A Person does not need to succeed in making all Jews religious to be b'chezkas Moshiach

 

וְאִם יַעֲמֹד מֶלֶךְ מִבֵּית דָּוִד הוֹגֶה בַּתּוֹרָה וְעוֹסֵק בְּמִצְוֹת כְּדָוִד אָבִיו. כְּפִי תּוֹרָה שֶׁבִּכְתָב וְשֶׁבְּעַל פֶּה. וְיָכֹף כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵילֵךְ בָּהּ וּלְחַזֵּק בִּדְקָהּ. וְיִלָּחֵם מִלְחֲמוֹת ה'. הֲרֵי זֶה בְּחֶזְקַת שֶׁהוּא מָשִׁיחַ. (אִם עָשָׂה וְהִצְלִיחַ וּבָנָה מִקְדָּשׁ בִּמְקוֹמוֹ וְקִבֵּץ נִדְחֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הֲרֵי זֶה מָשִׁיחַ בְּוַדַּאי. וִיתַקֵּן אֶת הָעוֹלָם כֻּלּוֹ לַעֲבֹד אֶת ה' בְּיַחַד שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר כִּי אָז אֶהְפֹּךְ אֶל עַמִּים שָׂפָה בְרוּרָה לִקְרֹא כֻלָּם בְּשֵׁם ה' וּלְעָבְדוֹ שְׁכֶם אֶחָד):

Now, if a king should arise from the House of David who is versed in Torah and engages in Commandments, as did David his forefather, in accordance with both the Written and the Oral Torahs, and he enjoins all of Israel to follow in its ways and encourages them to repair its breaches, and he fights the Wars of G-d¹²⁸I.e. he defends Israel., then he may be presumed to be the Messiah. If he succeeds in his efforts and defeats the enemies around and builds the Sanctuary in its proper place and gathers the dispersed of Israel, he is definitely the Messiah.

ערוך השולחן העתיד הלכות מלכים סימן פא ו. כתב הרמב"ם, ואל יעלה על דעתך שהמלך המשיח צריך לעשות אותות ומופתים ומחדש דברים בעולם או מחיה מתים וכיוצא באלו, אין הדבר כך וכו', ועיקר הדברים כך הן שהתורה הזאת חוקיה ומשפטיה לעולם ולעולמי עולמים ואין מוסיפין עליהם ולא גורעין מהן, ואם יעמוד מלך מבית דוד הוגה בתורה ועוסק במצות כדוד אביו בתורה שבכתב ובתורה שבע"פ, ויכוף כל ישראל לילך בה ולחזק בדקה וילחום מלחמת ד' הרי הוא בחזקת מלך המשיח, ואם עשה והצליח ובנה מקדש במקומו וקבץ נדחי ישראל הרי זה משיח בוודאי, ויתקן את העולם כולו לעבוד את ד' ביחד שנאמר: כי אז אהפוך אל עמים שפה ברורה לקרא כולם בשם ד' ולעבדו שכם אחד עכ"ל. והדברים מובנים אל מה רימז, ובירושלמי דמע"ש פ"ה אומר דבניין בהמ"ק קודם למלכות בית דוד ע"ש, והנסתרות לד' רק אנחנו מחוייבים להאמין בביאת משיח ובבניין בהמ"ק בב"א.

'Devastating': Revelations From Senate Intel Report | Morning Joe | MSNBC

Netanyahu slams reports of 'secret clause' to sell UAE F-35s and drones as part of peace deal

 https://edition.cnn.com/2020/08/18/politics/netanyahu-secret-weapons-deal-uae/index.html

 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed reports the US will sell stealth fighter jets to the United Arab Emirates as part of the agreement to normalize relations between Israel and the Gulf nation, tweeting that they are "completely fake news."

Netanyahu was responding Tuesday to a report in one of the country's leading newspapers alleging the existence of a "secret clause" in Israel's deal to normalize relations with the UAE -- one that would allow the UAE to buy billions of dollars in advanced military hardware from the US, including drones, F-35 stealth fighters and other weaponry.

The story raised hackles in Israel because of the potential threat to Israel's military superiority in the region. Israel has long opposed sales of strategic weapons systems to other countries in the Middle East and repeatedly raised concerns about the possibility in the weeks before the normalization deal was reached. 

Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz, who'd only just been released from hospital following back surgery, decided the story warranted a press conference. He said the proliferation of the F-35 was "not good for Israel," adding: "We need to talk to the Emiratis, to the Americans, and make sure our security interests are being upheld."

The reports triggered widespread reaction for several reasons.

First, there's the way the UAE-Israel deal was done. Unusually for an agreement of this nature, Netanyahu kept his foreign minister and defense minister (who just happen to be from rival parties) in the dark, telling Israeli media he did so at the request of the US.

 The third reason the story has caught hold may be an August 14 interview that US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman gave to NPR. Asked if the UAE-Israel deal would mean Abu Dhabi would now get hold of advanced American weaponry, he replied, somewhat cryptically: "The more the Emirates becomes a friend of Israel, becomes a partner with Israel, becomes a regional ally of the United States, I think obviously that alters the threat assessment and could work out to the Emirates' benefit on that issue."

A U.S. Sale Of F-35 Stealth Fighters To The UAE Could Be A Middle East Game Changer

 https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelpeck/2020/08/18/why-america-selling-f-35-stealth-fighters-to-the-uae-could-be-a-middle-east-game-changer/#654ee08b183b

  "The peace agreement with the UAE does not include any clause of this kind, and the U.S. has made clear to Israel that it will always ensure that Israel has the qualitative advantage," said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office.

In a world turned upside down, it would be no surprise if the Trump administration had secretly agreed to sell F-35s to the UAE as an incentive for a peace deal. Nor would it be surprising if Israel, despite the obligatory public protests, ultimately accepted the F-35 sale.

 

 

U.S. to sell F-35 jets to UAE as part of secret clause in Israel ties agreement

 https://www.ynetnews.com/article/S15zntKGP

U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is set to sell F-35 fighter jets and advanced drones to the UAE in a secret clause that was part of the agreement to establish diplomatic ties between Israel and the Gulf nation.

The clause lifts long-standing Israeli opposition to the sale of the strategic weapons systems to other countries in the region, according to U.S. and Emirati sources.

UAE source: Netanyahu knew about U.S. deal to sell arms to Emiratis

 https://www.ynetnews.com/article/S15zntKGP

 A senior source in the United Arab Emirates said Tuesday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu knew about the clause in the normalization deal that would see U.S. sell F-35 fighter jets and advanced drones to the Emiratis, potentially undermining Israeli military superiority in the region.

The establishment of full diplomatic relations between Israel and the UAE was announced last week and Ynet's sister publication Yedioth Ahronoth reported early Tuesday that Emirati Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed conditioned the agreement with Israel on the multi-billion-dollar arms sale.

Reported deal to sell UAE F-35 jets edges in on US promise of Israeli dominance

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/reported-deal-to-sell-uae-f-35-jets-edges-in-on-us-promise-of-israeli-dominance/

The Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, which first reported on the deal Tuesday, said the sale of the F-35 and advanced drones, and Israel’s dropping of any objections to it, was a condition of the emerging normalization agreement between Jerusalem and Abu Dhabi that was brokered by Washington.

 

 

The UAE and F-35s story isn’t over just because Israel doesn’t like it

 https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/the-uae-and-f-35s-story-isnt-over-just-because-israel-doesnt-like-it-639173

The controversy over the possibility that the United Arab Emirates could purchase F-35 jets has continued despite a very firm denial by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. And that’s because, well, Netanyahu doesn’t really have the final say here.

 Following reports that such arms purchases will be part of the peace deal between the UAE and Israel, the Prime Minister’s Office released an unusually detailed statement, including a timeline of the multiple times that Netanyahu and Ambassador to the US Ron Dermer raised their objections to the F-35 being sold to any other country in the Middle East, even if it has a peace treaty with Israel.

 An unnamed UAE diplomat told Kan’s Amichai Stein on Wednesday that it expects Israel not to "oppose or prevent" any deals between Abu Dhabi and the US "if and when" they take place. Plus, the diplomat said, their view is Israel and the UAE face the same threats - meaning, Iran - and such sales will be good for both of them.

Senate Intel says FBI gave 'unjustified credence' to Steele dossier, Russia 'took advantage' of Trump transition team

 https://www.foxnews.com/politics/senate-intel-fbi-steele-dossier-russia-investigation-report

The committee found that former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort’s “presence on the Trump campaign and proximity to then-candidate Trump created opportunities for Russian intelligence services to exert influence over, and acquire confidential information on, the Trump campaign.”

The committee noted that prior to Manafort joining the Trump campaign in March 2016, Manafort “directly and indirectly communicated” with Russian national, Konstantin Kilimnik and other pro-Russian oligarchs in Ukraine.

“On numerous occasions, Manafort sought to secretly share internal Campaign information with Kilimnik,” the report stated, while noting that the committee was “unable to reliably determine why Manafort shared sensitive internal polling data or Campaign strategy with Kilimnik or with whom Kilimnik further shared that information.”

“The Committee obtained some information suggesting Kilimnik may have been connected to the GRU's hack and leak operation targeting the 2016 U.S. election,” the report stated.

The committee found that “after the election, Manafort continued to coordinate with Russian persons, particularly Kilimnik and other individuals close to Oleg Deripaska, in an effort to undertake activities on their behalf.”

“Manafort worked with Kilimnik starting in 2016 on narratives that sought to undermine evidence that Russia interfered in the 2016 U.S. election,” the report found.

The committee added: “Taken as a whole, Manafort's high- level access and willingness to share information with individuals closely affiliated with the Russian intelligence services, particularly Kilimnik and associates of Deripaska, represented a grave counterintelligence threat.”

Senate Intel Report, Vol. 5: Trump Lied, Manafort Spied, Democracy Nearly Died

Watch Bill Clinton’s Full Speech At The 2020 DNC | NBC News

Chris Wallace calls Bill Clinton's DNC speech a 'cogent argument' against Trump's coronavirus response

 https://www.foxnews.com/politics/chris-wallace-bill-clinton-cogent-argument-coronavirus

 Despite former president Bill Clinton's diminished role in the Democratic Party, he made a "cogent argument" against President Trump's handing of the coronavirus pandemic on the second night of the Democratic National Convention, "Fox News Sunday" anchor Chris Wallace said Tuesday.

"It was only five minutes. As I say, it was pre-taped," Wallace said. "But I thought he made a more cogent argument ... about how Donald Trump has mishandled the coronavirus than any I've heard from anybody."

Why the U.S. Is Losing the War on COVID-19

 https://time.com/5879086/us-covid-19/

It is a frightening time to live in the United States. COVID-19, a novel disease as ruthless as it is seemingly random, is picking us off by the thousands; even many of those who “recover” may never truly be the same again. The pandemic has exposed the gulf between what this country promises for its citizens and what it actually delivers. And as the U.S. barrels toward Election Day, the outbreak is sure to complicate the voting process, with potentially disastrous results.

 The U.S. is surely losing the war on COVID-19, but it did not have to be this way. Of the G-7 countries—the U.S., the U.K., Canada, France, Japan, Germany and Italy—only we have an outbreak that continues to spin out of control. Some other nations, like New Zealand, have even come close to eradicating COVID-19 entirely (a somewhat easier feat in a less populated and more isolated country, to be sure). Depressingly, in the months before the pandemic, the U.S. was considered to be among the countries best prepared to handle a major outbreak.

 

Editorial: GOP convention taps the McCloskeys to speak. A celebration of recklessness.

 https://www.stltoday.com/opinion/editorial/editorial-gop-convention-taps-the-mccloskeys-to-speak-a-celebration-of-recklessness/article_78eafd54-5c7f-5ae8-bec9-a1f6226d377b.html

 No, it’s not the setup of a Saturday Night Live skit. Mark and Patricia McCloskey, the St. Louis couple who recklessly waved guns at protesters marching past their home in June, are actually slated to speak at the Republican National Convention next week. What does it say about today’s GOP that leaders would elevate this couple as representative of Republican values?

The McCloskeys are the personal-injury lawyer couple who stood barefoot outside their gated-street Central West End home brandishing firearms as protesters walked by en route to Mayor Lyda Krewson’s house. He cradled a semi-automatic rifle; she held a small handgun. Their muzzle awareness was so sloppy, they pointed their guns at times directly at the crowd or at each other.

 Our anti-showboating stance applies equally to the McCloskeys, who no one should mistake as role models. As the Post-Dispatch has reported, these confrontation junkies have sued neighbors, employers, tenants, their own relatives. They’ve sued their neighborhood trustees because, neighbors allege, they wanted to bar gay couples. Mark McCloskey once destroyed a beehive placed near his home by Jewish school children as part of their curriculum, leaving a note threatening to sue. “The children were crying in school,” a rabbi told the Post-Dispatch.