MLK/RIP. Insurrection Rally? Do It Already! 100th Day. Eliminate Sinwar. Biden's Failures. Memri. More.

Talk about political weaponization:

Today we celebrate the life of MLK. I still believe Hoover and the FBI were involved in assisting his murderer.  He had his faults but was a great leader and one of the greatest orator's in the history of our nation.

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You Could Say the Massive Pro-Terrorist Rally in DC Devolved Into an Insurrection

By Matt Vespa

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 So do it ALREADY!

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THE CASE FOR IMPEACHING MAYORKAS  By Rep. Buddy Carter

The House Homeland Security Committee (HSC) officially launched impeachment hearings examining the failure of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. This is a serious step that cannot, and should not, be taken lightly. In fact, the only cabinet official to ever be impeached was Secretary of War William Belknap in 1876, so we are in mostly unchartered waters right now. While I don’t serve on the HSC, I will have the opportunity to vote on this issue should it come to the House floor. That’s why today, I wanted to break down why I believe Mayorkas’ conduct warrants an impeachment. For nearly a year, HSC has conducted a methodical, in-depth, five-phased investigation into the causes, costs, and consequences of the unprecedented crisis at America’s borders. The results have been nothing short of shocking and deeply concerning. Since President Biden took office, there have been 8 million illegal crossings nationwide and more than 6.7 million encounters. The amount of illicit fentanyl flooding into our nation is even worse. There is enough fentanyl in this country to kill every single American several times over. It’s infesting our communities and poisoning our children, who don’t know what they’re taking until it’s too late. Border security is national security, and our southern border is in shambles. For three years, Mayorkas has refused to enforce the laws passed by Congress, abused his authority as secretary, and misled Congress and the American people. Additionally, he has released millions of illegal immigrants into our communities in a flagrant abuse of immigration laws passed by Congress. Finally, his policies have pulled thousands of Border Patrol agents off the frontline mission of securing the border. The criminal cartels have taken advantage of this, smuggling record numbers of illegal aliens and deadly drugs across while agents are overwhelmed or distracted. Ultimately, it’s American families that pay the price for these reckless and irresponsible policies. Unfortunately, the more we learn about the crisis at our southern border, the more it becomes clear that this is no accident, it’s deliberate. Speaker Johnson identified 64 actions taken under this President that undermined our border security, which I encourage you to read here. For these reasons, I believe Congress is well within our rights, abilities, and responsibilities to impeach Mayorkas. Congress has a responsibility to hold executive branch officials accountable when they fail to uphold their oath of office, abuse their authority, and/or are dishonest with the American people. Secretary Mayorkas’ actions and decisions, which have led to the loss of innocent lives and weakened national security, clearly meet the standard necessary for initiating impeachment proceedings. If Congress fails to hold Secretary Mayorkas accountable for his actions, we will be just as guilty. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Israel’s 100th Day of War   By Sherwin Pomerantz   As Israel marked 100 days of war with Hamas, the Prime Minister spoke to the nation on Saturday night emphasizing the point the war will not end until Israel’s objectives are met.  There has been no change in the goals Israel set after the October 7th massacre by Hamas.     In further elaboration of Israel’s plans, the Prime Minister stated military action will be authorized at the southern end of the Gaza strip in order to establish Israeli control over the Rafah Crossing into Egypt.  Israel’s objectives are to make sure no contraband comes through to Gaza from the Egyptian side.  Egypt has raised some concerns about this idea as it may be in conflict with the peace agreement signed with Israel which specifies how many troops each country can have on their shared borders.   On the northern border with Lebanon, four suspected terrorists crossed into Israel on Saturday night and were neutralized by IDF forces.  While rocket fire has all but dried up from Gaza (just two rockets on Saturday and none so far today) tit for tat exchanges of rockets and artillery continues in the north with damage to some evacuee’s homes in the border-hugging the  town of Shtula.   In recorded phone calls with IDF officers, residents of Gaza railed against Hamas and its leadership. The recordings were published by the IDF on Sunday.  The conversations took place between residents of the besieged Strip and officers of Unit 504 in the Intelligence Division.  “Tell your leaders: Hamas people are abroad, outside of Palestine, screw them outside of Palestine, kill them,” one Gazan said. “I am telling you in the name of our nation. I am sitting alone, and I'm screwed. Everything's destroyed. They're all abroad, sitting around in hotels. F**k them. Curse their fathers. Sitting around in hotel rooms. “   The dialogue continued…..“Listen, listen to what the people around me are saying, may Allah protect us from you, Hamas,” the Gazan said. “Allah will curse them, Allah will curse them and those who voted for them…They destroyed us, pushed us 100 years into the past. May Allah bring disaster upon them. Our people are their hostages. Those dogs are taking advantage of their power over us.”   The Israeli medical community, usually reluctant to consider such scenarios, has recently prepared for the appalling possibility of several female hostages who were raped in captivity and subsequently became pregnant. According to sources who spoke with Maariv, there have been comprehensive discussions in hospitals across the country about preparing for the return of Israeli hostages who have been sexually assaulted by Hamas terrorists and are currently at different stages of pregnancy.  Israeli law permits abortions, granting women the autonomy to decide their course of action. However, the state is now faced with the daunting task of addressing the enduring trauma that will affect the victims and their families for a lifetime.   Sunday represents the 100th day since the Hamas massacre, and among the 136 hostages still held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip are women who are shrouded in a heavy cloud of concern, a topic not discussed enough. Reports from October 7 indicate  the terrorists committed heinous acts of rape, and testimonies from some of the returned hostages suggest the women endured sexual harassment, possibly including rape, while in captivity.  These disturbing assessments have prompted gynecologists to hold internal discussions in recent weeks about the dreadful possibility that captives were raped and have been pregnant for several weeks.   Seeking Future Leadership   Karen Tal, the CEO of Amal, a secular educational network whose mission is to serve Israelis of all religions, is another professional whose talents in rebuilding Israel’s post-war educational system can be put to good use.   For the record, about 40% of Amal’s 81 high schools and colleges are located in Arab or Druze communities. In all, over 30,000 students and 2,500 teachers are part of Amal schools.   Tal, 59, who immigrated to Israel from Morocco as a young child grew up in Jerusalem. She believes : “Right now, this question of coexistence is so relevant to each one of us.”  Tal’s background and experience puts her in a unique position to deal with the monumental challenge of helping Israeli children of all ethnic backgrounds heal from the national trauma of war.   More than a decade ago, Tal gained international renown for transforming the Bialik-Rogozin School in impoverished south Tel Aviv into one of Israel’s most successful educational models.  Tal took over as principal in 2005, she combined the elementary and high schools into one entity, transformed the school into a model of coexistence, and reversed its academic decline.    In 2011, Tal won Israel’s National Education Prize for her achievements, HBO made a film about the school called: "Strangers No More,” which won an Oscar for best short documentary.  She then was awarded the $100,000 Charles Bronfman Prize given to a Jewish humanitarian under age 50 whose work is grounded in Jewish values but benefits humanity universally.  She used the prize money to create a nonprofit called Tovanot B’Hinuch (Educational Insights) and spent the next decade implementing her educational model — which employs long school days, volunteer private tutors and extracurricular courses — in at least 40 other schools in Israel.    “I have three goals: for our students to develop self-confidence, then develop and identify with the village or community in which they live, and finally to develop an Israeli identity,” Tal says. “My basic premise is we are not going anywhere, and the Palestinians are not going anywhere. We must live together. But this is about defining what we can and cannot do. And we should both agree that terrorism is outside the rules of the game Sounds like she would make a great Minister of Education.  Israel has neglected the the obligation of an outstanding  Education Secretary. We cannot allow the loss of life, safety, and rule of law to continue. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ https://www.wsj.com/articles/give-yahya-sinwar-the-eichmann-treatment-public-trial-bring-atrocities-to-light-e12cc74f?mod=opinion_feat2_commentary_pos1 Give Yahya Sinwar the Eichmann Treatment A public trial of Hamas’s leader would educate the world about its atrocities. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Biden continues to be a disaster. His handling of foreign affairs threatens Israel as well. +++ Joe Biden’s handling of the Middle East crisis is just downright dangerous By Michael Goodwin With new signs each day pointing toward a broader war in the Middle East, it’s important to recall the string of events that got us here.  It began Oct. 7 with the Hamas terrorist invasion of Israel, leading it to respond with aerial and ground attacks in Gaza. Almost immediately, Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon began firing rockets to force Israel to divert troops and weapons to its northern border.  The next round of attacks — more than 100 — came from groups in Iraq and Syria and were aimed at American military bases. More recently, the Houthis in Yemen began striking cargo ships in the Red Sea.  If you think something big is brewing, it’s not your imagination. But the seemingly random developments are confusing unless you connect the dots and see the big picture.  Then everything is crystal clear — all roads lead to Iran.  Quick, somebody tell President Biden.  The commander in chief either hasn’t connected the dots or is refusing to see the links to Iran. How else to explain his determination to focus on the symptoms and ignore the cause of a potential global conflict?  Coalition of the Hesitant  All the terror groups are Tehran’s proxies, and the sequential activation of them is coordinated by the mullahs. They aim to destroy Israel, and are making moves to see how far they can go before the United States stops them.  Or, more accurately, whether this president will stop them.  The first part of the White House answer came Thursday and Friday when the American-led Coalition of the Very Hesitant belatedly delivered on weeks of threats to the Houthis. The repeated assaults on cargo ships in the Red Sea were playing havoc with global trading routes, so the White House, Great Britain and others took out a few launching sites and a radar station in Yemen.  The response made noise and got attention, but was not designed to achieve a military objective. The too-limited assault came gift-wrapped with assurances the US is not looking for a wider war.  On Saturday, Biden told reporters a message was delivered “privately” to Iran, though it wasn’t clear whether the private message is different from the public one.  It better be because the public plea for restraint will likely embolden the well-armed Houthis, according to regional analysts.  As one told USA Today, the impact of the response is “peanuts in the wider context of Houthi weapon and military capabilities — especially their maritime weapons. They are savvier, more prepared, and more equipped than anyone is really acknowledging.”  More important, it’s a near-certainty that Iran welcomes the attack on its Yemen pawns as an excuse to ramp up its regional mayhem.  Unless Biden responds in ways that actually deter Iran, he will be forced deeper into a hole of his own making. Unfortunately for Israel and our allies everywhere, his go-to reaction is dominated by an instinct for appeasement.  That instinct was on full display during his chaotic bug-out of Afghanistan, proving he was willing to pay a steep price to end American involvement. Our troops and allies, especially Israel, have been paying a price of their own ever since.  His dithering, deep aversion to risk also hampered support for Ukraine, with a stalemate increasingly likely to be the final result of Russia’s invasion.  On Iran, the president continues to embrace the misguided kid-gloves treatment that started during the Obama-Biden administration. His lifting of oil and trading sanctions and payment of $6 billion for the return of hostages were aimed at wooing the mullahs back into another flawed nuclear agreement.  Funding both sides  As they did the first time, when Obama was president, they again took the concessions and used the new wealth to finance and arm their terror proxies.  Because we also help Israel financially, the US is funding both sides of the conflict. How’s that for stupid?  Biden compounded those mistakes by lifting the Trump-era designation of the Houthis as a terrorist organization.  His reluctance to act like the leader of the free world is off the charts now that he’s running for re-election in a party where major elements are turning against the Jewish state. In addition to the Democrats’ antisemitic caucus led by Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar, the young and woke who demand that Israel get out of Gaza didn’t like Biden to begin with, and his support for Israel has further alienated them.  He reads the polls, which is why he has mixed his basic support for Israel with growing criticism over civilian casualties in Gaza.  Worse, his repeated demand that Israel accept a Palestinian state after the war is undercutting the war effort and serves only to reward the terrorists. The message is that aggression pays.  As such, Biden’s reaction reveals he doesn’t realize or care what animates Iran and its proxies.  The Islamists’ conflict with Israel isn’t about borders or whether Palestinians get a state of their own. It’s Jew hatred and the goal is the elimination of Israel.  That’s what Hamas is proving, and it doesn’t care how many Palestinian civilians die as long as the mad cause survives. Its leaders say publicly that they aim to repeat the horrors of Oct. 7 as often as possible.  That means Biden’s efforts at placating Iran, the Arab “street” and his domestic critics are not just doomed to fail. They are also directly contributing to the risk of a larger war, one where America gets sucked in by Biden’s refusal to be clear and consistent about enforcing his red lines.  Sway of the world  His mixed messages about Israel illustrate another problem, too. Namely, how quickly he caves into pressure from The New York Times and other leftist media.  Although his initial response to the Hamas invasion was to show total support for Israel, he started going wobbly even before the ground invasion response began.  When the Times and other anti-Israel media called the aerial bombardment too harsh and joined growing calls for a cease-fire, Biden started hedging his bets. When he didn’t express concern about Gazan civilians himself, press aides were quick to announce he had scolded Israeli leaders in private conversations.  Secretary of State Tony Blinken, instead of demanding the Red Cross visit Israeli hostages and that United Nations relief workers in Gaza stop fronting for Hamas, kept the pressure on Israel by attending its war Cabinet meetings. There he urged military restraint and insisted Israel admit more civilian aid trucks — many of which were openly hijacked by Hamas.  Yet even now, as growing numbers of Israeli soldiers die, there are no reliable reports of Gazan civilian casualties. That hasn’t stopped the media from repeating numbers distributed by the Gazan Health Ministry, which is controlled by Hamas.  Its supposed death statistics never distinguish between civilians and terrorists, yet the Times and others repeat them as if they are trustworthy.  Regrettably, the gullible gang includes a weak and unsteady American president. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ https://www.wsj.com/articles/when-terrorists-talk-they-listen-oct-7-attack-israel-memri-arabic-translation-3af6e0f3?mod=opinion_lead_pos5 When Terrorists Talk, They Listen Memri, the Middle East Media Research, Institute fights Hamas by telling the world what its leaders are saying. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The Orwellian Assault on the Past Continues   By Roger Kimball Commentary   “Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.”   That line from George Orwell’s “Nineteen Eighty-Four” might serve as a sort of motto for the woke apparatchiks who run our lives today.   Perhaps it's because they have, as one wag put it, mistaken Orwell’s stern admonition about the dangers of totalitarianism for a how-to manual.   In any event, the present’s attack on the past by those holding the reins of power continues apace.   And the goal, just as in Orwell’s novel, is to revamp the future by redefining the past.   John Calhoun was an apologist for slavery, so the college named for him at Yale must be renamed.   Never mind that he was valedictorian at Yale, a member of the House of Representatives, a senator, Secretary of War, Secretary of State, and vice president.   Never mind, too, that he was one of the most powerful minds and greatest orators of his day.   He had beliefs that the beautiful, pampered people of today find objectionable.   So he had to go.   It was the same with the great mining magnate Cecil Rhodes.   He made a stupendous fortune in what's now South Africa, endowed Oriel College, Oxford, with part of his fortune, and established the Rhodes scholarship program.   He too was insufficiently enlightened, so a campaign to besmirch his memory and remove all traces of his presence from Oriel College has been underway for years.   From 1924 to 2021, a large equestrian statue of Robert E. Lee stood in a place of honor in Charlottesville, Virginia.   In the wake of the Black Lives Matter riots, the statue was removed. Last fall, in a sort of pyromaniacal ritual, it was cut apart with a blow torch and then melted down.   Last month, President Joe Biden had the 109-year-old Reconciliation Monument removed from Arlington National Cemetery.   Just a few days ago, the Biden administration announced that it was removing a statue of William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania, from a park that had been his home.   That spot will undergo a “rehabilitation” and, in place of Penn, the administration will place a statute of an American Indian in order, to provide a more “inclusive ... interpretation of the Native American history of Philadelphia.”   The attack on the past is proceeding apace.   Its goal is to efface the contributions of white Europeans, especially white male Europeans, to the formation of Western civilization.   Over the past several years, we have seen a rising tide of assaults on statues and other works of art representing our nation’s history by those who are eager to squeeze that complex story into a box defined by the evolving rules of political correctness.   A vocal minority, claiming victim status, demands the destruction, removal, or concealment of some object of which they disapprove.   Usually, the official response is instant capitulation.   It's worth noting that the monument controversy signifies something much larger than the attacks on the Old South.   Indeed, the attack involves not just artworks or commemorative objects.   Rather, it encompasses the resources of the past writ large.   It's an attack on the past for failing to live up to our contemporary notions of virtue.   In the background is the conviction that we, blessed members of the most enlightened cohort ever to grace the earth with its presence, occupy a moral plane superior to all who came before us.   Was this forwarded to you? Sign-up for an all access digital subscription, or register for a free account. Consequently, the defacement of murals of Christopher Columbus—and statues of later historical figures such as Teddy Roosevelt—is perfectly virtuous and above criticism since human beings in the past were by definition so much less enlightened than we.   The psychopathology behind these occurrences is a subject unto itself.   What has happened in our culture and educational institutions that so many students jump from their feelings of being offended—and how delicate they are, how quick to take offense!—to self-righteous demands to repudiate the thing that offends them?   The more expensive education becomes, the more it seems to lead, not to broader understanding, but to narrower horizons.   The iconoclasm that accompanies this existential narrowing takes different forms.   The disgusting attacks on the past and other religious cultures carried out by the Taliban, for example, are quite different from the toppling of statues of Saddam Hussein by liberated Iraqis after the Gulf War.   Different again was the action of America’s own Sons of Liberty in 1776, who toppled a statue of the hated George III and melted down its lead to make 40,000 musket balls.   It's easy to sympathize with that pragmatic response to what the Declaration of Independence called “a long train of abuses and usurpations.”   It's worth noting, however, that George Washington censured even this action for “having much the appearance of a riot and a want of discipline.”   While such attacks on the past depend upon a reservoir of iconoclastic feeling, they represent not the blunt expression of power or destructiveness but rather the rancorous, self-despising triumph of political correctness.   The exhibition of wounded virtue, of what we now call “virtue-signaling,” is key.   Of course, impermissible attitudes and images are never in short supply once the itch to stamp out history gets going.   At Charlottesville it was a statue of Robert E. Lee.   But why stop there?   Why not erase the entire history of the Confederacy?   There are apparently some 1,500 monuments and memorials to the Confederacy in public spaces across the United States.   According to one study, a majority of them were “commissioned by white women, in hope of preserving a positive vision of antebellum life.”   A noble aspiration, inasmuch as the country had recently fought a civil war that devastated the South and left more than 700,000 Americans dead.   These memorials were part of an effort to knit the broken country back together.   As at Arlington, our leaders have set about obliterating them in earnest.   What they want isn't reconciliation but capitulation.   Thomas Jefferson and George Washington and James Madison have all been queued up for “rehabilitation” if not ostracism.   After all, they all owned slaves, as did 41 of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence.   As I say, many of our politically correct culture warriors seem to regard “Nineteen Eighty-Four” as a how-to manual.   Orwell saw clearly where it ends.   “Every record has been destroyed or falsified,” Orwell wrote, “every book has been rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street and building has been renamed, every date has been altered. And that process is continuing day by day and minute by minute. History has stopped.” +++++++++++++++++++++++ Tiny but Tops! - Israel's Positive Newsletter to 14th Jan 24 By MICHAEL ORDMAN This week’s newsletter has been sent via Substack as my MailChimp service has suspended my account for some unknown reason. I hope to have my account re-enabled. Meanwhile, my apologies for this poorly formatted replacement. Please recommend www.verygoodnewsisrael.blogspot.com and forward this email to friends, family and colleagues and especially to any individuals who you think need to know about the good work that Israel does. In the 14th Jan 24 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include: ·       The saying, “an army marches on its stomach”, is true. ·       The IDF retrieves “lost” property in Gaza. ·       Two more award-winning Israeli medical devices. ·       Israel’s Walter Bingham is 100 – the world’s oldest working journalist. ·       Israeli volunteers are helping survivors of Japan’s recent earthquake. ·       Another Israeli no-cow milk gets US approval. ·       Israel’s economy is strong, even in a war. ·       Woman born in Jerusalem hospital has first baby of 2024 in same hospital. ·       Please click here, to donate (a small or large amount) to help me publicize VeryGoodNewsIsrael.   If someone wishes to be added to the free email subscription list, they should either click here or send a request (with their name) to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com POSITIVE NEWS DURING A WAR US charity provides $7 million in supplies. (TY UWI) US non-profit Operation Israel has provided more than $7 million worth of supplies, medical equipment, and protective gear to IDF soldiers since Oct 7. 10,000 soldiers with a total of more than 50,000 items, including ceramic vests, ballistic goggles, and tactical gear. https://www.jns.org/3pm-us-based-volunteers-helping-to-equip-idf-fighters/   https://www.operationisrael.org/ https://www.livenowfox.com/video/1382593   https://www.operationisrael.org/donate Free food for troops. (TY Yanky) Anyone in uniform can get a free pizza at Jerusalem’s La Piedra - the only Israeli pizzeria in the World’s Top 50 Pizza Guide. Also, free food (monthly) at Muffin Boutique; Friday buffet to lone soldiers at Piccolino; at Aroma Beit Kama soldiers eat free; and Hamal Hamatok (the sweet war room). https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-779932 Italian Jewish leader cooks for the IDF. (TY UWI & I24 News) Italian Jewish leader Riccardo Pacifici, the Vice President of the European Jewish Association, cooked for soldiers in Israel's southern city of Sderot. He cooked pasta, sauces, and other foods to lift the spirits and hearts above the conflict. Special delivery. At the IDF’s Emergency Logistics warehouse in Ramla, young soldiers of the “Special In Uniform” program join regular recruits to pack food and clothing, and prepare equipment to be delivered to IDF units across Israel. Their enthusiasm, diligence, and resilience contribute to a unique, positive atmosphere. https://www.jns.org/soldiers-with-disabilities-contribute-to-israels-war-effort/ Operation Suitcase. (TY Yanky) Several members of UK’s Sussex Jewish Representative Council have just completed Operation Suitcase. They visited Israel with 13 suitcases, ten with supplies for the army units they visited, two with chocolate for children, and one filled with black wool for knitting woolly hats for soldiers. https://www.thejc.com/community/sussex-group-extends-solidarity-to-israel-i0o3tekv Kibbutz closed but the factory is open. Kibbutz Sasa near the Lebanese border has been evacuated to protect residents from Hezbollah attacks. But employees of the Plasan armor factory inside the Kibbutz are working around the clock producing body armor plates for bulletproof vests and bolt-on armor kits for military vehicles. https://www.timesofisrael.com/shield-of-israel-at-evacuated-kibbutz-sasa-an-armor-factory-toils-to-protect-troops/ Green energy kept cellular networks running. The Oct 7 fighting crashed the Gaza border electricity grid and disrupted mobile communications. But networks supported by Israel’s Phinergy (see here previously) based on innovative “green” aluminum-air technology, kept going, providing essential connectivity. https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-phinergy-backup-prevented-collapse-of-cellular-networks-on-october-7-1001461554 Wounded soldier is treated at father’s hospital. Dr. Roni Eichel, head of neurology at Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem, was relieved when one of his IDF soldier sons woke up in SZMC’s intensive care unit. A bullet / shrapnel penetrated his ceramic vest but stopped short of the thorax and any permanent disability. https://www.jns.org/a-wounded-soldier-ended-up-being-treated-at-his-fathers-hospital/ Book of Psalms found in Gaza. IDF soldiers have found a Book of Psalms dated 1986 in the home of a Hamas terrorist in Jabalia, Gaza. It contains a personal dedication to an Israeli Shmuel Goldring. The sender has been identified but at the time of writing, the recipient has not. https://www.jns.org/israeli-soldiers-find-hebrew-book-of-psalms-in-gaza-home/ IDF soldier finds reporter’s house sign in Gaza. 19 years after Amiel Yarchi was evacuated from his home in Netzarim during the 2005 disengagement from the Gaza Strip, IDF soldiers in Gaza retrieved the name plaque that was on his house. Amiel reported the find on the Kipa News site that he works for. See the photos. https://www.jns.org/19-years-on-idf-soldier-finds-gush-katif-evacuees-house-sign-in-gaza/ ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS A new way to treat Sleeping Sickness. Scientists at Israel’s Bar-Ilan University have been able to destroy the genetic code of the trypanosome parasite that the tsetse fly infects with, to cause trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness). It opens the way for development of RNA-based therapies to prevent transmission of the disease. https://www.israel21c.org/scientists-discover-new-way-to-tackle-sleeping-sickness/ https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-43263-6 Battlefield medic simulation training.  IDF medics have been receiving training using computer-controlled, anatomically correct, mannequins to learn key lifesaving procedures for use on the front lines. The Israel Center for Medical Simulation (MSR) based at Sheba Medical Center also trains civilian and overseas medics. https://www.timesofisrael.com/high-tech-medical-simulation-training-arrived-just-in-time-for-idf-medics/ Medicare pays for ReWalk exoskeleton. Medicare Administrative Contractor Noridian Healthcare Solutions has paid the first ever claim by an eligible Medicare patient for a personal exoskeleton from Israel’s ReWalk. ReWalk is now an authorized medically necessary device when prescribed for a patient with spinal cord injury.   https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2024/01/05/2804599/32993/en/First-ReWalk-Personal-Exoskeleton-Claim-Paid-by-Medicare.html Award for pressure sores detection. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s IR-MED (see here previously) has been awarded the “Most Innovative Non-Invasive Diagnostics Technology Developer 2023 – Israel” by UK-based Corporate Vision Magazine for the company’s PressureSafe device and technology platform.  https://www.ir-medical.com/about-us/#Awards  https://www.corporatevision-news.com/winners/ir-med/ PTSD device is Best Startup. Israel’s GrayMatters (see here previously) was named the Prix Galien USA Best Startup 2023 winner. Its technology uses an EEG headset device to read biomarker activity in the amygdala. AI software, including an Avatar, relaxes the part of the brain which is overactive in people suffering from PTSD. https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-israeli-startup-graymatters-treats-ptsd-with-avatars-1001463926 EMT volunteer saves her own niece., United Hatzalah volunteer Adele had just left her mother’s Rehovot home when she was alerted that her niece was choking back at her mother’s apartment. She quickly returned and used Heimlich thrusts, plus back slaps to clear trapped food from her niece’s mouth. https://israelrescue.org/stories/a-family-emergency-emt-saves-her-own-niece-from-choking/ The effect of missing genes. Williams syndrome is caused by 25 missing genes. Tel Aviv researchers have discovered the function of one of the deleted genes - Gtf2i. Its absence impairs the production and regulation of mitochondrial organelles in the brain’s neurons. Impacts include dental, cardiovascular, and visual problems, https://www.jpost.com/health-and-wellness/article-781703 ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL Happy birthday Walter. Walter Bingham, the world's oldest working journalist, has just celebrated his 100th birthday in Jerusalem. He escaped Nazi Germany in 1939 via Kindertransport, joined the British Army, and made Aliyah in 2003. He still hosts a weekly news program on Israel News Talk Radio. https://www.jns.org/kindertransport-survivor-celebrates-100th-birthday-in-jerusalem/   https://israelnewstalkradio.com/category/walter-bingham/ 20 Israeli heroines. KKL-JNF has inaugurated the “Path of Heroines,” planting trees at the entrance of Ofakim Park in honor of 20 Israeli women who put their lives at risk to save others on Oct 7. Of the terrorists, Ofakim mayor Danino said, “Wherever they sought to bring death, we will create the foundation for a better life”. https://www.jns.org/jnf-honors-20-israeli-women-for-their-bravery-on-oct-7/ Filipino carers help Israeli farmers. Many thousands of elderly Israelis employ carers from the Philippines. Nearly all have a rest day on the Jewish Shabbat, but many now volunteer to spend their free Saturday working for those short-staffed Israeli farmers missing reservists in the IDF and foreign workers who have gone home. https://www.israel21c.org/filipino-caregivers-spend-saturdays-aiding-israeli-farms/ Welcome. Recent visitors to Israel included 29 University of Pennsylvania faculty members on a 3-day solidarity visit. Also, US data-analysis software giant Palantir Technologies is holding the firm’s first board meeting of 2024 in Tel Aviv, to show solidarity with Israel. https://www.timesofisrael.com/upenn-faculty-solidarity-mission-receives-rock-star-reception-in-israel/ https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-palantir-ceo-flies-company-board-to-israel-in-show-of-solidarity/ Aid for Japan. It’s hard to believe, but in the middle of a war, an Israeli NGO has managed to devote resources to help the victims of the Jan 1st earthquake and tsunami that hit central Japan. Two SmartAID members in Japan at that time worked to provide phone and Internet access and off-grid electricity to victims and medics. https://www.israel21c.org/israeli-ngo-sends-aid-to-earthquake-struck-japan/ SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY Israeli startups at CES. Despite the war, several Israeli startups will be exhibiting at CES Las Vegas this year. Inside the Israeli pavilion will be Arti, Carteav, CorrActions,  EZinGrow (smart plant pot), Hailo, Iromascents, Nimble Beauty, Resight.io, Visionary.ai, & Visual Layer. Outside - Nuancehear & Foretellix. https://www.israel21c.org/10-israeli-companies-to-watch-at-ces-2024/ https://en.ezingrow.com/ No question it’s cow-free milk.  Israel’s Imagindairy (see here previously) has received a “no questions letter” clearance from the US FDA. It confirms that Imagindairy’s animal-free proteins can be safely used in the production of dairy duplicates, like milk and cheeses. (Israel’s ReMilk has already obtained FDA approval.) https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-foodtech-startup-secures-us-regulatory-nod-for-cow-free-dairy-protein/   Get ready to learn. Israel’s academic school year opens on Sun 14 Jan. A special program was launched at Israel’s Technion Institute that will facilitate and assist all students, and especially the reserve officers, to return to routine as easily as possible. https://www.technion.ac.il/en/2023/12/back-on-track/ Award-winning 3D printing. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s Stratasys (see here previously) earned the 3D Printing Industry Award, in the Medical, Dental or Healthcare Application category. Stratasys’ portfolio of three PolyJet printers beat out nine other nominees for substantial market growth. https://investors.stratasys.com/news-events/press-releases/detail/873/stratasys-wins-coveted-3d-printing-industry-award   https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231220158018/en/ Taking orders for the e-trike. Israeli-founded Revoltz has launched the pre-order of its PORTO e-trike urban delivery vehicle. The electric vehicle (EV) is capable of long-range deliveries and a full day’s work on one charge, offering a similar storage capacity to the boot of a small hatchback car. No workers, so use robots. Even before the war, Kibbutz Alumim near Gaza had a chronic labor shortage. Then Hamas killed many kibbutzniks and destroyed all its greenhouses. Kibbutz Be’eri suffered even worse but still had a greenhouse. Now both have a joint plan to install robots from Israel’s MetoMotion. https://www.israel21c.org/farmers-develop-robotic-greenhouse-to-solve-chronic-labor-shortages/ https://israelactive.com/?s=MetoMotion +    19% increase in pistachio yield. Between April 2022 and April 2023, Israel’s Edete (see here previously) pollinated 500 acres of pistachios in Bakersfield, Calif., for one of the largest growers in the US. Edete achieved a 19% increase in yield on two sites, equating to an estimated additional contribution of $1,000-$1,300 per acre. https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation/article-781629 ECONOMY & BUSINESS Average wage jumps by 10%. According to Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics, the average monthly Israeli wage in in Nov 2023 was NIS 12,651 gross, 10% higher than in Nov 2022 and well ahead of inflation. Bank of Israel Governor Amir Yaron was upbeat on the economy after cutting the BoI interest rate by 0.25% to 4.5%, https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-average-wage-jumps-1001467110 https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-haifa-group-committed-to-efficient-agricultural-solutions-1001467020 $9 billion for army reservists. Israel has announced assistance plan for those serving in the army reserves with an annual cost of NIS 9 billion. It includes grants and payments to combat and non-combat soldiers and family members; compensation for business recovery & lost profits; vacation & maternity leave grants. https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-govt-unveils-nis-9b-aid-package-for-army-reservists-1001466269 Foreign exchange reserves. Israel's foreign exchange reserves rose by $6.468 billion in Dec 23 to end the year at $204.367 billion, close to record levels. The value of the Shekel has risen, despite an expectation that the Shekel would depreciate due to the war and signifies global confidence in Israel’s economy. https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-boi-sold-no-forex-in-december-reserves-jumped-above-200b-1001467162 https://www.ceicdata.com/en/indicator/israel/foreign-exchange-reserves https://boi.org.il/en/communication-and-publications/press-releases/b07-12-23/ Energy independent. Mathios Rigas, CEO of energy company Energean, reminded delegates at the Israel Business Conference that Israel is the only energy independent Mediterranean country. Europe relied on Russia and could suffer another fuel price crisis in a cold winter. Israel’s energy prices are stable, even during a war.