As Covid Surges in Florida, DeSantis Refuses to Change Course: Patricia Mazzei, NY Times, Aug. 8, 2021“ ‘We know this is something you’re going to have to live with”, Mr. DeSantis said [prompting] a testy back and forth…with Mr. Biden. The governor accused the president of ‘helping facilitate’ the virus spread by not securing the U.S. border with Mexico. ‘Until you do that, I don’t want to hear a blip about Covid from you’, Mr. De- Santis said. Asked about Mr. DeSantis again, Mr. Biden quipped, ‘Governor who?’ “
Tucker Carlson Has a New Hero: Jamelle Bouie, NY Times, Aug. 6, 2021
Jamelle Bouie, critiquing Tucker Carlson by citing George Orwell on “transferred nationalism”, intellectuals hating their own country, but embracing a foreign one [ironically, she seems to describe “progressive” radicals—Ed.] “But at this moment in American life, it’s conservatives who have set their sights abroad. Parts of the movement have even adopted a kind of anti-Americanism, a contempt for the United States as it exists. These conservatives still call themselves “patriots”—and disdain their opponents as “traitors’—but theirs is an abstract loyalty to an idealized country. ‘When they contemplate the actual United States [citing Zack Beauchamp in Vox] they are filled with scorn’. “
“Bennett knows that if the government goes to a military confrontation – the coalition will fall because both Meretz and Ra’am would not agree to such a thing. The presence of Meretz and Ra’am in the coalition limits the harshness of any military decision.” – Arab MK Ghaida Rinawie Zoabi (Meretz) from Galilee, on the Arab-language channel of Israel’s Kan 11 public broadcasting system: (Jewish Press, Aug. 8, 2021)
“On last week’s show, I asked King Abdullah about the concept that there would be no stand-alone Palestine state in the future ,,, but instead his nation, Jordan, would become the de-facto Palestine state. I said the idea had been recently mentioned by long time Israeli diplomat, Dore Gold. I was wrong. Many have talked about that concept, but not ambassador Gold. I apologize for that error.” — CNN anchor Fareed Zakaria apologized on air to former Israeli diplomat Dore Gold after falsely saying Gold advocated for Jordan to become a Palestinian state. (United With Israel, Aug. 3, 2021)
“We call upon the Lebanese [Armed Forces], which is responsible with the international forces for the security of the south, to take control of the entire lands of the south, to strictly implement [U.N. Security Council] Resolution 1701, and to prevent the launching of missiles from Lebanese territory, not for the sake of Israel’s safety, but rather for the safety of Lebanon. It is true that Lebanon has not signed peace with Israel, but it is also true that Lebanon has not decided war with it and is officially committed to the 1949 truce. We do not want to involve Lebanon in military operations that provoke devastating Israeli reactions.” — Lebanon’s Maronite Christian Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rahi . (Jewish Press, Aug. 10, 2021)
“Some of the villagers could be heard saying: “Hezbollah is firing rockets from between homes so that Israel hits us back.’ The Lebanese army …. arrested four people who were involved in the rocket-firing and confiscated the rocket launcher.” – journalists Zeina Karam and Laurie Kellman. (Globe & Mail, Aug. 7, 2021)
“The country’s going back to the 1990s. We’re in another civil war now”—Noor Agha, 26, who fled to Kabul from Kanduz, as more provincial capitols fell to the steadily advancing Taliban. (NY Times, Aug. 9, 2021)
‘The most painful moment is yet to come. It could be Kabul falling, maybe it is that Saigon moment of a helicopter going with people trying to escape, maybe it is executions…the most painful thing would be a terrorist attack on the U.S.’ ” – journalists Stephanie Findlay and Fazelminallah citing Carter Malkassian, author of ‘The American War in Afghanistan.’ (Financial Times, Aug. 4, 2021)
“President Kais Saied of Tunisia has dissolved parliament…not a single Arab state [now] qualifies as an open democracy.” – Telegraph columnist Daniel Hannan. (NYTimes, Aug. 10, 2021)
“…regulators approved the [NASDAQ] exchange operator’s proposal to include gender and race in its listing rules … companies would need to meet certain minimum targets for the gender and ethnic diversity of their boards … at least one woman director, as well as a director who self-identifies as a racial minority or as lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender or queer… Companies would also be required to disclose diversity statistics about their board.” — Alexander Osipovich on NASDAQ’s push for greater diversity. (WSJ, Aug. 6, 2021)
“Environment and Climate Change Canada, which is charged with the two great tasks of saving the planet and staying on good terms with Elizabeth May, will be celebrating Public Service Pride Week in late August by hosting an online DRAGanza, offering competitors a chance to be ‘crowned as the GofC’s first-ever drag superstar.’ The event will be open to all public servants in all federal government departments. Could such an event be evidence that maybe the civil service has lost touch with the seriousness of the times we live in?” – Canadian columnist Rex Murphy. (National Post, Aug. 7, 2021)
“Woke culture is “an insidious pestilence of our day. Woke culture is close-minded, toxic, self-righteous, punitive and merciless to any who dissent from its shallow, angry dogmas. And it is, alas, everywhere. The woke are intolerant to the extreme. Dissent and you must be cancelled. They ban books. They pile on professors. They go after companies … They are on a perpetual hair-trigger for every perceived or—this is important—manufactured grievance. They are everywhere–in schools, in universities, in business and broadcasting (CBC is woke central). And everywhere they are, they seek to undermine the basic tenets of a free society: free speech, free expression and free thought. For heaven’s sake, they even threaten libraries.” – Canadian columnist Rex Murphy paraphrasing former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. (National Post, Aug. 5, 2021)
BENNETT NAMES PRESIDENT’S BROTHER AS US ENVOY, POINTS TO IRAN EXPERIENCE (Jerusalem) — Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett appointed Israel’s president’s brother, former general Michael Herzog, as its next ambassador to the United States, highlighting his experience on Iran and its nuclear program. Following the announcement, Members of Knesset Yoav Kish and Orit Struck, the heads of the Land of Israel lobby, called on Prime Minister Naftali Bennett to cancel the appointment, saying that Herzog is “actively striving to promote the dangerous idea of the two-state solution” and that the decision “conforms to the principles of the left in government.”- (Algemeiner, Aug. 6, 2021; Jewish Press, Aug. 8, 2021)
ROCKETS FROM LEBANON HIT NEAR KIRYAT SHEMONA, IDF STRIKES BACK(Beirut) — According to the IDF, three rockets were launched at Israel, and two hit. The third fell short and landed in Lebanon. Arab sources report that the IDF subsequently launched artillery fire at the source of the enemy attack. This has since been confirmed by the IDF. Lebanese media report the IDF is hitting back at the Al-Khiam region. (Jewish Press,Aug. 4, 2021)
NASRALLAH THREATENING WAR EVEN AS DRUZE IN SOUTH LEBANON REJECT HEZBOLLAH (Beirut) — In a televised speech on Saturday, the terror group’s chief Seyed Hassan Nasrallah “made a point of underlining the group’s readiness and prowess,” to take on Israel, the Iranian news agency Tasnim reported. But the real story that emerged from Friday’s confrontation between Hezbollah and Israel was that residents of the Druze village of Shuya located the terror group’s rocket launcher and arrested the Hezbollah members responsible for the shooting. (Jewish Press, Aug. 8, 2021)
GAZA RESORT BOMBED FOR HOLDING MIXED-GENDER CONCERT (Gaza) — Bianco Resort, one of the Gaza Strip’s most luxurious seaside tourist sites, was attacked with an explosive device after the resort was accused by Muslim extremists of holding a mixed-gender concert. No one was hurt. Palestinian Association of Restaurants, Hotels and Tourism Services condemned this act as immoral. (Jerusalem Post, Aug. 8, 2021)
MUSLIM CHARITY IN CANADA TO HOST SPEAKER WITH HISTORY OF DEFAMING JEWS (Toronto) — The Muslim Association of Canada, a registered charity and Muslim group in Canada is hosting a speaker this weekend at its annual conference with a history of demonizing Israel. Tareq Al-Suwaidan, a Kuwaiti writer and businessman, is the author of the Arabic-language book, Al Yahood Al Mawsua Al Musawra (The Jews, The Illustrated Encyclopedia), and has direct ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, which is designated as a terrorist organization by several countries. Al-Suwaidan’s book “includes classic anti-Semitic narratives, Holocaust denial and other fallacies to defame Jews. (JNS, Aug. 6, 2021)
CUNY FACULTY UNION ATTEMPTS TO STEM FALLOUT FROM ISRAEL RESOLUTION AS RESIGNATIONS MOUNT (NY) — A campaign has cited over 100 resignations from the City University of New York faculty union (PSC-CUNY) over a controversial resolution on Israel, as the union attempted to assuage the “sharp divisions” over the issue in an email to its members. The June 10 resolution had labelled Israel an “apartheid … settler colonial state” responsible for the “massacre” of Palestinians during the May conflict with Hamas, and advanced chapter-level discussions on supporting the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. (Algemeiner, Aug. 6, 2021)
KATE MIDDLETON’S PORTRAITS OF HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS ARE BEING FEATURED IN A POIGNANT DISPLAY(London) — The Imperial War Museum London opened Generations: Portraits of Holocaust Survivors on Friday, featuring 50 contemporary portraits of Holocaust survivors and their families. Kate Middleton‘s moving portraits of Holocaust survivors and their families are part of a new museum display honoring their legacy. Last year, the Duchess of Cambridge invited two survivors to Kensington Palace so she could capture their images alongside their grandchildren. (People, Aug. 6, 2021)
SHE CHEERED BLM RAGE. BIDEN PICKED HER AS A FEDERAL PROSECUTOR. (Washington) — On her website, Suffolk County DA Rachael Rollins, Biden’s pick for a federal prosecutor and a Soros DA, has a list of crimes that she will not prosecute, ranging from shoplifting, to stealing anything under $250, breaking and entering a vacant property, driving with a revoked license, malicious destruction of property, threats, and drug possession with intent to distribute. Effectively these crimes have been legalized. When the Black Lives Matter race riots devastated cities, Rollins ranted, “This burning rage that you are seeing when you turn on your TV or you hear in my voice is real. People are fed up, and to the white community that is now waking up to see this rage, we have been telling you this forever.” (Jewish Press, Aug. 3, 2021)
NY GOV. ANDREW CUOMO ANNOUNCES RESIGNATION(NY) — New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo announced his resignation in a televised statement amid multiple allegations that he sexually harassed female staff members. One week ago, the office of State Attorney General Letitia James announced the findings of its investigation into the allegations, saying there was merit to claims that Cuomo had harassed nearly a dozen women during their employment with the state. (Jewish Press, Aug. 10, 2021)
US CENTCOM INVESTIGATION BLAMES IRAN FOR ‘KAMIKAZE’ DRONE ATTACK ON TANKER (Washington) — The US Central Command revealed findings of an investigation that blamed Iran for a July 30 suicide drone attack that killed two crew members. The attack on the Mercer Street vessel — a Liberian-flagged, Japanese-owned petroleum product tanker managed by an Israeli company — left a Briton and Romanian dead, drawing international condemnation. (Algemeiner, Aug. 6, 2021)
PAIR FIRST TO PLEAD GUILTY IN JAN. 6 CAPITOL RIOT (Washington) — A New Jersey gym owner and a Washington state man became the first people to plead guilty to assaulting police in the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, facing what they acknowledged in plea deals could be three to five years in prison. Scott K. Fairlamb, 44, of Sussex, N.J., and Devlyn D. Thompson, 28, of Seattle, set potential benchmarks for what at least 165 defendants charged with assaulting or impeding officers could expect if they cooperate. (National Post, Aug. 7, 2021)
RUSSIA CAPTURES NO. 2 RANK AMONG FOREIGN OIL SUPPLIERS (Moscow) — Russia is supplying more oil to the United States than any other foreign producer aside from Canada as American refiners scour the globe for gasoline-rich feedstocks to feed surging motor-fuel demand. Mexico was edged out of the No. 2 spot as its shipments to its northern neighbour rose by less than 3 per cent. Russia has become a favoured source for US fuel makers largely because it producers ample supplies of semi-refined oils. (The Timaru Herald, Aug. 7, 2021)
Rashida Tlaib’s Modern ‘Mein Kampf’: Paul Gherkin, Jewish Press, Aug. 9, 2021 — Successful race baiters become famous and powerful. They first attract attention which brings in followers, and then money and ultimately true power.
