Can't Kill Them Then Burn Them Down.
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I seldom disagree with Kim Strassel but her latest op ed, and in fact the entire Friday's WSJ editorial page, seems to be groping for a story based on a desire to have something to say. Vance is young, he has a master marketer to learn from and many years ahead as a potential president and one who could be re-elected. I seriously doubt Vance is going to blow this opportunity simply because he might have differences with some of Trump's views.
I too could be wrong. Only time with tell whether Vance is going to be a serious threat to Trump's 4 year opportunity to create an historic 2d term which could raise him to the top of America's revered list of presidents.
Time will tell so stay tuned.
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Biden is having his Etu Brute moment as Obama, apparently unsheathed his knife. Biden deserves what he is experiencing because he lied to us, destroyed our republic out of mean spiritedness and is one of the most self-serving corrupt presidents we have ever had to endure but I am sorry he has Covid.
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https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/393343
Netanyahu: Anyone who harms us will pay a heavy price
'Like Hamas and Hezbollah, the Houthis are an inseparable part of Iran's axis of evil that threatens the peace of the entire world,' Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu notes.
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After Wednesday's Address to Congress, time to act. No more talk Bibi. If you have a plan execute it now.
Take the "tit" out of your mouth and start the "tat" on Iran. First destroy their electrical grid, then their oil fields , then the IRGC and appeal to their people to take over their government.
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The 289th Day of War in Israel
A Challenging Weekend in Israel
By Sherwin Pomerantz
It has been a tough weekend for Israel and it appears that things are getting hotter in the region and not cooler.
Friday morning saw an attack on Tel Aviv by a drone dispatched by the Houthis in Yemen which hit a building near the US Consulate, killed one citizen and injured ten others. The drone was detected by the IDF but not acted upon as it appeared to be civilian in nature. Yet another error in our air defense network that should never have been allowed to happen.
That drone was the latest in a series of over 200 airborne explosive devices launched against Israel by Yemen since October 7th, all in support of Hamas in Gaza and, of course, funded by the Iranians. Given the loss of an Israeli life, Israel retaliated on Saturday night by attacking fuel tanks in the Yemeni port of Hodeidah and other strategic targets wirh a clear message that the blood of Israeli citizens has a price. Israel Air Force fighter planes made the 4,000 km (2,500 mi) round trip without incident, completed its mission, and returned home safely. The Houthis have threatened to counter-retaliate which may now have set up yet another tit-for-tat front between the two countries, mirroring our situation with Hezballah in Lebanon.
The real question everyone should be asking, of course, is why the US, UK, France and even China have not dealt with this more aggressively over these last 9 months as their ships have been attacked regularly by Houthi missiles? Remember the Bab-Al-Mandab Strait at the entrance to the Red Sea, which Yemen abuts, is a route traversed by 40% of the world’s commerce.
In our case, we had no choice but to retaliate, yet one wonders why the rest of the world is restraining itself to just occasional air sorties? Restraint never works in these situations as we have seen in Ukraine as well.
In addition to the situation with Yemen, on Friday the International Court of Justice at the Hague finally issued their opinion on the illegality of Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria, which the world refers to as the West Bank.
Their official statement reads….“The court reaffirms that the Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and the régime associated with them, have been established and are being maintained in violation of international law….(and Israel is) obliged to bring an end to its presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory as rapidly as possible.”
We, of course, reject that opinion as we are indigenous people here having lived in this land for 3,500 years. Prime Minister Netanyahu responded with a direct condemnation of the ruling stating: “The Jewish people are not occupiers in their own land, including in our eternal capital Jerusalem nor in Judea and Samaria, our historical homeland. No absurd opinion in The Hague can deny this historical truth or the legal right of Israelis to live in their own communities in our ancestral home.”
One can only conclude that this is yet another step by an agency of the UN to be complicit in the attempt by some nations of the world to negate the very legitimacy of Israel’s existence and the desire to see the Jewish people eradicated. No other country in the world today is under this kind of prejudicial treatment.
Finally, the pressure on the government here to conclude a deal for the release of the remaining hostages being held by Hamas continues to grow. A massive demonstration was held in Tel Aviv on Saturday night urging the Prime Minister not to travel to the US to speak to the Congress until after the deal is concluded. The protesters point out, with good reason, that time is running out for the hostages and while many are presumed dead, may of the 120 captives are alive, but each day decreases their chances to survive. This is, of course, yet another example of a world being silent about a problem, this time failing to push Hamas to release the hostages, in accordance with international law.
Tomorrow night, the 17th of the Hebrew month of Tammus, we begin the observance of the Three Weeks, an annual mourning period that memorializes the destruction of the Temple and the beginning of the Jewish diaspora. The 17th is a fast day that marks the day when the walls of Jerusalem were breached by the Romans in 69 CE. The three weeks end with the fast of the 9th of the month of Av, the date when both the 1st and 2nd Temples were set aflame. This is the saddest day of the Jewish calendar, and it is also the date that many other tragedies befell our people throughout history as well.
It has been the dream of our people for 2,000 years to return to Israel and today, half of world Jewy does indeed live here. Let us hope that this year’s observance of the Three Weeks will be the last, that our enemies will be vanquished and that peace will come to this land as the good Lord so intended.
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Do not necessarily agree. Strong leadership pointed in right direction producing success will bring the beginning of unity.
Trump and Vance can bring it if they remain united.
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Ordman's Good News -Edited.
This edition of Israel's Positive newsletter reveals so many incredible achievements of the Jewish State that I had difficulty stopping at 50 articles. Please savor them as the next planned issue will be after I return from visiting family in the UK in mid-Aug. But If I get time, I may issue a newsletter on or around the 4th Aug.
This week's edition includes Israeli innovations that reveal the early signs of life-threatening diseases; also, that locked-in patients can be given the ability to speak; that the voice-impaired can gain the freedom of the Internet; and that intellectually disadvantaged students can obtain university degrees.
It reveals that Jerusalem's Jews and Arabs can sing together; that Arabs from Morocco want to see the real Israel; and that there are many nations of the world that support Israel's fight against terrorism. This newsletter also reveals the amazing spirit of Israelis, determined to continue to rebuild their lives and benefit society, even after the devastating events of Oct 7.
Among the many Israeli technical breakthroughs, the US has again used Israeli security technology to reveal the secrets of a would-be assassin's cellphone. And the massive European funding for Israeli startups reveals just how much the world needs Israeli technology.
Finally, as the International Court of Justice bleats that Israel cannot occupy its own land, archaeologists reveal and display thousands of Jewish relics proving the Biblical bond between the Jewish people and all of the Land of Israel.
If this email arrives in your spam / junk folder, please mark it as "NOT SPAM".
Please recommend www.verygoodnewsisrael.
In the 21st Jul 24 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:
- Even the loss of limbs cannot defeat the Israeli spirit.
- Israeli computer-brain interface breakthrough could restore the power of speech.
- An Israeli surgical device can transform the lives of millions of heart patients.
- Israeli tech enables those with impaired speech to access the Internet.
- An Israeli food additive makes cooking oil safe for re-use.
- The FBI used Israeli tech to access cellphone of would-be assassin.
- In the latest EU Horizon investment round, the 3rd most funds went to Israel.
- A Haredi community hosted 180 secular Nova survivors for Shabbat.
- 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, and the subject “Subscribe”) to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.
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POSITIVE NEWS IN A WAR
Lifting our spirit. (TY Sam Kramer) Ziv Shilon lost an arm in Gaza in 2012, but he didn’t lose his spirit. Here, he performs hagbah (lifting the Torah scroll) in the Chabad of Savyon, Nothing stops these heroes - they are now a defining and meaningful part of the fabric of Israeli society. See also Ari Spitz, wounded in Feb 2024.
https://sparksofanation.com/
https://www.instagram.com/
A modern day prophet & hero. Another article describing the actions of Rami Davidian (see here previously) who saved hundreds from the Hamas terrorists. The author writes, “Our people are Maccabees and prophets, warriors and angels. There have been many heroes, but Rami Davidian...must be remembered for generations.”
https://www.jns.org/a-modern-
Defense innovations from startups. Once you skip the negative section of this article, there are several key initiatives and innovations that will help the IDF in future conflicts. The MAFAT program, Tel Aviv University problem-solving, Unit 81, MAMRAM’s tech commando unit,
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
Be’eri dairy makes cheese again. The dairy at Kibbutz Be’eri is producing its famous cheeses again, nine months after the devastating Oct 7 attack. Despite losing his business partner, Dagan Peleg bowed to pressure from Israelis craving for Be’eri cheese - especially those from the kibbutz evacuated to Dead Sea hotels.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
https://beeridairy.co.il/
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Patient “speaks” using the power of thought alone. A historical first. A 37-year-old male neurosurgical epilepsy patient at Tel Aviv’s Ichilov (Sourasky) Medical Center was implanted with depth electrodes. He silently controlled a computer-based vocalizer in a natural way to voluntarily produce 2 vowel sounds.
https://www.jns.org/tau-
https://journals.lww.com/
Non-invasive glucose monitoring. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s HAGAR’s GWave is the world's first non-invasive continuous glucose monitoring technology that uses radiofrequency (RF) waves to measure glucose levels in the blood. Its latest trial had 97% accuracy compared to blood tests (see here). See other Israeli monitors here.
https://www.businesswire.com/
How good are your arteries? Israel’s AccuLine is developing CORA – an accurate, non-invasive, swift, and low-cost test for early detection of coronary artery disease and prevent heart attacks. It detects 2 novel bio-signals in combination with AI-powered signal processing and proprietary augmented waveform display.
https://www.calcalistech.com/
Replacing open-heart surgery. (TY Ron M) US giant Edwards Lifesciences’ acquisition of Israel’s Innovalve Bio Medical will enable its innovative catheterization system to replace the diseased mitral valves of millions of patients, avoiding open-heart surgery. The system was originally developed at Israel’s Sheba Medical Center.
https://www.ynetnews.com/
The hub of the brain. (TY UWI) Researchers from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem have identified the brain’s claustrum as vital for controlling behaviour e.g., responsiveness and impulsivity. It also regulates sleep and the new knowledge can open up new pathways for treating ADHD, schizophrenia, OCD, and addictions.
https://tps.co.il/articles/
https://www.nature.com/
One-day retreat to prevent PTSD. (TY Yanky) Israeli NGO The Protective Partnership has started a free one-day retreat in Herzliya, called the Villa. Led by Dr Ronny Simons, it uses Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy to strengthen the brains of IDF soldiers to protect against suffering PTSD.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
https://the-villa.co.il/en/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Cancer care for Anglo Israelis. (TY Yanky) Sharsheret Israel helps English-speaking women in Israel with breast cancer to navigate treatment and support. Based on the US model, Sharsheret Israel is piloting its services including psychosocial support, cancer treatment navigation, education, support groups and more.
https://www.jpost.com/health-
Boosting health tech in the North. Israeli NGO Startup Nation Central is helping Tzafon Medical Center (Poriya hospital) near Tiberias become a regional leader in health tech innovation and entrepreneurship. It will also support the new Helmsley Rehabilitation Center at the hospital.
https://www.jns.org/startup-
Has your medicine expired? The expiry date printed on many medicine bottles is not relevant once you open it – you must record the date it was opened. Israel’s Innocap has a special cap with a simple dial that records the day and month of opening. It also connects to a smartphone which displays information about the medicine.
https://nocamels.com/2024/07/
https://innocap.info/smart-
Almost life-like. (TY Atid-EDI) The new J5 Digital Anatomy™ 3D Printer from Israel’s Stratasys enables the creation of biomechanically accurate, highly realistic anatomical models for medical purposes. These mimic bone structures, tissues, ligaments, & complex vascular structures, respond like organs, and much more.
https://www.stratasys.com/en/
https://www.stratasys.com/en/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Sisters! Take care if you ask to see the “Sister” at the Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya. Nurses Yamit and Inbal are identical twins. Their older sister Sima (another nurse) looks just like them. They grew up in a house with 10 children - nine girls and one boy. Their parents must have needed a lot of patience, or is it patients?
https://www.ynetnews.com/
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Street doctors. Street Medicine Tel Aviv (SMTA) comprises 50 volunteer medics who treat the homeless of Tel Aviv. 95% are citizens with medical insurance but lack ID, a phone to make appointments, or money to buy medicines. SMTA breaks the stigma on twice-weekly rounds, applying antibiotics, bandages, stitches and more.
https://www.jns.org/tel-avivs-
Special class receive their BA degrees. The six Israeli Intellectually Disabled (ID) students that achieved the necessary academic BA qualifications last year (see here previously) have just formally received their Multidisciplinary degrees in a ceremony at Bar-Ilan University.
https://www.jns.org/bar-ilan-
Say it, do it. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s Voiceitt (see here previously) has just launched Voiceitt for Chrome. Voice-impaired users can dictate into their browser to convert garbled speech into text for emails, Google Workplace, Google Classroom, and blogs, plus message services like Slack or Discord, and much more.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Jerusalem Youth Chorus. (TY Harvey) Jerusalem’s inclusive choir of Israelis and Palestinian Arabs wowed the jury on America’s Got Talent. https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Winning the hearts & minds of GenZ. The Israeli non-profit TalkIsrael (see here previously) is training the next generation of social media content creators to develop high-quality content that can shine a more positive view of Israel and life inside the country. TalkIsrael’s content already has had 5 million views.
https://www.calcalistech.com/
Peace delegation from Morocco. Two dozen Moroccan social-media influencers and young professionals from the Muslim delegation in the Holy Land are on a week-long visit to Israel, organized by the Sharaka NGO (see here previously). They are seeing a different view from the “Al Jazeera” narrative they get in Morocco.
https://www.jns.org/a-
Welcoming diplomats to Israel. Israel’s President Isaac Herzog received the diplomatic credentials of new ambassadors to Israel from Italy, Japan, and Peru, all wearing the yellow ribbon symbol supporting the kidnapped hostages. The President also warmly greeted the new ambassadors of Kazakhstan and Kenya.
https://www.jns.org/herzog-
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Multifunctional sensors for physical AI. Scientists and Israel’s Ben Gurion University have developed 3D-printable electronic composite materials (ISMCs) that can make biological-like sensors. They can have a huge impact in healthcare and robotics and launch the world of physical AI, with even more potential than digital AI.
https://www.bgu.ac.il/en/news-
Post-grad course in green energy. (TY Atid-EDI) The Hebrew University of Jerusalem is launching a new master’s program focused on green energy technology. It will incorporate eco-friendly materials, creating green energy production devices, and tackling challenges in energy storage and management.
https://www.jpost.com/
Sustainable corn production. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s N2Off (NTWO OFF – see here previously) has demonstrated that its innovative bacteria technology, can potentially reduce Nitrous Oxide (N2O) emissions when applied to corn seedlings at comparable levels (by 40-50%) already obtained in wheat cultivation.
https://www.globenewswire.com/
Increasing yields of winter wheat. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s Lavie-Bio (see here previously) has expanded its Yalos microbial inoculant (biological fertilizer) to winter wheat. Yalos improves yields by some 12.5%. Trials in North America continue and Lavie-Bio plans to expand Yalos to crops such as soybean and canola.
https://lavie-bio.com/press/
https://lavie-bio.com/yalos/
A healthier fry-up. Israel’s Beyond Oil is a unique powder that absorbs harmful components from fried oil so it can be reused while preserving its quality. It won the FoodTech Company of the Year award at the 2024 Israeli Restaurateurs Conference and is now being used in Israel by two global fast-food chain brands.
https://www.israel21c.org/new-
https://www.beyondoil.co/ https://www.youtube.com/
Startups for space accelerator. Five Israeli startups were selected, from 50 candidates, to join the EXPAND space program, part of the Creation-Space accelerator (see here previously). These are Tedence Space (electro-magnets), OASIX (heat pump), Omnidrill (robots), Inhayle (hydroxyl disinfectants), and NOVAlert (sensors).
https://www.jns.org/wire/
https://finder.
https://liortevet6.wixsite.
Making sense of the data. Israel’s Kaleidoo (part of Israel’s Bynet Data Communications (see here previously) has created the Kal Sense platform. It converts a company’s video, voice, and text communications into AI-ready data that can be analyzed to answer questions posed by company executives.
https://nocamels.com/2024/07/
https://www.kaleidoo.ai/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Gaming for education. Israel’s Arcademy has finished a successful trial of its Minecraft educational gaming platform at nine Israeli schools. Students actively engaged in lessons, and improved problem-solving, multitasking, and creativity skills. Arcademy will launch in schools across Israel and the US next year,
https://www.israel21c.org/
Moovit moves up to intercity. Israeli public transport app Moovit (see here previously), which helps travelers navigate local journeys in more than 100 countries, has launched a new platform for longer, intercity trips.
https://nocamels.com/2024/07/
Israeli tech hacks Crooks’ phone. The Washington Post reported that the FBI used technology from Israel’s Cellebrite (see here previously) to unlock the cellphone of would-be assassin Thomas Crooks. Cellebrite is used by over 2,500 North American agencies, 20 of the largest US city police departments, and 25 in the EU.
https://worldisraelnews.com/
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
$142 million of EU funding. Nine Israeli startups have secured a total of $142 million in funding from the EU Horizon (EIC Accelerator) program. They include MediWound (EscharEx), JaxBio, Nurami, LightSolver, Quantum Transistors, RAAAM Memory, Reophotonics (ioTech), SpacePharma, and Impact Biotech.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
https://www.mediwound.com/
https://i-o-tech.com/
Microsoft’s partner of the year. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s 2bcloud has won the 2024 Microsoft Partner of the Year Award for Israel, which recognizes companies that have developed and delivered outstanding Microsoft Cloud applications, services, devices and AI innovation in 2024. 2bcloud is also an Amazon AWS partner.
https://2bcloud.io/2bcloud-
https://2bcloud.io/
A top fintech company. Israel’s Okoora (see here previously) has been selected for CNBC/Statista's 2024 list of the world's leading fintech companies. The list recognizes companies that have significantly contributed to the transformation and innovation of the financial services industry through technology.
https://www.jpost.com/
A one-stop shop for solar sites. Israel’s GiraSol Renewable Energy builds and maintains solar energy systems using the best global technology to check for performance issues. GiraSol’s clients include Israel’s Energix and France’s EDF, which operates large solar farms in Israel.
https://nocamels.com/2024/07/
Boots UK sells Israeli pregnancy tests. The UK chemist chain Boots is now selling Salistick, the world's first saliva-based pregnancy test, from Israel’s Salignostics (see here previously).
https://www.abingdonhealth.
https://www.boots.com/boots-
Pain monitoring in Japan. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s Medasense (see here previously) is partnering with Nihon Kohden for the exclusive distribution of its revolutionary PMD-200 real-time non-invasive pain monitoring device in Japan. https://medasense.com/
Israel’s most promising startup. 40% of Americans used to travel within the USA with no travel insurance. When Covid struck everyone wanted insurance. Israel’s Faye launched its product and in 2023 was named Wall Street Journal’s travel insurance product of the year. Now Faye is Israel’s most promising startup of 2024.
https://www.israel21c.org/the-
https://www.calcalistech.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
1,000 pay for GenAI. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s Upword (see here previously) attracted 30,000 users for its Beta version, with 1,000 paying for its advanced GenAI capabilities. Upword is designed to mimic the traditional research methods required by professionals, researchers and academics and has now launched its full version.
https://www.calcalistech.com/
Exits, takeovers & mergers – to 21/7/24: Holding our breath for Google’s expected $23 billion takeover of Israel’s Wiz. Meanwhile, Edwards Lifesciences has acquired Israel’s Innovalve for $300 million. US-based Tricentis has acquired Israel’s SeaLights for around $150 million.
Startup investment – to 21/7/24:. CTERA raised $80 million; CytoReason raised $80 million; OCON Therapeutics raised $10 million; HAGAR raised
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Most people want unity. It’s not going to happen.
The impulse to demonize political opponents among the chattering classes legitimizes conspiracy theories and makes lowering the temperature impossible.
By JONATHAN S. TOBIN
In the wake of the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump on July 13, there was a wave of calls for Americans to turn down the temperature in the national debate. Everything I know about public opinion and the American people tells me that this is what most Americans wanted in response to a frightening and horrific event that could have sent the nation tumbling into chaos.
But no matter what happens in the next 15 weeks until the presidential election, and no matter who the Democratic Party ultimately puts forward as Trump’s opponent, I’m fairly certain that they are not going to get what they want.
It’s not just that the proposed ceasefire between the Republicans and the Democrats barely lasted 24 hours, as even President Joe Biden couldn’t stick to the high road in an address to the nation a day later that was supposedly about lowering the temperature. The GOP largely responded in kind at their national convention.
That included Trump’s acceptance speech, which began with a riveting and uncharacteristically spiritual account of his brush with death, but then reverted to the usual lengthy recitation of boasts and attacks. Many in the party’s respective media cheering sections did the same, often doubling down on the worst assaults on their opponents.
After several years in which incivility had not just become normative, but regarded as a virtue among the chattering classes, expecting professional politicians, talking heads and pundits to stop demonizing the other side was probably too much to ask.
It will only get worse
But the problem goes much deeper than that. This is why Americans are likely in for a rough ride until November, and for even more divisive and inflammatory discourse, if not a heavy dose of political violence, regardless of who wins.
The same is true for Israelis who had hoped that the terrible events of Oct. 7 would put an end to the unprecedented political warfare that had looked to tear the country apart in the 11 months since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition won the Nov. 2022 Knesset elections. Within a few months–and despite Israeli soldiers fighting and dying in the struggle to defeat the Hamas terrorists—the demonization of the government returned in force, as the fate of the more than 100 hostages still held in Gaza and the question of whether to accept a ceasefire that would let the murderers, rapists and kidnappers who started the war survive, became politicized.
Why are our societies unable to transcend their differences, even after crises that should cause everyone to understand just how destructive toxic political rhetoric can be?
The answer is complex, but it starts with the bifurcation of the press and the way social media dominates our lives. It comes down to the way this has reinforced a growing belief—at least among those who are most vocal about politics—that their opponents are not well-meaning neighbors and compatriots who are simply mistaken, but evil people who intend to do harm.
Having convinced themselves of this far-reaching conclusion, not even, in Abraham Lincoln’s memorable phrase, “the better angels of our nature,” which might incline people to step back from the abyss of polarization, can persuade us otherwise.
Politics has always been a contact sport, and one can argue that Israeli elections have always been more ideological as its proportional system of voting has benefited splinter parties that are either tribal in nature or represent narrow segments of belief. But such stark divisions were not normative in American politics, if only because the two-party system rewarded compromise and both Democrats and Republicans used to be big tents composed of disparate regional and ideological factions.
To some extent, that created a politics in which the politicians were more interested in doing deals to enhance their power than in representing the views of their voters. But it did help keep things a lot more civil.
A splintering of the media
That’s gone today if for no other reason than the fact that the splintering of the media has created a culture in which the most strident beliefs prevail over those that advocate for a gentler approach to differences.
More to the point, that has created a situation in which those with different beliefs and party loyalties read, listen and watch only partisan press outlets and thus no longer share a consensus about the basic facts of virtually any issue. This divisiveness has been exacerbated by the way social media can isolate people from any point of view that contradicts their pre-existing prejudices and opinions.
Even those least inclined to think ill of opponents tend to live in opinion silos where they become unfamiliar with the other side’s arguments. This exists on both ends of the spectrum, but it is particularly true on the left, because most of the media in the United States and Israel is dominated by left-wing journalists.
Conservatives may distrust and dislike outlets that don’t tell them what they want to hear, but they are also far more likely to “speak liberal” if only because left-wing outlets are harder to avoid and tend to outnumber those on the right. By contrast, most liberals find conservative thought utterly incomprehensible because they rarely encounter such views except as they are caricatured by their side.
This is often expressed in the greater willingness to accept conspiracy theories by people on both sides. If you already believe that your ideological foes are ill-intentioned and unscrupulous, it isn’t hard to be convinced that dark forces are the only explanation for events you can’t explain or don’t like.
Thus, many if not most people on the political left were easily persuaded by the Russia-collusion hoax that alleged that Trump’s 2016 election win was the result of Moscow’s intervention on behalf of a candidate who was essentially their agent. It was a tall tale and wholly untrue, but if you think Trump—and his supporters are “deplorables”—then it’s not much of a stretch.
Trump’s supporters felt the same way about the 2020 election. While there was much unfairness about the way the media and the Silicon Valley oligarchs who control the virtual public square titled the playing field in favor of Biden, that’s not the same thing as believing the election was stolen.
Conspiracy theories
That same spirit of cynical disbelief in any event that might undermine the side you support is still very much present, if not stronger than ever. The fact that a poll taken in the immediate aftermath of the attempted murder of Trump showed that fully one in three Democrats said they were prepared to believe that the shooting was staged by Republicans ought to give us all pause.
How can anyone believe that a crime perpetrated in front of thousands of people and filmed live on television, which nearly resulted in Trump’s death, wasn’t real or was in some ways a “false flag” operation?
The answer is simple. Very few people trust the media or what anyone who isn’t on their side says. But if you believe that Trump and Republicans are, as the liberal media and Democrats keep telling us, authoritarians, if not the second coming of the Nazis, then any occurrence that might put them in a sympathetic light is automatically assumed to be a “Reichstag fire” event. In this manner, the same people who mock the way some on the far-right swallowed QAnon conspiracy theories think there is nothing wrong with buying into their own brand of conspiratorial lunacy.
That we were on the road to non-stop divisiveness was plain four years ago, when it was obvious that any expectation that the outcome of the 2020 election would return us to normalcy was an illusion. The same could be said about the situation in Israel, when some hoped that the decisive results of the Nov. 2022 election, after four consecutive votes and stalemates over a two-year period would calm things down. To the contrary, both of the above only enraged the losers and instilled equally angry reactions from the winners.
Indeed, this rigid belief in the horribleness of political opponents makes it hard for people to respond to tragedies with the proper restraint. It was shocking that so many Americans reacted to the attack on Trump with unrestrained hatred, going as far as to express chagrin about the shooter missing his target.
But such despicable sentiments are actually easier to understand than the comments on the part of politicians and pundits who expressed relief that Trump survived the attempted assassination, yet then doubled down on the accusation that he was another Hitler who, with the help of his voters, wished to destroy democracy. After all, if you really believe that the man is a genocidal tyrant, why wouldn’t you want him dead?
Believing what they are told
Of course, many of those engaging in such hyperbole don’t really believe what they say about democracy ending if Trump wins in November.
The talk about a war on democracy in both the United States and Israel—where leftist elites claim an attempt to rein in the out-of-control power of the country’s Supreme Court and make the state more democratic is actually an authoritarian plot—is a cynical power play on the part of the loudest advocates of that point of view. But they’ve convinced their supporters that the country really was imperiled by judicial reform.
The same is true for many of the Americans who listen to the talking heads on MSNBC and actually believe what they say about Trump seeking to install a dictatorship. By the same token, some on the right are readier to believe that the shocking failure of the Secret Service at the Butler, Pennsylvania Trump rally was a plot by sinister forces, rather than just the incompetence of an agency that may well have sacrificed its competence in the name of enforcing the new rules of diversity, equity and inclusion in hiring personnel.
That’s why the next four months until the presidential election will see even more intemperate rhetoric. It’s especially likely because Trump is leading the race, which will make Democrats who foolishly believe they are reenacting the last days of the Weimar Republic even more desperate, whether or not a diminished Biden is replaced as the Democratic candidate.
Once the votes are counted, it’s hardly unreasonable to expect political violence and riots if Democrats really believe the myths they’ve been peddled about the horrors awaiting the nation in a second term for Trump. Similarly, Trump’s clear advantage will make Republicans reluctant to meekly accept a Democratic win if they are able to carry out a miraculous comeback.
The situation in Israel is no less dire, since the left is likely to reject any outcome that doesn’t bring about Netanyahu’s ouster.
If our political class were serious about lowering the temperature and avoiding violence, it would give up its absurd claims about its opponents. But, as we’ve seen this week, Democrats have painted themselves into a corner that doesn’t allow for shunning the Trump-is-Hitler narrative, no matter what happens or what he does.
Most ordinary Americans and Israelis hate the talk of civil war and oppose the lurch toward chaos that such hyperbole promises. But stopping it will be difficult with the media and politicians showing no willingness to cease characterizing their opponents as beyond the pale. Unless they do, things will continue to get worse before they can start getting better.
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Elon's money is directed to the RNC to build a war chest against pre-election fraudulent efforts.
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OPINION & ANALYSIS
The big cheat is on
By PAUL GOTTFRIED
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The attempt on Donald Trump’s life will not keep Democratic politicians from pulling out all stops, including illegal ones, to win the November election.
Although Donald Trump may have hurt himself politically by proclaiming without convincing proof that he won the 2020 presidential election, the suspicion that the Democrats engaged in fraud is more than justified. The farther one moves away from holding elections on a single day, with paper ballots under bipartisan supervision, the easier it becomes for the dominant party to fix things.
Moreover, evidence exists of powerful interests, including our surveillance agencies and the corporate media, collaborating to ensure the election of a Democrat to the White House in 2020. This has been amply shown, perhaps most convincingly, in Mollie Hemingway’s best-seller, “Rigged.”
Efforts must be made to return elections to a single day, with paper ballots and adequate nonpartisan supervision.
But such election-fixing may be a kindergarten exercise in comparison to what the Democrats, aided by the usual suspects, have planned for the coming election. Cheating this time may be more critical than in the past. Whether the presidential candidate is the seriously demented Biden or the cackling Kamala Harris, the Democrats will likely be coming from behind in the polls. It will therefore be necessary to pull out all stops to prevent the Republican “threat to democracy” from prevailing.
Since the Democratic National Committee and the media push this narrative, election cheating, if allowed, will be either persistently ignored or grossly misrepresented. The media will claim that protesting Republicans are trying to "suppress minority votes," a charge Democrats make whenever election integrity is raised. If anyone has checked, Google references to information sources are becoming almost uniformly leftist, which will help cover up electoral dishonesty.
The 10 or 11 or possibly 16 million illegal aliens whom the Democrats have imported and whom they are now feeding, housing, and subsidizing were brought here for an obvious reason: to expand the Democratic voter base. Nineteen states and the District of Columbia, all under Democratic control, allow illegal aliens to obtain driver’s licenses. Not coincidentally, these licenses can serve as a form of voter ID in many states.
Joe Biden’s decision in June to grant legal status to 500,000 illegal alien spouses has created more voting opportunities for those who entered the country unlawfully. Given the tools Democrats have to facilitate cheating, the mainstream media’s claim that there have been at most only about 30 confirmed cases of electoral illegalities in recent years is laughable.
Evidence shows that blue states have already added illegal aliens to voter rolls. In these states, proof of citizenship often involves only a signed attestation. Additionally, those who lied on the required forms have not faced deportation, despite a federal law stipulating such punishment for this offense.
Hans von Spakovsky, a former member of the Federal Election Commission who now oversees the Heritage Foundation’s Election Reform Initiative, views the situation of illegal aliens voting rather pessimistically. Spakovsky’s assessment: “It is difficult to predict the actual numbers of aliens that may vote because so many states do absolutely nothing to verify the citizenship of registered voters.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), who has supported a bill to ensure the citizenship of voters, makes this telling point: “Perhaps the Democratic Party would prefer that we only identify fraudulent voters after the fact, but after an election has already been decided and the new members are sworn in.”
Yes, the Democrats would like that, as they play their customary game, enabling illegal voting by pushing for drop-box voting, banning voter identification as “racist,” and and insisting on the legality of improperly marked ballots. Any complaint against these practices once “the election has already been decided” will incur the corporate media’s wrath and charges of trying to overthrow “our democracy.”
The only way Republicans address this predicament and possibly avoid the danger of forfeiting the presidential race (and many down-ballot contests) is by highlighting the question of electoral integrity. The GOP must do all it can to call public attention to this concern.
The pledge of Lara Trump, as co-chair of the Republican National Committee, to oversee every drop box used in lieu of going to the polls and to have a slew of lawyers available to fight reported instances of Democratic fraud must be faithfully kept. The promise made by Elon Musk and other wealthy donors to provide $45 million monthly to facilitate new Republican registrations and outreach may also help level the playing field. But these measures are only temporary solutions. Efforts must be made to return elections to a single day, with paper ballots and adequate nonpartisan supervision. Any other form of voting should be discouraged and, as much as possible, excluded.
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The attempt on Donald Trump’s life in no way renders my suggestions inapplicable. This foul deed against our former president will not keep Democratic politicians from pulling out all stops, including illegal ones, to win this year’s elections.
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