“Many of the liberal progressives who voted for Mayor Bill de Blasio are now horrified by his handling of the pandemic and the rejiggering of the economic and social order”

Posted on October 1, 2020 by ArchitectGuy

AMERICAN SPECTATOR
Rotten apple: New Yorkers are fleeing to the suburbs
by Philip Delves Broughton
September 28, 2020

…Demand for housing in [New York’s] suburbs has exploded. Real-estate agents are reporting bidding wars and cash offers on even the most humdrum properties, provided they have space for a home office and access to a reasonable school system. As home sales in Manhattan fall by half, they are doubling in the ’burbs. All those families who once said they could never leave the gritty life of New York City now want nothing more than a two-car garage and a basketball hoop in the driveway. READ MORE

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“The ineffectiveness of the lockdown could be explained by the community spread taking place within households, but it is clear that an extension of the lockdown is essential”

Posted on September 27, 2020 by ArchitectGuy

ISRAEL HAYOM (by agreement with JNS)
Ministers deliberate next step after experts warn lockdown having minimal effect
by Ariel Kahana and Maytal Yasur Beit-Or
September 30, 2020

The special ministerial committee on the coronavirus crisis met on Wednesday in order to deliberate on the next phase in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, almost two weeks after Israel entered an almost-total lockdown for the second time in six months. According to a report presented to the ministers, the lockdown has yet to produce the desired results. “The ineffectiveness of the lockdown could be explained by the community spread taking place within households, but it is clear that an extension of the lockdown is essential,” the report said. The strictest part of the lockdown came into effect on Friday, just before Yom Kippur, and is officially set to last until the end of Sukkot in early October. READ MORE

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UAE minister Anwar Gargash:”if Israelis take strategic approach, ‘more doors will open to them’ in the Arab world”

Posted on September 27, 2020 by ArchitectGuy

TIMES OF ISRAEL
UAE minister: Iran’s aggression made Arab world look at Israel ‘with fresh eyes’
by Edith M. Lederer
September 26, 2020

The United Arab Emirates didn’t need peace with Israel to counter Iran, a top UAE official said Friday, but he said Iran’s aggressive policies over three decades alarmed many Arab countries and made them look at their relationship with Israel “with fresh eyes.” Anwar Gargash, the UAE’s minister of state for foreign affairs, acknowledged at a virtual briefing on the sidelines of the equally virtual UN General Assembly’s annual meeting of world leaders that this may not have been Iran’s intention…He called Turkey’s opposition to the agreement “pure hypocrisy,” accusing Ankara of “trying to take advantage of the Palestinian plight for narrow regional considerations.” READ MORE

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“AOC’s snub of Rabin event means more than just hurt feelings at Peace Now. The star of “The Squad” is sending a message to pro-Israel Democrats: The party’s over”

Posted on September 27, 2020 by ArchitectGuy

JNS
The left wants no part of liberal Israel
by Jonathan C. Tobin
September 29, 2020

In the world of politics, celebrity and name recognition is priceless, so in that sense, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) is among the richest members of Congress. In two years, the freshman went from being an unknown to being one of the most consequential members of the U.S. House of Representatives. It’s true that as a newcomer, her influence on Capitol Hill with respect to advancing or blocking legislation is minimal. But in an era when Beltway gridlock has made the passage of landmark bills rare, AOC (as she is commonly known) has a different kind of influence that in many respects is far more consequential. That is why pro-Israel Democrats who hoped to make common cause with her were dealt a devastating blow this past week. READ MORE

ABE YEHUDA What American Jews Can Learn from AOC I said before that AOC taught a lesson that American Jews should learn, and it’s this: The progressive Left is not on your side, even if you are a died-in-the-wool two-stater, even if you dislike our Prime Minister, or even if you hate “settlements.” These people do not want to end the conflict; they would not be satisfied if Netanyahu quit, and a two-state division along the Green Line wouldn’t be enough for them. They want to see the PLO/Hamas win and the Jews lose.

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“While asserting he’s never heard of Proud Boys, US president again says group should ‘just stand by,’ adding ‘let law enforcement do the work’; also denounces white supremacists”

Posted on September 27, 2020 by ArchitectGuy

TIMES OF ISRAEL
Trump calls on far-right group to ‘stand down’ after debate blowback
by Jacob Magid
September 30, 2020

US President Donald Trump denounced white supremacists on Wednesday after skirting a request to do so during the previous night’s presidential debate, which sparked uproar from Democrats, Jewish groups and others across the political spectrum. “I’ve always denounced any form…Any form of any of that, you have to denounce,” Trump told reporters after being asked whether he’d condemn white supremacists before he left the White House for a campaign rally in Minneapolis…Trump was also asked Wednesday whether he was concerned about right-wing militias taking to the streets. He responded affirmatively, adding that “any form of crime” concerns him. READ MORE

JNS Asking the wrong questions about extremist violence The misleading claim that Trump refused to condemn white supremacists helps obscure the truth about divisive racial issues rather than clarify them…He did it again. When presented at the first presidential debate of 2020 with another opportunity to make a straightforward condemnation of white supremacists, he refused. Or at least that’s what many headlines screamed the next morning after the train wreck of a debate that was held in Cleveland. 

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Congresswoman Betty McCollum works on legislation with a group linked to terror

Posted on September 27, 2020 by ArchitectGuy

FRONT PAGE MAG
US Rep Betty McCollum – ‘Useful Idiot’ for Hamas
by Joe Kaufman
September 29, 2020

United States Representative Betty McCollum (D-Minnesota) has become one of Israel’s biggest critics in Congress. This is apparent, given the one-sided legislation she has been introducing to Congress targeting the Jewish state. To draft this legislation, she has sought help from American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), a group with ties to Hamas and a group she has become very close with. While the Congresswoman has a right to her opinions, her involvement with such an entity undermines US interests abroad and is a threat to national security. READ MORE

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“If religion is opium, Marxism is crystal meth”

Posted on September 27, 2020 by ArchitectGuy

SPECTATOR
Antifa made me Christian
by Chadwick Moore
September 28, 2020

It’s a putrid August night in Brooklyn, with hazy orbs floating around the orange light from streetlamps lining a block of bars and restaurants. A dull murmur drifts up the avenue from young drunks limping along toward last call. For S. and me, chain-smoking over pints at our favorite pub, it’s a night like any other we’ve spent together over the past five years or so. S. is a Black Lives Matter stalwart and budding antifa sympathizer. He’s also burdened with severe angst and around this time of night the gloom really sets in. He becomes angry and only wants to talk about love, or, more accurately, heartache. It’s only in hindsight I realize that, back when I traveled in progressive circles, all my friends were as miserable as S. READ MORE

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Never Apologize to the Mob

Posted on September 27, 2020 by ArchitectGuy

What once was the start of healthy debate is now just as often a catalyst for personal and professional destruction. “The mob” is out to cancel anyone who crosses it. Paris Dennard describes the problem and offers a solution.

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A personal message from ArchitectGuy

Posted on September 27, 2020 by ArchitectGuy

I would prefer to do this personally, but…If I have said or done anything, in the past year, that has offended or hurt you, either by accident or on purpose, I apologize and ask for your forgiveness. I forgive anyone who may have done this to me.

G’mar Chatima Tova. May you all be inscribed in the book for a good life.

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Yom Kippur (the 10th day of the Jewish year) concludes 10 days of soul-searching, atonement and repentance– the holiest Jewish time – which begins on Rosh Hashanah, the first day of the Jewish year, commemorating the creation of the first human-being, Adam

Posted on September 27, 2020 by ArchitectGuy

THE ETTINGER REPORT
Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) Guide for the Perplexed, 2020
by Yoram Ettinger
September 23, 2020

…Asking forgiveness of fellow human-beings – and not only of God – is a major feature of Yom Kippur. From acrimony and vindictiveness to forgiveness and peace-of-mind. Hence, sinners and criminals are invited to Yom Kippur services. Asking forgiveness is consistent with Leviticus 19:18 (“Love thy neighbor as yourself”), and with the philosophy of Hillel the Elder, a leading 1st century BCE Jewish Sage: “Do not do unto your fellow person that which is hateful to you. That is the whole Torah; the rest is commentary….” Asking forgiveness of fellow human-beings aims at displaying magnanimity, compassion, consideration, responsibility, optimism and faith. It recognizes one’s fallibilities, learning from one’s mistakes, minimizing future missteps, elevating morality and enhancing family and community cohesion. READ MORE

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