New Jersey vaccines law defeated (for now) as parents cheer

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/274550

 

A publication produced by students of Rabbis Shmuel Kamenetzky, Elya Ber Wachtfogel, and Malkiel Kotler make their views on vaccination known, writing that "Their view is not extreme. They do not advocate against vaccination. They rule that vaccination is a parental choice, and that parents may not be coerced into vaccination." The document can be viewed here.

Joe: GOP Still Refuses To Protect U.S. From Russian Interference | Morning Joe | MSNBC

Interesting point

Berel

 

Why wasnt this a big big big topic at the late Sium Hashas?

Gius Bonos the chazon ish went livid in his day about miner gius !

The unpleasant details of how Tamar Epstein deliberately destroyed her marriage with the encouragement of the Kaminetskys (part 2)

guest post

The terrible travesty of justice in this case is not just that Tamar decided to have custody litigated in court instead of in Beis Din – although this decision by itself is extremely troubling and contrary to halacha. The terrible travesty in this case is that the destruction of a family with a young child could have been avoided. And even if divorce was going to occur, it could have been settled amicably and quietly. 

Instead of pursuing either of these two outcomes, the Kamenetskys encouraged the Epstein family to engage in no-holds barred warfare against Aharon, the Baltimore Beis Din, and even the very notion of halacha, and a Jewish community. This has included kidnapping the parties’ child and then getting that kidnapping to be treated as a fait accompli by violating several agreements between the parties, tricking Aharon into canceling a pendete lite civil court trial in which it was likely that the child would be returned in order to bring the case to Beis Din, committing perjury in court and the Baltimore Beis Din, violating the Baltimore Beis Din’s orders regarding dismissing the civil court case, and then successfully arguing in civil court that Aharon couldn’t contest the kidnapping because he had voluntarily cancelled the pendete lite trial to bring the case to Beis Din. 

There is no low to which this campaign would not stoop or any level of crime in which they would not engage, including a vicious Tisha Ba’av assault (in which Cheryl Epstein [Tamar’s mother] signaled her henchmen to attack by telling the child to give Aharon a kiss) that endangered the life of the child, Federal capital crimes, and a capital crime under halacha.

Part 1 described what happened before the parties went to the Baltimore Beis Din.

http://www.daattorah.blogspot.com/2016/01/the-unpleasant-details-of-how-tamar.html

The following describes what happened next:

The parties agreed to postpone the Court trial scheduled for December 2008 until January 2009 and then until June 2009 (at further prejudice to Aharon) in order for the Beis Din to hear and decide the case.  Until the Beis Din issued an interim custody schedule in March, Tamar generally refused to let C spend time with Aharon (such as on holidays) other than the time explicitly required by the August 2008 Order, except for a brief period covered by the mediation agreement.

Beis Din heard the child custody issue in March, and said that the next step in the process was that Beis Din would issue a custody decision immediately after Pesach [Passover] in April 2009; Beis Din issued an interim custody schedule to cover the period before Beis Din was to issue a custody decision.  Under this schedule, C was with Aharon four out of the six weekends (and starting on Thursday instead of Friday) covered by the schedule. Tamar opposed this custody schedule, arguing that it provided C too much time with Aharon. 

Tamar later wrote Beis Din she had a settlement proposal that she would present in five days. Then, Tamar wrote Beis Din that she had a proposal and wanted to mediate. Aharon agreed to consider any proposal but said he would not enter into mediation if it seemed unlikely to work because he did not want the ruling of Beis Din to be delayed. Tamar took four weeks to submit a proposal, which Aharon believed indicated the parties were too far apart to reach agreement.  Aharon wrote Beis Din that there was no agreement regarding C’s schedule, and asked Beis Din to rule that C return to Silver Spring. Tamar wrote Beis Din that she still wanted to mediate and falsely accused Aharon of lying as to whether the parties had an agreement regarding C’s schedule. Aharon again wrote Beis Din to rule that C return to Silver Spring again noting the urgency of Beis Din issuing a decision on the matter.  Tamar wrote the Beis Din demanding a get, correspondence that was not then shared with Aharon.  The Beis Din refused Tamar’s demand to order a get because there were no grounds upon which to tell Aharon to give a get.

Given that Beis Din had previously said that it would issue a custody decision shortly after Pesach and that it would hold no further hearings on custody, Beis Din’s decision on custody seemed to be imminent.

Without Beis Din’s permission, Tamar filed a motion and then a supplemental motion to postpone the June 2009 civil Court trial.  Tamar’s grounds for postponement were that she needed more time to prepare for the civil Court trial and wanted a court-ordered custody evaluation (both of which were irrelevant if Beis Din was to decide the matter).  Tamar specifically told the Court that the Court – not Beis Din – would decide the case.  In filing these motions, Tamar violated the parties’ mediation agreement for Beis Din to decide the case, as well as the binding arbitration agreement.  For Aharon to agree to this motion would have been to show his acquiescence in Tamar’s decision to disregard the Beis Din and have the court try the case.  In addition, should Beis Din have decided that C return to Silver Spring, postponement of the civil trial would have made it much more unlikely that the Court would effectively uphold such a decision, given the further time that C would have spent in PA.  Thus, Aharon refused Tamar’s request that he agree to postpone the trial so that Tamar could have more time to prepare for trial in civil Court and so that the Court could conduct a custody evaluation because the Court, not Beis Din, would decide the case.  Tamar also filed suit in civil court for absolute divorce, in which she also demanded sole physical custody, without permission from Beis Din.  

Tamar’s to’ain, Frederic Goldfein, a medical practice trial lawyer, was able to fool the Beis Din as to what Tamar was doing in civil court, which resulted in the Beis Din ordering Aharon to postpone the Court trial, even though Tamar had told the Court that the Court, not Beis Din would decide the case.

Aharon filed a motion to postpone the Court trial, despite the further legal prejudice (as explained above), in order to give Beis Din time to issue its decision.  At that point, the Court had before it Tamar’s motions to postpone the trial so that she could prepare for a court trial and so that the court could order a custody evaluation so that the Court, not Beis Din, could decide the case, and Aharon’s motion to postpone the trial so that the Beis Din could decide the case.  The Court denied the motion to postpone the trial.

Before the civil trial occurred, Aharon agreed to the Beis Din’s orders regarding dismissing the MD case before it went to trial.  Tamar refused to abide by the Beis Din’s orders regarding dismissing the MD case before it went to trial.

The civil trial on custody and Tamar’s motion for divorce was held in June 2009. Tamar complained that the temporary custody schedule from the Beis Din provided C too much time with Aharon.  Tamar’s sister and brother-in-law and Yael and Rabbi Ranan Cortell testified and harshly criticized Aharon’s parenting skills.  But on cross-examination, both admitted that they had not spent significant time with Aharon and C (then nineteen months) for well over a year.  Their testimony was so lacking in credibility that Tamar’s closing argument acknowledged that Aharon was a good parent, thus disavowing their testimony.  Instead, Tamar claimed that the fact that Aharon generally davened with a minyan while the parties lived together showed that he wasn’t that interested in spending time with C.  Tamar urged the Court to rule that C should remain in PA because Tamar had already kept her there for so long – in violation of the parties’ Reconciliation and Mediation Agreements.  Tamar specifically argued that C should remain in PA because Aharon had agreed to postpone the civil Court trial from October 2008 to June 2009 (to take the case to Beis Din). 

Tamar deliberately asked the Court to impose a custody schedule that would render moot most of C’s monthly time with Aharon because he is Shomer Shabbos [Sabbath observant].  Tamar requested that C be with Aharon on alternate weekends starting at 6pm on Fridays (instead of Thursdays) and that C and Aharon be restricted during such times to the vicinity of Tamar’s house in PA.  Tamar also said that she should bring C to Aharon in Silver Spring for one additional Sunday each month.  Tamar recognized very well that these alternate weekends would actually be limited to Sundays, as Tamar knew Aharon could not generally leave work early enough on Fridays to pick C up from Tamar’s house before Shabbos, even when sundown is late.  In addition, Aharon would not generally be able to pick C up on Saturday night as he would not be able to leave Silver Spring early enough to arrive at Tamar’s house before C’s bedtime.

At trial, Aharon opposed Tamar’s motion for divorce.  After the court heard evidence on whether Tamar had grounds for divorce under civil law at the trial, Tamar acknowledged that there were no grounds for divorce.

Goldfein again lied to the Beis Din as to how the matter came to be tried in civil court, correspondence that was not then shared with Aharon. After the civil Court trial, but before the Court issued a ruling, Beis Din ordered the parties to jointly dismiss the civil court case.  Aharon agreed to follow Beis Din’s order and dismiss the civil case but Tamar violated the Beis Din’s order and refused to dismiss the civil case.

As Tamar had urged, that C had already been in PA for fourteen months at the time of the trial was largely the basis for the Court’s decision that C should remain in PA [“At this time, the child has spent fourteen months of her life in Pennsylvania with Defendant and her maternal grandparents and is undisputedly thriving.  Uprooting the child from her current environment at this time is likely to have a detrimental impact upon her”], even though the Court concluded “both parties are fit and proper to have physical custody of the child” and that “Defendant has made minimal efforts to foster the relationship between Plaintiff and his daughter.  The Court further finds that Defendant’s indifferent approach to C having a mutually awarding relationship with her father is rooted in spite and is not beneficial to the child.”  The Court also criticized Aharon for davening with a minyan while the parties lived together.

The Court largely adopted the general custody schedule suggested by Tamar: C to be with Aharon every other weekend in the vicinity of Tamar’s house starting on Fridays at 6pm and one additional weekend per month.

On July 15, 2009, Tamar filed in court a motion to amend or alter, asking that the court even further limit C’s time with Aharon.  The court denied Tamar’s motion.  Aharon filed an appeal by way of an in banc review.

As Shabbos often starts before 6 pm and Aharon generally couldn’t leave work in Washington D.C. early enough to get to Philadelphia before Shabbos starts, that meant Aharon generally couldn’t pick up C until Sunday morning.  Thus, every other weekend, that generally meant Aharon leaving Silver Spring at 5am (usually too early to daven) to pick up C and davening with tallis and tefillin at a rest stop on I-95.  No matter the weather, Aharon and C generally spent the day at parks and shopping malls -- because they had no place else to go – until Aharon brought C back, not returning to Silver Spring until 11pm.  Although Aharon eventually found a family to whose home in the general Philadelphia area he and C could come, Rabbi Sholom Kametnetsky put extreme pressure on that family to stop doing so.  Rabbi Kamenetsky eventually forced that family to withdraw their hospitality.

The Baltimore Beis Din refused the demands of Tamar to rule that Aharon was obligated to give a get.  The Baltimore Beis Din even refused to state that it was appropriate for Aharon to give a get.  This was despite the Baltimore Beis Din being fooled by Tamar’s to’ain Goldfein as to how the case came to be tried in Court. The Beis Din had held three hearings into the case with the participation of both parties, and determined that there were no grounds to rule that a get must be given.

At Tamar’s request, the Washington Beis Din sent two hazmanos [summonses] to Aharon in September and October 2009.  The summonses were signed by Rabbi Kalman Winter, brother-in-law of Shimon Glick, Tamar’s brother’s father-in-law.  The head of the Washington Beis Din at the time was Rabbi Gedaliah Anemer, longtime leader of the Washington D.C. area Orthodox community.  Aharon responded that Tamar had no right to involve another Beis Din given that the parties had brought the case to the Baltimore Beis Din whose orders Tamar had violated, causing severe damage to Aharon and C.

Congress’ Chained Woman

 https://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-news-and-politics/94445/congresss-chained-woman

Friedman has been “held in contempt” by no less than the greatly respected Beth Din of the Union of Orthodox Rabbis of the United States and Canada, a rabbinic court that does not have the power to issue a get—only the husband can do that—but can try to compel the husband to do so. The organization has issued a Declaration of Contempt (seruv) against Friedman.

In addition, the Vaad Harabanim of Greater Washington, the body of Orthodox rabbis in the Greater Washington area, also known as the Rabbinical Council, issued a letter calling on the Jewish community to exclude Friedman from participating in prayer services, joining their institutions, and other elements of “membership” in the community. He has also been condemned by an array of Orthodox rabbis, among them Shmuel Herzfeld of Ohev Sholom synagogue in Washington, which bills itself as the National Jewish Synagogue, and Avraham Shmidman of the Lower Merion Synagogue in Pennsylvania.

At a rally in support of Tamar Epstein held in December 2010, Rabbi Shmidman said: “Aharon Friedman walks around Capitol Hill as a religious Jew … But this is not what a religious Jew does.” According to the New York Times, over a year ago Rabbi Herzfeld wrote to Jon Traub, the Republican staff director of the Ways and Means Committee, accusing Friedman of “psychological terrorism.”

Is 'Chained' Wife Tamar Epstein's Remarriage Kosher — Even Without Orthodox Divorce?

https://forward.com/news/national/325878/chained-wife-tamar-epstein-divorce-kosher/

The decision to allow Epstein to remarry ignited a firestorm within the Orthodox community. Opponents of the decision are making it clear that Epstein and any future children she may have will not find acceptance in the Orthodox community of which she considers herself a part.

“The woman is considered married for all purposes and is forbidden for any other man until a religious court rules otherwise,” Rabbi Aharon Feldman, head of Baltimore’s Ner Israel Rabbinical College, wrote in an open letter he addressed to fellow rabbis and religious leaders. “In the meanwhile, she must leave her second ‘husband,’ and if she has children, they will be considered bastards until relieved by a religious court.” Under traditional Jewish law, children classified as bastards — mamzerim in Hebrew — are not allowed to marry other Jews who are born to women considered to be legitimately married.

 The breakthrough came earlier this fall, when a rabbinic authority in Philadelphia issued a heter, or permission, that annulled Epstein’s marriage based on the claim that Friedman was mentally ill at the time the couple married. The identity of this rabbinical authority was not disclosed, but according to several ultra-Orthodox websites it was likely to have been Rabbi Shmuel Kamenetsky, head of the Talmudical Yeshiva of Philadelphia. In the past, Kamenetsky has worked to resolve Epstein’s situation.

Although the unnamed rabbinical authority was not provided with any professional mental evaluation of Friedman’s condition, the rabbi ruled that had Epstein known of these mental issues in advance, she would never have married Friedman, and therefore the marriage is annulled and Epstein is free to remarry. Annulment, while existing in traditional Jewish law, is a very rare procedure, and according to a source in the Orthodox community, it has never been used in modern times.

 Epstein’s marriage to Adam Fleischer in a traditional Jewish ceremony in Memphis was officiated by Rabbi Nota Greenblatt, who is the head of the city’s Orthodox umbrella organization, Vaad Hakehilloth, and is a well known halachic authority.

The controversy that ensued centered on interpretation of religious law rather than on Epstein’s right to be released from her husband. Even those critical of the unusual halachic procedure were, for the most part, sympathetic to Epstein’s plight. They reiterated their call for Friedman to issue a religious divorce.

All parties involved declined to discuss the permission given to Epstein for her subsequent marriage, stating it was a private, personal issue.

Days Of Shifting Explanations For The Deadly Strike On Soleimani | Deadline | MSNBC

Joe & Mika: Americans Are Nervous About Fallout From Soleimani Killing

Brian Stelter calls out Fox News anchor Laura Ingraham's missed opportunity

Trump’s Assassination of Iran’s Suleimani Was a Colossal Strategic Blunder

https://www.thenation.com/article/trump-iran-suleimani-iraq/

 In one blow, Washington has strengthened Iran’s hard-liners, revived its nuke program, drawn Iraq closer to Tehran, stymied popular regional uprisings, and endangered Americans around the world.
 

Iran announces arrests over downing of plane; Rouhani: Must punish all involved

https://www.timesofisrael.com/iran-announces-arrests-over-downing-of-plane-rouhani-well-punish-all-involved/

 

Iran’s judiciary said Tuesday arrests have been made over the accidental shootdown of a Ukrainian passenger plane just after takeoff from Tehran last week. killing all 176 people on board.

The announcement came shortly after Iran’s president called for a special court to be set up to probe the downing last week of the plane by Iranian forces, and amid an upswell of anger and protests by Iranians in recent days over the downing of the jetliner last Wednesday and attempts by senior officials in Iran to cover-up the cause of the crash.

 

The Brilliance of Common Sense - RABBI FRAND

https://torah.org/torah-portion/ravfrand-5763-korach/

According to the Talmud, Korach’s wife goaded him on and encouraged him to stand up against Moshe and his family’s nepotism. O’ne ben Peles’ wife, on the other hand, counseled her husband to avoid the dispute. “Listen, O’ne, what are you going to get out of this? Whichever way things play out, you will still emerge as just a ‘bit player’. Either Moshe will emerge as the unchallenged leader or Korach will emerge as the leader. In either case you will be nothing more that a ‘second fiddle’! You stand to gain nothing by getting involved in this fight!”

The Talmud quotes the pasuk “Chochmas Nashim bansa baysah” [The wisdom of a wife can save a household] [Mishlei 14:1]. The Gemara explains that this refers to the wife of O’ne ben Peles. She exhibited tremendous wisdom by convincing her husband that there was nothing to be gained by getting involved in Korach’s rebellion. Shlomo was alluding to this wisdom in the above quoted pasuk.

The question can be asked, however, where was the great wisdom here? It was a rather elementary conclusion that her husband would not be the leader either way. Where was the great brilliance? She did nothing more than point out an obvious fact to her husband.

 

Malcolm Gladwell explains why he avoids face-to-face job interviews | SVT/TV 2/Skavlan

Rabbi arrested on suspicion of holding 50 women 'as slaves' in Jerusalem commune

https://www.ynetnews.com/article/BkFESRYe8

 The investigators believe the women of the alleged Haredi cult were sexually exploited and had their hands burned to learn 'what hell feels like'; the elderly cult leader also apparently abused the children held in the residential complex

 

Trump Considered Killing Qassem Soleimani Several Times Since 2017, Report Says

https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-considered-killing-qassem-soleimani-iran-several-times-2017-report-1481887

President Donald Trump had been floating the possibility of killing top Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani since 2017, according to a new report detailing the commander in chief's discussions with senior administration and military aides.

The Washington Post reported Sunday that the president had discussed assassinating Major General Qassem Soleimani—the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' clandestine Quds Force—several times since taking office.

Citing unnamed former administration and Pentagon officials, the Post said Trump first suggested killing Soleimani in the spring of 2017, in response to a ballistic missile attack launched by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen against the Saudi capital Riyadh. The attack came just before Trump traveled to the kingdom as his first foreign trip since taking office.

Then-Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis reportedly resisted the idea. But the suggestion would not go away and Trump raised it again several times in the months and years since, according to the newspaper.

Donald Trump authorized the killing of Soleimani seven months ago

 https://www.jpost.com/International/Donald-Trump-authorized-the-killing-of-Soleimani-seven-months-ago-614078

 US President Donald Trump authorized the killing of IRGC chief Qasem Soleimani seven months ago, according to a report released by NBC news.

The report also indicated that the presidential directive was issued in June, on the condition that he would sign off on any specific operation to kill Soleimani. On this basis, it explains why Soleimani was given as a option for Trump following the attacks on the American embassy in Iraq and the death of an American contractor, according to NBC.  

US A-G: Shooting at Florida air base was act of terrorism

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/274514

 

US Attorney General William Barr said on Monday that the shooting at a Naval air base in Pensacola, Florida, last month was an act of terrorism motivated by "jihadist ideology".

Three US sailors were killed when 21-year-old Mohammed Alshamrani, a member of the Royal Saudi Air Force who was training at Naval Air Station Pensacola, entered a building on base and "proceeded to walk around shooting down his unarmed victims in cold blood," Barr said at a press conference, according to CNN.

Alshamrani, who was killed by law enforcement during the attack, had a history of airing his anti-American, anti-Israel and jihadi messages views on social media, including in a post on September 11 stating that "the countdown has begun," and another post made two hours before the attack, Barr said.

MSNBC Breaking News January 13, 2020

Trump Officials Contradict The President When Offering Justifications For Soleimani Killing

Trump’s Team Can’t Defend His Shifting Iran Lies: A Closer Look

Barr and Pompeo shift justification for Iran strike from 'imminent' threat to deterrence

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/01/13/politics/pompeo-barr-soleimani-strike-iran-rationale/index.html

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Attorney General William Barr said Monday that killing Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani was part of a larger strategy of deterrence, a shift from the Trump administration's previous rationale that the strike was carried out to prevent an "imminent" attack.

Barr's comments were particularly noteworthy as he attempted to push back on criticism over the administration's claim that Soleimani was planning attacks that posed an imminent threat, calling the concept "something of a red herring."

 

Jailed for Acting Jewishly

BS"D

Jailed For Acting Jewishly*

(*an update of a recent post)

Alarming Instances of Anti-Jewish Religious-Discrimination Against Orthodox Women and Girls, by Draft Officials -- and Staff at Military Prison Number Four

Teves 16, 5780 °° Jan. 13, '20

By Binyomin Feinberg

FeinbergBinyomin@gmail.com

~~~~

Update:

1) This breaking news just in this afternoon: Another Israeli girl refusing to be drafted into the Army was recently arrested, Maital C. We hope to provide details as they become available.

2) As reported previously, another Israeli girl, Tal-Yah Bas Rus, was recently arrested and has been incarcerated in Military Prison Four, similarly due to her refusal to enlist in the Israeli Army. She too should be commended and vigorously assisted, in light of her willingness to endure imprisonment rather than enlist in the military. We hope to provide updated information as it becomes available.

~~~~~~~~~~~

To check for updates, on first view of this article, as well as throughout the week, please visit Updates for month of Teves '80:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LDLjvECWQExYoGjqIrbZtWALp6MpkHq22ihNz2BLuYM/edit?usp=sharing

~~~~~~~~~

###### BREAKING NEWS: ######

A significant scandal has been brought to light, just as we approach an important hearing tommorow - Tues. - for Orpaz Orah G. (bas Aliza). Orah is a 27 y/o religious sefardic woman from Ashdod, on whom we recently reported (https://daattorah.blogspot.com/2020/01/27-yo-female-refusenik-in-israeli-jai.html ). But first, some background:

1. Orah was imprisoned over two weeks ago, for ostensibly submitting her Religiosity-Certification somewhat late -- a whopping TEN years ago.

2. Orah is yet another religious woman suffering for maintaining her refusal to submit to the military draft, which is absolutely prohibited according to leading Rabbis across the spectrum.

3. It must be emphasized that even according to the Army's contention that Orah was late in sending in her religiosity certification, that is clearly a technicality. As such, it is certainly no reason to allow the government to imprison a girl for refusing to enlist in the military.

4. In a normal system, technicalities like that are dealt with altogether differently. However, in Israel, the Draft Office is employing incarceration frequently against girls refusing to enlist, for such minor legal infractions as sending in certification late.

5. This pattern of incarceration over minor procedural infractions is clearly a policy. And it's a policy clearly aimed at a goal, that goal being drafting girls who unfortunately get caught on such minor technicalities. That is intolerable as a policy, or otherwise. No girl should ever be forced into the Army, regardless of their religious affiliation or observance, or lack thereof. Similarly, no girl should be incarcerated for refusal to enlist, in the wake of such technical errors (or otherwise). Such incarceration, in essence, clearly serves as a means of attempting to compel compliance with the military draft.

6. Orah does not have a private attorney, but rather is presently reliant on the performance of her government-paid lawyer, and that there is no specific, clear path to her release in sight at this time. [Moreover, our information is that her family was dissuaded from procurement of private counsel. In our view, if this report is accurate, this itself is scandalous. But that particular scandal may not be one for which the government bears direct responsibility. We've seen a pattern of both incarcerated girls - and girls encumbered with legal complications with the Draft Offices - receiving misinformation from misguided or misinformed activists.]

7. The recently revealed scandal involves two staff members at that Military Prison (Four). According to a complaint officially submitted very recently, those two staff members illicitly denied attorney access to Orah, as well as to another recently incarcerated girl - also a religious objector to military service. These staff members allegedly denied both of these religious objectors the opportunity to meet a specific female attorney. The incidents allegedly occurred on and since Dec. 25, '19. The lawyer in question is a private attorney, who has provided assistance to multiple girls incarcerated in military prison over their refusal to violate the Torah (and their personal modesty) by enlisting in the Army. We hold back on publishing the names of the suspects for the time being.

8. Is this mistreatment of religious girls motivated by antireligious animus, or do these girls just happen to be religious? Firstly, such misconduct has no place in or outside of government, regardless of motivation.

Secondly, regardless of intentions, the religious and legal rights of these girls are being denied, according to the complaint.

Thirdly, unfortunately, within the Draft Office and Military Justice system, there does appear to be a systemic tolerance for anti-religious bias, an example being the now-resolved case of Avigail Leah H. bas Rus Ester.

(See https://daattorah.blogspot.com/2019/08/alh-report-2-28-augviolating-vineyard.html and https://daattorah.blogspot.com/2019/09/violating-vineyard-update.html .)

Another example, brought to the fore by a recent development in her case, is the plight of Ziva bas Mazal M. (https://daattorah.blogspot.com/2019/10/racial-profiling-or-pure-antireligious.html). Recently, she just received a letter from the Draft Office ("Maitav") reiterating their denial of her right to obtain a religious exemption. They don't even have what to say to pretend that they have some question about her religiosity. To the contrary, they indicate that they may accept her religiosity claim, but only after serving three months in the Army. Well, if she's religious, that would be both against Halacha, and, le'havdil alfei havdolos, against her secular legal rights. G-d willing, we hope to publish alot more on this particularly discriminatory travesty.

9. Another issue that urgently requires attention is the process of delegation of such cases to activists. A number of the activists who have been most effective in assisting female religious objectors feel hampered by lack of information. The primary manner of fighting for imprisoned women like Orah, Tal-Yah and Maital is via disseminating accurate and detailed information. The government knows that very well, and appears to be orchestrating the delegation of cases accordingly, so that the activists who take more militant approach to freeing these women don't get access to the case or the requisite information (at least not without a lot of painstaking and time-consuming work).

10. Additionally, while it's important that Chareidi activists are involved in helping, or trying to assist this non-Chareidi young woman (Orah), the vocal protest of the national-religious community is vital to put a stop to this ongoing targeting of non-Chareidi / national-religious women and girls by the Army.

11. Does the government see the rightwing national-religious community as an ally willing enough to sacrifice their own daughters to conscription, in violation of Torah Law, for strongly held nationalistic ideals? Or do they hope to hoodwink the community into averting their focus as the government pursues individual girls not connected with mainstream communities and influential leaders? Whatever the case may be, it's incumbent on all religious Jews to liberate the Israeli government of the notion that they can continue to intimidate, terrorize, arrest, incarcerate and persecute such girls with impunity in the future.

12. We've already reported (quoting Ma'ariv Online) on the government goal of reaching a shocking 40% Army enlistment of national-religious high school girls*, G-d forbid. They're clearly admitting to targeting national-religious girls.

13. That means that all Jews have a commensurate obligation to escalate our vigilance for that particular targeted national-religious sector, regardless of any differences of opinion, shitos, etc.

14. The attitude of some people that each group should just focus on saving "it's own" girls is wrong, not only from a Halachic perspective, but from a practical one as well. The government has demonstrated itself more than adept at "divide-and-conquer." Thus we must remain ahead of the game by excelling in "all-for-one," regardless of who that "one" is. Thereby, the daughter you help save may, one day, be your own.

May we merit the Final Redemption speedily in the merit of authentic unity, one that sacrifices neither ideological integrity, maintenance of proper boundaries, cognizance of the bigger picture, or broader communal responsibility.

~~~

* https://daattorah.blogspot.com/2019/11/online-updates-in-culture-wars-parshas.html

http://firstamendmentactivist.blogspot.com/2019/11/culture-wars-updates-online-vayaira.html?m=1

(Also reported in our Jewish Press Dispatch column at the time of those postings.)

__________________________________

The Tenth of Teves:

__________________________________

For a relevant post, with a perspective on the fast of the Tenth of Teves, see:

https://daattorah.blogspot.com/2020/01/tenth-of-teves-day-of-reckoning.html

בת בסמינר שהפך ל'כת' מגיבה: "המתלוננות - מתוסכלות"

 https://www.kikar.co.il/343904.html

בשכונת הבוכרים המומים. אלו שהתגוררו ליד 'באר מרים' טוענים כי לא ידעו

 דבר מהנעשה בין כותלי המקום • תיעוד: בכניסה למקום הוצבה שומרת, המונעת כניסה מזרים - הבנות בפנים רוקדות (ארץ)

Jerusalem: 10 arrested for holding dozens captive in 'cult'

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/274480

This is the second time the institution in question has been probed by police for alleged abuses. Several years ago the compound was raided as part of the first investigation, which was ultimately closed for lack of evidence.

The probe was reopened, however, following additional reports of abuse from women who had fled the compound.

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/jerusalem-police-arrest-suspected-cult-leader-who-kept-dozens-of-women-children/

 https://www.ynetnews.com/article/BkFESRYe8

Trump authorized Soleimani's killing 7 months ago, with conditions

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/trump-authorized-soleimani-s-killing-7-months-ago-conditions-n1113271

President Donald Trump authorized the killing of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani seven months ago if Iran's increased aggression resulted in the death of an American, according to five current and former senior administration officials.

Donald Trump’s Iran Problem

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/01/20/donald-trumps-iran-problem
 The killing of General Qassem Suleimani has undermined the Trump Administration’s top goals in the Islamic Republic.

Defense Secretary Refuses To Endorse Trump's Claims On Iran | Morning Joe | MSNBC

Jake Tapper: 'Terrorist lover' attacks from Trump defenders are smears

Malcolm Gladwell | Talking to Strangers - What We Should Know About the People We Don't Know

How a Debunked Ukraine Theory Endures Against All Evidence

https://www.snopes.com/ap/2020/01/12/how-a-debunked-ukraine-theory-endures-against-all-evidence/

The discredited theory, spread online by GOP allies in interviews and tweets, has been embraced by a president reluctant to acknowledge the reality of Russian election interference, and anxious to show he had reason to be suspicious of Ukraine as the U.S. withheld crucial military aid last year.

The effect: blurring the facts of the impeachment case for many Americans even before it reaches a trial that could begin with days.

Experts fear the strategy leaves the U.S. vulnerable to more misinformation campaigns in the 2020 election and signals to the Kremlin and other foreign actors that Americans are willing to cling to falsehoods.

Jew-Hatred: #WE-[Israeli-Women]TOO

N L

10:02 PM (8 minutes ago)

to me, Eliezer

BS"D

Jew-Hatred in Israel?: #WeToo

Alarming Instances of Anti-Jewish Religious-Discrimination Against Orthodox Women and Girls, by Draft Officials -- and Staff at Military Prison Number Four

Teves 15, 5780 °° Jan. 12, '20

By Binyomin Feinberg

FeinbergBinyomin@gmail.com

~~~~

Update:

Yet another Israeli girl, Tal-Yah Bas Rus, was recently reportedly incarcerated in Military Prison Four due to her refusal to enlist in the Israeli Army. She should be commended and vigorously assisted, in light of her willingness to endure imprisonment rather than enlist in the military. We hope to provide updated information as it becomes available.

~~~~~~~~~~~

To check for updates, on first view of this article, as well as throughout the week, please visit Updates for month of Teves '80:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LDLjvECWQExYoGjqIrbZtWALp6MpkHq22ihNz2BLuYM/edit?usp=sharing

~~~~~~~~~

###### BREAKING NEWS: ######

A significant scandal has been brought to light, just as we approach an important hearing this week - for Orpaz Orah G. (bas Aliza). Orah is a 27 y/o religious woman, on whom we recently reported (https://daattorah.blogspot.com/2020/01/27-yo-female-refusenik-in-israeli-jai.html ). Orah was imprisoned over two weeks ago, for ostensibly submitting her Religiosity-Certification somewhat late -- a whopping TEN years ago. She is yet another religious woman suffering for maintaining her refusal to submit to the military draft, which is absolutely prohibited according to leading Rabbis across the spectrum.

Our latest information is that Orah does not have a private attorney, but rather is presently reliant on the performance of her government-paid lawyer, and that there is no specific, clear path to her release in sight at this time.

° The recently revealed scandal involves two staff members at that Military Prison (Four), who illicitly denied attorney access to Orah, as well as to another recently incarcerated girl - also a religious objector to military service. These staff members allegedly denied both of these religious objectors the opportunity to meet a specific female religious attorney. The lawyer in question is a private attorney, who has provided assistance to multiple girls incarcerated in military prison over their refusal to violate the Torah (and their personal modesty) by enlisting in the Army. We hold back on publishing the names of the suspects for the time being.

Is this mistreatment of religious girls motivated by antireligious animus, or do these girls and the attorney in question just happen to be religious? Firstly, such misconduct has no place in or outside of government, regardless of motivation. Secondly, unfortunately, there appears to be a systemic tolerance for anti-religious bias, an example being the now-resolved case of Avigail Leah H.

(See https://daattorah.blogspot.com/2019/08/alh-report-2-28-augviolating-vineyard.html and https://daattorah.blogspot.com/2019/09/violating-vineyard-update.html .)

° Another issue that urgently requires attention is the process of delegation of such cases to activists. A number of the activists who have been most effective in assisting female religious objectors feel hampered by lack of information. The primary manner of fighting for imprisoned women like Orah is via disseminating accurate and detailed information. The government knows that very well, and appears to be orchestrating the delegation of cases accordingly, so that the activists who take more militant approach to freeing these women don't get access to the case or the requisite information (at least not without a lot of painstaking and time-consuming work).

° Additionally, while it's important that Chareidi activists are involved in helping, or trying to assist this non-Chareidi young woman, the vocal protest of the national-religious community is vital to put a stop to this ongoing targeting of non-Chareidi / national-religious women and girls by the Army. Does the government see the rightwing national-religious community as an ally willing enough to sacrifice their own daughters to conscription, in violation of Torah Law, for strongly held nationalistic ideals? Or do they hope to hoodwink the community into averting their focus as the government pursues individual girls not connected with mainstream communities and influential leaders? Whatever the case may be, it's incumbent on all religious Jews to liberate the Israeli government of the notion that they can continue to intimidate, terrorize, arrest, incarcerate and persecute such girls with impunity in the future.

We've already reported (quoting Ma'ariv Online) on the government goal of reaching a shocking 40% Army enlistment of national-religious high school girls*, G-d forbid. They're clearly admitting to targeting national-religious girls. That means that all Jews have a commensurate obligation to escalate our vigilance for that particular targeted national-religious sector, regardless of any differences of opinion, shitos, etc.

° The attitude of some people that each group should just focus on saving "it's own" girls is wrong, not only from a Halachic perspective, but from a practical one as well. The government has demonstrated itself more than adept at "divide-and-conquer." Thus we must remain ahead of the game by excelling in "all-for-one," regardless of who that "one" is. Thereby, the daughter you help save may, one day, be your own.

May we merit the Final Redemption speedily in the merit of authentic unity, one that sacrifices neither ideological integrity, maintenance of proper boundaries, cognizance of the bigger picture, or broader communal responsibility.

~~~

* https://daattorah.blogspot.com/2019/11/online-updates-in-culture-wars-parshas.html

http://firstamendmentactivist.blogspot.com/2019/11/culture-wars-updates-online-vayaira.html?m=1

(Also reported in our Jewish Press Dispatch column at the time of those postings.)

__________________________________

The Tenth of Teves:

__________________________________

For a relevant post, with a perspective on the fast of the Tenth of Teves, see:

https://daattorah.blogspot.com/2020/01/tenth-of-teves-day-of-reckoning.html

Esper Says He ‘Didn’t See’ Specific Evidence Iranians Planned to Attack 4 Embassies

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/12/us/politics/esper-iran-trump-embassies.html

 President Trump had claimed that a planned attack on four American embassies was a justification for the strike on an Iranian general.

Trump's Defense Secretary Says Iran's Soleimani Was 'Probably' Planning U.S. Embassy Attacks, But He 'Didn't See' Specific Evidence

 newsweek

  World Donald Trump Iran Qassem Soleimani Republicans

Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said on Sunday that he "didn't see" specific evidence that Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani was planning attacks on U.S. embassies in the Middle East, but he believed "probably" that was Soleimani's plan.

Esper's remarks, during an interview with CBS News' Face the Nation, came after President Donald Trump told Fox News host Laura Ingraham on Friday that he could "reveal" that he believed "it probably would've been four embassies" that were attacked through Soleimani's planning. The defense secretary did not directly corroborate Trump's remarks, noting that he had not seen evidence confirming the president's assertion.

YouTube purges videos of Rabbi Meir Kahane

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/274442

 

Internet video giant YouTube has purged thousands of videos of former Israeli Knesset Member and Jewish Defense League founder Rabbi Meir Kahane, barring an account which uploaded the videos with no explanation given for the move.

According to a report by The Jewish Press, some 2,600 videos containing footage of Rabbi Kahane or his students were removed from YouTube, a subsidiary of Google, several weeks ago in late December.

Britain’s Iran envoy denies demonstrating against regime before he was arrested

https://www.timesofisrael.com/britains-iran-envoy-denies-demonstrating-against-regime-before-he-was-arrested/

TEHRAN, Iran — After he was briefly arrested, Britain’s ambassador to Tehran on Sunday denied an Iranian claim that he had taken part in a demonstration that broke out at a memorial for the 176 people killed when a plane was shot down.

56 Percent of Americans Disapprove of President Trump's Handling of Iran, Poll Says

https://www.newsweek.com/56-percent-americans-disapprove-president-trumps-handling-over-iran-poll-says-1481703

Trump and his administration argue that Soleimani was planning "imminent" attacks on the U.S., with the president saying that regional U.S. embassies were going to be targeted. However, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has also said that he did not know exactly where or when the attacks would occur, which critics have argued shows that the threat was not actually "imminent." Unidentified government sources also told The New York Times that the intelligence used to justify the attack was "razor thin."

"Pompeo: The attack was imminent, but 'we didn't know when and we didn't know where.' Well, if you don't know when and if you don't know where, that is not 'imminent,'" Democratic presidential candidate Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, a veteran of the Iraq War, tweeted on Sunday, criticizing the secretary of state.

Fox News analyst responds to Trump attack: 'This is the way you treat your friends?'

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2019/apr/29/fox-news-judge-andrew-napolitano-trump-obstruction-mueller-report-attack-response

 “He wanted to divert attention from what Mueller had said about him,” he said, “and what I had commented about Mueller to his relationship with me, his relationship with me is not the story.”

The former New Jersey superior court judge also denied asking for a supreme court seat, saying Trump had actually asked him, unprompted, to recite his qualifications for the job.

“He said, all right, give me a spiel as to why I should put you on,” he said. “Who would turn that down? I gave him the spiel.”

 

Four hospitalized after antisemitic mob rampages through Uman

https://www.jpost.com/Diaspora/Antisemitism/Four-hospitalized-after-antisemitic-mob-rampages-through-Uman-613918

  An armed mob stormed through the city of Uman, Ukraine over Shabbat, attacking Jews outside the grave of Rabbi Nachman of Breslav, Yeshiva World News reported.

Saudi military trainees to be expelled from US after Florida shooting

https://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Saudi-military-trainees-to-be-expelled-from-US-after-Florida-shooting-613896

More than a dozen Saudi servicemen who are training at U.S. military bases will be expelled from the United States in the aftermath of a Pentagon review prompted by the deadly Dec. 6 shooting by a Saudi Air Force officer at an American naval base in Florida, CNN reported on Saturday.

The Saudi personnel being expelled are not accused of aiding the Saudi Air Force second lieutenant who killed three American sailors at the Pensacola installation, CNN reported, quoting unnamed sources.