“Launched in 2016 and funded by conservative US gentiles and Jews, the Passages program aims to shape the next generation of Christian leaders and shore up support for Jewish State”

Posted on January 19, 2020 by ArchitectGuy

TIMES OF ISRAEL
US Christian students come to Holy Land to connect to biblical and modern Israel
by Renee Ghert-Zand
January 14, 2020

Five hundred college students streamed into a large party venue in southern Jerusalem with a panoramic view of the Old City. They noshed on mini shwarma sandwiches and cotton candy, and danced with abandon to Israeli pop music — some creating a mosh pit near the DJ’s stage at the front of the hall. But they weren’t participating in Birthright Israel, the mega project that since it was founded in 1999 has brought upwards of 750,000 young Jews to the country. These young Americans were in Israel this month with Passages, an organization that brings practicing Christian college and graduate students from all over the United States to the Holy Land for a 10-day trip to connect with the biblical roots of their faith, and with modern Israel. READ MORE

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“Decades of incompetent budgeting and enormous but unfunded promises shove Illinois into insolvency, unable to pay bills as they come due”

Posted on January 19, 2020 by ArchitectGuy

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
Repeating: Democrats, it’s time for Madigan to go.
Editorial Board
January 17, 2020

…Parents watch in chagrin as young people by the tens of thousands join an Illinois Exodus and build their futures elsewhere. Tax gouges relentlessly expand, but never enough to sate the ruling Democrats — as always, they want more money to spend, this time via higher income taxes. Each word of that paragraph was true on July 2, 2017, when we first urged House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton to resign from their leadership posts. And each word of that paragraph is true today, although not the end of the story. READ MORE

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“In a groundbreaking New York Times op-ed, two prominent Reform rabbis describe the workings of a movement to demonize Israel now widely found in high school curricula across the nation”

Posted on January 16, 2020 by ArchitectGuy

AMERICANS FOR PEACE AND TOLERANCE
Newton’s anti-Jewish curriculum scandal makes it to the pages of The New York Times
January 16, 2020

…They identified the anti-Israel high school curriculum at Newton Public Schools as part of “a much bigger problem” across the country: “Anti-Israel activism has spread beyond the college campus and into the elementary and high school classroom,” they write. The rabbis caution: “A hateful obsession with Israel too often descends into hatred of Jews, even if it doesn’t start there.” For the past nine years, APT and fellow grass roots Jewish groups have fought to counter anti-Israel and anti-Semitic curricula in Newton Public Schools which is funded in part by Arab petro dollars. This, while Boston’s establishment Jewish groups — including the ADL, CJP, and JCRC — deny that the problem exists. READ MORE

NEW YORK TIMES Rabbis Ammiel Hirsch and Joshua Davidson: The Anti-Israel Craze Hits High School We are deeply worried about the effect that hatred of Israel has on students. We emphasized in our remarks that for centuries, anti-Semitism emerged from both the right and the left of the political spectrum. We described what far-right anti-Semitism looks like, but, since we are liberal rabbis, we spent most of our time discussing anti-Semitism among the left. It’s especially important for us to speak against hate in our own camp….To describe Zionism as racism, to deny Israel’s most basic right to exist, is anti-Semitic in effect, if not in intent.

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Trump to Europe: How badly do you want to sell cars in US market ?

Posted on January 16, 2020 by ArchitectGuy

REUTERS
U.S. threatened Europe with auto tariffs over Iran nuclear program – Washington Post
January 15, 2020

The Trump administration has threatened to impose a 25% tariff on European automobile imports if Britain, France and Germany do not formally accuse Iran of breaking the 2015 nuclear deal, the Washington Post reported on Wednesday, citing unnamed European officials. The three European countries triggered a dispute mechanism under the agreement on Tuesday, amounting to a formal accusation against Tehran of violating its terms and could lead to the reinstatement of United Nations sanctions lifted under the accord. Iran has criticized that move, calling it a “strategic mistake.” READ MORE

WASHINGTON POST European countries trigger dispute mechanism in Iran nuclear deal European countries on Tuesday triggered a dispute mechanism in their nuclear deal with Iran, a move that could lead to the return of United Nations sanctions on Tehran. Britain, France and Germany said that they had been “left with no choice” but to make the move. Iran announced Jan. 5, after the U.S. killing of Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani, that it would no longer be bound by limitations on its nuclear energy program.

JERUSALEM POST UK expands Hezbollah asset freeze, targets entire organization Britain’s Treasury said it has designated the entire Hezbollah organisation as a terrorist group under its Terrorism and Terrorist Financing rules, and as such its assets will be frozen. Previously it was only Hezbollah’s Military Wing which was subject to asset freezing under UK government rules.

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To make amends, ‘Jeopardy’ game show awards questioner $200 for answering “Palestine”

Posted on January 16, 2020 by ArchitectGuy

CHRISTIAN POST
‘Jeopardy!’ apologizes for saying Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity is in Israel
by Michael Gryboski
January 15, 2020

The people behind the popular television game show “Jeopardy!” have issued an apology following recent episode in which a contestant was penalized for saying that the Church of the Nativity was located in the Palestinian territories. On a recent episode of the game show, a clue under the category “Where’s that church?” asked contestants the country in which the Church of the Nativity, which is in Bethlehem, West Bank, less than 6 miles south of Jerusalem. When contestant Katie Needle answered “What is Palestine?” she was ruled incorrect. Then contestant Jack McGuire answered “What is Israel?” and was ruled correct. READ MORE

https://twitter.com/AdamMilstein/status/1216476586003828737?s=20

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“Polish President Andrzej Duda’s decision to skip the Fifth World Holocaust Forum in Jerusalem next week, which top world leaders will attend, highlights the crisis in Polish-Israeli ties”

Posted on January 16, 2020 by ArchitectGuy

ISRAEL HAYOM (by agreement with JNS)
Poland and Israel’s loss of diplomatic wisdom
by Caroline B. Glick
January 17, 2020

Next Thursday is supposed to mark another diplomatic triumph for Israeli diplomacy. On January 23, the Fifth World Holocaust Forum will convene at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day and the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz death camp. According to Yad Vashem and the World Holocaust Forum, 45 heads of state will travel to Jerusalem for the conference as President Reuven Rivlin’s guests. But unless something changes in the next few days, the event won’t be a diplomatic triumph. The conference, titled, “Remembering the Holocaust, Fighting Anti-Semitism,” will be mark the end of the golden era of Israeli diplomacy. This isn’t the fault of the guests. READ MORE

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“Millions of Israelis are willing to vote for a possible criminal because they see it as their only chance of curbing the legal establishment’s takeover of Israel’s democracy”

Posted on January 16, 2020 by ArchitectGuy

JNS
Why do Likud voters support Netanyahu? Thank the Supreme Court
by Evelyn Gordon
January 8, 2020

Although Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was favored to win his Likud party’s leadership contest on Dec. 26, the magnitude of his victory surprised many observers. Despite his three indictments for corruption and his failure to form a government following two elections last year, 72 percent of primary voters chose him over a popular and respected challenger. To understand why, it’s worth examining a High Court of Justice ruling handed down the following week. READ MORE

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“This is not the time for partisan politics. This should be a time for the U.S. Congress to speak with one voice to condemn an Iranian regime that kills its own people”

Posted on January 16, 2020 by ArchitectGuy

JNS
This is our moment
by Sarah N. Stern
January 16, 2020

If the Iranian regime feels that the world is not paying attention, then they will get away with many more years of the repression and terror they inflict not only on their people, but upon the rest of the world….Today in Iran, thousands of tremendously courageous young men and women have been protesting on the streets, knowing full well that since at least 1,500 demonstrators have already been murdered by the regime, they are taking their very lives in their hands. Knowing that in fear-based regimes, such as the former Soviet Union or Iran, when those in power feel threatened they will stop at nothing to be able to preserve their grip on power. READ MORE

WASHINGTON TIMES House Democrats block McCarthy measure supporting Iranian protesters House Democrats on Tuesday blocked a vote on a resolution introduced by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, California Republican, that expressed support of anti-government protesters in Iran and condemned Iran’s role in the downing of a Ukrainian civilian aircraft last week. While details behind the blockage remain unclear, Democrats were reportedly drafting their own version of the resolution to compete with Mr. McCarthy’s resolution.

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“In the 2016 US presidential elections, most polls declared that 70% of American Jews voted for Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton”

Posted on January 16, 2020 by ArchitectGuy

ALGEMEINER
Contrary to Popular Belief, Many US Jews Support Trump
by Yossi Hollender
January 12, 2020

…In my opinion, American Jewish support for Trump is far higher than commonly thought. Before you recommend sending me to a mental health clinic, please read my reasoning in the article below. The first question is, of course, who is a Jew? In the United States, voter registration does not indicate voter religion. Polls are conducted by companies that specialize in the Jewish population. The problem is that these companies are actually surveying a partial and unrepresentative group of the Jewish population and therefore the results are distorted. READ MORE

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“Just like Trump’s unilateral push to overhaul NAFTA, he’s shown a willingness to tolerate some damage at home in the hope that the damage inflicted on the other parties would be far greater and force them to make concessions”

Posted on January 16, 2020 by ArchitectGuy

PROJECT SYNDICATE
Is Trump’s Iran Strategy Working?
by Mohamed A. El-Erian
January 16, 2020

US President Donald Trump’s authorization of the  of Iranian Quds Force commander Qassem Suleimani is, in many ways, similar to his administration’s approach to trade. In both cases, the administration has demonstrated a willingness to surprise by unilaterally leveraging US strength in the pursuit of long-term outcomes, despite considerable short-term risks and without wide consultations. As President Ronald Reagan showed in the 1980s with his strategy vis-à-vis the Soviet Union, such aggressive unilateralism can work. But it is best used selectively and sparingly. READ MORE

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