WEEKLY QUOTES
“I strongly condemn the cruel and violent rampage against the residents of Huwara yesterday. This is not our way. It is criminal violence against innocents. It harms the State of Israel; it harms us; it harms settlers. It harms security forces who are busy searching for those responsible for the terror attack, and, most of all; it harms us as a moral society and a lawful country.” – Israeli President Isaac Herzog condemning the settlers who rioted in the West Bank Palestinian village of Huwara after a gunman from Huwara killed two brothers driving on a thoroughfare that runs through the town. (Times of Israel, Feb. 27, 2023)
“Yesterday a terrorist came from Huwara—Huwara is closed and burned. That is what I want to see. Only thus can we obtain deterrence. What residents of Judea and Samaria did last night in Huwara was to create the strongest deterrent that the State of Israel has had since Operation Defensive Shield. After murders like those yesterday, when the army doesn’t take action, villages need to burn.” — MK Zvika Fogel of the Otzma Yehudit Party in a radio interview. (VIN News, Feb. 27, 2023)
“They asked me: ‘Don’t you condemn what happened in Huwara?’ I said to them, ‘Not today. Tomorrow, but not today.” — Likud MK Tali Gottlieb’s focus today was on the Yariv family, whose two sons were murdered by the Palestinian terrorists from Huwara. (VIN News, Feb. 27, 2023)
“Kristallnacht in Huwara.” – posted Ahmad Tibi of the Arab Joint List party with a picture of cars burning in a junkyard during the riots in Huwara. (WIN, Feb. 27, 2023)
“Am I concerned that we are becoming a dictatorship like the Soviet Union or, today, Putin’s Russia? No.’ If the overhaul goes through in the form currently advanced by the coalition, “We will not stop being a democracy. We will have to fight much harder in order to restore the balance between the court and the Knesset. The fact that this reform really takes it from one extreme to the far extreme on the opposite side is bad.” — former Prisoner of Zion and icon of the struggle for Soviet Jewry Natan Sharansky. He opposes specific elements of the legislation — stressing that while the politicians should have the last word on matters of policy, the judiciary must have the final say on human rights issues. (Times of Israel, Feb. 28, 2023)
“To the best of our knowledge, we don’t believe that the supreme leader in Iran has yet made a decision to resume the weaponization program that we judge they suspended or stopped at the end of 2003. But the other two legs of the stool, meaning enrichment programs, have obviously advanced very far. They’ve advanced very far to the point where it would only be a matter of weeks before they could enrich to 90 percent, if they chose to cross that line, and also in terms of their missile systems, their ability to deliver a nuclear weapon once they’ve developed it has also been advancing as well.” — Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director William Burns on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” (WIN, Feb. 27, 2023)
“We do know, as has been made public, that President Xi has instructed the PLA, the Chinese military leadership, to be ready by 2027 to invade Taiwan, but that doesn’t mean that he’s decided to invade in 2027 or any other year as well. I think our judgment at least is that President Xi and his military leadership have doubts today about whether they could accomplish that invasion.” — Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director William Burns on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” (VIN News, Feb. 26, 2023)
“It is the most radical act President Biden has undertaken that almost no one is talking about. He issued an executive order last week to basically create a five-year plan for the implementation of diversity, equity and inclusion across a huge swath of government agencies. . .Biden is rushing to make the federal government a frank instrument of a racialized radicalism. . . “Embedding Equity Into Government Processes”. . .is to advance an ambitious, whole-of-government approach to racial equality and support for underserved communities”. . . to be treated “equitably” [are] Black, Latino, Indigenous and Native American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander persons and other persons of color”. [It will be led by the President’s assistant for domestic policy, former Obama official Susan Rice.] — Rich Lowry. (NY Post, Feb.20, 2023)
“A palace coup in Moscow [spurred by military failure], once seen as a theoretical path towards ending the war, now could bring about the opposite. Indeed, a Putin ouster this year could result in an even more ruthless, militaristic leader—perhaps someone willing to drag Russia into a full-blown war with NATO or even unleash the country’s nuclear stockpile. [Criticism] has put the Russian president in a fragile, perhaps vulnerable position. From the standpoint of sheer political survival, cutting his losses in Ukraine simply isn’t an option.” — Ben Wolfgang. (Washington Times, Feb. 21, 2023)
“It’s hard to overstate the stakes in this case. If a President can get away with this powerplay, it’s hard to see what limit there would be left on executive rule. Find a statute that offers power in an ‘emergency’, declare such an emergency, and then do whatever you want or spend whatever you want. . . . The Justices have another chance to make clear to Mr. Biden in forceful terms, that he isn‘t King John before the Magna Carta, and that the courts won’t tolerate his continuing disdain for the constitutional limits on his power.” – Editorial on whether President Biden can steal Congress’s power of the purse and act like a King when it considers whether President Biden can unilaterally write off $4 billion in student loans. (WSJ, Feb. 24, 2023)
SHORT TAKES
ISRAELI-AMERICAN CITIZEN KILLED IN WEST BANK TERROR ATTACK AS SECURITY SITUATION UNRAVELS (Jerusalem) — The security situation across Israel and the West Bank continued to deteriorate as American officials announced the death of Elan Ganeles an American-Israeli dual citizen in a terrorist attack in Jericho, the latest in a slew of such attacks that have sparked reprisal violence and prompted Israel to deploy hundreds of additional troops to the West Bank. Israeli police apprehended two suspects in a joint operation with Shin Bet and border police. (Algemeiner, Feb. 27, 2023; Jerusalem Post, Mar..1, 2023)
DEATH PENALTY FOR TERRORISTS BILL TO REACH KNESSET FLOOR ON WEDNESDAY (Jerusalem) — According to the bill proposed by Otzma MK Limor Son Har-Melech, someone who “intentionally or out of indifference causes the death of an Israeli citizen when the act is carried out from a racist motive or hate to a certain public… and with the purpose of harming the State of Israel and the rebirth of the Jewish people in its homeland” faces a death sentence, and this sentence alone. In addition, the bill requires that the defense minister direct the IDF, which is the sovereign in the West Bank, that if the crime is committed in that area, the same punishment will apply in military courts even if the ruling is not unanimous, and that in those courts, punishment may not be lightened after it is finalized. (Jerusalem Post, Feb. 28, 2023)
BIPARTISAN CONGRESSIONAL LETTER CALLS FOR UN TO DISBAND COMMISSION OF INQUIRY, FIRE PALESTINE RAPPORTEUR (Washington) — A bipartisan group of 18 Congressional lawmakers published a letter calling to disband the UN’s Commission of Inquiry into Israel and fire the UN’s special rapporteur for Palestine, Francesca Albanese. Led by Reps. Brad Schneider (D-IL) and Ann Wagner (R-MO) and addressed to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk, the letter cites comments Albanese has made in the past month, including calling Israel a “colonial” “apartheid regime” in explaining her refusal to condemn a Palestinian terrorist attack in which seven Israelis were murdered outside a Jerusalem synagogue. (Algemeiner, Feb. 27, 2023)
CHUCK SCHUMER AND MITCH MCCONNELL VISIT ISRAEL AND MEET WITH NETANYAHU AMID LOOMING CRISES (Jerusalem) – Chuck Schumer, the Jewish Democrat and Senate majority leader and Republican minority leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky — led delegations of their parties’ senators to Israel. A few other delegations of current and former U.S. lawmakers also descended on Israel this week. Neither Schumer nor McConnell spoke out about the court reform, and they did not respond to requests for comment on it. (JTA, Feb. 24, 2023)
MISS UNIVERSE FORMER CONTESTANTS FROM IRAQ, ISRAEL OPEN UP ABOUT THEIR FRIENDSHIP DESPITE FACING BACKLASH, DEATH THREATS AFTER TAKING SELFIE (Baghdad) — Two former beauty queens from Iraq and Israel spoke recently on a podcast about how their friendship blossomed and shed new light on the scandal surrounding a selfie they took on the sidelines of the 2017 Miss Universe pageant. Sarah Idan, who competed in the 2017 Miss Universe pageant representing Iraq, and Adar Gandelsman, who represented Israel, both posted the photo on their respective Instagram pages. Shortly after, Idan and her family received death threats for taking the picture, including from Hamas, and her family was forced to leave their home country. (Algemeiner, Feb. 27, 2023)
PUTIN PAYING PALESTINIANS IN LEBANON REFUGEE CAMPS TO FIGHT IN UKRAINE – REPORT (Damascus) — Palestinians residing in Lebanon have signed up to join the ongoing conflict in Ukraine on behalf of Russia, having been offered a sum of 350 dollars by Russian entities. The recruitment effort is being carried out by activists affiliated with the Palestinian embassy in Lebanon. (Jerusalem Post, Feb. 28, 2023)
PLANNED ‘DAY OF HATE’ AGAINST JEWS PASSES BY WITH PACKED SYNAGOGUES AND NO VIOLENCE (Washington) — A “National Day of Hate” against Jews planned by white supremacists that triggered sweeping warnings from law enforcement and Jewish security officials came and went without significant incident on Saturday. Synagogues and Jewish institutions across the United States had spent the preceding days shoring up their security procedures, reassuring their congregants and requesting extra patrols from local police. (JTA, Feb. 26, 2023)
THE NY TIMES TREATS CHASSIDIM THE SAME AS TRUMP (NY) — The New York Times has published its 18th hit piece against Chassidim. The newspaper repeatedly creates nasty allegations about the Jewish community which are a pure hoax…the very same playbook they use against President Trump. The most recent article viciously twisted the facts and manufactured a scintillating, misleading headline, to give the bogus appearance of crime and corruption, yet when you look at the facts, they absolve the Chassidic community of any wrongdoing. (VIN News, Feb. 27, 2023)
AFTER OUTCRY, BULGARIA BARS NEO-NAZIS FROM MARCHING IN TRIBUTE TO NAZI COLLABORATIONIST LEADER (Sofia) — At the last minute, Nazi sympathizers from around Europe were blocked from marching in the streets of Sofia, Bulgaria’s capital, on Saturday, to honor Hristo Lukov, the World War II-era leader of a Nazi collaborationist group. The Lukov March had been held by the far-right Bulgarian National Union-New Democracy Party almost every year since 2003 and has become a rallying point for far-right movements from around the continent. (JTA, Feb. 27, 2023)
FRANKFURT CANCELS ROGER WATERS CONCERT, CALLING HIM ‘ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST WELL KNOWN ANTISEMITES’ (Frankfurt) — Roger Waters, the Pink Floyd bassist who is a leading proponent of the movement to boycott Israel, has been blocked from performing in Frankfurt after the city called him “one of the world’s most well known antisemites.” Waters had been scheduled to perform May 28 at Frankfurt’s Festhalle, which during the Holocaust was the site of the deportation of 3,000 Jews to their deaths just after Kristallnacht. The city of Frankfurt noted the historical significance of the concert hall, which it partly owns, in announcing that it was canceling Waters’ planned concert. It cited Waters’ longstanding anti-Israel activism. (VIN News, Feb. 27, 2023)
JEWISH SOCIAL WORK STUDENTS IN CANADA FACING HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT, NEW STUDY SAYS (Ottawa) — Antisemitism in Canadian social work programs fosters a hostile environment for Jewish students and undermines the goals of the field, according to a preliminary qualitative study issued by the Canadian Antisemitism Education Foundation (CAEF). Nine Jewish students from across Canada were interviewed during the study, with each reporting various forms of antisemitism, including anti-Zionism, social rejection based on their Jewish identity, and denial of the significance of antisemitism as a form of bigotry. (Algemeiner, Feb. 27, 2023)
LIBS OF TIKTOK TO PUBLISH CHILDREN’S BOOK WARNING KIDS ABOUT DANGEROUS TEACHERS (NY) — Chaya Raichik, aka Libs of Tik Tok, a conservative Twitter account that has 1.9 million followers, is publishing a children’s book designed to raise awareness about the dangers of predator teachers. The story is about a fictional second grader named Rose the Lamb who must choose between trusting her teacher and trusting her parents. (VIN News, Feb. 27, 2023)
TIKTOK BANNED ON ALL CANADIAN GOVERNMENT MOBILE DEVICES (Ottawa) — Canada announced it is banning Tik Tok from all government-issued mobile devices, reflecting widening worries from Western officials over the Chinese-owned video sharing app. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said it might be a first step to further action. (VIN News, Feb. 27, 2023)
OTTAWA ‘VERY CONCERNED’ ABOUT LEAK OF CSIS DOCUMENTS ON ELECTION INTERFERENCE: TRUDEAU (Ottawa) — The federal government is “very concerned” that Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) documents were leaked to the press detailing Beijing’s election interference objectives in Canada’s 2021 federal election, says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Trudeau was asked at a press conference in Halifax on Feb. 23 why he believes top-secret CSIS documents were being leaked to the press and whether or not his government is worried about it. (Epoch Times, Feb. 23, 2023)
AIR FORCE RELIEVES 2 COMMANDERS, 4 LEADERS AT NORTH DAKOTA NUCLEAR BOMBER, MISSILE BASE (North Dakota)–The U.S. Air Force did not say why it had lost confidence in the commanders and leaders, but informants indicated they were officers who had released unauthorized confidential information on Republican servicemen at the base to a Democratic-linked researcher. [As we go to press, there are indications that the issue involved leaking private information on officers who were Republican Congressional candidates—Ed.]. (Fox News, Feb. 27, 2023)
WHITE HOUSE GIVES MOSCOW HEADS-UP ABOUT BIDEN’S UKRAINE VISIT (Washington) — The White House has confirmed that it gave Russia advance notice about President Biden’s surprise trip to Ukraine. ”We did so some hours before his departure for deconfliction purposes.” [This fact lends credence to rumours that the sirens which sounded when Biden met Ukrainian President Zelensky outside the government office were part of a stage-managed event—observers noted that no secret-service agents rushed to surround the President when the sirens went off—Ed.] (NY Post, Feb. 20, 2023)
FBI UNDERMINED FREEDOM OF RELIGION AND SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE (Washington) — The Bishop of Richmond, Va., denounced the FBI for identifying Catholics attending traditional Latin mass as potential threats to the nation’s tranquility. “Bishop Barry Knestout said the FBI memo “should be troubling and offensive to all communities of faith, as well as all Americans. . .a preference for traditional forms of worship and holding closely to the Church’s teachings on marriage, family, human sexuality, and the dignity of the human person does not equate with extremism.” (Washington Times, Feb. 21, 2023)
FOR FURTHER REFERENCE