Some More Observations About the Current Conflict

The New York Times, the leading mainstream/left-wing newspaper in the country, spent this past week telling of the destruction in Gaza.  On May 22 was a typical online headline for the paper:  "The Everyday Misery of Life Under Israeli Occupation."  Israel does not occupy Gaza.  If life is miserable for the Palestinians they have only their leaders to blame, their leaders who have refused time after time after time every peace deal offered.  The Times did manage to have a daily Op-Ed by a Palestinian or a Palestinian supporter. 

I kept looking in the New York Times for reporting on the attacks on Jews across the country, and in New York City, home of the Times, and home to more Jews than any other city in the country.  Never found it.  It reminded me of an article in the Times years ago discussing riots in various cities in Europe.  They said the riots were carried out by immigrants.  But the "paper of record" did not see fit to tell their readers that all the rioters were Muslim immigrants.  Nothing bad about Muslims, and nothing good about the Jews.  That's the New York Times.

The USA Today "reported" (I use that word loosely for the mainstream media, as their reporting is propaganda) that last weekend thousands protested the "uprooting of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in 1948 after the creation of the state of Israel and the initial Arab-Israeli war.  The event is referred to as the Nakba, or catastrophe."  A brief history.  The Ottoman Empire controlled much of the Middle East for 400 years.  But in WWI, the Ottomans lost and the allies won.  The geographic area of Palestine was given to the British, with the area being referred to as the British Mandate.  After the UN was formed following WWII, the British turned over the Mandate to the UN.  In 1947 the UN voted "partition," dividing the land into a Jewish state and an Arab state.  Up until then, "Palestine" was just as much the home of the Jews as it was of the Arabs.  

In May, 1948, the Jews announced the independence of the country of Israel, on the small piece of land given by the UN partition.  The very next day five Arab countries attacked - the first of many efforts to wipe Israel off the map.  Were hundreds of thousands of Arabs displaced?  Yes, but that is far from the whole story.  Many left out of fear over the impending war.  Many left because the invading Arab countries told them to leave, that Israel would be destroyed, and that they could return to their homes afterwards.  Except that did not turn out to be the case.  The tiny country of Israel, out manned and out gunned, won that war.

The war ended in 1949 with no peace agreement.  The 1949 borders existed until the Arabs tried to destroy Israel again in 1967, when Israel won a decisive victory in the "Six Day War."  In that war, Israel captured the area known as the West Bank (historic Judea and Samaria), the eastern part of Jerusalem holding the Old City, the Golan Heights, Gaza, and the Sinai.  Following the Yom Kippur war in 1973, when Egypt had recaptured part of the Sinai, Israel mad a peace agreement with Egypt which returned the Sinai to the Egyptians.  But let's be clear.  From 1949 to 1967 Jordan controlled the West Bank and Egypt controlled Gaza.  There was no call for a Palestinian state during that time.  Not until the Jews got control. 

Just like left-wing ideology has taken over the mainstream media, so too for academia.  It was reported that over 700 Harvard faculty members signed a letter in support of the "Palestinian liberation struggle," and their right to fight the Jews.  Here is part of the letter, filled with the same lies and half-truths as the USA Today article.  "Since its establishment, Israel has implemented several forms of hegemonic rule imposed over Palestinian lives, starting in 1948 with the military rule imposed on Palestinian areas in Historical Palestine."

In 1948 Israel was fighting for its very life.  It is unclear what the letter writers mean by "Historical Palestine."  There has never been a country of Palestine.  There was a country of Israel 2000 years ago, and again since 1948.  Otherwise, the area known as Palestine, a name generally affiliated with the Philistines, was an area of land on the eastern Mediterranean that was controlled by various foreign invaders.  The last such invaders, as noted above, were the Ottomans.  Yet, I have seen on social media a belief by many (and by many with Arabic and Muslim names) that the Jews have had no connection to the land of Israel before WWII.  

It has been reported that 230 Palestinians were killed in this latest fighting, including 65 children and 39 women.  (Per the USA Today.  Not that I trust Hamas to accurately report their casualties.)  That was too much for Biden, who forced Israel into a cease-fire.  It has also been reported that in 2003 alone, in the war in Iraq, 12,133 civilians were killed.  In 2006 that number rose to 29,517; and overall to over two hundred thousand.  No, I am not celebrating anyone's death.  We Jews do not do that.  But I am showing the degree to which Biden, who claims to be a strong supporter of Israel, was cowed by the likes of Rashida Tlaib and the left-wing of his party.

I believe Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (hated by the left) had it right:  "I think at least half the Democrats are hostile to Israel, the rest of them are afraid of those who are hostile to Israel."  Probably explains why we've heard so little from Chuck Schumer, the Senate Majority Leader, who used to be a strong supporter of Israel; but now apparently fears the consequences of speaking openly in support of Israel.   

So let me be clear.  The conflict going on between Israel and the Arabs from 1948 to today is not about land.  Arabs were killing Jews in the area in the 1920's.  The Grand Mufti of Jerusalem sided with Hitler during WWII.  The fighting is about exactly what Hamas tells us it is about - the desire to destroy Israel and kill all the Jews.  

The Coronavirus 62 Weeks Later - Jews Are Under Attack - Blame the Jews!

I'm angry.  And I'm sick of it.  Before I explain, let's look at some of the facts.  Jews are being attacked across America and internationally.  In public spaces and in broad daylight.  

In Englewood, New Jersey, a family of five, including 3 kids aged 7, 8, and 9, were walking home from their synagogue.  A car pulled up next to them and people inside yelled "free Palestine," and "fuck the Jews you motherfuckers," and "go back to where you came from, get out of here."  

In Bal Harbour, Florida, a family of three, including a 16 year old daughter, was walking home from synagogue, when a car driving by threw garbage at them, with the occupants of the car shouting "free Palestine," "die Jew," "fuck you Jew," and "I'm gonna rape your wife."  Seeing the danger to this family, another driver got out of his car and showed the pro-Palestinian vehicle that he was armed, and scared the terrorists away.  (A good guy with a gun; not that I expect it to change anyone's mind about guns.)

In Arizona, in Utah, in Skokie, Illinois, synagogues and Chabad Houses were damaged and vandalized with swastikas and a "Free Palestine" poster.  And in Borough Park, Brooklyn, men yelled at Jews "fuck the Jews," "kill the Jews," and "free Palestine."  Seeing a trend here?  Elsewhere in New York City, an older man wearing his yarmulke was beaten by a group of pro-Palestinians.  Two other men were beaten bloody on their way to a bagel shop.

In the Beverly Grove area of Los Angeles, some Jewish men were dining outside at a sushi restaurant.  A caravan of pro-Palestinians waving Palestinian flags, stopped and men got out and started physically assaulting the Jewish diners.  Here is how an article in the USA Today described it:  "In Los Angeles, a brawl broke out outside a sushi restaurant Tuesday between sidewalk diners and a group of men passing by waving Palestinian flags."  Lying Bastards!  The sidewalk diners were Jews.  The men instigating the "brawl" were Palestinians and/or their supporters.  And "brawls" do not just "break out."  Brawls do not have a mind of their own, deciding when they should "break out."  (See the May 16, 2021 post discussing the New York Times lie that "violence erupted," and my subsequent conversation with "Violence.")   

I could easily fill this entire post with more examples of attacks on Jews here and elsewhere.  But allow me to shift focus for a moment.  This rise in anti-Semitism has been going on for some time.  We have seen it on college campuses for years.  We have seen it in the mainstream media.  And for some time now we have seen it in the Democratic Party.  Remember when Trump was criticized for not speaking out quickly enough to condemn the Neo-Nazi white supremacists in Charlottesville?  Well, where is Biden?  

I'll tell you where Biden is.  This past week at the Ford plant in Dearborn, Michigan, he was busy praising Rashida Tlaib, one of the biggest anti-Semites in the US Congress.  Biden to Tlaib:  "I admire your intellect, I admire your passion, and I admire your concern for so many other people.  From my heart, I pray that your grandmom and family are well.  I promise you that I'm to do everything to see that they are...you're a fighter, and G-d, thank you for being a fighter."  Yes, thank you for being a BDS supporting, Hamas supporting fighter."  Biden made his remarks after Tlaib confronted him on the tarmac at the airport, upon his arrival in Michigan.  

For defending his country, Tlaib wants Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "Held acoountable for war crimes."  If you are expecting Tlaib to criticize Hamas, don't.  She accuses Israel of being an apartheid state.  She is a liar!  Arab Israelis take part in every aspect of Israeli society.  They are doctors and lawyers and politicians.  Here is one of Tlaib's many partners in anti-Semitism, Ilhan Omar:  "Israeli air strikes killing civilians in Gaza is an act of terrorism."  Liar!  Let's be clear.  Hamas fires their rockets at Israeli cities.  They do not seek to limit civilian casualties - they aim for civilians.  Hamas does not give a damn about their own civilian population even.  They put their offices and rocket launchers in crowded civilian areas.  Israel cares more about protecting Palestinian civilians than does Hamas.  For Hamas, the more Palestinian casualties, the better.  Because much of the Western world then buys into their propaganda.  

Hamas claimed a great victory over Israel.  The deaths of Palestinian civilians and the destruction of property is part of that victory - a victory in the propaganda war.  Biden praising Tlaib is no different than Pelosi praising Ilhan Omar, and calling Omar a "valuable member" of the Democratic caucus.  So why are Democrats letting fellow Democrats get away with their anti-Semitism?  Why aren't the anti-Semites in Congress stripped of their committee assignments, the way that Marjorie Taylor Greene was?  Why aren't more leading Democrats speaking out against the nationwide attack on Jews?  The answer is simple.  There is no down side to avoiding punishment of the anti-Semites.  There is no downside to even praising them.  Why?  Because there is no chance of these Democrats losing the support of Jews.  My fellow Jews will continue to vote (70 to 75%) for the Jew hating Democrats because Republicans are...well, they're Republicans. 

As one pro-Israel commentator put it:  "A favorable attitude toward the Jewish state has been replaced by a determination to encourage and bankroll the Palestinians.  Newly emboldened, the Palestinians looked at US actions and concluded that they are free to promote violence against Jews, and use their media propaganda to blame Israel...and the Biden administration will continue to fund them and even endorse their anti-Israel narrative."  I don't give a damn about the nice words Biden has said about Israel having a right to defend itself.  Shortly after Tlaib confronted him he told Israel he was asking them to stand down.  And he announced funding to help rebuild Gaza.  He even announced funding again for UNRWA - the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees.  What a fool!  An evil fool!  UNRWA works hand in glove with Hamas.  By helping to rebuild Gaza, Biden is telling Hamas that there is no downside to attacking Israel again and again.  Biden is funding the killing of more Jews.  And he is putting himself on the same side as Iran, the terror supporting and Hamas supporting state that promises to wipe Israel off the map.  

Hamas fired approximately 4,340 rockets at Israel.  About 640 rockets fell within Gaza, causing destruction and casualties.  Israel was successful in hitting 1,600 military targets of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, including 340 rocket launchers and over 60 miles of underground tunnels - tunnels that Hamas uses to sneak into Israel in order to kill Jews.  With the tens of millions of dollars in aid received by the Palestinians, I have yet to see a mainstream media "reporter" ask Palestinian leaders:  "Why aren't you building infrastructure for your people with all the money you get?  Schools, hospitals, and funding businesses?  Why is it that you have so much concrete that you are able to build sophisticated tunnels, miles and miles of tunnels, but won't use that concrete to build infrastructure for your people?  Or, at least bomb shelters?"     

The Hamas charter calls for the destruction of Israel, and the killing of Jews.  As discussed above, the Palestinians and their supporters here in the US are also calling for "Death to the Jews."  You left-wing Jews, you think these Palestinians here are saying: "If you are a left-wing supporter of the Palestinian people, you are free to go.  We only want to harm and kill the Jews who oppose us."  They don't care!  If you are a Jew, they want you dead.  In an article in the 5/20/21 New York Times, a Jewish woman was quoted as feeling a "sense of betrayal" by the Black Lives Matter movement.  After all, she supported them.  She marched with them.  But then she read some of their posts online, including comparing Israel to Nazis.  I am not the least bit surprised by BLM support for Jew killers.  If this woman had her eyes open she would not be surprised either.   

I said at the beginning of this post that I am angry.  There is a lot to be angry about.  The increasing attacks on Jews in this country and around the world.  The increasing support for Hamas and the Palestinians against Israel.  The Democratic Party's increasing support for the terrorists of Hamas over Israel.  The leading Democrats turning a blind eye to the anti-Semites in their party.  And many of my fellow Jews being completely brainwashed by the Palestinian propaganda, reinforced by the mainstream media.  And I'm sick of it.  

    

The Democrats and Their Allies Chime In

Sure, President Biden said that Israel has the right to defend itself.  But if that is the best he can do, it is weak and disappointing.  It is merely stating the obvious - what country does not have the right to defend itself?  I would have liked to have heard harsh condemnations of Hamas.  I would have liked to have heard the threat of withholding aid from the Palestinians.

Here is Democrat Palestinian Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib:  "American taxpayer money is being used to commit human rights violations.  Congress must condition the aid we send to Israel, and end it altogether if those conditions are not followed."  Hamas sends thousands of rockets into Israeli cities.  They have even caused the deaths of Arab Israeli citizens.  But that is of no consequence to Tlaib.  Israel does its best to avoid human casualties.  But Hamas places its rockets in populated areas.  All wars have human casualties.  As a Jew, I do not celebrate the deaths of innocents - be they Palestinians or others.  I wish I could say the same for others.  

Here is Democrat Congresswoman Cori Bush:  "The fight for Black Lives and the fight for Palestinian liberation are interconnected.  We oppose our money going to fund militarized policing, occupation, and systems of violent oppression and trauma."  My guess is that she sees Israelis as white oppressors of brown Palestinians.  But we Jews are a people.  We are white, black, brown and even Asian.  

Here's one branch of Black Lives Matter:  "Black Lives Matter Paterson (NJ) condemns the ongoing violence against Palestinians in East Jerusalem by the state of Israel and stands in solidarity with those fighting occupation."  I doubt that BLM has any clue as to the history of the Middle East.  It is clear, however, that their condemnation of "violence" does not apply to the terrorist group Hamas.  One really needs to take a step back in order to realize that US Members of Congress support a terror group against our ally Israel.  

Here is Democrat Jewish Senator Bernie Sanders:  "The devastation in Gaza is unconscionable.  We must urge an immediate ceasefire."  And:  "My solution is to say to Israel:  'You get $3.8 billion every year.  If you want military aid, you're going to have to fundamentally change your relationship to the people of Gaza."  And this gem:  "We must change course and adopt an evenhanded approach."  The people of Gaza voted in Hamas, a terrorist organization, as their government.  So Israel must change, but Hamas can continue to be a terrorist organization?  An evenhanded approach?  The fact that a US Senator can make such a preposterous comment is well beyond disturbing.  I can only imagine Sanders during WWII:  "I know that Germany is attacking our allies England and France, and has taken over parts of France, but the US should take an evenhanded approach to this war."  

Here is one CNN host to former Israeli Defense Minister Naftali Bennett:  "How can any strikes on Gaza, which is such a densely populated area, be targeted at military sites only?"  The question, of course, answers itself.  But Bennett had to explain it to this CNN host:  "Perhaps you suggest we just lay back, let them shoot rockets at us, not shoot back, because they are hiding the rockets behind women and children.  Would you do that?"  

Here is Democrat Congresswoman Ilhan Omar:  "Israeli air strikes killing civilians in Gaza is an act of terrorism.  Palestinians deserve protection.  Unlike Israel, missile defense programs, such as Iron Dome, don't exist to protect Palestinian civilians.  It's unconscionable to not condemn these attacks on the week of Eid."  What's unconscionable is the fact that Omar and others like her actually serve in the US Congress.  Omar is upset that the attacks are occurring during the week of Eid, but instead of blaming Hamas for launching rockets during that week, she blames Israel for fighting back and defending itself.  And, of course, the implication is that it is unfair for Israel to have the Iron Dome missile defense system when the Palestinians do not.

Comedian Trevor Noah has a similar idea of fairness.  "If you were in a fight where the other person cannot beat you, how hard should you retaliate when they try to hurt you?"  Noah is expressing one of the left's favored talking points - the issue of "proportionality."  Is Israel's response proportionate to the attack on Israel.  Without the Iron Dome system, the 3000+ rockets launched by Hamas into Israel would likely have killed hundreds, if not thousands, of Israelis.  But it's always a numbers game for the left - enough Jews are not dying compared to the number of Palestinians dying.  Here is how you can have zero Palestinians dying - stop launching rockets into Israel.  Problem solved.  I wonder how people like Noah and Sanders would feel if a violent extremist group moved in next door to them and started firing bullets indiscriminately into their houses.  Would they call the police?  If so, would they ask the police not to use disproportionate force to stop the shooting, or would they insist on the police putting an immediate end to the threat by all means necessary?  Is Noah is fine with millions of Israelis having to live in bomb shelters and not being able to go about their normal lives?  

Here is Kamala Harris' niece, Meena Harris:  "One cannot advocate for racial equality, LGBT and women's rights, condemn corrupt and abusive regimes and other injustices yet choose to ignore the Palestinian oppression.  It does not add up.  You cannot pick and choose whose human rights matter more."  Really?  She clearly does.  Where does she think that the LGBT community has greater protection - Israel or Gaza?  There are gay pride parades in Israel.  Try being openly gay in Gaza.  And women?  It should be easy enough for Harris to research the multiple ways women are discriminated against in Gaza.  But that would not comport with her, and the left's, talking points.  Better to ignore the truth. 

In a March, 2021 Gallup poll, the results clearly show the differences between the two parties and their views on the Middle East.  An overwhelming 80% of Republicans say their sympathies lie more with Israel, with only 10% saying with the Palestinians.  For Democrats, less than a majority (43%) say their sympathies lie more with Israel, as compared to 38% who sympathize more with the Palestinians.  

There are other Democrats in Congress who have spoken out against Israel.. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has.  Jamaal Bowman has.  Others have more gently expressed their "concern" about Israel's actions.  Meanwhile, within Israel itself, there have been attacks by Arabs on Jews and Jewish property in certain cities, with the most reported being in the city of Lod.  It is bad enough for Israel to have to fight an external enemy, but for Israeli Arabs to attack fellow Israelis who are Jews?  Those Arab citizens who are attacking Jews in Israel are doing so in order to demonstrate their support for an enemy of the state.  I would give them a choice - move to Gaza or we will deport you to Gaza.

My support for Israel is not contingent on which party is running the government, or who sits in the Prime Minister's office.  I know that left-wing American Jews  view Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as simply being another Republican.  Well, guess what?  When Israel comes under attack like this, the people of Israel stand united, left and right.  American Jews should do the same.  Am Yisrael Chai!  The people of Israel live!  The Jewish nation lives!     

The Coronavirus 61 Weeks Later - Israel at War - Again

The lead headline in the May 11, 2021 New York Times was this:  "VIOLENCE ERUPTS BETWEEN ISRAELIS AND PALESTINIANS."  Coincidentally, I ran into Violence the other day at the local coffee shop.  Working up my courage, I went up to him and asked:  "Violence, how come you erupted again?"  He asked if I was from the press; I said that I was not but that I do write a blog.  He agreed to talk to me as long as I did not convey his comments to the press.  Violence:  "Look, I really did not want to erupt again.  But, and this is off the record, I was getting a lot of pressure from the Palestinians."  I asked what pressure.  Violence:  "C'mon, man.  You must know that under Trump, the Palestinians were ignored.  This was a way to reassert themselves back into the international dialogue."  How so, I asked?

Violence:  "Remember when Trump said he was going to move the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Israel's capital city of Jerusalem?  Many people predicted that I would erupt then.  They were nuts.  You think I was going to erupt with a guy like Trump in the White House?"  Me:  "What changed?"  Violence:  "Trump lost.  Biden returned to Obama's policy of appeasing bad guys.  Biden reestablished relations with the Palestinians, and he reinstated aid to them.  And the Palestinians did not have to promise anything - not to stop killing Jews, and no need to recognize Israel as a Jewish state."  Me:  "And so?"  Violence:  "C'mon, man!  Trump helped establish normalized relations between Israel and 4 Arab states.  Unheard of.  Arab leaders were openly stating their frustration with the Palestinians refusal to make peace."

Me:  "I see.  So what is the goal of the Palestinians?"  Violence:  "It's already a done deal.  The Palestinians are now the front and center story in the Middle East.  They're relevant again.  And those 4 Arab countries that normalized relations with Israel?  They now had to openly condemn Israel.  Those 'Abraham Accords' are at risk of being pulled apart."  Me:  "What about the claim that this is about the houses in Sheikh Jarrah, and the clashes at the Al Aqsa Mosque?"  Violence:  "Seriously, man?  We both know that was all a pretext for my erupting now."  Me:  "Why won't you discuss this on the record?"  Violence:  "Listen, man.  The media, the UN, the Europeans, the Arabs, and even Democrats in your country are already blaming the Jews.  Sorry to tell you, but that will always be the easiest narrative.  I gotta run."  Me:  "One more thing.  What would happen if you told the truth?"  Violence:  "I'm Violence, man.  I always have to be seen as siding with the perceived underdog.  Besides, there is no upside to me going against the tide and siding with the Jews.  Later, dude."   

That was quite an illuminating conversation that I had with Violence.  But what about the Arabs being evicted from their homes in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah?  Turns out that  Jews owned those properties since 1875.  But during Israel's war of independence beginning in 1948, Jordan succeeded in capturing the half of Jerusalem later known as East Jerusalem.  The Jews were evicted from their homes, because Jews were not permitted to remain in the territory captured by Jordan; ethnic cleansing of Jews always being permissible.  Jordan then transferred title to some of those properties to Arabs,  Others remained under Jewish ownership.  Then Israel retook the area in the 1967 Six Day War.  As to those properties that remained under Jewish ownership, litigation has been ongoing in Israeli courts for years.  Some of the Arabs living in those homes have been treated as tenants.  The courts were reluctant to evict them as long as they paid rent.  But they refuse to pay rent.  And some are mere squatters, with no rights at all.  In the areas of the West Bank controlled by the Palestinian Authority, it is illegal for Arab owners to sell their property to Jews.  The punishment for doing can be extreme.  Just don't expect any condemnation of that policy from the mainstream media, the left, the UN or the Europeans.

But what about the clashes between Israeli police and Arabs at the Al Aqsa Mosque.  The Mosque sits on the site of what the Arabs refer to as the Noble Sanctuary, often described as the third holiest place in Islam.  For Jews, it is The Temple Mount, the site of  Abraham's binding of Issac, and the site where the two Great Temples stood.  It is the holiest place in Judaism.  For reasons hard to comprehend for this writer, and after recapturing Jerusalem in the 1967 war, the Israelis turned over control of the Temple Mount to the Waqf, which is under Jordanian authority.  However, Israel annexed the eastern area of Jerusalem after the 1967 war, and is therefore responsible for security in all of Jerusalem.  I think the question to ask about the clashes between Arab worshippers and Israeli police on the Mount, is why were the Arabs stockpiling large rocks in their holy mosque?  Why were those rocks thrown at Jewish worshippers at the Western Wall below?  Here is another question:  why are Jews forbidden from praying on the Mount?

The reaction in the mainstream media was predictable.  Nicholas Kristof, one of the chief columnists at the New York Times, made this less than astute observation:  "It's also true that Hamas not only attacks Israeli civilians but also oppresses its own people.  But as American taxpayers, we don't have much influence over Hamas, while we do have influence over Israel and we provide several billion dollars a year in military assistance to a rich country and thus subsidize bombings of Palestinians."  Let me start with this.  Israel is our greatest ally in the Middle East, perhaps in the world.  Hamas has been designated a terrorist organization by our State Department.  So according to Kristof, let's punish our ally Israel in order to reward terrorists?   And what does he mean we have no influence over Hamas?  Of course we do, if we choose to exercise it.  Trump knew how to, Biden has no clue.  Unless, you disagree with Violence, and believe it is all coincidental that Violence did not erupt during Trump's term in office, but has erupted mere months into Biden's term?  

Here is Tracy Wilkinson's analysis in the Los Angeles Times.  (As an aside, Wilkinson was single-handedly responsible for my dropping my subscription to the LA Times with her constant anti-Israel reporting during an earlier war between Israel and the Palestinians.)  Wilkinson:  "Trump gave cart blanche to the Israeli government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and its right-wing nationalist supporters while sidelining and punishing the Palestinians."  As with so many on the left, Wilkinson does not see a difference between Hamas and Israel.  And she clearly does not understand how the withholding of aid can be just as influential as the providing of aid.  Kristof suggested that US aid to Israel could be better spent on providing Covid-19 vaccinations around the world or pre-K at home.  (I will not debate here whether or not the US should ever provide foreign aid.  That is a topic for another time.)

While Iran supplies rockets to Hamas, the US has assisted Israel with financing its Iron Dome missile defense system.  The system was developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries.  As reported by the WSJ, "In 2020 the American firm Raytheon announced partnership with Rafael to build Iron Dome in the U.S."  The US relationship with Israel is far from being one way.  The US benefits greatly from Israeli technology and intelligence.  As I recall, during one of our past wars in the Middle East, a US general praised Israeli intelligence as being worth five CIAs.    

In case readers have any doubt about where much of the mainstream media stands, the New York Times is always pleased to make it clear.  You see, it is not sufficient for Israel to be declared the guilty party in the current war with Hamas.  No, Israel should not even exist.  So says Peter Beinart in a May 13,2021 Op-Ed in the Times.  Beinart is a Jew, and apparently has a great deal of guilt over the fact that Israel exists.  I will not address his points here.  (If somebody wishes to debate those, let me know.)  But, his approach sounds no different than that of the Palestinians: "From the river to the sea, all of Palestine will be free."  From the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea will be Palestine.  Israel will be gone.  Exactly what Hamas and Fatah call for in their charters - the destruction of Israel.  So if you want to know what this current war, and all the wars, have been about, that's it.  The Palestinians desire to wipe Israel off the map.  As Violence told us, there is always a pretext for the fighting, but the pretext is not the truth.      

A Few Words About the Blog And Me

I started the blog in 2009, after initially sending emails to 5 to 10 people I knew.  I was inspired by my dislike for Obama and his policies.  My daughters said that I should have a blog, and they set it up for me and named it the Truth-Uncensored.  

The blog has a conservative outlook because I am a conservative.  There are plenty of left-wing sites out there (most of the mainstream media) if you want to get that viewpoint.  I read left-wing papers.  I also have the CNN app on my phone.  And Fox, the Wall Street Journal, the USA Today, NBC and various Jewish sites.  Yet I know many on the left will not go near the conservative sites.  They will mock Fox News, never having watched it.  They are happy being spoon fed left-wing propaganda by the mainstream media, social media, Hollywood TV and movies, and academia.

I am not "woke," and have no plans to be.  I do not care for political correctness.  Wokeness and political correctness are poor substitutes for reason and analysis.  But the racist liberals had no problem calling Senator Tim Scott an "Uncle Tim," because he dared to deviate from the accepted ideology of the left.  How dare a black man do such a thing.  How dare he say that the United States is not racist.  I wonder if they have any clue just how racist that idea is - the idea that one's skin color must dictate their view of the world.

I do not support Black Lives Matter.  I do support black lives, and those of all races.  But the BLM movement is anti-police.  I am not.  They are anti-Israel and anti-Semitic.  Unlike most on the left, I a a strong supporter of Israel.  I believe in treating people as individuals, not as members of a larger group based on their race or ethnic background or religion.  

Biden is a liar.  He lied about seeking "unity."  That was the theme of his inaugural address.  Yet, he has shown no signs of seeking unity, having signed far more executive orders than any of his recent predecessors.  And he has pushed far more "progressive" legislation.  Biden also lied about the Georgia election law, encouraging Major League Baseball to move their All Star game out of Atlanta.  He continued to lie about it even after the Washington Post (a left-wing paper) gave him the maximum 4 pinocchios for his lie.   

Biden is ineffectual in dealing with the immigration crisis at the southern border.  He essentially invited all these people to come.  He seems to not care about the human trafficking or drug smuggling.  As with the rest of the progressive left, more immigrants is assumed to mean more Democratic voters.  A Fox News poll of 4/18-4/21/21 of registered voters, found that most of the people polled blamed Biden for the increase in migrants at the border.  38% said it was completely his fault, and 18% said it was mostly his fault.  That's 56% compared to 36% who said it was only a little his fault (21%) or not at all his fault (15%).  

And I'm mad at Biden for continuing to talk about "systemic racism."  As I mentioned in another post today, it discourages young people.  Here's the proof.  I saw an ad on TV.  A little white boy was sitting and playing with toys, and the caption read: "When I grow up...I'll job hop...to avoid toxic workplaces."  The little black girl was also sitting and playing with toys, with this caption: "When I grow up...I will face discrimination for my differences...unless you champion equality."  Anyone who frightens young people like that is sick.  

And I firmly believe that Trump's (and the Republicans') approach to expanding opportunity, which resulted in historic low unemployment rates across all races, is far healthier for society than the government giving people numerous handouts.  

As readers know, some very long term friends have abandoned me, simply because I disagree with them politically.  I have never done that to anybody.  But I found that most on the left refuse to engage in a political discussion.  Even if they start the conversation, they will end it when they are challenged by me.  These are often bright people with no interest in hearing an opposing viewpoint.  Go figure.

So I will continue to do what I do.  But once again, as I have done in the past, I am happy to present another side.  I have done that with my give and take with various professors and others.  And I published an exchange with a Public Editor of the New York Times.  (The Times eliminated that position a number of years ago.  Too much criticism of the paper is my guess.)  And I once offered someone to write his own post, although the offer was declined.       

The Coronavirus 59 Weeks Later - The Aftermath of the George Floyd/Derek Chauvin Verdict

Derek Chauvin was found to be guilty on all counts for the death of George Floyd.  Prior to the verdict, President Biden proved that he is a race baiter with his comment that he was "praying" for the "right verdict."  Democrat Congresswoman Maxine Waters also spoke before the verdict, saying that if Chauvin was acquitted, people would need to "get more confrontational."  The Judge in the Chauvin case called such comments "abhorrent."  There is always the concern that such comments might dissuade the jury from even considering a finding of "not guilty," fearing widespread violence otherwise.  But Biden and Waters, like Obama before them, can get away with such comments, because they are Democrats.  

So, do we need to defund the police?  According to a Fox News poll, conducted from April 18 - 21, 62% oppose a reduction in police funding, with only 33% supporting it.  But, some cities have already reduced police funding.  Here is how well defunding is working in some cities.  According to Fox, year to date, Chicago has seen a 33% increase in homicides and 39% increase in shootings.  New York City, an 8% increase in homicides and 64% increase in shootings.  (Although the NYPD reports that March, 2020 vs March, 2021, there was a 36% increase in the murder rate.)  Los Angeles had a 186% increase in murders, and an 80% increase in shootings.  Portland had a 733% increase in murders and a 103% increase in shootings. 

Meanwhile, the US House of Representatives passed the "George Floyd Justice in Policing Act" by a vote of 220 to 212, with two Democrats voting with all the Republicans against the measure.  The bill bans no knock warrants in drug cases.  I understand - we don't want mistakes made resulting in innocent people being killed.  But it also bans chokeholds.  My friend, a retired police officer, has said that chokeholds can temporarily incapacitate a person resisting arrest, allowing the police to handcuff that person and place them in custody, without the risk of serious injury to either the police or the person being arrested.  During their training they practiced chokeholds on each other, without incident.  

The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act also puts an end to "qualified immunity."  Because of qualified immunity, police officers do not have to worry about paying for their own attorneys every time a citizen may decide to sue them and the city in which they work.  They need not worry that their personal assets are on the line.  My friend, the retired cop, tells me that an increasing number of street cops are already showing up at crime scenes after the fact.  They put up the yellow tape and wait for the detectives to arrive.  If we take away their qualified immunity why would they ever want to engage any suspect?  Would you risk all of your family's assets every single day in a job where split second life and death decisions may have to be made?  

Not surprisingly, cops are quitting.  Why would they risk their lives, liberty and pensions and family just for doing their jobs?  No, I am not defending bad cops or bad behavior.  But in 2020 560 police officers retired from the Chicago PD, an increase of 15% from 2019.  2600 left the NYPD, an increase of 75% from 2019.  And, between retirements and leaves of absence, the Minneapolis PD has lost 20% of their force. 

No one was celebrating the recent death of 16 year old Ma'khia Bryant in Columbus, Ohio.  As police arrived, they saw Bryant holding a knife and appearing to be ready to stab another young woman.  One of the officers shot Bryant, who died from her wounds.  Both Bryant and the other woman are black.  But some commentators, while understandably upset by the death of a such a young person, made ridiculous recommendations.  Joy Behar suggested firing a warning shot in the air.  Very dangerous - because what goes up also comes down.  She suggested using a taser, but tasers do not always work.  And she suggested shooting the person in the leg.  But police are trained to not fire their weapons unless there is a threat of death or serious injury to themselves or others.  And given such a threat, they are taught to fire at center mass, which has the greatest likelihood of hitting the intended target (and not an innocent bystander), and stopping an imminent attack on life.  

But the left, along with the left-wing mainstream media, constantly tells us that police are targeting black people.  Some have called it an "epidemic."  As Jason Riley recently noted in his 4/28/21 column in the WSJ:  "According to a Washington Post database, police shot and killed 999 people in 2019, including 424 whites and 252 blacks.  Twelve of the black victims were unarmed, versus 26 of the white victims.  In a country where annual arrests number more than 10 million, if those black death totals constitute an "epidemic" of police use of lethal force against blacks, then the word has lost all meaning." 

No one is happy that nearly 1000 people were shot and killed by the police in 2019.  We would all prefer to live in a society where no one breaks the law and certainly where no one commits violent crimes.  But there are bad guys out there, and some are very bad guys.  The left and the mainstream media do a great disservice when they scare every black person into resisting lawful police commands, because they are afraid of the police.  And I will continue to ask - can anyone name a single one of the 50 white people shot and killed by the police in the first quarter of this year?  If not, do you understand the role the media plays in only reporting police shootings that involve black victims, and painting a picture of a police war on blacks?            

The Coronavirus 59 Weeks Later - Biden Addresses A Joint Session Of Congress

President Biden spoke to a joint session of Congress this past Wednesday (the first speech to Congress by a new President not being considered a "State of the Union" address).  He told us that he took office with 3 crises hanging over the country - the worst pandemic in a century, the worst economy since the Great Depression, and the "worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War."  Let's start with that last assertion.  Yes, it appeared that hundreds stormed the Capitol on January 6.  Yes, there was extensive property damage.  Yes, a Capitol police officer died and over a hundred people were injured.  And some were armed with pepper spray, stun guns and bats, but few if any had guns.  So, to my thinking, 9/11 was a far greater attack on our democracy and way of life than was January 6 (which I already condemned in a prior post).  

Biden took credit for creating 1.3 million new jobs in his first 100 days.  And for providing for 220 million Covid shots.  Remember in his augural address Biden emphasized "unity?"  He mentioned "unity" numerous times.  If he meant it, he would have thanked President Trump for Operation Warp Speed, resulting in the development of vaccines in record time.  The economy was already beginning to expand last year as the country started to reopen.  The Wall Street Journal reported that GDP grew 33.4% in the third quarter, but contracted to 4.3% in the fourth quarter with the new lockdowns.  The economy was already growing, with that growth accelerated by increasing numbers of people now being vaccinated. 

Taken together, Biden's proposals for the expansion of government are estimated to have a cost of 6 trillion dollars.  Yes, the government can print more money; but at what point do we see inflation eating away at the value of the dollar?  And how will future generations ever be able to repay that debt?  And to what end?  Clearly, with the expansion of government benefits to the middle class, the Democrats hope to buy millions of votes for the foreseeable future.  The Wall Street Journal asked this question:  "Haven't we tried this before?"  They remind us that Head Start had already provided pre-school and child care.  They tell us we had Women, Infants and Children programs, food stamps, welfare, childcare subsidies, and public housing.  The Journal:  "Why did the trillions of dollars spent on those programs fail?  And if they didn't work, why do we need more?"  

As a conservative, I want to see everyone in the country succeed.  So, if there is one thing I can see as a worthwhile expenditure, it is community college for all.  I am not sure why it needs to free for everyone, even for those who can afford to pay.  But community colleges can provide the needed education and job skills to enable people to succeed.  Providing unlimited benefits to people discourages work; and, quoting the Journal, "work...is the real path to independence and self-respect."  

Biden's worst moments were when he was discussing race.  "We have all seen the knee on the neck of Black America."  What we saw was the knee of one white man on one black man.  Biden went on to assert that "systemic racism...plagues American life in many other ways."  No, I am not claiming that there is no racism anymore.  But I'll say it again - stop telling young people that the system is stacked against them.  That is an evil message.  Tell people that if they get an education and work hard they can succeed - because it is true.  But if the country can be defined by racism, I do wonder why so many brown and black people keep pouring in from all over the world.      

Senator Tim Scott gave the Republican rebuttal to Biden's speech.  For daring to say that "America is not a racist country," he was called an "Uncle Tim."  A sellout to his race (Scott is black).  But we know that the most biased, most intolerant people are on the left.  At least one left-wing commentator mocked the Republicans putting up a "token" black for the rebuttal, noting that Scott is the only black Republican Senator.  But let's hear it for the Democrats because they have two black Senators.  

Senator Scott said it best:  "Just before Covid, we had the most inclusive economy in my lifetime.  The lowest unemployment ever recorded for African-Americans, Hispanics, and Asian-Americans.  The lowest for women in nearly 70 years.  Wages were growing faster for the bottom 25% than the top 25%.  That happened because Republicans focused on expanding opportunity for all Americans."  Expanding opportunity vs expanding dependency on government.  Which one do you think is better?