Trump’s Lawyers Are Making Major Mistakes

 https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2024/05/14/trump-trial-lawyers-mistakes-00157734

These decisions are so obviously wrong as a strategic matter that it is frankly hard to believe that Trump’s defense team all agreed with them. These lawyers are not a bunch of hacks, and they aren’t dumb either. We may never know what went on within Trump’s legal team headed into this trial — most if not all of that information is likely to remain shielded from public view — but they almost certainly tried and failed to talk Trump down from some of these approaches.

Biden Moves Forward on $1 Billion in New Arms for Israel

 https://www.wsj.com/politics/national-security/biden-moves-forward-on-1-billion-in-new-arms-for-israel-844b761c?mod=hp_lead_pos1

The latest weapons package includes the potential transfer of $700 million in tank ammunition, $500 million in tactical vehicles and $60 million in mortar rounds, the officials said. There are still additional steps before the weapons would be approved and delivered.

The decision to proceed with the approval process underscored the Biden administration’s reluctance to deepen its rift with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the Rafah operation by restricting longer-term weapons deals with its closest Middle East ally.

After pausing bomb shipment: Biden moving forward with new weapons deal for Israel

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/389958

The Biden administration notified Congress on Tuesday that it is moving forward with more than $1 billion in new weapons deals for Israel, US and congressional officials told The Wall Street Journal.

The latest weapons package includes the potential transfer of $700 million in tank ammunition, $500 million in tactical vehicles and $60 million in mortar rounds, the officials said.

The munitions are intended to replenish stocks used during the war against Hamas, according to the report.

The news comes less than a week after the White House paused a shipment of bombs to Israel due to US opposition to a planned Israeli attack on the Gazan city of Rafah.

Biden administration denies holding intel on Hamas leaders' locations

 https://www.jpost.com/israel-hamas-war/article-801074

While the White House recently leveraged intelligence information in hopes of stalling an IDF operation in Rafah,  it has now begun denying withholding information from its ally, the New York Post reported on Monday. 

The initial report that the US attempted to leverage information came from four anonymous sources speaking to the Washington Post.

Stealing with Complications

 Tosefta (Bava Kama 10) If one steals from the public he is obligated to make restitution to the public. Stealing from the public is harsher than stealing from an individual. That is because one who stole from an individual is able to placate his victim and return that which he stole. In contrast one who stole from the public can not readily placate the victim and return what was stolen. 

Tosefta (Bava Kama 10) One who stole from a non-Jew must return it to the owner. In addition the sin is more serious than stealing from a Jew because it entails chillul HaShem

Wife giving Charity

 Sefer Chasidim (1047) If a stingy man said to his wife, know that if you give anything to charity I will beat or curse you.  Since the charity collector knows that the husband does not approve he should not take even a small amount from her. But if the community makes a decree to give charity and the husband violates the ban, if the wife gives in compliance with the decree a blessing will come upon her. Furthermore, if the husband steals his wife or son should return the theft. 

Honesty

 Sefer Chasidim (51) One is forbidden to engage in fraudulent and deceptive words, nor should he speak with one thing on his tongue and another in the heart. Rather let his insides be one with his word and that in his heart be that in his mouth. It is forbidden to deceive people including the gentile. And those who insult gentiles during an exchange of greetings while the gentile thinks that he means well, are sinners, for there is no greater deception than this

Liz Cheney Fact-Checks Republican's Donald Trump Claim

 https://www.newsweek.com/liz-cheney-fact-checks-doug-burgum-trump-negotiate-terrorists-claim-1899643

Former Representative Liz Cheney, a Wyoming Republican, fact-checked Republican North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum's claim on Saturday that former President Donald Trump does not negotiate with terrorists.

Cheney, who served Wyoming's at-large district from 2017 to 2023, responded to a clip of Burgum's speech and wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday evening, "Actually, @GovDougBurgum, Trump didn't just negotiate with terrorists, he invited the Taliban to Camp David on the anniversary of 9/11 and had his Secretary of State sign a surrender agreement with them."

BeHa”B

 https://ohr.edu/this_week/insights_into_halacha/9340

The custom of utilizing these specific days for prayer and supplication is already mentioned almost 900 years ago by the Baalei Tosafos, its importance reiterated by the Tur, and unbeknownst to many, actually codified in halacha by the Shulchan Aruch as a proper minhag.[4]

Home In My Opinion WATCH OUT FOR EXCESS

 https://www.rabbiwein.com/blog/watch-out-for-excess-678.html

With the blessed advent of prosperity and even affluence in much of the Jewish world today, the standards to measure excess and the definition of moderate living have certainly undergone a major change than those of the generations of our ancestors in Eastern Europe or the mellahs of the Near East. Rabbi Yisrael of Salant, the founder of the nineteenth century Mussar ethical movement in Lithuania, commented that luxuries are eventually transformed into necessities. Nevertheless, excess can still be recognized for what it is even in today's more affluent and comfortable society. "Behab" therefore still has an important lesson to teach us. Many times in life, less is truly more. Judaism does not encourage or preach poverty as a positive way of life. Yet the Talmud teaches us that "poverty is becoming to Israel." Poverty here means the avoidance of excess and the living of a life of balance, moderation and goodness to others. In our stressful world, the conviction that moderation in our lives is the best spiritual choice that we can make for ourselves can help us to live a more serene and fulfilling life.

Fighting and dying alongside men for decades, female soldiers finally get their due

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/fighting-and-dying-alongside-men-for-decades-female-soldiers-finally-get-their-due/

According to Women Warriors, 47 female IDF soldiers were killed on October 7, and five more have been killed in the line of duty near Gaza, on the northern border and in the West Bank in the months since.

In April, the Israel Defense Forces said it had seen a massive spike in female conscripts joining combat units during the war. During the March-April conscription cohort, the turnout for female troops in combat units hit 157 percent, meaning 57% more than planned for.

Israel knows location of Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar, but he is using hostages as human shields: reports

 https://www.foxnews.com/world/israel-knows-location-hamas-chief-yahya-sinwar-using-hostages-human-shields-reports

January it was reported

The Israeli military knows the location of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar but has not launched strikes against him because he is using Israeli hostages as human shields, according to multiple reports in Israeli media.

So why are some people saying that if only Biden revealed Sinwar's location that there would have been no need for fighting in Gaza

Garnel IronheartMay 12, 2024 at 10:08 PM

Maybe, but here's the bigger question:

Since Israel invaded Gaza, it has made its aims clear:

1) retrieve the hostages

2) get Hamas to surrender

Biden, who has been moving towards open support for Hamas for the last couple of months and seems incredibly desperate for Rafiach not to fall, suddenly announces he has intel - he knows where Hamas' leaders are!

Now, the same guy who's complaining that Israel has killed too many civilians (and as the guy who botched the withdrawal from Afghanistan, he knows all about killing civilians), the same state department that announced "We can't find any evidence that Israel committed war crimes but we're sure they did, we just know it!", suddenly announce that they have information that could end the war. Why did they not announce this 3 months ago and save thousands of civilian lives in Gaza? Why wait until now?

Yahya Sinwar is hiding in Khan Yunis, not Rafah - report

 https://www.jpost.com/israel-hamas-war/article-800805

Hamas' leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, is still hiding in tunnels under Khan Yunis, not in Rafah, American officials told the New York Times on Sunday.

According to the cited anonymous American officials, Israeli intelligence agencies agree that Sinwar and other Hamas leaders are not hiding in Rafah and are likely still under Khan Yunis, a city north of Rafah that the IDF pulled out of in early April. The officials added that they don't believe Sinwar was ever hiding in Rafah.

The architect of the October 7 massacre is also believed to be protecting himself with a group of Israeli hostages he uses as human shields in order to stop Israel from raiding or bombing his hideout, US and Israeli officials told the New York Times.

U.S. officials: Hamas leaders, including Sinwar, not in Rafah - report

 https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel-at-war/artc-u-s-officials-hamas-leaders-including-sinwar-not-in-rafah-report#:~:text=Instead%2C%20they%20suggest%20that%20Sinwar,Hamas%2C%20providing%20protection%20and%20concealment.

Despite Israel's extensive intelligence capabilities, American officials assert that the United States is sharing all relevant information regarding Sinwar's whereabouts with Israel.