Wednesday, December 14, 2022

HAMAS THREATENS ISRAEL OVER THE TEMPLE MOUNT.

JEWISH KING JESUS IS COMING AT THE RAPTURE FOR US IN THE CLOUDS-DON'T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.THE BIBLE TAKEN LITERALLY- WHEN THE PLAIN SENSE MAKES GOOD SENSE-SEEK NO OTHER SENSE-LEST YOU END UP IN NONSENSE.GET SAVED NOW- CALL ON JESUS TODAY.THE ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WHOLE EARTH - NO OTHER. 1 COR 15:23-JESUS THE FIRST FRUITS-CHRISTIANS RAPTURED TO JESUS-FIRST FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT-23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.ROMANS 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.(THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE)

 HAMAS THREATENS ISRAEL OVER THE TEMPLE MOUNT.

Hamas leader threatens Israel over ‘plans’ for Temple Mount-Haniyeh says ‘sword of Jerusalem’ will protect holy site amid Palestinian concerns incoming police minister Ben Gvir will alter delicate status quo-By Jack Mukand-DEC 14,22-Today, 7:45 am

The political leader of the Hamas terrorist group, Ismail Haniyeh, threatened retaliation on Tuesday to any changes to the status quo at Jerusalem’s Temple Mount.The esplanade is the holiest place for Jews as the site of the Biblical temples, while the al-Aqsa Mosque, which sits atop the mount, is the third-holiest place for Muslims, who believe that the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven from there.“We will absolutely not permit the implementation of Zionist plans at the al-Aqsa Mosque or in Jerusalem more broadly,” Haniyeh said in an address commemorating Hamas’s 35th anniversary.“The sword of Jerusalem has not and will not be sheathed,” he said.Hamas supporters refer to its latest major flareup with Israel in May 2021 as the “Sword of Jerusalem Battle.” The terror group claims that the rockets it fired during that conflict were retaliation for Israeli security forces entering the al-Aqsa Mosque after Palestinians threw stones and other objects at them.Israel claimed sovereignty over all of Jerusalem after its victory in the 1967 Six Day War, but allowed the Islamic Waqf, a Jordanian institution, to retain its administrative authority over the mount. Jews are allowed to visit the site, but not pray there, in a delicate status quo that has been slipping as some Jewish activists push for expanded prayer rights.Haniyeh’s comments come amid speculation that the appointment of far-right Otzma Yehudit party leader Itamar Ben Gvir to the position of national security minister might usher in policy changes that would allow Jews to pray in a more conspicuous manner at the site. Police have for decades enforced the Jewish prayer ban as a public security measure.On Monday, Ben Gvir called for an end to the prayer restrictions, which he said constituted anti-Jewish “apartheid” at the holy site.During coalition-building negotiations, expected incoming prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu of the right-wing Likud party reportedly shot down an Otzma Yehudit proposal to change the status quo on the mount.A poll in May found that 50 percent of Israeli Jews think Jews should be allowed to pray at the site. Three out of four respondents said they supported that view because Jewish prayer demonstrates Israeli sovereignty.Many rabbis, however, interpret Jewish law as prohibiting visits to the Temple Mount because visitors could tread on sacred ground. Israel’s Chief Sephardic rabbi, Yitzhak Yosef, condemned Ben Gvir’s periodic ascents as “blasphemy” in June.Minor changes to the status quo at the holy site or even rumors of such changes have sparked violent protests in the past, including contributing to last year’s war between Israel and Gaza terror groups. In 2017, a decision to place metal detectors and cameras at the compound following a deadly attack there sparked several days of angry protests and condemnation from Israel’s Muslim neighbors.Hamas’s Haniyeh, an Islamist, said on Tuesday that “Hamas has made a compact with our people over the blessed al-Aqsa Mosque and has preserved the depth of the Islamic sense of connection to our Jerusalem and our al-Aqsa.”Haniyeh’s broadcast displayed the message “al-Aqsa in danger” and a Hamas logo prominently featuring the Dome of the Rock, located in the Mosque complex.Vitriol from terrorist organizations like Hamas is often seen as fueling clashes in Jerusalem, like the ones in April that saw 160 Palestinians wounded and Israeli security forces moving on the al-Aqsa complex.

Pope Francis issues dire warning for humanity, sees ‘greater omens, destruction’ in the world-By Isabel Keane-December 13, 2022 3:28pm

Pope Francis painted a grim picture of the future during Mass at the Vatican on Sunday, warning he sees “greater omens of greater destruction and desolation” in the world.The 85-year-old pontiff shared his dark vision for humanity during a Mass ahead of Monday’s holiday celebrating the Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patron of Mexico.Francis said the holiday, which commemorates the appearance of the Virgin Mary to a young man in 1531 in Mexico City, came at a “complicated and difficult time for the inhabitants of the New World.”He related it to present day, noting we are also living through “a difficult time for humanity … a bitter period, full of the roar of war, of growing injustices, famines, poverty, suffering.”Despite how seemingly bad things are, the pope said his vision for the future appears with “greater omens of greater destruction and desolation.”“And although this horizon seems bleak and disconcerting, with omens of even greater destruction and desolation, his divine love and his coming down to us tell us that this too is a propitious time of salvation,” the pope added.Pope Francis warned that he sees “greater omens of greater destruction and desolation” during a mass this week.Pope Francis warned during Mass this week that he sees “greater omens of greater destruction and desolation.”Ahead of the holiday, Francis said the Virgin Mary welcomes people to put aside their “prejudices and fears” and put their trust in the Lord.In recent months, Francis has grown increasingly vocal in his criticisms of Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, now entering its 10th month. Over the summer, he denounced the “ferocity and cruelty” of Russian forces.“We do not see the whole drama unfolding behind this war, which was perhaps somehow either provoked or not prevented,” the pontiff said during a conversation with editors of Jesuit media. “And I register an interest in testing and selling weapons. It is very sad, but basically this is what is at stake.”The leader of the Roman Catholic Church made his strongest plea to Putin back in October, when he implored him to “stop this spiral of violence and death” and end the war.“How the war is going in Ukraine has become so grave, devastating and threatening that it sparks great worry,” Francis said at the time. “In fact, this terrible, inconceivable wound of humanity, instead of shrinking, continues to bleed even more, threatening to spread.”

Drag Queen Biden Invited to White House Previously Tweeted, “Kids Are Out to Sing and Suck D!”Paul Joseph Watson-December 14th 2022, 5:00 am

The drag queen who Joe Biden invited to the White House for the “Respect for Marriage Act” signing this week previously tweeted, “kids are out to sing and suck D!”Yes, really.Drag queen activist Marti Cummings celebrated his invitation to the event on Monday by tweeting, “To be a non binary drag artist invited to the White House is something I never imagined would happen. Thank you President & Dr. Biden for inviting me to this historic bill signing. Grateful doesn’t begin to express the emotions I feel.”Biden invited a drag queen to the White House today for the signing of the Respect for Marriage Act. This drag queen performs and puts on shows for kids. The Biden admin encourages this. pic.twitter.com/s8dCDBZJBA — Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) December 12, 2022-Although Cummings has his account on private, other Twitter users were able to uncover previous tweets made by the activist, one of which stated, “kids are out to sing and suck D!”"He wants us to perform [with] us next year!" pic.twitter.com/5dwmyTjWsC — Mia Cathell (@MiaCathell) December 13, 2022-“Anyone who thinks drag isn’t for children is wrong,” Cummings also asserted, along with a picture of a young boy who was apparently “excited” to perform with drag queens.Cummings also appeared in a music video called “Show Me Your D*ck,” which includes erect penises flashing up on screen.Biden's invited White House guest, a non-binary Drag Queen Story Hour performer who advocates for children embracing drag, starred in a music video for the song, "Show Me Your D*ck," as erect penises flash across the screen. pic.twitter.com/jsKcQ60UaV — Mia Cathell (@MiaCathell) December 13, 2022-Another video showed the activist bragging about how he had gay sex with 52 men in a single year, a rate of one per week.Cummings has repeatedly insisted that children should be exposed to drag queen shows.“I love doing Drag Story Hour. Despite what conservatives say, this family friend event is a way to spread joy, teach acceptance & love,” he said in an Instagram post. “A way to bring people together. Kids just want to hear their favorite stories…keep spreading hate because I’m gonna keep spreading joy.”A post shared by martigcummings (@martigcummings)-Media outlets responded hysterically when Donald Trump unwittingly met accused anti-Semite Nick Fuentes at his Mar-a-Lago mansion a few weeks ago.Will any of them react similarly to this? Don’t hold your breath.

Former CNN Producer Pleads Guilty In Pedo Scandal-by Zero Hedge-December 14th 2022, 4:09 am

Former CNN producer John Griffin, who worked ‘shoulder to shoulder’ with Chris Cuomo, pleaded guilty on Monday in federal court to using interstate commerce to entice and coerce a 9-year-old girl to engage in sexual activity as his Vermont ski house.This is a different CNN pedophile than Jake Tapper’s former producer, Rick Saleeby, who resigned after it emerged that he solicited sexually explicit photos of an underage girl.Griffin admitted to meeting the girl’s mother on a website during the summer of 2020, after which he persuaded her to bring the 9-year-old child to his Ludlow, Vermont ski home for illegal sexual activity, AP reports.According to the Daily Mail, Griffin ‘used Google Hangouts and Kik to convince the mothers that a “woman is a woman regardless of her age,” and that “women should be sexually subservient and inferior to men,” according to the indictment. In June of 2020, Griffin advised a mother of 9- and 13-year-old daughters that the mother’s responsibility was to see that her older daughter was “trained properly.”  Griffin later transferred over $3,000 to the mother for plane tickets so the mother and her 9-year-old daughter could fly from Nevada to Boston’s Logan airport.  The mother and child flew to Boston in July of 2020, where Griffin picked them up in his Tesla and drove them to his Ludlow house.  At the house, the daughter was directed to engage in, and did engage in, unlawful sexual activity. Reading this indictment will make you sick to your stomach pic.twitter.com/61FugCnJNg— BUY PILLOW 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) December 11, 2021-Griffin, who originally pleaded not guilty to three counts, was arrested on Dec. 10, 2021, a day after he was indicted by a grand jury. He worked for CNN for around eight years, and was fired following his arrest.Griffin also allegedly attempted to entice two other children over the internet to engage in sexual activity – proposing a “virtual training session” in a video chat in April 2020 which would involve instructing a mother and her 14-year-old daughter to get naked and touch each other at his direction. In June 2020, Griffin proposed to the purported mother of a 16-year-old that she take a “little mother-daughter trip” to his ski house for sexual training involving the minor.Griffin faces 10 years to life in prison when he’s sentenced on March 20, 2023, and must pay full restitution to the victims – an amount which is yet-to-be determined by the court. He also faces a $250,000 fine and other fees, and has agreed to forfeit his Tesla, electronics, and donate half the proceeds from his home in Vermont – and a Mercedes Benz, into the court registry.

Zelensky: If Putin Suddenly Dies, ‘There Would Be No War’Volodymyr Zelensky-Frances Martel13 Dec 2022827

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky predicted in an interview published Monday that, should Russian leader Vladimir Putin suddenly die, the Russian invasion of his country would abruptly end, as the Russian state would collapse and not have resources to continue.Zelensky made the prediction in response to a question from David Letterman, who traveled to Kyiv to interview Zelensky for his Netflix series My Next Guest Needs No Introduction. Letterman explicitly asked how the war effort would continue without Putin, who Zelensky has held personally responsible for the war.Russia invaded Ukraine under Putin in 2014, seizing its Crimean Peninsula and fighting a proxy war using separatists sympathetic to Moscow in the eastern Donbass regions of Luhansk and Donetsk. That war precedes Zelensky’s rise to the presidency by five years; Zelensky took office as the “pro-Russian” candidate in the 2019 presidential election after a lengthy career in comic acting.Here is what the elites said about Zelensky two years ago https://t.co/4ua9llLnaG — Frances Martel (@francesmartel) March 1, 2022-Putin greatly escalated the geographic scale of the war in February, announcing a “special military operation” to oust Zelensky and his allegedly “Nazi” government. Putin claimed that Zelensky, despite winning an election that the opposition did not denounce as unfree or unfair in 2019, was an illegitimate head of state because of the events that ousted former President Viktor Yanukovych in 2014. Yanukovych was succeeded by the man Zelensky defeated in the 2019 election, Petro Poroshenko.Putin also claimed that Ukraine did not exist as a legitimate country, had “no tradition” of sovereignty, and was “completely created by Russia.”The “special military operation” announcement preceded the open presence of Russian troops on Ukrainian soil and the “annexation” of four more regions: Luhansk and Donetsk, and the southern regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.Letterman reportedly interviewed Zelensky for his Netflix program in October, the same month that Zelensky issued a presidential decree branding any talks with Putin himself “impossible” and demanding Russia replace its president before any further negotiations.Letterman asked Zelensky if he thought that the Russian people believed and supported Putin.“Unfortunately, we have to state that quite a large percentage of people believe him [Putin],” the Ukrainian president said, blaming their “cowardice” in the face of war.“They are aware of the reality but they are just afraid,” he lamented.Letterman then asked about the influence Putin as a solitary figure has on the war.“Let’s just say that Putin got a really bad cold and died,” Letterman suggested, “or accidentally fell out a window and died, would this [the invasion] continue?”The reference to windows appeared to be a nod to the many suspicious deaths of political, business, and medical leaders by “falling” out of windows that have occurred in Russia in the past five years.“No. There would be no war,” Zelensky responded. “There wouldn’t be. The authoritarian regime is dangerous as it poses great risks. Because you can’t allow just one person to have total control over everything.”“That’s why when such a person is gone, institutions come to a halt,” he continued. “That’s what happened back in the Soviet Union. Everything collapsed. And that’s why I think if he’s gone, it will be hard for them. They will have to deal with their internal policy rather than foreign issues.”Zelensky appeared to be referring to the fragility of the Russian regime, not necessarily Putin’s ability or skill at controlling it. Zelensky has nonetheless had an acrimonious relationship with Putin since he came into the presidency, walking out of a four-way talk with the Russian leader in 2019 as the only bitterly unsatisfied participant. In December of that year, the leaders of Germany and France chaperoned a meeting between Zelensky and Putin under a formal known then as the “Normandy Four.” French President Emmanuel Macron, then-German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and Putin all said publicly they believed the talks led to some progress, and that open communication between the parties was in itself a positive step.“Look, it’s very difficult to negotiate [with Putin], but today there were moments when we agreed on something, on certain things,” a frustrated Zelensky said after the meeting. “That’s because he dissects every question into details … and then we begin to even consider every word. So yes, this is difficult.”“Many questions were tackled, and my counterparts have said it is a very good result for a first meeting. But I will be honest — it is very little, I wanted to resolve a larger number of problems,” he admitted.Zelensky has since resorted to addressing the Russian people directly, rather than speaking to Putin. In a nationally televised address directed to Russians in February, Zelensky countered accusations of “Nazism,” noting his ancestors had fought the Nazis (Zelensky is Jewish, which he did not directly mention in that speech).“They tell you that we’re Nazis. But how can a people that lost eight million lives to defeat the Nazis support Nazism? How can I be a Nazi?” Zelensky said at the time. “Say it to my grandfather, who fought in World War II as a Soviet infantryman and died a colonel in an independent Ukraine.”“If Russia’s leadership does not want to meet us across the table for the sake of peace, perhaps it will sit at that table with you,” he concluded.Zelensky also stated on several occasions that he was open to some negotiations with the Russian government prior to his decree banning talks with Putin in October.In remarks on Monday to the G7 member states, Zelensky urged the Russian government to withdraw all its troops from Ukraine by Christmas, a request Moscow is unlikely to fill.“This is the time for normal people to think about peace, not aggression. I suggest Russia to at least try to prove that it is capable of abandoning the aggression,” Zelensky said. “It would be right to start the withdrawal of Russian troops from the internationally recognized territory of Ukraine this Christmas. If Russia withdraws its troops from Ukraine, it will ensure a lasting cessation of hostilities.”Follow Frances Martel on Facebook and Twitter.Entertainment.

Israeli AI predicts heart failure in muscle inflammation patients with 80% accuracy-Myositis elevates chances of heart failure, so Rambam Hospital team built a special algorithm that analyzes ECG tests and gives early warning-By Nathan Jeffay-dec 14,22-Today, 4:55 pm 0

Israeli researchers have built an artificial intelligence tool that analyzes ECG tests and predicts heart failure with high accuracy weeks before it happens.The new technology is for sufferers of myositis — muscle inflammation — which elevates the risk of heart failure.The physician who led the research, Dr. Shahar Shelly of Rambam Healthcare Campus, told The Times of Israel that it is the first AI tool built especially for this population. It analyzes heart patterns that are unique to them, and can bring about earlier detection than is currently possible, he said.He reported in peer-reviewed research that the algorithm successfully predicted 80 percent of heart failure cases among a sample of myositis patients.The study was carried out by running the algorithm on their ECG tests, and then comparing its predictions regarding who was at risk of heart failure with medical records to see who actually ended up suffering from heart failure.“We are running ECG tests through the AI model, which sees details that doctors can’t normally detect and then predicts who is at risk of heart failure,” said Shelly.“Given that it’s these cardiac dysfunctions that often end up killing people, this can save lives.”Shelly conducted the study together with the researchers of the Cardiology Department at the prestigious US-based Mayo Clinic Medical Center.They taught the AI model by showing it ECG scans and medical records of 89 myositis patients from 2000 to 2020. The algorithm built a picture of subtle patterns in ECGs that seem to increase the chance of heart failure.It hasn’t been deployed in clinics yet, but Shelly said that this is the aim, after more research.“Further down the road, the use of this model will allow the provision of appropriate treatments at an early stage, even before the deterioration of the patients’ medical condition,” he said. “We are talking here about preventing serious illness and even deaths.”Shelly added: “Early detection is what is important here. The algorithm is looking for cardiac dysfunction, and when it finds it, doctors can take steps to prevent heart failure, such as changing treatment strategies.“For a population that is at heightened risk of heart failure, this can make a very big difference.”

Ukraine claims to shoot down swarm of Iran-made attack drones over Kyiv-No reports of injuries; US envoy to Kyiv confirms more military support on the way-By AFP and TOI staff-dec 14,22-Today, 12:37 pm 0

Ukrainian forces said Wednesday they had shot down an entire swarm of Iranian-made drones launched at the capital by Russian troops in their latest attack on Kyiv.Explosions rang out over a central neighborhood in the early hours of Wednesday, the mayor said, and AFP journalists saw law enforcement and emergency service workers inspecting metal fragments at a snow-covered impact site.“The terrorists started this morning with 13 Shaheds,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said, referring to the Iran-made weapons.“According to the preliminary information, all 13 were shot down by our Ukrainian air defense systems.”He added that residents of the capital, which has now been subjected to nearly ten months of air raid sirens and frequent aerial attacks since Russia invaded the country in February, should stay alert to government warnings of incoming attacks.Kyiv region officials praised the Ukrainian air defense and electronic warfare units for downing the latest wave of suicide drones.US ambassador in Ukraine Bridget Brink said following the morning attacks that Kyiv could continue to rely on Washington’s backing.“More support is on the way,” she wrote on Twitter, a day after US officials said Washington is poised to approve sending a Patriot missile battery to Ukraine, finally agreeing to an urgent request from Ukrainian leaders desperate for more robust weapons.Mayor Vitali Klitschko announced on social media at 6:41 am local time (0441 GMT) that “explosions” had been heard in the central district of Shevchenkivsky and that emergency services were responding.“Debris from downed drones hit one administrative building and four more residential buildings suffered minor damage. No one was injured,” added Sergiy Popko, the head of the Kyiv regional military administration.Since a series of key battlefield setbacks this summer and autumn, Russia has been pummeling critical infrastructure across Ukraine with missiles and drones, plunging millions into cold and darkness in winter.Moscow last week also targeted Ukrainian energy infrastructure, piling pressure on the country’s power grid, whose operators have for weeks been forced to implement rolling blackouts.Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmygal said this week that between 40 and 50 percent of the country’s grid was out of action because of Russia’s strikes.The latest round of attacks on Wednesday came one day after Zelensky issued urgent appeals to around 70 countries and international organizations at a Paris conference to help Ukraine withstand Russian attacks this winter.In a video message from Kyiv, Zelensky said Tuesday that Ukraine needed assistance worth around 800 million euros in the short term for its battered energy sector.He also said that his country needs spare parts for repairs, high-capacity generators, extra gas and increased electricity imports.Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called on Ukraine’s allies to provide his country with more weapons to help it “fight through the winter” and sustain Kyiv’s military advances.

Strike reportedly left 10 people dead, including Iranians-IDF chief confirms Israel behind strike on Iran arms convoy near Syria-Iraq border-Aviv Kohavi hails ‘advanced capabilities’ that enabled pilots to evade missile defenses and hit ‘truck number 8’ in 25-vehicle procession in early November
By TOI staff and Agencies-DEC 14,22-Today, 11:52 amUpdated at 1:15 pm 2

IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi confirmed Wednesday that an airstrike in early November on a convoy allegedly carrying Iranian arms near the Syria-Iraq border was carried out by the Israeli Air Force.Kohavi said Israeli intelligence uncovered which truck within the 25-vehicle convoy was carrying weapons from Iran to Lebanon, and “advanced capabilities” allowed the pilots to carry out a precision strike.“We could have not been aware of the Syrian convoy a few weeks ago,” Kohavi told a conference at the Reichman University in Herzliya.“We could have not known that it was heading from Iraq to Syria, we could have not known what’s in it and we could have not known that out of the 25 trucks, truck number eight was the one carrying weapons,” he said.“We needed to send pilots to the right place and they had to evade surface-to-air missiles fired at them. They needed to attack, they needed to hit their targets and come back safely and not kill people who shouldn’t be killed. These are very advanced capabilities,” said Kohavi.The strike reportedly left 10 people dead, including an unknown number of Iranians. Syrian media shares this video claiming to show the convoy of trucks carrying fuel from Iran to Lebanon, an hour before it was targeted over night on the Iraq-Syria border. Nahr Media says the trucks were accompanied by Lebanese Hezbollah forces. pic.twitter.com/glXLjWoJ0r — Ariel Oseran (@ariel_oseran) November 9, 2022-At the time of the November incident, the Israeli army refused to comment, in line with its general policy to not confirm involvement in specific strikes in Syria.It wasn’t clear why Kohavi, who will end his term as military chief of staff next month, chose to acknowledge the IDF’s responsibility for the strike.Israel has allegedly carried out hundreds of strikes on targets inside government-controlled parts of Syria in recent years, but rarely acknowledges or discusses such operations. It has acknowledged, however, that it targets arms shipments and posts of Iran-allied groups, such as Lebanon’s terrorist Hezbollah.At the time, Hezbollah said it had nothing to do with the convoy that was attacked.The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor of unclear funding, said the strike hit tanker trucks carrying fuel and other trucks carrying weapons for the militias in Syria’s eastern province of Deir el-Zour.Most alleged Israeli strikes have been focused on areas of Syria closer to Damascus or the country’s center, though it has been accused of carrying out attacks outside that area as well, including in Deir el-Zour.Iran is an ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad and has sent thousands of Iran-backed fighters to help Syrian troops during the country’s 11-year civil war. Both Tehran and the Assad government are allied with Hezbollah, which has fought alongside Assad’s forces in the war.Israeli strikes have continued in Syrian airspace, which is largely controlled by Russia, even as ties with Moscow have frayed in recent months. Israel has found itself at odds with Russia as it has increasingly supported Ukraine while seeking to maintain freedom of movement in Syria’s skies.‘Over 400 attacks prevented’ by West Bank ops-Kohavi also referred to the IDF’s regular raids in the West Bank, saying hundreds of attacks have been prevented as a result of military operations.“Unfortunately, we are unable to prevent all attacks. On a personal level it causes great pain and on a professional level, it’s a failure,” Kohavi said.“Over the past year, we prevented over 400 attacks together with the Shin Bet and the security forces, which allows the citizens of the country to live in peace and get stuck in traffic jams. This is a sign of a healthy society,” Kohavi said.The military said Wednesday morning that it had detained 15 people in overnight raids in the West Bank and seized a number of weapons.Tensions have been high in the West Bank over the past year, with the IDF conducting an ongoing major anti-terror offensive mostly focused on the northern West Bank to deal with a series of Palestinian attacks that have left 31 people in Israel and the West Bank dead since the start of the year.The operation has netted more than 2,500 arrests in near-nightly raids, but has also left more than 160 Palestinians dead, many of them — but not all — while carrying out attacks or during clashes with security forces.

UN Palestinian rights official’s social media history reveals antisemitic-Francesca Albanese tells ToI she acknowledges ‘mistakes’ in past reference to a ‘Jewish lobby’; is latest UN official probing Israel to show evidence of blatant prejudice-By Luke Tress    Today, 6:54 amUpdated at 3:00 pm 26

A lawyer heading the UN Human Rights Council’s open-ended investigation into Israel’s treatment of Palestinians said during a 2014 conflict between Israel and Gaza terror groups that the “Jewish lobby” was in control of the United States.Francesca Albanese, an Italian lawyer, was appointed earlier this year as the UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories. The rapporteur is an independent expert appointed by the UN Human Rights Council tasked with investigating human rights in Palestinian areas, publishing public reports and working with governments and other groups on the issue.Albanese, who now says she regrets the “Jewish lobby” remark, has long been a harsh critic of Israel, and the Israeli mission to the UN in Geneva formally objected to her appointment, arguing that she harbors significant bias against the Jewish state.A review of her past social media posts, media appearances and talks with activist groups found that aside from inveighing against a “Jewish lobby,” she has also sympathized with terror organizations, dismissed Israeli security concerns, compared Israelis to Nazis and accused the Jewish state of potential war crimes.Then, as now, she refers to Israel as a settler-colonial enterprise and to Jews in Israel and the pre-state British mandate as foreign interlopers subjugating an indigenous Palestinian population. In her first official report to the UN this year, she urged a rejection of the conflict paradigm, describing Israel solely as an oppressor and legitimizing Palestinian “resistance.” She rarely acknowledges Palestinian terrorism.In 2014, in an open letter posted to her Facebook page, Albanese castigated the US and Europe for their conduct during Operation Protective Edge, a war between Israel and Gaza terror groups that year.“America and Europe, one of them subjugated by the Jewish lobby, and the other by the sense of guilt about the Holocaust, remain on the sidelines and continue to condemn the oppressed — the Palestinians — who defend themselves with the only means they have (deranged missiles), instead of making Israel face its international law responsibilities,” Albanese wrote.She was not employed by the UN at the time, but had previously worked for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) a UN agency that assists displaced Palestinians and their descendants, according to her LinkedIn profile. The letter she posted was meant to raise funds for UNRWA.As of publication, the previously unreported post remained on her personal Facebook page, which is viewable by the public and identifies her as a UN investigator.In another post from that year, which was hidden from view after her office was contacted by The Times of Israel, Albanese referred to the Israel lobby and Israel’s greed. The comments were directed at the BBC over its coverage of the conflict, even though the British broadcaster is often critical of Israel.“The Israeli lobby is clearly inside your veins and system and you will be remembered to have been on the big brother’s side of this orwellian [sic] nightmare caused once again by Israel’s greed. Shame on you BBC,” she wrote.
And last year, she referred to Jewish and pro-Israel lobbies influencing Israeli arms sales and quieting criticism of Israel.Responding to the revelations about Albanese’s statements, the Foreign Ministry claimed that antisemitism is widespread in the UN.“Antisemitism is a persistent malice that has infected the United Nations Human Rights Council for far too long,” read a statement by Israel’s Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva. “Comments made by UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese that surfaced today are yet another stain on the credibility of this body and yet another example of the impunity that exists today regarding antisemitism and antisemitic comments made by UN officials.”The mission argued that the lack of accountability for statements by UN officials “only works to legitimize antisemitism and endangers the Jewish people.”References to Jews and Jewish lobbies wielding disproportionate power are viewed as antisemitic because they conjure age-old tropes and conspiracy theories about Jews controlling the world from the shadows. Many of those stereotypes also depict Jews as greedy.“Talking about a uniform and ever-powerful Jewish lobby feeds into the stereotype of Jewish power, that there is a nefarious Jewish hand manipulating governments,” said Susan Heller Pinto, the vice president of international policy at the Anti-Defamation League.“When she’s saying America is subjugated by the Jewish lobby it reinforces that image of this Jewish lobby being all-powerful and America and America’s actions and policies being directed by this Jewish lobby, and that’s antisemitic,” Heller Pinto said. “It’s making generalized statements. It’s not a political critique of an Israeli action, it is blanket characterizations that invoke age-old antisemitic tropes.”Earlier this year, an investigator with the UN Commission of Inquiry into the conflict apologized after a similar “Jewish lobby” comment caused an uproar. Contacted by The Times of Israel via email, Albanese attempted to distance herself from her past remarks.“Some of the words I used, during Israel’s offensive on the Gaza Strip in 2014, were infelicitous, analytically inaccurate and unintendedly offensive,” she said through her office. “People make mistakes. I distance myself from these words, which I would not use today, nor have used as a UN Special Rapporteur.”“Following this clarification, our attention should not be distracted from the unlawful state practices which cause suffering for millions and denial of human rights on a daily basis in the occupied Palestinian territory,” she said. “This is what I am mandated to report on and which should be our focus.”Code of conduct-In her application for the special rapporteur position, Albanese stated there was not “any reason, currently or in the past, that could call into question” her moral authority or credibility, and that she did not “hold any views or opinions that could prejudice the manner” in which she investigates.Special rapporteurs are not paid for their work and are appointed to three-year terms, with the possibility of a three-year extension. The Human Rights Council code of conduct for mandate-holders stresses that they should be objective and eliminate “double-standards and politicization,” and act with “integrity, meaning, in particular, though not exclusively, probity, impartiality, equity, honesty and good faith.”Previous rapporteurs into the Palestinians have also been staunchly opposed to Israel, which is the only country that is assigned a permanent investigator. A series of mandate-holders have held the rapporteur position on the Palestinian territories since 1993.Albanese has also compared Israel to Nazi Germany, which is viewed as deeply offensive in Israel and an affront to the victims of the Holocaust.In a 2015 post uncovered by The Times of Israel, she shared a picture of what she said was a Nazi trooper and a Jewish man, and next to it, an Israeli soldier and a Palestinian. And in an interview with Italian media, she compared the Nakba, the Palestinian word for the “catastrophe” of Israel’s creation, to the Holocaust, in a comment that was previously reported by the pro-Israel group UN Watch.    In the first pic a Nazi soldier, a dog, and a man on the ground – who is a Jew. In the second pic an Israeli soldier, a dog, and a man on the ground – who is a Palestinian. Comparing Israel to Nazi Germany is considered antisemitic according to the widely-accepted definition formulated by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. Albanese has recently spoken out against the IHRA definition.Armed resistance-albanese has also been heavily critical of Israel in other more recent or previously reported comments, repeatedly brushing aside Israeli security concerns, including since she took up the special rapporteur position, and has justified violence against Israel and Israelis.Last month she told a podcast that Israeli security fears were “paranoia thinking.”“Israel cannot claim self-defense while illegally occupying and while directing an act of aggression against another country,” she said. “Those who have the right to self-defense are the Palestinians.”In an interview with Italian media earlier this year, she accused Israel of being “very effective in passing off the equation ‘resistance equals terrorism.’ But an occupation clearly necessitates and generates violence.” She said in another interview that Palestinian violence is “inevitable.”Earlier this year, after a flare-up between Gaza terrorists and Israel, she said, “Palestinians’ right to resist is inherent to their right to exist as a people.” She also said the right to Palestinian armed resistance was a “necessary conversation” that had been “demoted.” Palestinians' right to resist is inherent to their right to exist as a people. An unlawful act of resistance does not make the resistance unlawful. An unlawful act of an unlawful occupation makes the occupation more unlawful (and the list on the desk of the ICC Prosecutor longer) — Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur oPt (@FranceskAlbs) August 8, 2022-In a speech delivered to a gathering in Gaza via video earlier this month, she said, “There is a right to oppose this occupation.” The Times of Israel translated her comments from Arabic, although she delivered the speech in English, because the English audio was not available.“The occupier cannot say he is defending himself,” she told the audience in the enclave, which has been ruled by the Hamas terror group since a bloody takeover in 2007.Seven years earlier, she expressed joy over the European Union’s General Court taking Hamas off of its terror blacklist: “Two good news one after another from the radio while I was taking a nap. Normalization in the relations usa cuba and removal of hamas from the list of terror organizations. Was i dreaming???”The post was also recently removed. The Times of Israel contacted Albanese’s office for comment on that post and several others but did not receive a response.On at least one occasion she condemned Palestinian rockets fired at Israel.“Indiscriminate rocket fire from Gaza is no acceptable response to Israel’s unlawful bombings, because it harms civilians and it is therefore unlawful too,” she said earlier this year.Major crime allegations-She has rejected any Israeli presence in the West Bank as “foreign alien domination,” saying it has “no justification,” “no reason,” and calling it “an instrument to colonize the land.”Israel justifies its presence in the West Bank, which sits on highlands overlooking the country’s central plains, on security grounds. There is also heavily documented evidence of a Jewish presence in the West Bank going back thousands of years which is recognized by UNESCO, among other bodies.In 2018 Albanese posted a screenshot of a quote she attributed to David Ben-Gurion that said, “We will abolish partition and expand to the whole of Palestine.” The quote appeared to be a translation of a disputed 1937 letter Ben Gurion wrote to his son.Albanese commented that “taking all of Palestine (and much more in fact) has always been the plan of the Zionists.”She has also said Israel may be guilty of alleged major crimes including genocide, ethnic cleansing, war crimes and crimes against humanity.She said this year that “dozens” of journalists have been killed in the conflict since the year 2000, all by Israel. According to the UN’s own statistics, both those claims are false.“There is a practice of willful killing that is ongoing and could definitely be a crime against humanity,” she said.Even though she declared she was objective when she applied for the rapporteur position, she acknowledged on a panel last year that she had doubts about taking up the post.“Deep down perhaps I feared that embarking on research on a matter in which I had deeply held personal views could compromise my objectivity,” she said.Before she took up the position in May, Israel argued that her bias should disqualify her from the post.“The newly appointed special rapporteur’s opinion expressed in numerous articles, events and media outlets endlessly voicing anti-Israel libel show that she is unfit to take up this role,” Merav Marks, legal adviser for the Israeli mission to the UN in Geneva, said at the time.The American Jewish Committee also condemned her appointment at the time.Israel — backed at times by the United States — has long accused the Human Rights Council of anti-Israel bias and has generally refused to cooperate with its investigators.Echoes of Kothari-Albanese’s “Jewish lobby” comments echoed recent statements by another UN official investigating Israel.In July, Miloon Kothari, a member of the UN’s commission of inquiry looking into alleged Israeli crimes, said that social media was “controlled largely by the Jewish lobby.” He also questioned why Israel was allowed in the UN.Kothari’s open-ended commission of inquiry has been described as harshly critical of Israel and the country’s backers point out that it almost entirely ignores Palestinian terror and violence.Among those who have spoken out against the use of the “Jewish lobby” trope is US State Department antisemitism envoy Deborah Lipstadt, who called Kothari’s comments unacceptable.“Outrageous that a [Human Rights Council] appointed human rights expert on Israel and the West Bank and Gaza repeated antisemitic tropes [and] questioned Israel’s legitimacy as a UN member,” Lipstadt said. “It is wholly unacceptable that such comments would come from an appointed member of a Commission of Inquiry.”The Prime Minister’s Office and officials from Canada, Britain and a number of other countries have also condemned Kothari’s remarks.UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’s office said in response to Kothari’s comments, “There is no room for antisemitism in the work of the UN.”“Israel is unquestionably a member state of the United Nations, with the same rights and responsibilities as the other 192 countries that make up this organization,” a Guterres spokesperson said. Guterres spoke out against antisemitism last month and met last week with Jewish leaders to discuss bias.Albanese is also not the first special rapporteur to be accused of trafficking in antisemitic tropes. In 2011, American jurist Richard Falk, who held the post at the time, was condemned for posting an antisemitic cartoon.“The actions of Richard Falk at the time, statements by UN officials, it just feeds into the lack of confidence that people have in the United Nations to be even-handed and constructive when it comes to anything related to Israel and even related to Jews,” said the ADL’s Heller Pinto.Defending Kothari-Albanese has defended Kothari, calling criticism of his remarks “preposterous allegations of antisemitism” and a “smear campaign.”    My solidarity with the @UN_HRC Commission of Inquiry on ISR/PAL for the preposterous allegations of Antisemitism. The CoI is mandated to investigate the "root causes" of violence & pursue accountability. May this be the real target of the smear campaign? https://t.co/btmnKo98i8— Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur oPt (@FranceskAlbs) July 29, 2022-She said criticism of the commission of inquiry “seemed to be coordinated. I think that this should prompt scrutiny.”She has also questioned Israel’s involvement in the UN, calling pro-Israel activities “vile.”“This should trigger a proper inquiry inside the UN,” she said. “I’ve personally seen the breach of the code of conduct by Israeli authorities, the Israeli ambassador.”Albanese said last week that Israel had granted her permission to visit the West Bank and East Jerusalem, but later posts appeared to say Israel had blocked the visit due to statements she has made.Her first report as a rapporteur, released in October, called Israel an “intentionally acquisitive, segregationist and repressive regime.”Reports by UN investigators are significant outside of the UN because they are cited by media and other organizations, making their way to the public, which is likely unaware of bias allegations.

 

ALLTIME