Anti-vaxxers and Israel’s own conspiracy theorists

 https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/anti-vaxxers-and-israels-own-conspiracy-theorists/

 So no, Jews are not immune to this insanity, and neither is the Jewish state. And as with Trump in the US, we currently have a highly talented conspiracy king running the country. In this election campaign, we need to be on our guard. Anti-vaxxers could be the tip of the iceberg; we may get to see what an indigenous Israeli QAnon looks like, and who knows, if Bibi loses, maybe even our own ‘Capitol Hill’ insurrection.

It’s Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Party Now

 https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/01/opinion/marjorie-taylor-greene-gop.html?action=click&module=Opinion&pgtype=Homepage

 Greene is not the outlier in this party. Kinzinger is.

American conservatism — particularly its evangelical strain — has fostered derangement in its ranks for decades, insisting that no source of information outside its own self-reinforcing ideological bubble is trustworthy.

If you’re steeped in creationism and believe that elites are lying to you about the origins of life on earth, it’s not a stretch to believe they’re lying to you about a life-threatening virus. If what you know of history is the revisionist version of the Christian right, in which God deeded America to the faithful, then pluralism will feel like the theft of your birthright. If you believe that the last Democratic president was illegitimate, as Trump and other birthers claimed, then it’s not hard to believe that dark forces would foist another unconstitutional leader on the country.

There was a moment, after the Capitol riot, when it seemed as if a critical mass of the Republican Party was recoiling at what it had created. But the moment passed, because it would have required the party’s putative leaders to defy too many of their followers. Senator Mitch McConnell floated openness to convicting Trump in a Senate trial, but ended up voting that such a trial was unconstitutional. Fox News, finger to the wind, purged many of its real journalists and gave the conspiracy theorist Maria Bartiromo a prime-time tryout.

McConnell: Marjorie Taylor Greene's views are a 'cancer' for the GOP

 https://edition.cnn.com/2021/02/01/politics/mcconnell-marjorie-taylor-greene-cancer-republican-party/index.html

 "Loony lies and conspiracy theories are cancer for the Republican Party and our country," McConnell said in a statement. "Somebody who's suggested that perhaps no airplane hit the Pentagon on 9/11, that horrifying school shootings were pre-staged, and that the Clintons crashed JFK Jr.'s airplane is not living in reality. This has nothing to do with the challenges facing American families or the robust debates on substance that can strengthen our party."

While McConnell did not name Greene directly, his statement stands as a scathing rebuke of the freshman Republican House member. The Hill first reported on the statement.

Greene quickly shot back on Twitter, asserting that "the real cancer for the Republican Party is weak Republicans who only know how to lose gracefully. This is why we are losing our country."

For 2nd time in day, thousands attend funeral of rabbi, flouting lockdown rules

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/for-2nd-time-in-day-thousands-attend-funeral-of-rabbi-flouting-lockdown-rules/

TV news estimates 8,000 attend Jerusalem burial of Rabbi Yitzhok Scheiner, hours after 10,000 joined procession for Rabbi Meshulam Dovid Soloveitchik; both died of COVID

 

One third of Israel's coronavirus victims died in January

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

 The ministry said 5,140 people tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday after 54,737 tests had been conducted, bringing the infection rate to 9.7%. The infection rate in the ultra-Orthodox sector is much higher at 20.1%.

At least 1,140 patients are in serious condition, of whom 315 are ventilated. Health officials said 30.6% of patients hospitalized in serious condition are below the age of 59.

In addition, 167 patients in their 50s are hospitalized in serious condition, 99 patients in their 40s, 50 in their 30s, 20 patients in their 20s and six children are currently being treated in hospitals after developing complications from COVID.

Keilar: GOP's reasons against impeachment don't hold up

He’s Israel’s ‘prince of Torah.’ But to some, he’s the king of Covid.

 https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/29/world/hes-israels-prince-of-torah-but-to-some-hes-the-king-of-covid.html

The backlash exaggerates both the rabbi’s role and that of the ultra-Orthodox in general. Ultra-Orthodox society is not monolithic, and other prominent leaders were far quicker to comply with antivirus regulations.

Ultra-Orthodox leaders say most of their followers have obeyed the rules, although their typically large families, living in tight quarters under what is now the third national lockdown, have inevitably contributed to the spread of the contagion.

Rabbi Kanievsky’s position has also been more nuanced than sometimes portrayed. But he has nonetheless contributed to one of the biggest-ever showdowns between the Israeli mainstream and the ultra-Orthodox.

Burnett: This is the kind of thinking the GOP is embracing

Why Republicans Can’t Win on QAnon-Supporting Marjorie Taylor Greene

 

https://time.com/5934133/republicans-qanon-marjorie-taylor-greene/

But now Greene is in Washington, one of 435 voting members of the U.S. House and a pin-wearing member of the Republican conference. She arrived under heightened scrutiny and has done little to calm the nerves of her fellow Republicans. She wore a “Trump Won” facemask on her first day in office, sported a “censored” mask on the day she tried to derail the counting of the Electoral College and then refused to wear one at all as she and colleagues hid from the insurrectionists who stormed the Capitol. We’ve since learned, via CNN’s reporting, that she once seemed to lend support to executing prominent Democrats before she herself was an elected official. Last night, a reporter at a town hall in Georgia tried to ask her about her past social media posts. The reporter was threatened with arrest.

 

Marjorie Taylor Greene blamed deadly forest fire on Rothschilds and space lasers

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/marjorie-taylor-greene-blamed-deadly-forest-fire-on-rothschilds-and-space-lasers/

 Multiple Democrats are seeking to expel Greene from Congress, citing her expression of conspiracy theories and past social media posts threatening violence against lawmakers. They include Representative Lois Frankel of Florida who said, “Many members of Congress are afraid to be in the building with her.” But a two-thirds majority of Congress would need to approve for that to happen.

 Republican leaders have appointed Greene to the House Education Committee.

Joe Scarborough: This Is What Republicans In The Senate Want You To Forget | Morning Joe | MSNBC

Pakistan's top court frees men convicted of kidnapping and murdering Daniel Pearl

 https://edition.cnn.com/2021/01/28/asia/daniel-pearl-pakistan-intl-hnk/index.html

Pakistan's Supreme Court has ruled that four men convicted of kidnapping and murdering American journalist Daniel Pearl should go free.

The court said the men had "suffered irreparable harm and extreme prejudice" after spending 18 years behind bars prior, and in December ordered all four to be set free, but both the Pearl family and the Pakistani authorities appealed to the country's Supreme Court, which on Thursday ruled against them.

 

 

לאחר חתונה המונית: עשרות נדבקו בקורונה

 https://www.kikar.co.il/384312.html

שבוע לאחר השמחה הגדולה בחצר חסידות באבוב בארצות הברית - בהשתתפות המונים, החלה התפרצות קורונה בקרב עשרות חסידים • הודעה דחופה נשלחה לכלל החסידים

 

Malka Leifer silent in first Melbourne court appearance on 74 charges of child sexual abuse

 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/28/malka-leifer-silent-in-first-melbourne-court-appearance-on-74-charges-of-child-sexual-abuse

Malka Leifer has not applied for bail during a hearing at a Victorian court less than a day after landing in Melbourne following her extradition from Israel, and almost 13 years after she left Australia amid allegations of child sexual abuse.

Appearing before the Melbourne magistrates court via video link on Thursday morning, Leifer did not speak when asked if she could hear the magistrate, despite police confirming the technology was working.

On Wednesday, the principal of the Adass Israel School, Aaron Strasser, announced it would offer an evening of counselling to current and former students, parents and staff, while warning the community not to make any comments to journalists in light of the significant media attention the case has drawn.

“We recognise that Mrs Leifer’s presence in Australia may evoke a range of reactions for our school community, including our staff, students and parent body, and you may be asked questions about the matter in the coming days,” he said.

“We want to assure you that Adass Israel School fully supports the legal process in place and will do all that is requested by the authorities to assist in the processing of this case,” Strasser said.

US suspends $23 billion sale of F-35s to UAE that followed Abraham Accords

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-puts-hold-on-sale-of-f-35s-to-uae-that-followed-abraham-accords/

The Biden administration has put a temporary hold on several major foreign arms sales initiated by former US president Donald Trump, including the deal to provide 50 F-35 advanced fighter jets to the United Arab Emirates, which was fast-tracked by Washington after Abu Dhabi agreed to normalize relations with Israel. In addition to the massive $23 billion transfer of stealth F-35 fighters to the United Arab Emirates, another deal being paused is the planned major sale of munitions to Saudi Arabia. Both sales were harshly criticized by Democrats in Congress. 

 

Enfeebled and enraged, Haredi society feels forsaken on all sides

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/enfeebled-and-enraged-haredi-society-feels-forsaken-on-all-sides/

Monday afternoon in the Knesset. MK Moshe Gafni of United Torah Judaism heads to the dais to speak about a bill advancing through parliament that will allow police to slap steep fines on schools that violate virus restrictions and even to close them by force.

He’s visibly angry; his comments are short and to the point. 

“You’re only bringing this bill to vilify the Haredi public!” he declares.

Then he adds, in comments that would later go viral on Israeli social media, “It’s not our fault! You, who sent us to live in such crowded conditions, it’s your fault!”

 

 

Yulia Navalnaya's husband was poisoned and detained. Now she is piling pressure on Vladimir Putin

 https://edition.cnn.com/2021/01/27/europe/who-is-yulia-navalnaya-intl/index.html

But in late August, her husband was poisoned with nerve agent Novichok. As he lay comatose in a clinic in Omsk, Navalnaya suddenly stepped into the center stage of a battle with the Russian state -- and her image of a stoic, calm, and collected woman became a story in its own.

IDF Persecuting Epileptic Religious Ethiopian Girl

BS"D

URGENT -- PIDYON SHVUYIM:

Reported Israeli Army Persecution of an Epileptic Religious Ethiopian Girl 

 בס"ד

13 Shvat, 5780 °°  Parshas Beshalach  °° Jan. 26, '21

By Binyomin Feinberg

Our readers may have seen our recent post about the plight of a religious girl recently imprisoned in Military Prison over her refusal to submit to the Israeli Army female draft (http://daattorah.blogspot.com/2021/01/BSD-is-israel-asking-for-yet-more.html). B"H, she obtained military draft exemption and was released shortly after that post.  However, today, we've received credible information that, right now, a mitzvah-observant, 24 year-old young woman with epilepsy is suffering in Military Prison Six, in Northern Israel, for her refusal to submit to the female military draft. Tadalah bas Mantjavush hails from a religious Ethiopian Jewish family in central Israel. She was recently imprisoned for her steadfast refusal to compromise her Jewish faith or her personal purity.

About six years ago, shortly after being drafted into the IDF, Tadalah fled the promiscuous Army environment, after witnessing  first-hand the exploitive Army hefkeirus, which, many argue, renders the Army wholly unfit for any woman. Just recently, Tadalah was caught by the government in the course of an unrelated interaction with a law enforcement officer. After identifying her, they flagged her for being absent from the Army, for a period of approximately six years.

The Israeli government ensures that religious objectors suffer deprivation and indignities in Military Prison. What compounds the difficulty for Tadalah is that she reportedly has epilepsy, which is potentially life-threatening.  Thus she needs constant supervision - not reliably being provided in jail.  Consequently, this is piku'ach nefesh, even more so than the average case of girls incarcerated in Military Prison.

Why the formidable Israeli military needs an epileptic soldier remains somewhat of a mystery.  This case  is also reminiscent of the past (antireligious) persecution of individual girls and women, which, throughout history, has a demonstrated capacity to bring on awesome Divine Retribution. For example, the Pirkei DeRebbi Eliezer, ch. 48, relates how the Egyptian persecution of one Jewish mother triggered the downfall of the mighty Egyptian empire via the Exodus (quoted by Rav Meshulum Dovid Soloveichik Shlit"a, Droshos, end; cf. Radal ibid., 93, 99).

Tadalah faces a hearing tommorow, Wednesday Jan. 27, reliant on a government lawyer. If, Chas VeSholom, her case doesn't fare well, she could be facing grueling months in Military Prison  for her "absence" from the Army.

Tadalah is just one of multiple religious Ethiopian girls imprisoned in recent months and years over their principled resistance to the military draft. Another heartbreaking case we covered in The Jewish Press and online is that of Ziva bas Mazal M., https://daattorah.blogspot.com/2020/01/religious-persecution-of-ethiopian-girl.html,  https://daattorah.blogspot.com/2019/10/racial-profiling-or-pure-antireligious.html,  https://daattorah.blogspot.com/2019/10/making-racism-great-again.html.

The antireligious secularist Israeli Establishment has exhibited a  penchant for racism against Ethiopian Jews - and other Jews of color - commensurate with it's well-demonstrated anti-Torah, anti-Jewish animus. Ethiopian Jews suffer incarceration in Israeli Military Prison in disproportionate numbers. Because they are naturally refined, they don't take well to the very un-Jewish, coarse mistreatment rampant in the Army. Many even commit suicide, R"L, under the abusive mistreatment they endure under the pervasive secularist military regimen.

»» The tzibbur is requested to please take a few seconds to daven for Tadalah bas Mantjavush.

»» For more information, please text or call  845.642.1679.  

»» A 24-hour Israeli Hotline for any female, independent of religious background, who encounters problems with the Draft Offices, or who has encountered sexual mistreatment in or by the Israeli Army, is 03.721.3337.

~~~~~

"... And if someone, like Pinchos, is one among a multitude, and every man is against him when he dares to speak out for truth and to fight for the Law -- the more lonely his stand, the greater the number of his adversaries, the more powerful is his word, the mightier his deed."

--  Rav Shamshon Raphael Hirsch OB"M (1808-1888), (in "Judaism Eternal," vol. 2, p. 293)

Rioters are bums (full text)

 

Rioters are bums - Rav Chaim Kanievsky

 

Rioters are bums

 

ט"ו בשבט הגיע: כך תמנעו מאכילת תולעים

 https://www.kikar.co.il/384141.html

 מנהג ישראל בט"ו בשבט, ראש השנה לאילנות, שיחול מחר - יום רביעי, בערב, לאכול פירות שנשתבחה בהם ארץ ישראל, ורובנו אוכלים פירות יבשים; כיצד נזהה אם הפרי נגוע ואיך נמנע מאכילת תולעים?!

Increased child infection rates cast doubt on school reopenings

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/increased-child-infection-rates-cast-doubt-on-school-reopenings/

 According to figures presented by Gallant this week during a meeting with local government heads on the potential reopening of the education system, 54% of the students diagnosed with the coronavirus are ultra-Orthodox.

Malka Leifer, alleged sexual predator, finally extradited to Australia

 https://www.jpost.com/opinion/malka-leifer-alleged-sexual-predator-finally-extradited-to-australia-656672

 Extradited. That is what the case was about, not convicting her of crimes or litigating her actual case, just a routine extradition to Australia where she is wanted on 74 counts of sexual abuse against minors.

Why do I have to be scared to publish this?

 https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/yesterdays-violent-response-to-covid-enforcement/

And I ask, who are we fooling? Yes, of course, the average Charedi on the street probably isn’t participating in the demonstrations. I would imagine that many of them aren’t the greatest supporters of them. But is it really a fringe phenomenon?

Where they burn buses: What the press is saying about Haredi unrest, more deaths

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/where-they-burn-buses-what-the-press-is-saying-about-haredi-unrest-more-deaths/

• Israel Hayom, which is closely aligned with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, runs a column by David Zildon urging the Haredi leadership to thank, not spank, the cops, and certainly not keep silent: “While cops are risking their lives to protect you and keep the virus from taking your lives, you are keeping a loud silence and not condemning the attacks on the cops, and thus are full participants in the [violence.]”

גדולי הרבנים: לא לריב עם שוטרים - גם בעת אכיפת הנחיות

 https://www.kikar.co.il/384100.html

בב"ב חותמים כעת גדולי הרבנים על מכתב, בו הם קוראים לתושבים להימנע מכל מריבה עם שוטרים, גם כשהם אוכפים הנחיות; הקצינים הבטיחו: ננהג באיפוק • זו התכנית להשקטת עיר התורה

 

 

Anarchy in Bnei Brak as ultra-Orthodox vandals run riot

 https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/anarchy-in-bnei-brak-as-ultra-orthodox-vandals-run-riot-656596

Violent riots continued late into the night in Bnei Brak against the background of police enforcing COVID-19 regulations in the ultra-Orthodox city and the intense opposition to such measures by radical elements in the community. 

A bus driver was assaulted and chased off his bus, which was then set on fire and went up in flames in the middle of the city, causing damage to the apartment buildings adjacent to the conflagration. 

Ultra-Orthodox politicians condemn police response.