A new report states that $1.7 billion from the Obama administration to the Iranian regime in 2016 was used to fund various terror organizations, most notably Hezbollah.
According to the Washington Times, Hezbollah, Iran’s Quds Force and the Houthi rebels in Yemen were among the recipients of the $1.7 billion, although it’s unclear what the exact amount was for each terror organization.
The $1.7 billion payment was said to be due to a settlement based on a failed arms deal in 1979, however some have argued that it was actually a ransom payment as part of the Obama administration’s attempts to appease the regime in Tehran.
The report comes amidst a letter from Israeli United Nations Ambassador Danny Dannon to the U.N. warning that Iran and Hezbollah will become “dangerous and destabilizing” to the Middle East if the U.S. and U.N. don’t crack down on Hezbollah. Danon specifically cited Ayatollah Ebrahim Raisi visiting Hezbollah in a U.N. buffer zone as an example of how the next Hezbollah-Israel conflict could feature a wide range of Islamic terrorists fighting against Israel.
“These Iranian efforts not only threaten Israelis, but also directly endanger the citizens of Lebanon by putting them on the frontlines where they are sure to pay a painful price resulting from possible future escalations,” Danon wrote.
Israel is also reportedly worried about Hezbollah’s growing influence on the Lebanese Armed Force (LAF), Lebanon’s military that was paid $120 million by the U.S. in 2017.
The Obama administration also reportedly undermined law enforcement efforts to crack down on Hezbollah so he could forge a nuclear deal with Iran.
Labour Party MP John Mann warned of growing anti-Semitism on social media platforms in a column for the New Statesman magazine.
The column, titled “I’m not Jewish but whatever I talk about I receive antisemitic abuse,” explained how Mann “received anti-Jewish abuse and an antisemitic death threat on social media” after a recent interview even though he didn’t mention anything about Jews or the Middle East in the interview.
“This isn’t the first time,” Mann wrote. “I can speak out about knife crime and drugs and the tweets come in – ‘who is paying you to do your work’ ‘Why don’t you admit you’re in the pay of the Israeli government’ and the like.”
Mann added that he has received similar attacks from supporters of the Labour Party and even from a Labour Party member; he proceeded to quote Times columnist Phillip Collins on “the problem of Left wing antisemitism and the obsessive hate of Israel.”
“It connects to a loathing of America and of capitalism and of alleged western interference in the Middle East,” Collins wrote. “For the uncomplicated racist, hatred of the undesirable people is the starting point. For the complicated, confused leftist, the denigration of a people is their conclusion.”
Mann then wrote of how online trolls denigrate those who speak out against racism and anti-Semitism.
“Anyone who calls out racism, or seeks to address anti-Jewish hatred is a target,” Mann wrote. “It’s even now the case that allegations of antisemitism are being inferred or created and attributed to Jews in order to try and diminish the charge when one has not been made. This of course, undermines victims of antisemitism and their right to define such abuse and call out the abusers.”
Mann noted that those who engage in that kind of behavior eventually descend into railing against Zionism and spewing Holocaust denialism.
“There is an antisemitic sickness, particularly afflicting the left, and it is spreading,” Mann wrote.
Mann concluded his column by noting that social media platforms have made it easier for those who embroil themselves in anti-Semitic conspiracy theories to stay within “a self-edifying bubble”; he stated that he would propose a law that would punish social media companies that don’t purge racist posts from their sites and called on all politicians, including Labour Party members, to take a stand against anti-Semitism.
A Democratic congressman recently praised Louis Farrakhan as “an outstanding human being” despite Farrakhan’s record of rabidly anti-Semitic statements.
Rep. Danny Duffy (D-IL) told The Daily Caller that it was perfectly fine that Barack Obama took a photo with Farrakhan in 2005.
“I regard him as an outstanding human being who commands a following of individuals who are learned and articulate and he plays a big role in the lives of thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands of people,” Duffy said.
When asked about Farrakhan’s anti-Semitism, Duffy claimed “that many people in politics have a history of inflammatory comments.”
· “It is now becoming apparent that there were many Israelis and Zionist Jews in key roles in the 9/11 attacks. Israelis had foreknowledge of the attacks…we know that many Jews received a text message not to come to work on September 11.”
· “These false Jews promote the filth of Hollywood that is seeding the American people and the people of the world and bringing you down in moral strength. It’s the wicked Jews, the false Jews, that are promoting lesbianism, homosexuality. It’s the wicked Jews, false Jews, that make it a crime for you to preach the word of God, then they call you homophobic.”
· “Jews who owned the homes, the apartments and stores in the black community, we considered them bloodsuckers because they took from our community and built their community but didn’t offer anything back to our community.”
· “I believe that for the small numbers of Jewish people in the United States, they exercise a tremendous amount of influence on the affairs of government…yes, they exercise extraordinary control, and black people will never be free in this country until they are free of that kind of control.”
Farrakhan has also praised Adolf Hitler as “a very great man,” railed against whites as “the race of devils” and formed a partnership with the Church of Scientology cult.
Duffy’s comments come after the release of a 2005 photo showing Obama smiling with Farrakhan at a Congressional Black Caucus meeting; the photographer claimed that he hid the photo in order to improve Obama’s chances at the presidency. There are also photos from 2006 showing Reps. Maxine Waters (D-CA) and Barbara Lee (D-CA), among others, embracing Farrakhan.
Additionally, Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN), the deputy chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), was a member of Farrakhan’s Nation of Islam and defended him for years before cutting ties from the Nation of Islam in 2002. However, according to the Wall Street Journal Ellison attended a dinner with Farrakhan that was hosted by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and visited Farrakhan in 2016.
In 2015, progressive icon Linda Sarsour attended Farrakhan’s #JusticeOrElse rally and then gushed about Farrakhan afterward.
“The brother does not age,” Sarsour said. “God bless him.”
Tablet’s Yair Rosenberg noted that “Republican elected officials from Donald Trump on down have rightly faced heavy criticism from Democrats over their ties to and defenses of bigoted hate groups and individuals.”
“Whether Democrats will hold their own official, Rep. Davis, to the same standard remains to be seen,” Rosenberg wrote. “Thus far, all 20 other members of the Congressional Black Caucus who served in Congress at the time of the Farrakhan meeting have declined to comment on it or condemn the man himself.”
Political scientist Samuel Huntington predicted that one of the outcomes of Globalization would be a change in the way we perceive the global society. He said that what would become “the Global Village” would erase any meaning of countries, and divide the global society into civilizations. Because of that, he said, future conflicts would be between civilizations, but mostly, between “The West” and “The Rest.” This day has (sort of) come, it is now our present, and a war is currently ongoing, between the western world and the global Jihad, aiming to fight this “westernization” in all means necessary.
If the global society would have indeed erased all national symbols and identities, and regroup as civilizations only, this war would have been much easier to be determined. “The West” would have fought, united, against Islamic terror, and Jihad would have been pushed back to the dark hole it crawled out of. Sadly for us, things are more complicated than Huntington’s theory. On the one hand, the world has become a “Global Village,” as people are becoming closer, sharing beliefs and culture, making connections, and forming a “Western civilization.” On the other hand, national and religious symbols and identities still exist, preventing us from completely becoming one almost-global community.
Nationality and religion are the two things people are willing to kill for, even today. Those things are our sources of pride and essence, and they are being the buffer, preventing us from really uniting against terror. Because our “Western civilization” is still divided into states, we naturally become indifferent, or even resentful towards “other people.” That’s why we won’t hurry to stand up for a fellow “Western” in need, if he is not part of our local community. Instead of defining this “Western civilization” as “us,” and Islamic terror as “them,” we look at all the other fractions of the “Western civilization” as “them” as well.
In the meantime, terror makes its way to all our countries, penetrating this “Western civilization” from all directions, and using our inner-conflicts to get in deeper. Because we look differently at a terror attack taking place in a different country (or even in our country, but aimed at a minority,) and one taking place in our backyard, we now stand on the losing side of this war. It’s a war of darkness against light, of diversity against homogeneousness, of words against violence. And in this war – we are all on the same side.
The Islamic Jihad, on all its extensions, vowed to fight against “the West” and its values, and spread religious Islam throughout the world. On its way of achieving this goal, the global Jihad will stop at nothing. As the sane majority of the world, we must unite against terror, and not only when it’s convenient or involves us directly. We are all targets of the global Jihad, even if it doesn’t seem like it now.
In the age of social media, standing up to or for something or someone is a few mouse-clicks away. It takes little effort, but can make a big change. In order to win this war, we must realize we are all on the same side, and put our differences aside. We must acknowledge our shared traits and our shared willingness to fight terror, and look at all terror attacks as attempts to hurt us all, as a civilization. In the age of globalization, the war on terror is not between religions or minority groups, but a clash of two civilizations.
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Every day since Donald Trump rescinded the Dream Act, one hundred twenty dreamers have lost their DACA protections. This means that they can be deported at any time from the only country they know (and love) to a country that they were born in, but do not recognize in any meaningful way.
Last week, a group of justice seekers decided to speak up.
I was part of a multi-generational gathering of Jews and their allies, of all affiliations and no affiliations. More than one hundred folks milled about at the corner of Santa Monica Boulevard and Sepulveda, listening to Hebrew songs and protest songs, listening to speeches, chanting, clapping, and shmoozing. This was a gathering that would have pleased any program director of any Federation. These hundred plus folks were not, however, at a Federation fundraiser, or a hip synagogue social held outside on the street. This was a political demonstration outside the offices of Sen. Dianne Feinstein.
The point of the gathering was clear: No vote for a Continuing Resolution (CR) without the passage of the Dream Act. Feinstein voted against the last CR, and we were there to thank her and to strengthen her resolve, the resolve of the Democratic caucus in general to once again demand a clean Dream Act. A Dream Act that does not hold the fates of 800,000 young people hostage to a wall, or an extreme right wing immigration agenda.
One of the most profound questions that is facing our country today is this: What does it mean to be a citizen? Is citizenship merely the result of the accident of birth? The granting of a certificate? The culmination of a bureaucratic odyssey? Or is citizenship a commitment to certain bonds of mutual responsibility and care? Is citizenship perhaps the promise and practice of upholding the ideals of creating a more perfect union? Are the commitments of citizenship actually those commitments to supporting family and community? To working hard and creating human happiness for self and others?
The point of the gathering was clear: No vote for a Continuing Resolution (CR) without the passage of the Dream Act.
The Jewish tradition teaches us that it is, rather, the commitment to mutual care and supporting the weakest among us; to creating a more just and prosperous community and society which defines what a citizen is. And so it is time that we changed the conversation. It is beyond time that we recognize that the dreamers, and their families and all immigrants—documented and undocumented, who are in this city and this country to create a life, to find security or refuge, to enjoy and proliferate the benefits of justice and democracy—are already citizens. We just have to work out how to get them their papers.
The Jewish people is an immigrant people, a refugee people, and a diasporic people. We know in our bodies the precariousness of knocking at the door of countries who did not want us to enter, and the promise of those who opened their doors. The Jewish community in the United States, after a pretty rocky start, has enjoyed the benefits of security and stability that are the result of being welcomed to this country.
We also know what happens when citizenship is narrowly defined based solely on the accident of birthplace or skin color. We remember that when Jews were deported from Paris during World War II, the buses wound their ways through the streets filled with Parisians who knew who the passengers were, knew what was happening to them, and where they would end up, and did not protest—because they didn’t consider the Jews citizens. So-called upstanding citizens with the right papers and the right blood and the right race, let this happen.
We will not let this happen again.
The sting of disappointment in the evening was that though the Jews were there, (gathered by Bend the Arc: Jewish Action, together with IKAR and Reform CA) the Federations were not. The “leadership” of the Jewish community need not consult the latest Pew research poll to find out where the Jews, young and old, are. They are on the corner of Santa Monica and Sepulveda, and similar street corners in dozens of other cities and in our nation’s capital. They are where justice calls.
Rabbi Aryeh Cohen is the Rabbi-in-Residence for Bend the Arc: Jewish Action in Southern California.
As the Winter Olympics begin, I think about the athletes and their great feats of physical strength and commitment to daily preparation to achieve their goals. For my 50th birthday, I overcame 50 challenges that were new or adventurous and I was scared the whole time. The most amazing thing to me is that I kept saying yes. I never gave up. If I could call myself one year ago and explain everything that was going to happen, I would never have believed it. I was much more courageous than I imagined was possible.
For my birthday, I did something I have always said I would never attempt. I went sky diving. While I was very nervous and excited, I was also prepared for the challenge by my choices all year.
The day before my jump, I read Rabbi Naomi Levy’s book, “Einstein and the Rabbi,” while sitting on the balcony of my perfect room at The Pantai Inn in La Jolla. I strolled on the beach, watched the seals and sea lions playing in the water and then would return and read more.
Once in Oceanside at GoJump, it was necessary to patiently wait fortwo hours until the clouds cleared. I nearly had too much time to contemplate Levy’s book, my life and if I really wanted to take part in this birthday gift to myself.
When Levy wrote, “Your soul wants to teach you about your strength. It wants you to believe in your abilities and your gifts. It wants you to lift up your head with pride and claim your birthright: the life that is yours to experience. Your soul wants you to follow it through times of darkness, through the fog and confusion.”
I was not sure she meant jumping out of a plane but that was where my path had brought me and it was what was going to happen next.
In the plane, I sang to myself: Kol Haolam Kulo
The song means: “All the world is a very narrow bridge, and the thing is not to be afraid.” I knew in my heart that this is the life I want to live. I do not want to be fearful of so many things. I want to risk and make my dreams come true.
Levy writes:
“Your soul will lead you to heights and to loves and to kindness.”
and “Everything has led you to where you are right at this very moment.”
I chose to believe I would live through this scary experience and I imagined I might even love it. If I let fear win and I never try, my life will be smaller. I want to grow and learn to approach new experiences with excitement instead of terror.
Levy says that “The soul wants you to be uncomfortable enough to strive for more, to grow and to learn and to see what needs fixing in this beautiful and broken world. Living with soul can keep you up at night. You suddenly start seeing the humanity in the eyes of strangers you were ignoring.”
I wonder where my journey will lead. Sometimes I am not sure that it is the right path but I feel better after reading about following the path of my soul.
“The soul’s journey is never linear. It requires patience and perseverance. Just when you’re ready to give up, a door opens and you are granted the opportunity to step inside if you wish. You are invited to explore new realms that were previously locked to you. Were those turns you took back there wrong turns? Were those dead ends you reached worthless? Or were they all part of the “whole”?”
I said the Shehecheyanu in the plane. It is a Jewish blessing for the first time we encounter something new or arrive in a new place or for me a new state of being. I was strapped to another human being with five points of connection and I am trusting him to guide us with his parachute safely back to earth.
Levy says we must learn to take soulfie’s instead of selfies!
“If we can learn to take a soulfie, it may very well transform our lives. By making a decision to access and follow our souls, we begin a journey. It is a winding journey full of bumps and pits, stops and starts. Sometimes the road becomes flat and we can cover great distances. Sometimes we will get stuck in one place for what may seem like an eternity before we are ready to continue forward. Yes, there are times when we will get lost, when we won’t know what to do or which way to turn and it’s frightening and frustrating and we wish it could all just be easier. With soul it can get easier.”
For a year, I have been following this path of fear and with each challenge I accomplish, my ability to handle fear is better. The hardest thing I did was take a mountain biking lesson at Northstar California Resort. I went down the mountain on a blue intermediate run on my first day and while at one point, I did cry, I never gave up and it was a great feeling of accomplishment. I thought about mountain biking a lot while waiting for my turn in the plane. I kept telling myself I can do it. I did that and I can do this. I want to do it.
Levy continues: “Life’s paths are anything but straight. And yet those winding paths, as frustrating as they may be, can lead us to a life of meaning and blessings. I pray you will choose to follow your soul on its journey.”
I am following this path and I wonder what will happen next. I worry about parachutes not opening, bad landings and other horror stories but mainly I sing to myself and say the Sh’ma. “Hear O’Israel the Lord is our God, Our God is One.”
I believe that I am being lead. I have made it here and my job for this day for sky diving is to remain as calm as possible and enjoy this incredible opportunity.
As Levy says: “It isn’t easy to make the journey from narrowness to a vast expanse. But we all want to wake up from our sleepwalking. We all want to topple the barriers that are standing in the way of a full life.” I do know I want a full life and by testing my limits and not letting fear win that is what I am getting. I am sure there will be more tests, challenges and scary ideas to conquer. I did jump out of a plane and fly like a bird and I will be able to overcome what comes next.
“Within you are powers that you haven’t even begun to tap into. There’s a purpose to your life. A high purpose…You can lift yourself up. And as you lift yourself up, you will lift others up too. May you live to turn your curses into blessings, your fear into strength, your greatest block into your greatest opening. Amen”
In the middle of the night, in grave danger, Syrian mothers bring their critically ill and wounded children to the Israeli border. Once there, the Israeli army brings them over and into safety at Ziv Medical Center in the northern Israel town of Tzfat. Project Rozana, an Israeli initiative and international non-profit, funds the transportation and treatment of the children and provides hospitality for their mothers.
Due to the war in Syria, there are no longer any adequate facilities to treat children desperately in need of medical care. Project Rozana USA has committed to raise $75,000 to treat these children at Ziv Medical Center. As the Israeli hospital closest to the Syrian border, the Ziv Medical Center has treated about 1,000 wounded and critically ill Syrian children since 2013. Recently, children with chronic medical conditions are being treated as well, and the hospital reports that they have been arriving by the busload.
On January 28th, in the backyard garden of Lisa and Joshua Greer’s home in Beverly Hills, The Theodore Bikel Legacy Project, led by its Director, Aimee Ginsburg Bikel, presented a benefit for Project Rozana USA’s Syrian Children Campaign, which raises funds for the emergency medical treatment of Syrian children in Israeli hospitals. Project Rozana’s vision is to build bridges to peace by funding healthcare for all children in the region at Israeli hospitals. 100% of the evening’s funds raised, through the efforts of The Theodore Bikel Legacy Project, go to Project Rozana USA. The take-away: Now is the time to build bridges to peace by saving these innocent children whose daily lives are full of danger, suffering, loss, and pain.
The intimate and moving evening featured the internationally renowned Israeli musical superstar, multi-platinum recording artist, and peace activist David Broza. Broza shared his infectious music and the story behind his critically acclaimed album and film, “East Jerusalem, West Jerusalem”. His music reflects a fusion of the three countries in which he was raised: Israel, Spain, and England.
“I have been tortured by thoughts of children—Jewish, Palestinian, Syrian, Iraqi children, all those who most innocently of all, and most grievously of all, are victims of the Middle East madness. ‘Rachel mebaka et baneha’ – Rachel mourns her children. With her, I weep for the children, knowing that they are all her children, our children, every one of them.” – Theodore Bikel (Summer of 2014, during the war in Gaza)
Attendees included California State Treasurer John Chiang, California Senator Ben Allen, California Assemblyman Richard Bloom, Austrian Consul General Andreas Launer, Israeli Consul for Public Affairs Karin Pery, and former Jewish Journal Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Rob Eshman.
Two doctors from Project Rozana, one Jewish and one Muslim, enlightened the attendees about their life-changing work. They were: Dr. Khadra Hasan Ali Salami, Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Specialist at August Victoria Hospital in Jerusalem; and Dr. Hadia Al Abdullah, a Syrian doctor now living in L.A., doing refugee work. Other honored guests included: Dr. Raphi Walden, Deputy Director of Chaim Sheba Medical Center (Tel Hashomer); and Kenneth Bob, Chair, Project Rozana USA.
From the office of Congressman Brad Sherman, a flag that has flown over the U.S. Congress was presented to Broza in honor of his continuing in Bikel’s footsteps using his music in the service of Tikkun Olam, healing the world.
Hazzan Mike Stein of Temple Aliyah warmed up the audience, playing the oud. A Syrian buffet was courtesy of Wafa Ghreier , from the Kobee Factory in Van Nuys. Desserts from Westwood’s Sunin Bakery, courtesy of owner/baker Dolly Sunin.
The Theodore Bikel Legacy Project honors and keeps alive the memory of the beloved actor, singer, Yiddishist, and peace and human rights activist. This is through advancing his passions for music for Tikkun Olam, the preservation and renewal of Jewish culture, in particular the Yiddish culture, and keeping Theo’s own work available to all.
Mark Miller is a humorist and journalist who has performed stand-up comedy in nightclubs and on TV, written on numerous sit-com staffs, been a humor columnist for the Los Angeles Times Syndicate and a Great Gigs interviewer and humor blogger for The Huffington Post. His first book, a collection of his humor essays on dating and romance, is “500 Dates: Dispatches From the Front Lines of the Online Dating Wars”.
How many hours do you spend cleaning your home every week? It’s because you don’t want to live in a pigsty, which would be absolutely terrible. Your home might be livable by your standards, but there is a lot more you’ll be able to do.
Don’t worry, it’s not really your fault. There are just some places the majority of homeowners neglect to clean. It’s like they forget they even exist. If you want to ensure your home is spotless we’ll look at a few examples to help you out.
Vacuuming Underneath Your Rugs
Cleaning a large area rug is something everyone will do when they’re vacuuming a room. After all, it’s so big it would be impossible to miss. Most people out there will only complete 50 percent of the job.
Why is it so difficult to clean the underside of your rugs too? It’s going to end up in a disgusting state if you keep ignoring it. Also, it would be wise to call in the professionals every so often.
Inside All Your Cabinet Doors
I’m sure you’ve heard everyone say, “people only care how individuals look on the outside, but it’s what they look like on the inside that counts”. I bet you didn’t think it was possible to compare cabinets to humans.
When cleaning your kitchen I know you want it to look sparkling when you’re done. Spend as much time on the exterior of your cabinet doors as you want. Just don’t forget to open them up to tackle the insides afterward.
Lighting Fixtures Are Beautiful
Beautiful lighting fixtures are a new phenomenon. They were obviously around in the past, but they weren’t mainstream. Everyone has now realized the right kind of fixtures can completely transform the look of a room.
They just don’t bother troubling themselves cleaning them correctly, which will eventually affect how much light gets through. Everyone touches light switches so they should be cleaned regularly too.
The Bathroom Will Become Toxic
One of the worst cleaning jobs is getting down on your hands and knees to clean the toilet. It’s definitely why everyone is terrible at it. Even if it looks clean to the naked eye you haven’t touched behind it.
That would require your face to get even closer to the bowl. You have to understand how important it is to clean the entire toilet. The last thing you want is toxic mold spores finding their way into your lungs.
Painted Walls Will Get Dirty
Can you honestly say you clean your walls? If you said yes, you’re probably slightly confused. It’s a lot more likely you only dust them, which isn’t the same thing. A duster isn’t capable of removing finger marks.
Those marks will slowly build up until your walls look filthy, but don’t worry because there are ways to wash painted walls. If you’re cleaning a tiled wall always remember to scrub the grout until it looks new.
Throw Pillows Attract Dust Mites
Nobody would sleep on the same pillow sheet for weeks on end. It doesn’t take them long to get dirty, so they need to be washed in hot water all the time. It’s an effective way to kill the bugs.
You should start treating your throw pillows the same way. I know you don’t sleep on them at night, but they’ll still attract dust mites. To guarantee you remember, start throwing both of them into the machine at the same time.
Does Anything Jump out at You?
We’ve touched on a few interesting places today, but does anything jump out at you? Hopefully, you don’t really clean any of them. It means once you do it will make a bigger difference. By the way, there are plenty more where these came from.
