Chit Chat

By Peloni

From now on comments on every post must relate to the content of the post.

Comments that don’t relate to the post must go here.

Any person who contravenes this demand will be put on moderation. Also their offending comment will be trashed.

The reason for this demand is so that people who want to read comments which pertain to the post, don’t have to wade through the chatter.

Everyone will be happier.

April 16, 2020 | 9,205 Comments »

Leave a Reply

47 Comments / 9205 Comments

  1. Hi, Peloni

    We are having some technical issues and I have someone looking into the matter currently.

    I can appreciate the problem. I replaced my computer in September with Windows!!, and have had a stream of problems with moving and finding files ever since.

    BTW, does anyone on Israpundit know of a useful file shredding ap that can handle “too long filename” files?

    • @Michael
      Thanks. We are still posting articles, but we can’t send out the News Letter yet.

      The too long file names is problematic, actually manipulating them in general is difficult. I found that out the hard way many years ago. Unfortunately, I never solved that problem.

  2. Today’s News Letter will be delayed. We are having some technical issues and I have someone looking into the matter currently.

    I apologize for the emails which were sent out earlier today, all of which were repeats of old News Letters.

    I will keep you apprised when this delay has been resolved.

  4. Caroline Glick on FB:

    ? If “Palestine Always Existed,” Why Did Egypt Only Write About Israel?

    I’m looking for a good, logical explanation from the “always was Palestine, always will be Palestine” crowd for this one as well.

    If you’re still skeptical after I showed you ancient Jewish winepresses and Jewish purity baths carved into the land more than 2,000 years ago, let’s keep looking at more evidence.

    Not in Jewish texts.
    Not in Israeli archaeology.
    Not in Zionist books.

    Let’s check the records of other civilizations who lived in this region.
    For example… the ancient Egyptians.

    Let’s walk through the evidence Egypt left behind.
    Egyptian scribes carving their own history into stone.

    ? Berlin Pedestal Fragment
    On this fragment, Egypt lists three enemies: Canaan, Ashkelon, and Israel.
    A people living in the land of Canaan more than 3,000 years ago.

    ? Amenhotep
    On the temple inscription of Amenhotep, Egypt mentions the Shasu connected to the name of the God of Israel (the explicit name).
    This is the earliest outside reference to the Israelite God.
    Egypt knew these people.
    Egypt knew where they lived.

    ? Anastasi
    Papyrus Anastasi describes nomadic groups entering Egypt.
    Once again, it names the Shasu tied to that same divine name (the explicit name).
    This is an Egyptian document placing Israelite tribes in this region long before Rome, long before Athens, long before any concept of a Palestinian nation.

    ? Merneptah
    The famous stele of Merneptah is the oldest mention of Israel in world history.
    Egypt boasts of defeating Israel.
    But here is the part you cannot ignore.
    You can only brag about defeating a people who are already here.

    ? Shishak
    Pharaoh Shishak carved more than one hundred and fifty towns he attacked in the kingdoms of Israel and Judah.
    These towns still exist on the map today.
    You can stand in them.
    You can walk their streets.
    You can dig and find Jewish life beneath your feet.

    ?

    ? A quick note about “Palestine” and the Philistines

    Some people try to use the word “Peleset” (Philistines) in Egyptian texts as “proof” of an ancient Palestinian people.

    But the Philistines were:

    • Aegean Sea Peoples
    • Non-Arab
    • Non-Semitic
    • Worshippers of Dagon and Baal Zebub
    • Pig-eaters (archaeology confirms this)
    • Settlers of only five coastal cities

    They disappeared over 2,500 years ago.
    Modern Palestinians are not their descendants, and no historian claims this.

    Egypt mentioning “Peleset” has nothing to do with modern Palestinian identity. It simply refers to the ancient Philistines, foreigners who came from the Aegean and vanished long ago.

    ?

    Respectfully – if this land had always been an Arab Muslim country called Palestine, how do you explain the fact that Egypt, a foreign empire with no incentive to defend Jewish history, repeatedly describes Israelite people and Israelite towns in this exact land more than 3,000 years ago?

    Why exactly would Egyptian scribes document the Jewish people in the land of “Palestine”? It doesn’t make sense – unless Jews were here thousands of years before 1948.

    I’ll wait.

    https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BnMFca9ps/?mibextid=wwXIfr

  6. Happy Thanksgiving, Israpundits, American or not. My late Jubu mother used to hand out paper and pens and asked everyone to list ten things they were grateful for even when we went to other people’s homes without their names. She made a game of it. They would be rolled up with a rubber band, mixed up in a basket, and everyone would take turns reading one. People would then try to guess who wrote what. There were no winners or losers; it was a pointless game (point less get it? 😀 ) The last time I attended a Thanksgiving dinner, some years ago, I put down that I was grateful Trump got elected, the room exploded and the evening careened to a crashing end as the offended parties got up in a huff and left. No such restrictions here.

    I used to find it annoying but when I woke up this morning, I thought of my five senses and it gave me pause.

    I should also say that on the handful of occasions I have attended Shabbat beginner’s services, I have noticed that the siddurs, the prayer books, seemed to be pretty much just saying, “Thank You, Thank You, Thank You” over and over.

    Can you name ten things you are grateful for
    this year?

    1

    • Mr. Zorn, you said, “The last time I attended a Thanksgiving dinner, some years ago, I put down that I was grateful Trump got elected, the room exploded, and the evening careened to a crashing end as the offended parties got up in a huff and left.”

      I experienced the same this past week, when a family member was watching the news, and they reported Mr. Trump telling/asking a reporter if they were an idiot or retarded for asking a stupid question. This 35-year-old college-educated with a Master’s degree plus – begin to share how horrible Trump was for talking to a reporter like that. I suggested they (reporters) have it coming after how they have treated him for the past 8 plus years. She suggested that as President, he should take the abuse and remain respectful. I said, but that is what we love about him,…. he doesn’t let it go – he gives it back to them. At that point, she just ended the conversation. I said, but you’re not seeing the other side of the issue. She said there was no other side, repeated that the conversation was over, and got up and left the room. You gottta love those social justice warriors(SJWs) and their TDS disability.

  7. @Michael Talk about putting its money where its mouth is; speaking of ‘wich, will you be eating Turkey for dinner or will you be pardoning it for Thanksgiving.

    “Pardoning a turkey is the annual tradition of the President of the United States granting a presidential pardon to a turkey, saving it from being eaten for Thanksgiving dinner. While presidents have occasionally spared turkeys in the past, the modern tradition was formalized by President George H.W. Bush in 1989, and the pardoned turkeys are now sent to live out their lives on a farm.
    History of the tradition
    Early roots: The custom of sparing a turkey may have begun as far back as the Civil War when President Abraham Lincoln reportedly spared a turkey at his son Tad’s request.
    Formalization: Presidents John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan did pardon turkeys, but the annual, public ceremony became an official tradition under President George H.W. Bush in 1989. Bush officially granted a pardon, saying the turkey would “live out his days on a children’s farm”.
    Modern practice: Since 1989, each president has continued the ceremony, with a “National Thanksgiving Turkey” being chosen each year and sent to a farm after the pardon.
    Why it’s significant
    Symbolic forgiveness: The pardon is a symbolic act of clemency that can be seen as representing public forgiveness.
    Americana: The ritual has become a quirky and memorable part of American presidential and Thanksgiving lore.
    Animal welfare: The pardoned turkeys are spared from becoming part of the Thanksgiving meal and are sent to live out their natural lives. “

    AI Overview

    1

    • @Michael

      This just demonstrates the reason why Turkey is in the NATO alliance. Its geographic importance can not be emphasized enough, and this is true no matter the character or nature of its leadership, which is nonetheless quite odious.

      The problem with Turkey is that it appreciates its own import, and uses it against friend and foe alike, and the very identity of which nations sit on which list also fluctuates nearly daily because of this fact.

      • Thank you, Peloni.

        I appreciate your note about Turkey’s geograqphic importance. Specifically, Istanbul’s commanding position on the Eastern Mediterranean – Aegean Sea – Black Sea corridor. Whoever dominates Istaanbul (formerly, Constantinople, and before that Byzantium) has always been the major power in the area — from the Greeks to the Persians to the Venetians to the Turks.

        Turkey has most recently cemented its alliance with Poland and Ukraine; and through an agreement with Lybia it threatens the opposing Israel-Cyprus-Greece alliance and their ambition to control natural gas supplies to Europe through Italy.

        Istanbul also has a strong presence in the Red Sea-Suez shipping corridor, through ports in Sudan and Djibouti, and threatens Israel with a Muslim Brothrhood connection., and should benefit from Azerbaijan and Armenia’s latest Western-oriented peace agreement..

        • @Michael

          “Turkey has most recently cemented its alliance with Poland and Ukraine; and through an agreement with Lybia it threatens the opposing Israel-Cyprus-Greece alliance and their ambition to control natural gas supplies to Europe through Italy.”

          Sounds like one more reason not to be supportive of the Ukraine or for that matter, Poland. Did you see news of the antisemitic rant of a Polish parliament member?

          • @Michael
            @Sebastien
            Great points made by both of you. I entirely agree. Turkey’s relevance can not be ignored, but its actions demand that its capabilities be limited. This creates a significant competition for the West in dealing with Turkey. Notably, without Qatar’s financial support Turkey could pursue none of its geopolitical moves described here. This only reinforces the need for the US to take control over Qatar, rather than promoting it as a peaceful, friendly partner, none of which is remotely supportable by anyone not purposefully deceiving themselves and other of the truth about that Jihadi oriented nation.

  12. The left emphasized that “America First” was the name of Charles Lindburg’s group while ignoring the fact that during the same period, “Social Justice” was the name of Father Coughlin’s magazine. Coughlin was a Democrat. Lindburg was a Republican.

  13. @Michael I looked it up right before I read your commentas I had just read this:

    Marjorie Taylor Greene is feuding with Donald Trump. Could she win over Jewish Democrats?
    Greene has pushed for the release of the Epstein files — and advanced conspiracy theories about Israel in the process.

    As the U.S. House prepared this week to take a pivotal vote to force the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, one leading Jewish Democrat had words of praise for a prominent MAGA diehard who helped make the vote possible.

    “This is a party that’s got room for Marjorie Taylor Greene, if she wants to come over,” Rep. Jamie Raskin told a group of Florida Democrats on Monday. “We got room for anybody who wants to stand up for the Constitution and for the Bill of Rights today.”

    Raskin wasn’t the only influential Jewish Democrat to have recently offered praise for Greene, the far-right Georgia congresswoman with a history of conspiratorial remarks about Jews, Israel and antisemitism.

    Last month California Sen. Adam Schiff, who had called Greene part of the “lunatic fringe” when she first entered Congress in 2021, released a short video titled “I agree with… MTG?” The issue they agreed on, Schiff said, was rising healthcare costs, which Jewish Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer also said Greene was “absolutely right” about. Such Democratic praise came as a growing number of Jewish Republicans, including Florida Rep. Randy Fine, have taken the opposite tack and more forcefully denounced Greene as an antisemite.

    Such praise for Greene from unexpected corners comes as she is generating positive press for her recent public break with President Donald Trump, which helped spur all but one Republican to ultimately vote on Tuesday to release the Epstein files.

    Trump formally withdrew his support for Greene last week, calling her a “RINO,” or Republican in name only, and saying he is willing to support a primary challenge against her.

    In recent days Greene, amid her escalating split from the president she once fervently supported, has made the media rounds. She told CNN she was “committed to ending the toxic politics” and told Bill Maher that “I didn’t even know the Rothschilds were Jewish” when she made a now-infamous 2018 Facebook post blaming California wildfires on a space laser she said was funded by the Jewish banking family. Joy Behar of “The View,” like Raskin, urged her to become a Democrat, to wild audience applause.

    Yet some Jewish groups are still urging caution when it comes to dealing with the onetime QAnon adherent.

    “Marjorie Taylor Greene’s repudiation of Donald Trump – whether on the Epstein files or healthcare subsidies – isn’t something Democrats had on our 2025 bingo card. Her separation from MAGA, however, doesn’t erase her years of political extremism and dangerous lies about Jewish Americans,” Hailie Soifer, head of the Jewish Democratic Council for America, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency in a statement.

    Soifer continued, “If Marjorie Taylor Greene wants to truly distinguish herself from the toxic and divisive politics of Donald Trump, she needs to take meaningful action to repudiate the antisemitic conspiracy theories that she’s previously espoused.”

    The head of Democratic Majority for Israel, a pro-Israel group focused on shoring up the left side of the aisle, also expressed hesitation about Greene’s transformation.

    “Marjorie Taylor Greene’s sudden and supposed change of heart regarding President Trump does not erase her long record of antisemitic rhetoric, her affinity for spreading dangerous conspiracy theories and her clear anti-Israel actions, which have continued through yesterday,” the group’s CEO, Brian Romick, told JTA in a statement on Tuesday. “She is a key part of the troubling trend and embrace of antisemitism coursing through the GOP.”

    Romick specifically pointed out the congresswoman’s record on Israel.

    “Greene has consistently voted and spoken out against providing critical support and resources for Israel to defend itself,” Romick said. “There should be no room for antisemitism, her dangerous views on Israel, or reckless conspiracy theories in either political party.”

    The discussion around Greene has renewed speculation about the political future for an outspoken member of Congress who still believes disproven theories that the 2020 election was stolen and is the rare Republican to publicly accuse Israel of genocide in Gaza.

    The Anti-Defamation League had, in years past, been one of the Jewish groups most loudly sounding the alarm on Greene. A spokesperson for the ADL declined to comment on Greene for this story.

    In 2021, as Greene was being stripped of committee assignments over her promulgation of conspiracy theories, including antisemitic ones, ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said that Greene “literally is breaking new ground in antisemitism, stringing together so many crazy ideas it’s hard to keep track.” The following year he also called her remarks comparing then-President Joe Biden to Hitler “disgraceful”.

    On her rehabilitation tour, Greene has made no effort to signal any change in her thinking on Israel or antisemitism. Even the issue that Greene has taken up as her main breaking point with Trump — Epstein — has in her hands become fodder for more conspiracy theories about Israel.

    “It really makes you wonder what is in those files and who and what country is putting so much pressure on him?” Greene wrote about Trump on X last week as she pushed for the Epstein files release. She attached a screenshot of a donations page from the pro-Israel lobbying giant AIPAC.

    When asked about the tweet later on CNN, Greene was even more explicit about what she was saying.

    “We saw Jeffrey Epstein with ties to Ehud Barak,” she said, referring to documented links between the sex trafficker and the former Israeli prime minister, who visited Epstein’s townhouse on multiple occasions. “We saw him making business deals with them. Also, business deals that involved the Israeli government and seems to have led into their intel agencies. And I think the right question to ask is, was Jeffrey Epstein working for Israel?”

    Greene again asserted that Trump was acting on behalf of a foreign power during a press conference with Epstein survivors Tuesday morning, before the House vote.

    “He called me a traitor for standing with these women and refusing to take my name off the discharge petition,” Greene said about Trump while flanked by survivors. “Let me tell you what a traitor is. A traitor is an American who serves foreign countries and themselves.”

    Greene also isn’t trying to bury her past association with Nick Fuentes, the antisemitic podcaster whose recent interview with Tucker Carlson has spurred broader fears about his “groyper” movement’s hold on the GOP.

    In the same CNN interview with Jewish anchor Dana Bash, Greene declined to condemn Carlson’s decision to interview Fuentes. “I don’t believe in canceling people,” Greene said, also reminding viewers that she herself had spoken at a Fuentes-organized conference in 2022.

    Greene is close with Carlson, appearing on his show the week before Fuentes and backing recent insinuations promoted by Carlson and Candace Owens that Israel may have played a role in the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. And she has offered some Israel-centric conspiracy theories of her own.

    In May Greene suggested that the Mossad, Israel’s intelligence services, may have played a role in John F. Kennedy’s assassination. And in an August interview with conservative personality Megyn Kelly, Greene further stated, “Israel is the only country I know of that has some sort of incredible influence and control over nearly every single one of my colleagues. And I don’t know how to explain it.”

    Greene has also advanced talking points circulated by far-right Christians. Last year she opposed a House bill to define antisemitism on the grounds that it “could convict Christians of antisemitism for believing the Gospel that says Jesus was handed over to Herod to be crucified by the Jews.”

    At least one Democratic lawmaker embracing Greene publicly says he is still treading carefully.

    In a statement to JTA, Raskin — whose remarks in Florida seemingly welcoming Greene were met with some boos — outlined more specifically what he would need to see from her in order to bring her into the fold.

    “Before I would welcome Rep. Greene or any other leaders who might flee from Trump’s autocratic personality cult,” he told JTA, “I would of course want to see them repudiate all the forms of authoritarianism, antisemitism, racism, transphobia and bigotry that they have promoted as Republicans and that have become so intertwined with the MAGA Republican brand under Trump.”

    Raskin added, “I have real hope that a whole lot of my colleagues will continue to evolve away from the dangerous and divisive swamps of MAGA politics.”

    https://www.jta.org/2025/11/19/politics/marjorie-taylor-greene-is-feuding-with-donald-trump-could-she-win-over-jewish-democrats

      • @Michael

        “These are results for will marjorie taylor greene resign
        Search instead for will marjorie teylor greene resign
        AI Overview

        +1
        Yes, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene will resign from Congress, stating her last day will be January 5, 2026. Her resignation follows a public falling out with President Trump, who had vowed to support a challenger in her next election. She also mentioned wanting to avoid a “hateful primary” and the timing was chosen to meet the five-year service requirement for a congressional pension.
        Reason for resignation: Greene cited a public dispute with President Trump as a primary reason for her resignation, stating she did not want her district to endure a primary against her where the president would endorse a challenger. She also expressed a desire to not be a “battered wife” in the political arena, according to NPR.
        Last day: She has announced her last day will be January 5, 2026, which is just enough time to meet the five-year service requirement for a congressional pension.
        Impact: Her resignation will create a vacant seat in Congress, which will affect the Republican party’s already fragile majority. “

        • Hi, Sebastien

          I have not been follolowing the noise out of DC –Epstein, MTG, etc. We are currently on the brink of war with (Russwo-Sino-Iranian ally) Venezuela, a consequence of the 1823 Monroe Doctrine. Our first president, George Washington, wisely advised us not to waste our time getting involoved in Old World squabbles (like the innumerable Middle East wars). You are keenly interested in upholding Russia against Ukraine, and keeping a wary eye on Turkey (which you ought to do – cf. Ezekiel 38-39). That is your business, not America’s, certainly at least at the moment. Kol hakavod!

          • @Michael Imagine if The Palestinian Arab store owner who called the cops on George Floyd for passing a counterfeit bill had been Jewish. Imagine if Epstein hadn’t been?

  16. Avi Abelow on FB

    For years, we’ve been told that we are “conspiracy theorists”. There is no deep state elites. The Supreme Court, the Justice system, and all justice officials, are above critique. They are the “guardians of justice”. To trust a system that so many of us could see was broken, corrupt and held a different standard towards their own ideological kin.

    But now, the truth we’ve been shouting for years is finally breaking through.

    Channel 14’s Tamir Morag said it best:

    “There isn’t a single person in the left-wing camp who doesn’t understand that the Attorney General is, at the very least, neck-deep in a conflict of interest in the Sde Teiman prison video affair.

    Many of them also understand that we’re talking about a corrupt public official.

    But not one of them says a word.

    All of them, those whose mouths are full of talk about the ‘rule of law,’ those who burned down the country in the name of that principle (the anti-judicial reform protest movement) are now closing ranks to defend the Attorney General. A political camp with zero integrity. The whole truth is coming out.”

    And he’s right. When it serves their agenda, they cry “rule of law.” But when that same law exposes their own, suddenly their silence is deafening.

    The hypocrisy is staggering, and more Israelis today see it, as it is literally playing out real time like a crazy movie in front of our eyes (Military Attorney General fakes a suicide, gets rid of her phone, is freed from jail to house arrest – all things that were never allowed for those who helped Netanyahu and were persecuted by the Justice system, for things no way comparable to her spreading a video creating the worst global blood libel against Jews in all of history, and then admitting to covering up for being responsible for it)

    This isn’t about left or right anymore. It’s about truth. About justice. About a country where no one should be above the law, not politicians, not left-wing political activists, not justice officials, not anyone.

    Israel was built on courage, fairness, and moral strength. We can’t let a handful of deep state elites twist those values to protect themselves.

    That’s why more Israelis than ever today understand the need for real, comprehensive judicial reform. Because we deserve a system that serves the people, not the deep state elite.

    The mask is off. The truth can’t be hidden anymore.

    And the people of Israel are waking up.

    We are in the beginning of the process of freeing the nation from these unelected officials, to return the direction of the country to the will of the people.

    Am Yisrael Chai!!!

  18. AI Overview
    Governor Hochul has not directly addressed Mamdani’s anti-Zionist stance, but in her endorsement of him, she acknowledged that they have had disagreements, which she mentioned included concerns about Israel. She also highlighted that Mamdani has been meeting with Jewish community leaders to address their concerns, and she expressed a desire to work together to ensure all New Yorkers feel safe.
    Acknowledged disagreements: In a statement, Hochul stated that she and Mamdani have had their disagreements, mentioning that their discussions have included “crucial concerns like Israel”.
    Cited positive action: She has specifically praised Mamdani for meeting with Jewish community leaders across the city to “listen and address their concerns directly”.
    Expressed goal of safety: Hochul has stated her goal to “work together to make sure New Yorkers of all faiths feel safe and welcome in New York City”.
    Focused on common goals: While acknowledging their political differences, she framed her endorsement around their shared goal of creating a “safe affordable New York City

  20. AI Overview

    +11
    New York Governor Kathy Hochul has consistently expressed strong support for Israel, particularly following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack. Her stance has been demonstrated through public rallies, a solidarity visit to Israel, policy actions, and more recent statements that have also addressed the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
    Initial response and solidarity (2023)
    Immediate condemnation: In the immediate aftermath of the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, Hochul issued a statement declaring that “New York stands steadfast in support of our neighbors in the State of Israel” and condemned the “abhorrent attacks from Hamas terrorists”.
    Solidarity trip: Later that month, she traveled to Israel on a “solidarity mission,” where she met with diplomatic leaders and communities affected by the attacks. She visited a kibbutz that had been devastated and spoke with families of hostages.
    Rallies and security: Hochul participated in “New York Stands with Israel” rallies and ordered the New York State Police to increase security at sensitive sites, including Jewish and Muslim houses of worship, acknowledging New York’s large Jewish population.
    Controversial “Canada” analogy (February 2024)
    Context: At a Jewish philanthropy event in February 2024, Hochul made a controversial remark about Israel’s right to self-defense. She stated, “If Canada someday ever attacked Buffalo, I’m sorry, my friends, there would be no Canada the next day”.
    Apology: The comments were widely criticized and prompted an apology from the governor, who admitted the analogy was “inappropriate” and a “poor choice of words”.
    Call for humanitarian aid and peace (July 2025)
    Humanitarian crisis: By July 2025, Hochul’s statements shifted to address the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza. She called the reports of children starving “unconscionable” and urged the Israeli government to ensure “sustained humanitarian aid can reach civilians”.
    Balance of support: While reaffirming her strong support for Israel, she emphasized that this support requires demanding the Israeli government “do what is right.” She also reiterated her demand that Hamas release all hostages.
    Post-hostage release (October 2025)
    Hostage release: Following the return of Israeli hostages in October 2025, Hochul issued a statement celebrating their homecoming. She expressed hope that the release and a permanent ceasefire would allow aid to reach Gaza and that it would mark “the beginning of a new chapter of lasting peace and freedom for Israelis and Palestinians alike”.
    Remembrance: In early October 2025, to mark the two-year anniversary of the October 7 attack, she ordered flags to be flown at half-staff and landmarks to be lit in yellow in remembrance of the victims and the remaining hostages.

    1

    • @Sebastien

      New York Governor Kathy Hochul has consistently expressed strong support for Israel, particularly following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack.

      Try squaring that with the fact that she endorsed the most Jew hating candidate to ever run for Mayor in NYC, or that she endorsed the candidate who supports Hamas, the River to the Sea agenda.

      1

      • @Peloni It was an opportunistic blunder in the eleventh hour that had no practical impact. The governor in NY has more power over NYC than the mayor. If she maintains her policies thus far, he will be powerless to BDS Israel.

        1

        • @Sebastien

          It was an opportunistic blunder in the eleventh hour that had no practical impact.

          Well, perhaps as a native NYer, you are correct in this assessment, but I see that her endorsement granted the radical Islamist Mamdani legitimacy, no less than did the endorsement of Jeffreys and the rest of the cravenly shallow Dem leadership. Do recall that Hochol endorsed Mamdani 7 weeks before his victory, which I do not see as being an 11th hour endorsement. Likewise, I do not see her endorsement being only to the benefit of Hochol.

          What is more, however, the bigger point to be made about Hochol and the rest, related to Mamdani, is not when they actually endorsed him, but that they never actually disowned him. Their timid political calculations did little to despoil their eventual ownership of this political creature, no less despicable than Trump’s refusal to divorce himself from Carlson beyond his describing him as ‘kooky’ on the eve of the bombing of Fordow. Leaders are meant to lead, while politicians follow the masses. In times of great peril as a nation, state or city stands upon the brink of great disaster, should voters be looking to lend their support to someone with a moral compass tied to the latest polls?

          In truth I claim no true insight into the inner workings of NYC nor to NY state, but even from a distance, it is clear that the Dems lack leadership, and Hochol’s caving to support Mamdani seven weeks before his election demonstrates her lack of political resolve to oppose Mamdani as she stands for re election next year, with only a year in which she will try to coalesce Mamdani’s support for her own political future.

          Your response to all of this would be greatly appreciated.

          1

          • @Peloni Well, she has already nixed his taxation scheme. We will continue to see in the coming year. But, if Stefanik becomes governor, her extreme anti-tenant stance in a city with millions of rent-stabilized and rent-controlled tenants combined with her pro-Israel stance will give antisemitism an enormous boost, I predict. Fear will combine with hatred, also exacerbating the upstate downstate fault line which dates back to colonial days. A very dangerous brew. And race baiting. Sharpton is already involved from a pro-tenant standpoint. He led a march in Harlem for Mamdani. He has also spoken at pro-Pal events, I recall, from a long time ago. If he combines the two…

              • @Peloni Indeed, and specific to the responsibilities and powers of the office in question as well as over which issues. Once upon a time (before the madness that began in 2020), and at the same time, I enthusiastically voted for Trump, De Blasio, and Cuomo, quipping that I wouldn’t vote for any of them for any of the other’s job. 😀

                “The devil is in the details,” as the saying goes, and our choice of viable candidates is limited. In different eras, the bundles of issues that were glommed together under one political umbrella were different. For example, in the 19th and early 20th century, the same Progressives who championed the vote for women as well as unions workers and laws protecting tenants and settlement houses, also supported Prohibition and outlawing abortion, and in some cases, eugenics, and advocates of excluding Jews such as Virginia Gildersleeve, Dean of Barnard college from 1911 to 1947 (especially ironic as Barnard was founded and funded by Jewish philanthropist, Annie Nathan Meyer who was opposed, nonetheless to suffrage for women.)

                “Notwithstanding Meyer’s outspoken views, Gildersleeve refused to interfere with student suffragists; indeed, she encouraged faculty and students to engage freely, not only in the fight for suffrage, but in all the political movements of the day. In contrast to Vassar, with its ban on all suffrage activity, Gildersleeve’s Barnard boasted a chapter of the New York State Woman Suffrage League and an openly acknowledged Socialist League. ”

                https://magazine.columbia.edu/article/virginia-gildersleeve-opening-gates

              • @Peloni Indeed, and specific to the responsibilities and powers of the office in question as well as over which issues. Once upon a time (before the madness that began in 2020), and at the same time, I enthusiastically voted for Trump, De Blasio, and Cuomo, quipping that I wouldn’t vote for any of them for any of the other’s job. 😀

                “The devil is in the details,” as the saying goes, and our choice of viable candidates is limited. In different eras, the bundles of issues that were glommed together under one political umbrella were different. For example, in the 19th and early 20th century, the same Progressives who championed the vote for women as well as unions workers and laws protecting tenants and settlement houses, also supported Prohibition and outlawing abortion, and in some cases, eugenics, and advocates of excluding Jews such as Pro-Suffrage Virginia Gildersleeve, Dean of Barnard college from 1911 to 1947 (especially ironic as Barnard was founded and funded by Jewish philanthropist, Annie Nathan Meyer who was opposed, nonetheless to suffrage for women unlike her sister.)

                1

      • @Peloni

        Over the years, there have been repeated attempts by the state legislature to scale back mayoral control. In 2022, Governor Kathy Hochul proposed extending mayoral control in NYC schools for another four years, but lawmakers approved it for only two years.[46] In 2024, Mayor Adams and Governor Hochul again proposed a four-year extension of mayoral control, but the legislature approved only a two-year extension.[47] As a result, the question of whether to continue mayoral control will be up for debate again in 2026.

        https://manhattan.institute/article/the-case-for-mayoral-control-in-new-york-city-education
        My comment:
        We should lobby state legislators to revoke mayoral control.

        • @Peloni

          AI Overview
          Mayor Mamdani cannot unilaterally implement most of his agenda, including raising taxes or implementing large programs, as these actions require approval from the state legislature and the governor. He also lacks formal power to constrain federal troops but can use his position to support state-level efforts and grassroots organizing. The mayor’s formal powers are limited, especially in financial and federal matters, but he can use his influence to bolster other efforts.
          Limitations on Mayor Mamdani’s power
          Tax and budget: Mamdani cannot unilaterally raise income or corporate taxes. These require the consent of the state legislature and the governor. The only exception is the local property tax, which requires the approval of the mayor and City Council.
          Federal actions: He cannot formally restrict federal troops and agents. His ability to influence federal actions is limited to supporting state-level or grassroots efforts.
          Program implementation: Even with adequate funding, Mamdani cannot implement his programs unilaterally.
          Areas where the Mayor can act
          Bolster existing efforts: As the city’s top official, he can support state-level or grassroots organizing to influence federal actions.
          Local property tax: The mayor and City Council can approve local property tax changes without state approval.
          Influence policy: While he cannot act unilaterally, he can use his position to advocate for his policies and work with other branches of government to gain their approval.

      • @Peloni

        will mayor mamdani have the power to boycott Israel and it’s supporters?

        AI Overview As the mayor of a U.S. city, Zohran Mamdani will not have the power to enact an official city-wide boycott of Israel or its supporters. Federal law reserves the authority to conduct foreign policy for the U.S. President and Congress. Mayors and other local officials have no legal power to establish foreign boycotts that would affect private companies.
        Here’s a breakdown of the legal and political restrictions on Mayor Mamdani’s ability to implement such a boycott:
        Federal preemption and the Commerce Clause
        Federal authority over foreign affairs: The U.S. Constitution grants the President and Congress the exclusive power to regulate foreign affairs and commerce. The Supreme Court has repeatedly held that states and cities cannot create their own foreign policies.
        Federal anti-boycott laws: Federal regulations, including amendments to the Export Administration Act, prohibit U.S. companies from participating in boycotts against countries friendly to the U.S. that are not sanctioned by the U.S. government. These laws were created primarily to counter the Arab League’s boycott of Israel.
        Preemption of local actions: These federal laws and constitutional provisions prevent a mayor from taking official city action to impose a boycott on a foreign country or its companies.
        What a mayor can and cannot do
        While Mayor Mamdani cannot impose an official boycott, he could face pressure from groups like the NYC-Democratic Socialists of America to take actions that would align with the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement. These demands, according to leaked documents, could include:
        Ending city contracts with companies that do business with Israel.
        Divesting city pension funds from Israeli bonds and securities.
        Any such actions, however, would be subject to legal challenges.
        Potential legal challenges: Several states have passed their own anti-BDS laws to block or penalize companies that boycott Israel. [Such as NY State] Though these laws have faced court challenges, they are a powerful political tool against city-level boycott efforts.
        First Amendment rights: The right to engage in political boycotts is protected by the First Amendment. This allows individuals and private groups to organize boycotts. It does not, however, grant a mayor the power to use government authority to enforce a political boycott on a city-wide basis.
        Summary of legal authority
        A U.S. mayor has no legal power to establish or enforce a boycott of a foreign country. Federal law exclusively governs foreign policy and commerce, and attempts by city officials to interfere with foreign relations would face immediate legal challenges. The ability of an official to speak publicly is protected, but official city policy is not determined by the mayor’s personal views.

  21. AI Overview

    +4
    No, Governor Hochul does not support a complete no cash bail system; she has supported and signed into law changes that expand judges’ discretion to set bail for a wider range of crimes, a rollback of the original 2019 reforms. While the current law still prohibits cash bail for many offenses, her amendments have given judges more authority to consider public safety when deciding whether to hold a defendant.
    Original 2019 law: This law eliminated cash bail for many misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies, which Hochul has since partially rolled back.
    Hochul’s changes: She has pushed for and passed legislation to give judges more power to set bail, particularly for individuals charged with certain crimes, such as those committed while armed with a firearm.
    Public safety: These changes were made in response to public and political pressure, with the goal of allowing judges to consider public safety and the risk of re-offending when setting bail.
    Current status: Despite these changes, New York still has a bail system that eliminates cash bail for many offenses, which means it is not a “cashless bail” state in the way some critics describe it, but rather a state with significant bail reform laws that Hochul has been instrumental in modifying.

  22. AI Overview

    +6
    No, Governor Hochul does not want to defund the police; in fact, she has stated the opposite, emphasizing that she “fund[s] the police” and has repeatedly highlighted significant state investments in law enforcement technology and equipment. She has also pushed back against perceived defunding efforts from the federal government.
    “We fund the police”: Hochul has explicitly stated, “We don’t defund the police. We fund the police”.
    Investing in technology and equipment: She has announced and promoted millions of dollars in state funding for local law enforcement to upgrade technology, such as body cameras, and purchase equipment.
    Expanding support: Her proposals have included support for intelligence and agency coordination, as well as funding for crime prevention technology and equipment.
    Opposing federal defunding: Hochul has publicly criticized what she views as federal attempts to defund New York’s homeland security measures and has pledged to fight against such actions.

  23. AI Overview+4 Yes, Governor Hochul is sending $200 inflation refund checks to single filers with an adjusted gross income of up to $75,000. The checks are being mailed to eligible New York households throughout October and November to help with rising costs. Single-income households can also receive $150 if their income is between $75,001 and $150,000, while married couples filing jointly can receive $400 or $300, depending on their income. Eligibility and check amounts Single filers:$200: For those with an income of \(\$75,000\) or less.$150: For those with an income between \(\$75,001\) and \(\$150,000\).Married couples filing jointly:$400: For those with an income of \(\$150,000\) or less.$300: For those with an income between \(\$150,001\) and \(\$300,000\).How to receive: You must have filed a 2023 New York State resident income tax return (Form IT-201) to be eligible and no action is needed to receive the check, as it will be sent automatically to the address on your 2024 return.Important: Checks are being sent through November, and mail delivery times will vary. Additional information The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance is administering the program.The checks are one-time payments and are not being sent to New York City residents, but NYC residents can find out how to receive a check by checking the NYC.gov Inflation Refund article.Governor Hochul is warning residents to beware of scams targeting the inflation refund initiative and has provided information on how to report potential scams.