Chit Chat

By Ted Belman

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 | 8,875 Comments »

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59 Comments / 8875 Comments

  3. Missile strike in Holon: ‘Miracle no worshipers were hurt at Great Synagogue’
    Rabbi Binyamin Hamra describes the magnitude of the miracle: “In a miraculous turn of events, precisely during the minutes when no worshippers were in the synagogue, the terrible explosion occurred, and no one was injured.

    -Arutz Sheva

    “

    My comment: Miracle indeed. One of many. Thank you, God.

  4. AI Overview

    +4
    Curtis Sliwa has been vocal on the issue of immigration and the deportation of visa holders, particularly those who he believes support extremist ideologies or engage in actions related to groups like Hamas.
    Key points:
    Support for Deportation: Sliwa has expressed support for the deportation of visa holders who support hateful ideologies, terrorism, or national security threats, such as individuals involved in pro-Hamas protests, riots, or fundraising efforts.
    Criticism of Immigration Policies: He has also criticized immigration policies, particularly those implemented during the Biden administration, linking them to specific incidents of violence, like the attack on a pro-Israel rally by an Egyptian national who was in the US on a visa.
    Emphasis on Fighting Antisemitism: Sliwa has highlighted the importance of confronting antisemitism and has stated that he and his organization, the Guardian Angels, are working to build a coalition to fight it.
    Calling out Specific Individuals: He has specifically called out individuals, like a Columbia University student allegedly placed in a deportation database for Hamas support, as examples of people who should face consequences for their actions.
    Support for Mosab Hassan Yousef: Sliwa has supported the views of Mosab Hassan Yousef, the son of a Hamas founder who advocates for deporting those who support Hamas on American soil.
    Note: It’s important to remember that these are Sliwa’s stated positions and that discussions around immigration and deportation involve complex legal and political considerations.

    My endorsement if that carries any weight: 1st choice, Curtis Sliwa, Eric Adams second,. In November. On June 24th, Mamdani must be defeated and it’s between him and Cuomo (also known as Judge Doom. 😀 )

    What can I say, Dems can’t be choosers, as the saying goes.

  5. The Jewish Guide to New York’s Mayoral Election”
    “What the candidates have said about pro-Palestinian protests, Mahmoud Khali…
    Most of the candidates in the race, including the two Jewish mayoral hopefuls, condemned the Trump administration’s order to arrest Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate and a leader in the pro-Palestinian protests. The move to deport Khalil, a green card holder, and the administration’s intent to follow up with more arrests, have reignited last year’s protests across the city. A federal judge, who is Jewish, halted Kahlil’s deportation and unsealed records in the case on Wednesday…
    Lander referenced the famous “first they came” poem about the Holocaust in his statement. …
    Stringer called it a violation of First Amendment rights…
    Ramos, Mamadani, Myrie and Adrienne Adams all compared the arrest to the actions of past authoritarian regimes…
    Cuomo and Tilson — critics of the pro-Palestinian protesters — avoided publicly commenting on the Khalil case.
    Mayor Adams maintained in a press conference Tuesday that deportation decisions fall under federal jurisdiction. “The federal government determines who will be deported from this country, not the mayor of the City of New York, and not any mayor determines that,” he said…”

    Doesn’t mention Curtis Sliwa or Jim Walden
    I voted for Cuomo in the early voting for the Democratic Primary and intend to make my first two choices in the ranked choice general election Mayor Eric Adams and Republican Curtis Sliwa.
    excerpt from 2024 GOP platform and one of the top reasons I voted for Trump for the third time. (I heard him say this at a rally which was broadcast on Youtube 10 days after October 7}
    “Republicans condemn antisemitism, and support revoking Visas of Foreign Nationals who support terrorism and jihadism. We will hold accountable those who perpetrate violence against Jewish people’
    – Just google 2024 GOP Platform

    https://forward.com/news/703576/nyc-mayoral-election-jewish-cuomo-adams/

  6. Trump tweets a call for a special prosecutor to investigate 2020 election fraud.

    This remains as the most fundamental and significant reform which must come from a second Trump term. Failing to do so will leave the American nation in a state of decline, as the will of the people will forever remain supplanted by the will of the American elites.

  7. Hello, Jalal.

    Don’t you think the problem of hampering the Iranian nuclear program was approached in the wrong way?

    No. Here’s an interesting quote by Mark Levin:

    We are witnesses to a foreign policy unlike any since Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher and Pope John Paul II defeated the Soviet Union. It’s nothing like the recent failed policies we’ve seen in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere.

    President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are together demonstrating how to deal with a genocidal terrorist regime, how to use diplomacy and military power, how to use intel and special forces, how to use the media and public statements and more, to defeat the biggest terror-supporting regime on the planet.

    — https://nypost.com/2025/06/16/opinion/isolationists-stand-in-the-way-of-trump-and-netanyahu-transforming-the-middle-east/

    Levin echos my sentiments.

    1

  8. Israel still expects that US President Donald Trump will join the strikes against Iran’s nuclear program, an Israeli official tells The Times of Israel.

    “The expectation is that they join, but no one is pushing them,” says the official. “They have to make their own decision.”

    “We’ll know in the next 24-48 hours,” the official estimates.

    TOI

      • Hello, Jalal

        What is left in Iran to strike?

        Of couse, the Ayatoilet. As long as he remains alive, in any form,the IRGC has won. The Revolutionary Guards are terrorists, with tentacles all over the world — ESPECIALLY the US; and other groups, equally savage, such as the MEK Mujahideen, are waiting in the wings.

        Unless the Iranian Government in Exile (the Crown Prince, Reza Pahlavi) manages to collect a military following QUICKLY, and rides into Tehran, deGaulle-style, I don’t hold out much hope for the Iranian people.

        • Hello Michael S,

          The assassination technique is no longer valid. It works in a one-man-show Arab political systems, where you can destroy their morals if you eliminate their leader. Iran’s political architecture features a well-defined system, with alternative leaders for each position. If you eliminate a leader, you create a hero out of him. Narrowing down the goal or binding it to eliminating one person is a straw man fallacy (i.e., because we could not stop Iran’s nuclear programs and attacks, we say that if we eliminate this person, we win… no, this is not a win in my humble opinion).

          Another question is how Israel justifies preventing a country from having a peaceful use of nuclear programs? Don’t you think the problem of hampering the Iranian nuclear program was approached in the wrong way? It could have been managed in a different diplomatic way.

    • Hi, Raphael

      Is he solid?

      Do you mean, “Would I buy a used car from him?”

      All else being equal, I would say, “Yes”. He seems honest and genuine. His bias is genuine (his father lives in Iran, and has been providing info for the broadcast to the effect that he can). He appears to be Christian or secular, and he seems to back the Crown Prince, Reza Pahlevi, and a constitutional democracy. Also, he seems to avoid posting unverified material.

  14. This could probably be appended to any number of articles here, but it seems to me that while Israel is powerful, it does not have the resources to be involved in (another) war of attrition. Therefore, Israel needs to end one of its two wars, or both, very soon.

  18. Chinese and Indian diplomatic missions in Tehran have issued urgent advisories today, calling on their nationals to leave Iran immediately due to sharply rising regional tensions.

    The Indian Embassy has activated a 24/7 control room, released helpline numbers, relocated medical students, and helped some nationals cross via Armenia and UAE routes.

    All Indian citizens in Tehran are advised to report their location and exit if able.

    The Chinese Embassy also urged Chinese citizens in Tehran and Israel to evacuate using land borders such as Turkey, Armenia, or Jordan amid concerns over Iran-Israel hostilities.

    Both countries are facilitating departures and warning that airspace closures and escalating conflict could threaten civilian safety.

    June 17. Tousitv premium

  33. AI Overview

    +1
    Note: The search results specifically mention Zohran Mamdani, a New York State Assemblymember and son of Mahmood Mamdani, leading protests against Israel in October 2023. It is important to distinguish between the two individuals.
    According to Canary Mission, a group that tracks anti-Israel activism, Zohran Mamdani, a New York State Assemblymember, participated in several anti-Israel demonstrations in October 2023. These included:
    October 13, 2023: Mamdani joined a Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) protest outside the Brooklyn home of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, advocating for a ceasefire. He was arrested for disorderly conduct.
    October 14, 2023: Mamdani tweeted about his presence at another JVP protest that blocked the entrance to the New York Stock Exchange.
    October 27, 2023: Mamdani attended a large anti-Israel protest at Grand Central Station.
    These protests took place in the aftermath of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel. The DSA, which Mamdani is affiliated with, also promoted a rally on October 8, 2023, in support of the Palestinian people.

  42. New York State Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani introduced the “Not on Our Dime” Act in May 2023, which aims to prevent New York-based charities from funding Israeli organizations that support settlements in the occupied West Bank. Mamdani stated that, in his view, these settlements violate international law. He explained that the bill is within the state’s authority to regulate charities. The bill seeks to prohibit not-for-profit organizations from “aiding or abetting activity in support of illegal Israeli settlements in violation of the Geneva Conventions of 1949,” outlining specific activities such as assisting with the transfer of Israeli civilians into settlements, violence against Palestinians in settlements, forced transfers or evictions of Palestinians, and the seizure or destruction of Palestinian land.
    In May 2024, an expanded version of the bill was reintroduced, which would also prohibit organizations from funding Israeli military actions in Gaza and the West Bank. The bill has faced opposition, with 66 Assembly Democrats signing a letter condemning it as an unfair targeting of Jewish charities and raising concerns about religious discrimination. Some have described it as antisemitic. Mamdani has acknowledged the pushback, including hateful phone calls, but remains committed to his stance.

    AI overview

  43. American Civil Liberties Union
    http://www.aclu.org
    Gov. Cuomo’s BDS Blacklist Is an Affront to Free Expression
    Jun 9, 2016 — “It’s very simple: If you boycott against Israel, New York will boycott you,” Cuomo said when he announced the order. The directive requires all …
    Page includes: Function, Stances, Explanation

    • @Sebastien
      And he is responsible for the Covid inspired Elder Care Slaughter. As NYC has the largest metropolitan Jewish population in the US, this is scandalous.

      • It’s between Cuomo and Mamdani in the Dem primary. It’s close.

        “AI Overview

        +5
        Yes, Andrew Cuomo marched in the 2025 Israel Day Parade in New York City, also known as the “Israel Day on Fifth” parade.
        He participated alongside Jewish community leaders.
        Cuomo, who is running for mayor of New York City, has made combating antisemitism and supporting Israel a central part of his campaign platform.
        He joined the parade with Grand Marshal Harley Lippman.
        He posted on social media about the event, emphasizing his support for Israel and the call to bring home the hostages.
        This year’s parade was held amid a national surge in antisemitic hate crimes. ”

        “An existential threat: New York cannot have a mayor who fans the flames of antisemitism – opinion

        For mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani to say Israel does not have a right to exist as a Jewish state, he is aligning himself with the world’s most notorious antisemites.”
        https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-857512

      • @Peloni Cuomo is hardly my first choice for mayor – in the general election, my first choice will be now independent and Trump-aligned Mayor Eric Adams and my second, Republican Curtis Sliwa – but if push comes to shove, I prefer solidly pro-Israel Andrew Cuomo to Socialist Islamist Israelophobe Zohran Mamdani, despite Cuomo having gone from Mr. Jekyl to Caligula during the Pandemic. As I recall my late father opining about President Nixon during Watergate, “He may be a crook but he’s our crook.”

        • @Sebastien
          It is a really disturbing possibility that the best of what might be electable in NYC is Dr. Death.

  45. AI Overview

    +3
    For the 2025 Primary Election in New York City, early voting will be held from Saturday, June 14, 2025, through Sunday, June 22, 2025.
    Early voting hours vary each day:
    Saturday, June 14, Sunday, June 15, Monday, June 16, Thursday, June 19, Saturday, June 21, and Sunday, June 22: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
    Tuesday, June 17, and Wednesday, June 18: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
    Friday, June 20: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
    Please note there is no voting on Monday, June 23.
    Election Day is Tuesday, June 24, 2025, with polls open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
    It is recommended to confirm your assigned early voting site as it may differ from your Election Day polling location. Information regarding early voting sites and hours is typically available on the NYC Board of Elections website or the NYC Votes website.

  47. Smotrich Strikes Back: Ends Bank Protections for Transfers to Palestinian Authority
    By David Israel – 16 Sivan 5785 – June 12, 2025 0

    “…A rash, anti-Israel move by a bloc of Western countries could end up bankrupting the Palestinian Authority. Sometimes, the law of unintended consequences works in surprising – and satisfying – ways.

    On Tuesday, Britain, Canada, Norway, Australia, and New Zealand imposed sanctions on Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich. Last month, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, in a joint statement with the leaders of France and Canada, warned of impending sanctions against Israel over its conduct in the ongoing war in Gaza. In addition, Britain suspended free trade agreement negotiations with Israel due to its policies in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza, summoned the Israeli ambassador for a formal rebuke, and sanctioned several settlers, organizations, and affiliated entities…

    https://www.jewishpress.com/news/israel/boycott/smotrich-strikes-back-ends-bank-protections-for-transfers-to-palestinian-authority/2025/06/12/

  49. Uranium isotopes, especially Uranium-238, have very long half-lives, meaning they decay slowly over billions of years. This means that the uranium will remain radioactive for periods much longer than the expected lifespan of any man-made storage container.

    AI Overview

    +5
    Helen Caldicott is a prominent anti-nuclear activist who is highly critical of nuclear energy, particularly in the context of its role in nuclear weapons proliferation and potential risks of accidents.
    Key Points of Caldicott’s Critique:
    Nuclear power and weapons: Caldicott argues that nuclear power is not the answer to global warming and that it presents significant risks, including the potential for nuclear waste to be used in the creation of nuclear weapons.
    Environmental impact: She contends that the entire process of nuclear energy production, from uranium mining to waste disposal, contributes significantly to carbon emissions, potentially even more than fossil fuels.
    Cost and economic viability: Caldicott asserts that the true cost of nuclear power is prohibitively high and relies heavily on government subsidies, making it economically unsustainable.
    Health risks and accidents: She highlights the health risks associated with nuclear power, including the potential for accidents and terrorist attacks.
    Waste disposal: Caldicott emphasizes the lack of a safe and permanent solution for the disposal of radioactive waste, which remains hazardous for thousands of years.
    Alternative energy sources: Caldicott advocates for renewable energy sources like wind and solar power as the sustainable alternative to nuclear energy.
    Views on AI:
    While Caldicott’s primary focus is on nuclear energy and weapons, she also acknowledges the potential impact of artificial intelligence, particularly in the context of nuclear war. She expresses uncertainty about whether AI will increase the risk of accidental nuclear war but suggests that its effects are likely to be significant one way or the other.
    In summary, Helen Caldicott is a staunch opponent of nuclear power due to her concerns about nuclear weapons proliferation, environmental impact, cost, health risks, and waste disposal. She also views AI with caution regarding its potential impact on the risk of nuclear war.

    But we know wind and solar aren’t enough to power today’s societies. Billions would die.

    Trump is right. We have to use whatever we have. But not nuclear. I would make that exception. I started out as an anti-nuke activist and my opinion hasn’t changed.

    The Forbin Project and the Terminator series are dramatizations of troubling potential for AI in charge of nukes causing or threatening nuclear war to attain power if they attain awareness. Also Wargames.

    Wargames Ending. Great film.

    https://youtu.be/s93KC4AGKnY?si=TJ40oulue9fLVLf_

    So “peaceful use of nuclear energy” wouldn’t be legitimate for Iran, even if it’s what they really wanted.

    I was just shocked to discover the U.S. gave Iran nuclear energy under the Shah, when Iran was an ally. So Saudi Arabia mustn’t have it either. As with Iran, only MBS stands in the way of the return of a jihadist regime. One man. Crazy risk. Israel was right to destroy Syria and Iraq’s nuclear power plants despite U.S. pressure. Same thing must happen in Iran.

    By the way,the film, “Top Gun: Maverick” is a terrific spculative dramatization of how it could be done. 60 year old Tom Cruise did all his own stunts.

  50. Someone calling himself “Major Intonio” has been serializing on Youtube in eleven parts a short book written and published by the American Revolutionary Emma Goldman called “My Disillusionment in Russia” more than a century ago. In spite of the passage of the years, Goldman’s recollections of her experiences during two years, 1919 to 2021, after she was illegally stripped of her American citizenship and deported to Russia, her country of birth, during the period of the post-World War I “Red Scare” and the “Palmer raids.”

    Goldman, a self-proclaimed Anarchist, had fought for the rights of workers and denounced their exploitation and abuse by American industrialists for decades before her deportation to Russia. She returned to Russia hoping to find it truly progressive workers state, ruled by the working people themselves, Instead, she found it to be a dictatorship of the Communist Party and its “commissars.” As Goldman saw it , the “commissars” did little or no useful work, but consumed all of the produce of the workers and the peasantry, leaving little or nothin to the working people. The actual workers were not only treated as slaves by the commissars, but were starving and suffering from terible infectious diseases of all kinds, resulting not only from the diversion of food to the commissars, but alsofrom their failure to provide even the most basic medical treatment to the working masses. She wrote that only commissars, their children and other relatives, and others with political connections and protection. She also writes of the all-pervasive Cheka, or secret political police, which carried out a reign of terror directed against the entire population of the Soviet Union, wihether aristocrats, the bourgeouisie, the workers and peasants. Thousands of people were arrested and shot without trial, or only the most perfunctory of trials, or deported to “concentration camps.” Those were the words she used for the camps.

    The absence of free speech and a free press upset her. She was granted a brief interview with Lenin, and was shocked and appalled when he answered her questiion about the absense of free speech and a free press in Bolshevik-ruled Russia, by saying that freedom of speech could not be tolerated in a revolutionary country. It would inevitably lead to the overthrow of the revolutionary government and the restoration of the “bourgeoisie” to power. Perhaps Lenin didn’t fully grasp the implications of what he was saying. In effrect, he said that the working peoplle of Russia would rather be ruled by the “bourgeouisie” rather than by the Bolsheviks.

    More on this later. But read Goldman’s book yourself on YouTube, serialized in eleven parts.

    • I read that in print when I first became an Anarchist Communist like her in 1977-8. Then forgot all about it when I became a Marxist-Leninist in 1980-81. I wonder why. Here’s a weird bit of trivia I was recently shocked to discover, Genrikh Yagoda, first head of the NKVD under Stalin came from a working class Jewish background and started as an Anarchist-Communist!

      “The YIVO Encyclopedia of Jews in Eastern Europe
      ?????????????????? ??? ?? ???? ??? ????????????? (Hebrew)

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      Iagoda, Genrikh Grigor’evich
      byBoris Morozov
      Translated from Russian by Chaim Chernikov”

      https://encyclopedia.yivo.org/article/881