ISRAEL Comments turned off

Europe’s Palestinian blind spot: Ruthie Blum

Posted By on July 15th, 2022

https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-712133

Nine European countries declared on Tuesday that they would continue backing the Palestinian NGOs designated by Israel last year as terrorist organizations. In a joint statement, the foreign ministries of Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden argued that Israel hadn’t provided “substantial information… that would justify reviewing [their] policy” towards the “civil society” groups in question.

Referring to the area in which the said organizations operate as the OPT (Occupied Palestinian Territories) – rather than the PA (Palestinian Authority) – these EU members said that “should evidence be made available to the contrary, we would act accordingly.”

This was after professing to take “accusations of terrorism or links to terrorist groups… with the utmost seriousness.” All well and good, if one’s definition of the deadly phenomenon is open to interpretation.

“A free and strong civil society is indispensable for promoting democratic values and for the two-state solution,” the countries concluded, to give grounds for their continuing to fund the NGOs on Israel’s list of outlaws. This sentence alone is proof of Western Europe’s willful blindness when it comes to all things Palestinian.

In the first place, there is nothing “free” about the PA, which is controlled by corrupt and evil leaders. Secondly, no “democratic values” are promoted by the honchos in Gaza and Ramallah. Nor do the rulers of either push for a “two-state solution.”

CHARLOTTE'S NEWS WEB, NATIONAL NEWS & OPINION Comments turned off

A Shocking Escalation of the Disqualification Campaign

Posted By on July 15th, 2022

https://www.nysun.com/article/a-shocking-escalation-of-the-disqualification-campaign?utm_content=%F0%9F%8C%85%20The%20Morning%20Sun

We don’t mind saying that from the start we have been concerned that this is where the push to disqualify Representatives Madison Cawthorn, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and others would end.

The latest move in the campaign to disqualify President Trump from holding public office — and block him from running for president in 2024 — features an outrageous demarche from Free Speech for People. That’s the group that, as our A.R. Hoffman has been reporting, is working to use the 14th Amendment’s “disqualification clause” as a sword to cut down Republican candidates from Georgia to Arizona. 

It turns out, as Mr. Hoffman reports in his latest scoop, that Free Speech for People is sending to all 50 secretaries of state a request to sign a declaration that what happened on January 6, 2021, was an insurrection under “all conceivably applicable definitions of the word,” and that Mr. Trump “engaged” with that uprising in “both words and actions.” Then they want the secretaries to sign a declaration. 

It would state that because of the events of January 6, “consequently” Mr. Trump “is disqualified from holding ‘any office’ under the United States — including the presidency. As a result, he is ineligible to appear on the presidential primary ballot.” They even have typed up a signature line for each secretary of state. It leaves a blank on which each can write the state of which he or she is secretary. 

MOVIES AND TELEVISION Comments turned off

They Loved Me in Buchenwald A tribute to Robert Clary, the French American actor who survived the Holocaust to take Hollywood by storm By Peter Theroux

Posted By on July 14th, 2022

https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/arts-letters/articles/they-loved-me-buchenwald

A week after Patton’s Third Army liberated Buchenwald, on April 19, 1945, the inmates gave a concert for the soldiers who had freed them. Fourteen Czech, German, Dutch, Belgian, and French musicians made up the band. The Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles has the fading typed program on exhibit: There were sax, brass, and rhythm sections, and a sole vocalist—a Frenchman, Robert Widerman, who sang “In the Mood,” “A Tisket, A Tasket,” and “Honeysuckle Rose.” He also performed both roles in a Mickey and Minnie Mouse skit of his own creation, which had been a hit with the Nazis and kapos.

“We performed on the stage, in our striped uniforms, exhilarated by our new freedom, and gave the greatest show of our lives which hundreds of GIs and inmates applauded and shouted,” he noted in his memoirs. They closed the set with a “walloping version of ‘Tiger Rag.’”

A few weeks later, back home in Paris, the boyish but indefatigable Widerman, age 19, opened at the legendary Olympia on the Boulevard des Capucines, then one of the many Parisian venues requisitioned for American soldiers’ entertainment. He was the fourth on the bill, in an unenviable slot right after a performing dog act that always thrilled audiences. His first number was “Flat Foot Floogie,” followed by “Daisy Venez Avec Moi.” The audience wasn’t buying it. He was distraught at the perfunctory applause. “I had two more numbers to do, and I was having flop-sweat. I didn’t understand—they loved me in Buchenwald!”

The singer, who had changed his surname to Clary, took gigs all over Paris, working full time, dancing with socialites and prostitutes (“I remember one in particular. She was tall and looked like Joan Crawford … a very good jitterbugger. We had a ball on the dance floor.”) He performed in blackface. He made friends with Charles Aznavour. He relocated to the south of France and worked around the clock.

WORLD NEWS Comments turned off

Russia Gives NATO New Lease on Life by Soeren Kern

Posted By on July 14th, 2022

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/18713/russia-nato

The alliance’s new Strategic Concept, adopted at the NATO Summit in Madrid on June 28-30, focuses on addressing the return of great-power politics, specifically strategic competition with revisionist powers such as Russia and China.

The Strategic Concept affirms collective territorial defense as NATO’s fundamental mission, and effective deterrence as its main objective.

“The Russian Federation is the most significant and direct threat to Allies’ security and to peace and stability in the Euro-Atlantic area…. Its coercive military posture, rhetoric and proven willingness to use force to pursue its political goals undermine the rules-based international order…. In light of its hostile policies and actions, we cannot consider the Russian Federation to be our partner.” — NATO 2022 Strategic Concept.

The 2022 Concept also assesses, for the first time, the “challenges” — France and Germany objected to describing China as a “threat” because it was seen as harmful to European economic interests — posed by Communist Party of China.

Finally, the 2022 Concept commits NATO member states to honor previous pledges on defense spending, but there is no enforcement mechanism.

“The February invasion led to promises for even more spending, but many countries remain disappointments. Last month Germany approved a special €100 billion fund to rearm but still won’t commit to meeting the spending pledge every year. Italy said in March it will hit 2% by 2028, and Belgium managed to be even more hapless with a vow to reach the goal by 2035. Will Mr. Biden do anything to push these laggards in Madrid?” — Editorial Board, Wall Street Journal, June 26, 2022.

“If NATO fails to translate words into action now, it could be fatal for the Alliance.” — Ed Arnold, Royal United Services Institute, July 1, 2022.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), responding to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, has announced the biggest overhaul of European defense since the end of the Cold War. By pledging more money, more troops and more unity to deter Russia, NATO leaders have reaffirmed NATO as the cornerstone of transatlantic defense.

WORLD NEWS Comments turned off

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Protected the Indo-Pacific Region for the Free World by Lawrence A. Franklin

Posted By on July 14th, 2022

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/18714/shinzo-abe

Perhaps Abe’s most enduring contribution to the Japanese people was successfully to mold their thinking into accepting a greater responsibility for Free World defense.

Abe’s calm demeanor, diplomatic comportment and clarity of thought on strategic security issues helped enable the rapid evolution of the “QUAD” alliance (US, Japan, Australia and India) into a formidable bulwark against Chinese Communist expansionism in the Indo-Pacific.

Abe’s most significant contribution to strengthening security in the Indo-Pacific Region may yet materialize: to amend Japan’s post World War II Constitution to allow Tokyo more aggressively to project military power in the South and East China Seas. Such as addition would be a great boost to Free Asia’s hope to keep the Indo-Pacific secure and free. It is to be hoped that all countries in the region will follow in Abe’s extraordinary footsteps.

Shinzo Abe, the most influential Japanese leader since World II, ushered in accomplishments that were transformative both in Japan’s role as a democratic power in the Indo-Pacific Region and as a dynamic player in international affairs. His aggressive initiatives on defense issues significantly strengthened the US-Japanese Alliance, just as China’s expansionist aspirations in the South and East China Seas were peaking; he continued to push for an increase in Japan’s defense budget right up to his assassination.

NATIONAL NEWS & OPINION Comments turned off

“Searching for an Honest Man” by Lawrence Kadish

Posted By on July 14th, 2022

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/18712/searching-for-an-honest-man

Legend has it that long ago the philosopher Diogenes walked the streets of ancient Greece with a lamp held high in search of an “honest man.” His street theater suggested a quiet but dramatic protest against what he viewed as a corrupt society that smirked at government ethics and ignored personal responsibility.

A millennium or two later, the world’s greatest democracy has need to follow in Diogenes’ footsteps, as we collectively walk Washington, D.C. “looking for an honest man.”

America comes to this crossroads at a perilous time. There are those in our nation’s capital and leaders around the world who quietly believe our country is in a slow but deliberate decline, ceding global leadership to China much the way Great Britain gave way to the United States at the turn of the 20th Century.

If that is the case, then our world needs to brace itself for a dark, despotic era, for it was Abraham Lincoln who reminded all who would listen that the United States was, “…. the last best hope of earth.” Despite all of our domestic bickering, it remains so today.

NATIONAL NEWS & OPINION, P.C.-CULTURE Comments turned off

Hearing Witness Claims Hawley Inciting Anti-Trans ‘Violence’ by Asking if Women Get Pregnant

Posted By on July 14th, 2022

https://www.nationalreview.com/news/hearing-witness-claims-hawley-inciting-anti-trans-violence-by-asking-if-women-get-pregnant/?utm_source=recirc-desktop&utm_medium=homepage&utm_campaign=river&utm_content=featured-content-trending&utm_term=first

A law professor accused Senator Josh Hawley (R., Mo.) of being “transphobic” during a Senate Judiciary Committee meeting on Tuesday when he questioned her use of the phrase “people with the capacity for pregnancy” as a substitution for “women.” But in a 2020 law review article related to pregnancy, the same academic used the word “woman” 45 times and “women” 349 times.

Khiara M. Bridges, a professor at the UC Berkeley School of Law, testified at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings dedicated to exploring legal concerns regarding the formal overturn of Roe v. Wade.

In her testimony, Bridges almost entirely refrained from using the word “woman,” and instead resorted to gender-neutral language such as “people” and “people with the capacity for pregnancy.”

Senator Hawley questioned Bridges’ choice of rhetoric. Their exchange was as follows:

Senator Hawley: “Professor Bridges … you’ve referred to ‘people with the capacity for pregnancy.’ Would that be women?”

Bridges: “Many women, cis-women have the capacity for pregnancy. Many cis-women do not have the capacity for pregnancy. There are also trans men who capable of pregnancy, as well as non-binary people who are capable of pregnancy.”

DAVID'S SLINGSHOT DPS, ISRAEL Comments turned off

FROM A SAUDI MAGAZINE — “Today, the IDF represents the whole nation, ‘the people’s army,’ in which Israeli Jews, Druze, Muslims, Arabs, Bedouins and Christians all are brothers in arms.” — | Majalla

Posted By on July 14th, 2022

DPS Note: Thanks to Alex S we have the English language version of the Saudi magazine which had that picture of the Israeli Arab IDF soldiers on the cover.

https://eng.majalla.com/node/237956/politicsexclusive-idf-%E2%80%93-%E2%80%98our-mission-enlist-many-israeli-arabs-we-can%E2%80%99

By Suzan Quitaz 

08 July , 2022

It is early morning in the Negev desert, a battalion of soldiers crawls across the desert sand with assault rifles cocked. It’s a routine military exercise, but these are no ordinary combatants – they are Arabs who have voluntarily chosen to fight and even sacrifice their lives in order to protect the State of Israel. These young men, and some women too, are proud to be part of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). One of these young men is sergeant Emad, who proudly says “It’s an honor, to hold in one arm the assault rifle and on the other arm the holy Koran, to defend my homeland, Israel”

There is a massive misconception in the mainstream media about the Israeli Army. Most people believe it’s predominately Jewish, and it was at its early inception. When Israel’s independence was declared, there were a number of armed Jewish defense organizations like the Haganah, Palmach, Lehi and Irgun. Israel’s first Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion, decided to establish a single, and unified armed force loyal to the government of the State of Israel: The Israel Defense Forces was created on 26 of May 1948.

The IDF is unique amongst the militaries of the world due to its being a conscript army. Since its formation, mandatory military draft applies to both Jewish men and women. Today, it is one of the largest and most influential institutions in Israeli society due to its influence on the country’s economy, culture, and political scene. But one noticeable change that should not be overlooked, is the IDF has changed greatly in the decades since it was born. Today, the IDF represents the whole nation, ‘the people’s army,’ in which Israeli Jews, Druze, Muslims, Arabs, Bedouins and Christians all are brothers in arms.

BOOKS Comments turned off

‘Agency’: An Important New Book About America Scholar Ian Rowe reveals how all children can overcome the victimhood narrative – and discover their pathway to power.Star Parker

Posted By on July 14th, 2022

https://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/2022/07/agency-important-new-book-about-america-frontpagemagcom/

The Gallup polling organization seems to serve up endlessly bleak news about how Americans feel about God and country.

I wrote recently about their report of the historically low percentage of Americans that say they believe in God.

Now Gallup reports that a historically low number of Americans believe in ourselves and our country.

The percentage of Americans who now say, per Gallup, they are “extremely proud” of their country is at a historically low 38%.

And the average percentage, 27%, of Americans that have confidence in our major institutions is at an all-time low.

Inflation, slow growth and weekly reports about pointless violence do not inspire good feelings and confidence.

But the good news is we can still speak freely and express ourselves. Often, it takes courage to say publicly what you see and feel is wrong. But you can do it.

We have a wonderful example in a new book from American Enterprise Institute scholar Ian Rowe, “Agency: The Four Point Plan (F.R.E.E.) for All Children to Overcome the Victimhood Narrative and Discover Their Pathway to Power.”

Rowe is well positioned to speak about our country, what works and where the problems are, as the son of Jamaican immigrants who struggled so their sons would “make it” in America.

NATIONAL NEWS & OPINION Comments turned off

Phony Rhetoric About ‘Our Democracy’ The obscuring of America’s Constitutional political order. Bruce Thornton

Posted By on July 14th, 2022

https://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/2022/07/phony-rhetoric-about-our-democracy-bruce-thornton/

Ever since the political rise of Donald Trump we have heard mantras chanted about “our democracy,” usually in the context of how Trump allegedly is destroying it. This cliché obscures the actual nature of our Constitutional political order, which created a mixed government more typical of a republic than a democracy rightly understood; and was based on a realist vision of human nature whose destructive excesses the Founders sought to mitigate without diminishing the citizens’ freedom.

More devious, the sloppy use of “democracy” distracts from the fact that progressives for over a century have used the camouflage of “democracy” to hide their systematic dismantling of that Constitutional order that protects the freedom of individuals, civil society, and states from the tyranny of concentrated “large powers and unhampered discretion,” as Woodrow Wilson called for in 1887.

Much of the democracy happy talk reflects the global high estimation of democracy,  its “best of good names,” as historian Michael Mandelbaum describes its universal prestige as a form of government “honored and valued everywhere” with “the same kind of aura that surrounds medicine,” and esteemed as “a high human achievement that improves the lives of those fortunate enough to come into contact with it.” Like “natural,” “green,” and “organic,” it’s a term that reflexively evokes positive approval of whatever ideal or policy it’s used to promote.

But such marketing reinforces a false understanding of the American political order, one predicated not on human perfectibility and utopian ambitions, but on humanity’s permanent destructive weakness and corruptibility caused by our universal “passions and interest” that are “sown in the nature of man,” as Madison said. These indelible traits create diverse political “factions,” associations that compete with each other for the power to gratify both interests and passions.