Donald Trump is Attempting A ‘Full Nixon’ By Focusing On Next Year’s Midterms: David Shribman, The Globe and Mail, Dec. 11, 2021“Who says Donald J. Trump knows nothing about history? Don’t look now, but Mr. Trump is in the throes of attempting a Full Nixon. Not undermining the Constitution—or, at least not right now. Not using the levers of government to punish his enemies—or, not yet. Not flirting with impeachment—been there, done that (twice). But in the 45th president’s relentless effort to become the 47th president, Mr. Trump is tearing a page from the libretto of the 37th president. He’s laying the groundwork for his 2024 campaign in the 2022 midterm elections… [Trump is also like Nixon in that] he began to re-shape [the Republican Party] at the end of the second decade of the 21st century [into one where] differences of political approach prompt purges rather than tolerance….”
“A frenzy of antisemitic vilification of Israel under the cover of anti-Zionism is sweeping American education and is metastasizing into attacks on Jewish life in the United States” – excerpt from a letter by the faculty-led “CUNY Alliance for Inclusion. It responded to the CUNY Law School student government’s condemnation of “racist Israel” and its call for CUNY to affirm BDS demands for disinvestment in Israel. (N.Y. Post, Dec. 10, 2021
“Hamas does not build bomb shelters because it needs dead children to keep its cause alive!” —German-Egyptian intellectual Dr. Hamed Abdel-Samad interviewed by Ayman Agami on May 12 and May 16. (Twitter, Dec. 10, 2021)
“We are convinced that Russia is actually preparing for all-out war against Ukraine. It’s an unprecedented event probably since the Second World War. If it’s an unprecedented attack … that means that the answer has to be unprecedented from the Western countries as well.” — Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis. (Reuters, Dec. 11, 2021)
“The far-right plays an even more conspicuous role in fueling [anti-vaccination mandate] protests in Austria… A few [right-wing Freedom Party] marchers have even fixed a yellow star of David into their coats, suggesting they somehow suffer the same persecution as the Jews under Hitler.” – N.Y. Times London Bureau Chief Mark Landler (N.Y. Times, Dec. 10, 2021)
“Maybe Trump’s outlived his usefulness, I don’t know… But if I thought he could win, I wouldn’t hesitate to vote for him… [Is the anti-Americanism of the Left, the hatred of America, worse than it used to be?] Unquestionably… [now, he notes, there is no alternative, no pretense that some other place does things better.] This ‘woke’ business — critical race theory, Black Lives Matter — is just pure anti-American hatred. And I think [its proponents] would admit that. Which is why I keep saying it’s a war. If you don’t understand that, you don’t know what the hell is going on.” — Norman Podhoretz, former Commentary Magazine editor, 91, interviewed by Barton Swain. (WSJ, Dec. 10, 2021)
“District Attorney Larry Krasner’s recent remarks about whether we are experiencing a crime crisis are some of the worst, most ignorant, and most insulting comments I have ever heard spoken by an elected official.” Krasner told reporters: “We don’t have a crisis of lawlessness, we don’t have a crisis of crime, we don’t have a crisis of violence.” It takes a certain audacity of ignorance and white privilege to say that right now. As of Monday night, 521 people, souls, spirits have been vanquished, eliminated, murdered in our City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection, the most since 1960. I have to wonder what kind of messed up world of white wokeness Krasner is living in to have so little regard for human lives lost, most of them black and brown, while he advances his own national profile as a progressive district attorney.” — former Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter in an op-ed. (The Philadelphia Inquirer, Dec. 7, 2021)
“Bret: [the recently deceased] Bob Dole…represented an era of political collegiality that I miss.
Gail: So many Republicans now that we Democrats can’t imagine sitting down with for a drink or friendly chat. Present company most definitely excluded.
Bret: Except I’m not a Republican anymore! But I’m always up for a drink…” op-ed columnists Gail Collins and Bret Stephens. (N.Y. Times, Dec. 6, 2021)
‘SPLENDID WELCOME’: BENNETT ON 1ST VISIT BY ISRAELI LEADER TO UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (Dubai) –– Prime Minister Naftali Bennett was received by an honor guard and UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed, with Israeli and Emirati flags in the background, upon his arrival to the Gulf state on Sunday. Bennett said he appreciated the hospitality in his remarks, adding that it was “a splendid welcome.” Includes a video of the event. (United With Israel, Dec. 13, 2021)
ISRAEL’S GANTZ IMMUNE IN GAZA BOMBING: COURT (Amsterdam)—A Dutch appeals court upheld an earlier ruling that Israel Defense Minister Benny Gantz could not be held liable in a Dutch court for alleged war crime (bombing of civilians) in Gaza, 2019. (Windsor Star, Dec. 8, 2021)
ISRAEL HIT CHEMICAL ARMS FACILITIES: REPORT (Jerusalem) – Alleged Israeli airstrikes in June targeted three chemical weapons facilities in Syria, The Washington Post reported. The June 8 airstrikes killed seven soldiers, including a Syrian colonel who worked at a top-secret military lab. The officer, identified as Ayham Ismail, was reportedly stationed at a chemical weapons manufacturing facility in Masyaf as an army engineer. Israel’s military declined to comment. Syria’s government denies using chemical arms. In 2013, it promised to surrender its chemical weapons, which it says it has done. (Jerusalem Post, Dec. 13, 2021)
WHAT ELSE DID TRUMP HAVE TO SAY ABOUT BIBI? (Jerusalem) — A new book by Israeli journalist Barak Ravid titled “Trump’s Peace” included an exclusive interview with former President Donald Trump. In the interview, Trump revealed great bitterness about what he considered a betrayal by then-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Trump: ‘The Elections Were Stolen and Netanyahu Ran to Congratulate Biden. I Haven’t Spoken to him Since. [Expletive] him’). The interview also covered other areas of contention between the two leaders. These issues included annexing parts of the West Bank and a settlement freeze. President Trump also said that Bibi didn’t want to make a deal with the Palestinians, whereas P.A. President Mahmoud Abbas did. (Jewish Press, Dec. 12, 2021)
THE REAL NETANYAHU EXPOSED (Jerusalem) — Through Trump, we learn the truth about Bibi. Years ago, Wikileaks included many emails in which some world leaders privately claiming they didn’t like or trust Netanyahu, saying he didn’t keep his promises. However, Wikileaks exposed those same world leaders as liars and that Netanyahu was a person whose public and private positions were largely consistent. As to whether Netanyahu was serious about applying sovereignty over parts of the West Bank, Trump’s admissions put much of that discussion to rest (see previous ST.) Problematically, Trump thinks Benny Gantz could usher in a Palestinian state if he becomes PM. (Jewish Press, Dec. 12, 2021)
IRAN SAYS ISRAEL HACKED IAEA CAMERAS IN ATOMIC FACILITY (Tehran) — Iran’s ambassador to the U.K., Mohsen Baharvand said that International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) equipment inside the nuclear facility in Karaj, was hacked before the attack there last summer. (Massive Fire Burns Factory Warehouses in Karaj, Iran, Near Site of Targeted Centrifuge Factory.) (Jewish Press, Dec. 12, 2021)
ISRAELI CONVICTION OF SPANISH CITIZEN IN TERROR-FUNDING CASE COULD BE ‘GAME-CHANGER,’ SAY OBSERVERS (Jerusalem) — A Spanish citizen admitted to raising funds for a Palestinian NGO diverted to a terrorist organization. Juana Ruiz Rishwami, 63, agreed to a plea bargain on Nov. 10 in an Israeli military court. Observers say it could mark a watershed in Israel’s fight against a network of Palestinian “humanitarian” organizations that fundraise under pretenses. They then use these donations to finance terror activities. Rishwami, imprisoned since April, admitted as part of her plea bargain that she worked as a fundraiser for the Health Work Committees (HWC), an NGO Israel’s Ministry of Defense designated a terrorist organization in January 2020. The plea bargain calls for a 13-month prison sentence (minus time served) and a NIS 50,000 ($16,250) (JNS, Nov. 17, 2021)
US DOLLAR HITS 25-YEAR LOW AGAINST ISRAELI SHEKEL (Jerusalem) — The U.S. dollar hit a 25-year low against the shekel, officially dropping below the benchmark that the Bank of Israel had hoped to avoid crossing. The euro also fell sharply against the shekel, trading at an exchange rate of 3.511 shekels to 1 euro. The Bank of Israel (BOI) set the dollar-to-shekel exchange rate at $1 to 3.09 shekels at the end of official trading. The dollar lost -0.387 percent of its value in total against the shekel on Tuesday. (Algemeiner, Nov. 17, 2021)
NEW SENATE BILL CALLS FOR ANNUAL REVIEW OF PALESTINIAN CURRICULUM FOR ‘RACIST VIOLENCE AGAINST JEWISH PEOPLE’ (Washington) –Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) introduced The Peace and Tolerance in Palestinian Education Act (S.3209), which requires the U.S. Secretary of State to file annual reports on “whether Palestinian curricula encourage racist violence against the Jewish people and whether U.S. foreign aid is supporting such material.” It is a companion bill to H.R.2374, introduced in April in the House of Representatives that “requires the Department of State to report on the curriculum used in schools in areas controlled by the Palestinian Authority or located in Gaza and controlled by any other entity.” (Algemeiner, Nov. 17, 2021)
100-PLUS HOUSE REPUBLICANS INTRODUCE BILL TO BLOCK REOPENING OF US CONSULATE (Washington) — More than 100 Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives introduced a bill to block the Biden administration’s efforts to reopen the U.S. consulate for Palestinians in Jerusalem. The bill, known as the Upholding the 1995 Jerusalem Embassy Law Act of 2021,prohibits using funds for any diplomatic facility in Jerusalem other than the United States Embassy to Israel. Rep. David Kustoff (R-Tenn.) sponsored the bill; 100 other Republicans co-sponsored it, including House Republican Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.), Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), and Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.). (JNS, Nov. 17, 2021)
BRAZIL, WITH ITS LARGE JEWISH COMMUNITY, JOINS IHRA AS OBSERVER COUNTRY (Buenos Aires) — Brazil joined the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) last month as an observer country, the government announced in a released statement. Brazil applied for observer country status in September and was approved on Nov. 9th — the 83rd anniversary of the 1938 Nazi pogrom known as Kristallnacht, or “The Night of Broken Glass.” (JNS,Nov. 17, 2021)
JEWISH CIVIL SERVANTS JOIN FIGHT (Ottawa) Jewish civil servants met with Canadian PM Justin Trudeau’s special envoy on antisemitism, Irwin Cotler, to ask for support in dealing with anti-Jewish slurs and abuse in the civil service. They maintain that antisemitism isn’t included in equity and diversity training supporting ethnic, racial groups. (National Post, Dec. 9 2021)
CUNY LAW STUDENTS WARRING WITH FACULTY MEMBERS OVER ANTI-ISRAEL RESOLUTION (NYC) – The faculty-led “CUNY Alliance for Inclusion” opposed a pro-BDS resolution from the student government at CUNY Law School. The Alliance demanded that the City University of New York takes a clear position against the condemnation of Israel as racist and that it disinvest from Israel and terminate student exchange programs. According to CUNY officials, such views do not represent “CUNY or the majority of the 300,000 members of our community.” (N.Y. Post, Dec. 10, 2021)
‘MANY’ DEAD & INJURED IN EXPLOSION AT HAMAS WEAPONS STORAGE DEPOT IN TYRE, LEBANON (Tyre) — A Hamas weapons storage facility blew up late Friday night in the Burj al-Shemali section of Tyre in Lebanon. The Iranian-backed terror group maintains a presence in many so-called Palestinian Arab refugee camps. Civil defense sources said more than 20 people were killed and injured by the explosion at the “Hamas-run” Abi bin Ka’ab Mosque. (Jewish Press, Dec. 10, 2021)
JUDGE PROBING BEIRUT BLAST CALLS FOR ARREST OF POWERFUL SUSPECT (Beirut) — Judge Tarek Bitar, who is probing last year’s Beirut explosion, asked security forces to implement a warrant against former finance minister Ali Hasan Khalil. He also threatened to prosecute security forces themselves should they defy judicial orders. The 2020 Beirut port explosion killed 215 people. Former politicians and security officials had attacked Bitar as “biased.” (Reuters, Dec. 10, 2021)
MACRON WARNS AGAINST “SELF-FULFILLING” PROPHECIES ON UKRAINE-RUSSIA RISKS (Paris) — French President Emmanuel Macron warned about possible self-fulfilling prophecies. His warning followed a U.S. intelligence assessment that Russia could be planning a multi-front offensive on Ukraine as early as next year. Macron said he had spoken to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and that they would discuss new initiatives to unlock peace talks on the conflict in eastern Ukraine when they meet next week. (Reuters, Dec. 10, 2021)
EXCLUSIVE: ANTI-CHRISTIAN HATE CRIMES IN GERMANY INCREASED BY NEARLY 150% IN 2020 (Berlin) — Hate crimes targeting Christians in Germany have nearly trebled in a year amid a wave of religious discrimination across Europe. From 2019 to 2020, the majority Christian nation saw a rise in attacks from 57 to 141. This rise included seven physical assaults against Christians for their beliefs, three thefts or robberies, one desecration of a grave, and 24 verbal threats. (Daily Mail, Dec. 10, 2021)
The Yeshiva University Maccabees Basketball Team Strives To Continue 44-Game Winning Streak: CNBC Television, YouTube, Dec. 1, 2021 —CNBC’s Contessa Brewer joins Shep Smith to report on the Yeshiva Maccabees basketball team, which has not lost a game since before the pandemic.
Banished: Where Telling the Truth About Israel Got UNRWA’s Former Gaza Director: Akiva Van Koningveld, Algemeiner, Nov. 17, 2021 — Five months after being declared “persona non grata” in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, Matthias Schmale has left UNRWA. Schmale previously directed the controversial Palestinian refugee agency’s Gaza operations.
CNN Reports on Geneva Summit Campaign to Free Jimmy Lai: U.N.Watch, Dec. 12, 2021 — Great: CNN‘s Christiane Amanpour reports on our Geneva Summit campaign for jailed Hong Kong newspaper owner Jimmy Lai—who was just convicted for backing a vigil last year for victims of China’s Tiananmen Square Massacre.
