, to the controversial stance of Otzma Yehudit MK Itamar Ben-Gvir, No. 2 on the Religious Zionist Party list, which – like Shas – is slated to occupy a prominent place in the next government. 

But Ben-Gvir “has become more moderate,” one of the Shas members mumbled. Nevertheless, Herzog continued, “You have a partner that the entire world is anxious about. I told him that, too. Between us, this isn’t for publication. I don’t want to cause trouble. But I think you have a responsibility.”

The journalists gathered outside the conference room at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem couldn’t help laughing when the words “not for publication” reverberated loudly through the sound system set up for their benefit. They were possibly amused, as well, by Herzog’s choice of audience for his admonition about Ben-Gvir, the success of whose “right-wing-religious extremism” at the ballot box has turned the firebrand activist lawmaker into an international household name.

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/19106/what-palestinians-need

Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip live under two regimes that crack down on critics, and imprison and intimidate journalists, human rights activists and political opponents. Those who dare to criticize the Palestinian Authority or Hamas often face various forms of punishment, including torture and incarceration.
The situation under the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank is not any better. There, Palestinian security forces continue to arrest, harass and intimidate political activists, university students and academics.
In the past week, the Palestinian Authority security forces arrested and threatened a number of Palestinian political activists who called for reforms.
There are two reasons why, under the current circumstances, the Palestinians cannot hold elections.
First, the split between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip due to the ongoing dispute between the Palestinian Authority and Hamas. The PA fears that Hamas will not allow a free election in the Gaza Strip, especially in light of Hamas’ crackdown on its opponents there. Similarly, Hamas fears that the PA will not allow a free election in the West Bank, especially in light of the continued security crackdown on Hamas members there.
Second, the high probability that Hamas would win.
While one can understand why it is not a good idea to hold elections that would help Hamas extend its control to the West Bank, there is no reason why Palestinians should be arrested and intimidated for demanding freedom of expression and an end to corruption.
Unsurprisingly, violations committed by Palestinians against Palestinians are virtually always ignored by the Western media and the international community. Such abuses are of no interest to Westerners because they cannot be blamed on Israel. By turning a blind eye to the violations, the international community and media effectively incentivize the Palestinian Authority and Hamas to continue their repressive measures against their own people.
Sadly, it does not look as if the Palestinians are coming any closer to freedom of speech or freedom of assembly — unless it is to denounce Israel. Rather, as their corrupt and incompetent leaders clearly do not care about their well-being, it looks as if they are going in exactly the opposite direction.
While, literally across the street, the Israelis have free debate in newspapers, quarrelsome programs on television and protests, the Palestinians continue to find themselves arrested, silenced and terrorized for daring to demand the freedoms they see every day next door.

Under the kleptocratic Palestinian Authority (PA) and the theocratic Hamas regimes, Palestinians have no freedom of speech and no independent or free media.

Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip live under two regimes that crack down on critics, and imprison and intimidate journalists, human rights activists and political opponents. Those who dare to criticize the Palestinian Authority or Hamas often face various forms of punishment, including torture and incarceration.

Take, for example, the case of legal expert Dr. Mohammed al-Talbani, who was forced to sign a pledge not to offend Hamas or its government on social media. The move came after he criticized death sentences issued by Hamas courts in the Gaza Strip.

Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip live under two regimes that crack down on critics, and imprison and intimidate journalists, human rights activists and political opponents. Those who dare to criticize the Palestinian Authority or Hamas often face various forms of punishment, including torture and incarceration.

The situation under the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank is not any better. There, Palestinian security forces continue to arrest, harass and intimidate political activists, university students and academics.

In the past week, the Palestinian Authority security forces arrested and threatened a number of Palestinian political activists who called for reforms.

There are two reasons why, under the current circumstances, the Palestinians cannot hold elections.

First, the split between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip due to the ongoing dispute between the Palestinian Authority and Hamas. The PA fears that Hamas will not allow a free election in the Gaza Strip, especially in light of Hamas’ crackdown on its opponents there. Similarly, Hamas fears that the PA will not allow a free election in the West Bank, especially in light of the continued security crackdown on Hamas members there.

Second, the high probability that Hamas would win.

While one can understand why it is not a good idea to hold elections that would help Hamas extend its control to the West Bank, there is no reason why Palestinians should be arrested and intimidated for demanding freedom of expression and an end to corruption.

Unsurprisingly, violations committed by Palestinians against Palestinians are virtually always ignored by the Western media and the international community. Such abuses are of no interest to Westerners because they cannot be blamed on Israel. By turning a blind eye to the violations, the international community and media effectively incentivize the Palestinian Authority and Hamas to continue their repressive measures against their own people.

Sadly, it does not look as if the Palestinians are coming any closer to freedom of speech or freedom of assembly — unless it is to denounce Israel. Rather, as their corrupt and incompetent leaders clearly do not care about their well-being, it looks as if they are going in exactly the opposite direction.

While, literally across the street, the Israelis have free debate in newspapers, quarrelsome programs on television and protests, the Palestinians continue to find themselves arrested, silenced and terrorized for daring to demand the freedoms they see every day next door.

Under the kleptocratic Palestinian Authority (PA) and the theocratic Hamas regimes, Palestinians have no freedom of speech and no independent or free media.

Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip live under two regimes that crack down on critics, and imprison and intimidate journalists, human rights activists and political opponents. Those who dare to criticize the Palestinian Authority or Hamas often face various forms of punishment, including torture and incarceration.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/israels-right-wing-coalition-gets-the-silent-treatment-from-biden-netanyahu-ben-gvir-supreme-court-legal-reform-west-bank-arab-abbas-11667848331?mod=opinion_lead_pos6

The victory of Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition has many on the left bemoaning the end of democracy in Israel. Even before voting began, Sen. Robert Menendez (D., N.J.) threatened harm to bilateral relations should Israelis vote to the right. The State Department has said it would boycott some right-wing ministers, and President Biden waited almost a week before calling to congratulate Mr. Netanyahu. Yet Secretary of State Antony Blinken apparently had time Friday to phone Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who last stood for election (to a four-year term) in 2005.

What has degraded Israeli democracy, according to critics, is the electoral success of Itamar Ben-Gvir’s party. Mr. Ben-Gvir’s critics cite his past in the far-right Kahanist movement. For all the consternation, one would think he was the future prime minister, rather than the head of a second-tier party, with seven of 120 seats in the Knesset.

Yet those saying Mr. Ben-Gvir’s inclusion in the government is unacceptable were untroubled by the departing government, which included Ra’am, a party affiliated with Israel’s Islamic Movement, which was founded by a convicted terrorist; or the far-left Meretz, with roots in an actual Stalinist party; or by Prime Minister Yair Lapid’s apparent willingness to accept support from Hadash, a still-Communist party whose members of the Knesset recently justified terrorism against Israeli civilians.

Another theme in the dire forecasts for Israeli democracy are legal-system reforms that the new government may pursue. The measures would actually reinforce democracy and introduce checks and balances to a political system in which the Supreme Court has far more power than its American counterpart.

Like the U.S. Supreme Court, Israel’s strikes down laws as unconstitutional—even though Israel doesn’t have a written constitution. The court has, without statutory authority, taken upon itself the power to strike down any law or government action as “unreasonable”—that is, anything the justices don’t think is a good idea. The justices—they currently number 15—decide what laws to bestow “constitutional” status on. They also dominate the committee that appoints new justices as well as lower-court judges. Candidates don’t undergo confirmation hearings before the Knesset.

https://unitedwithisrael.org/israeli-woman-finishes-2nd-in-new-york-city-marathon/

It is the best final result for an Israeli man or woman in the history of the race, which is in its 51st year.

By Algemeiner Staff

Israeli Lonah Chemtai Salpeter has finished second place in Sunday’s New York City Marathon. Salpeter finished seven seconds behind the winner, Sharon Lokedi of Kenya, who ran the 26.2 mile race through the city’s five boroughs in a time of 2 hours 23 minutes and 23 seconds.

Salpeter, 33, was born in Kenya and moved to Israel in 2008 to work as a nanny for the children of Kenya’s Ambassador to Israel. She married Israeli running coach Dan Salpeter in 2014.

It is the best final result for an Israeli man or woman in the history of the race, which is in its 51st year.