U.S. intelligence oversight took a turn for the worse Wednesday with the news that House Speaker Mike Johnson fired Ohio Rep. Mike Turner as chair of the House Intelligence Committee. Worse, the Speaker seems to have done it at the request of President Trump or his inner circle.
Friday, January 17, 2025
Thursday, January 16, 2025
Netanyahu Postpones Gaza Ceasefire Deal Over Hamas 'Last Minute Crisis'
https://www.newsweek.com/netanyahu-postpones-gaza-ceasefire-deal-hamas-crisis-2015854
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office announced Thursday that his Cabinet will not convene to approve the Gaza ceasefire agreement due to what it described as a "last-minute crisis" caused by Hamas.
The statement accused Hamas of reneging on parts of the agreement in a bid "to extort last-minute concessions."
Biden and Trump Battle Over Credit for Middle East Deal
https://www.thedailybeast.com/biden-anger-after-trump-snatches-credit-for-middle-east-deal/
Without mentioning Biden, Trump praised his “national security team” for getting the deal over the line.
“We have a deal for the hostages in the Middle East. They will be released shortly. Thank you!” wrote Trump on Truth Social.
David Friedman, U.S. Ambassador to Israel under Trump’s first administration, offered his “enduring thanks” on Fox News to his “old friend President Trump for getting this done.”
How Trump Scared Netanyahu Into Accepting a Cease-fire Deal With Hamas
Cynical, unwilling, fearful: Benjamin Netanyahu, who rejected this same hostage deal when the Biden administration proposed it months ago, has now been bulldozed into wide-ranging concessions. For the hostages, and for Israel, this is the only morally correct end to an unbearable saga
Hamas leader touts ceasefire as a defeat for Israel while hailing Oct. 7 atrocities
Khalil al-Hayya praises deadliest massacre of Jews since Holocaust as ‘a source of pride for our people’; Islamic Jihad calls deal ‘an honorable agreement to stop the aggression’
Israel's Far Right Now Realizes Trump Isn't the Savior They Imagined
President-elect Donald Trump's decision to push hard towards a Gaza cease-fire/hostage deal has triggered turmoil in Israel's far-right Religious Zionism party, with its leader Betzalel Smotrich stuck between his party's extremism, Netanyahu's tyranny and Trump's transactionalism
Why is Trump pushing Israel toward a bad deal?
https://www.israelhayom.com/2025/01/15/why-is-trump-pushing-israel-toward-a-bad-deal/
This scenario is comparable to the United States allowing Guantanamo detainees to disperse along its borders with Canada and Mexico a year after 9/11, or permitting them to join Taliban forces against US troops in Afghanistan – a notion that defies strategic logic.
Choice is between "bad and very bad," Israeli foreign minister says of ceasefire deal
https://edition.cnn.com/world/live-news/israel-hamas-gaza-ceasefire-hostages-01-15-24/index.html
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar has characterized the ceasefire-for-hostages deal as a painful choice “between bad and very bad” – without saying explicitly whether he will vote for it or not.
“I’ll speak honestly – this is a difficult decision when it involves releasing so many terrorists, including those who have murdered Jews,” Sa’ar said during a speech at a synagogue in Rome on Wednesday.
Wednesday, January 15, 2025
Swords_of_Iron Live Updates | US official: 'Israel and Hamas have reached a deal'
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/402333
The hostage deal between Israel and Hamas is expected to be signed as early as Wednesday night and the first hostages my be released on Sunday
The Hostage Deal Is the Price of Israel’s Failures
The sacrifices of this proposed agreement are the cost of Israel’s weakness on October 7, Michael Oren writes.
In first, researchers find where Jerusalemites prayed before Temple became only game in town
Researchers believe an ancient multi-room structure uncovered near Jerusalem’s Old City was likely used for ritual and worship nearly 3,000 years ago, the Israel Antiquities Authority said Tuesday, marking the first such find of a religious site practically down the street from the biblical First Temple while it still stood.
The 220-square-meter (2,370-square-foot) structure, dating from the 8th century BCE, “features eight rock-hewn rooms containing an altar, a standing stone, an oil press, and a winepress,” the IAA said in a statement about the well-preserved site, which was seemingly boarded up during an ancient crackdown on worship outside the Temple Mount. Standing stones are upright stones placed in the ground associated with religious ceremonies.
Puerto Rico asks Trump for help after Venezuela’s Maduro threatens invasion
Puerto Rico’s new Republican governor is drawing attention to Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro’s military threats against the U.S. island in the wake of President-elect Trump’s calls for U.S. territorial expansion
Sick consulting Diviners?
Teshuvos Maharshal (#3) Question Is it permitted for a sick person to consult with witches through non Jews? Answer This has already been answered by the Terumas HaDeshen who wrote that asking witches and diviners is not explicitly prohibited. The Torah only prohibited Ov or Yedoni since that is very severe but it doesn’t apply to other type of witches or diviners even as a chumra as can be seen from the gemorah in Yevamos concerning the death penalty for a witch and it doesn’t learn the halacha from Ov and Yedoni. It would seem that the prohibition is solely because of Tamim Teheyu as the Rambam writes. He claims that it appears from his words that there is no actual prohibition. With all due respects I think he misread the Rambam who says elsewhere that it is prohibited to ask a diviner and he receives makos mardus while the diviner who did an act of divination receives regular makkos. Obviously he holds that both violated a prohibited act. The asker since he didn’t do an act receives Makkos mardus. We learn this from Shaul’s asking the diviner and the gemora says it was a violation of Tamim teheyu. But that is only to believe completely in them and they are called fools. Even so the Ranbam states that only if they follow the advice of the diviner do they receive makkos. I have found that the Ramban claims that only Ov and Yedoni are prohibited to be asked by the Torah and not other types of diviners. He says asking other types of diviners is prohibited by Tamim teheyu as was the case of Shaul. It would seem that any sick person is not prohibited to consult a diviner according to the Rambam.. The verse of Tamim teheyu is to simply have faith in G-d and have trust in Him engraved in the heart, therefore a sick person need not be strict in the prohibition. However since the basic prohibition is because divination of all types is nonsense and stupidity and lacks a real basis,it should not be permitted at all to consult a diviner because of Tamim teheyu. So if the sick person is in danger it should be permitted even according to the Rambam since the diviner sometimes says things that are true. We say even a doubtful lifesaving permits transgressing Shabbos which would result in capital punishment so surely our case is permitted. However if he is not in danger it is not permitted even if he might lose a limb. Nevertheless there are times to permit it even when there is no danger to life but only to a limb. This is in cases where it is known that the sickness was caused by witchcraft or evil spirit it would be permitted to consult a diviner according to the Rambam. In these matters, most witches or diviners are knowledgeable and can provide genuine help possibly even according to the Rambam. And it is possible to say that the Torah did not prohibit diviners in that case where their only purpose is to drive away the evil spirit. The Torah seems to have only prohibited asking them or to pursue them and to believe in them but the gemora permits nullifying witchcraft with witchcraft and surely through a goy. But all this does not apply to a normal sick person who is not in danger. In fact there is no leniency for him at all.
4 women in intensive care with flu complications: 'Didn't vaccinate because of fake news'
https://www.ynetnews.com/health_science/article/rkmgrnnw1x
The women, ages 22-50, are sedated and ventilated in intensive care; Only one of the four has been vaccinated against the flu; 'The flu vaccine is not 100% effective, but it will still prevent serious illness or prevent illness at all, so it is highly recommended to get vaccinated'
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