MEDIA-OCRITY OF THE WEEK
Liberal Foot-Dragging on F35s Has Cost Us Dearly: Peter MacKay, National Post, Apr. 7, 2022“[Canada will] never buy the F-35, because it doesn’t work, will never work, is too expensive, and is not what the RCAF wants”—newly-elected Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in 2015, canceling Canada’s contract for badly-needed replacement jet fighters from Lockheed Martin Aircraft.
WEEKLY QUOTES
“Do you absolutely need to repeat every lie from Moscow, Mikhail?” — Political director of the French Foreign Ministry Philippe Errera, to Mikhail Ulyanov, the Russian envoy to the Vienna talks on reviving the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran. (Algemeiner, Apr. 8, 2022)
“Reuters has a long history of anti-Israel activism. … [Still, here], at least Reuters, unlike our Secretary of State Antony Blinken — who has no problem decrying so-called “settler violence” — can identify the nationality of the attackers. Which seems noteworthy considering that the families of both dead terrorists are likely to be paid bounties by the Palestinian National Authority, which is, in turn, generously funded by U.S. taxpayers.” – Columnist David Harsanyi commenting on the biased way Reuters handled the latest terrorist attacks in Israel. (National Review, Apr. 8, 2022)
“Where is the security that the Security Council needs to guarantee? Are you ready to close the U.N.? Do you think that the time of international law is gone? If your answer is no, then you need to act immediately.” — Ukrainian President Vlodymyr Zelensky addressing the Security Council on Zoom and querying whether Russia deserved to keep its seat there. (NY Times, Apr. 6, 2022)
“Russia’s bloody invasion of Ukraine has sparked an Olympic sprint of sorts as politicians run away from their abysmal records regarding Vladimir Putin. Few are running faster than former President Barack Obama, who this week tried to rewrite the history of his own Russia policies. [He spoke at an event about “disinformation” in politics.] … All of this is relevant now because the Biden Administration is loaded with men and women who worked for Mr. Obama and shared his misjudgments about Russia. The conceit in many quarters on the left is that Mr. Putin has changed, or is deranged, such that his Ukraine invasion couldn’t have been foreseen. But Mr. Obama’s weakness toward Russia, reinforced by former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, is one reason Mr. Putin felt he could act with increasing aggressiveness and get away with it. No one should believe Mr. Obama’s varnished Russia history.” — Editorial board. (WSJ, Apr. 8, 2022)
“We have significant losses of troops. It’s a huge tragedy for us.”— Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, lamenting the rising Russian death toll. (National Post, Apr. 8, 2022)
“[Earlier] deterrence failed. . .because of Germany’s inability to do without Russian gas. With the help of former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and German industry, Mr. Putin knew what he was doing … [But] failing to make quick work of Ukraine, be defeated not only his own strategy but [former Chancellor] Angela Merkel’s [Russia policy]” – Political columnist Holman W. Jenkins, Jr. (WSJ, Apr. 5, 2022)
“Buying Russian oil and gas is financing war crimes. Dear E.U. friends, pull the plug. Don’t be an accomplice.” — Gabrielius Landsberger, Lithuanian foreign minister. Lithuania has stopped all imports from Russia in solidarity with Ukraine – Ed. ( NY Times, Apr. 6, 2022)
“. . .there has been no progress on sending the only weapons system left in Canada’s inventory that might make a difference on the ground in Ukraine. It is typical of Canada’s lackluster response to President Volodymyr Zelensky’s appeals for weapons to defend his embattled homeland. … ‘They are dragging their feet in the hope that the war is going to be over, and Canada will be deemed to have done enough,’ [said Conservative MP James Bezan, who has raised the issue of sending Harpoon naval missiles with Defense Minister Anand.]” – columnist John Ivison. (National Post, Apr. 5, 2022)
“Three U.S. officials tell NBC News that U.S. claims based on “intelligence” on Russia were made up simply to “pre-empt the Russians.” One U.S. official: “It doesn’t have to be solid intelligence when we talk about it.” But it’s also important to point out that making claims about the Russians based on shaky intel doesn’t pre-empt the Russians at all. It misleads the public. It’s not like the Russians were waiting to see what we knew before choosing a course of action. And beyond that, when we’re wrong – as the intel officials appear to admit we were or could well have been – the Russians just think we’re idiots for blasting out public announcements that are incorrect and calling them “intelligence.” … In 2022, the Biden administration is … trumpeting in advance its claimed intelligence knowledge of Russian intentions – for “info ops” impact. This comes with dubious effect on Russia, and what will in the end be utterly predictable impact on public opinion. Our ears instinctively know the tinny sound of falsehood.” – former naval intelligence officer and political analyst J.E. Dyer. (The Optimistic Conservative, Apr. 10, 2022)
SHORT TAKES
TERROR VICTIMS CAN NOW SUE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY FOR SUBSIDIZING MURDER (Jerusalem) — Israel’s High Court of Justice ruled that the Palestinian Authority can be held liable for terrorism, because the terror stipends it pays out condone the violence. The High Court was hearing an appeal brought by four families who lost relatives to separate Palestinian terror attacks during the Second Intifada. Following High Court ruling, the case returns to the district court to determine the compensation the PA owes them. (United With Israel, Apr. 11, 2022)
TERRORIST SHOT DEAD WHILE ATTACKING COP (Ashkelon) — The police stated that in the early morning, a police officer searching for Arabs in Israel illegally without permits noticed a man who raised his suspicion and began conducting a security check, during which the terrorist pulled out a knife with which he attacked the officer, who responded quickly, fired and neutralized the suspect. The officer was evacuated in a light condition to Barzilai Hospital. An initial investigation revealed that the terrorist was a resident of Hebron in his 40s. (Jewish Press, Apr. 12, 2022)
GUNMAN WHO CARRIED OUT TEL AVIV ATTACK CLAIMED AS ‘SENIOR MEMBER’ OF FATAH-AFFILIATED TERROR ORGANIZATION(Ramallah) — Just hours after Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas condemned Thursday night’s terrorist attack in Tel Aviv that killed three Israelis and wounded seven more, a senior official from his own Fatah faction claimed that the gunman, 29-year-old Ra’ed Hazem, was a member of the Fatah-affiliated Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade (AMB) terror organization. Atta Abu Rumailah — the secretary-general of Fatah in Jenin — described the slain terrorist as a “senior member” of the AMB, which has engaged in hundreds of deadly attacks against Israelis. (Algemeiner, Apr. 8, 2022)
NOA TISHBY NAMED ISRAEL’S FIRST-EVER SPECIAL ENVOY FOR COMBATING ANTISEMITISM (Jerusalem) — Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Yair Lapid has appointed Israel’s first Special Envoy for Combating Anti-Semitism and the Delegitimization of Israel, naming Israeli American artist and author Noa Tishby to the position. She is charged with raising awareness of delegitimization efforts against Israel, advocating against hate towards Jews and spearheading initiatives worldwide. The ministry described her as “a leading voice in the United States and abroad” in fighting antisemitism and anti-Israel delegitimization efforts. (Jewish Press, Apr. 12, 2022)
TECH SECTOR LEADS ISRAELI EXPORTS, PROJECTED TO REACH RECORD HIGH OF $140B IN 2021 (Jerusalem) — Israeli exports are expected to reach record highs of between $135 billion and $140 billion in 2021, up 18.5% from last year, The Ministry of Economy and Industry said the data was gleaned from the first three quarters of 2021, according to a new report. In 2020, Israeli exports reached $114 billion, preceded by $117 billion in 2019, according to ministry data. (Times of Israel, Apr. 12, 2022)
ISRAELI WEAPONS EXPORTS HIT ALL-TIME HIGH IN 2021 (Jerusalem) — Israeli arms exports reached $11.3 billion in 2021, an all-time high, according to figures released by the Defense Ministry. Officials in the ministry’s International Defense Cooperation Directorate (SIBAT) attributed the banner year to increased interest in Israeli military technology, and larger orders. (United With Israel, Apr. 12, 2022)
ISRAELI EXPERIMENTS IN SPACE WILL LEAD TO MAJOR BREAKTHROUGHS (Florida) — A Space X Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to lift off on Friday: 11: 17 AM EST from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, carrying Eytan Stibbe, Israel’s second astronaut to the stars. Stibbe, a former Israeli Air Force pilot,will spend 10 days aboard the International Space Station 400 km above Earth. He’ll be spearheading Israel’s Rakia mission, led by Science and Technology Ministry and the Ramon Foundation. That means Stibbe will have a busy schedule conducting 35 experiments, which were selected “based on their potential and their possible economic impact,” and that are “expected to lead to technological, scientific and medical breakthroughs.” (United With Israel, Apr. 5, 2022)
ATTACKING US ‘AVARICE,’ IRANIAN SUPREME LEADER CLAIMS VIENNA TALKS ON REVIVED NUCLEAR DEAL ARE ‘GOING WELL’ (Tehran) — Iran has successfully “resisted” the “excessive demands” made by US negotiators at talks in Vienna on reviving the 2015 nuclear deal, the Tehran regime’s supreme leader stated. Khamenei said that the talks were “going well,” appearing to position this comment as praise for the tough stance of Iranian negotiators rather than confidence that an agreement will be reached. Khamenei also suggested that the US was deeply concerned that the talks would fail. (Algemeiner,Apr. 12, 2022)
JEWISH GROUPS PRESSURE ARIZONA STATE TO BLOCK ‘BLATANT ANTI-SEMITIC SPEAKER’ (Phoenix) — Jewish groups both on and off-campus are asking Arizona State University to intervene after a known anti-Semite and anti-Israel speaker was given nearly $10,000 to speak next week at the university. The planned speech by Mohammed El-Kurd, author of the book Rifqa, is being sponsored by Students for Justice in Palestine and the Palestinian Cultural Coalition, and funded by the Undergraduate Student Government-Tempe. According to the Anti-Defamation League, in his book, El-Kurd wrote that “they [Israelis] harvest organs of the martyred [Palestinians], feed their warriors our own.” (JNS, Apr. 7, 2022)
AEN CALLS ON PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT TO REJECT BOYCOTT VOTE (NJ) — The Academic Engagement Network (AEN), an independent organization that aims to combat anti-Israel bias and promote free speech at US universities, called on the president of Princeton University, Christopher Eisgruber, to reject a boycott referendum that students are set to vote on this week. Several notable people serving on AEN’s Advisory Board include Deborah Lipstadt, Stephen Joel Trachtenberg, Irwin Cotler, Donna Shalala, Steven Pinker and Lawrence Summers. The referendum pushed by the university’s student government urges the school to stop using Caterpillar machinery for construction because of their use in the demolition of Palestinian homes in the West Bank. (Jerusalem Post, Apr. 11, 2022)
HOLOCAUST DENIAL — AND DOWNPLAYING THE NAZIS’ MURDER OF JEWS — TO BE OUTLAWED IN CANADA (Ottawa) — The federal government is set to make it a criminal offence to make a statement denying the Holocaust took place or condoning or downplaying the killing of Jews by the Nazi regime, except in a private conversation. Ministers plan to use a bill enacting the budget to swiftly change the Criminal Code. The move to outlaw Holocaust denial comes as MPs and anti-hate groups warn about the rise of white-supremacism and antisemitism in Canada. (CTV News, Apr. 9, 2022)
CTV NEWS TORONTO GIVES PLATFORM TO HOLOCAUST DISTORTION (Toronto) — According to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), Holocaust distortion occurs when individuals engage in “trivializing or honoring the historical legacies of people or organizations complicit in the crimes of the Holocaust.” Alarmingly, on March 30, CTV NewsToronto broadcasted a report by journalist Sean Leathong about a former Ukrainian soldier, now a 97-year-old living in Canada, who says he saw the echoes of the battle he fought in WWII, as he watched the news of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Watch the report in full here. (Honest Reporting Canada, Apr. 5, 2022)
QUEBEC TABLES BILL ON ACADEMIC FREEDOM, SAYS NO WORDS OFF LIMITS IN CLASSROOMS (Quebec City) — A new bill tabled in Quebec would allow “any word” to be uttered in university classrooms as long as it’s used in an academic context, the province’s higher education minister said. Bill 32 is great news for Quebec students, including racialized students, because it preserves a high-quality learning environment in the province’s universities, education minister Danielle McCann said. (Global News, Apr. 6, 2022)
GERMANY SAYS RUSSIAN RADIO MESSAGES DISCUSSED BUCHA KILLINGS (Berlin) — German magazine Der Spiegel, which first reported on the intercepted communication, said the country’s foreign intelligence service, the BND, obtained conversations among Russian soldiers about the shooting of civilians. In two separate communications, Russian troops talk about questioning Ukrainian soldiers and civilians and then shooting them, according to The Washington Post,citing an intelligence official familiar with the findings. Some of the intercepted intelligence seems to match the locations of bodies found along the main road through Bucha, northwest of Kyiv. (Al Jazeera, Apr. 7, 2022)
CZECH REPUBLIC SENDS TANKS, INFANTRY FIGHTING VEHICLES TO UKRAINE (Prague) — The Czech Republic has sent T-72 tanks and BVP-1 infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine. This is the first time a foreign country has provided heavy weaponry (Ukraine has captured 176 Russian Army tanks in battle.) [Slovakia has sent a SAM300 anti-aircraft missile system, and Great Britain has pledged several hundred armored personnel carriers, and anti-ship naval missiles—Editor] (Reuters, Apr. 5, 2022)
TALIBAN CRACK DOWN ON SOCIAL FREEDOMS WITH EVEN STRICTER POLICING (Kabul) — The Taliban introduced draconian social restrictions, which in particular curb the freedoms of women, even as the group seeks international recognition after toppling the Western-backed republic in August. Most notably, they decided to uphold a ban on secondary and schools for girls. They also banned live music at weddings and barred international media outlets such as the British Broadcasting Corp. and Voice of America from broadcasting in local languages. (WSJ, Apr. 5, 2022)
FOR FURTHER REFERENCE
WATCH: Israel Opened its ‘Shining Star’ Field Hospital in Western Ukraine this Week, and has Begun Treating Thousands of Patients. AIPAC, Twitter, Mar. 25, 2022Ayman Odeh Ramadan 2022 Address: YouTube, Apr. 13, 2022-– Head of Joint List Ayman Odeh’s Ramadan Address outside the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem
Suppressing pro-Israel Views at the University of Chicago: Richard L. Cravatts, JNS, Apr. 6, 2022 –– The suppression of pro-Israel views on campus has been a troubling development in the ongoing cognitive war against Israel.
