El Al captain politicizes the Holocaust, drawing analogy to Israel’s current political scene and it doesn’t go well

JERUSALEM POST
It’s time for El Al to clip some wings
Ruthie Blum
April 20, 2023

El Al Airlines captain Doron Ginzburg was reportedly summoned to a pre-termination hearing on Wednesday due to an outrageous statement that he made over the plane’s loudspeaker. As he prepared for takeoff on Tuesday morning from Tel Aviv’s Ben-Gurion Airport to JFK in New York, the Israeli pilot had used the public-address system to promote his political agenda. He did this by linking the somber occasion of Holocaust Remembrance Day (Yom Hashoah) to the protest movement that’s been taking to the streets to decry the policies of the government in Jerusalem…He said, “Things like the Holocaust are potentially to be occurring in a dictatorship, and we are fighting in Israel to remain a democratic country. Thank you all and have a nice flight.” READ MORE

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“What we’ve requested recently from the United States is that it at least support Israel, with words and equipment, before, during and after such an attack on Iran”

JNS
US lacks ‘real deterrence’ against Iran; Israel may need to act alone, former Israeli official warns
Yaakov Lappin
April 17, 2023

…In late March, Biden said that the United States does not seek conflict with Iran, but will respond to protect its personnel in Syria and elsewhere. The statement came after American retaliatory airstrikes were launched against Iranian-backed groups following deadly rocket attacks on a U.S. base. The Biden administration will go to great lengths to avoid striking Iran, according to Nagel. As a result, he said, Iran has developed a doctrine based on the assumption that it has broad freedom of action in the region. “It is certainly possible that Israel may have to do what is needed on its own,” said Nagel, referring to a potential strike on Iran’s nuclear program. READ MORE

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Glick: For weeks, Israeli opposition leaders and retired generals have been issuing statements presaging Israel’s imminent collapse and calling for IDF soldiers to refuse to serve

JNS
Netanyahu speaks to the generals
Caroline Glick
April 11, 2023

…Beyond the fact that the U.S. is spying on Israel and concerning itself with Israel’s domestic politics, two things are significant about the report. First, while news reports from the CIA’s reporting period of early to mid-February already exposed that Mossad’s leadership was tolerant, if not supportive, of the left’s efforts to overthrow the Netanyahu government, the CIA report claimed that the leaders of Israel’s primary espionage service were organizing those efforts. In other words, the CIA was claiming that Israel was in the midst of an insurrection or coup organized at least partially by its security services. READ MORE

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President Joe Biden continues to boast, without evidence, that he has strengthened relations with U.S. allies, but Saudi Arabia has different ideas, planning a meeting with the Palestinian terror group Hamas on Sunday

TIMES OF ISRAEL
Saudis said set to host top Hamas delegation, further dimming Israeli hopes for ties
April 16, 2023

A senior delegation representing Palestinian terror group Hamas was set to visit Saudi Arabia on Sunday, according to multiple Arabic media reports, representing a major development as Israel’s hopes of forging official ties with Riyadh appear to dwindle further. For many years, Saudi Arabia’s relationship with Hamas has been cold and tense, and the kingdom even arrested many people with ties to the jihadist group, which rules the Gaza Strip and openly seeks Israel’s destruction. But following its landmark rapprochement with Iran, Riyadh appeared set to host a high-level delegation including Hamas politburo chief Ismail Haniyeh…READ MORE

BREITBART Joel Pollak: Another Biden Diplomatic Failure: Saudis to Host Palestinian Terror Group Hamas The regional peace process that Trump began has been on hold since Biden took over. Biden also restored funding to the Palestinians — circumventing a U.S. law that prevents taxpayer funding of the Palestinian Authority while it continues to reward terrorism — and was promptly rewarded with a Hamas war against Israel in the spring of 2021. The Saudi-Iranian rapprochement is only the most recent example of a regression.

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If the Israeli public wants to survive, it must prepare—mentally and physically—for war with the Iranian octopus

JNS
‘Death to Israel’: The Iranian plan to attack Israel
Mordechai Kedar
April 13, 2023

I hesitated quite a bit about whether to publish this piece because of the panic it might cause in Israel. However, in the Middle East environment and particularly in Iraq, these things are known and serve as a topic of open discussion, so it is unthinkable that the Israeli public should not be aware of them as well, especially since they concern Israelis much more than the citizens of Iraq. A source I’ve known for years—an expatriate from the Middle East, a supporter of Israel, who lives in Europe and is in continuous contact with people in Iran and Iraq—conveyed to me their assessment that Iran plans to launch a combined attack on Israel in the foreseeable future that will include all the forces at its disposal in several Arab countriesREAD MORE

TIMES OF ISRAEL Israeli conservative think tank warns legal overhaul causing ‘enormous damage’ Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security says politicians must ‘come to their senses’ and focus on ‘existential security challenges,’ as Iran boosts influence in region

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IDF’s Military Intelligence Directorate informed the upper echelon on Thursday that Israel was closer to war than to a restoration of calm

JERUSALEM POST
Israel seeks US support for IDF buildup as expert predicts Iran strike
Tovah Lazaroff
April 14, 2023

A top defense official sought United States support to bolster IDF forces as a security expert on Thursday predicted that Israel might have to strike Iran within the year to halt its nuclear program. “We held important meetings to promote significant projects focused on force buildup in the face of emerging security challenges – first and foremost, the Iranian nuclear program,” Defense Ministry Director-General Maj.-Gen. (ret.) Eyal Zamir said. He spoke after a meeting with US Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl in Washington, which took place as Israel remains in danger of an immediate war on one or all of three borders – Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria – after rockets were launched during the last week against Israel from all three fronts. READ MORE

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Orthodox women are making TikTok and Instagram viewers laugh

TABLET MAG
The Funny Frum Women of Social Media
Kylie Ora Lobell
April 13, 2023

…Rosenbloom is known for developing recurring characters on Instagram, dressing up in costumes and wearing wigs for her sketches. She makes videos pretending she’s a high-maintenance Israeli woman with giant fake lips and a Torah teacher named Rebbetzin Gshmak, who has big teeth and a thick New York accent. In her posts, Rosenbloom strives to be real about what the Orthodox lifestyle is like without putting anyone down. “Although I’m making fun of things in our communities, the purpose is not to not bash it,” she said. “Everyone can see that I live an observant life. I am an Orthodox Jew, and it’s part of who I am. I do try to stay in my lane, and not get too controversial.” READ MORE

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CHICAGO EVENT Exodus 91: The Untold Story of Operation Solomon

From my friend David Coleman, native Chicagoan, now in Jerusalem working with OpenDor Media….I’m excited to share that our movie, Exodus 91: The Untold Story of Operation Solomon is coming to Chicago ! Watch the trailer here.
Chicago Festival of Israeli Cinema
Sunday, May 7th at 3pm
Landmark Theatres in the Glen
1850 Tower Drive
Glenview, IL
Click here to purchase tickets. I am planning to come it for it and there will be a Q&A following the screening with one of the stars of the film, Ethiopian Israeli actor, Shai Ferdo, as well as Gideon Naim, one of the Executive Producers of the movie (also the son of Asher Naim, the Israel Ambassador to Ethiopia which the movie follows). I hope to see you there!
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Pentagon leak: Israeli Prime Minister’s Office releases statement on behalf of Mossad denying any involvement by agency in the protest

AXIOS
U.S. tries to reassure Israel about security relationship after Pentagon leak
Barak Ravid
April 11, 2023

The Biden administration tried to reassure Israeli officials in recent days that Washington is committed to its security relationship with Israel after details contained in a trove of purported secret Pentagon documents leaked on social media appeared to suggest that the U.S. had spied on some of its closest allies, including Israel, two Israeli officials said…One of the leaked top-secret documents contained a short paragraph about Israel and alleged involvement by Mossad officials in the protests against the government’s judicial overhaul. According to the Washington Post, the document said senior members of the Mossad in February advocated for the agency’s staff and Israeli citizens to protest “including several explicit calls to action that decried the Israeli government.” READ MORE

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Israeli Military Intelligence Directorate warns that hostilities remain high and could even lead to war

I24NEWS
Israel’s army reinforcing Iron Dome air defense system nationwide
April 13, 2023

Amid heightened regional security tensions, Israel’s military is bolstering air defense systems across the country and adding additional batteries to the Iron Dome to ensure residents’ safety in the event of an attack. Dozens of policemen and soldiers will also be deployed in Tel Aviv as the terror threat remains high, Kan public broadcaster reported, over a week after an Italian tourist was killed and several others were wounded after a terrorist rammed his car into them. On the same day, two sisters and their mother were also murdered in the West Bank. Israel also came under rocket fire last week from armed groups in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria, as Israeli forces have remained on high alert as Palestinian groups have called for more violence. READ MORE

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