Vance continues to be a worry

As though it weren't bad enough that Israel suffered a dreadful election result, as did the USA, vice president J.D Vance continues to give signs he wants to take a negative path on Israel:

Vance’s wording — “change our relationship with Israel” — was awfully interesting, because it’s a suspiciously open-ended phrase: Moving closer to Israel would also be a change, yet somehow, I doubt that’s what Vance intended.

Fox News’ politics editor, Katelyn Caralle, also doubts it. She wrote, “A source familiar with post-election schedules said the Vice President’s X post today was made after a White House meeting on aligning messaging following Tuesday’s Republican bloodbath. Instead, [Vance] took control of his own response. One Trump official described Vance’s post as a rallying cry to the “new right” — a coalition of Republicans that align with Trump’s “America First” movement but believe the president is too aligned with Israel on foreign policy.”

JD Vance’s 2028 strategy is clear: He’s not looking to inherit Donald Trump’s MAGA movement. That’s why he’s not even trying to reunite it.

He’s building a brand-new movement — the “new right” — and it’s significantly closer to Tucker Carlson’s worldview than to Ted Cruz's or Ron DeSantis's.

And to date, Vance won't distance himself from Carlson. If this is how Vance is going to act, it's doubtful he wants to save Europe from Islam's encroachment, if at all. If he is planning to run for the nomination in 2028, that's very bad, especially if he wins it.

Update: Ari Fleischer and Brit Hume had a good response to Vance:

Republicans who supported the strikes are now criticizing the ceasefire. Ari Fleischer, who called the decision to attack “the right decision,” answered Vance: “The problem was not the Iran War. It was the ceasefire.” He said Vance had negotiated a truce that failed and left Americans facing higher prices with troops still deployed. Brit Hume said Vance had been “hornswoggled by the Iranians into a deal they would never live up to, and didn’t.” [...]

The polling argument needs scrutiny, too. Vance says an unnamed pollster asked former Trump voters what would bring them back: ending the war, addressing living costs, putting America first, and changing the relationship with Israel.

That last item in particular has a longer history than Wednesday’s post. Since June, Vance has repeatedly pointed at Israel when defending his Iran diplomacy. In July, for example, he told Joe Rogan that “certain people within the Israeli government” were behind “a literal foreign influence campaign” to “tank the very deal that I was pursuing.” On Wednesday, “change our relationship to Israel” became the fourth thing Trump voters supposedly want, on the word of a pollster he has not identified.

That pandering has an audience. Vance’s good friend Tucker Carlson has consistently cast the war as serving Israel’s interests while praising the VP. In a post viewed 95 million times in the campaign’s final days, he wrote that Netanyahu “needs this war” and praised Vance as one of two men in the administration arguing for a deal. Marjorie Taylor Greene replied to Vance’s post: “You should have listened to me and Tucker.”

Vance certainly appears to be courting that crowd, with an asset a vice president controls: his account of who is to blame. Not everyone in that crowd wants him, either. Nick Fuentes told his followers to vote for Democrats to punish Republicans and said on election night that the party must be rebuilt “with the groypers” and that “it cannot involve Trump, Vance.”

Hmm, wasn't Fuentes the same man disgraced columnists like Michelle Malkin ran around with once? Well he sure has shown his true colors alright. No wonder such a fiasco took place this month.

A deal to end USA military aid to Israel

Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump made a deal to stop USA army aid to Israel by the end of the year:

President Donald Trump said he has made a deal with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that will see the U.S. "cut off" military aid to Israel this year because Republicans "suffer the slings" from Democratic candidates over the issue.

"Bibi Netanyahu and I have made a deal that – we give Israel $4 billion a year – and we made a deal months ago that we're stopping, and ... they're fine with it because, you know, they’ve become a very successful country. They don’t need it, and we won't be paying any more," the president said in an interview on Fox News. "So it's just a wasted thing because we've already agreed that by the end of this year, we won't be paying Israel."

Trump did not provide specifics on the forms of military aid that will end, nor how it will be ended.

It's okay, since Israel's government had decided earlier to manufacture some of their own weapons for defense, rather than rely almost entirely upon the USA military's own output. And who knows, there could be an advantage in all this, so provided Israel can develop its own weapons, this is no big deal at all.

Trump willing to broker a national unity government arrangement for Israel

President Trump's indicated he's willing to offer assistance in setting up the next government in Israel:

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in “pretty good shape now” after defying election projections and indicated he would consider helping broker a national unity government as Israel’s political factions struggled to assemble a governing majority.

Netanyahu’s Likud emerged as Israel’s largest party, while his governing coalition performed considerably better than several major polls had projected, strengthening the prime minister’s political position but leaving him short of the 61 seats needed to form a government. [...]

Asked whether he might become involved in efforts to establish a Netanyahu-led unity government, Trump said he had not previously considered the possibility but did not rule it out.

“I will take a look,” he replied. [...]

Separately, an American official told i24NEWS that Trump might wait several weeks before attempting to bring Netanyahu and opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot together, potentially inviting both men to his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.

I'm okay with it. After all, serious damage was done during this election when you look at how much the Arab/Islamic parties got, and now, it's important to work together in order to improve anything.

Since we're on the topic, Netanyahu's also said that the election was stolen by the Arab/Islamic parties:

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party complained on Wednesday that this week’s tumultuous election was “stolen by Arab parties that support terrorism and the elimination of the Jewish state.”

Netanyahu posted a statement formally attributed to his Likud party that said the election was distorted by “serious criminal offenses of bribery, threats, violence, forgeries, and the use of prohibited software to mobilize voters.”

Likud said it was referring the case to the police and the Shin Bet security service, as well as Israel’s Central Elections Committee, backed up by “hundreds of testimonies and pieces of evidence regarding election theft in many Arab polling stations.”

The party said its evidence included “thousands of envelopes with cash and Ra’am slips, threats and violence against polling station members, multiple voting behind the curtain, voting with double identities, discrepancies between the number of envelopes and the number of voters, the use of prohibited mobilization software, and more.”

“This is a serious blow to Israeli democracy and the voting rights of Israeli citizens. The law enforcement agencies must act with an iron fist and in an immediate manner,” the statement said.

Likud issued another statement on Thursday referring to its election theft charges as the “Ra’amgate Affair,” a play on the name of the Arab-led Ra’am Party.

“This is an attack on democracy whose purpose is to lead to a foreign takeover of the Knesset, the Islamization of Israel, and the overthrow of right-wing rule in order to lead to retreat and defeat of the IDF in all arenas — and primarily Iran,” the second statement said.

Likud said a political “earthquake” was touched off on Thursday when the chair of the Central Elections Committee, Justice Noam Sohlberg, asked Shin Bet to investigate allegations of “foreign entities acting against Israeli interests” in the election.

There was a discussion on Channel 14 the other evening as to whether a Muslim mayor could one day be elected in Jerusalem, and that would be awful. That's why this investigation should be conducted, if the system is to ever be mended, because we can't have it being conquered via Trojan horses in politics.

Were Arab parties embraced while Haredi parties were demonized?

That's according to this op-ed following the sad results of the current election:

No one yet knows the actual election results, but one thing is already certain: Arab voters turned out in enormous numbers, with their parties projected to win a record number of Knesset seats. It is easy to understand the enthusiasm that has swept through the Arab public, particularly the Bedouin community.

Their leaders openly discuss their national aspirations. Mansour Abbas has spoken of the autonomous Bedouin regions he would like to see established in the Negev and Galilee. He has also declared that his party would work to prevent the demolition of illegally constructed homes in the Negev, while he and his fellow candidates refuse to recognize Hamas as a terrorist organization.

But what drove voters to the polls was not necessarily those positions themselves. Rather, it was the support and legitimacy these aspirations received from leaders of the left-wing bloc, who made no secret of their desire and plans to rely on Arab parties to establish a minority government. Once the left gave those aspirations the green light, Ra'am and Joint List voters developed an appetite for political influence.

While these dangerous aspirations were granted unjustifiable legitimacy, another community was subjected to extreme demonization: the ultra-Orthodox. They became the punching bag of the left and of many who made the country's fate dependent on drafting ultra-Orthodox men into the military immediately.

The possibility of conducting a difficult but essential dialogue with a community that is an integral part of Israeli society and the Jewish people became virtually impossible. Yet relying on those who refuse to condemn Hamas somehow became acceptable.

If you listen to what Yair Golan's saying, yes, he chillingly wants that kind of reliance, and it's awful to think of what it'll lead to. But this still misses a valid query: did the Haredi riots of past months have anything to do with the results this time? There were several riots by leftists in areas like Tel Aviv, but some could understandably argue the Haredi riots were what drew vital attention away from more pressing matters like the Arab/Islamic parties spoken about here, and the anti-Israel positions they espouse. They potentially endangered innocent lives on the highways, not the least being children themselves who were likely to be in danger of vehicles. And of course, there have been other terrible deeds the Haredi community did that could've angered the public to the point where they might vote for left-wing parties, even though said parties seem willing to do business with the Haredis, so long as it seemingly doesn't affect them.

It's regrettable the article doesn't dwell properly on any bad deeds the Haredi community and their Knesset representatives did, because how are we supposed to forgive if we don't know what specific fences need mending? Making matters worse is that, if this article says something, the Haredi community didn't vote as much as the Arab/Islamic community did in the election, and for all we know, it could've been because their spiritual leaders told certain clans they shouldn't.

Downplaying the mistakes made by Haredi clans won't solve the problem, and it's sad the writer of this item doesn't actually focus on any said mistakes, since again, without that discussion, how are we to solve anything? We can only hope for now that the Haredi community's worst representatives will be willing to mend fences.

Knesset election result looks like a deadlock again

A number of years after Avigdor Liberman caused a deadlock with his defection to the left, now it looks like there's another one resulting from this year's Israeli election:

Polling stations across Israel closed at 10 p.m. Tuesday, and television networks released their exit polls for the 26th Knesset election following a day marked by particularly high voter turnout and intensive efforts by political parties to mobilize their supporters.

At the heart of the political battle are three crucial questions: Can the Right secure a majority, will the anti-Netanyahu bloc be able to form a government, and how will voting in the Arab sector affect the balance of power?

The exit polls offer an initial picture of the distribution of seats in the 120-member Knesset. But even after the official results are released, expected on Nov. 4, the road to forming a government remains long.

President Isaac Herzog will have until Nov. 11 to task a candidate with forming a government, and that candidate will not necessarily be the leader of the largest party.

If so, that's got to be the bad part of this. The Arab sector certainly influenced this result, and not for the better, though it makes clear much of the Arabic population here doesn't support the leftist parties anymore.

Update: here's more on the results.

Israel's election takes place, and news from the USA's midterm election

For October 27, Israel now goes to the polls, and no telling for now what the results will be. All I know is that, if the party of Gadi Eisenkot comes out ahead, that'll be very bad.

Now, over in the USA, the midterm election's about to take place, and wouldn't you know it, the far-left film and theater actor Mandy Patinkin's backing Michigan's Muslim candidate Abdul el-Sayed in the Senate race:

Left-wing actor Mandy Patinkin is making his last-minute appeal to voters in Michigan with the odd claim that Muslim Democrat Abdul El Sayed is the only candidate who can assure the “safety of Jews.”

Patinkin took to his X account and posted a long message and a video flogging El Sayed’s candidacy for the U.S. Senate from Michigan on Friday and made the quixotic proclamation alerting voters that “Jewish safety depends on a real multiracial democracy—and Abdul is the one fighting to protect it.”

“We know how much it matters to live in a country where our rights are protected,” the Princess Bride star continued, “where the law applies equally to everyone, and where the majority can’t just decide that some people don’t deserve the same freedoms. The safety and freedom we’ve found in America didn’t happen by accident. They exist because of democracy. And protecting democracy means protecting Jewish safety, too.”

Of course, Patinkin seems blissfully unaware that America is not now and has never been a “democracy,” but instead is a republic.

He droned on about how the “courts are weakened” even though he supports the very party responsible for the unrelenting lawfare being waged to tear down the American system, and he wrung his hands over how “people lose equal protection under the law,” despite that he is pushing the same party which uses police, the courts, and the levers of government to oppress and jail those with whom they disagree.

He added, “That’s why I find it so alarming to see what’s happening right now. When masked government agents are taking people off the streets and citizens are being shot in public, we should all be worried about where things are headed. As Jews, we know that when a government starts targeting certain groups of people, no one should assume they’re safe from what comes next.”

Patinkin is, of course, not telling much truth there. No “certain groups of people” are being targeted by the Trump administration. An illegal alien is not a certain group like Jews are a certain group. Illegal migrants are not a particular religion, or race, or creed. They are anyone breaking immigration laws by entering the country illegally. Targeting illegal migrants is nothing like oppressing “certain groups of people.”

Indeed, Jews should be incensed that the actor is comparing them to illegal migrants. It is an insulting and false characterization that belittles the racism and violence Jews often face.

Patinkin even attacked GOP candidate Mike Rogers, and resorted to classic cliches by implying the Republicans are doing nothing more than enforcing fascism. Patinkin's dhimmitude is repellent, of course, but the fortunate news for now is that it looks like more Jewish-American voters are now turning to the Republicans:

Republicans lead Democrats by 31 points among Jewish voters on the congressional ballot, according to a McLaughlin & Associates poll that points to a potential shift among a group that has long favored Democrats.

The poll found that 64 percent of Jewish voters backed Republicans for Congress, while 33 percent supported Democrats, pollsters John and Jim McLaughlin wrote in an article published by the firm Monday.

The result would mark a major shift from the large margins by which Jewish voters have traditionally favored Democrats, though pollsters John and Jim McLaughlin warned that the sample of Jewish voters was small. [...]

There have also been signs of a narrower Democrat advantage among Jewish voters in New York. CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten said this month that the party’s lead among Jewish voters on the House ballot in the state had dropped from 49 points in 2022 to 13 points this year.

Well I hope the crowd that's now turning more to Republicans can make a differences on their part. I assume Zohran Mamdani's the reason for some of this, and also state governor Kathy Hochul's own dhimmitude. We can only hope the Jewish electorate in NY will also send a message to Patinkin they don't approve of his offensive mendacities.

Update: one of el-Sayed's staffers even acted as an apologist for the Muslim Brotherhood:

A staffer for Michigan Democrat Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed was caught on undercover video dismissing concerns about the Muslim Brotherhood, calling Americans “idiots” and saying he might even support some of the organization’s activities if he was more informed.

T.J. Wolfgram, El-Sayed’s independent and conservative outreach captain, made the remarks during a conversation with an undercover operative on October 15, according to video obtained by the Midwesterner.

Discussing scrutiny of El-Sayed’s family connections to the Muslim Brotherhood, Wolfgram described the controversy as “so ridiculous” before offering his assessment of American voters.

“It’s because Americans are idiots,” Wolfgram said.

This is disgusting, and he even downplayed the problems with Hasan Piker. I've got an awful feeling Patinkin's aware of all this, which makes his apologia for el-Sayed that much more offensive.

TV producer doesn't want Adam Brody's repugnant viewpoints

The creator of Nobody Wants This on leftist Netflix has said she disagrees with star Adam Brody's obscene anti-Israel statements:

“Nobody Wants This” creator Erin Foster has responded to recent comments made by the show’s lead actor, Adam Brody, who accused Israel of “genocide” and called for a “Free Palestine,” by saying that she does not agree with his views.

Foster is a guest on an upcoming episode of the “Not Skinny but Not Fat” podcast, hosted by Amanda Hirsch. It will premiere on Oct. 27, but a teaser clip released on Thursday for the episode shows Hirsch asking Foster to share her thoughts on Brody’s recent interview with GQ magazine, during which he accused Israel of committing a “genocide” against Palestinians and expressed support for a “free Palestine.”

Brody plays a rabbi in “Nobody Wants This” who falls in love with a non-Jewish woman, played by Kristen Bell. The actor is Jewish but previously described himself as “not religious at all, a nonbeliever.”

“You know, it’s complicated,” Foster said when asked about Brody’s comments. “I think our work environment, our set is very similar to dinner tables around the world where people are having debate and discussion and disagreeing. And, you know, while I love Adam, I also disagree with him, and that’s okay.”

Foster then said she wants Jewish fans of the Netflix show “to know that I see you, and I hear you, and I understand how you feel.”

Well in that case, maybe she should dismiss him from the role, and hire another actor instead? In any case, the way it's written is unappealing, and I just don't see the use of wasting time watching it on a network that's already notorious for PC conduct.

Update: actress Tovah Feldshuh, who plays the star's mom in the series, also disagrees with Brody:

In an interview with the "New York Post" published Sunday, Feldshuh said, "to accuse the Jewish people of genocide is wild. It’s right out of Hitler’s playbook. You take the victim, and you make the victim the perpetrator." She said such accusations carry particular weight within the Jewish community when they come from Jewish people themselves. She added that influential public figures who spread claims she believes are false could cause significant harm.

Feldshuh, 77, also expressed strong support for Israel. "I believe that the perseverance of the existence of the state of Israel is crucial to the well-being of the democratic world and of the free world," she said. "Of course, Israel needs the United States, [but] the United States needs Israel, believe me." She added that, in her view, the current political climate has brought opposing ideological extremes closer together, with socialism and antisemitism increasingly converging.

That's one of the worst things occurring today.

Leftist Yair Golan threatens Israeli right-wing news sources

The left-wing politician leading what used to be called the Labor party but has now been renamed to something similar to the USA counterpart is threatening the freedom of right-wing news outlets:

Democrats party leader Yair Golan has outlined a series of demands ahead of the 2026 elections, including requiring Channel 14 to sign the Press Council's ethics code or face closure, ending funding for the Bnei David pre-military academy in Eli, and demanding control over four key government ministries. Golan announced the proposals Saturday evening during an appearance on Meet the Press. He said his party would seek control of the Justice, Education, National Security, and Communications ministries.

Golan also declared that funding for the Bnei David pre-military academy in Eli would be discontinued.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich responded sharply, warning that a government led by Gadi Eisenkot and Golan would pursue policies aimed at shutting down right-wing media outlets and closing the academy.

"Throughout the past several months, I have warned about what an Eisenkot-Golan government would bring upon us," Smotrich said. "Yair Golan promises to close the academy in Eli, shut down right-wing media channels, and expel the new communities and farms we have established in Judea and Samaria."

Smotrich called on voters in the national camp to support only a party that is certain to pass the electoral threshold. Justice Minister Yariv Levin also condemned Golan's statements, accusing the political left of seeking sweeping control over government institutions.

"The left, led by Gadi Eisenkot and Yair Golan, is not hiding its Bolshevik intentions," Levin said.

He argued that control of the Justice Ministry would be used to undermine democracy and strengthen the power of legal officials, while the Education Ministry would be used to weaken Jewish identity and promote what he described as radical progressive ideology.

Levin further accused the left of seeking to use the National Security Ministry to enforce selective policing and the Communications Ministry to censor social media and close Channel 14.

"All of this will happen if we do not go out and vote, and if we give up on relatives and friends who are too lazy to reach the polling station," Levin said.

Golan, IIRC, was originally affiliated with the far-left Meretz party, so this isn't exactly a shock he's continuing the communist tactics they were known for. But if Eisenkot's elected to head a government this coming week, it'll be awful if he takes Golan as part of it.

Islamic jihadism is still a danger

5 people were injured in a terrorist attack in Hebron, though the 2 culprits were eliminated:

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the city of Hebron to be cordoned off and for the entire West Bank to be blocked from entry and exit starting on Friday morning, after five people were wounded in a terror attack in the area carried out by Hamas terrorists.

"I have instructed the IDF and security forces to immediately impose a closure on the city of Hebron and prepare for a full lockdown of all of Judea and Samaria, beginning today," Netanyahu said, adding that the IDF would be carrying out extensive waves of arrests.

"We will pursue Hamas terrorists and those who send them, wherever they are and at any time," Netanyahu said. "You have nowhere to hide."

The military had announced earlier that morning that two terrorists involved in the attack had been killed. The IDF and the Shin Bet are investigating whether the two terrorists were part of a small self-contained cell or whether their vast ammunition shows that they were connected to a larger terror cell.

There were no other terrorists involved.

Netanyahu also said that the military would be applying the methods used in refugee camps, with the IDF going house-to-house and dismantling the terror infrastructure.

The prime minister explained that the model would be used in Hebron, while it could be expanded to other cities in the future if it shows that it's an effective way to fight terrorism in the area.

"We also wish to make another promise: the Defense Minister and I have overseen the planning of a very extensive IDF operation in Judea and Samaria -- on a scale not seen since the Six-Day War. The IDF is prepared to carry it out; we will determine the timing, but it is coming," he added.

Even in an area like Hebron, jihadism is still a danger lurking, sadly.

Update: 2 soldiers appear to have been murdered in the incident:

The IDF Spokesperson's Unit cleared for publication that Staff Sergeant Ron Yonatan Roytman, aged 23, from Ashkelon, a squad commander in the Ari Battalion (775), Search and Rescue Brigade, and Sergeant Yuval Shai Svilem, aged 20, from Hod Hasharon, a combat soldier in the battalion, fell in combat during the shooting attack on Friday morning at the Judea Junction.

Three additional soldiers from the battalion were lightly injured. The soldiers were evacuated to receive medical treatment at a hospital, and their families have been notified.

Condolences to the families of the victims.

If the clans in Haredi society, and the main 2 parties, are trying to sabotage Moti Leitner's new one, that's wrong

A rabbi from Afula named Yehuda Oppenheimer, who's supporting the Haredi Public party, tells how there's a fearmongering factor that undoubtably has what to do with the would-be supporters of the 2 main Haredi parties in the Knesset, but is also a problem in the most socialist segments of Haredi society in general, as they got a party meeting cancelled:

My friend was frightened, and I understood why. He tried to find another home. People barely connected to the shul also worried about becoming involved. Several people told him that many families would stay away because their children attend a particular school, and their parents feared consequences for the children if they were seen at the gathering.

Eventually, another friend, whose family is involved in our party, agreed to host. I announced the meeting on a general mailing list, not a synagogue forum. The calls began almost immediately: Why was I publicizing politics in the community? Why was I putting the entire community at risk? Another influential rabbi called with the same message, and my host received repeated calls urging him to cancel.

The gathering has effectively been shut down. The host has been intimidated, and potential attendees have been frightened away. A handful of people wanted to meet in a home for a civil discussion. That was enough to put municipal support, community standing, and children’s schooling into the conversation as threats.

Sadly, this is not an isolated incident, nor is it unique to Afula. It reflects a broader phenomenon throughout the charedi world in Israel. A woman employed in a non-political office role by our party recently received a letter from her children's school stating that, because she worked for us, her children could be expelled unless she resigned.

Nor does this affect only HaTzibbur HaChareidi. In many communities, those who depart even slightly from the mainstream fear ostracism, whether through consequences for their children's schooling, family shidduchim, or their standing in schools, shuls, and the wider community.

The pressure takes many forms: a venue suddenly becomes unavailable; a school threatens a family; a shadchan refuses to arrange matches; a rabbi is warned to stay silent. At times, even prominent rabbanim are physically attacked, and their homes or institutions vandalized. The message is clear: even attending a private discussion can come at a cost.

See, this is why they have to start considering there are those who've left the fold, and for all we know, found a better life that way. So while it's certainly appalling this is happening, that's why those who could've been targeted should ponder whether it could be better to stop practicing the ultra-Orthodox lifestyle if they're vulnerable to the effects of a clannish environment. The time's come.

I don't know if the Haredi Public party will make it into the Knesset, but they did hold a conference, interestingly enough, at a Tel Aviv center with a mostly secular crowd:

The English-language event, hosted by the Tel Aviv International Salon, drew a modest crowd, but it bore little resemblance to a traditional Haredi political gathering. Apart from Leitner himself, there were no men in black suits and hats, although some attendees wore kippot and tzitzit.

The setting was itself unusual: Tel Aviv, with its predominantly secular population, is hardly a traditional campaign stop for an ultra-Orthodox party.

Many attendees came to learn about the fledgling party’s platform, with some even considering voting for Charedi Public despite not belonging to its target demographic. [...]

Charedi Public has assembled a candidate list that breaks with several longstanding conventions of ultra-Orthodox politics. It includes several native English speakers and two women: Glanz and Dr. Nechumi Yaffe, who is placed third on the party’s slate. They are the first women to appear on an ultra-Orthodox party’s electoral list.

“In Israeli society they expect a certain cookie-cutter person from the Haredi community,” Glanz said.

Charedi Public’s candidates challenge that image. Glanz described how her son serves in a Haredi unit in the IDF, while Leitner recounted reporting for military duty following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, terror onslaught.

That was very patriotic of him, of course. I don't know if appealing to secular/non-Haredi society will work out in the end, but his effort is admirable, and he did the right thing to add women to his list.

Ofir Winter is a left-wing plant

Mark Levin's got something to say about fishy election candidate Ofir Winter, who, despite his supposedly being a right-wing candidate, is only giving signs he may actually be a left-wing plant:

American conservative commentator Mark Levin attacked Amcha Yisrael Chairman Ofir Winter after the latter refused to withdraw the race for the Knesset, despite pressure from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and members of the current coalition.

Sharing a post on X that claimed that Winter boycotted the other members of the right-wing camp, Levin, a close friend of Prime Minister Netanyahu, wrote: "This saboteur Winter looks like a plant by the left wing. Or he’s the biggest dumb*** of all time." [...]

The criticism comes amid mounting pressure on Winter to withdraw from next week's Knesset elections over concerns that his party will fail to cross the electoral threshold, potentially costing the right-wing bloc enough votes to prevent it from forming the next government.

The pressure intensified following Blue and White chairman Benny Gantz's decision to withdraw from the race. Religious Zionist Party chairman Bezalel Smotrich, Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi, and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar subsequently urged Winter and other right-wing candidates polling below the electoral threshold to follow Gantz's example.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Smotrich met with Rabbi Eli Sadan, founder of the Bnei David pre-military academy and Winter's former rabbi, in an apparent effort to enlist his influence in persuading Winter to withdraw.

On Wednesday, Netanyahu publicly appealed to Winter to withdraw after dozens of bereaved families from the recent war published an open letter warning that votes for his party could jeopardize a right-wing victory.

"Ofer Winter, listen to the bereaved families, show responsibility and withdraw, for the sake of right-wing victory!" Netanyahu stated.

So far, he refuses to listen to reason, and if his party does end up costing votes for the right, he'll have to bear serious accountability for that. Levin's got some valid points.

More younger Haredis leave the lifestyle than previously thought

A recent study discovers more Haredis of a younger age are leaving the insular lifestyle than previously thought:

Young ultra-Orthodox people are leaving Haredi society at a faster rate than expected, according to data published by the research and strategy division of the nonprofit Yotzim L’shinui.

An estimated 15.3 percent of young Haredi men and 11.9% of young Haredi women leave ultra-Orthodox society by the age of 30, the figures, based on data from Israel’s latest population census, showed.

Several months ago, Yotzim L’shinui, which provides resources for Haredim seeking to integrate into broader society, said in its annual report that the departure rate stood at 13.5% for men and 9.6% for women.

The earlier figure was based on an annual Social Survey conducted by the Central Bureau of Statistics based on a sample of several thousand people, while the updated number comes from more detailed data published in the national census, conducted once a decade and covering a sample of over 15% of the population, the organization said.

The data “serves as a wake-up call to all decision-makers regarding the scope of the phenomenon and the urgent need for a national program that will help this population integrate into society in the best possible way,” said Adar Anisman, head of Strategy and Research at Yotzim L’Shinui.

Yotzim L’Shinui, along with several other organizations, is calling on the government to adopt a comprehensive national program to help those leaving the community obtain education, enter the workforce, serve in the military and contribute to society.

I think this is a very good sign, and will hopefully one day lead to a better society with less strife than what extremist clans like the "Jerusalem Faction" and even Neturei Karta have led to. I wish all those leaving the lifestyle good luck, and also wish the organization good luck helping them integrate into society.

Trump endorses Netanyahu

Donald Trump has announced his support for Benjamin Netanyahu in the Israeli election, which will take place next week:

President Donald Trump endorsed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for reelection, describing him as having “been strong, brave, and brilliant.’

In a post on Truth Social, Trump addressed a letter to the people of Israel and warned that “if Israel has the wrong Leader,” which is someone other than Netanyahu, the United States will have to do the job of fighting Iran by itself.

“Bibi Netanyahu has been a Great Warrior Prime Minister, and an even greater Partner for Peace in combatting the Islamic Republic of Iran, with its 51 year old chant, ‘Death to Israel, Death to America! We will destroy the Little Satan and the Big Satan,” Trump wrote. “What Country can survive when things such as this are allowed to be said, because eventually, they always end up being true?”

Trump continued, pointing out that “it would have been only a question of time until Iran would have put that ominous phrase into effect.”

“But they have been systematically destroyed, both Militarily and Financially, and unless they change their ways, rapidly, we will soon finish the job,” Trump continued. “If Israel has the wrong Leader, which would be anyone other than Bibi, America will have to do this work ourselves, and I am not inclined to do so. Bibi Netanyahu has been Strong, Brave, and Brilliant in the face of tremendous opposition, including that coming from even Israel, itself.”

I certainly hope this encourages and convices the Israeli public to vote for Netanyahu's Likud party. It's also important for the future of Europe.

10 embassies now in Jerusalem

Columbia's become the 10th foreign country to open an embassy in Jerusalem:

Colombia opened its new embassy in Jerusalem, Israel, on Wednesday thus fulfilling one of the campaign promises of conservative President Abelardo de la Espriella.

The opening of the facility restores Colombia’s decades-old friendly relations with Israel — undoing the unilateral rupture of diplomatic ties ordered by Marxist former President Gustavo Petro in 2024. Colombia has now become the tenth country to open its embassy in Jerusalem.

The ceremony took place on Wednesday morning (local Jerusalem time) and was presided over by Colombian Foreign Minister Omar Bula alongside his Israeli counterpart Gideon Sa’ar, who described Wednesday as an important day not just for Jerusalem, but for Israel and Colombia’s relations.

Sa’ar, in a social media post, thanked President de la Espriella and recounted a past interaction that both shared in Buenos Aires in the past, when de la Espriella told him, “if I am elected President of the Republic, I will immediately move the Colombian embassy to Jerusalem.”

“He promised, and he delivered,” Sa’ar wrote.

“This is the tenth embassy to open in Jerusalem. Since I took office less than two years ago, the number of embassies in Jerusalem has doubled,” he added. “There will be more, God willing, and soon.”

Well that's exactly why European governments are going to have to start considering there's no longer any point to refusing, because already, those countries who've opened their embassies in Jerusalem are making their dhimmitude into a moot point.

Barack Obama incites against Israel at Irish university

The leftist ex-president of the USA told anti-Israelists at an Irish university exactly what they wanted to hear:

Former US president Barack Obama said on Tuesday that Israel "took land off people and they were excessive," in reference to Israel's treatment of the Palestinian people throughout the history of the nation.

Obama made his comments while visiting Belfast, Northern Ireland, to receive an honorary doctorate from Queen's University Belfast.

In a conversation with journalist Susan McKay, the former president referred to the Palestinians' reaction to the Jewish people's exerting cultural and military control over the State of Israel by explaining that "those people understandably said, 'This is injustice, and I want my land back.'"

Something Obama completely obscures in this disgraceful tommyrot of his is the question of whether men and women who commit murder and rape deserve any kind of sovereignty and whether they deserve to be politicians and be recognized as "leaders". Obama's proven he hasn't changed a bit in all the years since he was president, and continues to spread anti-Israel libels in even worse ways than when he was in office. And the university in Belfast even gives him an award he doesn't deserve. Which only proves how these types of honorary degrees and awards only exist today for leftist causes.

Ultra-Orthodox lead to Shabbat wars

This article tells about the continuing sad hostility the Haredi clans in Israel have led to, all over Shabbat driving and there's other disturbing things they've done too:

Jerusalem on a Saturday, about an hour before the end of Shabbat. Dozens of ultra-Orthodox Jews block buses arriving in the capital from northern Israel with metal barriers — a routine move, part of the long-standing status quo. Hours earlier, protests at Cafe Basimta, and far away, in another city — Safed — clashes over operating buses for soldiers and civilians.

The night before, metal barriers were placed at the entrance to a mixed neighborhood in Bnei Brak, where secular and ultra-Orthodox residents live side by side. Within 24 hours, ultra-Orthodox activists tried to change long-standing arrangements in the name of Shabbat, with complete disregard for the wishes of others. And some people have simply had enough.

'Go live in Ramat Aviv for 5,200 shekels'

Friday evening, as Shabbat begins. Bnei Brak police are called by secular residents of the Writers’ Compound neighborhood, also known as Ayelet HaShahar, after construction waste containers are used to block the neighborhood’s main access road. Police arrive and remove the containers from the middle of the road, reopening the bridge. The truck driver who placed the construction waste containers is summoned for questioning. According to a police source, he said he had been hired by someone at the Bnei Brak municipality and believed everything was legal and authorized.

I should hope he's not going to take such jobs again entirely unquestioned. Suppose those containers made it hard for fire trucks to reach a burning building with people in danger there? Do they realize the serious dangers they're risking? And then:

Posters plastered around the neighborhood proclaim a religious ruling stating that “it is strictly forbidden to rent apartments in the neighborhood to people who are not ultra-Orthodox.”

One poster reads: “Everyone has an obligation to protest against anyone who breaches this barrier, because our very lives depend on it. There is no need to fear the prohibition against humiliating others and the like, and in this merit we will ensure that the place develops in Torah, holiness and the presence of the Divine.”

Another poster condemns the “phenomenon of secular tourists” who behave “in a manner inconsistent with our way of life, in immodest clothing.”

“Why are there areas in this country where I am not allowed to live?” another secular resident protested. “The ultra-Orthodox knew they were going to live in a mixed neighborhood, and now they want to take over the public space. It is time for us to fight for our right to live according to our values, and for the ultra-Orthodox to learn to respect their secular neighbors.”

What's disturbing about the first paragraph here is that it reeks of Islamic rulings that it's forbidden to sell homes to Jews. And then, as if things told couldn't get worse:

“Anyone who desecrates Shabbat does not belong to the Jewish people,” shouts one of the people detained by police in Egged Square in Safed, where for 11 consecutive Saturdays a religious conflict has been playing out between ultra-Orthodox and secular residents over buses leaving shortly before the end of Shabbat from the central bus station toward central Israel, without entering the city.

“Anyone who desecrates Shabbat is liable to death by stoning,” he continues. “When the Creator comes and gives punishment to all those who desecrate Shabbat, don’t be surprised afterward when what happened on Simchat Torah happens,” referring to the October 7 massacre.

“Those who desecrate Shabbat betray the Holy One, blessed be He. There is no permission in any form to desecrate Shabbat. Anyone who desecrates Shabbat risks a death sentence from the Creator,” said the Haredi demonstrator.

Read the whole article, but the above makes clear I for one have read enough. That anybody would say a horror as repulsive as October 7, 2023 was "deserved" over petty issues is virtually antisemitic as it's also gender-bigoted and stuff like that. This reeks of leftists in the USA who're now saying America "deserved" September 11, 2001. What next, will the monster who was arrested for acting disorderly go and meet with Hasan Piker? These Haredi clannists are practically acting as agents of leftists in the USA and Europe. And no doubt, they're well aware of what repugnant monsters they're making of themselves too. They do not belong in this country any more than many of the leftists here who've done similar damages.

Poll finds 4 in 10 young USA citizens support Islamic sharia

I rarely read the Federalist site now, because of how some writers like editor John Daniel Davidson leave a bad aftertaste, but the following report (via Jihad Watch and Front Page), which is favorable to Israel as well, tells the USA has a very sad case of whole generations who were indoctrinated into being Vladimir Lenin's "useful idiots":

A set of polls released this week by Our Republic and Rasmussen show a concerning trend among American youth, especially in light of recently revealed immigration numbers under Biden: A quarter of 18-35 voters polled would support a community implementing Sharia law as the legal code for the entire town, city, or state if the majority of residents living there desired its adoption.

Additionally, according to the Our Republic poll:

Overall, 21% of likely voters said they have a mostly or somewhat positive opinion of sharia, compared with 57% who have a negative opinion. Positive views were much higher among younger Americans, including 43% of voters ages 18–24 and 39% of those ages 25–29.

The reason American youth may be trending this way, according to Justin Haskins, president of Our Republic, is a lack of understanding about the “value [of] the Constitution and the protections it provides.”

It could also be that they lack appreciation of civilized values, and if it turns out they know more than we think about what Islam is like, they're actually okay with it.

Other findings from the same set of polls clarify the suspicion young people have of Israel, with 46 percent of voters ages 18–24 and 60 percent of those ages 25–29 reporting they would support a proposal “to completely dismantle Israel and replace it with a Palestinian-led nation in exchange for ending the war with Iran and providing the United States with lower oil and gas prices.”

Haskins does not believe that American youth who take these positions are necessarily committed Islamists, nor does he believe they are considering Sharia primarily “as an extension of religious liberty.” Rather, says Haskins, “the more important factor is that Muslims are widely perceived as an oppressed or marginalized group in the United States,” he says. “Within that framework, groups perceived as marginalized are often treated sympathetically without much scrutiny of what those groups or their belief systems actually teach.”

That's another chilling problem - they practically indoctrinated into taking predetermined positions, yet if and when it turns out some leftists get caught committing crimes, those who pretend they're not guilty complain the MSM is just cliche-hunting and never does any research. This is exactly why laws are badly needed to deal with such an issue as sharia. It wouldn't be shocking if the pro-sharia crowd they speak of is already willing to support imposing sharia in cities like Dearborn and Hamtramyck, Michigan. Also, if they're against the war on Iran's autocrats, that too speaks volumes, as does their hostility to Israel, and their potential desensitization/willingness to commit violence, the latter which is particularly offensive.

Now since we're on the subject, the Van Zandt County committee in Texas passed a resolution condemning sharia:

Van Zandt County Commissioners unanimously approved a resolution Wednesday denouncing Sharia, making it the first Texas county to pass a resolution specifically addressing use of the Islamic religious code.

Van Zandt County Precinct 2 Commissioner Cliff Williams said he brought the resolution forward because of an 80-acre land purchase in southern Van Zandt County by a family with ties to Muslim youth organizations.

The resolution was inspired by a draft resolution introduced by Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, that denounces Sharia in the United States. Self’s resolution has not been passed by Congress.

While introducing the resolution, Williams explained how Sharia is practiced in various Muslim-majority countries.

“Sharia, as practiced by governments around the world, is more than a private devotion. It operates as a complete political and legal order,” he said. “Where states enforce it, the record speaks for itself. In Iran, women have been beaten in jail for uncovering their hair. In Pakistan, blasphemy laws have sent people to prison and stirred mobs against them on a single person’s accusation.”

Williams also discussed the treatment of women under some interpretations and applications of Sharia, saying a woman’s testimony is worth half that of a man’s, her inheritance is half that of her brothers, and her ability to work, marry or travel can depend on a male guardian.

“It’s not American,” Williams said. “Compare that with what we hold as Americans and Texans. Every person stands equal before the law.”

This is also exactly why even abroad/overseas, we can't just stand idly by while Islam dominates anywhere else. And parents who really care have to start taking serious responsibility for what their children think and end up advocating.

Update: the surveys get worse, as the following from the Buckley Institute reveals there's a considerable number of undergraduate students who believe what Hasan Piker espoused:

Just weeks after the United States commemorated the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorists attacks, a new poll reveals more than one in five undergraduate students believe America deserved the attacks, while nearly half of all undergraduate students think physical violence is justified to stop so-called hate speech.

The Buckley Institute’s 2026 National Undergraduate Student Survey polled 803 American undergraduate students between September 5 and 14.

A shocking 22 percent agreed that America deserved 9/11, including 28 percent of liberal students. Notably, leftist streamer Hasan Piker — who campaigned with Michigan Democrat Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed and cozies up to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani — has said America deserved 9/11. Meanwhile, Aber Kawas, a Democratic Socialist of America member and nominee for the New York state Senate, has said that America brought on 9/11 because of capitalism, alleged white supremacy and racism, and alleged Islamophobia.

The poll also found that 45 percent of American college students believe physical violence can be justified to stop hate speech — among which 54 percent of liberals agree compared to 30 percent of conservatives.

“Interestingly, 72% of those who agree that physical violence can be justified to stop hate speech also agree that hate speech is protected by the First Amendment,” The Buckley Institute found.

Shortly after Charlie Kirk was murdered on a Utah college campus for his free speech, a YouGov survey conducted from September 10-12 asked respondent whether they think “it is ever justified for citizens to resort to violence in order to achieve political goals?” Twenty-five percent of respondents who identified as “very liberal” said it can be justified, while 17% of self-identified liberals said the same. Just nine percent of people who identify as either conservative or very conservative said it was justified.

Meanwhile, a recent poll conducted by the Center for Strategic Politics found “Democrats want Trump out by (almost) any means necessary” — including assassination.

Well this is also very chilling, and fully confirms why parents need to stop even sending their children to universities, even if they don't espouse this kind of garbage indoctrination. The influence of violence is a very grave issue that needs serious address everywhere, and Europe too is in sore need of it.

Defeatism in the 1990s

In this article, Dror Eydar talks about the Islamofascist horror engulfing Europe, and brings up something he was told about that occurred in Belgium during the 1990s:

A prominent professor once told me about a conversation he had with a Belgian colleague back in the 1990s. "Look at all the mosques springing up on every corner," he told him. "What will you do when the Muslims actually start taking over Belgium? How will you fight them?"

The Belgian, a devout Catholic, answered candidly: "We won't fight. We'll convert to Islam. They ruled Western Europe once before, so they'll rule it again." While the enemies of the West are prepared to sacrifice their lives to destroy Judeo-Christian civilization, European society is unwilling to pay a price to defend its freedom.

This reminds me of what was said about what the Christian leadership response could be to a movie based on Betty Mahmoody's horrifying experiences in Iran today. Do these people really lack that much confidence they're willing to literally sell out? Additionally terrifying is what the USA public's positions could be on this, recalling how, in a way, the surveys they led to crippled the military's ability to fight the war against Iran on the ground as much as in the air. If the Bush administration, pretentious as it was, was willing to fight Iraq on the ground, and they had no problem with that, why do they suddenly have a problem now, if it could be done the same way and just as effectively? Of course, let's not forget the horrible example Ronald Reagan set when he withdrew the army from Lebanon in 1983, and it's become largely Islamic since.

The incident aboard the flight from Dubai illustrates this principle. Thanks to the sacrifice and quick thinking of Yaniv Hayun, along with the courage of the Indian pilot and other Israeli passengers, many lives were saved and a catastrophe was averted, one that could have emboldened Islamist terrorism.

And if the pilot adheres to Hinduism, it indicates even they have a much more realist view of the need to be vigilant. So perhaps that's why Europeans who need a faith that can give them a reason to live should consider either Judaism or Hinduism? And if it's the former, it needs to be offered without demanding or even expecting the possible convert to follow what the ultra-Orthodox do. That would be a most utterly unsuitable way to handle things.

Trump administration is enabling exile of Christians from Syria

Catherine Salgado points to how Christians are disappearing from the middle east, and one part sticks out in particular for pondering:

Between the Islamic civil war in Syria and the current dictatorship under the genocidal Syrian President Abu Mohammad al-Golani (also known as Ahmed al-Sharaa) and his terrorist group Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, the Christian population of Syria has almost vanished. Within living memory, Lebanon was Christian; now it is mostly Muslim. In Iran and Iraq, ancient communities of Christians have shrunk almost to nonexistence. In Turkey, where Constantinople was once a glory of the Christian world, the Muslims have stolen Christian heritage and Christian lands. In Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and numerous other countries in the Middle East, Christians have disappeared or are barely hanging on. Gaza’s and Bethlehem’s Christian populations have dropped under Palestinian Authority control. This is the legacy of Islamic takeover. Israel stands out in the Middle East because its Christian population is actually growing. Christians can visit the holiest sites of our religion because of the Israeli government.

So as you see, Salgado doesn't hold back in her description of al-Sharaa, and she's right that the whole notion anything is literally improving for Christians in other parts of the middle east is mistaken. Let's also not forget what it's like in certain parts of Africa like Nigeria, which Trump has addressed, but lately hasn't done so as much, and that could be troubling too. Either way, that he would be willing to recognize an Islamofascist and approve of his becoming an autocrat in Syria is very disturbing, and does serious damage to the efforts to put an end to the Religion of Peace's tyrannical reign anywhere.

It's not enough that Israel be considered a place where Christianity can survive. Even other parts of the middle east and Europe have to count.

Haredi cult leader keeps up the victim-blaming tactics

"Rabbi" Dov Lando depises Zionists so much, he launches repellent attacks on them:

Rabbi Dov Lando, the leader of the Slobodka Yeshiva and a senior leader of the non-Hasidic Haredi community, was heard in a recording of a private conversation in his home in Bnei Brak leveling strong criticism against the religious Zionists.

The conversation, which was republished, addressed, among other issues, the question of how young haredi men should relate to the service and sacrifice of members of the Religious Zionist community, who combine Torah study with IDF service and combat.

"The confused people with the knitted kippot, we won't talk about them. They have their own theories, and it's difficult with them," Rabbi Lando said.

He later tied the killing of soldiers to his perception of Torah study. "Those who are killed, they were killed because we don't learn enough. We could save even more," he said. "They are killed because their rabbis teach them a distorted Torah. And they do a lot of what they do not to save people, but for the glory of the state. They kill people for glory."

Rabbi Lando later portrayed Torah students as the ones who defend the residents of Israel. "There is no explanation why Arabs don't join together to flood the entire land, and G-d forbid, annihilate us all. There is no explanation," he said, referring to the protection provided by Torah study.

A significant portion of his remarks focused on the very establishment of the State of Israel. Rabbi Lando argued that Jewish life in the Land of Israel could have existed even without an independent state and even raised the possibility of international or Arab rule.

“I don’t know what would have happened if, at the beginning, there had been no state and they had established some kind of UN rule here - the situation would have been excellent," he said. “It is possible to live without a state, to live well with the Arabs... It was quite good when Arabs ruled here; that was the best situation. The Arabs ruled, they were respected, and people did not interfere with them. Money was brought into the country, and Arabs like money."

Rabbi Lando also accused the Zionist movement of intensifying Arab hostility toward Jews. “They caused the Arabs to hate us. The Arabs were never good, but they had to be respected," he said. According to him, Zionism, which he said sought “to save the Jewish people," brought “the physical disasters, not only the spiritual ones, upon the Jewish people."

I think I've read enough. This man, who likely never served in the military or fought serious alongside his non-Haredi counterparts in defense of the country, has one of the most repellent, insufferable visions of what "outsiders" are like, and what makes this particularly damaging is the indoctrination he's inflicted upon his cult followers, who doubtless do nothing to question or argue with him. Also notice how he doesn't identify the enemies as Muslims, and Lando likely never learned a thing about what's inside the koran. Lando's decidedly a traitor who has desecrated the memory of October 7, 2023 victims, and shouldn't be recognized as a true leader at all.