Who tried to steal the election?

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/04/09/settlement-new-york-robocalls-black-voters/

Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman, who have a history of concocting conspiracy theories to try to smear Democrats, were found liable last March of orchestrating a robocall campaign that reached about 5,500 predominantly Black New Yorkers in the summer of 2020. Targeted voters received automated calls — purportedly from a “civil rights organization” founded by Wohl and Burkman called “Project 1599” — that sought to dissuade them from mail-in voting.

Wohl and Burkman have also been charged in other states for launching similar robocall schemes targeting Black voters in 2020. In 2022, an Ohio judge ordered the pair to each pay a $2,500 fine and to work 500 hours registering voters in Washington. Wohl and Burkman have also been charged with felonies in Michigan for targeting predominantly Black voters in Detroit with the same robocalls.

Donald Trump Faces Backlash for Comments on Black and Jewish Voters

https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-faces-backlash-comments-black-jewish-voters-1888693 

Former President Donald Trump is facing backlash after offering his opinions on why Jewish and Black voters largely favor Democratic political candidates.

During an interview with right-wing radio host Wayne Allyn Root on Monday, Trump argued that "any Jewish person" who votes for President Joe Biden "does not love Israel" and "should be spoken to." He then suggested that most Black and Jewish voters choose Biden and other Democratic candidates because they have "a bad habit."

"Any Jewish person who votes for Biden does not love Israel and frankly should be spoken to," Trump told Root, who once described himself as a Jewish convert to evangelical Christianity. "He is totally on the side of the Palestinians and frankly it's incredible that, historically, Jewish people vote for Democrats."

"Maybe its just a bad habit when you vote for a Democrat," he added. "A lot of its habit. Jewish people, by habit, they vote for the Democrats. And Black people, by habit, vote for the Democrats."

Do Arab American and Muslim voters really want to elect Trump in November?

 https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/4581522-do-arab-and-muslim-americans-really-want-to-elect-trump-in-november/

The Oct. 7 attack and the Israel-Hamas War has been so personal, so emotionally wounding for anyone with a stake in it, as to leave no space to consider “the lesser of two evils.” Of course, that is the only choice that the Middle East ever offers. Unless Biden abandons Israel, which is not going to happen, the Abandon Biden Arab and Muslim Americans may simply be emotionally unable to support him. If they write in “uncommitted” or stay home in November, and the Michigan presidential race is tight, they could hand the presidency back to Trump.

Before the Abandon Biden groups punish Biden, they should think long and hard about who will really suffer if that happens.

US has seen no evidence that Israel has committed genocide, Austin says

 https://www.politico.com/news/2024/04/09/us-has-seen-no-evidence-that-israel-has-committed-genocide-austin-says-00151241

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Tuesday rebuffed arguments that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, saying he’s seen no evidence to suggest it.

“We don’t have any evidence of genocide being [committed]” by Israel in Gaza, Austin told the Senate Armed Services Committee during a budget hearing, where his testimony was interrupted several times by protesters.

Conservatives Dispute Bush Portrayal of Islam as Peaceful

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2002/11/30/conservatives-dispute-bush-portrayal-of-islam-as-peaceful/ce21081c-8a4b-4180-abf2-aa7d0d4a7692/

In a score of speeches since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, the president has called for tolerance of Muslims, describing Islam as "a faith based upon peace and love and compassion" and a religion committed to "morality and learning and tolerance."

But a large number of foreign policy hawks -- some of them with advisory roles in the Bush administration -- have joined religious conservatives in taking issue with Bush's characterizations. While most of them understand the political rationale for Bush's statements -- there's no benefit in antagonizing Muslim allies such as Pakistan and Indonesia -- they say the claim is dishonest and destined to fail.

Trump’s ISIS Claim Goes to the Dogs

 https://www.factcheck.org/2019/11/trumps-isis-claim-goes-to-the-dogs/

About a month before Trump was sworn in, the U.S. commander of the coalition operation — Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve — said that “almost three million people and more than 44,000 square kilometers of territory have been liberated” from ISIS in 2016. That’s nearly 17,000 square miles.

Estimates of the Islamic State-held land vary. Figures from IHS Markit, an analytics and consultancy firm, show a smaller percentage of land recovered under Obama, but still refute Trump’s claim that the coalition forces had “almost nothing” before he was inaugurated. IHS Markit’s estimates would put the recovery under Obama at 33%.

Near its height in January 2015, the Islamic State caliphate in Iraq and Syria covered about 35,000 square miles, IHS Markit said. When Trump took office in January 2017, that was down to about 23,300 square miles.

The rate of recapture did accelerate under Trump, according to the firm’s figures, which show the caliphate comprised about 14,000 square miles by June 2017.

Idaho Teen Allegedly Devoted to ISIS Arrested Before Planned Church Attacks

 https://www.thedailybeast.com/idaho-teen-allegedly-devoted-to-isis-arrested-before-planned-church-attacks?ref=home

“The defendant allegedly pledged loyalty to ISIS and sought to attack people attending churches in Idaho, a truly horrific plan which was detected and thwarted by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said in a statement.

Shohini Sinha, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Salt Lake City office, said the case “should be an eye-opener to the dangers of self-radicalization, which is a real threat to our communities.”

Losses predetermined Rosh Hoshanna

 Bava Basra (10a) In the same way as a man's earnings are determined for him from New Year, so his losses are determined for him from New Year. If he finds merit in the sight of Heaven, then, deal out thy bread to the poor; but if not, then, he will ‘bring the poor that are outcast to his house.

Ancient superstitions about eclipses paved the way for this scientific truth

 https://edition.cnn.com/2024/04/06/opinions/solar-eclipse-ancient-civilization-history-election-colavito/index.html

On social media, far-right fearmongers offer nonsensical conspiracy theories about the eclipse signaling an attack on American cities by undocumented migrants. But the fact that most of us now understand that a sign in the sky as dramatic as an eclipse doesn’t dictate events on Earth is an important reminder of immutable scientific truths in an age of conspiracy theories.

Jewish woman serving 20 years in Bangladeshi prison receives divorce papers

 https://www.ynetnews.com/article/b13alhbla?utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=internal

In a complicated operation, Rabbinical Court emissary arrives at guarded prison in Bangladesh to hand inmate her get - a Jewish writ of divorce - through her cell bars

Charges pressed against Jerusalem man who built and distributed pipe bombs

 https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-796052

According to the charges, filed by attorney Pua Ben-Tov from the Jerusalem District Prosecutor's Office (Criminal), Mahisan manufactured and stored pipe bombs and incendiary bottles at his home, and was in contact with an entity from which he received flags of the Islamic Jihad and fireworks for use in demonstrations.

Ambassador Erdan: 'If Hitler were alive today, he would sing the UN's praises'

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/388145

Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan spoke today in the General Assembly at a meeting on the war in Gaza. At the beginning of his remarks, Ambassador Erdan referred to the historical connection between the Palestinians and Hitler and presented a photo from the meeting of Mufti Haj Amin Al-Husseini with Hitler on the UN Stage.

“From well before the establishment of the UN – or the State of Israel – the Palestinians’ goal has been clear: the annihilation of the Jews. Haj Amin al-Husseini, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, and one of the founding fathers of Palestinian nationalism, worked hand-in-hand with Hitler to achieve this. And from then until today, the root of this conflict has not changed. It is not a political conflict or about partitioning land. It is solely about the destruction of Israel and the murder of Jews.”

Jews had to be forced to accept G-d

 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.

 https://www.wsj.com/articles/why-israelis-are-so-happy-middle-east-lifestyle-e5be0e6a?mod=trending_now_opn_2

Israelis pursue happiness through family and community, by feeling rooted and having a sense of purpose. My son Yoni got married in Jerusalem midwar, while serving in the military reserves. He notes that “Israelis grow up with many outside influences, many adult role models, not just their parents. It starts with our large weddings, when you’re blessed to ‘build a faithful home in Israel.’ ”

That dance between the individual and the collective begins long before birth. It spawns Israelis’ high levels of “trust, benevolence, and social connections,” which, as the 2023 happiness report emphasized, nurture “well-being,” even “in times of crisis.” Alexis de Tocqueville called families the backbone of healthy democracies. Family inculcates loyalty, commitment and self-sacrifice. Belonging to communities—extended families—teaches citizens to care about and cooperate with others.