T. Belman. Kazakhstan is much more important to Russia than Ukraine, economically speaking. The NYT article says that Russia is primarily concerned that democracy doesn’t overtake authoritarian governments in the former USSR. Maybe yes, maybe no.

The Kazakh president requested the peacekeeping troops as an uprising, sparked by a gas price increase in the resource-rich Central Asian nation, headed toward a fifth day.

By Valerie Hopkins and Ivan Nechepurenko, New York Times

MOSCOW — A Russian-led military alliance said late Wednesday that it would send peacekeeping forces to Kazakhstan at the invitation of the country’s president to help put down a growing protest movement there.

The current chairman of the alliance, the Armenian prime minister, Nikol Pashinyan, said in a statement that the troops would be stationed there only “for a limited time period,” until order could be restored.

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by Alex Nachumson, Arutz Sheva     January 3, 2022

It is abundantly clear, that, because of the composition of the current Israeli governing coalition, there will be little movement on the Israel-Palestinian conflict in either direction.

The right wing, represented by Yamina, New Hope and Yisrael Beytenu will not let any sort of diplomatic process take place, whereas the left-wing parties like Meretz, Labor and Blue and White will ensure that any ideas like sovereignty for Judea and Samaria are firmly off the table.

Some might argue that, as a result, the only actions that can be taken are to ensure security for Israel and survival and prosperity for the Palestinians through “confidence-building measures,” the likes of which we witnessed recently after the meeting between Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas.

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By Anne Bayefsky JNS

At the end of December 2021, the United Nations General Assembly decided to bankroll a full-fledged Star Chamber directed at Israel and its supporters.

Chaired by former U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, the short title is “Pillay’s Pogrom.” The U.S. will now pick up 22% of the tab — because that’s how the Biden administration does business.

Every one of the three members of the so-called “independent commission of inquiry” has a demonstrable record of anti-Israel animus and bias. From that starting point, Pillay’s Pogrom has four goalposts.

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T. Belman. . HAARETZ on the meeting but reports no such deal.

TOI reported it differently Also gave no details.

Abedalelah Almaala Jan 5 tweet
The meeting between Abdullah II and Gantz took place in Aqaba, not in Amman, and from his hole in Aqaba, the place of house arrest. A picture of Abdullah II as if he was out of prison, all of them wearing ties except him. Abdullah II abdicated the Hashemite guardianship of Islamic holy sites in Jerusalem and handed them over to the Palestinian Jerusalemites

Among the secrets of Gantz’s meeting, the Israeli Defense Minister, with Abdullah II today in Amman. Abdullah II relinquished the Hashemite guardianship of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem and handed them over to Palestinian Jerusalemites. In return, Israel supports the Hashemite rule in Jordan and Hussein II’s fourth monarchy

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Tierney’s REAL News (1/5/22)

T. Belman. You may want to compare how Arutz Sheva covered the story.

Shouting match in Knesset as ‘Electricity Law’ passes final vote

The lands is question are not zoned residential and thus no permits are issued. But there is another problem. Residential zoning in the south requires small lots in order to concentrate the communities. The Bedouin build illegally on land many times larger. Thus their illegal communities eat up more land then is permitted by law and it is more expensive to provide these illegal communities with roads etc.

Put forward by Mansour Abbas’ United Arab List, the bill is primarily aimed at helping that party’s constituents, many of whom live in illegally built homes in the Negev that are not connected to Israel’s national grid

By Noa Shpigel,  HAARETZ

A government-backed bill to allow homes constructed without permits to be connected to the electrical grid passed a Knesset vote on Wednesday, despite vocal resistance from the opposition.

Put forward by Mansour Abbas’ United Arab List, the bill is primarily aimed at helping that party’s constituents, many of whom live in illegally built homes in the Negev that are not connected to the national grid. The bill’s explanatory notes say it will help “tens of thousands of households” whose lack of electricity denies them “a decent standard of living suitable to the Israel of 2021.”

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UTJ lawmaker says appointment of respected rabbinic judge is ‘like putting an idol in the Temple’; religious affairs minister pushes back, saying he won’t be bullied

By TOI STAFF

Religious Services Minister Matan Kahana speaks during a conference in Jerusalem on August 1, 2021. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Religious Affairs Minister Matan Kahana announced this week that conversions to Judaism will be headed by Rabbi Benayahu Brunner, who is affiliated with Tzohar, a group of relatively liberal Orthodox rabbis, prompting outrage from Haredi lawmakers and religious leaders.

Tzohar is a religious-Zionist organization that aims to bridge the gaps between secular and religious Israelis by finding alternatives to the Chief Rabbinate on matters like Jewish weddings, prayer services and supervision of kosher food.

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At the start of a new calendar year, Israelis continue to bring new innovations into the world to benefit humanity. A new heart implant, a new treatment for Parkinson’s, a new sleep quality analyzer, and a successful Israeli cancer treatment is launched. New social initiatives include for the disabled, Arab-Israeli coexistence and public diplomacy. New technology for solar cells, renewable energy storage, smart mobility, cyber security, animal-free meat, healthy soil and optical lenses. New programs and deals to generate and expand Israeli businesses. New cultural, entertainment and sporting successes. There are so many new reasons to look forward to a Very Good 2022.

In the 2nd Jan 22 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:

• An Israeli implant will transform the lives of heart failure patients.
• Analyze your sleep with an Israeli wireless home monitor.
• Israel’s National Library publishes 1,600 ancient Christian manuscripts.
• Israel is installing wave power systems and compressed air energy storage.
• Israeli soil sensors reduce pollution from overuse of nitrate fertilizers.
• Unique video to celebrate 85th birthday of Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra.
• Two extra-ordinary but typical examples of Israeli life-saving.

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By Jan Jekielek and Masooma Haq, EPOCH TIMES

The public should question why governments and public health officials around the world have put little to no emphasis on outpatient treatments in their efforts to fight the COVID-19 virus, instead promoting a massive effort on vaccines, according to Dr. Peter McCullough.

“Lots of messaging on the vaccine, but zero mentioning on treatment, none. And it’s been from the very beginning. There is a theme here, I hope everyone’s starting to get the theme. There is zero effort, interest, promotion, or care about early treatment of people who are sick with COVID-19,” McCullough told The Epoch Times. “But there is a complete and total focus on people who don’t have COVID-19 and giving them a vaccine.”
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Decades late to the decriminalisation party, Sadiq Khan seems blind to its dangers as are all progressives

By Melanie Phillips   Jan 4

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, apparently intends to begin effectively decriminalising cannabis and other “soft” drugs in the UK’s capital city.

The Telegraph reports:

Under-25s found with Class B drugs in some boroughs will be offered speeding course-style classes or counselling instead of arrest, under a pilot scheme to be launched.

The boroughs of Lewisham, Bexley and Greenwich will be subject to the rules of the new scheme, with police officers told not to arrest young people caught with cannabis, ketamine or speed. Offenders will instead be taken back to their family homes and kept away from police custody.
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Dick Morris

Catastrophe! Voting “Rights” Act Will Likely Pass – Lunch Alert!

Ted Belman.  What follows below are recent tweets from Mudar Zahran and Abed Almaala, both of whom I brought to Israel to participate in my conference on the Jordan Option in Oct 2017.

Jan 5 Abedaleyla Almaala

The meeting between Abdullah II and Gantz took place in Aqaba. Abdullah II relinquished the Hashemite guardianship of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem and handed them over to the Palestinian Jerusalemites. In return, Israel supports the Hashemite rule in Jordan and the fourth monarchy of Hussein II. The Hashemite guardianship is in the back of Gantz

T. Belman.  Abed does not talk for Mudar..  I will speak with Mudar.

Jan 4 Abedaleyla Almaala

Why did Abdullah II not receive the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia when he visited Jordan yesterday, Monday 3-1 2022?

Abdullah II under house arrest

Why Jordanian media publish old news about Abdullah II. Abdullah II congratulates the new German chancellor today, and he became chancellor for nearly a month. Abdullah II is still under house arrest

History repeats itself in Jordanian history
Yesterday, Queen Zain Al Sharaf arrested her husband, King Talal, and placed him under house arrest, and then expelled him and installed her son Hussein, King of Jordan.
Today, Queen Rania arrests her husband and places him under house arrest in order to install her son Hussein as the future king of Jordan.

T. Belman.  I don’t see where Rania has the power to do this,

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 IF YOU WANT THE TRUTH ABOUT THE JANUARY 6, 2021 “INSURRECTION”

THE UNITED WEST

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On the suppression  of treatments for Covid-19

On Omicron and Vaers reports on vaccine injuries and deaths >

Dr Harvey Risch n Covid Taboos    He covers the banning of HCQ and IVM

T. Belman. This article, when published in June 2021, was very popular in Haaretz. It may surprise some of you to see it on Israpundit. Others may appreciate its contents and be interested in learning about the Jewish Left

Self-absorbed, sanctimonious and often superficial, the American Jewish left is alienated from the real-life struggle for justice in Israel and Palestine. And its refusal to engage with the Jews and Arabs of the Israeli left has never been more hurtful, or harmful

By Etan Nechin, HAARETZ   Jun. 16, 2021

Pro-Palestinian supporters demonstrate across the street from the Israeli Consulate following the flare-up of Israeli-Palestinian violence in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York

By Jonathan Lis, HAARETZ    Jan. 3, 2022

Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said Monday that despite the likelihood of growing international pressure on Israel, the current government is not expected to advance the diplomatic process with the Palestinians even after he becomes prime minister in August 2023.

This is because the coalition agreements rule out such a process, said Lapid, who is slated to replace Naftali Bennett as prime minister under their rotation agreement.

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MOSAIC

Israel and Worldwide Fertility Trends

In one sense, perhaps, the doomsayers could be forgiven—at least if one were to ignore the often transparently political motives behind their predictions. After all, modern society is indeed characterized by a trend of declining fertility rates. Even many poor and only partly modernized societies exhibit such a decline. But it is particularly marked in developed countries, where rising education and income levels correlate with a fertility rate that has often plunged to, or beyond, the level at which the population will shrink unless augmented by immigration. That level—the average “replacement rate” of 2.1 children per woman over the length of her childbearing years—has been effectively forgone by most economically developed countries.

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By Zack Heilmain, RED BOX MEDIA    JANUARY 3, 2022

The Biden administration and the Democrats have done a superb job when it comes to portraying Americans who refuse to get the COVID-19 jab as uneducated or conspiracy theorists who dwell online in their mother’s basement. While it shouldn’t be that shocking, those who are fighting against the COVID-19 jab aren’t against a person getting it, they just don’t believe it’s the government’s right to mandate a drug. And it goes much deeper than just a few mandates or even the outlandish mask protocols that did little to help as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. released a call to action on Sunday warning of the dangers of relinquishing freedoms to the government. 

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The Palestinian residents are sick of PA rule and most of them would take Israeli citizenship if they could. Meanwhile, Hamas has proven unwilling to exist as an “upgraded” PA and answers Israel’s concessions with threats and rockets.

By  Prof. Eyal Zisser, ISRAEL HAYOM    Jan 2/22

Last week’s meeting between Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas drew harsh criticism both in Israel and from the Palestinian public. But it seems like this criticism actually benefitted the guest, Abbas, and possibly his host, as well, since it gave them both some relevance – if not on the ground, then at least in the media.

However, bringing Abbas back from the dead does not change the reality. The Palestinian Authority lacks the ability to govern or influence, and apparently any real support from the Palestinians, as well. In any case, it cannot and apparently has no desire to serve as a real partner for Israel in finding a solution that would end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

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By J.B. Shurk, AM THINKER

Two symbolic events in the struggle for human freedom over oppressive government transpired last month with barely any notice from the American media.  The first was the thirty-year anniversary of the collapse of the Soviet Union.  The second was the Chinese Communist Party’s removal of monuments commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre that occupied sacred ground on Hong Kong university campuses, including a replica of the famed “Goddess of Democracy” statue that was erected in the square just before Chinese military forces killed, kidnapped, or crippled thousands of students and workers pleading for individual liberty.
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