Join Jim and Greg as they wrap up the week with three big stories. First, they recoil at the radical anti-Israel statement from Georgia Democrat Raphael Warnock. They also fire back at the Democrat in Texas who wants to limit when you can defend your life and property. And they react to a Los Angeles Times editor urging Sen. Dianne Feinstein to resign so Gov. Gavin Newsom can appoint both black and Latino senators.
Will Biden Trigger War in the Middle East?
When President Trump pulled us out of the Iranian deal, also known as the JCPOA, it was one of the most sensible and appropriate actions of his Presidency. The deal, which was supposed to “slow” the Iranian development of a nuclear weapon, was a sham from the start: they refused to adhere to certain inspection guidelines from the beginning, then violated others as time passed; the IAEA figuratively and repeatedly threw up its hands in frustration. When we pulled out, the Iranians used our lack of support as a further excuse to continue to ignore the limitations of the agreement.
Now with the opportunity to manipulate the latest version of an Obama administration (also to be known as the Biden administration), the Iranians know that Biden has stated he will sign on again to the agreement. Biden’s goal is not only foolish but meaningless, since the Iranians have significantly progressed in their nuclear bomb development. What in the world will our re-engaging provide? Here are some of Biden’s ideas about re-joining the JCPOA:
In an op-ed in September, Biden said as president he would ‘make an unshakable commitment to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.’ He argued the best way to achieve that was for the U.S. to re-enter the deal.
For some months now, I have been following what I am convinced is the legal witch-hunt against Benjamin Netanyahu. My sources are largely conservative and/or philosemitic/Israel-friendly online press outlets in English, German and Dutch. With the developments this week, Gantz now threatening to break the coalition and trigger new elections, I am going to ask […]
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Join Jim and Greg as they welcome disputed reports that the leaders of Saudi Arabia and Israel met in recent days in hopes that the thaw in Middle East tensions is spreading even farther. As the CEO of Qantas Airlines announces all passengers on international flights will eventually need to be vaccinated against COVID to be allowed on board, Jim and Greg discuss why that’s a difficult policy to enforce and whether people will shut out from society if they refuse. And they discuss the Trump legal team parting ways with Sidney Powell just days after their much-discussed press conference.
Join Jim and Greg as they welcome growing evidence that coronavirus transmission rates are very low in the schools. Jim explains why the Trump campaign’s accusations of massive election fraud don’t seem to hold water. And they shake their heads as Barack Obama reveals why his Middle East peace efforts went nowhere.
Quote of the Day: Miracles Do Happen
“Bahrain, for its part continues to astonish Israelis with its enthusiasm over its the newly opened peaceful ties with Israel. Last weekend, Sheikh Khaled bin Khalifa al Khalifa, a member of Bahrain’s royal family who serves as the Chairman of the King Hamad Global Center for Co-Existence and Peace signed an agreement in Washington with Elan Carr, the US anti-Semitism monitor where both sides committed to work together to fight anti-Semitism. The Bahraini center adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of anti-Semitism. The IHRA definition defines anti-Zionism as a form of anti-Semitism.” —Caroline Glick
Although the outcome of the Abraham Accords in August was shocking and difficult to imagine, this next step is also deeply satisfying.
The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain have joined Israel in the Accords, and I’m sure it took a great deal of effort to bring it to fruition. Also, Sudan has been removed from the terrorist list and is working on normalizing relations with Israel, as are at least four other Arab countries.
Join Jim and Greg for three good martinis! First, they credit NBC for actually reporting that a big reason for huge forest fires is poor government management and a refusal to diligently thin out forests to contain future fires. They’re also thrilled to see polling showing 80 percent of Saudis expecting normalization of relations with Israel and 71 percent expecting it whether the Palestinians pursue a peace deal or not. And they’re glad to see a majority of Americans approving the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett and a huge majority opposing court packing.
Trump’s Disruptive Foreign Policy
The following began its brief life as a comment on another recent post, but after reflection I thought maybe it was cogent enough to stand on its own. On the foreign policy front, I suspect I may be the only one here who has served in Embassies, including during the Trump era. This is what I will say about that.
Bottom line, this administration has served as a corrective to some badly flawed policy. Disruption was absolutely necessary, but at some point should start to give way to stability and focused team-building.
Donald Trump, whether people want to admit it or not, scored a pretty big foreign policy win as Israel normalized relations with UAE and Bahrain. Seth, Park, Jay, and Grant discuss the political implications for Trump and why people are so afraid (on either side) to credit anyone, not in their party for policy success.
Also, the guys discuss the coronavirus vaccine and the effects of both Trump over-promising and some Democrats flirting with anti-vax rhetoric because they don’t like Trump and argue the wrong point (that it won’t be ready by election day instead of assuming it will and saying they don’t trust the president).
Join Jim and Greg as they cheer the Abraham Accords and hope President Trump is right that several other Arab nations may soon normalize relations with Israel as well. They also discuss the claims of a possible Chinese whistleblower who claims she has evidence that COVID-19 came from a lab rather than a wet market and the Chinese Communist Party has been covering its tracks ever since. Jim explains why she ought to release whatever she has as soon as possible. And as the “experts” keep insisting states are totally prepared for massive mail-in voting, they groan as Michigan can’t even get the names in the presidential race right on the ballot.
Join Jim and Greg as they applaud the normalization of relations between Israel and Bahrain and indications that Saudi Arabia may soon follow suit. They also discuss the premeditated shootings of two Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies on Saturday and why Joe Biden condemns the shooting but not the people blocking the ambulances from reaching the hospitals and chanting that they hoped the deputies died. And Jim explains why the wildfires in the western U.S. are exposing the extreme policies of some Democrats and environmental activists.
Trump Negotiates Historic Israel-UAE Peace Deal
President Trump achieved a diplomatic milestone Thursday, leading the United Arab Emirates and Israel to establish a full normalization of relations. This is more bad news for the Iranian regime as well as the dead-end supporters of Obama’s nuclear deal.
“The historic diplomatic breakthrough will advance peace in the Middle East region,” according to a joint statement, “and is a testament to the bold diplomacy and vision of the three leaders and the courage of the United Arab Emirates and Israel to chart a new path that will unlock the great potential in the region.”
To achieve the deal, Israel will suspend annexing parts of the West Bank and will instead focus on improving ties throughout the Middle East.
Join Jim and Greg as they sip three good martinis today. First, they’re thrilled to hear that Israel and the United Arab Emirates are normalizing relations. They also shudder to learn the Maine Democratic Senate hopeful Sara Gideon repeatedly blocked legislation to ban female genital mutilation, but are thankful the story is coming to light for voters to consider. And they cheer weekly first-time jobless claims dropping below one million for the first time since the pandemic began.
As Israel is at risk of entering a second wave, it is time to think about a sustainable long term plan that can protect the population at high risk, without destroying further our very fragile economy nor canceling our civil liberties. The government needs to clarify its tools, goals, and the sustainability of its policies […]
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As a direct consequence of the lockdowns, more than a million Israelis have lost their jobs, and the country faces a 25% unemployment rate. Getting those individuals back at work is a national priority, failing to do so will not only destroy the lives of many families but also bring social unrest. Unfortunately, the government […]
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This week, our politicians formed Israel 35th government after 508 days and three rounds of elections. Israelis watched sadly the swearing-in of 34 ministers with fake titles and unknown functions and another 12 deputy ministers scratching for meaningless jobs. This government is nothing short of a gargantuan monster, bathing in a life of affluence, and […]
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Health, Privacy, and Shin Bet Surveillance
Israel is re-opening the economy, and the world is watching our success story against COVID-19. Many parameters probably played a role in reducing the health impact of the virus. Still, it seems that closing the borders early and the outstanding behavior of the population are the main factors. The overwhelming majority of Israelis agreed to make drastic changes to save lives. This behavior isn’t unusual, Israelis live permanently in a state of emergency, almost instinctively, we come together in solidarity and unity at times of danger. But, the citizens also dictated the end of the strict lockdowns when the economic and emotional cost became unbearable. As days passed, and the virus felt less devastating than previously thought citizens demanded an end of the restrictions, leaving no choice to our government than to relax the most coercive legislation.
However, there is a tool that our government used during this crisis: military-grade surveillance on private citizens, and even as we return to our “normal” life, this monitoring persists. The use of such surveillance was defended as a tool for saving lives through contact tracing of the infection. It turns out that this system, operated by the Shin Bet, only helped reveal a minuscule number of cases. Despite those poor results, we are still under full surveillance even after the containment of the virus and return to “normal” activities. Detailed information about every single aspect of our life is being watched and stored by government agencies. They know who we meet, how long we spend with our friends, where we shop, where we walk. They trace every action we take during the day. It’s often described as one of the most intrusive surveillance systems in the world and with the exception of China, no other countries have deployed such monitoring in their fight against COVID-19.
In fact, until a few weeks ago, this type of surveillance had only been used against suspected terrorists. Have we all become suspected terrorists in the eyes of our government?
Let’s transfer back the responsibly to the people away from the bureaucrats. Israelis showed they could be trusted. Citizens came together, fought a terrific battle against the virus, and dealt with the emergency. The round of applause belongs to every Israeli. We show our care towards each other, our solidarity, and our readiness to […]
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The survey was administered on April 1st, 2020, by Geocartography and sponsored by the Jerusalem Institute for Market Studies. The study was conducted as part of an Internet survey of 626 men and women, Internet surfers aged 18 and over. The sample is representative of this population in the State of Israel (Internet surfers) at […]
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