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“Wednesday’s News of the Week in Review” was delayed by a day to enable us to cover election results in its stead. It will resume as normal next week.
MEDIA OCRITY OF THE WEEK The Disease That’s Killing Donald Trump’s Presidency: Editorial Board, Globe and Mail, Oct. 27, 2020 “U.S. President Donald Trump is on the precipice of an overwhelming defeat, one that may hand control of all three elected arms of the American government – the White House, House of Representatives and Senate – to the Democratic Party. The proximate cause is the SARS-CoV-2 virus and Mr. Trump’s entirely self-defeating response to it. Nearly 230,000 Americans are dead, a tally that in recent days has risen by more than 800 a day. The number of infections is also hitting new highs; last week saw the first day with more than 80,000 new cases. Yes, things in some European countries are as bad or worse. The relative death toll is higher in Belgium and Spain – and Quebec. And Mr. Trump, whatever his pretensions of omnipotence, is hardly responsible for all that has gone wrong in the U.S. pandemic fight. The country is a federation of 50 states, and some Democratic-led states, such as New York, are among the hardest hit. …” “Last night I was leading, often solidly, in many key States, in almost all instances Democrat run & controlled. Then, one by one, they started to magically disappear as surprise ballot dumps were counted. VERY STRANGE, and the ‘pollsters’ got it completely & historically wrong!” – President Donald Trump wrote. The president was likely referring to the states of Wisconsin, Michigan, and Georgia. Biden was projected to win Wisconsin after the Trump campaign filed for a recount. He was also declared the winner in Michigan. (Epoch Times, Nov. 4, 2020)“Like kamikaze planes splashing harmlessly in the sea adjacent to their targets, the legacy media either lied to America or themselves as they squandered the last shreds of illusionary credibility. The polls were never meant to reflect public opinion. They were always about shaping the opinion. And as the day of reckoning approached and the real opinion failed to follow the pollster’s wishful thinking, many tried to pull out of their dives, reporting a “tightening” race. Balderdash. The opinions have not changed that much in just a few days,” – writes columnist Adam Mill commenting on how badly the media and professional pollsters fared in predicting a blue wave in the presidential election. (American Greatness, Nov. 4, 2020) “Attempting to generate leftist enthusiasm for a listless campaign, Vice President Joe Biden did the country a disservice by partially embracing the radical Sen. Bernie Sanders (Socialist, Vt.), rather than appropriately shunning him. On Tuesday, the voters of Florida made Mr. Biden pay a political price for this devil’s bargain. Now Americans nationwide can express their gratitude to the immigrant community and the children of immigrants in the Sunshine State who have not forgotten the hell on earth created by Bernie Sanders’s favorite Latin American regimes. Florida voters understood that the significant wealth Mr. Sanders enjoys as a prominent leftist politician would not be available to those forced to live under his governing agenda,” – WSJ columnist James Freeman writes. He comments on President Donald Trump’s decisive win in the State of Florida, which is largely attributed to the Latino voters living in Miami – Dade County. (WSJ, Nov. 4, 2020) “After signing the agreement with the United Arab Emirates, I said there will be other agreements with a country from the Gulf and a country from Africa and later Bahrain and Sudan joined the historical path»,” – Israeli Intelligence Minister Eli Cohen said during an interview with Channel 20 television. He went on to say that Israel will intensify normalization talks with five Arab countries after US presidential elections. These include Saudi Arabia, the Sultanate of Oman, Qatar, Algeria, and Morocco. (Yabiladi, Oct. 28, 2020) “It was an honor to share such a lovely and wide-reaching conversation with you, @jeremycorbyn! Also honored to share a great hope in the peace, prosperity, + justice that everyday people can create when we uplift one another across class, race, + identity both at home & abroad,” – tweeted far-left US Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to previous UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn who was dramatically suspended from the party, following the publication of an official report into anti-Semitism within its ranks. (United With Israel, Nov. 1, 2020) PRO-BDS CANDIDATES, FAR-RIGHT GREENE WIN CONGRESSIONAL RACES (Washington) — Incumbent Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), and progressive Cori Bush—all of whom support the anti-Israel BDS movement—won their respective congressional races on Tuesday. (JNS, Nov. 5, 2020) PRO-ISRAEL PROGRESSIVE RITCHIE TORRES ELECTED TO CONGRESS FROM DISTRICT NEXT TO AOC’S (Washington) — Strongly pro-Israel progressive Ritchie Torres of the Bronx will be among the new members of Congress, following his electoral victory on Tuesday. The 32-year-old New York City Council member easily won his race in the 15th Congressional District, making him the first openly-gay black or Latino man to be elected to Congress. (Algemeiner, Nov. 4, 2020) FORMER JEWISH FEDERATIONS HEAD KATHY MANNING WINS US CONGRESSIONAL SEAT IN NORTH CAROLINA (Washington) — Democratic Party candidate Kathy Manning, a former head of Jewish Federations of North America, beat Republican Lee Harwood by nearly 25 points in the District 6 race in North Carolina, polling 62 percent against just over 37 percent for Harwood. (Algemeiner, Nov. 4, 2020) POLL: TRUMP TOPS 30% OF JEWISH VOTE, HIGHEST TOTAL FOR REPUBLICAN IN OVER THREE DECADES (Washington) — US President Donald Trump received the highest percentage of the Jewish vote for a Republican presidential candidate in Tuesday’s election, while former Vice President Joe Biden received the lowest for a Democratic presidential nominee in 32 years. Trump received 30.5 percent of the Jewish vote, while Biden got 60.6 percent, according to a Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) survey conducted by Basswood Research and McLaughlin & Associates. (Algemeiner, Nov. 4, 2020) DEMOCRATS LIKE CUBA MORE THAN ISRAEL, NEW POLL SHOWS (Washington, DC) — According to a YouGov poll released Monday, 39 percent of Democratic-leaning respondents have a favorable opinion of Cuba, compared with a 36 percent favorability rating for Israel. (Washington Free Beacon, Oct. 28, 2020) ISRAELI LAUNCHES HUMAN TRIALS OF HOME-GROWN CORONAVIRUS VACCINE (Tel Aviv) — The human trial of Israel’s home-grown coronavirus vaccine began Sunday when the first recipient was vaccinated at Sheba Medical Center. The latest phase of clinical trials of the corona vaccine developed by the Israel Institute for Biological Research (IIBR) is being conducted at Sheba near Tel Aviv and at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem. (WIN, Nov. 1, 2020) ISRAEL CRAVES BECOMING ONLY FOREIGN POWER FLYING THE F-22 IN EXCHANGE FOR US ARMS SALE TO UAE (Jerusalem) — Israel approached the Pentagon asking to reexamine the possibility of removing obstacles to the sale of the aircraft to the Israeli Air Force, to preserve the IDF’s superiority in the air. The Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor, a single-seat, twin-engine, all-weather stealth tactical fighter aircraft developed for the United States Air Force. This 5th Generation warplane’s unique combination of stealth, speed, agility, and situational awareness, combined with lethal long-range air-to-air and air-to-ground weaponry, makes it the best air dominance fighter in the world. (Jewish Press, Oct. 27, 2020) ISRAEL MARKS 25 YEARS SINCE YITZHAK RABIN’S ASSASSINATION (Jerusalem) — Israel marked the 25th anniversary of the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin with a series of commemorative events, including a special Knesset plenum session. Speaking at the state ceremony at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem, Rivlin warned that much like in the days leading up to Rabin’s murder, hatred is once again rampant in Israel with the public torn into two opposing camps. (JNS, Oct. 29, 2020) LARGEST NGO OF IMAMS WORLDWIDE ADOPTS UNIVERSAL DEFINITION OF ANTI-SEMITISM (Baghdad) — The largest nongovernmental organization of imams in the world, the Global Imams Council (GIC), has adopted the widely accepted International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism. The council’s membership consists of more than 1,000 imams from all Islamic denominations and schools of thought.This makes the GIC the first Imams Council to do so, following Albania, which last week became the first Muslim-majority country to adopt the definition. (JNS, Nov. 4, 2020) NEW INITIATIVES JOIN FORCES TO BATTLE ANTI-SEMITISM ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES (Washington, DC) — The Academic Engagement Network (AEN) and Hillel International recently launched separate initiatives to address anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism on college campuses. AEN’s Improving the Campus Climate Initiative (ICCI) and Hillel International’s Campus Climate Initiative (CCI) will engage intensively with senior campus officials about the multifaceted nature of contemporary anti-Semitism to help ensure that students feel comfortable expressing their identity on campus. The two organizations have decided to collaborate on their initiatives. (JNS, Oct. 29, 2020) JEWISH CIRCUMCISION CEREMONY HELD AT JOSEPH’S TOMB IN SAMARIA, FIRST IN DECADES (Samaria) — Twenty years after Israel’s abandonment of Kever Yosef (Joseph’s Tomb) in Shechem (Nablus), a Brit Milah (Jewish circumcision) was held early Thursday morning at the holy site during a limited visit for the purpose of cleaning and maintenance work. The entry to the site, under Palestinian Authority (PA) control, took place despite the lack of security coordination between Israel and the PA. (United With Israel, Nov. 1, 2020) SENIOR CANADIAN GOVERNMENT ADVISOR NIZAM SIDDIQUI UNLEASHES ON THE JEWS (Ottawa) — The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs and Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre recently told the Privy Council Office that the Facebook page of Nizam Siddiqui, who is listed as a senior analyst at PCO, make disparaging comments about the genetic background of Jewish people and claim many Jews participated in or enabled Nazi atrocities. Siddiqui is facing an internal investigation. (Monitoring Antisemitism Worldwide, Oct. 31, 2020) FOODBENDERS FACES MUNICIPAL PROSECUTION FOLLOWING B’NAI BRITH CAMPAIGN (Toronto) — Toronto has filed charges against a local establishment that has used antisemitic smears and supported terrorists on social media. Foodbenders, located in Toronto’s west end, became a lightning rod for controversy in July when it told its Instagram followers: “#zionistsnotwelcome.” Other posts by the eatery alleged that “Zionists are Nazis,” denounced Prime Minister Trudeau as a “Zionist puppet” and glorified Leila Khaled, who hijacked two planes in 1969-1970 as a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a designated terrorist entity in Canada. (Bnai Brith Canada, Nov. 1, 2020) BRITISH JEWS URGE LABOUR LEADER KEIR STARMER TO MAINTAIN EFFORT TO ROOT OUT ANTISEMITISM (London) — British Jewish leaders met with Labour leader Keir Starmer, declaring their support for his ongoing efforts to eradicate antisemitism from the party’s ranks. In a much-anticipated report published last week, the EHRC — a government body — determined that the Labour Party under its previous leader Jeremy Corbyn was responsible for illegal antisemitic harassment and discrimination. Corbyn was suspended from the party. Supporters have poured around £10,000 into his legal fund. (Algemeiner, Nov. 4, 2020) THE ORTHODOX AND THE UNORTHODOX APPEAL TO TRUMP: PARDON ARI TEMAN (Washington, DC) — Ari Teman, a Jewish standup comic who once won a national contest seeking a “Jewish community hero” has united an array of Orthodox rabbis with leading standup comics in an appeal to President Trump to pardon him for bank fraud. A jury found him guilty in January; Teman says his accusers perjured themselves and that federal prosecutors withheld evidence. His lawyers have asked the judge to vacate the decision. He faces sentencing in December. (JTA, Oct. 30, 2020) QUEBEC RAMPAGE: AT LEAST 2 DEAD, 5 INJURED AS MAN IN MEDIEVAL ARMOR GOES BERSERK (Quebec City) — A male suspect dressed in medieval clothing was arrested by police after killing two people and seriously injuring five others with a sword in Quebec City. The Saturday night attack took place near the parliament building in the capital of the Canadian province. (WIN, Nov. 1, 2020) TUNISIAN MAN BEHEADS WOMAN, KILLS TWO MORE PEOPLE IN NICE CHURCH (Nice) — A knife-wielding Tunisian man shouting “Allahu Akbar” beheaded a woman and killed two other people in a church in Nice before being shot and taken away by police. President Emmanuel Macron said France would deploy thousands more soldiers to protect important sites such as places of worship and schools, as the country’s security alert was raised to its highest level. (Reuters, Oct. 30, 2020) FBI INVESTIGATING HUNTER BIDEN FOR MONEY LAUNDERING: REPORT (Washington, DC) — The FBI opened an investigation into Hunter Biden and associates in 2019 on suspicion of money laundering, a Justice Department official told Sinclair Broadcasting. The revelation comes after Tony Bobulinski, a former business partner of Hunter Biden, came forward with a trove of documents regarding the Biden family’s dealings with now-defunct Chinese energy firm CEFC. While Joe Biden has denied that he has ever spoken with Hunter regarding the latter’s overseas business dealings, Bobulinski claims the former vice president is lying. (National Review, Oct. 29, 2020) Yes, Democrats Are Trying To Steal The Election In Michigan, Wisconsin, And Pennsylvania: John Daniel Davidson, The Federalist, Nov. 4, 2020 –— As of this writing, it appears that Democratic Party machines in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania are trying to steal the election. WATCH: Israelis and Palestinians at Odds Over 2020 US Election: United With Israel, Nov. 4, 2020 — The American president has made many moves that have pleased most Israeli Jews, such as moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem, recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, and – most recently – brokering the Abraham Accords. Greenwald: Deep State, Silicon Valley, Media In Full Union With The Democratic Party To Stop Trump: RealClearPolitics, Oct. 29, 2020 — Tucker Carlson interviewed ‘The Intercept’ co-founder Glenn Greenwald after he quit his job on Thursday, claiming editors censored story critical of Biden. Greenwald told Carlson left is in bed with a CIA set on destroying Trump and complained that the left’s “healthy skepticism” of what intelligence agencies say has “disappeared.” Israel May Be Threatened By Iran No Matter Who Wins Election: Yonah Jeremy Bob, Jerusalem Post, Nov. 1, 2020 — While there are major official policy differences on Iran between US President Donald Trump and US Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, Israel may be in danger no matter who wins Tuesday’s election. |
