Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Donald Trump’s pick for secretary of health and human services, in 2016 compared him to Adolf Hitler and lauded commentary that likened Trump’s supporters to Nazis and “belligerent idiots.”
Friday, November 22, 2024
ICC issues arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant for Gaza 'war crimes'
https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-830135
In a blockbuster ruling that shook the military, diplomatic, and legal worlds, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant on Thursday.
The ICC cited reasonable grounds to believe that Netanyahu and Gallant committed the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare, and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts.
Thursday, November 21, 2024
Matt Gaetz Withdraws From Consideration as Attorney General
Matt Gaetz has withdrawn as Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general, after it became clear Republican lawmakers were prepared to reject his nomination amid swirling sexual misconduct and drug allegations.
How Trump abandoned his pledge to ‘drain the swamp’
In the closing weeks of that election, Trump led cheering supporters in chants of that slogan, promising that he would completely disrupt the culture of Washington. He warned of the power of lobbyists and political donors who he said effectively bought off elected officials. He told voters he was uniquely prepared to take on the issue, because he knew personally as a contributor how the system worked.
But during his four years in office, Trump has taken few steps to clean up Washington. He has instead presided over a norm-shattering expansion of private interests in government.
Trump Pick Linda McMahon Is Facing Her Own Sex Scandal
McMahon on Tuesday was tapped to lead the Department of Education as she and her husband, the embattled Vince McMahon, are embroiled in a sex scandal, something of a developing trend in the second Trump administration.
Haley raises concerns about Gabbard, RFK Jr.
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5000955-haley-trump-cabinet-criticism/?tbref=hp
“This is not a place for a Russian, Iranian, Syrian, Chinese sympathizer,” she said, referring to the position of director of national intelligence, which “has to analyze real threats.”
“He’s a liberal Democrat, environmental attorney, trial lawyer who will now be overseeing 25 percent of our federal budget and has no background in health care,” Haley stated.
Rand Paul breaks with Trump on using military for mass deportations: ‘Huge mistake’
“I’m not in favor of sending the Army in uniforms into our cities to collect people,” Paul (R-Ky.) told Newsmax host Rob Schmitt on Tuesday. “I think it’s a terrible image and that’s not what we use our military for, we never have and it’s actually been illegal for over 100 years to bring the Army into our cities.”
Wednesday, November 20, 2024
Jeffries: Republicans don’t have a mandate
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4998716-hakeem-jeffries-republican-mandate/?tbref=hp
“President Trump is looking for persons who will shake up the status quo, and we got a mandate in this election cycle to do that,” Johnson told reporters in the Capitol. “The status quo is not working for the American people. And so these are persons who will go in and bring real reform — significant reform — to the agencies that they lead.”
Elon Musk Overseeing a Department for Transparency and Accountability Is the Ultimate Troll | Opinion
In the Musk world view, transparency and accountability are entirely subjective. In March 2022, several weeks before launching his bid to buy Twitter, Musk declared himself a "free speech absolutist." Nine months later, after completing the acquisition, Musk began banning prominent journalists from the platform. Companies that took their advertising dollars elsewhere were not seen as exercising their free will. Musk sued them, describing the companies' decision as a "conspiracy" and a "boycott," and asking a federal court in Texas to prosecute them to the fullest.
To All Trump Voters: How Will You Measure His Success?
https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-question-all-trump-voters-will-have-to-answer/
On the Israel side of things, Trump has promised to give Netanyahu a free hand to “get the job done.” What does that mean? Trump has already articulated his vision for what it looks like, stating that Gaza could be “better than Monaco.” What do you Trump voters think success looks like in the Middle East? During his first term, he promised that Jared Kushner would bring peace to the region.
Did that happen? Did moving the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem accomplish that task? Did the vaunted Abraham Accords? Or are people still slaughtering each other over a spit of land the size of New Jersey?
Do you Trump voters expect a two-state solution? A one-state solution? Trump’s first peace proposal for the region came out in 2020. Here’s how The New York Times described it: “The plan would discard the longtime goal of granting the Palestinians a full-fledged state. President Trump called it ‘a win-win’ for both sides; Palestinian leaders immediately rejected it.”
Trump Pentagon pick flagged in 2021 as potential insider threat for extremist-linked tattoo
As the AP reported in an investigation published last month, more than 480 people with a military background were accused of ideologically driven extremist crimes from 2017 through 2023, including the more than 230 arrested in connection with the January 6 insurrection, according to data collected and analyzed by the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism, or START, at the University of Maryland.
Though those numbers reflect a small fraction of those who have served honorably in the military — and Lloyd Austin, the current defense secretary, has said that extremism is not widespread in the US military — AP’s investigation found that plots involving people with military backgrounds were more likely to involve mass casualties.
Haredi minister slams: Judiciary holds a double standard
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/399488
Speaking at the Knesset plenum, Porush said, "I don't understand what country I'm in, and what year I'm in. As far as I know, I am in the year 2024, in the same country I was in two years ago. In today's country, there is no problem deciding that the family of a person who didn't become a soldier should not be eligible for daycare [discounts]."
Such a person, he stressed, "is not a terrorist - his whole sin is that maybe he hasn't yet enlisted, or that he, as per the rabbis' instructions, is not going to enlist until there is an arrangement ensuring that people will not be able to harm yeshiva students."
Pope Francis Turns on Israel
Pope Francis has written a new book to mark the 2025 jubilee. In an excerpt from “Hope Never Disappoints” that has generated headlines, he proposes a “careful investigation” by international experts into whether Israel’s actions in Gaza meet “the technical definition” of genocide.
But don’t kid yourself. What matters here is not the prospect of some authoritative finding by a respected international body. With this call, the pope has taken a side in the Hamas-Israel war. The headlines all have “pope,” “Israel,” and “genocide” in them—a great victory for anti-Israel forces.
What to know about Dr. Oz, the TV physician Trump tapped to run Medicare
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/11/20/dr-oz-trump-cms-credentials-controversy/
In 2014, a study in the British Medical Journal found that more than half the recommendations made on “The Dr. Oz Show” were either not backed up by, or contradicted, scientific research.
Trump’s turn to bask in Musk’s reflected glory
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/11/20/politics/trump-musk-relationship-analysis/index.html
Conflicts of interest weren’t exactly taken seriously in the first Trump administration. But Musk’s ubiquity in Trump 2.0 as the standout ally in an emerging inner circle of billionaires, millionaires and Fox News anchors means they have officially become a joke.
Sell the Steal: How Michael Flynn built a business and MAGA following out of election denialism
Flynn – a retired Army lieutenant general who once led the Defense Intelligence Agency, and someone Trump has indicated he would include in a second administration – has been one of the biggest promoters of the same baseless voter fraud allegations that have spawned criminal investigations, a congressional inquiry and, in the case of Dominion, a $787 million defamation settlement from Fox News.
Donald Trump Taps Dr. Oz for Top Health Position
https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-taps-dr-oz-top-health-position-1988555
Oz has also faced controversies surrounding his medical career. During a 2014 Senate hearing on consumer protection, former Senator Claire McCaskill said that the "scientific community is almost monolithic against you" for his weight loss product advertisements.
Linda McMahon's Nomination Attacked by Educators: 'Slap in the Face'
https://www.newsweek.com/linda-mcmahon-donald-trump-secretary-education-nomination-attacked-1988707
Critics see the nomination as the latest instance of Trump selecting a loyalist to serve in his incoming administration over someone with more relevant experience.
"By selecting Linda McMahon, Donald Trump is showing that he could not care less about our students' futures," Becky Pringle, the president of the National Education Association, said in a statement. She added, "McMahon's only mission is to eliminate the Department of Education and take away taxpayer dollars from public schools."
עדיין מעוכב בארץ: הרב מארה"ב חגג את נישואי נכדתו מרחוק
https://www.bhol.co.il/news/1678908
מזה כחודשיים וחצי מעוכב בארץ רב קהילת טאהש במונסי המעורב בתיק גירושין סבוך בארה"ב. לרגל חתונת נכדתו חגג מרחוק את השמחה. צפו בתיעוד
Sometimes, Donald Trump tells the truth
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/11/19/trump-cabinet-outsider-heterodox-reagan/
If Trump’s underlying goal is to shrink the federal workforce, which so many other Republican presidents have talked about, then he might have stumbled on a brilliant tactic. Firing civil servants is notoriously difficult. But if Trump manages to install Gaetz at Justice or Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at Health and Human Services, I imagine you will see a voluntary exodus of expertise like we’ve never seen before. There’s not a lawyer in the Justice Department who couldn’t be making more money for fewer headaches in private practice.
‘We Are Reeling’: Trump’s Pick of Tulsi Gabbard Alarms Intelligence Community
https://time.com/7176696/gabbard-russia-connection-trump-intelligence/
Weeks after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Gabbard posted a video espousing a disproven conspiracy theory that alleged pathogens could leak from biolabs in Ukraine, a theory advanced by Russia as part of its propaganda attempt to press for a ceasefire. Then-Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., said Gabbard had embraced “actual Russian propaganda” and called it “traitorous.” Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, said Gabbard was “parroting fake Russian propaganda.”
Marjorie Taylor Greene: GOP Covered Up ‘Sexual Harassment and Assault’ Claims
Greene suggested there’s no reason that completed reports and settlements involving lawmakers—including Gaetz’ probe—shouldn’t be made public. While she wrote that she’d even filed an ethics report herself, she didn’t specify what, or who, it involved.
The Georgia firebrand ended with a commitment to make public as many purported claims as possible: “If we’re going to dance, let’s all dance in the sunlight. I’ll make sure we do.”
Arkia and Israir to operate flights to the US, instead of foreign airlines
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/399472
The two companies plan to lease European aircraft and operate ten weekly flights using foreign crews in order to lower prices for consumers.
Just not these two Please Mr. President, ditch this dreadful duo — Gabbard and Gaetz
There’s a real fear that Gabbard won’t provide President Trump with the intelligence he needs, but rather downplay threats with the intention of isolationism.
Gaetz may provide the disruption, but he has neither the ethics nor the discipline to rebuild a proper system that will pursue fair prosecutions.
Trump: ‘No more Judges confirmed before Inauguration Day!’
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4998359-trump-demands-senate-stop-confirming-judges/?tbref=hp
The White House called out Trump and Republicans for trying to slow down confirmations at the end of the year, arguing that Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), who was elected Senate GOP leader, considered it a priority to confirm Trump’s judicial nominees before the end of his last administration.
Tuesday, November 19, 2024
WSJ: Much of the seized Hezbollah weapons are Russian-made
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/399411
A full 60-70% of weapons found in southern Lebanon at the start of the IDF's ground invasion were Russian-made; experts unsure of whether they were taken from Syria or signal increased cooperation between Russia and Hezbollah, report says.
Israel Finds Large Troves of Russian Arms in Hezbollah’s Hands
The weapons Israel is finding now are newer, more advanced, and present in larger numbers than expected by military analysts. The arms have significantly bolstered Hezbollah’s ability to fight back after Israeli airstrikes decimated its top leadership, they say. Antitank weapons such as the Kornet have been among the most effective weapons in Hezbollah’s arsenal, and have been used to kill numerous Israeli soldiers.
Don’t Overlook How Bad This Lesser-Known Trump Nominee Is
https://www.thedailybeast.com/dont-overlook-how-bad-this-lesser-known-trump-nominee-is/
“This is a guy who is a strong ally of Elon Musk, another fake free speech champion,” he added. “This is a guy who thinks that, oh, for example, advertisers that refuse to advertise on Twitter are part of an illegal cartel that have to be broken up because they don’t want their ads running next to @HitlerLover69 tweets. So this guy is not a friend of free speech—he wants to go after broadcast networks that don’t bend the knee enough to Donald Trump, or that air reports that might be critical of Donald Trump, or that air shows like Saturday Night Live.”
Could Biden's Ukraine Missile Move Trigger World War III? Experts' Verdicts
https://www.newsweek.com/could-biden-ukraine-missile-move-trigger-world-war-experts-verdicts-1987468
Americans may not have noticed—nor, shockingly, have many Europeans—that World War III has already begun. On one side are Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea. The Russian war in Ukraine is being fought with Chinese support for Russian industry, Iranian drones, and North Korean ammunition and missiles, which kill Ukrainian civilians every night, and now North Korean troops.
Trump’s Cabinet picks, and the morality problem
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/11/18/trumps-cabinet-picks-morality-problem/
“With some of these nominees — Gaetz, Hegseth, RFK Jr. — I wonder, does it matter anymore for Republicans to think of leaders as people who are moral in their personal lives?” CNN host Jake Tapper asked. “Is that still important to the Republican Party?”
Tulsi Gabbard vs. Trump’s First Term
Ms. Gabbard, a Democrat until 2022, shares Mr. Trump’s skepticism toward U.S. military involvement abroad. But she stands out as a troubling choice to manage intelligence because her views on the use of force and U.S. foreign policy mark her to the left of even dovish voices in the Democratic Party.
Monday, November 18, 2024
Jews don’t accept authority or have faith unless forced
Netziv (Shemos 13:9): Don’t be surprised that G d requires us to do so many mitzvos and techniques to acquire bitachon and emuna in G d’s Providence. The fact is that it is known that the Jews do not readily accept authority until they are forced as we see by the plagues. That is why G d took us out of Egypt with a strong hand because it was not easy for us to accept His dominance. This is seen in the medrash which discusses, “The Jews did not listen to Moshe because of their irritability and stress of their enslavement.” The medrash explains that they didn’t want to listen because they were immersed in idol worship. In other words, the medrash means that in fact they did not want to be redeemed.
Woman is not a slave - disagreeing with Rashi
Igros Moshe (O.C. 6 5.2): [Menachos 43b It was taught: R. Judah used to say, A man is bound to say the following three blessings daily: who has made me a Jew’, ‘. . . . who hast not made me a woman’; and ‘ . . . who hast not made me a brutish man’. R. Aha b. Jacob once overhead his son saying the blessing … who hast not made me a brutish man’, whereupon he said to him, ‘And this too!’ Said the other, ‘Then what blessing should I say instead?’ [He replied,] . . . who hast not made me a slave’. And is not that the same as a woman?[Rashi explains because in terms of the obligation of doing mitzvos – a woman and a slave are equal]— A slave is more contemptible.] Look at Rashi (Menachos 43b) who explains in his first explanation to the question of saying a beracha “who has not made me a slave” is the same saying “who has not made me a woman", that “the wife is also a slave to her husband as a slave is to his master.” If I weren't afraid I would say that it is necessary to erase the first explantion of Rashi. Because G-d forbid for Rashi to say this ridiculous statement. That is because according to the Torah there is no obligation for the wife to do anything for the husband except for having normal marital relations. And even in regard to intercourse, he is in fact more obligated to her because he also has a negative Torah commandment not to deprive her of sexual satisfaction. In fact it is only a decree of the Sages that requires that her work belongs to her husband. Corresponding to this requirement to work for him, he is required to feed her. But the only work she is obligated to do is house work and not to work in the field. She also has some obligation regarding wool - which is an easy job that women typically do. See Shulchan Aruch EH simon 80. Her meals are his obligation since she should not have it any worse than her family and his family and certainly not less than what she typically eats. Similarly he is obligated to provide her clothing according to what the women of that city typically get as well as according to the standard of his and her family. That is because she is to go up in her standard of living with him and not go down. In addition he is obligated to honor her and he cannot leave the house without her permission except to go to his job that is known to her. In fact we see from all this the opposite of her being his slave. He is obligated to do all the work to earn a living as is stated in the Kesubah. Even if it means hiring himself out according to Tosfos (Kesubos 63). Thus we see that the husband is more of a slave to her then she is to him. This Rashi requires further study (tzorech iyun gadol).
WHO warns: Measles outbreak spreading alarmingly
https://www.jpost.com/health-and-wellness/article-829480
In 2023, 10.3 million measles cases were reported globally, marking a 20% increase from the previous year. The WHO attributes this rise to insufficient vaccination coverage, leading to outbreaks.
Sunday, November 17, 2024
10,000 spoons when all you need is a knife - voters fell for a conman
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/syz6f00qm1g#autoplay
Trump’s solution—deport millions of illegal immigrants. That’s it. Round them up and deport them. Yes, it’s a despicable approach that soundly crosses the threshold into the realm of “inhumane," not to mention would likely slam into many legal and constitutional boundaries, but it was also something else - simple. Just so simple. That is why that approach caught on. Swing voters wanted a simple policy they understand, that will provide the veneer of safety, even if it’s based on an illusion. It's a campaign. It doesn't matter if it's feasible or not.
How Hegseth’s Tattoo Got Him Barred From Working at Biden’s Inauguration
The email, dated Jan. 14 and sent from a former Washington, D.C., Guard member, included an attachment showing a shirtless Hegseth with a tattoo on his bicep inscribed, “Deus Vult.” A quick google search told Gaith/er the Latin phrase means “God wills it,” which served as a battle cry for Christians during the Crusades and has become associated with white extremist groups, he told The Wall Street Journal. The pictures also showed that Hegseth has a large Jerusalem cross tattoo. Gaither said he was not concerned about the cross—it was the “Deus Vult” that worried him.
Trump win proves Americans don't care about Israel's war
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/rkmyoalgjx#autoplay
Opinion: US voters barely give Israel a thought when voting for president; Jewish and Muslim votes remain the same and only about 1% cited the war among their considerations when voting
Do some vaccinations really reduce dementia risk?
There is mounting evidence vaccines can reduce the rates of dementia, but one GP says ‘the jury is still out’ on which ones are best.
Rav Yehoshua Kalish zt”l
https://matzav.com/rav-yehoshua-kalish-ztl/
Rav Kalish was a gaon in Torah, a talmid chochom of extraordinary depth who completed Shas over 40 times during his lifetime.
As a maggid shiur and rebbi, he educated and inspired thousands, shaping the lives of countless talmidim with his brilliance, warmth, and heartfelt hadracha.
In his role as a rov, Rav Kalish was a pillar of strength and leadership, offering chochmas haTorah to his kehillah and the broader community. His sensitivity, clarity in psak, and boundless ahavas Yisroel left an indelible mark on all who were privileged to know him.
Trump won. The celebrations started. Then the trouble began
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/11/16/trump-transition-cabinet-controversy/
“It’s hard to argue that a Putin apologist who is friends with Assad represents conservative foreign policy. It’s hard to argue that someone who wants to get rid of fluoride in your water and favors abortion for all nine months is a conservative family pick,” said Marc Short, a longtime adviser to Pence, referring to Gabbard and Kennedy, respectively, before saying that the Gaetz choice “makes a mockery of the whole Department of Justice — which could be what Trump wants to do — but it’s not really advancing law and order.”
Pete Hegseth's Fox News Colleagues React to 'White Supremacist' Accusation
In his 2024 book, The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free, Hegseth, who is a New York Times bestselling author, spoke out against the military's drive to increase diversity among higher-ranked officers.
"Take it to the racist bank: Black troops at all levels will be promoted simply based on their race," he wrote in a section cited by The Washington Post. "Some will be qualified; some will not be."
Hegseth left the Army in 2021, according to Reuters, after being labeled an "extremist" he said, and that the Army did not want him. In his book, Hegseth also wrote that the feeling was mutual, "I didn't want this Army anymore either."
Saturday, November 16, 2024
Wasserman Schultz says Gabbard ‘likely a Russian asset’
Gabbard has shared content suggesting that the U.S. was involved in Ukraine developing biological weapons. Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) said at the time that she was “parroting Russian propaganda” and that her “treasonous lies may well cost lives.”
In 2022, she also knocked the Biden administration for failing to address Russian concerns amid its invasion of Ukraine.
Why Trump’s Clown Cabinet of Deplorables Is a No-Joke Circus
https://www.thedailybeast.com/gaetz-rfk-jr-gabbard-trumps-cabinet-of-deplorables-is-no-joke/
The pet-murdering former South Dakota Snow Queen to head the Department of Homeland Security? Ron Burgundy to head the Department of Defense? An accused pedophile and sex-trafficker to be Attorney General? A woman Russian television proudly proclaims is an agent for them to be the top intelligence official in the U.S. government? The anti-vaxx conspiracy theorist with a brain worm to head the Department of Health and Human Services?
Trump Keeps Trolling as the ‘Resistance’ Fades
We are back to the Island of Misfit Toys. What a mistake. Mr. Trump often confuses his own antic malice for daring, his own unseriousness for boldness. How amazing that in the rosy glow of election, he will spend so much political capital and goodwill on confirmation fights he may well, and certainly deserves to, lose.
The Strange World of RFK Jr.
Donald Trump II is a brave new world, and look no further than his strange choice of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Health and Human Services Department. Only months ago Mr. Trump was calling the Kennedy family scion a “liberal lunatic,” yet now he wants to hand RFK Jr. the power to “make America healthy again.” Good luck making sense of this nomination.
Kristi Noem 'Knows Nothing' About Homeland Security: Ex-Trump Official
https://www.newsweek.com/kristi-noem-knows-nothing-homeland-security-ex-trump-official-1986824
Elizabeth Neumann, who was assistant Homeland Security secretary in Trump's first White House tenure, as well as serving in the department under George W. Bush, told CNN host Kaitlan Collins that it is "concerning" that the department doesn't have the kind of leader it deserves. Newsweek has contacted Noem via the contact form on her website for comment outside of regular working hours.
"It's a little concerning for the agency itself that you have somebody coming in that really knows nothing about Homeland Security and hasn't had that much experience actually—I know she's the governor of a state, but it's a relatively small state—hasn't been in office that long," Neumann said. "So I'm a little concerned for the agency itself that they don't have the kind of leader that they deserve."
Trump Second Thoughts?
Mishpacha has been among Trump's greatest supporters especially Benjamin Rose
However in the current issue he seems to be hedging his encouragement about Trump
Reports are circulating that Trump gave Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu an Inauguration Day deadline to wrap up the IDF wars in Gaza and Lebanon. Others say the deadline only applies to major military offensives, and that the incoming Trump administration has made peace with the idea that Israel will battle on well into its first 100 days and keep control over parts of Gaza and south Lebanon once they are cleared of terrorist infrastructure.
All this remains to be seen. Trump is strong and determined, but Netanyahu is no pushover. He and Israel’s security and intelligence heads should grab every opportunity to make their case. The Biden administration tried to pressure Israel to accept Palestinian Authority rule in Gaza or some combination of Arab forces from moderate Muslim nations. What is Trump’s vision for the future of Gaza?
That’s one reason we need to watch Trump’s pick for secretary of state and pay close attention to his Senate confirmation testimony. What role does Trump envision for Qatar, rumored to be on the way out as a mediator between Israel and Hamas?
Trump Decision Makes Lebanon-Israel Ceasefire More Likely—Lebanese Official
https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-lebanon-israel-ceasefire-more-likely-nabih-berri-1986832
Lebanon's Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri believes the chances of Lebanon and Israel reaching a ceasefire agreement now have surpassed 50 percent after President-elect Donald Trump reportedly urged U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein to push through a deal.
Friday, November 15, 2024
Matt Gaetz slammed as ‘vile’ sexual predator by Federalist co-founder, who says senators who vote for AG pick must ‘own that’
“Every Republican in Washington has an opinion about Matt Gaetz, and 99% of those opinions are, ‘Keep Matt Gaetz away from my wife/daughter/friend and anyone I care about,’” he wrote.
“Here’s the real deal: Matt Gaetz is the line for how we assess the Republican Party. If they are truly a cult of personality, beholden to Donald Trump in ways that we could not even imagine for a party that rejects cults and idol worship, they will approve this choice,” Domenech wrote.
RFK Jr., who mused COVID was designed to spare Ashkenazi Jews, tapped to head HHS - Making America Great obviously
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an American anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist and onetime presidential candidate who has compared vaccine mandates to the Holocaust and mused that the COVID-19 pandemic was engineered to spare Ashkenazi Jews, is US President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.
Trump's message to Israel: Advance a deal with Lebanon - What if Biden had said it
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/399237
Diplomatic source says that US President-elect Donald Trump told Israel's Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer that Israel needs to reach an agreement which will end the war in Lebanon.
What Republicans are saying about Matt Gaetz's nomination for attorney general
JOHN BOLTON, former U.N. ambassador and national security adviser:
“It must be the worst nomination for a Cabinet secretary in American history. I think this is something that falls well outside the scope of deference that should be given to a president in nominating members of the senior team. Gaetz is not only totally incompetent for this job, he doesn’t have the character. He is a person of moral turpitude.”
Trump AG nominee Matt Gaetz has left a trail of antisemitic comments
https://forward.com/fast-forward/674875/trump-ag-matt-gaetz-antisemitic/
Rep. Max Miller, a Jewish Republican from Ohio, also blasted the nomination. “Gaetz has a better shot at having dinner with Queen Elizabeth II than being confirmed by the Senate,” Miller said, adding that Gaetz is “a reckless pick” with “a zero percent shot.”
Israel to Trump: It would be ‘better’ to stay in the Paris Agreement
One of Donald Trump’s closest international allies has advised him against withdrawing from the Paris global climate pact that America signed in 2015.
Asked whether Israel supported the U.S. president-elect’s plan to leave the Paris Agreement, Israel’s Special Envoy for Climate Change and Sustainability Gideon Behar said: “The more people that will remain … is better.”
What White Christians Have Wrought
https://time.com/7174260/white-christianity-trump-election-essay/
Over the last decade, many white Christians have not just selfishly supported a dangerous, narcissistic man who promised to restore their waning influence; they have now willingly blessed the advent of a new American fascism that threatens our democratic future. They are principally responsible for Trump’s rise and return to power—and for everything that is coming for all of us in its wake.
CEASEFIRE FOR ARMS? Trump Promises to Remove All Arms Restrictions if Israel Agrees to a Ceasefire in Lebanon Before Inauguration Day
According to a new report from Channel 12 News on Thursday, US President-elect Donald Trump’s associates have promised Israel that all delays and restrictions on arms to Israel will be removed on his first day in office, provided Israel achieves a ceasefire in Lebanon by the time Trump takes office on inauguration day.
Trump to universities: Stamp out antisemitism or lose accreditation
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-829167
To “defeat antisemitism and defend Jewish citizens in America,” Trump said he would inform every college president that if they do not “end antisemitic propaganda,” they would lose accreditation and federal support.
“We will not subsidize the creation of terrorist sympathizers, and we’re not going to do it – certainly on American soil,” he said.
Vaccines, Flouride and More: RFK Jr.’s Wildest Public Health Ideas
https://www.thedailybeast.com/vaccines-flouride-and-more-rfk-jrs-wildest-public-health-ideas/
Kennedy is a notorious vaccine skeptic, and serves as the chairman of Children’s Health Defense, one of the leading anti-vaccine nonprofit groups in the country.
He notably led the charge to remove the mercury-based preservative thimerosal from vaccines. The CDC and multiple studies have found no link between the compound and the development of autism.
“There is no evidence of harm caused by the low doses of thimerosal in vaccines, except for minor reactions like redness and swelling at the injection site,” the CDC states. The preservative was already removed from childhood vaccines by 2001, and was never present in the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, according to the agency.
Putting RFK Jr. in charge of health breaks the first rule of medicine
Donald Trump won on promises to fix the economy, the border and soaring global disorder; his team needs to focus on delivering change on those fronts — not spend energy either having to defend crackpot theories or trying to control RFK Jr.’s mouth.
Thursday, November 14, 2024
McCarthy says Gaetz won’t get confirmed: ‘Everyone knows that’
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4990312-kevin-mccarthy-matt-gaetz-feud-donald-trump-cabinet/
Asked for his response to Trump’s Cabinet picks so far, McCarthy told Bloomberg Television in an interview, “I think the choices are very good, except one.”
“Look, Gaetz won’t get confirmed,” he continued. “Everybody knows that.”
McCarthy, a loyal Trump ally while serving in the House, was asked why the former president would bother tapping Gaetz if he knew the Florida Republican couldn’t get confirmed.
CIA Official Arrested for Intelligence Leak on Israeli Plans to Strike Iran
The leaked reports assessed Israel’s planning for a possible Iran attack, including the types of aircraft and munitions its military could use. They also described Israeli air-force exercises involving air-to-surface missiles, believed to be in preparation for aerial strikes inside Iran. One of the reports says the U.S. hadn’t seen any sign an attack would involve nuclear weapons, a capability Israel is known to possess but doesn’t publicly confirm it
Trump Yuden rein Appointments
With all the "Jewish Pride in the election of Trump - one glaring problem has been ignore - none of his selections are Jewish
Typically the Ambassador to Israel is a Jew as David Friedman was , This time Trump picked a loyalist Baptist minister instead of Friedman. Huckabee is pro Israel but he also believes as a good Christian that a great battle will take place at the end of days and All the Jews will either be killed or will convert.
In sum. Trump seems to be going with the White Christian Nation thing.
Marriage Skills Handbook - Guest Post by Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C
The low divorce rate of the frum community used to be a badge of pride.
In truth, there aren’t many chiddushim in here either. It’s a lot of ideas that have existed already, put together in a way that is digestible and easy to read, with maybe a few twists of my own.
-- Ben Yehoyada, Berachos 28b
Trump Sends Shockwaves Through Washington With Gaetz Pick
Most of Trump’s picks indicates he wants a firm grip on his nominees and that he values loyalty, a quality prized by all presidents but one that he has put a particular premium on. Gaetz’s selection also has the benefit of exciting the president-elect’s MAGA base.
Trump’s AG pick called ADL ‘racist,’ invited Holocaust denier to State of the Union
This past spring, Gaetz, alongside Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, opposed a bill that would codify an official definition of antisemitism because it classified the view that Jews killed Jesus — which Gaetz endorsed — as antisemitic.
“The Gospel itself would meet the definition of antisemitism under the terms of this bill!” Gaetz wrote on X, adding, “The Bible is clear. There is no myth or controversy on this.”
Wednesday, November 13, 2024
Affirmative Action and Trump
For years Conservatives have complained about Affirmative Action because it is not concerned with job related factors but only race or yichus for jobs or college admission.
Trump declared at his first presidency he was going to hire only the best people. But many of them ended up disagreeing with him and became his biggest critics
This time around he is not looking for competence or experience - the most important and non- negotiable factor is loyalty - not only now but forever. As his son declared "I want people who ‘don’t think they know better’ than father in Cabinet."
It is ironic that he is using affirmative action but substituting loyalty for race because he doesn't want resistance to doing anything he wants! After all he doesn't want anybody who thinks he knows better than he does ,since he is such a stable genius who aced competency tests. Nobody could possibly know more than he does!
Trump Jr.: I want people who ‘don’t think they know better’ than father in Cabinet
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4979130-trump-jr-involved-transition/
Donald Trump Jr. said he wants people who “don’t think they know better” than his father, President-elect Trump, to be a part of the Republican administration.
“I’m going to be heavily involved on the transition. I want to make sure now that we know who the real players are, the people who will actually deliver on the president’s message, the people who don’t think that they know better than the duly elected president of the United States,” Donald Trump Jr. said during his Thursday morning appearance on “Fox & Friends.”
“I want to make sure that those people are in his Cabinet. I want to make sure that those people are in this administration,” he added.
Trump taps Fox News host Pete Hegseth for Defense secretary
https://thehill.com/policy/defense/4987358-pete-hegseth-defense-secretary/
Defense secretary proved to be one of Trump’s more volatile Cabinet posts during his first term in office. Jim Mattis resigned after Trump said he was withdrawing troops from Syria, and his replacement, Mark Esper, was fired days after the 2020 election and has since been critical of Trump.
Ex-Fox Host Flames Former Colleague Pete Hegseth After Trump’s Pentagon Nod
Former Fox News host Gretchen Carlson said she was “stunned” Tuesday by Donald Trump’s intention to nominate Fox & Friends host Pete Hegseth as his Secretary of Defense.
“From silly diner interviews on Weekend Fox and Friends to Secretary of Defense?“ Carlson wrote on X. ”I never thought I’d say I’m stunned about any pick after the election but nominating Pete Hegseth for this incredibly important role? Yes he’s a veteran … and?"
Tuesday, November 12, 2024
A Surprising Source of Dementia Relief: Cannabis
Doctors who prescribe cannabis to dementia patients say it can alleviate anxiety, agitation and pain, and improve sleep, appetite and mood. While there isn’t much definitive research on the use of cannabis for dementia, several small studies have backed its usefulness in soothing agitation.
Donald Trump's Cabinet Picks Might Cost GOP House Majority
https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-cabinet-picks-might-cost-gop-house-majority-1984525
President-elect Donald Trump has named two members of the House of Representatives to his cabinet, and at least four more Representatives are rumored to be joining them in high office.
Having not yet officially won a majority in the House, the President-elect could further tighten the Republican's margin, which is likely be a very narrow majority over the Democrats, when all votes have been counted.
According to The Associated Press, the Republicans have so far won 214 of 435 seats in the House of Representatives; they need 218 to form a majority. Democrats have won 205.
Democratic warnings about Trump were not simply campaign rhetoric
The issue isn’t that Democrats never believed Trump posed such a risk. The issue is that the party and its presidential candidate lost an election centered on that risk. The process of democracy, responding in large part to global economic patterns, awarded the presidency to a candidate who is overtly and increasingly antagonistic to the American system. A candidate representing a party in which a majority told pollsters four years ago that the governmental separation of powers was not extremely important.
The argument that Democrats were insincere in their concerns about democracy is, particularly when offered by Trump supporters, an effort to diminish the idea that any such risk exists.
It obviously does.
Latino men just didn’t want a woman president
No, it wasn’t “the Economy, stupid.” Speaking as a Black man born into a Spanish-speaking family, let me tell you what last week’s election was really about.
It was about millions of men — many with my Latino immigrant background, some with my skin color — who don’t want any woman, especially a woman of color, in the White House.
Netanyahu:'Annexation when Trump returns'
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/399023
The Prime Minister said recently in closed talks that after Trump's entry into the White House, the issue of sovereignty over the Judea and Samaria areas should be revisited.
Ex-Trump aides warn Israeli ministers not to assume he’ll back annexation in 2nd term
Cabinet members told support for controversial move could hamper other US foreign policy goals, would only happen as part of peace plan like the one in 2020 that far-right opposed
Monday, November 11, 2024
Democrats and the case of mistaken identity politics - The 2024 election post mortem is a wake for woke
Donald Trump won a majority of white women and remarkable numbers of Black and Latino voters and young men.
Democratic insiders thought people would vote for Kamala Harris, even if they didn’t like her, to get rid of Trump. But more people ended up voting for Trump, even though many didn’t like him, because they liked the Democratic Party less.
At Riyadh summit, Saudi crown prince backs Iran, accuses Israel of genocide
Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler on Monday called on Israel to respect Iran’s sovereignty and refrain from attacking Iranian soil, while appearing to step up criticism of Jerusalem, accusing it of genocide.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman made the comments at a summit of Arab and Muslim leaders organized to press for the establishment of a Palestinian state, a year after the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation held a first conference on the subject.
Trump and the Frum World - guest post
A small minority of the frum world has long been asking why a large majority of the frum world is so fervently supportive of Donald Trump, a political figure whose character and value system are flagrantly and forcefully antithetical to everything we claim to believe is important. Sam Harris, a conservative, atheist, pro-Israel commentator, put it best: “Trump lacks every virtue we have a name for.”
Rav Schwab famously opined that it is incorrect to vote for some of poor moral character. How did we end up so far from that perspective? (To suggest that Kamala is also very immoral is a weak attempt at leveling the playing field; it is a good bet she is no tzaddekes, but there is really no comparison between the level of depravity of the two.)
I know people who voted for Trump either because the only issue they care about is Israel or because they acknowledged how dangerous he is, but felt the other camp is more so. I can respect these positions, even if I disagree with them. Turning a blind eye to the threat that Trump has explicitly put forward does not strike me as a reasonable position.
So why are so many people in that group?
Answer #1: Tribalism + black-and-white thinking
Frum people are rightly opposed to the aggressive agenda of the woke left. That puts us in the same camp as Trump on issues like Israel and identity politics. Admitting that he is as awful as he is means to many people that our own position is weakened.
Inflexible thinking means we have to rally around our own, even when they manifestly do not deserve our support. (Witness the repeated rallying of our community around frum people, especially those in positions of power, accused of sexual abuse; or the sickening justifications for Israelis who have done truly terrible things to innocent Palestinians.)
People feel they have to raise Trump up as much as possible while downplaying his (many) faults as much as possible in order to avoid having to acknowledge that one of “ours” could be flawed.
You see examples of this kind of behavior daily. Recently Qatar announced that it would be expelling Hamas from its country. Trump was of course credited with this (because they obviously are terrified that he will clobber them) even though the decision was actually made before the election. But hey, any opportunity to show how great Trump is.
Simultaneously, his fans will dismiss any criticism of him. Who can forget his immortal comment about grabbing women by their genitals, which his supporters don’t hesitate to wave away as no big deal.
But this is a lack of mature thinking. Black-and-white thinking – either we’re right or they’re right; either our candidate is great or he’s terrible – is a cognitive distortion that doesn’t reflect the complexity of life as it actually is. (It also leads to a lot of misery, as any practitioner of cognitive-behavioral therapy will tell you.)
The reality is that the woke left is indeed dangerous and objectionable. But so is Trump. Rationalizing away the serious problems with his personality and political aspirations may allow us to support his opposition to the left, but may also leave us with a host of equally worrisome problems – as I fear we will all soon see.
Answer #2: People actually like what Trump represents
Most people actually like the way Trump does things, whether or not they admit it (to themselves or others).
Winning feels good. Crushing the opposition feels great. Revenge is sweet. These are normal human feelings.
Even now, when you imagine arguing against someone in the opposite political camp (perhaps me), you imagine victory as delivering a crushing argument and forcing your opponent to concede or to slink away with their tail between their legs. You do not envision as the ideal outcome a handshake and a “let’s agree to disagree.”
The urge to be powerful is powerful. But of course, that is not what we are on this planet for. (Omnipotence is not one of G-d’s attributes that we are meant to emulate.) The Torah calls us to grow as people: to be humble, to be mevater, to seek shalom and peshara. But our animal nature pulls us in the opposite direction.
Trump lets all of that loose. And people love it. Somewhere deep down (or, for many people, not so deep down at all) they want to be just like that – to put down and mock their enemies, to crush anyone who gets in their way, to win at all costs, to demand loyalty and get it (without the obligation to offer it in return).
Trump personifies strength and domination, and that speaks to a very essential part of us. Everyone wishes, to some extent, that the world would conform itself to our personal desires. Some people try to enact that by exerting power over others to make others do what they want. That’s why there are so many fights in marriages, so many crimes committed every day, and so much war all over the world. Islam is the fastest growing religion because and not despite its mandate to convert the rest of the world by the sword or else subjugate it.
Me, I don’t want the world I live in to look like that. I want a world that looks more like what G-d has asked us to build. I want a world where people talk and people listen, where there is collaboration instead of control, consensus instead of authoritarianism, love instead of self-interest.
(I am not saying we should try to sing kumbaya with terrorists. We certainly must show strength when dealing with violent enemies. But that is something we should do because we have to, not because we like to.)
The more Trump mocks his opponents, gets his way, asserts power, and gets away with it all, the more people who want to live by strength will be drawn to him – and continue to rationalize in the most naked and unintelligible ways how really he’s not so bad after all.
Jews suffer from Moslems because of Abraham and Sarah
Ramban (Bereishis 16:06) And Sarai dealt harshly with Hagar, and she fled from before Sarai’s face. Our mother did transgress by this affliction, and Abraham also by his permitting her to do so. And so, G-d heard Hagar’s affliction and gave her a son who would be a wild-ass of a man, to afflict the seed of Abraham and Sarah with all kinds of affliction.
Kremlin Insists Trump and Putin’s War Call Didn’t Happen
The Kremlin has fiercely denied reports that Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin have already held a call on Ukraine in the days since Trump’s election victory. “This is completely untrue. This is pure fiction, it’s just false information,” Putin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Monday, according to Reuters.
The Coddling of the American Mind
In conclusion, The Coddling does an excellent job in starting an important and fascinating conversation about social dynamics, emotional health, and democracy. Anyone with an interest in social justice, politics, education, or general psychology would surely find much to appreciate throughout the book. While The Coddling may find a large general audience, it is perhaps crucial for university administrators (including Deans, Provosts, VPs, and Presidents) to read this book. Because at its heart, the book is about what’s happening on college campuses. So, to the people in charge of running those campuses: take heed. Consider signing on to the Chicago statement (a commitment to free expression). Draw large circles around your community members. Encourage productive debate and disagreement. There is a recipe for a wise university, with many helpful guidelines throughout this book.
Rub Some Dirt on It
https://www.commentary.org/articles/heather-wilhelm/bad-therapy-abigail-shrier/
“With unprecedented help from mental health experts, we have raised the loneliest, most anxious, depressed, pessimistic, helpless, and fearful generation on record,” Shrier writes. Moreover, “as treatments for anxiety and depression have become more sophisticated and more readily available, adolescent anxiety and depression have ballooned.”
The broader calamity, Bad Therapy argues, is that our supposedly kind, gentle, and obsessively empathic therapeutic culture boasts some disastrous unintended side effects—and at this point, they’re being “crop-dusted across the entire population.”
Dwelling on your problems, it turns out, can often magnify them. “Gentle parenting” often leads to lost and sullen teenagers—or, even worse, undisciplined monster preschoolers capable of terrorizing an entire airplane full of innocent passengers just trying to make it to spring break. Done poorly, excessive therapeutic techniques can induce negative feedback loops, fresh phobias, poor coping skills, self-absorption, unhealthy obsessions, and a laundry list of bonkers ideas.
Tikun Sofrim
רש"י בראשית פרק יח פסוק כב (פרשת וירא)
(כב) ויפנו משם - ממקום שאברהם ליוום שם:
ואברהם עודנו עומד לפני ה' - והלא לא הלך לעמוד לפניו אלא הקדוש ברוך הוא בא אצלו ואמר לו (פסוק כ) זעקת סדום ועמורה כי רבה, והיה לו לכתוב וה' עודנו עומד לפני אברהם, אלא תיקון סופריםד הוא זה (אשר הפכוהו ז"ל לכתוב כן):
Rashi (Bereishis 49:07)ABRAHAM STOOD YET BEFORE THE LORD — But surely it was not he (Abraham) who had gone to stand before Him, but it was the Holy One, blessed be He, Who had come to him and had said to him, “Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great” and it should therefore have written here, “And the Lord stood yet before Abraham”? But it is a variation such as writers make to avoid an apparently irreverent expression (Genesis Rabbah 49:7) (which our Rabbis, of blessed memory, altered, writing it thus).
Bereishis Rabbah (49:07) AND THE MEN TURNED (WAYYIFENU) FROOM THENCE (XVIII, 22). This proves that angels have no back.5 AND THEY WENT TOWARD SODOM; BUT ABRAHAM STOOD YET BEFORE THE LORD. R. Simon said: This is an emendation of the Soferim, for the Shechinah was actually waiting for Abraham.
Maharal(Bereishis 18:22)גור אריה בראשית פרק יח פסוק כב (פרשת וירא)
תיקון סופרים. אין הפירוש חס ושלום שהסופר כתב כך בתורה, חלילה לומר כך, אלא פירוש שהתורה כתבה דרך כבוד כלפי מעלה כמו שדרך הסופרים לכתוב דרך כבוד, וכמו שהתורה שהיא מדברת בלשון בני אדם (ברכות לא ע"ב) - כך כתבה לך גם כן כמו שדרך הסופרים לכתוב ולדבר, ולפיכך אמרו (ב"ר מט, ז) 'תיקון סופרים הוא', רוצה לומר ענין זה הוא תקון סופרים - כמו שדרך הסופרים לעשות - כתב בתורה:
Maharal (Bereishis 18:22) It is not to be understood that the scribe wrote in the Torah but the explanation is that the Torah wrote a way of honor as the way of the scribes to write a way of honor, and as the Torah that speaks in the language of men - so it also wrote to you as the way The scribes write and speak, and therefore they said 'Correcting scribes is', wanting to say that this matter is correcting scribes - as is the way of the scribes - He wrote in the Torah:
Tanchuma (Bereishis 04:06) R. Simon said: See what is written (in Gen. 18:22): AND THE MEN TURNED FROM THERE AND WENT TO SODOM, BUT ABRAHAM WAS STILL STANDING BEFORE THE LORD. Should it not rather have said, "And God was still standing"? < There is here >, however, a scribal emendation. Ergo {it says} (in Ps. 18:36 = II Sam. 22:36): AND YOUR HUMILITY HAS MAGNIFIED ME.
Tanchuma (Bereishis 16:02) Similarly it is written: For he who toucheth thee toucheth the apple of his eye (Zech. 2:12). “My eye” should be written here, for it refers, as it were, to the Heavenly One. However, the text was modified by the scribes of the Great Synagogue. The verse Ye say also: “Behold, what a weariness is it! And ye have snuffed at it” (Mal. 1:13) was likewise altered. The verse I will judge his house forever, for the iniquity, in that he knew that his sons did bring a curse on themselves, and he rebuked them not (I Sam. 3:13) was also modified. In the like manner, the verse Why hast thou set me as a mark for thee, so that I may burden to myself (Job 7:20) was changed. The verse Art not Thou from everlasting, O Lord, My God, my Holy One? We shall not die (Hab. 1:12) was modified also. Again the verse Hath a nation changed its gods which are yet no gods? But My people hath changed its glory for that which doth not profit (Jer. 2:11) was altered. Similarly, Thus they exchange their glory for the likeness of an ox that eateth grass (Ps. 106:2) was changed. The verse I will change their glory to shame (Hos. 4:7) was likewise modified. In the case of Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job (Job 32:3) they changed the text. Similarly, but Abraham stood yet before the Lord (Gen 18:22) is another illustration of this. Again, in the verse And if Thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray Thee, out of hand, if I have found favor in Thy sight, and let me not look upon my wretchedness (Num. 11:15) they changed the text. Similarly in the passage Let her not, I pray, be as one head, of whom the flesh is half consumed when He cometh out of his mother’s womb (ibid. 12:12) they altered the verse. And likewise, the verse What portion have we in David? Neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse; to your tents, O Israel; now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents (I Kings. 12:16) was altered, for in the Second Book of Chronicles (10:16) it is written concerning this episode to his tent rather than unto their tents.
הכתב והקבלה בראשית פרק יח פסוק כב (פרשת וירא)
(כב) ואברהם עודנו עומד לפני ה'. ה"ל לכתוב וה' עודנו עומד לפני אברהם אלא תקון סופרים הוא זה (רש"י מרבותינו בראשית פ' מ"ט), אין הכוונה לומר ששינה שום אדם דבר מה בתורתינו הקדושה חלילה כי אין אדם בעולם שיזייף ספר ויאמר אני זייפתי ותקנתי כך וכך ואיך יאמרו תקון סופרים הוא זה אבל כונתם בזה (כמ"ש בעל העקרים מ"ג פכ"ב) שלפי ענין משך הפרשה היה ראוי להיות כן, ומה ששינה הכתוב לא היה אלא כסופר המתקן דבריו דרך כבוד כלפי מעלה.
Donald Trump Admits He's Not a Conservative
https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-admits-he-isnt-conservative-cnbc-squawk-box-1877949
Last month, Trump delivered a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) and called himself a "proud political dissident."
Donald Trump is not a conservative
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/09/08/liz-cheney-donald-trump-conservative-00177879
“Donald Trump doesn’t stand for any of the things that Ronald Reagan did, and it’s another place that I would urge my Republican colleagues both in the Congress, but across the country to really look at Donald Trump’s policies, to really look at the danger that he presents, to look at, you know, what he was willing to do to stay in power,” Cheney said. “It’s a firm rejection not just of traditional Republican policies, but of the constitutional order on which this country depends.”
Putin Plays Tough in Opening Move With Trump
https://time.com/7173792/putin-plays-tough-in-his-opening-message-to-trump/
Vladimir Putin did not come running. He let his spokesman react on Wednesday to the outcome of the U.S. presidential race, proclaiming that the Kremlin has no plans to congratulate Donald Trump on his victory. If the U.S. wants the peace deal Trump promised during his campaign, the Russians signaled that he would need to earn it, and the price for Ukraine would be particularly high.
“The message is, if you want a deal, you’re going to crawl on your knees for it,” says Nina Khrushcheva, an authority on Russian politics and foreign affairs at the New School. “Putin feels he is starting out with Trump from a position of strength.”
Torah And Trumpism: Respect The Right To Vote Your Conscience
Over the past number of years, MAGA ideology has seeped into our oilam hatorah and impacted our hashkafas hachaim. Much of the frum media has become a mouthpiece for this ideology. The standard reading material available to the chareidi consumer presents a one-sided approach to the day’s issues. Instead of articles addressing issues with chochmah and nuance, it becomes brash and divisive. Sadly, this trickles down and affects middos and how people deal with others of legitimate divergent opinions.
Sunday, November 10, 2024
Moral equivalence used to Rationalize voting for Trump
After Harris lost I have had a number of conversations with frum Trump supporters as to how they rationalize that Trump would be a good president
The most frequent explanation is that both Trump and Harris are bad people but since Trump is supporting Israel that makes him the lesser of two evils. Then I ask how is Harris equivalent to Trump
I get the same Moral Equivalence that is used to explain why Israel is the same as Arab terrorist and they are no different than Nazis. Just as America is a colonial power like Russia or the Spanish or Belgians
Clinton is the same as Trump since they both committed major security violations. Trump is also a sexual predator and adulterer but so is Clinton's husband
Trump was good friends with jeffery epsetin as well as a serial adulter and self confessed abuser but Harris is a prostitute and adulterer - even though there is no actual proof. the belief gives a sense of satisfaction to Trump supporters
Trump is often incoherent and lacks an actual program but Harris speaks in word salads
Trump lies constantly but Harris changed her message to fit the audience. That proves she is dumb while when Trump does it that shows he is intelligent
Biden had to drop out of the race because he is too old - but only biased people try to claim the same about Trump
Trump was corrupt and took bribes as well as his family, But Hunter Biden is corrupt.
Trump's family clearly benefitted from Nepotism - Hunter biden though never part of government received benefits
Trump stole classified documents and blocked access their return but so did Biden even though it was clearly unintentional and promptly returned them
Trump was impeached twice but Biden has been under constant investigation by Republicans
Arab terrorists kill innocent civilians while Israel kill innocent civilians
Nazis killed large numbers of Jews but Jews target Palestinians so if one is called genocide the other is also
Bottom line the rationalization is typically based on false equivalence which is viewed as fair but only if done by Republicans
Biden turned the legal system against Trump therefore Trump's promise to do the same is not only just but fair
Trump is partial to dictators - especially Russian but Harris is a communist and socialist according to Trump
It was alleged Biden called Trump supporters garbage - something he denied while Trump calls Democrats enemies garbage and more on a regular basis and this is understood as being perceptive
If Trump violates the law and is indicted it is only because of character assassination. If a Democrat commits a crime it is because they are all criminals
If Trump loses an election it can only be proof of fraud and he has no obligation to ever concede. While if Harris doesn't concede before the votes are fully counted that means she is a sore loser
If the news media says something favorable about Harris it is clearly biased and is fake news. While any positive descriptions of Trump are always proof of good journalism!
Donald Trump's Foreign Policy Changes With the Wind
https://www.newsweek.com/what-will-donald-trumps-foreign-policy-opinion-1982406
But one would be a fool to pontificate too much about Trump's plans. In many ways, it's wasted energy. Trump isn't Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, or Joe Biden—he doesn't have a set ideology or a fixed view of how the world should function. His beliefs are situational, flexible, and at times contradictory. He says things on the campaign trail but either disregards them when he's in office or changes his opinion depending on who happens to be in the room with him. Sure, he may have one core position—the U.S. is constantly getting ripped off by everybody—but everything else is really open to interpretation. The guy is an enigma, and he likes it that way.
Look no further than Trump's first term. Trump wasn't fond of NATO, badgered the Europeans to beef up their defense budgets, and essentially described the entire continent as a spoiled child content with hiding underneath the U.S. security umbrella. But his policies didn't match with his rhetoric. Trump kept the U.S. in the transatlantic alliance, allowed that alliance to expand to two new members—Montenegro and North Macedonia—and threatened European governments with unspecified penalties if it locked U.S. defense manufacturers out of any European rearmament scheme. U.S. troop levels in Europe remained constant throughout, and when Trump ordered the withdrawal of almost 10,000 U.S. troops from Germany in 2020, most of them were scheduled to re-deploy to other countries in Europe.
Saturday, November 9, 2024
Avraham caused Egyptian Exile
Ramban (Bereishis 12:10) Know that Abraham our father unintentionally committed a great sin by bringing his righteous wife to a stumbling-block of sin on account of his fear for his life. He should have trusted that G-d would save him and his wife and all his belongings for G-d surely has the power to help and to save. His leaving the Land, concerning which he had been commanded from the beginning, on account of the famine, was also a sin he committed, for in famine G-d would redeem him from death. It was because of this deed that the exile in the land of Egypt at the hand of Pharaoh was decreed for his children. In the place of justice, there is wickedness and sin.
What to know about Trump’s history of support for Israel
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/11/09/trump-on-israel-hamas-war-gaza-netanyahu/
But Trump and his inner circle are also far more likely than previous presidents to cut military aid to Israel, which has numbered in the billions every year for decades, Waxman added. “Trump has long stated an aversion to U.S. foreign aid,” he said. “He might wonder whether the United States is getting the best end of the deal.”
PA chairman's office: Trump pledged to Abbas his commitment to stop the war
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/398861
Trump, for his part, assured Abbas of his commitment to “stop the war” and expressed eagerness to collaborate with Abbas and other key stakeholders to “advance peace in the Middle East”, according to the PA.
Qatar pulls out of mediating role between Israel and Hamas negotiations
https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-828263
"After rejecting repeated proposals to release hostages, its [Hamas's] leaders should no longer be welcome in the capitals of any American partner. We made that clear to Qatar following Hamas's rejection weeks ago of another hostage release proposal," the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
Qatar made its demand to Hamas leaders about 10 days ago, according to the official.
Friday, November 8, 2024
For Much of the Arab World, Donald Trump’s Victory Is Cause for Celebration
[T]here is an expectation, particularly in the Gulf states, that Trump will adopt a tougher stance toward Iran than his predecessor, Joe Biden. Iran’s growing confidence and that of its proxies, as demonstrated in Hamas’s October 7 attack, are seen by many in the Gulf as linked to the relatively lenient stance that the United States took toward Iran under Biden’s administration. In addition, Trump is perceived by regional countries as having close relations with the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and, more importantly, considerable influence over him, to the point of being able to impose his views on Netanyahu.
Trump’s Election: Why Is There a Sigh of Relief Among Many Arab Countries?
The election of Donald Trump as president of the United States brought a sigh of relief among many Arab regimes. Before the elections, senior officials in Arab countries were careful not to indicate their preferred candidate for obvious reasons, but they clearly favored Trump over Kamala Harris for the following reasons:
In addition, Trump is perceived by regional countries as having close relations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and, more importantly, considerable influence over him, to the point of being able to impose his views on Netanyahu. Israel’s neighbors hope for a swift end to the war in Gaza, which has increased pressure on them from their citizens and radical elements in the region. They hope Trump will pressure Netanyahu to end the war even before the start of his term.
Trump’s Unlikely Victory Among Arab Americans and Right-Wing Jews
https://www.isidewith.com/discuss/5346821287
But in Dearborn, Mich., a majority-Arab city, Ms. Harris won just 36 percent of the vote, according to unofficial results, a roughly 34-percentage-point drop from Mr. Biden’s share of the 2020 vote in similar results released after that election. Jill Stein, the Green Party candidate to the left of Ms. Harris, picked up 18 percent of the vote. But Mr. Trump’s support also jumped — to 42 percent of the vote from less than 30 percent four years ago, though turnout was lower.
Trump’s Strange Bedfellows: Arab Americans and Right-Leaning Jews
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/07/us/politics/trump-arab-american-jews.html
Donald J. Trump won votes from Arab Americans and conservative pro-Israel Jews. Someone is likely to be disappointed.
As fear of Middle East war grows, more Jewish Americans move to Israel
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/11/06/israel-american-jews-aliyah-olim/
Since the Hamas attack of Oct. 7, 2023, over 11,700 Americans have opened applications to immigrate to Israel. That’s nearly double the number the year before.
Donald Trump's Ukraine Plan Faces Key Test - he has a concept not a plan
https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-russia-ukraine-end-war-1981944
"I have a very exacting plan on how to stop Ukraine and Russia," the president-elect said in September. "I can't give you those plans because if I give you those plans, I'm not going to be able to use them."
But Trump has not himself decided on a course of action, including how to get Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian leader Putin to negotiate, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing allies of the soon-to-be 47th president.
Divorce By Way Of A Get
In other words, either Gentiles do not need divorce, or they need divorce, but each party can divorce the other – the process can be initiated by either party, as opposed to divorce among Jews which depends exclusively on the husband.
The second opinion is that of Rabbi Yochanan of Tzipori who decides between these two possibilities and say that "To Israel have I given divorce, but I have not given divorce to the nations of the world."
The Rambam in Hilkhot Melakhim (9:8) spells out two ways to effect divorce among non-Jews:
When is a gentile woman considered divorced? When her husband removes her from his home and sends her on her own or when she leaves his domain and goes her own way. They have no written divorce proceedings.