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.

Larry David may have gotten something right

The entertainer who co-created Seinfeld had some interesting stuff to say about the Democratic Socialists of America and the harm they're leading to:

In The View From Here (paywalled), David takes some fairly light shots at the DSA. It’s been a long time since Larry David was edgy and he isn’t edgy here. (To be fair, it might sound better as a standup bit than as a written text.) Like a lot of Democrat comedy that punches left, it acts as if the left is just foolishly naive, or maybe its punch lines are just dressed up in that ‘clown nose on’ defense.

Take the satire that bites at the end of that last sentence. “When the D.S.A. takes over, it will be our policy to close the jails and release all prisoners… People will be encouraged to give them a pat on the back, offer some words of encouragement, and maybe even get them to open up about their crimes. Imagine how upsetting it must be to know you’ve taken a life!”

Or take this ticker that Larry David bought to his own cancelation. “The D.S.A. has great respect for religious traditions. Because of our burgeoning Muslim population, we want to take all measures to give these people a strong sense of belonging in America. Along those lines, we’ll require that all Caucasian women wear a hijab on weekends in solidarity with their Muslim sisters.”

That may be satire, but it does get at what the problem is with the DSA now. And it's not just caucasian women whom they want to make wear hijabs. It's also Black/Asian/Latina women. So the question now is, will any women wake up and recognize what's wrong with the DSA?

Communist terror training camp lurks near Limoges

After a culprit in the destruction of the Limoges city hall was arrested, it's said there's a terrorist training camp for communists near the township, proving Islamofascists aren't the only ones proving dangerous for Europe:

A known far-left extremist on the French government’s terror watchlist has been arrested after the destruction of Limoges City Hall, as claims mount of a communist “terror training camp” operating in the countryside near the besieged city.

Far from an accidental conflagration caused by a rogue spark, French authorities now say the burning of Limoges City Hall was a planned operation by political extremists and is now being investigated by specialist counter-terrorism prosecutors. A new main suspect was arrested in a dawn raid Tuesday morning by specialist counter-terrorism police in Val-d’Issoire, a village north-west of Limoges, with the suspect allegedly being a known left-wing extremist, reports Le Parisien.

Identified by local newspaper Le Populaire du Centre as 34-year-old Hodei Docampo Ciarra, the Paris-born suspect is said to have smashed windows in Limoges town hall to allow access to the building’s cellars for the alleged arson team. The report states Hodei is “a committed environmental activist” with a criminal record.

According to Le Parisien, he is a known “ultra-left activist” with an ‘S-file’, a flag against his name on the national police computer identifying individuals from all extremist and terrorist backgrounds whore are subject to surveillance as a serious threat to national security. [...]

Others have linked the attack to a known core of ultra-left activists living in the region. French newspaper of record Le Figaro cites remarks by the Mayor of Cannes, free-market liberal French Presidential candidate David Lisnard, who spoke of the existence of “terrorist training camps” on the Plateau de Millevaches, a rural wooded area southeast of Limoges. Described as a “communist stronghold”, it is said that a whole network of radical activists, including foreign activists linked to ‘black bloc’ Antifa, inhabits a series of villages in the area.

These people are “training in urban guerrilla warfare” and acquiring “heavy equipment and weapons for attacks against the police” to wage war in cities, Lisnard said, calling on the government to “dismantle and ban all these small groups”.

If Jean Luc Melenchon ascends to power after this horror connected with his dark movement, it'll be an utter tragedy.

Update: both France and Italy have deployed military forces to contain and prevent more disaster.

Judge in Timothy Busfield sexual abuse case dismissed charges because of supposed irresponsibility by prosecutors

It's very sad, but a travesty of justice occurred involving a man who turned out to be a monster in Hollywood:

A New Mexico judge has dismissed an indictment against “West Wing” and “Field of Dreams” actor Timothy Busfield that accused him of criminal sexual contact with a child, citing prosecutorial misconduct and errors that undermined the grand jury process.

State District Judge Joseph Montano granted a defense motion to toss the charges in a decision released Friday.

Well this is sad, but even in the post-Harvey Weinstein era, not shocking at all. According to this item:

State District Judge Joseph Montano dismissed the four-count indictment on October 16, 2026, finding that prosecutors failed to act fairly and impartially while presenting allegations involving a child actor on the Albuquerque set of The Cleaning Lady. The ruling leaves authorities free to seek a new indictment.

Eight witnesses had been waiting outside the courtroom, ready to testify, when grand jurors repeatedly asked to hear additional evidence. Rather than calling them, prosecutors imposed voting requirements the judge later found had no basis in state law.

If the prosecution acted improperly, that was wrong and definitely stupid, because now, even though the court of public opinion can ensure Busfield's career is over, that still doesn't mean he should be allowed to run around loose. The district attorney may try to refile the case, but their errors can still end up doing serious harm to the victims of Busfield in particular, and I can't understand why they had to make such awful mistakes. Time will tell if an attempt is made to correct this botch, and until then, Busfield, along with his disgraceful wife, Melissa Gilbert, should be ostracized.

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.

USA military's execution of Nidal Hasan won't be livestreamed

It appears that while the long-delayed execution of Muslim military murderer Nidal Hasan will go ahead, it won't be livestreamed as was originally planned (Hat tip: Patterico):

President Trump put an abrupt end on Thursday to questions about whether the Pentagon would really livestream the firing squad execution of the Fort Hood shooter, former Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan.

In a Truth Social post, he said the public execution could serve as a deterrent but didn’t want to subject “good and well-meaning” people to the sight. Critics have also warned about the video becoming a tool for terrorist propaganda.

I suppose there's a valid concern there, so perhaps it's for the best if it isn't public. So long as Hasan is punished for his evil deeds, that's what matters.

Far-left riots in France lead to destruction of ancient Limoges city hall, and Italy's Milan also sees similar incidents

Jean-Luc Melenchon's repulsive communist party's machinations have resulted in the destruction of the Limoges city hall:

Local prosecutors said that at least 15 people have been arrested in connection with the riots that broke out in Limoges and the arson which destroyed the city’s historic City Hall.

The supposed demonstration against the cost of living and education spending on Saturday evening saw the destruction of Limoges City Hall, an 1883 Neo-Renaissance building designed to pay homage to Paris’s Hôtel de Ville.

Designated as a historic monument in 1975, the 143-year-old building was largely destroyed in a fire allegedly set by rioters who entered the building. Dramatic images shared on social media show the building’s tower collapsing amid the conflagration.

According to Limoges prosecutor Emilie Abrantes, police have made “more than 15 arrests” in connection with the fire and the riots, which also saw six police cars burned and multiple businesses in the city centre looted.

The Limoges-based Le Populaire du Centre newspaper reported that, according to a City Hall source, “the rioters entered through a cellar door beneath the council chamber. They reportedly threatened to kill those inside.

When the rioters threaten murder, that speaks volumes. It makes no difference what their ethnic/religious/ideological background is, they cannot remain in the country, period, and exiling violence monsters is going to have to become a serious issue to be brought forth.

And now, of all times, Macron's government actually has what it takes to blame the far-left for this terrible incident:

The French government has accused the far-left of stoking the riots that engulfed the nation on Saturday, resulting in widespread clashes with police, looting of shops, as well as vandalism and arson of government buildings.

What began last month as a small protest over teacher shortages at a school in the Créteil suburb of Paris has become a full-on national revolt, with various leftist unions and other organisations also taking to the streets in cities across the country on Saturday, with an estimated 550,000 demonstrators.

At a press conference in Paris, Minister of the Interior Laurent Nuñez said that unlike other protests, where rioters wait until the end of the event to turn violent, the violence on Saturday “started right from the beginning”, Le Figaro reported.

Nuñez specifically blamed the “radical left” for stoking the riots, saying that “groups of several hundred or thousands of rioters, clearly instigated by the far left, attacked the police,” leaving at least 60 officers injured. He said that around 400 people, mostly adults, have been arrested. However, the minister noted that “the day isn’t over yet.”

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu also pointed to “ultra-left groups” being behind the demonstrations and having “organised violence in several French cities”.

“Peaceful demonstrations have their rightful place in our Republic. Arson, looting, and attacks have no place whatsoever,” he said. “To those who clearly want to use these acts of violence as a ‘warm-up’ before the presidential election, I say this plainly: we will not be intimidated. No one will impose their political agenda through violence.”

Well this sure is audacious of them, after Macron went and made a faustian pact with them just to keep the RN from getting a real majority in parliament a few years ago. Did he actually think this was going to literally change their ideological beliefs and make them take up civilized lifestyles? Sorry, but this is coming awfully late, and now the country's paying a heavy price for Macron's irresponsibilities.

Making matters worse, the riots have now spread even to Italy:

The European anarchy has set the stage for a particularly disturbing scene in Milan, Italy, as one of Christianity's most recognizable landmarks became the backdrop for violent unrest.

Flames rose from makeshift barricades, fireworks exploded, and thick smoke filled the square outside Milan Cathedral, the magnificent Gothic church that has stood at the heart of the city for centuries. [...]

The violence erupted during a left-wing demonstration that drew more than 5,000 people to Milan. What began as a protest over high prices, low wages, and deteriorating public services descended into clashes between police and groups of masked rioters, some of them clearly North African immigrants.

According to Italian news reports, rioters hurled stones, firecrackers, and makeshift explosives at officers while setting fire to rubbish, street furniture, and barricades. Police responded with tear gas, water cannons, and charges.

Windows were smashed, shops closed their shutters, and tourists fled the city center as police fought to regain control of the square. ANSA reported that police officers were injured and approximately 20 people received medical attention in the area.

The cathedral itself was not reported damaged. But the spectacle unfolding beneath its spires was extraordinary. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the violence.

"Demonstrating is a right. Setting our cities on fire is not," Meloni said in a statement reported by ANSA.

The location makes the images particularly jarring. Milan Cathedral, known as the Duomo di Milano, is one of Europe's great Christian monuments. Construction began in 1386, and its elaborate marble facade and towering spires have become inseparable from the city's identity.

So now it's clear Europe is being plunged into a war that was bound to happen sooner or later, and who knows if anybody in the USA's willing to help them now, after all the horrific university and school indoctrination that went unchecked and uncurbed for many years? I don't believe even the shoddy Federalist editor John Daniel Davidson's willing to go to war if that's what it takes to put an end to what the Religion of Peace is resulting in (and Sean Davis is no better). I mean, where were people like these when Betty Mahmoody was trying to save her daughter from being turned into a hostage of Islam in Iran 4 decades ago? Some people may not realize it, but some of the worst enablers of Islamofascism came from within the conservative movement and put the keys in the ignition for the left to spread further. Those "conservatives" who aren't willing to fight for freedom have no business even commenting on the issues, period.

Update: sadly but predictably, a synagogue was also the subject of looting.

It would be good news if this is so

According to this news, 46 percent of Muslims would consider leaving France if Marine Le Pen's elected president, and they're not the only ones:

Nearly half of all Muslims in France say they would think about going into exile if sovereigntist candidate Marine Le Pen is elected President next year, with a massive one in five followers of Islam saying they would definitely leave the country.

French news magazine Marianne has published the findings of large sample polling conducted for them by Ifop that suggests a large proportion of the country would simply refuse to keep living peacefully in France if their preferred candidates don’t prevail in the April 2027 Presidential Elections. Some 46 per cent of Muslims in the 9,600 respondent poll — a large sample for European polls — said they would consider “leaving France to settle in another country”. [...]

Muslims living in France are not the only group who told the pollster they’d consider going abroad. Almost as welling to sit out a Le Pen Presidency were supporters of hard-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon, who seems a credible candidate to make it to the Presidential run-offs against Le Pen, and whose party has been accused of stoking recent riots in France for their own political ends. According to Marianne, 43 per cent of Melenchon voters say they’d consider leaving France.

With his polling hovering around 17 per cent nationally, the results imply five and a half million leftists in France who would consider reacting to losing an election by moving abroad.

Wonder if the Melenchon commies would be interested in living in Muslim countries? Who knows, maybe they would, though some would surely move to Russia, for all we know, which has plenty of Muslims there already as it is.

This is certainly intriguing news, and for now, it remains to be seen how things will turn out.

Update: for now, what's terrible is the continuing riots, stoked by the "red-green alliance".