Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara sees the Basic Law amendment: The Government as “an extreme case of abuse of the constituent authority, where the amendment to the Basic Law of the Government before us was made for a distinct personal purpose, with the aim of influencing a pending legal proceeding regarding the question of the constitutionality of the incumbent prime minister. In practice, the authorized authority was invoked bluntly to provide an immediate response to the personal legal matter of the serving Prime Minister and to release him from legal limitations imposed on him, the purpose of which was to prevent interference with the purity of the legal process, its timing, and its very specific context of a pending legal proceeding.” The A-G further added that in her view, “there is room to change the conditional order into an absolute order, so that the implementation of Amendment 12 to the Basic Law will not be immediate, and the arrangement established in the amendment will apply, albeit unfortunately, from the next Knesset.” (Jerusalem Post, Sept. 19, 2023)
“It is a fact that they are aligned with Iran and Palestinian-affiliated protest group[s]. They are worse than them.” — Likud MK Nissim Vatouri to KAN Reshet Bet. He referenced Israelis and American Jews who have been protesting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the United States. (Jerusalem Post, Sept. 19, 2023)
“They [Russia] plan to sell additional arms, which will be shut down as well. Our fear is that in return, the Russians will transfer advanced weaponry to the Iranians that would certainly threaten our wellbeing and maybe even our existence here.” –Mossad spy chief David Barnea to the Institute for Counter-Terrorism Policy’s conference at Reichman University in Herzliya. He also stated that Iran planned to supply Russia with both short- and long-range missiles, augmenting the UAVs it had already sold to the Russian forces for their Ukraine invasion. (WIN, Sept. 18, 2023)
“… we must clean the place out from the inside, clean out all the Eichlers,”referencing United Torah Judaism MK Yisrael Eichler. “Thirteen percent of the population [Hareidim] is a cancer within Israeli society.” — Israeli journalist and presenter Ron Koffman charged on his Tuesday morning radio show on 103FM. (Jerusalem Post, Sept. 19, 2023)
“They’re animals.” –Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas used the derogatory Arabic word “حيوانات” (ḥaywānāt), which can describe someone who doesn’t listen and misbehaves. He smeared the European Union at a private event on Monday evening, saying Brussels failed to follow through on assurances it would help Ramallah hold parliamentary and presidential elections in 2021, according to two individuals present. (Times of Israel, Sept. 19, 2023)
“Today the intelligence couldn’t be clearer. Whatever its actual intentions may be I could not say, but China is preparing for a war and specifically for a war with the United States.” — Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall in a Monday speech. He went on to say that China, for the last two decades, has been “reoptimizing its forces” to compete with the United States in the Western Pacific. (WIN, Sept. 12, 2023)
“Far from irrelevant to the dustup at Penn, the antisemitic pro-BDS hatefest that is being held under the guise of a program promoting Palestinian literature is very much in sync with the intersectional DEI mindset. Those who support the destruction of the one Jewish state on the planet are considered part of a protected class, and those who oppose this vile creed are viewed as reactionaries and racists who deserve to be silenced. Moreover, this mindset helps create an atmosphere in which Jewish students can be marginalized, shunned and silenced. Indeed, wherever the BDS movement raises its banners, intimidation and even violence against Jews soon follows. So, the point here is not academic freedom. If “Palestine Writes” were considered to be contrary to the DEI orthodoxy, the university administration would not have hesitated to find a way to boot it off campus and punish the departments … for their involvement, let alone the fact that some students are being required to attend. The university’s affirmation of its opposition to antisemitism is all well and good. But it is utterly inadequate. And it is shocking and equally unacceptable that a mainstream group like the American Jewish Committee that purports to speak for Jews and defend Jewish students would express satisfaction with their stand.” – JNS editor Jonathan S. Tobin on the controversy caused by the holding of a “Palestine Writes Literature Festival” on its Philadelphia campus this week. (Algemeiner, Sept. 18, 2023)
“It’s time for the media to ramp up its scrutiny of House Republicans for opening an impeachment inquiry based on lies … As you begin to cover The House GOP’s impeachment push more intensely, enclosed you will find a 14-page appendix that comprehensively addresses the 7 key lies House Republicans are suggesting they are basing an impeachment on. We hope this document helps provide you with factual information useful in your reporting on their unprecedented, unfounded claims underlying an impeachment inquiry without any evidence of wrongdoing.” — Special Assistant to the President Ian Sams in a memorandum to the corporate “news” media effectively commanding them to scrutinize Republicans with even more animus than is their standard practice. In one stroke he has confirmed the incestuous relationship that exists between the White House and the media while preemptively destroying the credibility of any defense the latter might produce on Biden’s behalf. – David Catron. (The American Spectator, Sept. 17, 2023)
Hunter Biden sues the IRS over tax disclosures (Washington) — Hunter Biden sued the Internal Revenue Service on Monday, claiming that two agents publicly alleging tax-probe interference wrongly shared his personal information, a case that comes amid escalating legal and political struggles as the 2024 election looms. The lawsuit marks the latest legal pushback from Biden as a long-running federal investigation into him unfolds against a sharply political backdrop. That includes an impeachment inquiry aimed at his father, President Joe Biden, seeking to tie him to his son’s business dealings. (WIN, Sept. 18, 2023)
“No sooner did Speaker Kevin McCarthy announce the GOP’s impeachment inquiry than the White House publicly demanded the press discredit it — and its liberal-media henchmen were only too happy to comply, repeatedly claiming there’s “no evidence” to support it. The truth? GOP probes have already turned up a ton of evidence: sworn eyewitness testimony, bank records, video and audio recordings, emails, SEC complaints, material from Hunter Biden’s laptop, even the words of the Bidens themselves. Oh, and that the prez lied repeatedly about all of it.” (NY Post, Sept. 14, 2023)
SHORT TAKES
AS NETANYAHU ARRIVES IN NEW YORK, ANTI-OVERHAUL ACTIVISTS LAUNCH WEEK OF PROTESTS (NYC) — Protesters opposed to the government’s judicial overhaul rallied outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s New York hotel and were set to hold demonstrations around the city on Tuesday, as the prime minister arrived to meet with US President Joe Biden and other world leaders at the UN General Assembly. Netanyahu and his wife Sara landed in New York from California in the early hours of Tuesday, and were greeted on the runway by Israeli Ambassador to the US Michael Herzog and Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan. (Times of Israel, Sept. 19, 2023)
NETANYAHU AND ELON MUSK TALK ANTISEMITISM, JUDICIAL REFORM DURING FRIENDLY CHAT STREAMED ON X (San Francisco) -Netanyahu and Musk entered the conversation dogged by criticism, Musk over his inflammatory statements about a Jewish civil rights group that has sought to tamp down hate speech on X and Netanyahu over his government’s efforts to overhaul Israel’s judiciary. In that context, Monday’s conversation was perhaps an opportunity for the two men — both right-wingers who trumpet the promises of technology — to find respite in a friendly conversation. Speaking with Musk, Netanyahu laid out his defence of the judicial overhaul, saying it was an effort to curb “the most activist judicial court on the planet,” and that he hoped to be a moderate consensus-builder. He added, “Israel will always be a democratic country.” (JTA, Sept. 18, 2023)
MOSSAD, SHIN BET TO TAKE IN HAREDIM IN NEW NATIONAL SERVICE PROGRAM – REPORT (Jerusalem) — The Mossad spy agency and Shin Bet internal security service will begin to take in Haredi volunteers as part of a new national service program, a Monday report said. They will begin the program by each taking in 100 Haredi yeshiva students who are over the age of 21, after they undergo professional training, the Kan public broadcaster reported. The enlistees will serve for two years, and the program will be financed by the Intelligence Ministry and National Service Authority. (Times of Israel, Sept. 19, 2023)
‘CYNICAL’: ISRAEL SLAMS UN VOTE TO LIST JERICHO AS WORLD HERITAGE SITE IN ‘PALESTINE’ (Jerusalem) — A UN committee voted Sunday to list prehistoric ruins near the ancient Biblical city of Jericho as a World Heritage Site in Palestine, a decision that angered Israel, which controls the territory and does not recognize a Palestinian state. Jericho is one of the oldest continually inhabited cities on earth, and is in a part of Judea and Samaria that is administered by the Palestinian Authority. Israeli citizens are barred from visiting. The listing refers to the Tell es-Sultan archaeological site nearby, which contains prehistoric ruins dating back to the ninth millennium B.C. and is outside the ancient city itself. Israel’s foreign ministry released a statement Sunday that said the listing was a “cynical” ploy by the Palestinians to politicize UNESCO, and that Israel will work with its allies to reverse what it says are the organization’s “distorted” decisions. (WIN, Sept. 17, 2023)
ISRAEL APPROVES USING POLICE FACIAL RECOGNITION CAMERAS ON CITY STREETS (Jerusalem) — A bill legalizing the dispersal of facial recognition cameras in public places so that police can better fight crime has been fast-tracked for Knesset approval Monday. The Ministerial Committee for Legislation convened a special session during the Knesset’s official recess to approve the bill. The use of facial recognition technology is seen as vital tool in combating rising crime, especially in the Arab sector. (WIN, Sept. 18, 2023)
ISRAEL WINS FIVE MEDALS, INCLUDING GOLD AND SILVER, DURING FIRST APPEARANCE IN INVICTUS GAMES (Jerusalem) — Israel walked away with five medals after its first time competing in the Invictus Games, an international multi-sport competition for wounded, injured, and sick servicemen and women — both veterans and those currently serving. Two Israeli teams went head-to-head in the mixed doubles table tennis tournament on Wednesday as part of the Invictus Games, which was founded in 2014 by Prince Harry. The final score was 2-0, with Menashe Zorik and Yagur Caesari winning the gold over Yigal Lagziel and Boaz Arad, who took home the silver. Zorik and Caesari defeated competitors from Denmark, Australia, Colombia, Romania, France, and Germany before making it to the finals and taking home a gold medal. (Algemeiner, Sept. 15, 2023)
PLO TURNS FURY ON PALESTINIAN INTELLECTUALS BEHIND OPEN LETTER CONDEMNING ABBAS ANTISEMITISM (Ramallah) — The top legislative body of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) has furiously denounced a group of Palestinian intellectuals who last week issued an open letter lambasting Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’ recent speech in which he falsely claimed that the Nazi Holocaust was triggered by the Jews’ “social role, not their religion.” In a statement on Wednesday, the Palestine National Council (PNC) — a 747-member body that meets every two years and is responsible for electing the PLO’s executive committee — decried the letter as a “statement of shame.” (Algemeiner, Sept. 14, 2023)
TUNISIA HINTS ISRAEL BEHIND DEVASTATING STORM DANIEL DUE TO ‘ZIONIST NAME’ (Tunis) — The massive storm that devastated Libya’s Derna is somehow linked to Zionism because it was named “Daniel,” according to Tunisian President Kais Saied. In a conversation posted on social media on Tuesday, he can be heard making a series of comments about the storm and its name. Storms are often named randomly in line with various methods of naming storms after women and men and using sequential letters of the alphabet. Nevertheless, Saied said the name “Daniel” was evidence of “Zionism’s growing influence.” (Jerusalem Post,Sept. 19, 2023)
‘WHAT THE HELL IS HE THINKING’: REPUBLICANS SLAM BIDEN’S $6 BILLION DEAL WITH IRAN ON 9/11 (Washington) — Republicans in the US House and Senate slammed the Biden administration for the substance and the timing of a $6 billion prisoner swap deal with Iran announced on Monday, the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), a fierce critic of the Biden administration’s policy toward Iran, decried the agreement as “shameless,” noting that US President Joe Biden had used the same anniversary as his deadline for withdrawing all American soldiers from Afghanistan in 2021. (WIN, Sept. 13, 2023)
TRUMP ATTACKS ‘LIBERAL JEWS DESTROYING AMERICA’ IN ROSH HASHANAH MESSAGE (Washington) – Former US president Donald Trump attacked “liberal Jews who voted to destroy America and Israel” in a Rosh Hashanah greeting sent on his social media website Truth Social. Trump, who beat US President Joe Biden in a new 2024 presidential election poll on Monday, published a list of his Israeli-related accomplishments during his tenure at the White House. Above the list, a caption reads “just a quick reminder for liberal Jews who voted to destroy America and Israel because you believed false narratives! “Let’s hope you learned from your mistake and make better choices moving forward,” Trump’s caption continued. “Happy new year!” (Jerusalem Post, Sept. 18, 2023)
UPENN HILLEL TO HOLD ‘MASSIVE’ SHABBAT EVENT AS SCHOOL BEGINS HOSTING ANTI-ZIONIST ‘PALESTINE FESTIVAL’ (Harrisburg) — The University of Pennsylvania’s Hillel chapter announced that it will hold a “massive” Shabbat event in response to a controversial festival taking place on campus that will feature a gamut of anti-Zionist activists who have promoted antisemitic tropes and called for violence against Israel. (Algemeiner, Sept. 18, 2023)
ONLY ABOUT 3 IN 10 AMERICANS SEE ISRAEL AS AN ALLY THAT SHARES US INTERESTS — POLL (NYC) — As US President Joe Biden prepares to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week in New York, a new poll finds that while Americans generally view Israel as a partner or ally, many question whether his hardline government shares American values. The poll results from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and the meeting come during a new period of tension between the Biden administration and Israel. Those tensions are caused by Netanyahu’s proposed judicial overhaul that has sparked mass protests in major Israeli cities, ongoing disagreements over how to deal with Iran and how to approach the Palestinians, and comments from Netanyahu’s political allies that have irked US officials. (Times of Israel, Sept. 19, 2023)
‘UNAMBIGUOUS VICTORY’: AUSTRALIAN COURT RULES IN FAVOR OF JEWISH STUDENTS IN ANTISEMITIC HARASSMENT LAWSUIT (Canberra) — A federal court in Australia has ruled that Brighton Secondary College violated laws prohibiting racial discrimination when it neglected to protect five Jewish students from antisemitic bullying. The verdict comes three years after the students came forward accusing administrators of ignoring antisemitic discrimination and fostering a “prison culture” that contravened their human rights. (Algemeiner, Sept. 18, 2023)
NEWLY DISCOVERED LETTER SHOWS POPE PIUS XII LIKELY KNEW ABOUT NAZI DEATH CAMPS (Vatican City) — A newly uncovered letter provides the strongest evidence yet that Pope Pius XII knew about the Nazi extermination of the Jews as it was happening, the latest in a series of recent discoveries that have transformed the debate over the Catholic Church’s conduct during the Holocaust. The letter was sent by Rev. Lothar Koenig, a German Jesuit priest, in December 1942, and informed Pius of the mass murder of thousands of “Poles and Jews” at Belzec, a Nazi death camp. It was discovered by Vatican archivist Giovanni Coco and first reported on this weekend. Pius’ actions during the Holocaust have been the subject of debate for decades. (JTA, Sept. 18, 2023)
NETHERLANDS IDENTIFIES MORE THAN 30 PIECES OF NAZI-LOOTED PROPERTY OWNED BY THE GOVERNMENT (Amsterdam) — A special committee assembled by the Netherlands to examine if the Dutch government owns Nazi-looted property in its national collections said it has identified dozens of items that will be returned to its rightful owners — mostly Jewish families — if possible. So far, Dutch investigators have examined roughly 800 objects — including paintings, furniture and tableware — but they are not able to trace back the origins of all items. All of the property is being checked to see if it was stolen by Nazis and whether the objects can be returned to their original owners. (Algemeiner, Sept. 13, 2023)