Sunday, January 10, 2021

A Happy Family. Much Commentary Regarding D.C Riot. Good News From Israel.



A happy family!
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I am in no way excusing Trump's post election behavior which, in many respects, was driven by emotion, disappointment and an unshakeable belief the election was stolen based on signed affidavits and evident  mis-behaviour etc.

That said, does any one in their right mind believe a speech , that did not specifically call for rioting but was then followed by rioting, is cause for impeachment? 

Is this the kind of rash precedence we want to establish simply because some radicals in the opposition party could not accept a president's previous victory, hated losing and hated the president from the very start.

If this is what partisan politics has come to, you can bet our society will become increasingly unstable and will ultimately fall apart/collapse.

What I learned last week is what I already knew:  Trump's persona was always questionable, liberals are basically hypocrites, the (m)ass media are biased and America has serious social and political  issues.

And:
More commentary over the outrage:

Enough With the Outrage

by John Hinderaker 


Like pretty much all conservatives, I have
consistently criticized riots and other forms of political violence for
many years. That includes yesterday’s Washington, D.C. riot.
You can’t say the same about liberals, however. Until yesterday, one
might have thought that liberals consider rioting and other forms of
political violence to be as American as apple pie.

You could write a book in support of that proposition, but for now
let’s cite just a few examples. Do you remember when President Trump was
inaugurated on January 20, 2017? Leftist Democrats rioted in Washington
that day. That riot was arguably worse, more violent and more
destructive, than what happened in D.C. yesterday. The liberal rioters
destroyed stores, set vehicles on fire and battled with the police. Six
police officers were wounded. Here is a video reminder:

I don’t recall a single Democratic office-holder denouncing the Democrats’ 
Inauguration Day riot, and the Associated Press came perilously close to 
praising the rioters.Over the ensuing four years, Antifa and Black Lives Matter rioted
countless times, bringing devastation to cities like Portland, Seattle,
Kenosha and Minneapolis. Did any Democrats denounce these riots? Not
that I remember. Many Democrats endorsed them, or seemed to do so.
Kamala Harris, for example, said about the riots in June:
They’re not going to stop. They’re not going to stop.
This is a movement, I’m telling you. They’re not gonna stop. And
everyone beware because they’re not gonna stop. They’re not gonna stop
before Election Day and they’re not going to stop after Election Day.
And everyone should take note of that. They’re not gonna let up and they
should not.
This was after 12 people had been killed in Democrat-sanctioned
rioting, and billions of dollars in destruction committed. Have any
Democrats denounced Black Lives Matter for its role in the riots? Not
one. Has any Democrat denounced Antifa? Not that I know of, and some,
like Keith Ellison, have specifically endorsed Antifa’s political
violence.

Democratic Party journalists have joined the party’s politicians in excusing riots. 
The New York Times, for example, published an admiring profile of Antifa. The 
Washington Post, likewise, has carried water for Antifa.

The litany could go on for a long time. Yesterday’s assault on the
Capitol was outrageous, but let’s not forget that last time
out-of-control demonstrators interrupted business at the Capitol,
shouted down senators and pounded on the doors of the Supreme Court, it
was Democrats objecting to the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the
Supreme Court.

And speaking of assaults on capitols, did any Democrats object when
leftists occupied the Wisconsin Capitol in Madison for four months,
destroying property, impeding public business and violently assaulting
conservatives? Not a peep.

Minnesota’s capitol has come under attack, too–or at least,
Republicans who tried to gather there. In March 2017, Antifa Democrats 
On March 4, Antifa members…flooded the Capitol building
to disrupt local Trump supporters who were gathering in conjunction with
the national March 4 Trump movement.

 Many Antifa members attempted to conceal their identity by covering

their faces with bandanas and goggles. [T]he rioters used mace, tasers,
smoke bombs, and firecrackers on members of the pro-Trump rally, and
punched others in the face.
One of those arrested and prosecuted for carrying out this criminal
violence was Linwood Kaine, son of Senator and Vice-presidential nominee
Tim Kaine. Yawn. Democrats couldn’t be bothered to criticize rioting by
their own supporters, let alone their own family members.

And let’s not forget James Hodgkinson, even though every reporter in
America apparently has. Hodgkinson was the Bernie Sanders campaign
volunteer who tried to assassinate the entire House Republican baseball
team and very nearly succeeded, inflicting grievous and permanent
injuries on Congressman Steve Scalise. Hodgkinson was not the usual
20-something loner, he was a middle-aged union official who was not
insane, but just full of hate. His Facebook page was festooned with
over-the-top attacks on Republicans, taken directly from speeches by
Bernie Sanders and every other prominent Democrat.

Sanders issued a one or two line statement distancing himself from
his volunteer’s would-be murder spree. But neither Sanders nor any other
Democrat wondered whether Hodgkinson’s attack was related to their own
crazed conspiracy theories (Russia hoax, etc.) and other lies that they
routinely direct against Republicans.

This could go on and on, but the point is obvious: Democratic Party
politicians and reporters have no standing to complain about political
violence (let alone mostly peaceful protests) until they get their own
house in order.

Today we are awash in ritual denunciations of President Trump, based
on yesterday’s riot. Democratic House members have introduced new
articles of impeachment, which I assume charge him with responsibility
for the disorder. Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi have urged Mike Pence
to invoke the 25th Amendment, alleging that President Trump is disabled
or incompetent so as to remove him from office.

These initiatives are ridiculous on their face. Trump will be out of
office in a matter of days, long before any such “remedies” could be
implemented, even if they were even remotely warranted. What is going on, 
obviously, is not an attack on Trump, but on his legacy.

The Democrats–aided and abetted by some Republicans, unfortunately–are
trying to discredit the president so thoroughly that not just his
personality, or unjustifiable acts like his apparent encouragement of
those who “wouldn’t stand for” the Democrats’ widespread voter fraud are
denounced, but, far more important, his many accomplishments in office.
Trump was, despite his flaws, a very good president. He has
impressive achievements to his name, almost all of which the Democrats
want to reverse, to the great prejudice of the American people. This is
what Chuck Schumer et al. are trying to achieve–a comprehensive
repudiation of Trump’s positive legacy.

Tax cuts? Discredited! An America-First foreign policy? Discredited!
Enforcing the immigration laws, which is the president’s constitutional
duty? Discredited! Stopping the China sellout? Discredited! Standing up
to Russia? Discredited! Supporting the Israelis? Discredited! Cutting
back on unproductive federal regulations? Discredited! Encouraging U.S.
energy production and independence? Discredited! Objecting to political
correctness and cancel culture? Discredited! Standing up for America as a
positive force in world history? Discredited!

It is blindingly obvious that in the last days of the Trump
administration, the Democrats are laying the groundwork for a
comprehensive repudiation of the considerable achievements of the last
four years, tying them all to Trump’s sometimes-unfortunate personality,
and in particular to yesterday’s riot, which was small beer compared
with countless riots that the Democrats have either cheered on or
indulgently tolerated.

What is important for conservatives is not to defend Donald Trump’s
personality, still less the events of the last 24 hours, but rather to
defend, aggressively, the solid achievements of an administration that
surmounted four years of hysterical and dishonest obstructionism by the
Democrats. It is unfortunate that some Republicans, joining in the
Democrats’ hyena troop, do not seem to understand this. 

And: 

More commentary:

 

Wednesday afternoon, angry, unarmed, mostly peaceful protesters stormed the Capitol. They caused hundreds of dollars in damages to "The People's House," the taxpayer-funded building where elected lawmakers work.

 

They took pictures seated at Nancy Pelosi's desk. They shoved furniture out of place. They pushed their way past unprepared and overwhelmed law enforcement. They shattered a window or two.

 

If not for police shooting and killing an unarmed, female 14-year Air Force veteran, the protest staged by Trump supporters would have more in common with a 1950s fraternity panty raid than political riot.

 

Here, I guess, I should apologize for not joining the rest of the media in feigning outrage and calling for the trespassers to be tried for treason. But I'm neither outraged nor feeling vengeful because of their act of civil disobedience.

 

I understand it. It was an inevitable repercussion from 2020 and what we've all witnessed the last decade. It was Sir Isaac Newton's third law come to life.

 

"For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction."

For four years now, the billionaire and millionaire elites who control academia, the mainstream media, politics, popular culture, and the sports world have framed Trump supporters as racist deplorables worthy of elimination from society.

 

These same elites spent the past decade elevating Michael Brown, George Floyd, Jacob Blake, Rayshard Brooks, Eric Garner, and other resisting criminal suspects to icon status while simultaneously raising bail money for protesters willing to riot, loot, burn, and vandalize in the name of racial justice.

 

This blatant hypocrisy will not go unchallenged. You cannot ignore the desires, concerns and feelings of 74 million citizens. You cannot write them off as Nazis and answer all their complaints with allegations of racism or sexism. That's fascism.

 

At this point, the Deplorables should be commended for their restraint. Antifa and Black Lives Matter search, burn, and destroy well into the wee hours. The Deplorables returned to their hotel rooms by nightfall and watched our lawmakers return to work inside the Capitol by 8 p.m.

The critics say President Trump provoked Wednesday's political "violence." His refusal to concede a corrupt election baited his followers to overrun the Capitol with flags, put Ashli Babbitt in harm's way, and do enough property damage to delay the Electoral College confirmation three or four hours.

 

Fine. Guilty as charged.

 

But our president for the next two weeks was not Lee Harvey Oswald, a lone provocateur. He had plenty of collaborators. They work on all the major and cable news and sports networks. They play in the NFL and NBA. They represent both political parties, hold high positions in Hollywood, at Netflix, Google, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The people wagging their fingers the hardest at Trump and the Deplorables sanctioned, financed, and promoted political violence throughout all of 2020 and for much of the past decade.

 

Ashli Babbitt's blood is on the hands of Jack Dorsey and Mark Zuckerberg as much as, if not more than, on President Trump's. That's why Dorsey and Zuckerberg rushed to silence Trump on their respective platforms, Twitter and Facebook.

 

Political tension and violence are fomented, planned, and monetized on Silicon Valley's social media platforms. Wednesday's "violence" hit the wrong target. The Capitol is where global elites exchange cash for influence and privilege. It's where $150,000-a-year politicians become multimillionaires building cozy relationships with Big Tech lobbyists and American corporations looking to curry favor with China.

 

The Capitol is sacred ground for elites. The way you might revere a church edifice is the way millionaires and billionaires revere the Capitol.

The NBA multimillionaires said they played with "heavy hearts"

 

Wednesday night after seeing the Capitol desecrated. They made twisted, illogical analogies between nonviolent civil disobedience and the rioting, looting, and violence that occurred in Minneapolis, Atlanta, Kenosha, and across this country all summer.

 

"It reminds me of what Dr. Martin Luther King has said, that there's two split different Americas," Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown told reporters. "In one America, you get killed by sleeping in your car, selling cigarettes or playing in your backyard. And then in another America, you get to storm the Capitol and no tear gas, no massive arrests, none of that."

 

Brown is right. There are two different American realities. There's the false reality world created by and for elites and their groupies. In this world, progressive elites feign concern for poor black people by championing the cause of a tiny handful of black resisting criminal suspects harmed by white police officers tasked with subduing them. The elites have no interest in the thousands of black men and boys killed annually due to random gang, street, and drug violence. Those black lives do not matter. Progressive elites live inside a social media matrix where they call the Crips and the Bloods to protect them from the police.

 

The rest of America lives in an alternate universe driven, at least partially, by reality, facts, and common sense. We don't see the norms of Western Civilization as the root of all evil. We have no interest in disrupting the nuclear family. We don't think the storming of the Capitol is analogous to the months of looting, arson, shooting, rioting, and anarchy we watched throughout 2020.

 

Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers, a man I greatly respect, lives in a different reality than I do. His interpretation of Wednesday's chaos baffles me.

 

"No police dogs turned on people, no billy clubs hitting people. People peacefully being escorted out of the Capitol," Rivers told reporters Wednesday. "So it shows you can peacefully disperse a crowd. It basically proves a point about a privileged life in a lot of ways. I will say it, because I don't think a lot of people want to: Can you imagine [Wednesday], if those were all black people storming the Capitol, and what would have happened? That, to me, is a picture worth a thousand words for all of us to see, and probably something for us to reckon with again."

 

What is he talking about? We've watched buildings burned to the ground this summer. We've seen "protesters" prowling the streets of Atlanta with semi-automatic weapons. We've seen protesters berate and spit on police officers. David Dorn, a 77-year-old, black retired cop, was assassinated. Parts of Portland have been under attack from Antifa and Black Lives Matter for months.

 

There have been no dogs, no billy clubs.

 

We don't have to imagine how law enforcement would react to black, lawless protesters. It has aired on CNN, MSNBC, and FOX News all summer. The police have been remarkably restrained.

 

The media, athletes, and celebrities have treated black protesters as heroes. Politicians have taken knees and worn kente cloth to show allegiance with black protesters. Every national sportscaster and head coach has gone along with the facade that police pose a greater threat to black men than black men. We're inundated with television commercials promoting Black Lives Matter. The NFL has celebrated criminals involved in drive-by shootings. A laundry list of media personalities have taken turns rationalizing every violent, lawless action taken by Antifa or Black Lives Matter. No one cares that George Floyd stuck a gun in a pregnant black woman's belly or that Jacob Blake sexually assaulted a black woman. The New York Times commissioned a group of black female reporters to rewrite American history to fit the narrative of the critical race theory taught at our academic institutions.

 

The concerns propagandized by the ministers of black victimhood are a high priority in American society. Sinners are excommunicated from their employment. There is so much money, fame, and adulation from joining the Church of Black Victimization that white people such as Shaun King and Rachel Dolezal have disavowed their natural heritage to identify as black.

 

A Trump supporter? He or she is an American pariah. A racist. A coon. An idiot. A sellout. Someone to be silenced or ignored.

 

Trump supporters will not go away quietly or peacefully. It's their country, too. Their concerns are legitimate. The lawmakers they chased to the basement of the Capitol sold out the American working-class man and woman.

 

They sold out my mom and dad and the way of life that allowed me to rise from poverty to a life of comfort and privilege. My dad was a small businessman in Indianapolis who owned a tavern that catered to hourly, union factory workers. My mother was a factory worker in Indianapolis and Kansas City.

 

The black people I grew up with, the ones who frequented the Masterpiece Lounge and went on bowling trips with my mom, were not global citizens. They were hardworking high school graduates who wanted their kids to move up the economic and social ladder.

 

They had a lot in common with Trump supporters. We can't see that common ground now because the mainstream media and social media have us so irrationally polarized that we think skin color explains everything.

 

Skin color does not explain the Trump phenomenon, the passion of his followers. Trumpism is rooted in a rejection of the elitism, idolatry, and secularism pervasive in modern American culture.

 

In September 1620 — four hundred years ago — 102 passengers boarded the Mayflower, fleeing southern England and the elitist society constructed there. They were the original Trumpers, the dregs of European society in search of freedom of religion and expression.

 

Trumpism is the cry of American citizens uninterested in adopting the cultures and customs of France, China, Italy, Cuba, Venezuela, Canada, or any of the other places global elites romanticize. Trumpism is the cry of the working class who believe the Big Tech billionaires are building an America that cuts them out of the American Dream. Trumpism is the cry of Americans who value authenticity over the fraudulence of political correctness.

 

The price of ignoring their cries will be war, a civil war.


And finally:

Understanding the Rage 

by Gil Gutknecht

 In the aftermath of the riots in the spring of 1992, the Los Angeles Times ran a five-part series under the banner, Understanding the Riots. The acquittal of policemen accused in the beating death of Rodney King sparked one of the worst riots in American history. When order was finally restored 63 people were dead. Part three in that series was subtitled Witness to Rage, an attempt to rationalize the rioting.

Don’t expect anything like that following the recent events at the U.S. Capitol. 

Even though no buildings burned and the most shocking confrontation resulted in the fatal shooting of an unarmed female protester, there will be no attempt to understand the anger that led her to attempt to force her way into the Capitol. We also should not expect any serious investigation of the possible infiltration by professional Antifa agitators.

This is not to excuse some of the behavior that occurred or to accuse the hopelessly corrupt media of their glaring double standard. Anyone reading this column already knows the media is corrupt and that there is a difference between a peaceful protest and riotously storming the Bastille. 

What happened was scary. Especially for the protected class inside the beltway. Republicans aren’t supposed to behave like that. We pick up our trash; we don’t talk it. We respect police officers and support the rule of law. It was like a flock of sheep baring its teeth, confronting and turning on the dogs. 

Could it be that even sheep will become aggressive if they are pushed far enough?

The elites have no idea how angry millions of Americans are. We are not as stupid as they think. The smug media has its narrative about us and the election, and they are sticking to it. We should ignore our lying eyes, just shut up and accept their version of the facts. Anyone who questions them will be demeaned and silenced. 

So the anger grows. It festers below the surface. Finally, like a volcano, the rage explodes. 

Speaker Pelosi can’t help herself. She pours gasoline on the fire, threatening to impeach President Trump in his last week in office. Foolishly thinking that when Trump is gone, we will forget the insults, the abuse and simply go away. That we will abandon support for the policies that were working so well. They think they can go back to playing footsie with the Communist Chinese, open our borders to unlimited illegals and abandon any pretense of fiscal responsibility. That we will accept her turning MAGA into a four-letter word that should never again be used in polite company. 

Dream on sweet pea. 

In reality, she and the entire establishment are scared spitless. It’s all bluster. They fear Trump. They’re terrified by the 75 million who voted for him. Their act is wearing thin. In their hearts, they know or suspect that Trump actually won. They can only pretend that we are going away. In reality, an angry army will be camped just over the ridge watching their every move. The swamp is now surrounded. Worse, they know that in many respects Trump now represents a much greater political threat with the ability to launch salvos from outside the beltway. 

Not since Abraham Lincoln was smuggled into Washington has anyone assumed the presidency of a more divided and angry nation than Joe Biden. He brings with him a satchel full of scandals and an agenda of mumbled promises. His pledge to be the great healer rings hollow. His recent dishonest comments concerning Trump’s advocacy of violence at the Capitol only proves the point. In reality, he will be the president, not of the United States, but of a handful of corrupt counties. Even many of his supporters see him as weak. 

Adding to the Democrat fears will be the razor-thin majorities they will have in both chambers. Failure to move aggressively will alienate their socialist base. Quickly reversing course on the America First agenda will doom chances for an extended economic recovery. Moving any legislation will be difficult. Moving too far to the left will be suicidal. 

The anger millions feel will not subside until there is a full accounting. Since that appears unlikely, remember that righteous, directed anger is far more effective than submissive acceptance of smug authoritarianism. 

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Hypocrisy, thou name is Pelosi:

Nancy Pelosi Claimed In 2005 That Challenging Electors Was OK!

By now, nobody needs any more evidence that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is a hypocrite, but it’s still always fun to see, right?

Video footage recently resurfaced from 2005 when a Younger Nancy Pelosi, then the House Minority Leader, said that the process of objecting to presidential electors from Ohio was simply “democracy at work.”

The release of the footage coincided with the news that roughly 100 Republican members of the House of Representatives and a dozen members of the Senate said that they would object to the Electoral College vote, on the grounds that the election appears to have been compromised by fraud and misconduct.

Pelosi and her Democratic Congressional colleagues have strongly opposed the idea that the election was compromised, dismissing shocking evidence of fraud. Democrats ignored CCTV footage showing ballot counters continuing to count votes, taken from a hidden box underneath a table cloth, after telling poll watchers and members of the press to go home.

Thousands of sworn affidavits from Republicans and Democrats were also ignored by the Democrats as they insisted that objecting to the Electoral College vote was unconstitutional.

But that’s not what Nancy Pelosi said back in 2005.

“Today we are witnessing democracy at work,” Pelosi can be heard saying in the video. “This debate is fundamental to our democracy,” she added.

Pelosi explained how she wished to use the ability to object to the results to highlight what she called “real problems” in the electoral system.

Which is exactly what Ted Cruz said when he announced that he and around a dozen other Senators would be objecting on January 6.

“The members of Congress who have brought this challenge are speaking up for their aggrieved constituents, many of whom may have been disenfranchised in this process,” Pelosi said. “This is their only opportunity to have this debate while the country is listening and it is appropriate to do so. If there were other venues of this caliber, we would have taken that opportunity.”

Heads up…Nancy Pelosi’s Twitter account is @SpeakerPelosi.

+++

It would be a shame if people reminded her of her hypocrisy, wouldn’t it?

And:
More from this meddlesome  hypocrite:

A Coup of Pelosi’s Own

The House Speaker publicizes her nuclear option to protect the world from Trump.

By The Editorial Board

We scoured the U.S. Constitution Friday afternoon and it’s definitely not there: the provision allowing the Speaker of the House of Representatives to intervene in the military chain of command to protect the world from President Trump.


Mrs. Pelosi told her Democratic colleagues that she spoke Friday morning to Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, “to discuss available precautions for preventing an unstable president from initiating military hostilities or accessing the launch codes and ordering a nuclear strike.” She posted the “Dear colleague” letter on her website to make sure the world got the message. A spokesman for Gen. Milley told reporters the chairman “answered her questions.”


The press and left-wing Twitter (we repeat ourselves) love the idea of the Speaker inserting herself into the chain of command as a rebuke to an erratic President. But it’s an abuse of her own power, which is limited to leading the legislative branch unless both the President and Vice President are incapacitated or removed from office. In that case she is third in line for the Presidency.


But in the meantime she has no business telling the Joint Chiefs not to follow the President’s orders. Gen. Milley hardly needs the lecture, as he has been dealing with Mr. Trump for 15 months and isn’t about to indulge an unlawful order, much less an effort to launch nuclear weapons.


Mrs. Pelosi’s call to Gen. Milley is itself a violation of the separation of powers by seeking to inject herself into an executive-branch military decision. She can offer advice all she wants, but this call at this time has the sound of an order. It might even be construed by some as its own little coup—conniving with the military to relieve of command the person who remains the elected President.


What if an adversary leaps on the news and decides this is the moment to stage some military action when the U.S. is consumed with internal conflict? Does Gen. Milley now have to consult with the Speaker before he acts in America’s defense? How anyone thinks her intervention would restore good constitutional order to government or some modicum of sanity to politics is a mystery.

Mr. Trump failed his constitutional test on Wednesday. But Mrs. Pelosi showed awful judgment with her grandstanding over the nuclear launch codes. Late Friday she announced that she’s also revving up the impeachment machinery. So much for calming political tempers. 

+++

Sent to me by a dear friend and fellow memo reader. He poses some pertinent questions and suggests hypocrisy is capable of boomeranging:


Congratulations President Elect Biden and soon to be President Biden!  With that said, I’m going to need some help from my Democratic Liberal friends:

1. Can I borrow the #NotMyPresident hashtag or is that reserved for President Trump?
2.  Who do I contact to see if Republicans are boycotting the Inauguration, like the Democrats did for President Trump?
3. Do I have to accept the election results, or can I cry for four years, claiming election interference?
4. Am I entitled to see Biden’s tax returns to learn how his income jumped dramatically in one year (I mean, we all know how and why. Just show the proof.)?
5. Am I allowed to trash anything that Biden says, without repercussion, because I’m just expressing myself?
6. Is there a sign-up somewhere for riots, do organizers call me, or how does that work, since I didn’t get my way?
7. Are businesses targeted because they supported Biden, or do I just pick a business that has something I want to take home?
8. Were the thousands of businesses that boarded up for fear of riots, for Conservatives or Liberals? If they were for Conservatives, did I miss the riots already???
9. Where are the safe spaces at? Is there a map or something? I may need to go cry for a little while (because of how stupid our country has become).
10. Does all the free stuff your party has promised, just come or do I have to quit my job first?
11. What is the address you guys have been sending all that extra tax money to, since you think people aren’t paying enough in taxes? I’m sure you have been voluntarily sending in more than required...
12. When my 401K crashes, will the President Elect make up for that in give-a-ways, or am I just screwed?

13. Since Socialism is what you just voted in, if my neighbor has something I want, do I just take it or do I have to let him know I’m taking it (Personally, I have had my eye on the brand NEW Mercedes SUV, a couple of doors down ... Biden sign in yard.).
14. When gas gets unaffordable, is there an EBT card for that?
15. I have seen the gatherings of Conservatives protesting the election results, but something is wrong, nothing is getting destroyed. Did you guys go to a class for that, or could you provide some pointers on how to do it right, please?
16. The Conservative gatherings were dubbed super spreader events, yet the protests and now election gatherings by Liberals, are not. Did you guys secretly come out with the vaccine?
17. Funny how the CDC has come up with a vaccine, soon after you were pronounced the President Elect. Can you, all your family, and colleagues take it first, to ensure it works?
18. So, now you are the President Elect and soon to be President Biden, Is every death now on you, or is it President Trump's responsibility, just at your convenience?
19.  During Biden's State of the Union Address, is Nancy going to tear up the speech on national television, or does she only do that with President Trump?

I’m sorry for all the questions, this is all new to me. I want to make sure I get it right!

+++

At least good new from Israel continues: (edited)


Best regards Michael
 

In the 10th Jan 21 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include: 
  ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
 
More vaccines arrive. The first 120,000 doses of the 6 million coronavirus vaccines ordered from Moderna have arrived in Israel. These are to be primarily used to vaccinate homebound citizens. Over 1.5 million Israelis have now received their first vaccination and millions more Pfizer vaccines are arriving this coming week.
https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/120000-moderna-coronavirus-vaccinations-land-at-ben-gurion-654610
https://worldisraelnews.com/moderna-vaccine-warmly-welcomed-to-israels-shores/
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/294287
 
Race for the vaccine. Technion UK hosted a webinar featuring Professor Yotam Bar-Or of Israel’s Technion, who explained everything you need to know about the vaccines to protect against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19. He also gave many excellent answers at the end, to great questions raised by attendees.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wn83-1RFjvs
 
Why Israel is a Covid-19 vaccination leader. The reasons for Israel’s high vaccination rate include universal healthcare, loyalty to health funds, focus on prevention, experience with emergencies and flu vaccines, secure access to patient medical records, hi-tech systems, publicity about vaccine availability and a willing public.
https://www.jpost.com/health-science/nine-reasons-why-israel-leads-the-world-in-vaccine-distribution-654160
 
 
Safe removal of blood clots. Israel’s Ceretrieve has designed and developed CathTrap, a unique catheter for neuro-thrombectomy - the fast and safe removal of blood clots from the brain that are the common cause of strokes. The CathTrap device has an expandable soft tip that enlarges its diameter to encompass the whole clot.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3886030,00.html  https://www.ceretrieve.com/
 
Minimally invasive lung biopsies. Analysis of suspicious lesions in the lungs used to involve surgery. But the new bronchoscopic navigation system at Haifa’s Rambam Medical Center, now enables Israeli doctors to take biopsies even from the more distant peripheral regions of the lungs - all without having to make an incision.
https://www.rambam.org.il/en/rambam_news/lung_navigation.aspx
 
Robot-guided knee surgery. (TY UWI) Surgeons at Israel’s Galilee Medical Center successfully replaced the knee joints of two Israeli women. They used robots to adapt the implants to the precise anatomical structure of the patients. In addition, the surgeons were able to simulate the surgery in advance and in real time.
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/doctors-at-galilee-hospital-perform-first-surgery-by-robot-in-north-654302
 
Radiology scans can save European lives. Israel’s IMedis (reported here previously) has received European CE approval for its AI-based quality control system for radiology departments. The IMedis system can identify anomalies that may be missed by the radiologist in an initial reading, that may otherwise lead to cancer.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3885413,00.html
 
Spray-on skin rolls out to Europe. The breakthrough SpinCare wound protection system from Israel’s Nanomedic (reported here previously) is now being used in hospitals in the UK, Germany and Switzerland. The news was reported in the normally anti-Israel UK Guardian.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-spray-on-skin-tech-has-burns-in-europe-india-covered-report/
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/04/spider-man-style-medical-gun-spins-out-skin-substitute-for-burns   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJlSm9sjM64   https://nanomedic.com/
 
Prize for human tissue printer. Israel’s Matricelf has won Calcalist’s StartUp+ competition for its platform that enables 3D printing of tissues and organs. Matricelf developed the technology that Tel Aviv University scientists used to 3D print the first heart produced from human tissue (as reported here previously).
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3884750,00.html
 
Fifteen uses for Hyperbaric Oxygen.  There are three HBOT (Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy) centers in Israel. Citizens can get treatment for 15 conditions including decompression sickness, wound healing, and strokes. But it can potentially also treat PTSD, cerebral palsy, complex pain, fibromyalgia, cognitive decline and even aging.  
https://www.israel21c.org/from-aging-to-chronic-wounds-can-hyperbaric-oxygen-cure-everything/  
https://www.shamir.org/en/unique-pages-default-aspx/the-sagol-center-for-hyperbaric-medicine-and-research/ministryofhealthapprovedtreatments/
 
 
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL

 
Vaccine for Arabs & Jews in remote areas. Leumit, one of Israel’s four healthcare organizations, has dispatched mobile units to boost the inoculation program for citizens in remote communities. They vaccinated several hundred at Ofakim in the south and at the Arab town of Baqa al-Gharbiyye in the northern Sharon.
https://unitedwithisrael.org/israel-vaccinates-jews-and-arabs-in-remote-communities-with-mobile-units/
 
Druze chief of Israeli education programs. Muhana Fares from Israel’s Druze community has been Head of the Bureau for National Programs at Israel’s Ministry of Education since 2014. His task is to double the number of students studying the top level of math and now he also manages Science and Technology Administration.
https://socialimpactil.com/muhana-fares/
 
Israeli-Arab startups graduate. Israel’s Hybrid Accelerator (reported here previously) was set-up by IDF veterans to help budding Israeli-Arab entrepreneurs develop their startups and their products. Its latest graduates include Petwork (ecosystem for pets), GemSight (jewelry & watches try on) and Flare (videogame streaming).
https://www.timesofisrael.com/pets-jewelry-streamers-meet-the-arab-israeli-grads-of-the-hybrid-accelerator/
https://www.petworkeco.com/   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PX2TEXCs8Z4  https://www.gemsight.io/
 
Record number of Israel-Arabs join IDF. 1,000+ Israeli Arabs volunteered to serve in the IDF as conscripts or reservists in 2020, twice that in 2019. Most joined after the coronavirus crisis began in March. They include Muslims from Jerusalem and PA controlled areas, Galilee Bedouin and Christian Arabs from northern Israel.
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/rJVoNmyCP
 
First female head of Intelligence. In another first for Israeli women, deputy commander of the IDF's 9900th Unit, Lt. Col. R., has been appointed head of the Military Intelligence unit monitoring Iran, becoming the first woman to hold the position.
https://www.israelhayom.com/2021/01/03/in-first-female-officer-to-head-intelligence-efforts-against-iran/
 
Protecting UK buses from Covid-19. Israel’s Aura Smart Air (reported here previously) is being widely used to protect UK buses, including the transport of key workers to their places of employment. The system kills the virus and replaces the air on the bus five times an hour. Sensors also monitor air quality and can alert the driver.
https://unitedwithisrael.org/israeli-tech-defends-buses-in-uk-against-covid-19/
https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/business/social-enterprise-fareham-office-adjutor-champions-air-filtration-system-aura-air-covid-19-fight-3003298  https://www.aurasmartair.co.uk/transport.html#/
https://www.busandcoachbuyer.com/alfa-travel-deploys-aura-air-after-successful-trial/
 
Israel delivers 2nd Iron Dome system to US. Israel has delivered a second Iron Dome defense system to the United States. The first was delivered in September (see here previously). Both were delivered on time. Defense Minister Benny Gantz said the system would help defend American soldiers against ballistic and air threats.
https://www.israelhayom.com/2021/01/03/israel-delivers-2nd-iron-dome-battery-to-us/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-ships-2nd-of-two-iron-dome-batteries-to-us-hopes-to-sell-more/
 
Computers for Indian children. (TY Hazel) The consulate-general of Israel to South India, in Bengaluru, donated tablet computers to 100 underprivileged children in rural Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The tablets included educational software to help children study at home during the pandemic.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/bengaluru-israeli-consulate-hands-out-tablets-to-pupils/articleshow/80107454.cms
 
 
Good stuff happened in 2020. Besides everything reported in this newsletter, this article lists some highlights from last year. The relevant Israeli ones are: - new Middle East peace agreements, fast vaccine development, telemedicine (remote treatment), computers for underprivileged children and progress with solar energy plans.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3884972,00.html
 
Sudan signs Abraham Accords. The office of Sudan’s prime minister has confirmed that Justice Minister Nasredeen Abdulbari signed the “Abraham Accords” with visiting U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.
https://worldisraelnews.com/historical-leap-sudan-officially-joins-abraham-accords-with-us-signing/
 
 
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
 
Garbage to electricity. Jerusalem municipality has authorized the building of a new facility for the sorting and processing of garbage. Located in the Mishor Adumim area between Jerusalem and the Dead Sea, it will convert waste residues into energy, for generating electricity.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/294020
 
The next Israeli mission to the Moon. Israel’s SpaceIL has published a video describing its plan to land two spacecraft on the surface of the Moon in 2024. The mothership will orbit the Moon for more than two years while students, scientists and engineers globally will be able to communicate with it and perform experiments.
https://www.spaceil.com/home-page  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Apgk9bYKV0  (the new mission)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JMoZJYLBO0&t (background to the original mission)
 
AI to help athletes with nutrition. Israel’s Newt has developed an Artificial Intelligent platform which tracks a user’s daily habits to keep their diet in check. Newt initially focused on helping amateur athletes achieve their personalized nutrition goals, but anyone can apply its clinical and behavioral elements to their day-to-day life.
https://jewishbusinessnews.com/2021/01/02/israels-startup-newt-uses-ai-to-help-athletes-with-nutrition/
https://www.newtfit.com/  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdmIKLf2zyU
 
Educating children about AI. Israel’s Edgify has authored a book to teach children (and many adults) about Artificial Intelligence. “Edgify - A New School of Thinking in AI Training" follows Goldie the fish as she and her friends try to cross the ocean to a coral paradise by shared learning. See also video about Edgify in Retail.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3885397,00.html  https://www.edgify.ai/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SABOXrZd5I
 
Developing the car of the future. The Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance Innovation Lab in Tel Aviv aims is to advance state-of-the-art mobility. Its 30 projects with Israeli startups focus on vision sensors, cybersecurity, data, and AI. Israel is one only three Alliance innovation hubs. The others are in the USA and China.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3885253,00.html
 
Face recognition for e-scooters. E-scooter provider Bird is to implement face recognition technology from Israel’s AU10TIX. It will help deny access to underage riders and prevent fraud on its platform. An 8-second ID scan upon initial registration confirms the identity of the user. Subsequent rental requests are then checked.
https://www.au10tix.com/news/bird-levels-up-micromobility-id-verification-with-au10tix-to-prevent-underage-riding/  https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3885911,00.html
 
Recycling used facemasks. Most of the 52 billion disposable facemasks produced in 2020 will eventually be thrown away. Israel’s UBQ Materials (reported here previously) now includes Personal Protection Equipment in its recycling process without adversely affecting the reusable thermoplastic material produced.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/cleantech-startup-ubq-converts-used-face-masks-into-ecofriendly-material/
 
 
Five Hebrew U alumni in top 10 of their field. Stanford University’s world rankings (see last week) included five previous Hebrew University of Jerusalem Professors in the world top 10 of AI, nanotechnology, sociology / anthropology and chemistry. Steve Weiner (now at Weizmann) is No. 1 in the field of historical sciences.
https://www.israelhayom.com/2021/01/05/5-hebrew-u-alumni-listed-top-10-in-their-fields/
 
 
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
 
Government fund for early-stage startups. The Israel Innovation Authority has set up a new NIS 80 million fund to encourage investments in early-stage companies. Grants will be given to startups that team up with veteran investors. The aim is to help seed-stage startups developing tech solutions in high-risk fields.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-earmarks-nis-80-million-to-help-early-stage-startups-take-first-steps/
 
New record for foreign currency reserves. The Bank of Israel has used the strengthening of the Shekel to purchase more foreign currency.  The reserves leaped by over $6 billion in the last month of 2020 to a new record of more than $173 billion.
https://www.boi.org.il/en/NewsAndPublications/PressReleases/Pages/7-1-21.aspx
 
Surge in available tech jobs. The Secret Tel Aviv Job Board, a popular platform used by Anglos and Israelis in Tel Aviv, primarily in the tech sector, has seen a bounce-back to pre-pandemic demand levels, despite Israel entering its fourth lockdown. The board now has over 2,300 jobs available - more than ever before.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3886370,00.html
 
Upgrading Greek air force. Israel’s Elbit has won a $1.68 billion contract to build a training center for the Greek air force, in the largest defense deal ever between the two countries. It includes a flight training school, planes, simulators and Israeli trainers.  The historic contract’s 20-year duration signifies long-term cooperation.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3885837,00.html  
 
Investing in lifesaving. The Israeli incubator InNegev is dedicated to fostering Israeli innovation in the Negev. It has just made its first major investment in Israel’s SightBit (reported here previously). Sightbit uses AI and computer vision technology to detect and prevent swimmers from drowning off Israeli beaches.
https://unitedwithisrael.org/watch-israeli-incubator-invests-in-startup-saving-lives-on-beaches/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssqggCWm5EM
 
Helping startups make contacts. Israel’s Lusha helps small, medium and large businesses establish a fast and trusted connection with their leads, contacts, and candidates. Lusha is used daily by over 250,000 sales representatives, recruitment managers, and marketers. Clients including Google, Amazon, and Apple.
https://jewishbusinessnews.com/2021/01/04/israels-lusha-is-a-b2b-startup-helping-companies-grow/
https://www.lusha.com/   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFU76QkVQYc
 
Bringing cultured meat to Japan. Israel’s Aleph Farms (reported here previously) is partnering with Mitsubishi Corporation’s Food Industry Group to bring cultivated (slaughter-free) meat to the Japanese table. It will help reduce Japan’s reliance on imported food, and to reach its goal of zero greenhouse gas emissions.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-startup-aleph-farms-mitsubishi-team-up-to-bring-cultured-steak-to-japan/
 
Transport for elderly Japanese. Japanese insurance giant Sompo and Israeli ridesharing company Via have launched NORAZA - a new app that enables elderly Japanese to share rides, paying with virtual local currency. Japan is trying to reduce car accidents involving the elderly and to reduce traffic congestion.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3886390,00.html
 
Buy and sell without cash. Israel’s Shareitt has developed a social trading platform that facilitates the buying and selling of second-hand goods in exchange for Shareitt coins. The platform will trade books, toys, and sports goods, among others. Shareitt has around 10,000 active users who have sold more than 61,000 items.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3885433,00.html   https://www.shareitt.com/  (Hebrew)

 
 
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT`
 
Brewing beer at ancient beer-making site. (TY WIN & I24 News) Beer was made on the Golan Heights over 6,000 years ago. Bazelet brewery has started up the industry again using the high-quality water of the region.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQpv9j1xdUg
 
Beautifying underserved communities. The Hebrew Wallpaper Project (HWP) is an initiative of The Israel Innovation Fund, to beautify underprivileged areas around Israel. Young artists will be painting large public wall murals in places with limited access to public art, to inspire, uplift and dignify the next generation.
https://tiif.org/projects/   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbkiZknDuMY
 
Israeli model on cover of UAE magazine. Israeli model Yael Shelbia (reported here previously) is the first Israeli to appear on the cover of a magazine published in the United Arab Emirates. The Sabbath-observant, IDF soldier will appear in February’s issue of Dubai-based fashion and lifestyle magazine L’Official Arabia.
https://worldisraelnews.com/israeli-model-yael-shelbia-hopes-to-extend-peace-in-the-middle-east-after-her-uae-magazine-cover-shoot/  
 
Israeli NBA star’s birthday gift. Israel’s Deni Avdija scored 11 points to help his team Washington Wizards win their first NBA win of the season. Deni also celebrated his 20th birthday on Sunday.
https://unitedwithisrael.org/israeli-wizard-gets-big-birthday-present-first-nba-victory/
 
 
THE JEWISH STATE
 
The happiest cities. (TY UWI) A recent survey conducted by Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics illustrates the adage that “money can’t buy happiness.” Even though residents of central Israel are more affluent and had a higher standard of living, those in the periphery reported much lower levels of loneliness and depression.
https://www.israelhayom.com/2020/12/30/central-israel-might-be-wealthier-but-periphery-residents-are-happier/
 
 
Israel cares for Muslim Covid-19 patients. Rabbi Mike Schultz is spiritual care chief at Haifa’s Rambam Medical Center. With so many Israeli Muslim Arab coronavirus patients, he and his team of 19 Jews, Muslims and Christians helps them with non-health issues, including hopes, dreams, family, community and religion.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-haifa-coronavirus-ward-a-us-trained-rabbi-helps-muslims-keep-the-faith/
 
Another benefit of vaccination – positiveness. (TY EEJH) This article highlights the relief felt by many of the 1.2 million Israelis that have been recently inoculated against Covid-19 with the Pfizer vaccine. They are now looking forward to their second doses after 3 weeks.  https://www.jpost.com/health-science/coronavirus-vaccines-in-israel-a-big-hit-a-year-of-emotion-in-one-vial-653920
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