Israeli Chief Rabbinate seeks to emulate role of the Vatican

By Isi Leibler, JPOST

The tensions created by the ultra-Orthodox Chief Rabbinate within Israeli society have extended to the Diaspora and are now undermining relations with the Jewish state.

Ironically, this is taking place at a time when many Israelis are returning to their spiritual roots. Although Tel Aviv remains outwardly a hedonistic secular city, the secular Ashkenazi outlook that dominated Israeli society is in decline, and even setting aside haredim, Israelis today have become increasingly more traditionally inclined and religiously observant.
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The Bar Ilan speech is a “poison pill”, Netanyahu is “an obstacle to peace”, Ehud Barak misses his time as “a murderer of Palestinians, the US administration must secretly encourage Palestinian demonstrations like the one in Tahrir Square, and rich US citizens must contribute half their wealth to Palestinians. Hillary Clinton’s email box reveals what the advisors and confidants of the person who may soon become the US President are thinking. Based on this correspondence, she pays great attention to what they say.

By Elie Klutstein, Makor Rishon

“March 21, 2010
For: Hillary

From: Sid

Re: AIPAC speech

Hold Bibi’s feet to the fire, Remind everyone at Wye Was he the his key participant event in the peace process, and That It Was the verification test … something you should do is That, while Praising AIPAC, Remind it in as Subtle But Also direct a way as you can That it does not have a Monopoly over American Jewish Opinion … AIPAC Itself has become an organ of the Israeli right, Specifically Likud. By Acknowledging J Street you give them legitimacy, credibility and create room within the American Jewish community for debate supportive of the administration’s pursuit of the peace process. Just by mentioning J Street in passing, AIPAC becomes a point on the spectrum, not the controller of the spectrum “.

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By Evelyn Gordon, COMMENTARY

During the Hamas-Israel war of 2014, both Obama Administration officials and their European counterparts repeatedly accused Israel of excessive force over the “massive” destruction of civilian property in Gaza. But if those officials retain even a shred of intellectual integrity, the recent devastation of Ramadi during a joint Western/Iraqi effort to retake the city leaves them only two options: either hand themselves over to the International Criminal Court as suspected war criminals, or publicly apologize to Israel for all the slurs they hurled at it over far less extensive damage.
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By Gideon Sars, INSS

In 2015, mass migration, whether it be of refugees from war-torn areas or simply job-seekers, became a leading issue in many Western democracies. In the United States, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is riding a wave of popular antagonism toward immigration. In Switzerland, the Swiss People’s Party, which demands limitations on immigration, won a decisive victory in the October elections.

Immigration was also the focus of debate in the recent regional elections in France, to a considerable degree because of the November 13 terrorist attacks in Paris. Moreover, France is among the European Union countries seeking to formulate a uniform policy on the issue of migration, which pits principles of national character against humanistic values.
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Mahmoud Abbas’ recent statements, unreported in the West, show that the wave of knifings and car-rammings against Israelis is a national campaign whose fighters act according to the directives of their leadership.

By Yossi Kuperwasser, HAARETZ

The editor of the Palestinian news agency Maan recently summarized remarks Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas made in conversation with him, as well as in a speech to the people he gave in Bethlehem last week. Some of what Abbas said, according to this report – such as his statement that the PA would not collapse, but rather would disappear only after a Palestinian state was founded – were widely quoted in the media. But other remarks – like those made recently by Fatah Central Committee member Jibril Rajoub – did not reach Israeli or global media consumers. The latter heard only limited reports on statements by Rajoub and Abbas, who is very cosseted by the media overseas.
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BY HUGH FITZGERALD, JIHAD WATCH

At the beginning of every year, the Pope delivers an address in Rome to welcome the foreign diplomatic corps accredited to the Vatican. Pope Francis, a nice guy, has just delivered such a speech. It deserves attention.

The main theme of Francis’s speech is immigration, the mass movement of peoples, now this way and now that, for “mobility is part of our human nature” and “human history is made up of countless migrations.” True enough. But Pope Francis neglects to discuss what is for some of us so disturbing about the current migration into Europe: the numbers and nature of these migrants, coming from exactly where, trying to get exactly where, and carrying exactly what in their mental baggage.
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REUTERS, JPOST

President Barack Obama knocked Republican presidential candidates for anti-Muslim rhetoric and accused critics on Tuesday of playing into the hands of Islamic State in a speech aimed at setting an optimistic tone for his last year in office.

Obama, delivering his last State of the Union speech to Congress before leaving office next year, said it was fiction to declare the United States was in economic decline or getting weaker on the international stage.
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A pedophile collaborating with the PA to kill is not a crime, but dancing with an unloaded gun at a wedding can get you arrested.

By David Wega, ARUTZ SHEVA

Let’s compare and contrast the world’s outrage:

On one hand, one sees an Israeli convicted pedophile collaborating with the Palestinian Authority – a government entity – to have Arabs killed for selling land to Jews. In line with the PA law which sanctions the death penalty for those who are known to sell land to Jews, Nawi has been captured on camera boasting of his actions.

This pedophile (Ezra Nawi) is a “leader” who has been lauded by newspapers including The Guardian in the UK as a “man of peace.” He cooperates with Nasser Nawaja, a Palestinian leader of B’Tselem, the so-called “human rights” NGO, to turn over names of Palestinian Arabs who have sold land so they can be tortured and then murdered. And they have been.
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Road being built between Gush Etzion and Dead Sea on land that is all part of Israeli-controlled Area C.

Arutz Sheva

The Regavim movement has spotted an illegal road being built by the Palestinian Authority (PA) in the middle of the Judean Desert with money transferred from the European Union.

Regavim has filed a court case against the illegal construction with Israel’s High Court of Justice.

The PA completed several weeks ago preparations for the construction of a road which extends beyond its territory of control and into Gush Etzion, heading towards the Dead Sea.
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The new five-year plan for the development of Arab communities would not have passed in the government had it been put to a vote two days after the Dizengoff terror attack rather than two days before. But since it has passed, Netanyahu appointed two babysitters for the plan in the form of Ministers Elkin and Levin, to make sure that only Arab communities who deserve the funding get it.

By Sima Kadon, YNET

One thing can be said with certainty: If the government plan to invest NIS 15 billion in the Arab sector was put to a vote two days after the Dizengoff terror attack and not two days before it, it would not have passed. Definitely not at such a time.

The man who made the speech against the Arab public the day after the attack could not have possibly approved this five-year plan. Netanyahu is always the last to recognize the hidden advantages of such plans for his government’s image both in Israel and worldwide, and the terror attack once again got the “Bibi” out of him. The one who inflames, terrifies and riles up conflicts. The Bibi who whispers words of hate against the left wing in the ear of Rabbi Kaduri. The Bibi who runs to scenes of terror attacks in order to fan the flames.
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T. Belman.  This should cause no surprise . It is part of the CIA’s repertoire to encourage unrest in countries where the US desires political change. There is no doubt that the US wants the present situation to be unstable or to be seen to be. Therefore one must assume that the CIA or other arms of the US government is promoting unrest. Like they say, never let a crises go to waste. Thus, if no crises, create one to push matters along.

Clandestine plan was created in 2011 by her then-advisers to push the Israeli government back to the negotiating table with the PA.

By Gil Ronen, ARUTZ SHEVA

Four years ago, then-secretary of state Hillary Clinton considered a secret plan created by her advisers to clandestinely foment unrest among Arabs in Judea and Samaria, in order to push the Israeli government back to the negotiating table.

The revelation arises from emails released as part of the investigation into the Democratic presidential frontrunner’s private email server.
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We rail on Trump’s temporary immigration proposals while ignoring the vilest anti-Semitic hate speech and Muslim supremacism of the PA, which receives over $500 million annually from the US tax-payer

By Mort Klein and Daniel Mandel, JPOST

ss the political scene recently when Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump called for “a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States.” Conversely, there has been a remarkable, deafening silence on the official position proclaimed by Palestinian Authority (PA) president Mahmoud Abbas: “If there is an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, we won’t agree to the presence of one Israeli in it.”
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Daily Beast quotes terror group’s commanders in Syria bragging that ‘we are Moscow’s strategic allies’

T. BELMAN. I DON’T BELIEVE THIS.

TOI

Hezbollah is receiving long-range missiles, laser-guided rockets and other sophisticated weaponry directly from Russia in Syria, and is free to use that weaponry against Israel if it so chooses, Hezbollah fighters told the Daily Beast website.

In a report published Monday, Hezbollah field commanders with troops fighting alongside Assad regime forces were quoted saying that they are getting “heavy weapons directly from Russia with no strings attached.” Read more…

T, Belman. When the US or the EU presume to tell us what we can and cannot do as if they were the exemplars of doing the right thing, I want to explode. Its none of their f..king business. They are interfering in our internal business. Though I think the principle of our proposed legislation is the same as FARA, i.e., to require Foreign Lobbyists to register, I don’t care whether it is or not. Its our decision.

ZOA Praises Knesset Law Proposal Requiring Israeli Groups Receiving Foreign Govt Funding To Register As Foreign Agents

Shapiro urges justice minister to ‘protect free expression and peaceful dissent’; embassy rejects comparison to American law

TOI

US Ambassador to Israel Daniel Shapiro met with Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked Monday and highlighted Washington’s concern over a bill she is shepherding through the Knesset that would require non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to declare funding from foreign countries.

The meeting was announced in a statement from the US Embassy in Tel Aviv, while a second statement noted “the chilling effect on NGO activities” that the proposed legislation would have.
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Yoram will be in the US in February, and then in May, 2016, available for speaking engagements  (http://bit.ly/1W5CrSr).

The volcano of Islamic terrorism
Ambassador (ret.) Yoram Ettinger, “Second Thought: a US-Israel Initiative”
“Israel Hayom”, January 10, 2016, http://bit.ly/1IXeri6

Islamic terrorism has dominated the history of Islam, as demonstrated by the murder of three of the first four Caliphs succeeding Muhammed: Umar ibn Abd al-Khattab (644 AD), Uthman Ibn Affan (656 AD) and Ali ibn Abi Talib (661 AD).  Islamic terrorism has been one of the most active and dangerous volcanoes – domestically, regionally and globally – since the initial eruption of Islam in the 7^th century. Historically, all Arab regimes have achieved, sustained and eventually lost power through domestic violence, subversion or terrorism.
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There is no alternative: to save Western civilization, the House must enjoin Obama from implementing the Iranian nuke pact.

By Robert Sklaroff

Support is building for the US House of Representatives to muster the courage to block implementation of the flawed “deal” with Iran, and the only way to do so is to enjoin the administration from dropping sanctions.

This was the message delivered in a just-published op-ed by Pennsylvania Senator Pat Toomey and former Homeland Security secretary Tom Ridge.

A bipartisan group of 105 congressmen wrote to US President Barack Obama asking that he freeze the Iran nuke deal, since “the Iranians have already violated critical provisions on multiple occasions just months into the agreement.”
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Jewish Press

[..]

Which brings up the question of how many Arabs live in Area C. The range of answers to this question is truly staggering. Here are the figures from the UN Humanitarian Factsheet on Area C of the West Bank dated July 2011, updated through December, 2011: “An estimated 150,000 Palestinians live in Area C, including 27,500 Bedouin and other herders.”

Then there’s the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs occupied Palestinian territory Area C of the West Bank, Key Humanitarian Concerns report, dated January 2013: “150,000 (approx.) Palestinians live in Area C in 542 communities, 281 of which are located entirely or mostly (50% or more of their built up area) in Area C.”
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