This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
JERUSALEM – Almost since the start of the hostilities between Israel and Hamas, various U.S. airlines – along with other major European carriers – have had extended periods of several months where they have refused to fly to and from the Jewish state.
While this has had the effect of burgeoning El Al – Israel's national carrier's – profits, it has caused consternation among Israel's defenders on Capitol Hill, who see this as part of the effort to delegitimize the country and punish it for its continued war against Hamas.
Indeed, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz R-Texas, who chairs the influential Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, has called on U.S. airlines to rethink the services they suspended last summer amid an escalation of the hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah.
Fears the Iranian-backed Islamist group would target Ben-Gurion International Airport outside the central Israeli city of Lod proved to be unfounded, as the IDF largely managed to contain and destroy a large percentage of the group's longer-range missiles. If the airport had come under significant attack one may understand the flight suspension; it didn't, and yet U.S. airlines are continuing to act as if the hostilities are still at their height.
According to Jewish Insider, Cruz made his comments on the "Nothing But The Truth" podcast, hosted by NORPAC New York's co-president, Trudy Stern.
"I think it is time for American airlines to resume flights to and from Israel. At this point with every day that goes on, it appears more and more to be a politically motivated boycott instead of a genuine safety concern. It was one thing right at the outset of the war when it was unclear what was going to happen," Cruz told Stern.
"It was one thing to take a step potentially in terms of preserving safety. It's another thing now. Right now today, El Al is flying every day. You have regional airlines in Europe that are flying regularly to Israel. The UAE's airline flies three times a day to Israel. And I got to say, every indication is that this is, this is a politically motivated boycott.
"One example is if you look at the largest of the flight attendant unions, they have been vigorously anti-Israel, calling for boycotts of Israel, and sadly, speaking out in support of the antisemitic protests on college campuses here in the United States. I think it's time for the American airlines to return to flying to and from Israel," he continued.
Cruz, who only assumed his new congressional role 24 hours prior to his interview, has jurisdiction over the airline industry, and he made it clear he would be pushing for a resumption of flights from the main U.S. carriers.
The Republican senator is not the only lawmaker to have been perplexed by the Delta, United, and American Airlines' reticence to fly to Israel. In August, U.S. Rep. Richie Torres, D-N.Y., posted a letter on X, which he had sent to each of the CEOs of those three airlines.
I am calling upon the CEOs of American Airlines, Delta, and United to end the unilateral + indefinite suspensions of air travel to Israel. The operative words here are 'unilateral' and 'indefinite.'
Air travel suspensions should have time limits and FAA approval. Instead of… pic.twitter.com/J1uhKGg98k
— Ritchie Torres (@RitchieTorres) August 29, 2024
In his missive, he described that their refusal to fly had – at that time – made El Al, the only viable option, which made air travel to Israel "less available, and less affordable, putting customers at the mercy of a de facto monopoly that can easily gouge prices with impunity." This was indeed a criticism of Israel's national carrier; seeing how for months there were literally no other options if people wanted to fly in and out of Israel.
"It is one thing to temporarily suspend air travel to Israel on security grounds as defined by the FAA. But to unilaterally suspend air travel indefinitely until mid-2025, as American Airlines has done, has the practical effect of a boycott."
Less than a month after Torres' intervention, U.S. Rep. Marcus Molinaro R-N.Y., followed up by saying the FAA was stonewalling him after he demanded answers on what guidance it had given to U.S. airlines amidst their ongoing refusal to fly to Israel.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Officials in the city of Los Angeles knew they and their fire department personnel were unprepared to defend the city from wildfires.
A letter from Fire Chief Kristin Crowly had warned city officials, including Mayor Karen Bass, a Democrat, only last month about the problem that threatens lives, property and the city itself.
The letter warned the budget cuts on the fire department, imposed by the city during a time period when it was fulling embracing spending plans for "diversity" and the like, have "severely limited the department's capacity to prepare for, train for, and respond to large-scale emergencies including wildfires."
Multiple deaths already have been confirmed and hundreds, probably thousands, of homes and businesses have been lost to at least half a dozen fires that have raged, aggravated by high winds, over the last week.
A Twitchy report said the letter makes Bass, who recently returned from a trip to Africa she was on as her city burned, look even worse.
"While our pals on the Left are screeching about climate change being at fault for the devastating fires we're all watching in California in real-time, the reality of the situation and how badly LA has and other affected areas have been managed and cared for is becoming more and more obvious. From refusing to utilize water to protect some minnow, to slashing the budgets, Mayor Karen Bass has made some horrible decisions compounded by Gavin Newsom being one of if not the worst governor in the country," the report said.
"When priorities are as off as Bass's and Newsom's unfortunately that spells disaster for their people. And guess what? A letter from L.A. Fire Chief Kristin Crowley written JUST LAST MONTH shows even she knew there was a problem. Bass was so concerned she took a trip to Ghana."
I Love America News had reported that fire hydrants ran dry, leaving firefighters without their most critical resource to battle the recent blazes.
And video confirmed that those fighting fires were resorting to carrying water to the fires in handbags in valiant attempts to protect property. A subsequent report revealed firefighters carry canvas bags with them, somethings dumping small amounts of water strategically, instead of unfurling a hose each time.
Bass, on returning from her trip to Africa, froze when asked about the situation.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Article III Project spokesman Mike Davis says now it's time for the U.S. Supreme Court to "put on big-boy pants and end" the election interference that has occurred through a lawfare case against President-elect Donald Trump in the courtroom of New York judge Juan Merchan.
Merchan supervised the trial on charges created by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg who took business reporting misdemeanors and claimed they were felonies because they were in pursuit of another unidentified crime.
A leftist jury in Manhattan, a district that voted overwhelmingly against Trump, convicted him on 34 counts and Merchan has scheduled sentencing for Friday.
Trump now has appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court to delay that.
Davis said, "The American people have heard all the bogus allegations and so-called evidence against President Trump. And they rendered their verdict on November 5th. It's time for the Supreme Court of the United States to put on its big-boy pants and end the Biden Democrats' unprecedented, republic-ending lawfare and election interference.
"We cannot allow America to devolve into a highly dangerous place where third-world prosecutors and judges in partisan hellholes can sentence the president-elect for non-crimes."
The Washington Examiner reported Trump's appeal seeks a postponment of the sentencing.
"President Trump's legal team filed an emergency petition with the United States Supreme Court, asking the Court to correct the unjust actions by New York courts and stop the unlawful sentencing in the Manhattan D.A.'s Witch Hunt," Trump spokesman and incoming White House communications director Steven Cheung said.
Trump's legal team explains the sentencing at this time would disrupt his presidential transition and preparations for his Jan. 20 inauguration. Also being questioned is the validity of the guilty verdict itself.
Trump's attorneys said, as president-elect, he should be immune from criminal proceedings, the report said.
"Forcing President Trump to prepare for a criminal sentencing in a felony case while he is preparing to lead the free world as President of the United States in less than two weeks imposes an intolerable, unconstitutional burden on him that undermines these vital national interests," Trump's team argued.
The Supreme Court has ordered New York officials to respond by Thursday.
WND has reported the case is being handled by a "deeply conflicted" Merchan.
The legacy media has styled the case the "hush money" case essentially because Trump's organization labeled his payments to his then-lawyer as legal fees when some of the money went to a woman to keep quiet about an alleged affair, which both alleged participants have denied happened.
Cheung said when Merchan scheduled his sentencing, "Today's order by the deeply conflicted, Acting Justice Merchan in the Manhattan DA Witch Hunt is a direct violation of the Supreme Court's Immunity decision and other longstanding jurisprudence. This lawless case should have never been brought and the Constitution demands that it be immediately dismissed. President Trump must be allowed to continue the Presidential Transition process and to execute the vital duties of the presidency, unobstructed by the remains of this or any remnants of the Witch Hunts. There should be no sentencing, and President Trump will continue fighting against these hoaxes until they are all dead."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
JERUSALEM – As the Biden administration enters the final stretch of its disastrous run, people's attention has turned to what the final two or so weeks will bring. As far as Israel is concerned there appears to be both hope and concern with a proposed multi-billion dollar arms sale offset by the potential for an Obama-style stab in back at the United Nations.
Surprisingly, reports emerged from the White House on Saturday, which highlighted the Biden administration announcing its intention to approve an $8 billion arms sale to Israel, with the U.S. State Department "informally" notifying Congress about the proposed deal, according to the New York Times.
The deal reportedly includes artillery shells, small-diameter bombs, munitions for fighter jets and helicopters, and GPS-guided bomb systems. However, many of the munitions in the package are not intended for immediate use, as production is expected to begin soon. The final delivery to Israel may not take place for several years.
Meanwhile, protesters have for months demanded an arms embargo against Israel, concerned at what they view as Israel's overreaction to the slaughter of Oct. 7, without ever elucidating how they would deal with terrorists bent on killing all the Jews they can get their hands, but U.S. policy has largely remained unchanged.
In August, the United States approved the sale of $20 billion in fighter jets and other military equipment to Israel. However, during her car-crash bid for the presidency, Vice President Kamala Harris, of whom precious little has been heard since her definitive defeat in the Nov. 5 plebiscite against President-elect Donald Trump, admitted that despite congressional approval, she had a hand in the slow-walking provision of arms to Israel so it could continue its fight against the forces arrayed against it.
The Biden administration says it is helping its ally defend against Iran-backed terrorist groups like Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen.
In spite of the Biden administration's apparent backing for the arms sale, on New Year's Day senior Hudson Institute fellow Michael Doran predicted on the "Israel Update" podcast he co-hosts with Israeli historian and political commentator Gadi Taub that "a network of anti-Israel officials" in the Biden White House is urging him and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to spring a "nasty January surprise" on Israel.
Doran alleged it would be along similar lines to one of the final acts of the outgoing Obama administration in Decemebr 2016, in which then-U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Samantha Power abstained on the vote for United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334, which sought to turn the ceasefire lines that separated Israel from Jordan before the 1967 war into an internationally recognized political boundary between Israel and a Palestinian state. This so-called "occupied Palestinian territory," included east Jerusalem's Jewish neighborhoods, the Jewish quarter of the Old City and the Western Wall.
"This year's January surprise aims to find Israel officially guilty of blocking humanitarian aid to Gaza, thereby laying the evidentiary basis for a new U.N. resolution punishing Israel," Doran posted on X.
This seems an unusual line of attack, and one which Doran and Taub mentioned on their podcast, in that U.S. ambassador to Israel Jack Lew put pressure on USAID's Famine Early Warning Systems Network to take down a report, which wrongly accused Israel of failing to provide enough aid to Gaza.
"The report issued today on Gaza by FEWS NET relies on data that is outdated and inaccurate," a statement from the embassy said. "We have worked closely with the Government of Israel and the U.N. to provide greater access to the North Governorate, and it is now apparent that the civilian population in that part of Gaza is in the range of 7,000-15,000, not 65,000-75,000 which is the basis of this report."
Doran explained the Biden administration, like the Obama one before it, will try to "have it both ways."
"The January surprise is that there will be an official finding by the State Department that Israel is in violation of 620(i). It's blocking humanitarian aid to Gaza, and then what will happen is that the president will waive the penalties for blocking of the humanitarian aid, but there will have been an official American finding," Doran said.
"There will be an official American finding, but there will be no penalties to Israel, so again the administration gets to have it both ways. Finds Israel guilty but then says, 'Well we're not going to do anything about it," according to the Jewish News Syndicate.
He added that the resolution, whether the United States officially backs it or not, will likely open the door to the International Court of Justice, International Criminal Court, European Union and others will use the "offiical American finding" to pressure Israel.
There is apparently division on this within the Biden White House, with different sides of the argument fighting it out among themselves, and it isn't yet clear if it would have the backing of Biden and/ or Blinken.
One other aspect is the likelihood the incoming Trump administration and Congress would likely prevent such a scheme from taking place.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
A politician who was punished by her own political party for stating a scientific fact now is suing for damages.
A report in the Times reveals Natalie Bird is seeking £90,000 in damages from her own Liberal Democrats political coalition in the United Kingdom after officials punished her – by banning her from standing for office in 2029 – and calling her a "bigot."
Her offense was to wear a shirt with the slogan: "Woman: adult human female."
The report explained, "Natalie Bird has told a judge that activist members of Sir Ed Davey's party targeted her because she expressed the gender-critical view that men cannot transition to become women."
The single mother had been a candidate to represent Wakefield, and chose to pursue "safe spaces for vulnerable women" because of her own experiences with domestic abuse.
The name-calling erupted after she wore the shirt, and included a description of her as a "trans-exclusionary radical feminist," and the party suspended her and then barred her from seeking election.
The report said, "Representatives of the party 'conceded the claim' this year."
But it's back in court as Bird seeks damages for "injury to feelings" because the party breached her membership contract and her rights.
Her lawyer said in the report she had been further attacked with "silencing, intimidating and bullying" because of her beliefs.
Those beliefs, the court case argues, are protected under the nation's Equality Act 2010.
"Bird told the judge, Karen Walden-Smith, that she was removed as a prospective parliamentary candidate in 2019 and banned from standing for 10 years. Two senior Liberal Democrats have already admitted the party's culpability and the amount of damages to be paid to Bird are being assessed," the report said.
The party is accused of demonstrating "a pattern of behavior" of intentional shunning of Bird "for holding a view which she has every right to hold."
The Christian Institute said Bird had been threatened by the party with exclusion if she "did not agree that 'trans women are women,'" a popular catch phrase for those who support men calling themselves women if they choose.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
JERUSALEM – Middle East/Israel Morning Brief
Was Syria's former president Assad the victim of an attempted poisoning?
The U.K.'s Sun newspaper published an unverified report that Syria's former dictator Bashar al-Assad, who sought refuge in Moscow following his ouster from Damascus in early December, was the victim of an attempted poisoning.
Online account General SVR — supposedly run by a former top spy in Russia – says he was taken ill on Sunday.
It claims Assad, 59, asked for medical help then almost immediately began to "cough violently and choke."
The source said: "There is every reason to believe an assassination attempt was made." Assad was said to have been treated in his apartment and his condition supposedly stabilized on Monday.
The story is intriguing as there are competing narratives over who might have carried this alleged attack out. The Sun implied Assad's wife, Asma, who has reportedly filed for divorce from the deposed tyrant, could be behind it. Other possibilities include his Russian hosts – by no means averse to using poisoning to get rid of political opponents or inconvenient individuals – becoming potentially embarrassed by his presence. Perhaps a more far-fetched idea is it was done by a Syrian national, who somehow managed to be in close enough proximity to him to carry it out.
Hundreds call for intifada in Times Square demo
On the same day a disciple of the Islamic State tore over pedestrians on a New Orleans street, hundreds of pro-Hamas, anti-Israel Islamists – and their useful idiot followers – gathered in New York's Times Square to call for "intifada."
The protest – organized by the Palestinian Youth Movement, the Party for Socialism and Liberation and the People's Forum – was led in a chant of "There is only one solution: Intifada revolution," according to the Jewish News Syndicate.
Videos posted online captured a keffiyeh-clad woman shouting racial and antisemitic slurs at counter-demonstrators, including at a black woman in the small pro-Israel gathering.
"Palestine will be free and f**k you all and we are sending you back to Europe, you white b*tches. Go back to Europe! Back to where you came from. Germany is your homeland," the keffiyeh-clad woman shouted.
Hamas police chief and his deputy said killed in IDF strike on Gaza humanitarian zone
The Israel Air Force overnight Thursday eliminated Hamas Maj. Gen. Mahmoud Salah, director general of the police in the Gaza Strip, and his deputy, Brig. Gen. Hussam Mustafa Shawan "Abu Shurooq," reported the Jewish Press.
Eleven were killed and 12 injured in the bombing attack in the Al-Mawasi area, west of Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip.
In a separate statement, the Hamas-run interior ministry condemned the killing of the two police officers, saying "they were performing their humanitarian and national duty in serving our people."
The Hamas-run police force is used to enforce strict discipline among the Gazan civilian population. There have been complaints about Hamas taking over supply convoys and brutally abusing anyone suspected of stealing the free goods distributed by international agencies and subsequently sold by the terrorist group.
Israeli victims of New Orleans terrorist remain in hospital
Two Israeli nationals remain hospitalized and on ventilators following a deadly ramming and shooting attack in New Orleans' French Quarter early New Year's Day, Elad Shoshan, Israel's consul to the U.S. Southwest and deputy consul general, told Ynet on Thursday.
One victim is stable and not in life-threatening condition, while the other is in moderate to serious condition. Both remain unable to communicate. "We hope to speak with them tomorrow," Shoshan said.
Capture of Hamas documents show terrorist organization's tactical depth, deficiencies in Israeli intelligence
Prior to the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on southern Israel, which have had the unintended consequence of upending the Middle Eastern order, the terrorist group reportedly spent up to seven years collecting intricate intelligence details ahead of its offensive.
Israel's Channel 12 News exposed documents that were found during the ground operation that showed years of effort on Hamas' part to gather intelligence about border towns and villages in Israel, including the movements and habits of leading local figures and security officers. Through meticulous information-gathering, Hamas was not only able to execute a surprise offensive but a precise one, reported The Media Line.
According to the Channel 12 News report, documents and sensitive information were collected for years. Hamas hacked surveillance cameras throughout southern Israel, and the organization managed to infiltrate sensitive systems, allowing them to diligently monitor the movements of critical security figures in the border area.
"Hamas did an excellent job using OSINT (open-source intelligence) and gained access to CCTV cameras, which are so prevalent today," said Prof. Kobi Michael, a researcher at the Institute of National Security Studies and the Misgav Institute for National Security and Zionist Strategy,. "Together, this was an endless source of intelligence."
Palestinian Authority kicks out Al Jazeera for fomenting unrest in Judea and Samaria
The Palestinian Ministerial Committee, comprising representatives from the Ministries of Culture, Interior, and Telecommunications, on Wednesday announced the suspension of the broadcast operations of the Qatar-based Al Jazeera Media Network in the PA, the Jewish Press reported.
The committee also ordered the temporary suspension of work by all journalists, staff, and associated channels affiliated with Al Jazeera.
On May 4, 2024, the Israeli government shut down Al Jazeera's operations in Israel and authorized the confiscation of its equipment. This action followed the passage of a new law granting the prime minister and communications minister the power to temporarily close foreign media outlets on national security grounds. Later, on Sept. 22, 2024, Israeli military authorities shut down Al Jazeera's bureau in Ramallah. In response, the Foreign Press Association's Board of Directors stated, "Restricting foreign reporters and closing news channels signals a shift away from democratic values."
High-ranking Syrian delegation visits Saudi Arabia as part of charm offensive
The new Syrian government continued its push for acceptance and legitimacy via meetings with top level diplomats from European countries, as well as the United States and Arab states, as was highlighted on Wednesday by the arrival of a high-ranking delegation to Saudi Arabia, reported Israel National News.
Syria's new Foreign Minister, Asaad al-Shibani, expressed optimism about fostering stronger ties with Saudi Arabia during his visit to the kingdom on Wednesday, which marked the first foreign trip by Syria's new leadership following their rise to power last month, AFP reported.
"I have just arrived in the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, accompanied by the Minister of Defense Murhaf Abu Qasra and the Head of the General Intelligence Service Anas Khattab," al-Shibani said in a statement on X.
Last month, a Saudi delegation met with Syria's new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, in Damascus, according to a source close to the Saudi government.
Is Hamas regrouping in the Gaza Strip?
Hamas is making a substantial comeback by recruiting new forces, Channel 12 reported and The Jerusalem Post confirmed on Wednesday night.
Combined with forces from Palestinian Islamic Jihad together, Channel 12 said on Wednesday night that Hamas was up to between 20,000-23,000 fighters.
Information obtained by the Post indicated that recently, numbers were closer to around 12,000.
Over the last 15 months, there has been a gulf of a few thousand between the IDF and Netanyahu, casting doubt on the estimates.
In June, the IDF said that between 14,000-16,000 Hamas fighters had been wounded.
Elon Musk raises issue of U.K. grooming gangs, demands Tommy Robinson's release after Labour MP shuts down call for public inquiry
Elon Musk has turned up the temperature on an explosive row over grooming gangs after GB News revealed that Labour's Jess Phillips had shut down calls for a public inquiry into the scandal.
GB News exclusively revealed the Government had formally rejected repeated requests for a Home Office-led inquiry into historic child abuse in Oldham – sparking uproar on social media.
The Home Office had stressed the need to "learn from past mistakes and do everything possible to prevent future failures."
But in a domestic political row which has now gone international, Musk made the incendiary claim that the Birmingham Yardley MP should be imprisoned.
IDF suicide rate climbs after nearly 15 months of war
The IDF announced Thursday that 891 soldiers have been killed since the Hamas-led assault on October 7, 2023, marking one of the deadliest conflicts in Israel's history. The toll includes deaths from combat, accidents and suspected suicides and is the largest number since the 1973 Yom Kippur War.
Of the 891 fatalities, 528 occurred in 2023, with 512 attributed to operational activity. Most deaths happened around October 7, when 329 soldiers were killed, including local rapid-response teams, reported Ynet. Another 226 deaths were recorded in 2024.
Suicide cases have also surged, with 17 suspected cases in 2023–seven conscripts, four career soldiers and six reservists –compared to 14 in 2022. In 2024, suicides increased to 21 cases, including seven conscripts, two career soldiers and 12 reservists, all men.
Former defense minister Gallant resigns from Knesset, decries upcoming bill to exempt ultra-Orthodox from IDF service
Less than two months after being dismissed as defense minister, MK Yoav Gallant resigned from the Knesset on Wednesday evening, attacking the current government for undermining the security of the country even while insisting he would remain a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's ruling Likud party, reported the Times of Israel.
In an announcement carried live on Israeli television, the senior Likud lawmaker recalled his decades of military and political service and took credit for destroying Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran's military capabilities – while also stating that he takes responsibility, as the former defense minister, for the lead up to the October 7, 2023, Hamas assault and the current war.
Gallant noted that he had spent "35 years in the Israel Defense Forces, a decade as a member of Knesset and minister in Israeli governments, including two dramatic years as defense minister."
Erdogan's son says 'Gaza will win' at Istanbul rally drawing tens of thousands
"Gaza will emerge victorious," the son of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told tens of thousands of attendees at an anti-Israel rally in Istanbul on Wednesday.
Businessman Bilal Erdoğan, 43, said in his speech on Istanbul's Galata Bridge over the Golden Horn: "Muslims in Syria were determined, patient, and they achieved victory. After Syria, Gaza will emerge victoriously from the siege."
Demonstrators waved Turkish and PLO flags and chanted "Free Palestine" at the rally organized by the National Will Platform, a coalition of more than 300 pro-Palestinian and Islamic groups.
In July, Turkish President Erdoğan threatened to invade Israel. "We must be very strong so that Israel can't do these things to Palestine. Just as we entered Karabakh, just as we entered Libya, we might do the same to them. There is nothing we cannot do," he said.
Iran to renew nuclear talks with European powers
Britain, France, and Germany will begin a new round of talks with Iran over its nuclear program in Geneva on January 13, Iranian foreign ministry announced on Tuesday, according to Iran International.
The announced date is a week before Donald Trump's inauguration and may be viewed by both sides as the final opportunity for a breakthrough before U.S. policy hardens.
Trump is expected to resume his first term strategy of Maximum Pressure upon returning to the White House on January 20.
Meanwhile, Iran has agreed to stricter monitoring by the U.N. nuclear agency at its Fordow site after significantly accelerating uranium enrichment to near weapons-grade levels, the watchdog stated in a report seen by Reuters.
Ireland's top Catholic cleric attacks Israel for 'merciless, disproportionate' Gaza war
Ireland's most senior Catholic figure has lambasted Israel's military campaign in Gaza as "merciless" and a "disproportionate" response to the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas's invasion of the Jewish state last Oct. 7, according to the Algemeiner.
The New Year's message by Archbishop Eamon Martin came amid deteriorating relations between Israel and Ireland, the latter of which has been accused of normalizing antisemitism in daily life.
"In the past 15 months, for example, we have witnessed not only the egregious 7th October 2023 terror attacks by Hamas and Islamic Jihad on Israel, including the taking of hostages — 100 of whom are still held captive in Gaza — but we have also seen a merciless and disproportionate response by Israel," Martin said in his remarks.
Martin — the Archbishop of Armagh who has been Primate of All Ireland since 2014 — then cited casualty figures provided by Gaza's Hamas-run Health Ministry, which according to recent analyses have been inflated to defame Israel and support claims of genocide, to support his argument.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
A Florida sheriff has delivered a stunning warning to would-be criminals who break into people's homes.
Expect to get shot.
It is the Daily Mail that documented the comments from Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells following a confrontation that left one burglar dead and another in custody.
"This is the state of Florida. If you want to break into someone's home, you should expect to be shot," he warned.
The report noted the dead suspect was Jorge Nestevan Flores-Toledo, 27, from Mexico, who also went by Anibal Miller-Valencia.
The events developed that a homeowner saw two masked men on his surveillance cameras, and he promptly ordered his wife to safety and then armed himself.
"He was able to shoot one of the suspects, while the other ran away, and was later caught by police," the report said.
The second suspect was identified as Michel Soto-Mella, 39, from Chile. The report said he was found by the homeowner climbing into the window.
Both were illegal aliens whose visas had expired, the report said.
Wells praised the actions of the intended victim: "He knew something bad was about to happen, and he didn't stall. He grabbed his firearm, told his wife to get into a safe spot. … We're trying to get everything that we can from the [surviving] suspect. He's being somewhat cooperative, but he's not telling us everything."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
JERUSALEM – Researchers at the University of Haifa's Zinman Institute of Archaeology uncovered a rare hoard of some 160 coins, which belonged to King Alexander Jannaeus, the second king of the Hasmonean dynasty, during a dig that took place during the Hanukkah season.
Alexander Jannaeus, whose Hebrew name was Jonathan, ruled over the kingdom of Judea from 103 to 76 B.C.
A descendent of Jewish royalty, King Jannaeus was the son of John Hyrcanus and grandson of Simon the Hasmonean, the brother of Judah Maccabee, and great-grandson of Mattathias who led the revolt against the armies of Antiochus.
That famous revolt, which broke out in 167 B.C., led to, among other things, the rededication of the Temple which Jews now celebrate every year during the holiday of Hanukkah.
The excavation was led by Dr. Shay Bar, Dr. Yoav Farhi, and Dr. Mechael Osband who made their exciting discovery on Friday morning.
Dr. Bar said, "We believe that the coins were discovered at a way station, which we didn't know about until this excavation. The site included a purification mikvah, a pool and other buildings and was located along the Tirzah River Valley on the main road that leads to the Sartaba fortress which was built by King Jannaeus."
Dr. Farhi, who is a curator at the Eretz Israel Museum, said it appears at first glance that all the coins are the same. Each coin has an eight-pointed star and an inscription reading "King Alexander, Year 25" in Aramaic, while the other side of the coin has an anchor in Greek that reads, "[Coin of] King Alexander." Researchers assess the style of this coin was prevalent in 80/79 B.C.
The finding is extremely rare as very few coin hoards belonging to Alexander Jannaeus have been discovered and this marks one of the largest coin hauls of its kind ever uncovered in Israel.
Archaeological discoveries are one of the best ways of rebutting allegations of Jewish colonization of Israel, as they frequently reveal the thousands-year-old Jewish presence in the Holy Land.
In July 2024, for example, a rare coin from the period of the Great Revolt against Rome, minted in 69 A.D. was found to be embossed with the words, "For the victory of Zion."
"All of our students and volunteers were very excited to find this Hasmonean relic, especially during Hanukkah. This gave the holiday an added sense of significance, especially during this difficult time for the Jewish people. I hope that people will be drawn to visit this place and it will become a protected archaeological heritage site in Israel," Dr. Bar said.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
JERUSALEM – On a recently released episode of the smash-hit podcast "TRIGGERnometry," Soviet-born businessman and entrepreneur Dimitry Toukhcher, who has designed and constructed custom-made suits for the likes of Jordan Peterson, claimed he knew U.S. President Joe Biden was going to be replaced in the presidential race, the moment he saw him at his disastrous June debate with President-elect Donald Trump.
Speaking to the show's two hosts – Francis Foster and Konstantin Kisin – Toukhcher noted with a critical eye how the president and the at-the-time Republican nominee for the role differed in their approach to clothing.
"What I proposed [in a video shot with a colleague] is that Biden will immediately be replaced after the debate," he explained. "And it looked pre-planned before the debate just based on what Biden was wearing. I made a very cogent argument … and still remember these points."
"We all see the world through the lens of what we do. A doctor might be looking for signs of dementia, for example. As a haberdasher, I see Biden's outfit and I go, 'Oh, they're gonna replace him.'"
He looked back at the 2016 campaign when Trump defeated Hillary Clinton, whom most people assumed to be the front-runner or even odds-on favorite to win the presidency.
"Look at how he was dressed in 2016. He had this sort of ominous message, and he himself had an ominous image. He wore very dark suits that looked completely oversized. He looked like a classic American industrialist, a sort of Henry Ford figure. He came in and said, 'Guys, we need rules, we need boundaries, we need tariffs. We need all these things and the messaging was sort of negative."
In contradistinction he said of the 2024 debate with Biden that Trump walked out in a Kennedy-blue suit: "'Oh, my God what a brilliant guy,' I thought. He's wearing a light blue suit, which shows a message of hope, a message of perseverance of illuminating the future, which was not his previous image. I did a granular analysis of what Trump wore in 2016 vs. 2024."
With regard to the ousted Biden, Toukhcher said whoever dressed him was trying to convey a message, although one neither of competence nor hope.
"When Biden walked out, I said, 'This is wrong.'"
He was wearing a suit a shade darker, which was an "intentional decision," according to the designer.
"There is no way someone dressing Biden would miss that. But when you're old and everyone questions your mental capacity, and thinks you're about to die, what you don't want to do is wear a black suit. Because what does black psychologically trigger? The idea of a funeral, of death. He was wearing a very dark navy blue suit, and that is not the color you put an 80-year-old guy in, who might have dementia."
Toukhcher added other decisions were made, which in his opinion was a tacit – although subtle – admission that the man we were all told in Joe Scarborough's impenetrable cant was the "best version of Biden I've ever seen," was far from at his physical or mental peak.
He suggested the use of the overhand tie knot was one of these clues, as its use highlights haptic incapability.
"An overhand tie knot is the first knot your father teaches you to tie, it's a small knot you tie very quickly. I guarantee you Biden doesn't tie his own ties, but the fact they put him in an overhand knot was to show he is haptically incapable."
As a result, he was immediately drawn to Biden's shirt cuffs, which he noted used buttons rather than cufflinks – as opposed to Trump.
"If I'm dressing an 80-year old guy and people are asking, 'Hey, is this guy potentially incapable of leading a country,' I'm giving him a beautiful full Windsor tie, I'm giving him cufflinks to show he is able to eloquently place cuffs into his shirt, and I'm giving a lighter suit. He also wore the wrong shirt collar; you never wear a pointy collar with an oblong face. To me he was designed to fail, which is why I knew they were going to replace him."
He initially demurred when asked about Kamala Harris' clothing, saying that it might be more complicated for women to project power in the same way as men; acknowledging the usual attire for high-profile women in politics was a pant suit.
"I don't know how to signal competency better than with a suit. But, what the heck is her branding anyway? This might be the more base [sic] question. What does she really stand for? I can't really answer that, so how do I design an image for someone when I don't really know what their ethos is."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
The fight is over whether employers can demand "ideological conformity" from employees, and an appeals court in Minnesota has just given it a jump-start.
Just the News reports that's the fight in a court case brought by a Filipina-American doctor with black children who charges a Minneapolis public hospital attacked her, and dismissed her.
The reason alleged? She criticized Black Lives Matter and critical race theory, called COVID-19 the "China virus" and said the protests following George Floyd's death, which inflicted billions of dollars of damage across America, were "riots."
It is the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that unanimously revived the case brought by Tara Gustilo after a lower court judge had incorrectly tossed it out.
The fight is with the Hennepin Healthcare System, and focuses on the First Amendment.
"The three-judge panel faulted U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson for usurping a jury by determining the HHS board approved Gustilo's removal as OB-GYN department chair without also adopting the Medical Executive Committee's basis for removing her: Gustilo's Facebook posts on BLM, CRT and COVID among other subjects," the report explained.
Nelson is a Barack Obama appointee, and failed to determine the "threshold question" in the case, whether the posts were protected by the First Amendment.
The appeals court decision now also will allow Gustilo to resume her complaints about illegal race discrimination and retaliation.
Gustilo's lawyer, Daniel Cragg, said in the report that the case will result in a determination of "the boundaries of free speech in professional settings and the consequences of challenging institutional ideologies."
The Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism is funding the case, and the Upper Midwest Law Center is contributing to the representation.
The employer had not had problems with Gustilo, educated at Harvard, and she "created a program to reflect cultural differences in birthing practices to better serve her diverse patients," the report said. Then she revealed her opinions about race and more.
The opinion said, "Before 2020, [Gustilo] received generally positive performance reviews."
But her opinions, on social media, caused clashes with coworkers.
She challenged the board with a question about continuing discussions about systemic racism, because that "ended in the '60s," after which the board adopted an "equity" scheme to oppose "systemic racism."
Coworkers complained they feelings were hurt, by being bullied.
Officials then turned negative in their reviews of her work, and she was put on leave based on information that included her personal opinions on social media, prompting the fight over First Amendment speech rights.