by | BLOG, FREEDOM, Israel
It has become abundantly clear that there is a big problem with the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) community. DEI has labored to push the narrative that you are either an oppressor or oppressed. The problem for them is that this idea doesn’t work when it comes to Israel. There is absolutely no more oppressed minority in the history of the world than the Jews. And yet the same DEI folks make them out to be the oppressor — and try to do so with a straight face.
Anyone who calls Israel an occupier or oppressor is either lying or grossly ignorant. The Jews were in what is now Israel 4000 years ago until they were kicked out during the Jewish-Roman wars of the 1st century. The subsequent rulers/inhabitants of the land included Romans, Byzantine Christians, Muslims, Crusaders, Mongols, Mamluks, Ottomans, and Brits. It was not only Arabs despite what others tell you. Not until the post-Ottoman empire were Jews really able to return home, and the 1948 Israeli Declaration of Independence provided protection for Jews that was sorely needed in a post-Holocaust world. The Oslo Accords of 1993 saw the PLO formally recognize the state of Israel and the right of Israel to exist, but it still was not recognized by many in the Arab world. As for Gaza, the Israelis withdrew from the region in 2005 and it has been under the control of Hamas since 2006. Israel is hardly the “oppressors.” I would agree that the Palestinians in Gaza are oppressed – but the oppressor is Hamas, not the Israelis, who have been gone for almost 20 years.
DEI’s absurd ideology is exposed for what it is: a ridiculous and feeble attempt to see the world through a biased lens in order to push false narratives that don’t hold up to reality.
by | ARTICLES, BLOG, Israel
Front Page Magazine put together a nice list of twelve things you can do to support Israel. I’m reprinting it here below and encourage you to do some of the things on the list.
[1] Be informed – Learn the history of the conflict. Do background reading. Good places to start include: “The Clash of Civilizations and Remaking of World Order” (1996) by Samuel P. Huntington, “The Case for Israel” (2004) by Alan Dershowitz and “Stealth Jihad: How Radical Islam is Subverting America without Guns or Bombs” (2008) by Robert Spencer.
[2] Follow news of the war – reliable sources include The Washington Times (especially its commentary pages), FOX News, The Wall Street Journal (editorial pages), The New York Post and websites like Frontpage Mag.
[3] Put up an “I support Israel” yard sign — weather-resistant vinyl with metal frame, around $15 to $20, plus shipping.
[4] Wear an Israel lapel pin — Available for under $10.
[5] Go to a rally — Check with your closest Israeli consulate, synagogue or local Jewish Community Relations Council for dates and locations near you.
[6] Donate to Magen David Adom – Israel’s emergency medical services. They’re needed more than ever now. You can donate HERE.
[7] Plant a tree in Israel – Through the Jewish National Fund, for only $18 each.
[8] Become an Internet warrior – When you find a particularly useful news story, commentary or website, pass it on to your contact list.
[9] Write letters to the editor of your local newspaper – in response to a news story, editorial or commentary. You can find out how at the paper’s website. Remember, letters in support are as important as letters in opposition.
[10] Support pro-Israel groups – like Students United for Israel, Christians United for Israel Zionist Organization of America and American for a Safe Israel.
[11] Contact your local state legislators – requesting that your state legislature pass a resolution supporting Israel and denouncing Hamas terrorism. They might get help drafting from the American Legislative Exchange Council.
[12] Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
by | BLOG, EDUCATION, HYPOCRISY, Israel
The latest attempt by Liz Magill to smooth over Jewish donors and save her job is absolutely pathetic. She purports to condemn hateful acts and claims they have no place at Penn, but has done nothing to actually ensure they have no place by removing antisemitism from the campus. There is no expulsion of students who actually engaged in antisemitism — even though she even described those acts! There is no removal of faculty or administration who have downplayed antisemitism and allowed its ideas to take root and grow. Penn indeed “has work to do”, and it can start there. But it won’t. And here’s why.
Liz Magill doesn’t actually believe what she says. It is apparent on the front page of her plan. She writes, “As we move forward with this important work, we will ensure that our programmatic efforts consider the interconnectedness between antisemitism and other forms of hate, including Islamophobia, so that we are fostering a welcoming community for all.”
Right there, Magill can’t help but include Islamophobia alongside antisemitism; this means she is fearful of actually taking a unilateral stand solely against antisemitism on behalf of her Jewish students, faculty, and donors. She is equivocating here by including what she calls “other forms of hate” in her statement, because she is more worried about upsetting other members of the community than she is clear about defending Jews.
Even more alarming is the fact that she calls “Islamophobia” a form of hate, but it is not. The very definition of antisemitism is hatred against Jewish, a form of racism and outright hostility toward the Jewish people. In contrast, Islamophobia is a fear (phobia), often irrational, toward Islam or Muslims. Fear and hatred are two very different things and to conflate the two is disingenuous.
But she doesn’t end there. She repeats the sentence in her Education plan, again lumping antisemitism with Islamophobia. And then further along as a Medium Term Action, she announces the commitment to hire “an experienced leader with expertise in preventing and responding to antisemitism, Islamophobia, and other forms of hate.”
If this was actually about antisemitism, it would be about antisemitism. And that’s why it’s not. The need to throw “Islamophobia” in there three times (and no specific mention of any other forms of hate, mind you) is ridiculous and it cheapens anything she says. Magill is merely pandering to the Jewish community because she is actually terrified of offending the larger UPenn community as well as losing millions in donations to her school. Her action plan to combat anti semitism should start with her own resignation.
by | BLOG, Israel, MEDIA
The major media outlets in the United States, notably the NYTimes and the Washington Post, are once again complicit in the perpetuating misinformation. The latest example is the rush to blame Israel for a hospital bombing in Gaza that purportedly killed five hundred people. When it later became apparent that it was a misguided missile from Islamic Jihad, that the hospital was not severely damaged, and far fewer people died, there was no major recantation from the newspapers.
Even when the actual evidence continued to pile up and contradict the initial reports, they just merely resorted to stating that there is “evidence on both sides.” They couldn’t even admit that they were incorrect. They don’t even seem to want to restore their credibility. And that’s the problem. How stupid can these media groups be to even believe any news from Hamas? In the rush to downplay the atrocities or equivocate Israel’s response for the Hamas slaughter, they perpetuate the lies and don’t even seem to really care that they do.
by | BLOG, FREEDOM, Israel
The atrocity of the October 7 Hamas invasion in Israel has recently been compared to our 9/11 attack. While the situation is similar — an Islamic terrorist group struck against a sovereign nation — the assault on Israel was far worse. To put it in perspective, consider this: on 9/11, 3,000 American citizens died and during the Hamas attack, 1,300 Israeli citizens died. But when you consider those terrible numbers in reference to the total population of each country, the 1,300 deaths out of an Israeli population of 9.55 million would be comparable to a loss of roughly 45,000 Americans. That is 15 times higher than our losses from 9/11. Similarly, the initial injuries incurred by Israelis are 3,227. That would be equivalent to 113,000 injuries to Americans on 9/11, while in actuality that number for us was roughly 6,000.
As a lifelong New Yorker, I am in no way downplaying the monstrosity of 9/11. Yet as an American, it is imperative to show others how wide and cruel the Hamas slaughter really and truly was.
by | ECONOMY, TAXES
In the WSJ this week, Phill Gramm and Don Boudreaux do an excellent job detailing the devastating effects Trump’s tariffs have had on the American economy. How can protectionists like Trump and his allies not understand that tariffs are destructive? A tariff is basically a tax on imports. It is championed as a means to boost domestic production and government revenue, but this is far from economic reality. Tariffs clearly and consistently hurt the consumer and taxpayer by driving costs up to everybody in amounts far in excess of any short term benefits.
Tariffs add to inflation and put American companies at a disadvantage because foreign countries can (and do) retaliate by putting their own tariffs on our exports. This slows manufacturing growth, increases prices, and makes the economy more sluggish. On the other hand, free trade creates better choices for consumers and more global opportunities for American companies, resulting in lower costs and an expanded job market.
To suggest a tariff is a pro-growth economic policy is utterly ridiculous. Tariffs don’t strengthen American manufacturers; they are cronyism of the highest order. Protectionists are economically ignorant and tariffs have proven (yet again) to be disastrous for our economy.
by | ARTICLES, BLOG, ELECTIONS, NEWS
Over at the Wall Street Journal, columnist Andy Kessler came up with a list of what he dubbed “15 Ways to Win a Presidential Primary.” Essentially, Kessler eschews style for content as a winning strategy for the crowded Republican primary field. Here is Kessler’s 15 point fix-it plan:
TSA reform
Tackle prescription drug pricing
End hidden fees
End the post office monopoly
Aviation and air-traffic control reform
End the public school monopoly
Offer a 20 year plan for school modernization
End housing price controls
End price fixing
End geographic monopolies
End train subsidies
Outlaw ethanol use
Tighten the border
Put expiration dates on legislation
Nix public-sector collective bargaining
This list is a good start, but I can also think of a few of my own, such as ending the capital gains tax and reforming estate taxes. What are some action items you would like to see?
by | BLOG, LAW, NEWS, POLITICS
The government interference in the Hunter Biden tax case is simply astounding. Looking beyond the “sweetheart” (misdemeanor) deal that Hunter Biden received is something just as egregious; namely, the actions of the Justice Department in the entire ordeal. Here’s a sampling of their odious behavior:
1) Probable cause had been established by prosecutors to search a) Hunter Biden’s guest house in Delaware at President Biden’s home; and b) the Hunter Biden’s storage unit in Virginia, where it was likely important records had been kept. Instead, the Justice Department denied permission for the search warrants.
2) Whereas the Justice Department traditionally declines to investigate or indict serious matters within 60 days of an election, they did so for six months.
3) They warned Hunter’s attorneys about an forthcoming search warrant that was intended to gather evidence
4) They declined the ability to have key witnesses interviewed on important issues involving potentially Hunter and his father.
Indeed, it seems rational to conclude if the Justice Department had made different choices than the ones above, those might have led to unearthing tangible connections with Hunter and Joe Biden. Furthermore, the Special Agent report recommended six felonies and five misdemeanors for Hunter’s tax problems. And yet, the federal government allowed the statute of limitations for 2014 and 2015 charges to expire, something that is practically unheard of. Moreover, allowing the misdemeanor charges to proceed in lieu of felony charges violates the Tax Division Manual.
The irregular actions of the Justice Department have tipped the scales in favor of Hunter Biden for reasons that are specifically unclear, but easy to speculate about (i.e. Joe). It’s incredible how brazen the government has been able to be.
