Schanzer: “There was a major missed opportunity with this war to hold Qatar to account”

Posted on April 4, 2024 by ArchitectGuy

JERUSALEM POST
Qatar: ‘The arsonist who then claims to be the firefighter’?
Yonah Jeremy Bob
April 4, 2024

In the wake of Jerusalem Post Editor-in-Chief Zvika Klein’s exclusive visit and meetings with a series of top officials in Qatar, there have been a number of counter-perspectives shared with the Post compared to what the Qataris told Klein…According to [Jonathan] Schanzer, “There was a major missed opportunity with this war to hold Qatar to account. This was the moment when Israel should have cut ties. The US should have forced changes in policy and should have forced the Qataris to remove Hamas…“I would have said that the US will re-sign the agreement [for keeping the base in Qatar], but only after the return of the hostages. That would have been an excellent use of American leverage. Instead, the US gave the Qataris what they wanted and when they wanted it,” he lamented. READ MORE

Posted in Islam, Israel & Middle East, Politics | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Democrat John Fetterman’s Israel support brings fans on the right, critics on the left

Posted on April 4, 2024 by ArchitectGuy

THE AMERICAN PROSPECT
Fetterman Hires Former Meta Staffer for His Comms Operation
Luke Goldstein
April 2, 2024

Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) has recently undergone a staff shake-up, amid his increasingly strident defense of Israel and disavowal of the progressive label that he did not shy away from during the 2022 Senate campaign. Three members of Fetterman’s communications team have jumped ship, including both his communications director and deputy communications director, according to a report from The Philadelphia Inquirer…Since the October 7th attacks in Israel, Fetterman has become one of the foremost proponents on the Democratic side for Israel’s war in Gaza, which has drawn ire from anti-war groups and the left flank of the party. While distancing himself from the left, he also cited his more hard-line stance on stricter immigration policies. READ MORE

TIMES OF ISRAEL Democrat John Fetterman’s Israel support brings fans on the right, critics on the left Many US progressives feel stunned and betrayed by the Democratic senator’s outspoken backing of the Jewish state since Oct. 7, while Republicans are also surprised – pleasantly

Posted in Israel & Middle East, Politics | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Ryanair decision comes as many airlines have begun resuming flights to Israel

Posted on April 2, 2024 by ArchitectGuy

ALGEMEINER
Israeli Favorite Ryanair Set to Resume Flights to Israel
Troy O. Fritzhand
April 4, 2024

A favorite airline among Israelis has announced it will resume flights to and from the Jewish state this summer, just a few weeks after the company said it would not return until the fall. Low-cost Irish airline Ryanair said flights to and from Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport will resume on June 2, the Israel Airports Authority said on Thursday. The airline is set to open 20 flights per week, going to places such as Berlin, Budapest, and Paphos, among others. Ryanair is especially popular among Israelis due to its extremely low costs compared to major airline companies. In many cases flights can cost under $60 roundtrip, without checked baggage...Most airlines canceled flights to the Jewish state shortly following Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre across southern Israel due to the ensuing war in Gaza. READ MORE

Posted in Israel & Middle East | Tagged | Leave a comment

“On October 7, their plans went awry. The participants of the rave near the boarder became unwitting heroes when they blocked the monsters of Hamas with their bodies and prevented a massive attack deep into Israel”

Posted on April 2, 2024 by ArchitectGuy

ISRAEL HAYOM (by agreement with JNS)
Is Israel ignoring another Oct. 7 in the making?
Ariel Kahana
April 1, 2024

…Since the middle of last week, one of the leaders of the Hamas murderers, Ismail Haniyeh, has been in a series of meetings in Tehran…Given these known facts, we can assume that the two heads of the terror organizations did not come to Iran just to eat baklava. A series of meetings with the highest-ranking officials over four days may indicate that the heads of the axis of evil are seeking a second opportunity for what they did not achieve the first time. That is, to land a second combined blow on Israel from several fronts, one that God forbid will not allow us to get back on our feet. What exactly they are plotting is hard to know. READ MORE

Posted in Islam, Israel & Middle East, Jewish, Politics | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

American Jews who claim mantle of “silent majority” slam AIPAC for doing their job

Posted on April 1, 2024 by ArchitectGuy

CANARY MISSION
The Irony of the Jewish Anti-AIPAC Statement
March 21, 2024

A small group of American Jews who bill themselves as having “varying perspectives,” have signed a statement opposing AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. The group has vowed to oppose any candidate endorsed by AIPAC in the upcoming elections. Ironically, these Jews claim that AIPAC doesn’t speak for the Jewish people. In truth, the views of the vast majority of American Jews are aligned with those of AIPAC, while the signatories to this statement mainly represent a fringe group of anti-Israel, anti-Zionist voices in the American Jewish world. Nowhere in the statement is there a condemnation of Hamas. Rather, in Orwellian duplicitous language, this group claims they are advocates “for peace and a new, just US policy toward Israel/Palestine.” They fail to elaborate on how peace would come about when negotiating with a genocidal terrorist organization whose stated mission is not only to kill every Jew in Israel but also every Jew on the planet. READ MORE

Posted in Israel & Middle East, Jewish, Politics | Tagged , | Leave a comment

“Antisemitism runs deeper in the black radical tradition than many realize”

Posted on March 30, 2024 by ArchitectGuy

SAPIR JOURNAL
Black Radicalism
Coleman Hughes
March 18, 2024

If I had only a glancing knowledge of American history, I would never guess that black Americans and Jewish Americans had ever clashed. After all, both groups understand what it’s like to be a despised minority, both groups have been reliable Democrat voters for the better part of the past century, and both groups share the same historical enemy: the far Right. One need not be crazy to look at the photos of Martin Luther King Jr. walking shoulder to shoulder with Abraham Joshua Heschel during the civil rights movement and wonder how the relationship between these two groups could be anything other than a love-fest. READ MORE

Posted in Israel & Middle East, Jewish, Politics | Leave a comment

Even casual observers of American Jewry voting habits are asking me: What more red lines have to be crossed for them to rethink their voting habits

Posted on March 29, 2024 by ArchitectGuy

WASHINGTON TIMES
When is enough enough for Jewish Democrats?
Matthew Brooks
March 27, 2024

…This comes in the midst of a long list of actions by President Biden that have shaken the U.S.-Israel relationship: giving billions of dollars to Iran and thereby funding its support of terrorism against Israel; reversing the Trump-Pompeo policy and declaring any Israeli presence in Judea and Samaria illegal; trying to manage Israel’s war against Hamas from Washington — including dictating that Israel stop fighting the remaining Hamas forces in Rafah; threatening to stop military aid and supplies to Israel if Israeli leaders refuse U.S. demands; and refusing to veto a pernicious U.N. Security Council resolution that demands an immediate and lasting cease-fire from Israel before Hamas has released a single remaining hostage. READ MORE

Posted in Israel & Middle East, Jewish, Politics | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

“A story of unabashed Jewish pride and human depth that honors Christians and Jews alike, with a sly gay subplot courtesy of Gore Vidal”

Posted on March 29, 2024 by ArchitectGuy

TABLET MAG
The Miracle of ‘Ben-Hur,’ Hollywood’s Tastiest Christo-Zionist Epic
Thomas Doherty
March 28, 2024

In the American Masters documentary Directed by William Wyler (1986), Charlton Heston tells the kind of story that gives actors night terrors. He is starring in the title role of MGM’s $15 million epic Ben-Hur. The dailies are coming back and director William Wyler is not happy. Heston can take criticism, he can work with a director, he appreciates guidance. What do you need? he asks “Better,” snaps Wyler. Heston got better of course. Ben-Hur went on to win 11 Academy Awards, save MGM from insolvency, and imprint itself on the popular imagination. READ MORE

Posted in Israel & Middle East, Jewish, Politics | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

“The claim that racial disparities are proof of racial discrimination has been percolating in academia and the media for a long time”

Posted on March 29, 2024 by ArchitectGuy

MANHATTAN INSTITUTE
Disparate Impact Thinking Is Destroying Our Civilization
Heather Mac Donald
February 2024

The most consequential falsehood in American public policy today is the idea that any racial disparity in any institution is by definition the result of racial discrimination. If a cancer research lab, for example, does not have 13 percent black oncologists—the black share of the national population—it is by definition a racist lab that discriminates against competitively qualified black oncologists; if an airline company doesn’t have 13 percent black pilots, it is by definition a racist airline company that discriminates against competitively qualified black pilots; and if a prison population contains more than 13 percent black prisoners, our law enforcement system is racist. READ MORE

Posted in Politics | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Attorney General tells court army will be obligated to begin drafting Haredi men on April 1; judges shoot down PM’s request for 30 more days to settle matter

Posted on March 28, 2024 by ArchitectGuy

TIMES OF ISRAEL
In ‘historic’ step, High Court orders halt to yeshiva funds for students eligible for draft
Jeremy Sharon
March 28, 2024

In a step that could have deep political and societal ramifications, the High Court of Justice issued an interim order Thursday evening barring the government from providing funds to ultra-Orthodox yeshivas for students eligible for IDF enlistment — as the legal framework for deferring their military service will no longer exist…The political battle over enlistment has thrown Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition into disarray, with National Unity’s Benny Gantz threatening to bolt if the Knesset passes a bill allowing blanket exemptions to remain — even if it does satisfy the court — while the Haredim have said they will quit if the government fails to pass legislation to prevent the draft. READ MORE

UPI Ultra-orthodox rabbi says citizens will leave Israel over draft, drawing ire from lawmakers Yitzhak Yosef, the Sephardic chief rabbi of Israel, said Saturday that citizens will leave the country if they are forced to be drafted — drawing the ire of lawmakers. “Will they force us to join the army? We will go abroad,” Yosef said. The Haredim have long enjoyed exemptions from mandatory military service, but the issue has sparked debates between those calling for fairness in military service and those advocating religious freedom.

Posted in Israel & Middle East, Jewish, Politics | Tagged | Leave a comment