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ISRAEL

Biden’s Jerusalem Embassy Dodge

https://www.nysun.com/editorials/bidens-jerusalem-embassy-dodge/91687/

In the next big engagement in what we like to call the Battle of Jerusalem, it looks like the lineup will be President Joe Biden against — wait for it — Senator Biden. The question is whether Mr. Biden will take care that the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 is faithfully executed, as it was — and for the first time — by President Trump. Or will Mr. Biden seek to undercut the law by opening a separate consulate in Jerusalem to deal with the Arabs?

What stands out for us in this situation is the fact that Mr. Biden was the first co-sponsor of the Jerusalem Embassy Act. He signed onto the bill the day it was introduced by a Republican, Senator Dole. Yet now Mr. Biden is maneuvering to undercut the very law that he cosponsored (and that passed the Senate 93 to five). It’s doubly dastardly because the implementation has vindicated those who helped get it passed.

The latest piece on all this is from one Eugene Kontorovich, the law professor at George Mason who has emerged as a sage on international law. His piece, in Israel Hayom, is on Mr. Biden’s scheme to open in Jerusalem a consulate for the Palestinian Arabs. Our embassy in Jerusalem “already provides consular services to the Palestinians,” Mr. Kontorovich notes. “Why do they need an independent consulate in the same city?”

Mr. Kontorovich suggests that it is “unheard of” to have an independent consulate in the same city where a country has an embassy. He reckons that the point is “to undermine former US President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem.” Why, though, would he want to do such undermining if he, as Mr. Biden unambiguously was, a cosponsor of the Jerusalem Embassy Act to begin with?

Writes Mr. Kontorovich: The U.S. “does not want to open a consulate merely to have a place for diplomatic liaisons” with the Palestinians. “If that is all they wanted, they could easily do this by opening a mission in Abu Dis or Ramallah — where most other countries conduct their relations with the PA. Or they could reopen the Palestinian mission in Washington,” which Mr Trump also closed.

Moshe Phillips: The latest target of anti-Israel academics? The Negev

https://www.jns.org/opinion/the-latest-target-of-anti-israel-academics-the-negev/

The same leftist activists who demand that Israel expel “illegal” Jewish settlers simultaneously insist that Israel not expel Bedouin squatters.

Critics of Israel on America’s campuses have a new battle cry: Israeli development of the Negev Desert is a war crime!

On Oct. 27, two prestigious institutions—the City University of New York (CUNY) Graduate Center and New York University’s Skirball Department of Hebrew and Judaic Studies—will host a Zoom program called “The Negev Bedouin: Emptied Lands and Displaced People.”

If you knew nothing else about the program, the title alone makes it obvious that a verdict of “guilty” has been decided in advance by this academic kangaroo court. Without even presenting and weighing the evidence, the organizers and speakers have already declared Israel is guilty of cruelly “displacing” the local residents and “emptying” the region.

To make matters worse, the CUNY division that has organized the program is its Center for the Study of the Holocaust, Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity. The center has decided that Israel’s development of the Negev is a deed so foul that it deserves to be included under the rubric of “the Holocaust, genocide and crimes against humanity.”

KIRK COUSINS, NFL QUARTERBACK LOVES ISRAEL

https://www.facebook.com/StandWithUs/videos/nfl-quarterback-kirk-cousins-loves-israel/781457105723506/

NFL Quarterback Kirk Cousins talks about his love for the
Jewish people and Israel while congratulating graduates of the Jewish Student Union.

UNRWA’s deceitful ploys to stifle Israeli truth-telling By Ruthie Blum  

https://www.jpost.com/opinion/unrwas-deceitful-ploys-to-silence-erdans-truths-on-israel-opinion-681411
Given the nature and mission of United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), it shouldn’t have come as a surprise that Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan was prevented on Monday from entering the General Assembly hall with a prop proving the point he intended to make at a meeting about the organization.
The item was a poster illustrating the antisemitic views of an UNRWA school teacher in Gaza by praising Adolf Hitler. Erdan had equipped himself with the placard to refute the statements he knew were going to be made by UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini.

He had good reason to want to come prepared with visual evidence. The corrupt body, whose ill-deserved status as an agency for “refugees” keeps it in financial cover, continues to employ educators who regularly incite terrorism against Jews, both in the classroom and on social media.

This was one key impetus for the decision by the administration of former US president Donald Trump in 2018 to cut America’s entire aid budget to UNRWA. In the first place, the bloated agency has spent the many decades since its inception perpetuating the “refugee crisis,” rather than using its mandate to settle the approximately 600,000 “persons whose normal place of residence was Palestine during the period 1 June 1946 to 15 May 1948, and who lost both home and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 conflict [Israel’s War of Independence].”

Meretz’s pilgrimage to Ramallah Ruthie Blum

https://www.jns.org/opinion/meretzs-pilgrimage-to-ramallah/

 If anything illustrates the farcical nature of the current makeup of the government in Jerusalem, it’s the parley in Ramallah on Sunday evening between Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas and a delegation of Israel’s Meretz Party, headed by Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz.

Horowitz didn’t even bother to obscure his exit from a meeting of the ministerial committee on fighting the coronavirus, which hadn’t convened since the end of August, in order to make his appointment at the Muqata. But then, his role as the country’s most senior official charged with handling the pandemic is secondary to his true ambition: Palestinian statehood by way of an Israeli withdrawal to the 1947 armistice lines.

Ditto for the two Meretz members—Regional Cooperation Minister Esawi Frej and faction head Knesset member Michal Rozin—who accompanied him. The purpose of their little gathering was twofold.

Firstly, it was to show their voters that, despite their party’s sitting in a coalition with and under politicians traditionally from the right, it’s still committed to Israeli capitulation at all costs. Secondly, it was to signal to Abbas that he has the power to achieve their shared goal.

In one respect, he’s correct. Every party in the coalition possesses the leverage to cause it to fall.
But just like any of the strange bedfellows able to use this option as a threat, none has the desire to follow through with it. They all realize that in such an event, what awaits them on the “day after” is political exile.
In the meantime, each enjoys a degree of freedom from facing the electorate for a fifth time in two-and-a-half years. And Meretz is milking its ability to go against the wishes of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and discuss policy with Holocaust denier Abbas—a “pay for slay” terrorism instigator who’s been refusing to engage in talks with Israel since 2014.

Biden Ignores Palestinian Support For Terrorists by Bassam Tawil

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/17822/palestinian-support-terrorists

The Biden administration’s talk about achieving a “two-state solution” does not seem to impress many Palestinians. They believe, according to a recent public opinion poll, that this solution is no longer practical or feasible. These Palestinians, the poll found, prefer to wage an “armed struggle” against Israel.

With such views, it is safe to assume that the Palestinian state the Biden administration is hoping to establish alongside Israel will be controlled by Iranian-backed terrorists such as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad…..

The findings of that poll confirmed that a majority of Palestinians continue to see Hamas and other terrorists as their heroes and role models. The results also confirmed that a majority of Palestinians continue to believe that violence and terrorism are the best and only way to deal with Israel.

Their demand reveals that an overwhelming majority of Palestinians have no confidence in Abbas and are likely to reject any peace agreement he signs with Israel. First, anyone who signs a peace deal with Israel will be regarded as a traitor and rewarded the same ill-starred way as Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, who signed a peace treaty with Israel and was assassinated. It is a consequence with which Abbas is acquainted.

Those who continue to talk about a “two-state solution” are not only deluding themselves, but also endangering the security of the Middle East by seeking to establish yet another terrorist state, especially so soon after the debacle of the U.S. surrender to the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Despite the decision by the Biden administration to resume financial aid to the Palestinians and work toward reviving the “peace process” with Israel, most Palestinians continue to support Hamas, the Palestinian terrorist group that does not recognize Israel’s right to exist.

The Biden administration’s talk about achieving a “two-state solution” does not seem to impress many Palestinians. They believe, according to a recent public opinion poll, that this solution is no longer practical or feasible. These Palestinians, the poll found, prefer to wage an “armed struggle” against Israel.

In his recent speech before the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly, U.S. President Joe Biden, expressing his administration’s policy toward the Israeli-Arab conflict, said:

“The commitment of the United States to Israel’s security is without question. And a support – our support for an independent, Jewish state is unequivocal. But I continue to believe that a two-state solution is the best way to ensure Israel – Israel’s future as a Jewish, democratic state living in peace alongside a viable, sovereign, and democratic Palestinian state.”

Ironically, on the same day Biden that delivered his speech at the UN General Assembly, another public opinion poll published by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research on September 21 again showed that many Westerners are clueless about the real attitudes of the Palestinian public.

The findings of that poll confirmed that a majority of Palestinians continue to see Hamas and other terrorists as their heroes and role models. The results also confirmed that a majority of Palestinians continue to believe that violence and terrorism are the best and only way to deal with Israel.

With such views, it is safe to assume that the Palestinian state the Biden administration is hoping to establish alongside Israel will be controlled by Iranian-backed terrorists such as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, whose declared goal is to replace Israel with an Islamist state after killing or expelling as many Jews as possible from their homeland.

GOOD NEWS FROM AMAZING ISRAEL FROM MICHAEL ORDMAN

www.verygoodnewsisrael.blogspot.com 

Israel is the most libeled democracy in the world. To challenge the lies of Israel’s antagonists Michael Ordman compiles a dazzling list of Israeli achievements in every field of human endeavor. In his words:

“Israel’s universal positive impact continues at fast pace. They include Covid-19 treatments, anti-bacterial breakthroughs, and 3D-printed blood vessels. There are major benefits to the disabled, anti-racist education, diverse flora, agricultural training and relief for the disadvantaged Vietnamese. Technical achievements include more vegan meat, electric vehicle battery life, cybersecurity, electronic skin and navigation without GPS.  International investment in Israeli startups is at an unprecedented level.”

 

ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
 
HIV therapy counters Covid-19. Israeli-managed Code Pharma developed its Codivir treatment for HIV at its Israeli R&D center. It has just completed a successful Phase 1 trial in Brazil for using Codivir against the coronavirus and has applied to start a Phase 2 trial on 150 patients in Israel, Spain, Brazil and South Africa.
https://www.jpost.com/health-and-wellness/israeli-scientists-say-their-antiviral-drug-could-stop-covid-19-679437
 
IDF medics’ home care for Covid patients. Doctors and nurses currently serving in the IDF have commenced the “Hand-in-hand” initiative. Coronavirus patients are transferred from hospital to home-based care. They are monitored remotely from a command center, with at least once-a-day on-site visits from medical personnel.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/313640
 
Covid update from BGU. Useful webinar on coronavirus mutations and the booster shots from two leading Ben Gurion University experts – Prof. Nadav Davidovitch, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., and Dr. Anat Rosenthal, Ph.D.
https://americansforbgu.org/video/webinar-covid-update/#
 
Good bacteria to kill bad bacteria. Scientists at Tel Aviv University have enabled friendly bacteria to attack bad bacteria with toxins and neutralize them. They programmed safe bacteria to attack only specific pathogens, using the Type 6 Secretion system that germs use to destroy cells.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-antibacterial-weapon-arms-good-germs-to-kill-bad-germs/
 
US approval for bacteria vs virus test. Israel’s MeMed Diagnostics (see here previously) has received US FDA clearance for its MeMed BV blood test that can distinguish, in minutes, between bacterial and viral infections. It can help prevent the inappropriate use of antibiotics that leads to antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israels-memed-gets-fda-approval-for-breakthrough-infection-test/
 
3D printed blood vessels from plant leaves. Scientists at Israel’s Technion Institute have succeeded in 3D printing a network of blood vessels that can provide blood to implanted tissues. The collagen used in the printing process was derived from tobacco plants and made by Israel’s Collplant.
https://www.jpost.com/science/the-future-of-personalized-medicine-technion-team-built-blood-tree-from-scratch-679872  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omKrw_eYIFI
 
74 new cancer research grants. The Israel Cancer Research Fund (ICRF) has announced 74 new cancer research grants valued at over $4.6 million, that will be funded in 2021/22.
https://www.jpost.com/health-and-wellness/israel-cancer-research-fund-receives-74-new-grants-679387
https://www.icrfonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/2021-Funded-Grant-Synopses-as-of-9.1.21.pdf
 
Eli explains CPR. United Hatzalah CEO Eli Beer gives another of his straight-forward step-by-step guides – this time to CPR which could save a life if an EMT failed to arrive in the 3 minutes that United Hatzalah target.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J36Bbr1MGpA

Annex Judea and Samaria Judea and Samaria should be returned to their rightful owners. Amil Imani

https://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/23228

When we dig into history books, we can hardly find people or countries that have gone out of existence for as long as 2,000 years and then reappeared and been reborn. Thus, it is indeed accurate to say that the rebirth of Israel, this beautiful ancient culture, people and the land is truly a miracle from God.

I believe time has come for Israel to unite all Israel. Historically and biblically, both Judea and Samaria have been undeniably part of the heritage of the Jewish people. They belonged to Israel 2000 years ago as they belong to Israel now. Arabs have absolutely no historic ties to Judea and Samaria. Historic ties are what your base assertions to a geographic area.

Annexation of these two historical Jewish lands, will stipulate a strong and well-defined standing for West Bank Arabs. Simultaneously, the so-called Palestinians, will have no motive to have their own county. Israeli equal justice under the law will apply to all people. All terrorists’ infrastructures will be eradicated. The residents of those regions will be subjected to Israeli rules and regulation and will be dealt with in the same fashion that all countries deal with domestic insurgent, treachery and lawless organizations.

“The Jewish people didn’t wake up one day saying ‘Jews are connected to the Land of Israel’. The whole story, the history and the destiny of the Jewish people, is geared toward the idea that we were there and we are coming back.”

Let us clarify this now and forever, historically or otherwise, there has never been a Palestinian state, nor political body that is owned by Palestinians. According to the advancement of international agreements from 1917 until 1947, the land of Israel, renamed Palestine by the Romans in the 2nd century. It was later divided into three states: Jordan, Jewish and Arab state. While the Jews swallowed this excruciating deal, shrinking the size of their ancestral land by over 75%, the Arabs snubbed and rejected it all together. As a result, the Arabs launched an invasion against the newly established State of Israel in 1948. Jordan managed to occupy the area of Judea and Samaria and illegitimately annexed it.

The false accusation of “Israel apartheid” South Africa’s uniquely evil regime has been maliciously twisted into a uniquely evil lie Melanie Phillips

https://melaniephillips.substack.com

The campaign to demonise and delegitimise Israel has recently moved into a higher gear with the increased use of one particularly vicious falsehood.

This is the claim that Israel is an apartheid state.

The claim is as fatuous as it is pernicious. Apartheid was the name given to South Africa’s systematic oppression of its black inhabitants who were denied political, civic and human rights.

By contrast, Arab Israeli citizens have fully equal rights. They study in Israel’s universities; enjoy Israel’s beaches and parks; receive equal treatment as patients in Israel’s hospitals and work there as doctors and other medical staff; serve as members of the armed forces and as judges; and are represented by members of Knesset who are currently lynch-pins in Israel’s governing coalition.

Those Arabs who live in the disputed territories don’t have Israeli rights — for the very good reason that they aren’t Israeli citizens. They have no civic entitlements purely because the status of those territories remains unsettled as a result of Palestinian Arab rejectionism and violence — and because Arab states regard them as a nuisance preferably to be ignored.

The “Israel apartheid” smear, however ludicrous, isn’t new. It has its roots in the infamous 1975 “Zionism is Racism” UN resolution. Although that was revoked in 1991, it was resurrected at the scarcely-less infamous UN conference in Durban in 2001.

At that anti-Jewish hate-fest, the NGO forum referred to “Israel’s brand of apartheid and ethnic cleansing methods” to justify advocating “a policy of complete and total isolation of Israel”. This spawned the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement and launched a propaganda campaign against “apartheid Israel,” resulting in grotesque campus “Israel apartheid” weeks.

The Real Palestinian ‘Heroes’: Terrorists by Bassam Tawil

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/17764/palestinian-heroes-terrorists

As far as [Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud] Abbas and the PA leadership are concerned, any Palestinian who joins the jihad (holy war) against Israel and Jews and gets killed, wounded or imprisoned is a “hero” and a “freedom fighter.” This is the same PA that the Biden administration is now working to strengthen.

This approach by the PA leadership has sent a message to generation after generation among the Palestinians that the murder or injuring of a Jew is a noble deed that earns the perpetrator boundless respect – even adoration.

This is the theater of the absurd, where a senior Palestinian official condemns Israel for making an effort to recapture convicted terrorists who murdered and injured several Jews and are serving lengthy sentences. Israel, according to this official, should stand aside while terrorists escape from prison and return to murdering Jews.

What Abbas, the PLO and Fatah have been saying – in Arabic – about the terrorists over the past few days reveals the Biden administration’s talk about reviving the Israeli-Palestinian peace process for what it really is: a fatal phantasm.

Under such circumstances, how could Abbas – or any Palestinian leader – ever return to the negotiating table with Israel, regardless of how many hundreds of millions of dollars the Biden administration decides to waste on the Palestinians’ worthless words.

While many international media outlets focused their attention on the escape of six Palestinian inmates from an Israeli prison on September 6, as well as the ensuing dramatic manhunt launched by thousands of Israeli police officers and soldiers, only a few – if any – reported on the Palestinian Authority (PA) leadership’s ongoing glorification of terrorists.