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Jewish Cheques and Balances [Updated]

by Oui Thu Jul 19th, 2018 at 02:48:49 PM EST

Interesting ... funding the Blue Wave!!

Billionaire Ex-GOP Megadonor Seth Klarman Bets Big On Democratic 'Blue Wave' | The Forward - today |

Hedge fund guru Seth Klarman used to be a major Republican donor. Now he's putting substantial money towards helping the Democrats' "blue wave."

Klarman, who is Jewish, has donated more than $250,000 to around 80 Democratic candidates so far this year, the Forward can reveal.

More below the fold ...


Klarman gave more than $2.9 million to Republican causes in 2016, but broke ranks with the party shortly after the inauguration over what he called President Trump's "erratic" leadership [NYT]. By October 2017, he was comparing Trump to Adolf Hitler at a private philanthropic gathering. And the following April, he publicly vowed to help Democrats win -- going so far as to pledge that he would invest the earnings of his tax cut, which he described as something "I neither need nor want," toward efforts to defeat the GOP.

[Read more: ...]

Perhaps also Bibi Netanyahu losing grip on the Jewish community in the U.S. of A. A lot has been written about the Jewish diaspora and Netanyahu had made the choice to cozy up to the fundamental evangelists and the alt-right movement. Israel became part of the international opposition to get a Republican elected in 2016 as revenge for Obama and Democrats. JCPOA – the nuclear deal with Iran.

The News Era of Jewish Terror | Ynet News Israel - July 17, 2018 |
New Fascist Pariah States America and Israel Lashing Out
Trump Meets Putin [Updated]

Ooops!

I had an extended diary in mind on the Jewish criticism within the Labour Party of Jeremy Corbyn and the right-wing populist leadership holding the Israeli electorate hostage. Interesting times. It must wait for another day due to the above topic, hopefully it has some depth and will carry some weight to balance the discourse in the Democratic Party.

Yesterday I read an opinion piece and did some analysis where this criticism is coming from … I got some sense in background and misinformation to damage Jeremy Corbyn.

[Update-1]

Israel passes controversial Jewish nation-state bill | DW |

Among other things, the law states only Jews have the right to self-determination, it "encourages" Jewish settlement and downgrades the status of the Arabic language. Critics say it is racist and threatens democracy.

The "nation-state" law, backed by the right-wing government, passed 62-55 with two abstentions in the 120-seat Knesset after months of political debate and after some parts were softened over concerns it would damage Israel's international image.

The bill states that "Israel is the historic homeland of the Jewish people" and "the right to exercise national self-determination in the State of Israel is unique to the Jewish people." It also downgrades Arabic from an official language alongside Hebrew to a "special" one, and declares Jerusalem the united capital of Israel.

The law also instructs the state to preserve the Jewish heritage within the diaspora, and contains passages about national holidays, the flag, the anthem and making the Hebrew calendar the official calendar.

The measure enters Israel's Basic Law, which is similar to a constitution.

Israel has 1.9 million Arab citizens, or about 21 percent of the total population of 9 million. Another 5 percent of the population consists of non-Arab Christians or other ethnic groups.

'The majority decides'

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the law enshrined the principle of Jewish existence.

    "Israel is the nation-state of the Jewish people that respects the individual rights of all its citizens. This is our state — the Jewish state."
Last week, Netanyahu vowed to ensure all civil rights were protected, but said "the majority also has rights and the majority decides."

In Israel, hard-right Hungarian PM hails himself and Netanyahu as ‘patriots’ | Times of Israel – today |
EU warns nation state bill could harm Israeli democracy | Jerusalem Post |

Just a reminder from the handwriting of President Truman in 1948 … crossed out the prefix “Jewish” when the United Nations voted for the independence of the State of Israel. A role played by George Marshall.

General Marshall was vehemently opposed recognizing Israel and instead favored U.N. trusteeship after British withdrawal
Marshall, the Recognition of Israel, and anti-Semitism

Ooops … the opinion piece written by MP Hodge got serious traction in a Jewish publication … some well done coordination IMO. :(

UK Labour MP calls Jeremy Corbyn ‘racist’ and ‘anti-semite' | Jewish Chronicle and Jerusalem Post !! |

Display:
Pundits and media missing the essence of the Trump - Putin meeting in Helsinki ... one of the agreements about ending the conflict in Syria, the renewal of the START treaty and favouritism to the State of Israel.

US Congress just put president Trump under censure by a 98-0 vote ... speaking of an out of control state! The unbalance of the three powers for checks and balances how it was put into the Constitution. The Separation of Power:

    The system of checks and balances in government was developed to ensure that no one branch of government would become too powerful. The framers of the U.S. Constitution built a system that divides power between the three branches of the U.S. government--legislative, executive and judicial--and includes various limits and controls on the powers of each branch.

Like I wrote recently, a trench warfare throwing bombs at one another. Complete stalemate, no advance in solving problems, a train wreck waiting to happen. So much that needs to be done on the planet! Capitalism and greed getting the upper hand.

To the benefit of Israel, any and all legislation pertaining to the Israel-Palestine conflict is settled by U.S. Congress in such an authoritarian vote of 98-2 to favour the Jewish citizens of Israel. The bully in Jerusalem knows exactly how the handle in such a matter ... Obama and Democrats sidelined, the latter happily working on their own political defeat.

The winner of the Trump-Putin summit is Israel | Ynet News - Editorial |

Op-ed: At their meeting in Helsinki this week, Trump and Putin presented a united front. Both agreed to uphold the 1974 Separation of Forces Agreement between Israel and Syria. These leaders support of Israel is so astonishing that it calls to mind President Regan's historical support of the Israeli air strike in Iraq.

There is no doubt that the performance of the presidents of the United States and Russia on the same stage in Helsinki, during which they spoke in one voice about Israel, is precedent-setting.

Yes, Israel still needs to defend itself. And the two promised to do so on Israel's northern border.

Please note: Not only did they refrain from demanding Israel to give back the Golan Heights to those who held it until 1967, but they promised to help keep the Golan in our hands against Syria, and help handle its accompanying problems.

This is a historical paradox. In 1947, in pre-state times, Jewish leaders placed their trust in the United States, but Secretary of State George Marshall and Defense Secretary James Forstel opposed the establishment of a Jewish state in Palestine . [See my writing above - Oui]

...

On the other side, the Soviet Union, which had no sympathy for the Zionist idea, surprised the West with its UN announcement that it would support the establishment of a Jewish state. Looking back, one can even say that the Soviet Union had a fair share in the establishment of the State of Israel.

Not only that, but when the United States vetoed arms shipments to the Middle East, the Soviet aid in ammunition was greater than expected: a full military airport in Czechoslovakia was available for Israel's use.

Later on, since Israel had serious arguments with US presidents over the Dimona project, gaining American support became an uphill battle. During John F. Kennedy's tenure, the battle reached its peak when Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion's resignation was viewed as a delaying tactic against American coercion.

This Update-7 was posted earlier in my diary - Helsinki Summit: Trump Meets Putin [Updated].

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Fri Jul 20th, 2018 at 04:44:51 AM EST
Often return to Richard Silverstein for his analysis and take on things of importance to the US Jewish community and the state of affairs in Israel. Most often the culture not covered by the MSM or most pundits, the perils underneath the surface.

Israel's Nation State Law Seals the Death of Democracy | Tikun Olam |

Let's get one thing out of the way first.  This is not a Nation State law or a Jewish Nation State law.  It is a Death to Democracy law.  A Jewish Theocracy law.  Israel is now no different from your average Muslim or Buddhist (Burma) or Sinhalese nation-state, which privileges one religion over another.  It is little different from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan or Iran.  It now explicitly, rather than implicitly, grants supremacy to Jews over non-Jews.  It now explicitly states it will fund Jewish building projects and settlements and offer nothing (or next to nothing) to non-Jewish communities.  Of course that was de facto practice before.  Now it is inscribed not just in law, but in the Basic Law, which is Israel's equivalent to-though not precisely the same as-our constitution.

Israel is no longer a state for all its citizens regardless of religion. It is a state by, of and for Jews.  The anthem is for Jews, the flag for Jews, the language of Jews.  State benefits-for Jews; jobs-for Jews; health care-for Jews; education-for Jews.  If you substitute Aryan for Jew you'd have something comparable to the Nuremberg Law of the 1930s.

But oddly, what this new Law does more than ever is declare a clear dichotomy, an inalienable break between Diaspora Jewry and Israel.  So ironically while Israel declares itself a supremacist Jewish state, the rest of the Jews of the world resoundingly reject this designation.  In fact, more and more (though perhaps not yet the majority) reject the notion that Israel represents them at all as Jews.

[Read on ...]

The global community is obsessed with the Trump - Putin romance and the sores of a divorce between the UK and the EU: Brexit. As the world turns, any observers for other major news events?

ADL [!!] raises alarm over Israeli democracy after nation-state bill | Times of Israel | [A decade or so too late in my opinion - Oui]
Israel passes controversial 'Jewish nation-state' law | Al Jazeera |
'One more racist law': reactions as Israel axes Arabic as official language | The Guardian |
Arab leaders demand world step in after Israel passes 'apartheid' bill | The National UAE |

Arab "leaders" demand ... just laughable as their focus was war with Shia Islam of Iran and have formed a coalition of the willing with the US - UK - NATO - Turkey and Israel!! The neocon plan for upheaval in the Middle East went forward as planned: Iraq - Libya - Syria. The GCC states took it upon themselves to thwart the Houthis in Yemen with strong military backing of the US and the UK. War crimes with impunity - is the wold watching?

Related reading ...

International Coalition to Defeat Democrats and Hillary in 2016

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Fri Jul 20th, 2018 at 06:15:31 AM EST
While this goes on, Israel is about to have a general strike over what really matters: Surrogacy rights for LGBT couples.
by gk (gk (gk quattro due due sette @gmail.com)) on Fri Jul 20th, 2018 at 03:47:03 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Have you got ten minutes?

Today's BBC Newsnight interview with Tony Blair.

The British version of US Democrats, centrism and Clintonite. Can't get it in a more compact statement. Covers the policies of 2000 to the present ... with some sense of historical content of events and how politicians failed to keep in touch with a changing electorate.

We all are aware Tony Blair has lost it a long time ago ... creating the opening for Brexit - Conservatives in power - election of Donald Trump. Tony Blair has NO CLUE! What a pitiful figure he has become. Read the transcript. Tony at a loss for words to respond on Labour and which party wing he stands behind.

Backing the ugly attack of Labour MP Hodge on Jeremy Corbyn. Hypocrite!

@ET -  Jewish Cheques and Balances.

Ooops ... the opinion piece written by MP Hodge got serious traction in a Jewish publication ... some well done coordination IMO. :(

UK Labour MP calls Jeremy Corbyn 'racist' and 'anti-semite' | Jewish Chronicle and Jerusalem Post !! |

Cross-posted from Booman Tribune ...

Re: Must We Repeat the Mistakes ...

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Sat Jul 21st, 2018 at 06:31:12 AM EST
... the opinion piece written by MP Hodge got serious traction in a Jewish publication ... some well done coordination IMO. :(

UK Labour MP calls Jeremy Corbyn 'racist' and 'anti-semite' | Jewish Chronicle and Jerusalem Post !! |

Hodge stands by comments accusing Corbyn of antisemitism | The Guardian |

The veteran Labour MP Dame Margaret Hodge has defended her decision to call Jeremy Corbyn a "racist and antisemite" despite facing disciplinary action and has instructed her lawyers to challenge the decision.

The MP's lawyers wrote to the party's general secretary, Jennie Formby, to question the "fairness and legitimacy" of the investigation and suggested that threats of suspension were an "attempt to silence" her.

The letter from law firm Mishcon de Reya also accused the party of failing to set out the allegation against the MP or the rule that had been breached, calling it "hasty and ill-thought out disciplinary action ... the result of which appears to be predetermined".

Showdown averted as Labour MPs defer vote on antisemitism rules [IHRA definition]
Facing serious damage to its image, Israel must smear its critics as anti-Semites | Mondoweiss |

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Tue Jul 24th, 2018 at 06:48:20 AM EST
A parody on this photo that was widely circulated ...

Jerusalem Report Cartoonist, Fired Over Nation-State Caricature, Tells Us What Happened. | The Forward |

A veteran cartoonist was fired from a prominent Israeli magazine this week after publishing a caricature criticizing the Israeli government for a controversial law passed last week defining the country as a Jewish state.

Avi Katz, a former staff cartoonist for bi-weekly Jerusalem Report, had been working as a freelancer for the magazine since 2012 until his dismissal this week, days after the cartoon ran.

Israeli Press Freedom Under Fire: Jerusalem Post Sacks Long-Time Political Cartoonist | Tikun Olam |

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Sun Jul 29th, 2018 at 07:36:47 AM EST


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