They understand why protesters and rioters have poured onto the streets of downtown, and some acknowledge that crime is worse in other parts of Chicago. Some also agree with protesters that something systemic needs to be changed. But they don’t want to wait it out here in the city, fearful of stepping outside at night and hoping for things to maybe get better. They want out. READ MORE
The ruler of the United Arab Emirates issued a decree Saturday formally ending the country’s boycott of Israel amid a U.S.-brokered deal to normalize relations between the two countries. The announcement now allows trade and commerce between the UAE, home to oil-rich Abu Dhabi and skyscraper-studded Dubai, and Israel, home to a thriving diamond trade, pharmaceutical companies and tech start-ups. The announcement further cements the Aug 13 deal opening up relations between the two nations, which required Israel to halt its contentious plan to annex occupied West Bank land sought by the Palestinians. READ MORE
The widow of late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat told an Israeli TV station that she is under attack by Palestinian Authority leaders for friendly comments she made to the United Arab Emirates, after it announced its normalization of ties with Israel, and has warned she could “open the gates of hell” on PA chiefs if those attacks do not stop, indicating she has dirt on top officials. Suha Arafat, currently living in Malta, wrote an Instagram post on August 21, after the decision to normalize ties between Jerusalem and Abu Dhabi was announced. In it, she said she wished to apologize “in the name of the Palestinian people” for Palestinians’ burning of UAE flags…READ MORE
…The normalization of ties with Sunni Arab countries is illustrative of the second part of the Netanyahu Doctrine vis-à-vis Iran and its proxies (Hezbollah, Hamas, and others) that in recent years has taken the form of close military and security collaboration, usually far from the spotlight, between Israel and the Gulf countries. Contrary to the assertions of his detractors, not only was Netanyahu not mistaken about the Iranian threat (which they erroneously claim he exaggerated or even outright “invented”), but he also correctly evaluated the diplomatic and strategic opportunity this threat presented: to establish an Israeli-Arab alliance against Iran and its allies, of which the accords with the UAE are the first fruits. READ MORE
A far‐left Jewish group has walked back its labeling of the vandalization of a synagogue during racial unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, as “antisemitic.” The words “Free Palestine” were spray‐painted on the driveway of the Beth Hillel Temple during this week’s angry protests following last Sunday’s shooting by a white police officer of Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old black man. Mainstream Jewish organizations denounced the vandalism, with the American Jewish Committee tweeting, “This is antisemitism. Full stop…The far‐left group IfNotNow initially added its voice to the denunciations, with a Twitter post calling the act “antisemitic.”…But within 24 hours, IfNotNow reversed itself following a flurry of criticism from left-wing activists on Twitter.READ MORE
…Sacks made the comments in response to a question about Rabbi Shmuel Kamenetsky, an influential haredi Orthodox rabbi who recently said that Jews should vote to reelect Trump out of gratitude. Another Orthodox rabbi, Aryeh Spero, blessed Trump and his reelection campaign this week at the Republican National Convention. On the Left, Reform and Conservative rabbis frequently wade into partisan political issues and even argue for specific political candidates in their personal capacity. They even marched against Trump in the protests at his inauguration.READ MORE
Local officials and University of Delaware leaders are condemning the arson at the Chabad Center for Jewish Life and affirming their support for the Jewish community. “It is heartbreaking to learn the fire at the Chabad Center was set intentionally,” Mayor Jerry Clifton said. “This is a sickening act of hostility that threatens the safety and security of our inclusive, welcoming neighborhoods. My thoughts are with the Jewish community and those affected by this tragedy.”…The blaze broke out just after 11 p.m. Tuesday at the Chabad Center, located at 262 S. College Ave. READ MORE
…The RNC, on the other hand, had a much more hearty offering on hand. It had no actors, singers, comedians, billionaires, academics, or former presidents present to offer perfectly polished paeans to character. Instead, it had people of faith affirming the singular importance of safeguarding the freedom of religion; immigrants affirming the notion, not controversial until very recently, that an American citizenship was an exceptional honor, not a universal right; blue-collar workers affirming the all-American reliance on small businesses, not tech behemoths; law enforcement officials affirming the foundational truth that, in America, when we disagree, we talk things over, not burn things down…READ MORE
CHICAGO TRIBUNE Professor Charles Lipson: Trump’s speech: What worked, what didn’tAnother striking feature of the speech — indeed the whole GOP convention — was its emphasis on everyday Black families. The Republicans featured numerous African American speakers, some outlining how they had been helped by specific policies, such as criminal justice reform, others talking about Trump’s personal interest in them and their lives.
JERUSALEM POST Mishpacha Magazine Editor Binyamin Rose: Orthodox Jews tend to support Donald TrumpOnly 6% of voters who cast ballots for Barack Obama in 2008 voted for Donald Trump in 2016. I’m one of them. Political affiliation played no role in my decision. I’m a registered Democrat who often votes Republican. I was raised in an Orthodox Jewish family in North Jersey…This year poses a fresh dilemma.
Join the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum for a moving experience with special guests, inspiring stories, and important messages about the institution’s role in these difficult times. 2020 Risa K. Lambert CHICAGO VIRTUAL EVENT
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, NOON CDT
Featured Speaker: R. DEREK BLACK was raised in a prominent White Supremacist family and spent his teenage years helping his father expand the world’s first online racial hate community, Stormfront. He will discuss why he renounced the White Supremacist movement and philosophy he was raised in, and his current work at the University of Chicago exploring the medieval and early modern origins of race, racist ideologies, and antisemitic beliefs.
Honoree: MALLY ZOBERMAN RUTKOFF, the daughter of two Holocaust survivors, understood the need to connect with others who shared her family’s history. Mally served as the first chair of the Children of Survivors group in Chicago and launched the National Children of Survivors trips to Washington, DC. Her children are following in their mother’s footsteps as active members of the Museum’s Next Generation. This year, we honor Mally for the extraordinary leadership she has demonstrated for the Museum and throughout the community.
The man who was killed in a suspected terror attack Wednesday afternoon has been identified as 39-year-old Rabbi Shai Ohayon of Petah Tikva. A relative of the victim said he was “a perfect husband, a perfect father and a perfect son-in-law. His wife at home cannot process it, she is in shock. It is incomprehensible.” He said that Ohayon would teach Torah lessons in Sha’ar Ephraim, where the family lived until two years ago. “Everyone would come to hear his lessons. He knew how to get to everyone during his lessons. It’s a heavy loss.”…Ohayon is survived by his wife and four children – aged 4, 9, 11, and 13. READ MORE
ArchitectGuy on Israel 