Insular Haredi society is becoming a national security crisis

So here's a writer who's talking about how the Haredis, in their own way, are taking attention away from more pressing issues like Islamofascism by imposing their belief systems on other Israelis, as they pave the road to hell with "good intentions":

The Oct. 7 war turned a simmering political dispute into a national crisis.

Hundreds of thousands of Israelis answered the call to reserve duty. More than 900 lost their lives. Families endured repeated deployments while businesses struggled without employees, and parents went months without seeing their children.

At precisely the moment when the country needed every able-bodied citizen, thousands of Haredi men continued to avoid military service.

The Israel Defense Forces has repeatedly warned of severe manpower shortages, and Israel’s courts have ordered the government to enforce the draft of Haredim. Successive governments, however, have refused to apply the law. Given the reaction to the 16 arrests this year, it’s hard to imagine any government arresting thousands of Haredi draft dodgers; those arrests triggered violent demonstrations that blocked highways, shut down rail traffic, attacked detention facilities and assaulted police officers, including one whose son was killed in Gaza, and even targeted the home of a Supreme Court justice.

Instead of enforcing existing law, the Netanyahu government has sought legislation that would equate Torah study with military service and limit the arrest of draft evaders. In 2024, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara ordered the Labor Ministry to cut daycare subsidies for the children of ultra-Orthodox yeshivah students who disobey military draft orders.

Netanyahu, however, wants to restore such subsidies. In other words, the government has moved from enforcement to reversal.

Whenever the issue of Haredi draft dodging comes up, I’m reminded of the U.S. military’s practice of shaving recruits’ heads as part of standardization. Imagine if the IDF did that to the Haredim. Instead, the army bends over backward to accommodate the demands of even the more moderate Orthodox soldiers who may refuse to serve in units with women or to be trained by them. The army recently backed down after leaders of Hesder yeshivas (institutions that combine Torah study with military service) threatened to stop sending their students to the Armored Corps over the proposed inclusion of women in tanks alongside men.

The ultra-Orthodox fear that their children will lose their religion in a secular army, though thousands of observant Jews proudly serve in the IDF. Nevertheless, many Israelis would gladly accept some alternative form of national service for those unwilling to join. Even that compromise has largely been rejected by Haredi leadership, which insists that Torah study alone fulfills their national obligation.

While there are valid issues to find here, the only problem is whether the writer's being altruistic. If he's just attacking Netanyahu - but wouldn't attack a left-wing politician who did the same - what good is this critique?

That aside, it's pretty clear at this point the Haredis aren't going to accept even simple national service, based on their increasing belief in segregation from wider society. That's wrong, as was the attack on a supreme court justice while distributing leaflets that looked like Israeli flags with a swastika in the middle. That incident amounted a most anti-semitic act, and as a result, how are the clans who do such a repulsive thing any different from antisemitic movements in non-Jewish societies?

What began as David Ben-Gurion’s original exemption—intended for a few hundred exceptional scholars—has evolved into a blanket exclusion for an entire community. This is no longer simply a question of fairness. It is a question of national survival.

Today, roughly one-quarter of Israelis reaching military age are Haredi. By 2050, that figure could approach 40%. If current exemption rates continue, then the burden on the shrinking pool of secular and national-religious soldiers will become unsustainable. As that burden grows, reservists will serve longer and more frequently, imposing growing costs on families, employers and the economy.

Equally concerning is the economic model that successive governments have enabled. Many Haredi schools provide no instruction in mathematics, English or science, leaving graduates ill-equipped for modern employment. Hence, the employment rate among Haredi men remains dramatically below that of other Jewish Israelis, while many employed Haredi women work in lower-paying or part-time positions. [...]

Ironically, Israel’s Arab citizens increasingly demonstrate the opposite trajectory. While significant socioeconomic gaps remain, Arab participation in higher education, professional occupations and the workforce has steadily increased as more seek to improve their standard of living. The Institute for National Security Studies has noted that whereas much of the Arab sector is moving toward greater economic integration, Haredi leadership largely seeks to preserve the existing system of dependency and exemption.

The Haredi leadership is no longer content merely to preserve its own way of life; it increasingly seeks to extend its religious norms into Israel’s public sphere.

For years, the ultra-Orthodox have imposed their standards at the Western Wall, where restrictions on women’s prayer and the rejection of non-Orthodox religious practices have alienated many Israelis and much of the Diaspora. Their ambitions now extend well beyond holy sites. In Bnei Brak, municipal rabbis recently ordered gender segregation on the sidewalks of two major streets. At the national level, Netanyahu’s coalition has advanced legislation allowing universities and colleges to offer gender-segregated master’s and doctoral programs—a proposal so troubling that Israel’s university presidents and medical school deans publicly warned it would undermine academic freedom and equality.

These are not isolated disputes. They reflect a broader effort to redefine Israel’s public institutions according to ultra-Orthodox religious doctrine.

On the part about Bnei Brak, the municipality did appear to reverse their plans after backlash, but for all we know, they could still enforce them without signposts too. As for the legislation, yes, that's sadly a dumb move, because it's just implying Netanyahu's trying to survive at all costs, rather than make an effort to convince the Haredi public it'd be better to vote for Likud instead. He certainly shouldn't be letting them blackmail anybody on the right.

Since we're on the topic, there's also a troubling item about plans to give the old Bikur Holim hospital building to a Haredi girls' seminar:

The fate of the capital’s oldest Jewish hospital, Bikur Cholim – opened on Straus Street in 1925 after moving from the Old City and closed in 2020 – will determine whether downtown Jerusalem is accessible to all its residents.

So said Havilio, the longtime community activist and politician who, for decades, has represented the voice of the secular, pluralistic, and traditional community in the haredi (ultra-Orthodox)-dominated municipality and is a deputy mayor heading the Ha’ihud Ha’Yerushalmi faction.

The municipality had approved plans to allocate the historic and much more beautiful eastern building for a seminary for 1,000 haredi teenage girls run by the Slonim Hassidic community, triggering an uproar among liberal Jerusalemites. Havilio said the mayor’s plan was illegal, and various opponents threatened a lawsuit.

“This is a historic mistake,” Havilio told In Jerusalem. “At present, the border between haredi residents and institutions and non-haredi ones is on Hanevi’im Street. A haredi seminary would move the border by a few meters south to Jaffa Road. The city center will then not be allowed to have places of entertainment, cafés, or stores that could remain open on Shabbat or any liberal projects.

I think it is wrong to turn what could make an important museum into something isolated, Now, here's yet another, more troubling piece that certainly confirms what the first one's allegedly concerned about:

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemns “horrific” comments made by Rabbi Dov Lando, the spiritual leader of the ultra-Orthodox Degel Hatorah political faction, who said yesterday that religious soldiers were committing murder by serving in the army.

Lando denounced those in the religious Zionist community who serve in the army, at a meeting with heads of the Mir Yeshiva, at his home in Bnei Brak: “I am speaking about those with knitted kippas that are required to go.”

“If the state sends people, soldiers, for the honor of the state, and they kill people, is that also permissible? It’s very much murder. So they incite murder. They wage wars not only for the sake of salvation, but for the honor of the state,” he said.

In a statement released by his office, Netanyahu condemns the comments.

“IDF soldiers, secular and Haredi, leave their homes, their work and their families, and risk their lives in order to protect the State of Israel, its citizens and all of the nation of Israel,” Netanyahu says.

“They deserve deep appreciation, gratitude, and full support from all segments of the public, and certainly from the world of Torah,” the statement reads.

One could reasonably wonder if Lando sympathizes with Islamic jihadists. His words certainly tell exactly what the Hamas would want to hear, and Lando's effectively desecrated the memory of millions of victims of barbarism in all forms. Based on this, how can such Haredi clans claim they're not antisemitic/self-haters? In this report, it notes that:

Rabbi Lando accused Religious Zionist figures who support IDF enlistment of encouraging “actual murder," claiming that soldiers are sent to fight “not only for the sake of saving lives, but also for the honor of the state."

Here, it sounds like he's saying it's inherently wrong to save innocent lives, and acting as though honor for the state is also wrong. And then we wonder how else October 7, 2023 occurred, in addition to irresponsible military officials. Lando's lack of moral compass is another reason why the tragedy occurred. He shouldn't be recognized as a rabbi at all. He's nothing but a shoddy fraud in a black suit and hat who's more addicted to the socialist ideology than serious liberty and freedom. People like him are exactly what's taking us back to the dark ages.

So as far as national security crises go, Lando's definitely providing examples of why we need to be on the lookout for 5th column inciters who're as bad as their more leftist counterparts.

Women also need room for prayer

The writer Shmuel Sackett noticed something very troubling during one of his overseas trips to the USA when it comes to how women can pray:

I am writing this article on an EL AL flight back to Israel, having concluded a two-week visit with family and friends. New York - or at least the few parts that I saw - looked the same to me, with one new addition in the frum community that everyone is excited about: The 24 hour “Minyan Factory" which allows you to daven anytime you want. I must admit that these places are extremely convenient and I davened in the “Non-Stop Minyanim" in the Five Towns and also in the brand new one in Monticello on St John St. From mikveh to mincha… and from Kaddish to coffee, these places offer everything Am Yisrael needs… except one. A woman's section. Women are not welcomed in these minyan factories.

How do I know? Simple! I came to daven one morning with my wife (what a rebel!!) and innocently asked where the women’s section is? The gabbai of the Non-Stop Minyanim on Cedarhurst Ave waved his hands - as if to say: “Please don’t ask ridiculous questions"… but I pressed on. “Seriously, my wife wants to daven. Where is there a place for women?" Realizing that I was not joking around he apologized and told me that there are so many men coming to daven that there is just no room for women. I thanked him for his explanation but made sure I got in the last word. “It’s unfortunate how you found room for pizza and sushi but not for women."

The minyan factory in the Catskills was exactly the same. A tremendous amount of money was invested into buying a big house in Monticello, which was renovated from top to bottom. The rooms are big, spacious and clean. There is a beautiful Bet Midrash in the building as well, where guys can sit and learn and there is a mikveh downstairs that is modern and nice. There are coffee machines, vending machines and even a small Judaica store which sells everything a family needs. However, just like the Five Towns, this minyan factory does not have a mechitza, allowing women to daven.

Please don’t misunderstand me. When I write that we need to have a place for women to daven, I am not pushing the agenda of “The Women of the Wall". Those women are not interested in davening, they simply want to fight. Their agenda is to break the religious hold on the Kotel and to water down authentic Tefila with reform Judaism. My words are the complete opposite! I am referring to our holy wives, mothers, sisters and daughters whose power of prayer can pierce the heavens! [...]

What has happened to us? When did we begin to distort concepts - in the name of holiness - that actually drive us away from our Father in Heaven? Am Yisrael desperately needs the tefilot of our Eishet Chayils, women of valor, and we need to welcome them in every shul we build. Countless commentaries and passages in the Talmud teach us that it was because of the women that we left Egypt. We all know that women loved the land of Israel, so were not punished in the sin of the spies and did not die in the desert… only the men! Nothing is purer than the tefilot of women who do not look at their watches (or cellphones) when they daven. They cry when they daven - much more than men - and their heartfelt words penetrate the “Gates of Tears", which have never been locked.

I assume frum alludes to a Haredi community, but whoever's running the store in the neighborhood he speaks of has certainly done it again, and embarrassed Judaism for the sake of selfishness and irresponsibility. That's the precise problem that's already long brought down Orthodox Judaism. Perhaps since this is in New York where this is taking place, that too is why this is regrettably happening, and what if it turns out some of these communities are so leftist they support Zohran Mamdani? One more reason they're being utterly shameful with their exclusion of women even from prayer services.

Religious studies are not an excuse for committing crimes

Rabbi Pini Dunner wrote about why Haredis cannot use their alleged interest in religious studies as excuses for committing offenses:

This week, thousands of Israelis found themselves trapped in traffic as Haredi demonstrations brought major highways and railway lines to a standstill. Routes 1, 4 and 6 were blocked.

Traffic on the Ayalon Highway ground to a halt. Trains were stopped, passengers forced to get off, and people attempting to reach Ben-Gurion Airport were stranded. Inevitably, there were clashes with police and confrontations with frustrated motorists.

In one particularly tasteless display, protesters wore yellow stars modelled on those imposed on Jews by the Nazis, except that the word “Jew" had been replaced with “deserter."

On which note, I'd forgotten to mention it before, but those who vandalized the house of a deputy justice in Alon Shvut also brought Israeli flag pages with a swastika in place of a Star of David. That was one of the most antisemitic acts so-called Judaists could possibly commit, and makes clear self-haters aren't limited to the secular leftists. More on that news in the next article highlighted.

The demonstrations were organized by the extremist Haredi group known as the Peleg Yerushalmi, Jerusalem Faction, in response to the arrest of Haredi draft evaders and those who surrounded the private home of the Deputy Chief Justice last week.

To be clear, the protesters did not represent every Haredi Jew, or even every Haredi opponent of military enlistment. But the position they espouse is not confined to this small vocal group. Haredi politicians and rabbinic authorities repeatedly assert that military service threatens the spiritual identity of Haredi young men and must be avoided at all costs.

The army, they say, is not merely physically dangerous; it is religiously dangerous. A young man immersed in Torah study would enter the IDF spiritually refined and emerge diminished. His standards will decline, his outlook will change, and his commitment to Torah will weaken.

Considering it's all written about when it comes to Moses, who asked if certain figures would just sit it out while their brothers went to war, that's why what the Haredi opposition did is just trash talk. They should be utterly ashamed of themselves, and it's decidedly time they left the country. Why, as some could validly argue, those who committed the offenses are unsuited for the army and also unemployable. Perhaps a country like Afghanistan would be a better residential area for them, and they definitely are doing exactly what the Islamofascists would want.

Now since we're on the issue, 4 Haredis from Bet Shemesh, no less, have been indicted for the horror story they caused in Alon Shvut, against a supreme court deputy who happens to be a religious man himself:

Prosecutors on Sunday indicted four men from Beit Shemesh for rioting at the home of Deputy Supreme Court President Noam Sohlberg in the West Bank settlement of Alon Shvut on June 3.

Sohlberg’s home was attacked in the protest, with windows smashed and the entrance vandalized, and some of the protesters reportedly planned to physically harm the justice.

The four are the first to be indicted over the destructive demonstration against the judge, who enraged Haredi leaders with a November ruling that called for criminal sanctions on draft-evading yeshiva students. Police have nabbed dozens of suspected participants in the violent demonstration.

The defendants were identified as Nachman Platnik, 20; Abraham Fried, 20; Gershon Hanoun, 21; and Shimon Atep, 41. All have been in custody since the day of the attack, according to the indictment, and prosecutors informed the court they would seek prison sentences. The defendants will remain in custody until the court says otherwise.

All four defendants were charged with rioting, and Platnik and Fried were also charged with trespassing in order to commit a crime.

Posters announcing the planned riot were plastered on roads and synagogues in the Haredi city of Bnei Brak on the day of the incident, said the indictment, which was filed in the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court.

What's stunning is that the police surely were aware of this, yet did not act to prevent them from reaching the area. The defendants should not be released, and should receive psychological counseling in prison if they're ever to be part of regular society again.

“Many dozens” of rioters blocked Sohlberg’s street, yelled derogatory chants including “Nazi” and brought small Israeli flags with a swastika instead of a Star of David, according to the indictment.

They also stoned the judge’s home, and smashed windows, potted plants in the entrance and the windshield of the judge’s car, prosecutors said.

Some of Sohlberg’s neighbors mistook the violent protest for a terror attack and entered safe rooms, the indictment said. It added that some neighbors also tried to confront the rioters, and one neighbor was attacked by rioters and had his kippah snatched.

That too was an antisemitic act. Seriously, it's doubtful these particular Haredis actually respect their own faith as opposed to their "interpretation" of it.

The monsters in black hats and suits haven't stopped at the deputy justice's doorstep either. They've practically gone after the chief justice of the supreme court as well:

Dozens of extremist ultra-Orthodox demonstrators rallied on Sunday outside the home of Supreme Court President Isaac Amit in Mevasseret Zion to protest the arrest of a Haredi military draft dodger.

Police dispersed the demonstration after a short while, according to Hebrew media reports.

It was the latest demonstration by Haredim to target a court official. Earlier this month, ultra-Orthodox rioters attacked the home of Deputy Supreme Court President Noam Sohlberg, smashing windows and causing property damage, while trying to break into the residence in the West Bank settlement of Alon Shvut.

The above may have been dealt with in short order, but it was surely possible to have prevented the rioters from reaching the area to start with. This is utterly atrocious and the ringleaders must be exposed, arrested and imprisoned. They're as bad as some far-left activists too, and it's to be hoped serious prison sentences will be given to the monsters who're desecrating the Torah. It's also chilling to think of what if these ultra-Orthodox would even go so far as to commit arson against a synagogue and Torah scrolls. If nothing proper is done, those could be the next targets of those some may least expect as being capable of committing such a heinous act.

Update: unshockingly, now the Haredi parties like UTJ are planning a mass protest traveling to military prisons to protest the jailings. More information here. If the authorities don't take any proper action, that's wrong, and only perpetuates a sorry situation all the more.

Synagogue in London that was sold to Muslim mosque falls victim to arson

In the past month, a synagogue was sold in London to a Muslim group, or was going to be. Now, it looks like that same synagogue was set on fire:

Counter-terrorism police are investigating a suspected arson attack at a former synagogue.

The fire was reported at 05:16 BST on Tuesday at the former East London Central Synagogue building in Whitechapel.

The Met said initial CCTV footage indicated the fire was started deliberately.

The suspected arson follows a series of attacks and attempted attacks on the Jewish community in recent weeks. [...]

Hamzah, who lives near the former synagogue - which he believes is being turned into a mosque - said: "I came out this morning and saw it was all blocked off... I heard there was a firebomb on the synagogue."

He added that he did not know why someone would do that. [...]

The former synagogue was due to be sold at auction earlier this year, with a separate bid by a Muslim group to buy the building and convert it into a mosque and community centre.

If it was torched by Muslim arsonists, that's definitely quite an irony. As noted here, the former synagogue is on Nelson Street, so it looks like the same one fell victim to the Religion of Peace its former management was going to sell to, in a pure act of dhimmitude. While it's definitely bad it was torched, I still can't comprehend why it was going to be sold to a mosque movement but not to a Hindu temple movement, in example. Seriously, just because Hinduism and Shintoism may not be monotheistic religions, does that make it wrong to sell to them? Of course not. Now, an oxymoron took place, and the sadness is only furthered.

Syrian woman converts to Judaism

An interesting story about a Syrian-born woman who came to understand a lot about Israel while living in France, and has since decided to become a Judaist convert. She also told them:

Rawan Osman has just completed another visit to Israel. It was her 20th trip since Oct. 7, 2023 — no small thing for a woman born in Syria, raised for 18 years in Lebanon’s eastern Bekaa Valley and now living in Germany. After years of building ties with Israel and Judaism, Osman is preparing for another unexpected step: She plans to convert to Judaism and immigrate to Israel. [...]

The issue of alcohol sales has recently returned to the headlines in Syria. The government of Ahmed al-Sharaa decided in March to ban alcohol service in restaurants and nightclubs in Damascus and limit sales to several Christian neighborhoods. Even there, alcohol may be sold only in sealed containers and by licensed stores. The restrictions sparked public criticism, while the government said they were intended to impose order.

“It’s ridiculous,” Osman said. “Maybe the only good thing about the Assad regime was that it was secular. Everything else was terrible. The current regime is not as monstrous as the Assad regime, but it wants to take Syria back to the seventh century and is contributing to the Islamization of Syria. Syria is going through a dangerous process that must be stopped.

“From my point of view, and I consider myself Israeli today, al-Jolani is very dangerous. He is not good news for us, because we have thousands of jihadists on the border.”

It's fortunate somebody fully recognizes what's wrong with al-Jolani, and again, it's shameful the Trump administration would agree to recognize him as a leader. What's wrong with all the Christians/Druze/Yazidis who live in the area? How do they not qualify as potential leaders?

‘Israel did not start it’

In recent weeks — on Holocaust Remembrance Day, Memorial Day and Independence Day — Osman posted content to her Instagram account as if she had grown up in Israel. She met a Holocaust survivor and documented Memorial Day events at the military cemetery on Mount Herzl.

Her connection to Israel began in France.

“When I moved there to study wine, I started the first part of my studies in Strasbourg. The place where I lived was in the Jewish Quarter, near the Great Synagogue of Peace. That was the first time I experienced Jews,” she said. “It opened my eyes because I had always imagined Jews as the enemy, as a terrible, problematic, aggressive people.”

That impression, she said, collapsed when she lived among Jews.

“They were nice to me,” Osman said. “In France, my point of view changed. I understood that the hostility that leads to wars was not started by Israel, but by the Arab world, which rejects the very existence of Israel. That made me start reading and researching organizations like Hezbollah, the Islamic Republic in Iran and the armed Palestinian factions, and understand that they are aggressive and that they choose terrorism to make Jews leave the Middle East.”

Trying to understand how the Palestinian issue could be resolved — a conflict she sees as holding back Lebanon and other countries — Osman began studying Islam and Judaism in Germany. She said she had been an atheist. In Lebanon, she attended a French Catholic school but never believed in God, Jesus, Muhammad or the Quran.

“When I studied, I understood that some of the biggest problems that led to terrorism were caused by mistaken interpretations of certain texts, and it does not have to be that way,” she said. “When I studied Judaism, my life changed completely. I fell in love with Judaism. I understood that I am Jewish. I felt that I knew the language, that it was close to me.”

On this, the problem with the verses in the koran advocating violence is that they were meant for just that, and if the newspaper distorted that part of the subject, that's wrong.

Anyway, I appreciate that the lady decided to convert to Judaism, and seriously, when the cards are played right, it can provide sensible Europeans with a good resource in which to find confidence. I will decidedly also say that, if there's any Europeans who think far eastern religions like Hinduism and Shintoism have positive values, I'm welcome to their trying those out as well, just to show that if a specific religion builds on positivity, I'm okay with competition.

The IDF sadly has a problem with gender bigotry, pro-LGBT positions and even dhimmitude to PLO figures, even after October 7, 2023

A horrifying case turned up of female IDF soldiers who were court-martialed for wearing outfits like tank tops when they were being discharged, and it's caused valid outrage:

The IDF court-martialed three female soldiers and docked a third of their salaries for wearing purportedly revealing clothes to base when they arrived to be discharged this week, two of the soldiers’ mothers said.

The military confirmed the incident on Friday, saying it “constitutes a departure from orders and was therefore handled by the deputy commander of the unit in accordance with the IDF’s disciplinary code of conduct.” The women had a right to appeal, the military added.

Soldiers typically show up to base in civilian clothing on the day of their discharge, when they often take celebratory photos of themselves cutting their military ID cards once they return their equipment and complete the requisite paperwork.

On social media, one of the mothers shared the ID-cutting photo that her daughter, who had served as a commander in basic training for non-combat soldiers, took with some colleagues who were also finishing their service.

Three of the women in the photo wore a tank top, a short skirt and a crop top, respectively. Shortly after they cut their ID cards, the three were put on trial and fined for “dressing inappropriately,” she said, calling the incident “repulsive and humiliating.”

“We got home, with headlines in the background about funding for draft-dodging Haredim and about Holocaust Remembrance Day, and it hit me,” she wrote about the immediate aftermath. “How upside-down everything is here. And what an incredible girl I have.”

Another of the soldiers’ mothers suggested on Facebook that her daughter’s “show trial” was a case study in misogyny.

“What was the point? To educate? To make an example of them? To stop them from repeating the horrible act of wearing jeans and a tank top?” wrote the mother, an attorney, on Facebook. “I wonder if male soldiers being discharged while wearing a tank top would have also been court-martialed. For some reason, I think not.”

On this, they may be alluding to how the IDF is quite possibly far more likely to take an entirely different direction when it comes to male homosexuality: if some gay men were practically photographing themselves kissing while wearing said outfits, chances are more likely they'd see no such disciplinary action at all. And there have been strong suggestions that's the disturbing situation in the IDF. Suggesting in turn they have a "classist" system at work, where men anywhere similar to Haredis are considered a degree above women in status, but a degree below gay men. Women rightfully offended by this incident should also consider that, if LGBT movements haven't backed them, that's exactly why they shouldn't rely upon said movements for side support, just like Jewish movements in the USA shouldn't rely on LGBT movements when it comes to seeking support against antisemitism, and let's not forget how supporters of transsexual ideology enabled misogyny to flourish in the past decade, along with antisemitism.

The incident came amid renewed criticism of religious coercion in the armed forces following the recent detention of four Border Police combat medics accused of “harming religion and Judaism” by barbecuing in a non-populated part of a base during the Jewish Sabbath.

MK Naama Lazimi, of the left-leaning Democrats party, slammed the punishment of the women as theocratic overreach.

“We have to protect the IDF from this insanity,” wrote Lazimi, adding that the women should “not only sue, but issue a sexual harassment complaint.”

“Fining a woman for her civilian clothing is to humiliate her, turn her into a sexual object and in practice sexually harass her by disparagement and comments about her clothing,” wrote Lazimi on Instagram.

While I don't approve of Lazimi's leftist politics, and wouldn't be surprised if she's not being altruistic (what are the chances she has no issues with Islam's misogyny?), the complaints in themselves are valid, and the victims of this abomination should take legal action against any and all staffers who made petty issues over their outfits, which should not be even the least bit controversial, even in military service. It should also be noted that this is practically what led to October 7, 2023, and that the IDF would do something so repulsive after what many Jewish women were graphically raped and murdered for as much as their ethnicity is unspeakably evil. Those army staffers who court martialed the girls should not be working in the army at all. They should be arrested, prosecuted and imprisoned.

Meanwhile, the military has promoted the expansion of gender-segregated frameworks to accommodate ultra-Orthodox soldiers, and a recent conservative campaign has called to remove women from the army outright.

Earlier this month, the IDF took down the music video of an original Passover song that was included in the army rabbinate’s Hagaddah, which critics said consigned women to the home and neglected their contributions in the military.

The furor over the Passover song came days after criticism within the Shin Bet over a letter from the spouse of the security agency’s chief, David Zini, to “the wives of security personnel,” which was seen to reinforce gender stereotypes.

Well this too is decidedly an embarrassment, and one of the worst things about this debacle is that it was quite possibly intended to damage the Netanyahu government's reputation, and even cause damage during the upcoming election later this year. Which is precisely why it's vital this subject be addressed publicly, and the country's rabbinate would do well to reach out to the girls and show solidarity with them. Yes, I am firmly serious here. Right-wing and Orthodox Judaist movements should openly address this now.

I also noticed in the article comments section the following:

My daughter is one of the women. It was actually 4 soldiers that were court-martialed, not 3. The fourth one was cropped out of this picture. She came home that day on Monday with such a bad taste in her mouth from her last day of service. She said many, many soldiers come like that on their last day, and none of them had any idea this could happen.

I'm most terribly sorry this happened, and hope the observant Orthodox Judaist community in Israel feels the same way. That's why they have to publicly speak out in the girls' defense and let them know the IDF doesn't speak for Orthodox Judaists. They'd also do well to condemn the IDF requiring women in a marathon wear pants while men were allowed to wear shorts. That too is deeply offensive and gender-bigoted.

Equally disturbing is an incident that occurred in the past month, where a soldier was disciplined/dismissed for toppling a statue of PLO savage Yaser Arafat, and that too strongly suggests the IDF's overlorded by leftists who see nothing wrong with Islamofacism, despite any recent indications to the contrary. Let's be clear. This kind of cowardice cannot continue, and any and all personnel who were involved in the humiliation of those 4 lady soldiers owes a colossal apology, and must resign, not to mention ensure that in or out of the army, they'll make sure these kind of misogynist monstrosities don't happen any longer in the post-October 7 era.

The new right-wing anti-Trump crowd kowtows to Islam

Andrea Widburg discussed how bad right-wingers like Tucker Carlson, and also Pope Leo, have sold out to Islam along their path to undermining Donald Trump's policies:

Today’s news brought stories of two thought leaders—the Pope and Tucker Carlson—showing reverence for Islam. This differs from the left’s long-standing political allegiance with Islamic causes, something reflecting that the left and Islam share a common goal, which is the West’s destruction. Instead, this is a reverence for the Islamic faith. That’s new and, I must say, as someone who likes the Judeo-Christian worldview, disturbing.

The way I see it, the Koran is a pastiche of random lessons from the Bible, with which Mohammed was clearly familiar, plus a lot of rules that worked well for Mohammed’s personal advancement. Thus, Mohammed echoed such principles as a unitary god and the rejection of idolatry, charity to the poor, honesty in trade, respect for parents, mercy and forgiveness, and keeping one’s word.

The problem is that he added other rules that were carve-outs for Muslims. Thus, Mohammed himself is idolized to the point at which he is indistinguishable from God, sharia laws are utterly merciless, and Muslims have no obligation to extend to non-Muslims mercy, honesty in trade, or keeping one’s word.

In addition, Islam has icky things layered over it. For example, because the 50-year-old Mohammed married a six-year-old and consummated the marriage when he was 53 and she was nine, that’s a right given to all Muslim men. And because Mohammed veiled his wives because he was a prophet, Muslim women must wear tents.

Lastly, of course, there’s the whole war thing. Mohammed mandated conquest and war against infidels. Some people counter this by pointing to the violence in the Bible but the Bible is both a religious book and a history book. It recounts battles. But there is no “perfect man” telling Christians and Jews that they must convert the world through fire and sword, nor that women are the sexual spoils of such wars.

What’s disturbing is that two Western men who proclaim both their faith and hostility to Trump and the MAGA movement have lately become very supportive of Islam.

You could probably add a few more rotten apples to the list, those being the aforementioned RINO writers at the Federalist, who've also signaled support for Carlson and Leo. What the main 2 figures in focus are doing is merely an attempt to stealth indoctrinate the western populace under the guise of "conservatism", and we must hope most of the population understands what sellouts both these disgraces really are. They both keep silent on Christians persecuated by Islam, and it's chilling to wonder if both could be secret converts to Islam, much like some British in past decades wondered if King Charles was secretly a convert. Why, what if French communist Jean-Luc Melenchon is? For now, it's disgusting how Leo's following up Carlson as a religious figure who's a dhimmi sellout.

Convicted Haredi sex offender was allowed access to Western Wall

At this point during the war against Iran, there've been restrictions on how many people can attend the Western Wall plaza in the Old City of Jerusalem. But of all people who did have access, it appears a convicted sex offender of Haredi background was actually allowed to pray there:

While hundreds of worshippers were turned away due to strict restrictions, it has emerged that among those granted entry to the Western Wall was Eliezer Berland, leader of the “Shuvu Banim" community.

Berland’s entry sparked outrage, particularly in light of his past convictions: In 2016, he was convicted of sexual offenses, and in 2021 he was also convicted of financial crimes, including fraud, exploitation, and money laundering, for which he served a prison sentence.

The incident raised questions among many worshippers who had sought to reach the site but were denied entry due to strict quotas imposed since the start of Operation Roaring Lion on February 28.

Neither the Western Wall foundation nor the police were willing to admit it's morally offensive somebody who's not really faithful to Judaism was allowed to pray there. And that's deeply repellent. They both owe a serious apology for what they did, and Berland should not be allowed anywhere near a site he doesn't really love ever again.

London synagogue sold to Muslim group

Here goes another example of how shameless and shameful certain Judaist "leaders" in the UK really are, as they sell out local history to the Religion of Peace:

A 103-year-old synagogue in East London has been sold despite fears from the local Jewish community that its history will be lost.

Nelson Street Synagogue, also known as the East London Central Synagogue, was set to be sold at auction today, but has been purchased prior, according to the auctioneers Acuitus. The synagogue has been largely unused since 2020, after part of the roof collapsed. A plan was reportedly in place to turn the premises into a Jewish cultural heritage centre, but it was recently put up for sale.

[...] An 11-page, hand-written members list from 1930 shows at least 170 members. Over the years, it has hosted interfaith events with the local Muslim community and Holocaust Memorial Day commemorations.

Not mentioned clearly in the above article is exactly who the synagogue was sold to, that being adherents of the same religion they held "interfaith" gatherings with:

But the real estate web site where it was listed now says (Feb. 6) that it was sold before the auction, and a video on social media says that it was bought by a Muslim organization, the Ashaadibi Education & Cultural Centre, that put down a £250,000 deposit “to secure the contract” and has nine months to raise £3.5 million to secure the purchase. [...]

Today, the East End is largely Muslim. In articles HERE and HERE Leon Silver, who grew up in the neighborhood and was president of the Nelson Street synagogue in recent years, noted recent tensions with local people and efforts to foster dialogue among faith communities.

That the congregation would actually host events with the Religion of Peace speaks volumes, as does the sale of the building to the Muslim adherents, no matter what the situation is in east London by now. One of the reasons cities like these are being conquered by the Islamofacists is also because Judaist congregations don't have the courage to sell to more preferable sources like Hinduists, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Jain adherents. Or even Christian congregations, which are seeing a revival now. How come the people in charge of the synagogue until recently wouldn't sell to them either? They really are pathetic, and thanks to all their lack of confidence, that's one more reason why the East End's becoming a no-go zone.

Tucker Carlson is against rebuilding the Jerusalem Temple

The insufferable pseudo-conservative Carlson continues his anti-Israel tirades with assaults on the right to reclaim sovereignty over the Jerusalem Temple:

Anti-Israel media personality Tucker Carlson sparked controversy after claiming that Israel’s war is allegedly driven by a goal of destroying the Al-Aqsa Mosque and building the Third Temple in its place.

In an episode of the "Tucker Carlson Show," he asked, "How did all these guys wind up wearing patches suggesting the point of this war was the destruction of one of the holiest places in Islam and the rebuilding of a temple that is totally anathema to Christianity?" [...]

He accused, "Chabad has been pushing in a pretty subtle way, unless you look carefully, for the reconstruction of the Third Temple."

And this is exactly why the Temple Mount, as it's called today, needs to be reclaimed for Judaist worship. Carlson also disgustingly puts words in the mouths of Christians who're realists, and says exactly what the Islamic world wants to hear. And the worst part is that it was undoubtably his full intention to kowtow to the Religion of Peace. He's really being a humiliation lately. What next, will he say women who wear skimpy clothes are criminals? It's sickening to ponder what other awful positions Carlson harbors at the expense of sane societies.

A rabbi who defends women's dignity in sports and opposes male infiltration using LGBT ideology as a shield

Last year, a rabbi named Avraham Gordimer wrote a defense for women in sports, and why it's wrong for biological men to compete against biological women in sports designated for the latter:

We, as Jewish rabbis and teachers, write to reaffirm Judaism’s clear and unambiguous stance on human genders. The Torah states that “male and female He Created them” (Bereishis 1:27), declaring a separation into two biological genders. Jewish law and ritual prescribe unique Jewish practices for men and women that address the inherent differences between them, reflecting the Divine Wisdom of the Torah.

We are deeply concerned by recent communications from “Jewish” progressive organizations and groups, stating that “Jewish values” compel recognition of a person’s declared “gender identity,” and even professing that our holy texts note “at least six different genders.” These are obvious distortions that bear no relationship to normative Judaism and three millennia of Jewish law.

The foregoing claims misrepresent Talmudic passages that, in reality, merely address how those affected by birth defects and other physical aberrations should observe Jewish laws that differ for men and women. In no way do these passages inflate the number of normative genders, nor is there credence given to the notion that an individual’s subjective self-perception is relevant to his or her biological gender.

The ideology behind such statements is clearly progressivism over Judaism, and even over reality: at least one such letter insisted that there is “no evidence” that males have an innate advantage if allowed into competitions previously reserved for women.

We should note that in addition to the unfairness and even risks of injury that accompany forcing women to compete against men, such practices also deny opportunities to young men and women who observe Jewish law and custom regarding social contact. For these reasons, we support measures that separate men and women by biological gender in sports, especially contact sports.

Sports competition is far different from issues regarding prayer service and/or men and women sitting next to each other on public transportation. And any "progressive" Judaist groups who defend LGBT propaganda at women's expense clearly believe a woman's dignity is worth less than a man's, much like has surely been the case for a long, long time among leftists.

Huckabee sends a vital message to Carlson

The USA ambassador gave an interview to the awful pseudo-conservative journalist, and sent him a message about why Israel is allowed areas that currently aren't under its control:

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has said that Israel has a right to large swaths of the Middle East.

Speaking on the Tucker Carlson Show in an interview released Friday, Huckabee quoted Genesis 15:18, in which G-d promises Abraham, then known as Abram, that his descendants would inherit the land, "from the Nile to the Euphrates."

Carlson noted that this verse would mean Israel has a right to claim land in "basically the entire Middle East," including Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and even parts of Saudi Arabia and Iraq.

Huckabee corrected him, saying, "Not sure we'd go that far," and noting, "It would be a big piece of land."

But when Carlson asked, "Does Israel have the right to that land?" Huckabee responded, "It would be fine if they took it all."

Huckabee also stressed that despite this, Israel is not seeking to take over the Middle East, but does have a right to live in the land currently under Israeli sovereignty.

Someday, those specific areas that aren't currently under Israeli sovereignty will return. And Huckabee did the right thing to make it clear to Carlson the exact facts in history.

Insular rabbis fall back on attacking women's roles in army

Some rabbis who may be closer in conduct to the Haredis protested against women's roles in the army, and all this less than 3 years after October 7, 2023:

A group of 20 religious-Zionist rabbis sent a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, condemning women’s integration into the IDF and demanding his intervention in the matter to “prevent disaster.”

The letter came in response to the military’s new program, which would include women in the Armored Corps. It was written by leading rabbis in the religious-Zionist sector, belonging to the organization Torat Ha’aretz HaTova.

The letter was titled “Harm to the operational resilience and service capability of soldiers due to the expansion of the integration of female soldiers.”

I wonder if the part about "Zionist" was deliberate on the part of the Jerusalem Post? Regardless, what the "rabbis" in question are doing embarrasses the standing of anybody who's concerned about the cohesion of Israel, long after all the damage that was inflicted by leftist movements over past decades. What's irritating about this is that it doesn't sound like they care if there's danger of a lady soldier being captured by barbaric jihadists, but rather, that their presence is only a "distraction" for the male soldiers. If that's the case, it's precisely what led to October 7, 2023, because all these scumbags were doing was worrying about petty issues, yet doing nothing to educate their subjects into learning social skills and being confident in themselves, and above all, judging by personality.

The rabbis wrote that they were turning to the prime minister “out of deep concern.”

Now, when the army is marching toward a mixture of genders that is forbidden by Judaism, contrary to logic and security needs, we can no longer remain silent,” the rabbis write.

“We are concerned about the accelerating trend toward integrating female fighters into combat and maneuvering frontline units.”

“As has been emphasized more than once, the IDF is not just another army; its strength and the secret of its victory lie in the divine assistance that accompanies it.”

“Maintaining holiness and modesty in the army camp is not a private matter for the religious soldier but a fundamental condition for the strength of the entire army and for divine assistance on the battlefield,” the letter states.

The rabbis claim that if the Armored Corps were “mixed,” it would confront their religious students with an “impossible contradiction” between their faith and their operational service.

Once more, we have a case here of somebody blurring the differences between a synagogue/yeshiva and a public institution. What they're emphasizing makes it difficult for their subjects to learn to how socialize and interact with the opposite sex, and has caused untold damage for decades. There have, however, been those countering what the group did:

It said that the rabbis’ claims do not reflect the operational reality in the field where men and women serve together.

“There exists professional cooperation, mutual respect, and genuine comradeship between religious male soldiers and female fighters,” the group said.

Women played an essential role in defending the country on the day of the October 7 Hamas attacks in 2023 and during the subsequent war.

The organization noted that, after October 7, 2023, the debate about women’s integration in the army “was already settled.”

“Whoever carries out the mission and defends the citizens of Israel is an inseparable part of the fighting force. According to IDF data, one out of every five combatants is a woman.”

The group also noted that the IDF is “desperate” for high-quality recruits.

Forum Dvorah underscored that the arguments in the rabbis’ letter do not reflect the views of the entire religious sector.

The organization noted that data indicated that, increasingly, young religious women are choosing to undertake military service – and even enlisting in combat roles.

Despite campaigns opposing women’s integration into the IDF, a new record was broken in the past year, with approximately 4,000 religious female recruits enlisting (the equivalent of 40% of young religious women), the forum said.

Forum Dvorah called on Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz to speak in support of the inclusion of women in the IDF and “to put an end to the political spin being conducted on the backs of those who bear the burden of security day after day.”

What the insular "rabbis" did desecrated the memory of biblical figures like Deborah, and suggests that, rather than learn lessons why it's bad to be petty after October 7, 2023, they were just sticking to the shadows until they thought the time was right to strike again. That's disgusting, and they owe an apology. Finance minister Bezalel Smotrich didn't improve the situation when he echoed the insular movement's example:

The Israeli military is not a place for women, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich claimed in an interview with 103FM on Wednesday morning.

He cited a quote in which he said he would not recommend that his daughter enlist, adding, “I am proud of the products of religious education, the root of this [the desire to enlist] is the desire to contribute, idealism, the desire to give.”

Does he realize how stupid this makes him look? I'm sorry, but he's undermining Judaism's image to boot, certainly if he doesn't differentiate from what those "rabbis" did.

Interestingly, while rabbi Natan Slifkin is of a rather questionable approach himself, he did point out something eyebrow raising about the letter, such as it is:

Interestingly, after the signatures of the forty rabbis, there are signatures of twelve parents of fallen soldiers. And yet it’s only the fathers’ names that appear, not the mothers. There are only two possible explanations. One is that the mothers do not agree with increasing the burden of reservists and harming the economy. The other is that the organizers of this letter are so charedi that they do not believe in publicizing womens’ opinions.

Well that's another reason it tanks badly. If women were excluded from this campaign, then it's not altruistic. After 10.7.2023, it's time for them to change their ways, and tragically, it's unlikely they'll abandon their atrocious conduct that's not really caring for the opposite sex.

Anti-Israel monsters protesting against visit of Israeli president in Australia are atrocious, but so is the local MSM coverage

The anti-Israeli Islamofascists in Australia predictably organized to commit violence at a location he was visiting. Herzog had the following to say to them:

President Isaac Herzog on Thursday delivered a pointed message to the anti-Israel protesters who have dogged his visit to Australia: Protest against Iran, not Israel and the Australian Jews who support it.

Addressing some 4,000 people at a large communal event on the last day of his solidarity visit, he said it was “obscure and odd” that heavy police protection was needed to ensure Jews could gather peacefully with the president of Israel, following the Bondi Beach terrorist attack in December.

“To all those protesters outside, go protest in front of the Iranian embassy,” Herzog said, adding that Iran operates an “empire of evil” responsible for mass bloodshed. Israel was “literally protecting the free world and its values” by combating that threat, he added.

One of the worst things about this incident is that the local press Down Under was sympathetic to the monsters, for whom the doors were flung wide open to live there in the years after the horror stories of sexual violence that occurred in the past quarter century and led to the Cronulla beach riots. Though here's one local columnist who did recognize what's wrong with the Islamofascists who led the whole debacle:

I have been an on-the-ground news reporter at protests in Australia and Europe.

Some became violent. One, a protest in London to oppose the Iraq War, was hair-raisingly so. [...]

The spectacle of armed police “bashing” an “innocent bystander” is usually the moment at which the thin veneer of civility peels away and some protesters become animals.

The ones who do often have no idea what the protest is about. They are professional anarchists. We saw them at work this week at Sydney’s Town Hall.

They weren’t there because they love Palestine. Most couldn’t identify Herzog in a police line-up or come close to pinpointing Gaza on a map.

They were there because they love to riot and a march in the name of geopolitical justice is a good foil for that. If it wasn’t Herzog it would be climate change. Or transgender activism.

The organisers of pro-Palestinian protests are shooting themselves in the foot by allowing their campaign to be hijacked by hooligans.

And they’re putting a bullet in their other foot by choosing the wrong moment to make their point.

I don’t know what the right moment is, but I know it’s not when Israel’s President is in Australia to pay respect to the victims of a national tragedy.

Well that's correct. There's a whole cottage industry devoted to pandering to violence-worshiping monsters out there, one that doubtless even includes predators who blame victims, including the people who were murdered in the Columbine bloodbath in Colorado in 1999, recalling a creepy character from Maine who did something like that a quarter century ago on an online forum. As I've long since been aware, a northeastern region like Maine's long been a subject of leftist indoctrination, so it may not be too surprising you could have people there who're hostile to Israel and even the victims of September 11, 2001. But it's still obviously as sad as it's repulsive. And this is a similar situation now going on in Australia.

Rabbi David Stav takes issue with Haredi draft law case

The Tzohar movement manager is appalled at how, almost 3 years after the October 7, 2023 bloodbath, Haredi leaderships still refuse to support having their communities serve in the army:

Rabbi David Stav, chairman of the Tzohar Rabbinical Organization and Chief Rabbi of the City of Shoham, sharply criticizes the Israeli government’s proposed legislation on the recruitment of haredi men into the Israel Defense Forces, calling the bill misleading, ineffective, and morally indefensible in the wake of Israel’s ongoing security challenges.

Speaking with Arutz Sheva-Israel National News, Rabbi Stav rejected claims that opposing the government’s proposal amounts to an attempt to topple the coalition. While acknowledging that political stability is a legitimate concern, he argued that the current legislation sacrifices fundamental values while pretending to achieve reform.

“It is a legitimate position to say: I want more haredim to serve, but I prioritize the survival of the government," Rabbi Stav said. “What is not legitimate is to present a bill as historic and transformative when everyone knows it will not draft anyone who does not already intend to enlist."

According to Rabbi Stav, the proposed law falsely promises the enlistment of tens of thousands of haredi men while quietly ensuring that no real change will take place. He accused politicians of privately admitting the bill’s ineffectiveness while publicly promoting it as a breakthrough.

“No one who does not intend to go to the army will go because of this bill," he said. “Everyone knows this."

Beyond political maneuvering, Rabbi Stav framed the issue as a matter of Torah values and social responsibility. He argued that Jewish law and ethics demand shared participation in defending the country, especially at a time when Israel faces prolonged military engagements and deep uncertainty.

“The Torah requires that each one of us serve," he said. “You are not allowed to abandon Torah values for the sake of political convenience."

And there is a biblical verse from Moses backing him up: Numbers 32:6. So how can these atrocious cultists of the Haredi community say they represent the Torah when they shun such points? It's just plain disgusting.

Antisemitic landlord in Nepal forces out synagogue (Update: it appears the landlord isn't antisemitic)

A sad case involving an antisemitic landlord in Nepal who evicted a missionary couple and their synagogue:

For over two decades, the Chabad House in Kathmandu has served as a legendary “home away from home” for tens of thousands of Israeli backpackers, Jewish travelers, and local residents. However, this week, that era came to an abrupt and painful end. Shluchim Rabbi Chezki and Chani Lifshitz were forced to pack up the iconic center’s contents following a series of demands from their landlord that many believe were fueled by systemic antisemitism.

The trouble began several months ago when the landlord’s attitude toward the Jewish center took a sharp, restrictive turn. According to Rabbi Chezki Lifshitz, the first sign of trouble was a demand to strip the building of its identity.

“A few months ago, he demanded that all the signs in Hebrew be removed from the building,” Chezki shared. This was followed by a sharp and sudden increase in rent, aimed at making the center’s presence unsustainable. This week, the situation culminated in an order for immediate evacuation, forcing the Lifshitz family to mobilize quickly to move decades of communal history.

The couple wisely aren't going to let this get them down. Even so, it's sad that in a country like Nepal, there too the problem also haunts. The landlord now appears to have hopefully resolved the issue with the couple. But, if it turns out things are still in the zone of badness, then this is an extremely reprehensible, if not too surprising, incident.

Update: here's some clarification on the topic, indicating the landlord's not an antisemite:

“People didn’t understand the post,” Lifshitz says. “The owner had asked us to take down signs written in Hebrew because he was worried that the building would be targeted by antisemites. The landlord himself is not anti-Israeli.”

Sources note that the landlord is very supportive of Jews and Israel, and actually has a Jewish brother-in-law. The building, which is famous for hosting more than 2,000 people at what has been called the largest Passover Seder in the world, is located in one of the most expensive neighborhoods in Nepal, and the owners missed out on significant income by allowing Chabad to remain there, one source notes.

“Blaming this on antisemitism in Nepal is shameful,” says Rina Lamsal, a former Israeli who has run a travel agency in Nepal for 13 years. “This is the most accepting place in the world.”

Lifshitz says the institution’s extensive belongings have been put in storage, and that he is working hard to find a new hub by the end of February. “That’s when the next tourist season for Israelis starts,” he says.

While it's relieving to know the landlord's not a bad person, defeatism is still very appalling, and he shouldn't cancel the arrangements out of such cowardice. It's a shame that's apparently the case.

Western safety continues to be under threat

Actress Noa Tishby lit Hanuka candles with Carla Bruni, and the latter said

Talking about her Jewish heritage, Bruni noted that her name is Bruni Tedeschi, and the Tedeschi is the Jewish side of the family.

“On my passport, I still have Tedeschi. My grandfather on my father's side was [from the] Jewish-Italian community,” recalled Bruni, who said that her grandfather went to study in Germany between the First World War and the Second World War. It was during this time that he felt the rise of antisemitism and ended up converting to Christianity in order to completely erase his Jewish identity.

On what is happening vis-à-vis antisemitism today, Bruni said, “I really feel terrible. I thought it was over. I thought we learned something from the past, but obviously someone is sort of canceling the past. Also, the historical past. People don't know what happened anymore, as if we forgot what happened. All my friends that are Jewish don't feel safe anymore. People are changing their name when they're ordering Uber or when they're ordering a pizza. I would never think that this would happen, never, and they're basically all leaving France.”

Asked by Tishby what she thinks the Jewish community should do in times like this, Bruni replied that they should “resist” through education and talking.

Well they also have to start pushing back against Islamic indoctrination, and show the courage for doing so. And they also have to condemn magazine writers who take blame-the-victim positions, and that includes "kapos" who use their ethnic background as a shield for what they're doing.

USA state secretary Marco Rubio followed up on this news by warning that Europe is not just destroying their culture, they're also wearing security links with the USA:

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has warned that Europe risks destroying the “shared culture” of the West and in turn weaken bonds with the United States.

At a press briefing from the Department of State in Washington DC on Friday, Secretary of State Rubio doubled down on the assertions made in the White House’s National Security Strategy memo, which declared that Europe faces “civilizational erasure” if it continues globalist policies of mass migration and attacks on fundamental liberties such as freedom of speech.

The memo has riled feathers in Europe, with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz saying that many aspects of the document were “unacceptable to us from a European perspective”. Meanwhile, the unelected head of the European Commission — the executive arm of the EU — Ursula von der Leyen demanded that the United States not “interfere” in European democracy.

Responding to the pushback, Secretary Rubio said on Friday: “You go to these NATO meetings and you meet with people, what they will tell you our shared history, our shared legacy, our shared values, our shared priorities. That’s what they talk about as the reason for this alliance.

“Well, if you erase your shared history, your shared culture, your shared ideology, your shared priorities, your shared principles, then what – then you just have a straight-up defense agreement. That’s all you have.”

One that may not even exist any longer as a result of leading to a caliphate on European soil. Something vital to consider is that if an Islamic caliphate is established in Europe one day, it could lead to multiple times the danger Iran's nuclear development imposes, and still does. They can't go easy on Europe's governments, based on how they continue to drag the quality of life down with them for the sake of Islamofascism.

Update: see also this article and this one too on how Iran's tyrants are still not willing to surrender.

Update 2: a new poll's discovered that 1 in 3 Muslims in France want sharia applied globally.

To turn a new page in Israel-Armenian relations, both have to avoid being chummy with Islamic countries at all costs

Armenia's deputy foreign minister paid a visit to Israel this week:

Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Vahan Kostanyan arrived in Israel on Tuesday for a series of meetings aimed at exploring the possibility of turning a new page between the two nations.

Nevertheless, behind the diplomatic contacts lie deep disagreements and sensitivities that continue to shape the bilateral relationship.

Central to the agenda is the TRIPP project - a transport corridor concept originally promoted by Azerbaijan that has recently received public diplomatic support from President Donald Trump and several American political figures.

Jerusalem views this as an opportunity to examine regional cooperation alongside a measured rapprochement with Yerevan, which maintains close ties with Iran.

However, alongside the desire to advance joint projects, several key issues continue to cast a shadow over relations.

Antisemitism and the Azerbaijan factor

Reports of vandalism against the Jewish center and synagogue in Yerevan, including arson attempts and hate graffiti, have surfaced in recent years. According to sources in the local Jewish community, some of those involved described their actions as a protest against Israeli arms sales to Azerbaijan.

Concurrently, an Anti-Defamation League (ADL) poll found a high rate of antisemitic attitudes among adults in Armenia. However, local community representatives emphasize that Jewish religious life continues freely and that authorities do not pursue a hostile policy toward them.

For officials in Jerusalem, the disparity between official reassurances and the attacks on the ground remains a lingering concern. [...]

The Iranian connection

In the regional arena, Armenia’s ties with Iran remain a central factor in its relationship with Jerusalem. Due to its geographic isolation, Yerevan relies on Iran for trade and energy routes.

Among other things, a "gas-for-electricity" agreement has been in place for years and has been extended until 2030. Bilateral trade volume has reached approximately $700 million annually in recent years, with Armenia aiming to cross the $3 billion threshold.

Western publications, including mentions in OFAC-related documents, have pointed to possible Iranian use of Armenia for sanction-evasion logistics. Last year, opposition reports surfaced regarding a potential $500 million arms deal, alleging the provision of Iranian Shahed drones to Yerevan. While the Armenian government officially denied these claims, the sensitivity surrounding the Tehran connection continues to be a significant factor in the Israeli approach to Armenia.

Yes, this is very disturbing and serious, and Armenia's government is doing something very offensive by spending taxpayer money for buying anything from Iran. Yet even when it comes to Israel, they're doing something terribly wrong by providing any kind of weaponry to Azerbaijan. And if both sides really want to improve relations, diplomatic or otherwise, that's why they have to reevalute their connections with Islamist sources, period. There's only so much Israel could've done on its part years ago to minimize the damage, yet failed to do, and that's hurt relations with a country that could have some good allies available till this day.

Since this subject has come about, it should also be noted that propagandist Rachel Avraham, quite a whitewasher of Azerbaijan's Islamism already as it is, recently published another item supposedly concerned about the Muslim Brotherhood, and then she demolishes whatever impact she supposedly wants to convey with the following:

Numerous reports from intelligence agencies and parliamentarians indicate that the Muslim Brotherhood incites violence, encourages radicalization, and recruits young people to participate in conflicts in Africa and Asia (Nigeria, Pakistan, Bangladesh). The Muslim Brotherhood does not represent true Islam but supports extremist ideologies and networks. Prominent European experts and human rights defenders delivered inspiring speeches in front of the International Criminal Court, calling for a ban on the Muslim Brotherhood movement, which is showing its global threat to peace and security.

Well, talk about insulting people's intellects! I guess she's not a fan of Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer's research either, huh? And it won't be shocking if Avraham's not particularly concerned about NYC's new Muslim mayor either. What Avraham's written strongly suggests she's never read the koran, or she'd know what sort of horrific verses are published inside it. This is one of the leading reasons I cannot stand Avraham, who's done more harm than good to relations with Israel and Armenia as a result of her apologia not just for Azerbaijan, but also for the Religion of Peace. Why do any news sources keep hiring her?

Post-October 7, 2023, and Haredi soldiers are still refusing to attend military concerts with women

It's regrettable that 2 years after October 7, 2023, there's still ultra-Orthodox soldiers who're refusing to take part in concerts where women sing:

Soldiers of the 9th Battalion of the 401st Armored Brigade left a battalion event several times following a performance by a military band that included female singing. The event took place this week to mark the end of the battalion's operations in the Gaza Strip, after nearly two years of continuous fighting.

The ceremony was held in the presence of the soldiers and their families and included several musical pieces performed by a military band that included female singers. As a result, religiously observant soldiers repeatedly left the hall due to the Jewish precept that prohibits men from listening to women singing. The peak occurred at the end of the evening, when female singers were included even in the national anthem, which the soldiers left as well.

Many religious soldiers from numerous Yeshivas serve in the battalion.

In another case reported to Arutz Sheva - Israel National News, female soldiers were brought in to lead a dance activity with male soldiers in the Etzion region, many of whom are religious.

The organization Soldiers' Wives for the Sanctity of the Camp sharply criticized the events and their messaging. "There is no entity in the IDF that takes responsibility for the sanctity of the camp and laws of modesty, and the gender-neutral agenda distresses day after day the religious soldiers who give their lives. Minister Israel Katz and Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir must wake up. There is no way to draft haredim without respecting the lifestyle of religious soldiers in the only Jewish army in the world."

In response to Arutz Sheva - Israel National News, the IDF spokesperson said, "The IDF operates according to the orders of the Joint Service. The activities described did not include mandatory participation."

It's disgusting this is even still an issue in any way. Here they have a chance to show they can get used to it, and instead, they refuse to show any appreciation for the ladies who're singing in Israel's favor. That they weren't given a mandate to attend doesn't change the fact that their "customs" are reprehensible.

More about the troubling propaganda of a clothesmaker pushing modesty

About a week ago, I wrote about a clothesmaker named Sivan Ruham Moshe, who was disgustingly pushing modesty propaganda for women in fashion. Now, here's another puff piece from Ynet that's got similarly troubling propaganda in it. For example:

Before Katzin, model Eden Fines announced in 2021 that once a week she would dress more modestly “as a way to grow spiritually.” On other days, she continued posting provocative photos and opened an OnlyFans account. Another celebrity, model Nataly Dadon, began dressing modestly one day a week in 2022 and later expanded it to two. On a women’s tour she led in Brooklyn, she swapped her bikini for long skirts, long-sleeved shirts and, surprisingly, a wig – despite not being married and therefore not traditionally required to cover her hair.

“Today, a wig isn’t only a symbol of belonging, it’s a fashion item and even an empowerment item,” Dadon told Ynet. “Personally, I chose to pair it with moments of modesty. Twice a week, I dress modestly, not out of obligation but from inner connection. I love the nobility and calm in it. Where in the past I mostly revealed, today I find new beauty in simplicity and grace. Modesty isn’t a set of clothes but a state of mind.”

It's bad enough somebody sounds like she believes her natural hair's an abomination, which is definitely what she risks implying. Despite what she says, it is a set of clothes, and all based on moral panic hysteria. But here's where things become even more horrific:

A global trend with a local twist

Modest fashion is a global category, driven in part by Muslim influencers and luxury brands creating collections for Ramadan. In Israel, Jewish and Muslim women sometimes shop at the same modest boutiques. The upcoming Tel Aviv Fashion Week will feature, for the first time, ultra-Orthodox and religious designers presenting modest fashion collections.

Well, this is definitely telling too, when the writers and even the interviewees themselves indicate they see nothing wrong with the influence of the Religion of Peace. Which just further raises my suspictions this is, in a way, a stealth promotion for what the Religion of Peace would want, and how many people like this, religious or otherwise, could be favorable to Islam?

Still, modesty is not only about clothing but about control, argued Dr. Rachel Getz Salomon, head of the fashion design department at the University of Haifa. “In every war, modesty was recruited: every extra centimeter on a skirt meant another soldier would come home,” she said. “Fashion and modesty are almost oxymoronic. Religion despises fashion but also feeds on it.”

Salomon recalled seeing photos of her grandmother – the wife of a chief rabbi – wearing a mini dress with no head covering. “In recent decades, Israel has undergone a terrible radicalization,” she said. “The focus on modesty turns women’s bodies into a battleground.”

Yet within the strict boundaries, she sees an act of resistance: “Women check off the modesty box but still dress tight and shiny. They do what they want, while appearing to conform.”

Well I'm sorry, but this is still a very bad influence, because it risks legitimizing ideologies that reduce women to nothing more than sexual, imply women's bodies are an abomination, blame them for all the evils occuring in the world, imply they should be ashamed of their bodies, which is what many modern feminists have pushed, and that's offensive. And it only gets worse with the following:

Between parody and reverence

The modesty trend has also inspired parody. On the sketch show Mi Zot (Who Is She?) on public broadcaster Kan, actress Magi Azarzar plays “Alata,” a headscarf-wearing ultra-Orthodox influencer who mixes foul language with piety. Online creator Maor Maya produces parody videos under the character “Tut HaTzniut” (Berry of Modesty), which have even reached religious audiences.

“My mission is to bring queer representation to places it usually doesn’t go,” Maya said. “The women who make the original modesty videos are already a little parodic – they’re great performers with humor. My character adds a queer twist, but with respect.”

Forget it, this is telling too - so women dressing sexy is inherently wrong, but homosexuality is entirely okay? That's what this paragraph near the end strongly implies. All this does is make clear the puff piece is - what else? - left-wing propaganda, proving they were never truly favorable to skimpy dress after all. It's basically the same mindset that took place a decade ago in the USA, for example, and it's humiliatingly bad. The people pushing this should be looked upon in disgrace and shame. All they're doing is promoting more stealth propaganda that's hurtful to women.