“IT’S MANAGEMENT BEDLAM”: MADNESS AT FOX NEWS AS TRUMP FACES IMPEACHMENT

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/09/madness-at-fox-news-as-trump-faces-impeachment-lachlan-murdoch

In public, Donald Trump’s allies are putting on a brave face, repeating talking points, mostly staying on message. But in private, there are few who believe that the allegations leveled by an intelligence agency whistle-blower that Trump abused American foreign policy to leverage Ukraine into investigating Joe Biden won’t result in considerable damage—if not the complete unraveling of his presidency. “I don’t see how they don’t impeach,” a former West Wing official told me today. “This could unwind very fast, and I mean in days,” a prominent Republican said.

RABBI REFUSES TO WED LIBERMAN'S SON: ENEMY OF THE HAREDI COMMUNITY

https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Rabbi-refuses-to-wed-Libermans-son-Enemy-of-the-Haredi-community-602786

Rabbi Baruch Dov Diskin refused to wed Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman's son Amos, because he didn't want to meet Liberman at the event, according to Mako.

Liberman has said multiple times that he refuses to sit with Haredim in the government and supports a draft law that would require Haredim to draft into the IDF. His son is Haredi and learnt with Diskin and became very close with him in recent years. Nevertheless, the rabbi refused to officiate the wedding since Liberman would be present at the event.

Rabbi: I never refused to officiate Liberman's son's wedding

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/269497

Bnei Brak rabbi writes to Amos Liberman, expressing sorrow on the pain caused to him by 'fake news.' 'I don't even officiate at weddings.'

Joe: Attorney General Barr Took This To A New Level | Morning Joe | MSNBC

An alleged cover-up, a secret server and more bombshells in Trump whistleblower complaint

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/26/biggest-bombshells-in-trump-whistleblower-complaint-cover-up.html

Here are the biggest bombshell claims in the complaint:

• Trump used the power of the presidency to pressure Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky to interfere in the 2020 election by launching an investigation of Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden, who had served on the board of a Ukraine company.

• Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, was a “central figure” in that effort, who reached out to and met with key Zelensky advisers.
• Officials told the whistleblower that Ukrainian leaders were led to believe that a meeting or call between Zelensky and Trump would depend on whether Ukraine’s president “showed willingness to ‘play ball’ on the issues” that Giuliani was raising.

• Attorney General William Barr appeared to be involved in the effort to get Ukraine to cooperate with Trump’s desire for a probe of Biden.
• White House officials were “deeply disturbed” by a July 25 phone call Trump had with Zelensky. There were discussions “with White House lawyers because of the likelihood,” in the minds of officials, “that they had witnessed the President abuse his office for personal gain.”

• Senior White House officials intervened to “lock down” records of the call with Zelensky, which “underscored to me that White House officials understood the gravity of what had transpired in the call.”

• White House lawyers directed White House officials to remove the electronic transcript of the Zelensky call from the computer system where such transcripts normally are stored. That transcript then was loaded into a “separate electronic system” that is otherwise used to store and handle classified information of an especially sensitive nature. “One White House official described this act as an abuse of this electronic system because the call did not contain anything remotely sensitive from a national security perspective.”

Trump's Top Intelligence Official Defends Handling of 'Unprecedented' Whistleblower Complaint

https://time.com/5686687/joseph-maguire-house-intelligence-testimony/

That whistleblower’s complaint, which was declassified overnight, became public just minutes before Maguire’s testimony.

“I have received information…that the President of the United States is using the power of his office to solicit interference from a foreign country in the 2020 U.S. election,” the whistleblower, whose identity is being protected, wrote in the report. He alleged that not only did Trump improperly ask Zelensky to investigate his political rival, but White House officials were engaged in a cover-up in which they removed the transcript of the call into a more secure system only meant for sensitive classified information.

The whistleblower said White House officials “told me that they were ‘directed’ by White House lawyers to remove the electronic transcript from the computer system” in which they are usually stored, and put into a different system for highly classified information. The whistleblower said an official called it “an abuse of this electronic system because the call did not contain anything remotely sensitive from a national security perspective.”

New Haven Rabbi Found Guilty In Abuse Case

https://www.wnpr.org/post/new-haven-rabbi-found-guilty-abuse-case

Prominent New Haven Rabbi Daniel Greer was found guilty Wednesday in the criminal trial that had centered around sexual abuse of a former student.

After a week of testimony the jury found 79-year-old Daniel Greer guilty on four counts of risk of injury to a minor.

According to prosecutors, Greer could potentially now face a maximum sentence of 80 years. He will be sentenced November 20th.

After the verdict was read, Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Maxine Wilensky asked for an increase in bond. Judge Alander, noting that the situation was now dramatically different, increased bond from $100,00 to $750,000.

Dow told reporters outside the courtroom they were disappointed in the verdict.

"We wish the jury had seen things our way," he said. "We felt we put on a compelling case. The credibility of the complainant, we felt, was extremely questionable and a shaky foundation upon which to return a guilty verdict."

Dow said they'll review the trial notes and file an appeal.

Judge Andrew Napolitano: In Ukraine call, Trump apparently personally and directly committed a crime

President Donald Trump Shifts Explanation For Withholding Ukraine Aid | Morning Joe | MSNBC

Trump-Ukraine Call Log Clearly Demonstrates Quid Pro Quo Demand

Santorum's portrayal of Ukraine transcript stuns Cooper

New: Site offers free access to ancient Jewish texts

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/269430

The British Library, the largest national library in the world by number of items cataloged, has for the first time ever put some of its rarest and most ancient religious texts online for the general public to be able to access them from around the world.

The unparalleled online collection titled ‘Discovering Sacred Texts’ includes some which subsequently became the authoritative texts for Jews around the world. They include one of the only copies of the Talmud that somehow escaped the public burnings suffered by most of the other Jewish law books during the Middle Ages and was left unmutilated or uncensored, the first complete printed text of the Mishnah, and the Gaster Bible, one of the earliest surviving Hebrew biblical codices, thought to have been created in Egypt around the 10th century CE.

Some of these over 250 texts, many available to the public for the first time, include Johann Gutenberg’s Bible, probably the most famous Bible in the world and the earliest full-scale work printed in Europe using movable type, the earliest surviving copy of the complete New Testament, Codex Sinaiticus, which dates from the 4th century, and the Ma'il Qur'an, one of the very earliest Qur'ans in the world, dating back to the 8th century.

Discovering Sacred Texts provides access to the richness and diversity of the texts from the world’s great faiths. Designed for Religious Education students, teachers, lifelong learners, and the general public, it features nine faiths: Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Jainism, the Baha’i Faith and Zoroastrianism.

The project has been generously supported by Dangoor Education since its inception and by Allchurches Trust, alongside other funders.

Ethiopian Orthodox Girl Sentenced to Languish in IDF Prison Over Rosh HaShana for Her Faith - for Refusing to Enlist

BS"D

25 Ellul 5779 / Sept. 25 '19

By Binyomin Feinberg, Contributor to The Jewish Press*

feinbergbinyomin@gmail.com

*  The perspectives and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of the ownership or management of The Jewish Press.

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For Giyus Banos updates throughout the week, visit:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dPo1_Y-0u6ry7tLcfF2RbQuEFrIG-BccszjeG9FAdSw/edit?usp=sharing

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As reported, an indisputably religious 19 y/o girl, Ziva bas Mazal M., was sentenced last Thursday to an outrageous THIRTY ONE DAYS IN MILITARY PRISON - for her steadfast refusal to violate Torah Law - and her personal modesty - by enlisting in the IDF.  Ziva M. hails from an Orthodox religious Ethiopian family.  

Apparently, another Ethiopian girl, S. bas Adna,  is similarly imprisoned for her steadfast refusal to enlist in the notoriously promiscuous IDF. However, few details are known heretofore, apparently because certain elements are impeding the requisite flow of information needed to assist her. She is reportedly scheduled for an interview with Avner Lotati, deputy commander of "Maitav" (the IDF draft division) tommorow. Given the track record Mr. Lotati has in denying girls IDF exemptions, this girl is in grave danger. This is what occurs when the appropriate Rabbinical authorities and associated activists are not allowed access to basic information about imprisoned girls.

~~~~

Again, even according to Israeli law, religious girls are to be exempted from military service. With regards to the girl that we do know about, Ziva, there is no question about her religiosity. Additionally, her brothers learn in Hesder Yeshivos, and her parents are similarly religious.

Again, IDF enlistment is forbidden by all Torah authorities, across the spectrum. Thus, Ziva is being persecuted for her dedication to follow the Torah.  

Zivah was arrested because she was - allegedly - late in submitting her religious certification. In dealing with her predicament, she encountered complications with draft authorities earlier this year. It needs to be widely understood that since that enlisting in the military is something a girl is obligated to sacrifice her very life to avoid, the requirement on her to enlist in the military merely for being late in submitting documentation of religiosity is not only draconian, but, in effect, constitutes an anti-religious policy.

Unfortunately, she was not put in contact with the proper advocates, probably because of the natural cultural disconnect between many Orthodox Jews of Ethiopian extraction and the other sectors of the Orthodox community. Consequently, she had to resort to a court appointed attorney, and was hit with this harsh prison sentence. Although, belatedly, demonstrations were held for her, her information didn't get out in time.

The Orthodox community has an obligation to stand up for the disadvantaged, including Ethiopian girls totally unfamiliar with how to deal with secularist Draft Office procedures - and their attempts to advance the antireligious agenda articulated in Feb. 2019 by Col. Keren Levy (now heading the Jerusalem Draft Office) : 

"I will profane (or, more accurately, "violate") The Vineyard, and I will start with your daughter," as reported by Professor Ruth Ester Leemor Hauseband, in regards to her daughter Avigail Leah. (See The Jewish Press, in the Dispatch column of three weeks ago, regarding her daughter's plight.)

Another aspect of this case is the biased reaction of Avner Lotati, deputy commander of Maitav, whom Ziva was advised (improperly) to meet for an interview to determine if he would be able to deny her the religious exemption to which she would normally be entitled. The report of that meeting mentions that her brothers served in fighting units of the IDF, and reportedly that was a reason for denial of her religious exemption. If service of a sibling is so contrary to being religious that it disqualified Ziva, the entire campaign to draft religious boys into the IDF is now called into question... by the IDF itself. Just what is going on here?  The IDF is robbing a religious girl of her rights because she's an easy target. Is it easier to persecute Ethiopian girls due to their natural cultural isolation?  Is this the proverbial antireligious/secularist "Israeli WASP" racism against Jews of color, historically Sefardic Jews, Yemenites, and now Ethiopians? Is it now open season on Ethiopian Jewish girls?

Multiple demonstrations have been held, but much more needs to be done to free her before Rosh Hashanah. Her incarceration on the Day of Judgement would be an unimaginable Heavenly Accusation against those who failed to move Heaven and Earth to ensure no girl suffers IDF military persecution for her faithfulness to Torah.

Please stay tuned for updates. 

RIVLIN GIVES NETANYAHU MANDATE TO FORM GOVERNMENT

https://www.jpost.com/Israel-Elections/Rivlin-meeting-with-Netanyahu-Gantz-602868

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has another chance to form a government after failing to do so following the April election.

President Reuven Rivlin formally gave Netanyahu four weeks to form the government after a meeting at the President's Residence with Blue and White leader Benny Gantz failed to bring about a breakthrough.

Trump pushed Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden, transcript shows

https://edition.cnn.com/2019/09/25/politics/donald-trump-ukraine-transcript/index.html

President Donald Trump repeatedly pushed for Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky to investigate a potential 2020 political rival, Joe Biden, and his son, Hunter, during a July 25 phone call, according to a transcript of the conversation released by the White House.

Trump also asked the Ukrainian leader to work with his personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, and US Attorney General William Barr on the issue, the call transcript reveals.

"There's a lot of talk about Biden's son, that Biden stopped the prosecution and a lot of people want to find out about that so whatever you can do with the Attorney General would be great. Biden went around bragging that he stopped the prosecution so if you can look into it ... It sounds horrible to me," Trump says, according to the document.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff told reporters Wednesday that the President's message to the Ukrainian President was clear, despite some debate over whether there was quid pro quo.

"There is no quid pro quo necessary to betray your country or your oath of office. Even though many read this as a quid pro quo. I'm not concerned whether it is a quid pro quo or not. Ukraine understood what this President wanted," the California Democrat said.