The Vice President Stays Silent In The Face Of Lies About Israel

Recently, Vice President Kamala Harris was at George Mason University in Virginia.  Here is what one student said to the VP:  "I see that over the summer there have been, like, protests, and demonstrations in astronomical numbers (in support of the Palestinians)...just a few days ago there were funds allocated to continue backing Israel, which hurts my heart because it's ethnic genocide and displacement of people, the same happened in America, and I'm sure you're aware of this."  

The student continued:  "I bring this up because Americans are struggling because of lack of healthcare, public healthcare, lack of affordable housing and all this money ends up going to inflame Israel..."

So let's take a look at these comments.  Recall that the Squad and other "progressives" put a hold on the bill funding the replenishment of the Iron Dome missile defense batteries, used by Israel to protect civilians against the thousands of rockets and missiles launched by Hamas earlier this year.  Ultimately, the House overwhelmingly voted to approve the funding by a vote of  420 to 9.  It hurts this student's heart - not that Hamas targets Israeli civilians (keeping in mind that there are Jews, Muslims, Christians and others in Israel) - but that Israel may be able to save the lives of civilians (non-combatants).  I can only conclude that this student wants to see more dead Israelis; and I suspect that she thinks/hopes they are all Jews. 

"Ethnic genocide" says the student.  A complete lie.  Not only are there no reports of any genocide from any credible news outlet, but it does make me wonder if the student understands "genocide."  When 6 million Jews were killed during the Holocaust, that was genocide.  When over one million Armenians were killed, that was a genocide.  When Communist China killed tens of millions of Chinese, that was a genocide.  So I would ask this student a question.  After 6 million Jews were killed, the world lost a third of the Jewish population.  How come in the last 3 decades the Palestinian population has actually grown by about 2.5 million people.  How does that happen during a genocide?

"Displacement of people" says the student.  I am not sure if she is alleging in so-called Israel proper (within the 1967 borders) or in the West Bank (Judea and Samaria).  I am not sure if she is referring to the area in Jerusalem where properties were legally obtained by Jews.  If there is displacement it is minimal; and certainly does not compare to the Palestinians' proposal to evict (displace) 500,000 Jews from their homes in the West Bank.  The student also says the money will "inflame Israel."  No.  Hamas starts a war by launching rockets and missiles into Israel, and Israel protects its civilians with Iron Dome.  And another reminder, most of the money "given" to Israel is spent right here in the USA for military hardware.  In this case, it is for Iron Dome.    

The student, who clearly has no fondness for either Israel or America, says the $1 billion should go to Americans for healthcare and housing.  For those who argue against all foreign aid to any country, even allies, I can understand.  I strongly disagree, but I can understand.  Here, we are supposed to believe that this $1 billion will make all the difference to Americans.  Given the $5 trillion on the table for both the infrastructure and Biden's Build Back Better bills, I don't believe the student really means that .0002% of the $5 trillion is what keeps her up at night.  If that $1 billion was going to the Palestinians, I would bet she would be asking for more, not complaining about Americans' healthcare and housing.   

As indicated above, this student's remarks were directed at our Vice President, who surely corrected her.  Right?  Wrong.  Instead, the VP said this:  "Your voice, your perspective, your experience, your truth cannot be suppressed, and it must be heard, right?  A democracy is at its strongest when everyone participates."  The Vice President of the United States failed to push back against the lies of an Israel hating student.  I am always amused whenever I hear anyone say "your truth" or "my truth."  If they mean "THE truth is I'm gay," for example and they have never openly acknowledged that before, then at least there is some sense to it.  Bit the student addressing the VP was not a Palestinian.  How is what she said "her truth?"  It is nonsense.  There is truth, there are lies, and there are legitimate factual disputes.  

As written in an Op-Ed in the 9/27/21 Wall Street Journal (by Lance Morrow):  "...the 21st century has lost its appetite for objective proof.  Feelings are enough.  If you feel that something or someone is evil, why then it is so.  What you feel (the mirage of your emotions) acquires the status of reality.  You must, after all, 'speak your truth.'"  I must say, that sounds a lot like my expression, used often in the blog:  "liberals let their beliefs dictate their reality, conservatives let reality dictate their beliefs."

As for the Vice President:  Shame on her!  The statement subsequently released by her office that she "strongly disagrees" with that student was too little and too late.  She failed to react in the forum where it would have done the most good.  She stayed silent, presumably in order to not offend the Jew-hating, Israel-hating, left-wing base.

A Postscript To The 9/22/21 Post "The U.S. Immigration Policy"

President Biden has finally found his voice with regards to the ongoing immigration crisis at our southern border.  But, as with his Vice President, it was not to express concern about the human smuggling, drug smuggling or the cartels behind it.  It was not to express concern about people entering our country with Covid or other diseases, or about people who may be criminals or gang members or terrorists.  No, none of that was of concern.  After all, Biden invited all of these people to come.  No, our President's concern was about the lie being told about the mounted Border Police.  Nothing new about this - the Democrats and the Left have been scapegoating the police since last summer's riots.  

Recall that the initial lie was that a mounted Border Patrol agent used a whip on a Haitian migrant.  Or, as the mainstream media and the Left told us - a black Haitian migrant.  When it was shown that the mounted officers have no whips, the story was that the agent used the horse's reins as a whip.  Except, no one was hit.  That did not deter Biden from saying this:  "To see people treated like they did, horses barely running over...people being strapped - it's outrageous."  And Biden went further:  "I promise, those people will pay.  There will be an investigation underway now and there will be consequences.  There will be consequences."  

As with his former boss, Biden is not terribly big on "due process."  What people will pay?  Who will suffer consequences, and for what?  Why is there even going to be any investigation if the decision has already been made - regardless of the facts.  I, for one, have zero confidence of there being a fair investigation at this point.  Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas did nothing to assure us of a fair investigation when he said:  "We are addressing this with tremendous speed and tremendous force...it (the investigation) will be completed in days not weeks."  

The mainstream media was, of course, outraged, and was unable to refrain from adding the racial component.  Here was the 9/22/21 USA Today editorial:  "Think about that: An agent, carrying with him the authority of the U.S. government, riding down a defenseless, frightened black man."  Jeff Self is a retired Border Patrol agent and deputy sector chief, who also worked the mounted patrol for part of his 33 year career.  Self explained that these mounted agents are trained to not not allow those they are pursuing to get too close to the horse, lest they pull the reins in a manner causing injury or death to the horse, the agent, and even the migrant.  Self:  "Everything I see on this is appropriate."   

For now, at least, there will be no more mounted Border Patrol agents.  But here is my question:  why have any Border Patrol agents?  Why not defund them?  Biden and the Democrats clearly want an open border.  Biden invited these people to come during the campaign, and it is estimated that by year's end at least 2 million of these "migrants" will have entered the U.S. in 2021.  All during Biden's first year in office.  It is no coincidence.  It is Biden's policy.  

According to Secretary Mayorkas, of the 15,000 migrants that were recently at the Del Rio, Texas border crossing, about 12,000 were already released into the country.  Mayorkas assured us that these people are monitored in order to "ensure their appearance in court."  Right.  Even Chris Wallace pushed back on that assertion, pointing out for one period 44% failed their required court appearance.  Mayorkas said that a claim for "humanitarian relief" is "one of our proudest traditions."  First, preliminary research reflects that humanitarian relief is most often granted for visiting a sick family member, attending a funeral and seeking needed medical attention.  But second, I am astounded that Mayorkas thinks is the way to determine anyone's need for humanitarian relief.  To say that his and Biden's system is not an orderly process that might engender support, is a huge understatement.  

 

A Postscript To The 9/22/21 Post "The U.S. and Israel"

As he promised, House Democrat Majority Leader Steny Hoyer made sure proposed legislation to restore financing for Israel's Iron Dome missile defense batteries was brought to a vote this past week, after an earlier move by the "progressives" in the House prevented a vote on it.  The measure passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, with a vote of 420 to 9, with 2 members voting present.  Recall that Israel had to use many of those defensive missiles during the May war with Hamas, when thousands of rockets and missiles were fired into Israel.

Those voting against passage of the bill were Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn), Ayana Presley (D-Mass), Cori Bush (D-MO), Marie Newman (D-Ill), Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Andre Carson (D-IND), Jesus Garcia (D-Ill) and Thomas Massie (R-KY).

Tlaib, a Palestinian-American, said in explaining her vote:  "We cannot be talking only about Israelis need for safety at a time when Palestinians are living under a violent apartheid system and are dying from what Human Rights Watch has said are war crimes..."  Tlaib, as usual, is full of misinformation, if not outright lies.  She refers to Israelis as if all Israelis are Jews.  As of 2019 there were approximately 1,890,000 Arab Israelis.  Many are Muslim, some are Christian, Druze and Bedouin.  Those Arab Israelis are also protected by Iron Dome.  Clearly, Tlaib does not care about them.  

Israel is not run as a "violent apartheid system."  It is a democracy, with Arabs serving in the Knesset (the legislature) and in the current government led by Naftali Bennett.  And, once again, I need to point out that the "Palestinians" are responsible for their own fate, having turned down peace offer after peace offer, that would have established a separate state for them.  In fact, they could have had their own state since 1947, but even then they rejected the UN vote of partition, dividing the British Mandate into a Jewish State and an Arab State.  Instead, they chose war, in their first effort to wipe the new State of Israel off the map.  I am disgusted that Tlaib is considered a valuable member of the House Democrats caucus.  As for Human Rights Watch, they have a well known history of anti-Israel bias, focusing on what Israel does to protect itself, and not on the Palestinians offensive actions.

One of the two members voting "present" was Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.  She was seen crying on the House floor after her vote.  No doubt she was distressed.  I am sure she wanted to vote "No."  But she is a politician, and a politician with larger ambitions.  One theory behind her vote of "present," is that there will likely be a redrawing of her district, after the latest census.  The redrawing may include a community with a large Jewish population.  The other theory is that she plans to run against Chuck Schumer (Senate Majority Leader) for his seat in the Democratic primary in 2022.  She is well aware that New York State has a large Jewish population.  Now the question is, will her failure to take a stand one way or the other hurt her political future.  Given her considerable fund raising capabilities, I tend to think it will not.

So now the bill goes to the Senate, where the aforementioned Chuck Schumer runs things.  But Patrick Leahy is the Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and he has suggested that there may not be any urgency in considering this bill.  As for Schumer, all he would say is "Iron Dome is very important and it'll get done.  That's all I'm going to say."  I imagine that Schumer, a once vocal supporter of Israel, has also been looking into his political future, and may be concerned about next year's election.  After all, last time around Eliot Engel (D-NY, and another longtime Israel supporter) lost his seat to "progressive" candidate Jamaal Bowman.  Schumer and Engel both hail from New York and both are Jewish.  

But at least one Democratic Jewish member of Congress, Ted Deutch (D-Fla), did not hesitate to speak up.  In response to Tlaib, Deutch said:  "To advocate for the dismantling of the one Jewish state in the world, when there's no place on the map for one Jewish state, that's antisemitism and I reject it."  Sadly, each new election seems to bring additional Israel haters to the Congress.  And it would be telling if Senate Majority Leader Schumer should lose his seat to AOC or another Israel-bashing "progressive."     

Never Assume Anything

1.  Women cannot achieve the way men can.  According to a 9/6/21 piece in the Wall Street Journal, women comprised 59.5% of college students, compared to 40.5% for men, at the end of the 2020-2021 academic year.  And, in a rather astonishing fact, women obtained 13 million more academic degrees at all levels than men, during the period 1982 to the present.

While some will cheer this data, it should at least give us pause.  What are the implications for society if women delay/reject marriage and family?  (No nasty emails please.  I have two daughters who are very accomplished, with advanced degrees as well.)  And why are so many fewer men applying to colleges than are women (2.8 million men vs 3.8 million women) for the 2021-2022 academic year.  I think that there are many questions to be asked.

2.  Structural racism is real.  According to a 9/7/21 Op-Ed in the Wall Street Journal by William McGurn, there is a serious racial problem in our schools.  According to McGurn, "Of the 27 U.S. urban school districts that reported their results for 2019 (in the National Assessment of Education Progress report) - from Boston and Chicago to Fort Worth, Texas and Los Angeles - not a single one can say a majority of the black eighth graders in their care are proficient in either math or reading.  It isn't even close."

And McGurn discusses that it is not for lack of money.  But, instead, the Democrats and the left object to what may actually aid black students: vouchers.  Vouchers that can be used for private schools or parochial schools.  As long as the teachers unions continue to contribute large sums to Democrat campaigns, do not expect those elected politicians to vote in favor of anything that will negatively impact those teachers.   

3.  Joe Biden is a nice guy.  Does anyone seriously still believe this?  After he and his staff repeatedly said that they had no authority to issue a vaccine mandate, Biden then issued a vaccine mandate.  Biden:  "  We've been patient.  But our patience is wearing thin.  And your refusal has cost all of us."  (Full disclosure.  I previously reported in this blog that I received two doses of the Pfizer vaccine.  And that I believe in vaccines.  Since then, I have had a third dose of the Pfizer vaccine.)

My beef with Biden is not that he wanted to encourage people to get vaccinated.  Rather, it was the threatening manner in which he did it.  Threatening people is not the way to get them on your side.   

4.  Joe Biden supports women.  In a 9/22/21 editorial, the Wall Street Journal reported that the Taliban would not be allowing girls to return to school.  Also, no women were named as part of their new government.  We have seen the way that women protesters have been beaten by the Taliban.  Said the Journal:  "No single act by an American President has done more harm to more women than Mr. Biden's willy-nilly withdrawal from Afghanistan.  Noble but feckless exhortations at Turtle Bay (where the UN is located in New York City and where Biden spoke yesterday) can't make up for that reality."    

The U.S. and Israel

Traditionally, our two countries have been close allies, notwithstanding at times serious policy differences along the way.  But with the growth of the left within the Democrat party, and the likely near retirement of some of the old guard who stood by Israel (think Nancy Pelosi, Steny Hoyer and Chuck Schumer), it is clear that the times they are a changing.

When the House needed to pass a continuing budget resolution in order to keep the government open and functioning, members of the left-wing "progressive" segment of the party were able to eliminate a very specific item from the resolution.  That item would have have provided $1 billion in aid for Israel to replenish their Iron Dome missile defense batteries.  Many of those missiles were used in the recent May war with Hamas.  Recall that the Iron Dome missile defense system was developed jointly by the U.S. and Israel.   

Hoyer (D-MD), pledged to get a separate vote on the funding by the end of this week.  But we have seen how the growing left-wing of the party has no affinity for Israel, and an increasing impact on legislation.

Recently, newly elected Israeli Prime Minister was at the White House.  Here is the Executive Director of CAIR (the Council on American Islamic Relations):  "President Joe Biden is hosting the leader of the Israeli Taliban."  CAIR, the leading Islamic organization in the country, equates the democratically elected Israeli Prime Minister with the Taliban.  

Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich) recently Tweeted about a Palestinian mother (Rashid is a Palestinian American) "fighting to be able to bury her daughter and begin her dealing."  Tlaib told us that this "loving daughter and successful PhD student was killed by the Israeli government... (and) Israel won't release her body to her family."  

Sounds awful.  Unless you know what Tlaib left out.  Which was this "loving daughter" committed a terrorist attack.  She was not killed by the Israeli government, but by the security forces she targeted.  And Israel does have a policy of not returning the bodies of terrorists to their families.  Why?  Because the Palestinians will celebrate yet another martyr, and in the process encourage more terrorist attacks.  Keep that in mind as you contemplate the fact that Tlaib is a respected member of the Democratic House caucus.  

And The Algemeiner (an online Jewish paper) reported on a recent poll of Jewish college students.  They noted that "a poll released Monday found that half of 'openly Jewish' college students have at times attempted to conceal their religious identity on campus, and that they are more likely to do so the longer they're enrolled."  They go on to state that "more than half have hidden their support of Israel."  And, quite disturbingly, 30% who hid their Jewish identity did so because they feared their professors would give them lower grades if they knew the students were Jewish.

We are living in an era when open support for Israel can cause people to be ostracized.  And, as we know, the attacks are overwhelmingly coming from the left wing of the Democrat Party.    

 

The California Recall Election

There were two issues on the ballot in California:  1) Should Gavin Newsom be recalled?  and 2) If he is recalled, who should replace him?  The most prominent person running to replace Newsom was author and radio talk show host Larry Elder.  Elder is a Republican/Libertarian.  And he is black.

It was no surprise that in heavily democratic California Newsom beat back the recall by a large margin.  When I last checked the numbers a few days ago, voting against the recall were over 6.7 million people, or  63.5%.  Voting for the recall were over 3.8 million people, or 36.5%.  Newsom only needed 50% plus one vote to remain in office.  

But here is an interesting statistic.  Of the (I think) 56 people running to replace Newsom, Larry Elder, a black Republican, received the overwhelming number of votes, with over 2.7 million, or 47.3% of those other candidates receiving votes.  The next highest vote getter was Kevin Paffrath, with only 585,000 votes, or 9.9%.  What?  All those "racist" Republicans voted for the black man?  

But is Larry Elder really black?  Can I believe my lying eyes?  In a column by Erika Smith, run by the Los Angeles Times before the election, Smith asserted:  "Larry Elder is the Black face of white supremacy.  You've been warned."  Here was a major newspaper, in the year 2021, essentially endorsing an accusation against Larry Elder that he is an "Uncle Tom."  It is beyond outrageous.   On the other hand, I am long past the point in time where I expect Democrats to debate based on facts, logic and reason.  No, name calling will do just fine.

Here is Melina Abdullah of Black Lives Matter:  "...everything that he's pushing, everything that he stands for, he is advancing white supremacy."  And:  "Few things infuriate me more than watching a Black person use willful blindness and cherry-picked facts to make overly simplistic arguments that whitewash the complex problems that come along with being Black in America."  

And in a New York Times Op-Ed, Farhad Manjoo wrote this:  "In the year 2001, (Elder said that) racism is not our major problem.  Personal responsibility is."  And, Manjoo told us that Elder called Blacks "victocrats."  Actually, Elder has called many on the left "victocrats."  

So, a black man who thinks for himself (i.e. does not adhere to the left-wing party line) is called the black face of white supremacy.  A black man who talks about personal responsibility is obviously abhorrent.  

On the bright side, we did get to keep Gavin Newsom as Governor.  Crime is rampant.  Homelessness is out of control, with tent cities everywhere.  Gas prices are no doubt the highest in the nation.  We are teaching critical race theory and antisemitism in our schools.  The quality of life has so deteriorated that many people and businesses have fled the state.  According to the latest census, California will actually be losing a House seat for the first time, as a result of the exodus.  

And if Larry Elder is the black face face of white supremacy, then Gavin Newsom is the white face of white privilege.  After all, Newsom's kids get to go to private schools.  And he sides with the teachers unions against giving that right to low income and minority kids.  And given his political connections, Newsom was able to raise $70 million for the recall fight, compared to Elder's $13 million. 

Someone said to me that Newsom screwed up San Francisco when he was Mayor.  So he got promoted to Governor.  After screwing up California, next stop...the White House.  You've been warned.  

  

The U.S. Immigration Policy - There is None!

 On 8/17/21, Fox reported on the amount of coverage given by the three networks to the crisis at the southern border.  During July, NBC Nightly News spent all of 3 minutes and 43 seconds on it.  Which definitely beat ABC's World News Tonight of 37 seconds.  And last was the CBS Evening News which spent zero seconds on the border.  Fox, however, has been showing what has been happening at the border for months.  Now, some of the mainstream media have awakened to the issue.  Or perhaps they have been embarrassed by their ignoring the issue.

The Del Rio crossing in Texas has been much in the news.  At one point an estimated 15,000 "migrants" (aka illegal aliens) were living on the US side in what can only be described as a shanty town.  Texas Governor Greg Abbott asked President Biden for a federal disaster declaration.  I am unaware of the President replying.  25 Republican Governors have requested a meeting with Biden in order to address the border crisis, and have been joined by one Democrat Governor.

There was a widely reported news story of Border Patrol agents on horseback allegedly using whips on "migrants."  They had no whips.  So the story changed to whipping the "migrants" with the reins.  VP Harris, put in charge of the border by Biden, said this:  "What I saw depicted, those individuals on horseback treating human beings the way they were was horrible.  I fully support what is happening right now, which is a thorough investigation into what is going on there.  But human beings should never be treated that way, and I'm deeply troubled by it."  

That's a relief.  You now what Harris is not deeply troubled by?  Human smuggling.  Drug smuggling.  Cartels getting enriched.  People being allowed to enter our country when they may have Covid.  Or other diseases.  Or may be criminals.  Or gang members.  Or terrorists.  Current estimates are that 1.3 million people have entered illegally.  We do not know who they are.  But most are being given free access to go anywhere in the country.  Press Secretary Jen Psaki said they have no intention of staying for a long period of time.  Right.  They have traveled hundreds if not thousands of miles, from all over the globe, just so that they can return home in a few days.  

Here's more from Harris:  "People want to stay home.  They don't want to leave home.  But they leave when they cannot satisfy their basic needs."  As I recall, during the campaign Biden said the country could easily accommodate another couple million people.  Well by year's end it is likely that 2 million illegal aliens will have entered the country.

Here is US Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA):  "What we witnessed (Mounted Border Patrol Agents) takes us back hundreds of years.  What we witnessed was worse than what we witnessed in slavery - cowboys with their reins, again, whipping black people."

What I'm witnessing is one moron after the next.  Biden, who not only refuses to enforce the law, but by executive order on his first day in office, ended all of President Trump's border protection policies.  I'm witnessing a VP who, as with her boss, has no respect for the law nor for US sovereignty.  I'm witnessing a Press Secretary perfectly willing to lie in order to support Biden's open border policy.  As for Maxine Waters - doesn't everyone know by now what a moron she is.  

But Mike, don't you have any sympathy/empathy for these "migrants?"  I do.  But it is completely irrelevant.  If having sympathy/empathy is the only determining factor as to who gets into our country, then come on in world.  But understand that you no longer have a sovereign nation.  The first, and most important, job of a president is to protect the American people.  But not for these Democrats.  When asked why they are coming now, many said that Biden invited them.  And he promised "free" food and housing.  Free for them, but not for the American taxpayer.  This is Biden and Harris looking out for you.