5,000 DESTROYED HOUSES ETC,57,800 HOUSES ETC IN RANGE OF DESTRUCTION YET. 11 DEAD AS WILD FIRES STILL RAGE IN LOS ANGELES.

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)

5,000 DESTROYED HOUSES ETC,57,800 HOUSES ETC IN RANGE OF DESTRUCTION YET. 11 DEAD AS WILD FIRES STILL RAGE IN LOSANGELES.

HOARDING OF GOLD AND SILVER

JAMES 5:1-3
1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.
3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.

REVELATION 18:10,17,19
10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.(IN 1 HR THE STOCK MARKETS WORLDWIDE WILL CRASH)
17 For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,
19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.

EZEKIEL 7:19
19 They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed:(CONFISCATED) their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels: because it is the stumblingblock of their iniquity.

MARK OF THE BEAST (engraved microchip in your hand or forehead)

REVELATION 13:16-18
16 And he(FALSE POPE) causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, (SLAVE) to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:(CHIP IMPLANT)
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.(6-6-6) A NUMBER SYSTEM

REVELATION 16:1-2
1 And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.
2 And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.

I KNOW THIS MARK WILL BE A MICROCHIP IMPLANT UNDER THE SKIN. LETS LOOK UP WHAT THE WORD MARK SAYS IN REVELATION 13:16-18, 14:9,11, 15:2, 16:2, 19:20, 20:4-ALL THESE VERSES FROM THE BOOK OF REVELATION SPEAK OF THIS DICTATORS MARK. NOW LETS SEE WHAT IT MEANS FROM STRONGS EXAUSTIVE CONCORDANCE OF THE BIBLE. UNDER MARK PAGE 684.MARK UNDER MARK. THE OLD TESTAMENT IS UNDER HEBREW AND THE NEW TESTAMENT IS UNDER GREEK. SO WHEN WE LOOK UNDER REVELATION 13:16-17 WE SEE IT IS UNDER GREEK, SO WE GO TO GREEK IN THE BACK SECTION AND GO TO 5480 TO SEE WHAT IT SAYS THIS MARK WOULD BE. SO LETS GET TO IT.MARK IN STRONGS GREEK 5480 XAPAYUA CHARAGMA, KHAR-AG-MAH: FROM THE SAME AS 5482: A SCRATCH OR ETCHING, I.E STAMP (AS A BADGE OF SERVITUDE), OR SCULPTURED FIGURE-(STATUE):-GRAVEN, MARK FROM 5482 XAPAE CHARAX, KHAR-AX; FROM XAPAOOW CHARASSO (TO SHARPEN TO A POINT; AKIN TO 1125 THROUGH THE IDEA OF SCRATCHING); A STAKE, I.E (BYIMPL.) A PALISADE OR RAMPART (MILITARY MOUND FOR CIRCUMVALLATION IN A SIEGE): - TRENCH FROM 1125 YPAPOE GRAPHO, GRAF-0; A PRIM. VERB; TO "GRAVE", ESPEC. TO WRITE; FIG. TO DESCRIBE:-DESCRIBE, WRITE (-ING, -TEN).G5516-GO TO G4742-666 - STRONGS NT 4742: στίγμα - στίγμα, στιγματος, τό (from στίζω to prick; (cf. Latinstimulus, etc.; German stechen, English stick, sting, etc.; Curtius, § 226)), a mark pricked in or branded upon the body. According to ancient oriental usage, slaves and soldiers bore the name or stamp of their master or commander branded or pricked (cut) into their bodies to indicate what master or general they belonged to, and there were even some devotees who stamped themselves in this way with the token of their gods (cf. Deyling, Observations, iii., p. 423ff); hence, τά στίγματα τοῦ (κυρίου so Rec.) Ἰησοῦ, the marks of (the Lord) Jesus, which Paul in Galatians 6:17 says he bears branded on his body, are the traces left there by the perils, hardships, imprisonments, scourgings, endured by him for the cause of Christ, and which mark him as Christ's faithful and approved votary, servant, soldier (see Lightfoots Commentary on Galatians, the passage cited). (Herodotus 7, 233; Aristotle, Aelian, Plutarch, Lcian, others.)

THE INVENTOR OF THE MICROCHIP IMPLANT-CARL SANDERS MICROCHIP ENGINEER LEADER
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgH9D6n4ZWo

THE MICROCHIP IMPLANT IN YOUR RIGHT HAND OR FOREHEAD.

LEVETICUS 19.28
Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD.

FAMINE

EZEKIEL 5:16
16  When I shall send upon them the evil arrows of famine, which shall be for their destruction, and which I will send to destroy you: and I will increase the famine upon you, and will break your staff of bread:

REVELATION 6:5-6
5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.
6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.(A DAYS WAGES FOR A LOAF OF BREAD)

MATTHEW 24:7-8
7For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.

LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

DEUTORONOMY 28:24
24  The LORD shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust: from heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed.

LOCUSTS (DEMONIC) TORTURES SINNERS 5 MONTHS
REVELATION 9:1-6
1 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.
2 And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.
3 And there came out of the smoke (DEMONIC) locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.
5 And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.
6 And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.

Biometric transactions to generate $315B by 2028: Prism Project-Jan 7, 2025, 7:06 pm EST    | Chris Burt

The boom in biometrics as the only reliable link between humans and their digital identities and data will continue through the next several years, according to the projects of The Prism Project from Acuity Market Intelligence.The Project’s Biometric Digital Identity Flagship Report has been released to help guide vendors and relying parties through the complexity of an ecosystem in which maturity is seen not in zero-sum tabulation of market winners and losers,  but a diversity of technologies and approaches to deal with a wide range of specific problems and applications.“This is the thing we’re really trying to address with the Prism: how do these things fit together? Because if we don’t explain how they fit together, then everyone thinks ‘I just need this’ or ‘I just need that,’” Acuity Principal Maxine Most tells Biometric Update in an interview.She traces this thinking back, at least in part, to years of messaging from identity and access management (IAM) vendors telling prospective customers that single sign-on (SSO) or federated identity could solve all of their identity-related challenges.Trends in user experience, regulatory compliance and fraud mitigation are pushing the adoption of biometrics, and growing the market towards revenues of $315 billion and 5.6 trillion transactions between 2024 and 2028. The jump in revenue represents a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 47.5 percent.Despite this growth, Acuity identifies a disparity between how vendors see automation driving demand, and how relying parties are prioritizing compliance and customer experience.Most urges vendors to listen carefully to their customers, and recounts a conversation with a compliance manager at a major relying party who said they simply could not use some of the technology being offered to them. “It’s always that balance between innovation and actually listening to customers,” she says.That often means pitching technology that can help reduce fraud from the perspective of user experience. “You start with that customer experience because that’s what’s going to drive the high levels of use that are going to make it valuable.”Understanding the market-Broadly speaking, the most widely adopted applications are authentication, user onboarding and access control, with relatively minimal interest in employee time and attendance, according to the Flagship Report.The Report sets out the market position of 250 biometrics and digital identity vendors and organizations. Most emphasizes that although the reports have dozens of sponsoring vendors, they are a product of collaboration and broad consultation with players on both sides of the market, not “pay-to-play.”Idemia, SITA and Mastercard sit in the middle of the Flagship Prism, as Identity Titans. Around them organizations are grouped into different categories as providers of Biometric Core Tech, Identity Platforms, Solutions Providers, Authentication, Identity Proofing and Verification, Decentralized Identity, Infrastructure and Relying Parties.The inclusion of the infrastructure and relying party beams of the prism is reflective of the influence they have in a biometrics marketplace that has already advanced from the initial adoptions driven by innovation to the doorstep of mainstream use.“Without all of that core infrastructure, you can’t have a mature marketplace,” Most points out.The Prism is “a living research document,” and as such Most says that when Acuity was putting together the Travel and Hospitality Report, the importance of the decisions being made by the relying parties necessitated their inclusion.Each of the Prism reports presents market players in each category as Luminaries, Catalysts or Pulsars. Luminaries are the leaders in their field, the most proficient in their application and often the organizations that set trends. Catalysts are established but attempting to rise to the Liminary category through disruption, innovation and acceleration. Pulsars are “bright upstarts and pivoting legacy vendors” with potential.Helping people understand how they fit together, Most says, is the fundamental purpose of the reports.“There are different types of identity transactions and interactions, and you don’t need the same technology for all of them, and that’s okay. What problem are you trying to solve, and what are the pieces.”The report also breaks down the market by region and vertical.Financial Services, Travel and Hospitality and Government Services Prism Reports preceded the release of the Flagship report.Government services, including civil identity, healthcare, social services and border control will generate $202.5 billion in revenue for biometrics and digital identity vendors supporting 6.4 trillion identity transactions from 2024 to 2028, according to Acuity.The Travel and Hospitality Prism Report forecasts a 92 percent CAGR and 263 billion biometrics-enabled transactions the industry yielding $72 billion in revenue globally over the same period.Financial services, perhaps surprisingly, make up the smallest of the three segments, with $40 billion in revenue forecast between 2024 and 2028, according to a Prism Report released in June.For 2025, the Prism Reports will shift to a focus on the pressing issues and challenges facing the biometrics and digital identity industry.

U.S. lawmakers renew call for probe of TSA’s use of biometrics, AI-Jan 9, 2025, 5:34 pm EST    | Anthony Kimery

Lawmakers once again are expressing concerns about the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) use of biometric technologies, including facial recognition and AI, and, once again, have renewed calls for investigations.On January 8, Republican Representatives Mark Green and Carlos Giménez, members of the House Committee on Homeland Security, asked the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a comprehensive review of TSA’s deployment of these technologies.Their inquiry seeks to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of these technologies, their impact on operational efficiency and security, and the adequacy of data protection measures. The review they’ve called for will also assess the long-term implications of deploying these tools, particularly in terms of financial costs and societal impact.In a letter to GAO Comptroller Gene Dodaro, Green and Giménez said, “As TSA continues to adopt biometric identification technologies and leverage artificial intelligence to enhance screening procedures, it is imperative that Congress evaluates the cost-effectiveness, operational impact, and privacy implications of these advanced tools.”“TSA must prioritize funding for emerging technology, effectively partner with the private sector, and safeguard the privacy of Americans as it works to modernize the airport screening experience,” Green said in a statement. “The traveling public and TSA employees deserve nothing less. We hope the GAO will provide the committee with a thorough review of the agency’s investments to ensure it can accomplish its no-fail homeland security mission amid evolving threats to air travel.”Because GAO performs investigations and audits at the request of lawmakers, a probe will be initiated, though it is unclear how long it will take.TSA began introducing facial recognition technology at select airports in 2022 to verify a traveler’s identity by matching their face to the ID presented at airport screening checkpoints.Facial recognition is integrated into TSA’s second-generation Credential Authentication Technology (CAT-2) devices. According to a recent update on its website, TSA has installed CAT-2 devices at 84 airports nationwide, with plans to expand their use to over 400 airports in the coming years.Earlier, in November 2024, a bipartisan group of 12 senators, including Jeff Merkley, John Kennedy, Edward J. Markey, and Ted Cruz, wrote Department of Homeland Security’s Inspector General (IG) urging him to investigate TSA’s expanding use of facial recognition technology at airports, citing concerns about accuracy, necessity, and potential erosion of passenger privacy.“This technology will soon be in use at hundreds of major and mid-size airports without an independent evaluation of the technology’s precision or an audit of whether there are sufficient safeguards in place to protect passenger privacy,” the senators wrote. “TSA has not provided Congress with evidence that facial recognition technology is necessary to catch fraudulent documents, decrease wait times at security checkpoints, or stop terrorists from boarding airplanes.”Earlier, in May, another bipartisan group of 14 senators, led by Senators Merkley and Kennedy, called for restrictions on TSA’s use of facial recognition technology. They expressed concerns about travelers’ privacy and civil liberties and suggested using the upcoming reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration as a vehicle to limit TSA’s use of the technology until Congress could implement proper oversight.In a letter to Democrat Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Republican House Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, the bipartisan group said, “This technology poses significant threats to our privacy and civil liberties, and Congress should prohibit TSA’s development and deployment of facial recognition tools until rigorous congressional oversight occurs”These legislative actions highlight a growing bipartisan effort to scrutinize and potentially regulate the deployment of AI and biometric technologies in federal agencies, ensuring that advancements in security do not come at the expense of individual rights and freedoms.In January 2024, the National Academies of Sciences (NAS) issued a report in which it noted that advances in biometrics and AI have outpaced laws and regulations.“Facial recognition technology is increasingly used for identity verification and identification, from aiding law enforcement investigations to identifying potential security threats at large venues. However, advances in this technology have outpaced laws and regulations, raising significant concerns related to equity, privacy, and civil liberties,” NAS said.TSA Chief Technology, Data and Artificial Intelligence Officer Matt Gilkeson told Nextgov/FCW late last year that, “We’re focused and honing in on responsible use. TSA, from day one of our creation with any technology we deploy, has always looked at the technology from a lens of function, safety, security, equity and accessibility. We’re looking across our existing policies and authorities to make sure that when we do execute a test event, we are accounting for any additional kind of responsible use principles that we need to make sure are there.”The mounting scrutiny of TSA’s use of biometric technologies and AI by both Republicans and Democrats reflects broader societal concerns about the balance between technological innovation, privacy, and government oversight. TSA has been incorporating facial recognition and AI-driven analytics into its security processes to enhance operational efficiency, improve the traveler experience, and bolster security against potential threats.However, this progress has raised alarms about the potential for privacy infringements, data security risks, and a lack of transparency in how these technologies are being deployed.The implications of these debates extend well beyond TSA’s immediate operations. Privacy advocates argue that biometric systems, which require the collection and storage of sensitive personal data, pose significant risks. Unlike passwords, biometric data cannot be changed if compromised, and centralized databases become attractive targets for cyberattacks. Globally, similar debates are unfolding, with countries like those in the European Union implementing stringent regulations on biometric data to safeguard individual privacy.The effectiveness of these technologies is another point of contention. While the TSA asserts that biometrics and AI improve screening accuracy and reduce wait times, critics question whether these benefits justify the potential drawbacks. Operational challenges, such as false positives and system malfunctions, may offset the promised gains. Additionally, studies have documented biases in AI systems, with facial recognition technologies often misidentifying individuals based on race or gender, raising ethical concerns about fairness and equity.Beyond operational and privacy issues, the broader ethical dimensions of such technologies are significant. Civil liberties advocates worry about “mission creep,” where technologies introduced for security purposes could later be used for broader, more invasive surveillance.To address these challenges, lawmakers are focusing on establishing oversight mechanisms to ensure transparency in the deployment of these technologies. Clear regulatory frameworks, they believe, are needed to govern data collection, usage, storage, and sharing, along with opportunities for public consultation to incorporate diverse perspectives on the ethical implications.Lawmakers view their calls for a review of TSA’s biometric and AI usage as a critical step in balancing technological advancements with civil liberties. As the TSA and lawmakers navigate these issues, their decisions will likely set important precedents for how government agencies across the U.S. adopt and regulate advanced technologies in public operations. Balancing security, efficiency, and privacy will remain at the heart of this evolving debate.

VPNs popular workaround as US age verification debate comes to a head-It’s getting harder to access porn in southern United States-Jan 9, 2025, 5:23 pm EST    | Joel R. McConvey

A large swath of the southern United States have lost access to major online porn sites over age verification laws.With the issue set to hit the U.S. Supreme Court next week, when oral arguments regarding Texas’ age assurance law begin, legal friction continues over whether age assurance measures violate the Constitution.Pornhub, one of the world’s largest purveyors of adult content online, is standing firm, listing 16 states which now have the digital equivalent of a chastity belt. “We firmly believe age verification can make the internet a safer space for everyone, when it is done right,” says a statement from the company. “Unfortunately, the way these new laws are executed by lawmakers is ineffective and puts users’ privacy at risk.”Alongside digital rights activists, porn providers lean into arguments about free speech and access to educational material. Meanwhile, virtual private network (VPN) use in the southern states has grown noticeably engorged, as randy surfers look for security workarounds.Tennessee law blocked on First Amendment grounds-Tennessee wants in on age assurance laws for pornographic websites, but a judge has blocked the state’s law for now. ABC News reports that U.S. District Judge Sheryl Lipman in Memphis ruled that the law would likely suppress the First Amendment rights of adults without actually protecting children.Florida’s attorney general’s office is appealing the decision.The proposed Tennessee law, which is popular with the state’s supermajority Republican legislature, would impose felony penalties and civil liability for violations – some of the stiffest age verification laws on the books.The judge’s ruling notes that easily accessible VPNs make it easy for minors to skirt age verification measures, and that porn is still easy to find on social media.On New Year’s Eve, Florida fappers flock to VPNs-In Florida, the Free Speech Coalition, a nonprofit advocacy group for the adult content industry, is making a similar legal play. A report from MyNews 13 Orlando says the group claims House Bill 3 – which imposes civil penalties of up to $50,000 per violation on websites that fail to verify the age and identity of users – doesn’t do what it’s supposed to.It quotes the coalition’s director of public policy, Mike Stabile, who notes that websites hosting adult content are exempt from the law if the material comprises less than a third of their total content.“The way HB 3 works is it says if you have less than a third of your content on your site, then you don’t have to comply with this law,” Stabile says. “That means tons of sites with adult content are not age-verified. It’s tremendously ineffective.”While Stabile might have trouble pointing to sites that are, say, two thirds scrapbooking content and one third threesomes, he may be right in noting the existence of loopholes in some age assurance schemes. Forbes cites numbers from VpnMentor, a site that tracks the VPN industry, which “detected a surge of 1,150 percent in VPN demand” in Florida between midnight and 4am on January 1 – just after Pornhub pulled out.The trend isn’t limited to Florida. According to a recent piece in Forbes, “the raft of U.S. states that have jumped on this age verification bandwagon has triggered the kind of rush to VPNs normally only seen in war-torn, autocratic or heavily censored markets – Iran, Russia, China and North Korea, rather than Florida, Texas and South Carolina.”Age Verification Provider’s Association (AVPA) Executive Director Iain Corby calls this “the VPN fallacy,” saying during a panel discussion in late-2023: “I’ve never seen a piece of legislation that says, ‘we wish to protect children in this particular U.S. state (unless they use your VPN, in which case it’s okay).’ That’s not how the legislation is written.”LGBTQ+ advocates fear censorship, conservative crackdown-The ongoing VPN orgy points to a couple of hard truths. One, a lot of people use porn but would prefer to keep their habit private. Two, as much as adult industry representatives talk about the First Amendment, their main problem is that, when age assurance measures take effect, they lose users by the millions.The First Amendment argument holds more weight when tabled by LGBTQ advocates. A piece in Them, a Condé Nast publication featuring “storytelling on the fight for LGBTQ+ rights,” suggests that right-wing politicians who helped craft the Project 2025 “policy wish-list” see age verification as a “back door” to broader bans on pornography, and a way to crack down on LGBTQ-positive resources. Pornography has long been a ripe target for conservative politicians, and the architects of 2025 skew toward the Christian right, and have shown open hostility to diversity initiatives.Can age assurance work without collecting any PII at all? Privacy advocates often raise flags about the retention of user data, and the related risks of data breaches and identity theft. Their assertions like to ignore that porn sites themselves aren’t typically collecting data, and that laws, policies and practices ensure any personally identifying data collected by third parties for age verification is deleted as soon as possible.A government ID, face biometrics, a browser history heavily weighted toward S&M content: none of this is appealing to hand over to untrusted parties. Age verification providers are working to build the necessary trust to operate as intended. But they also understand the evident truth: people in the southern United States really want to watch porn.Whoever can offer them an accurate, secure way to do it without handing over ID or personally identifying biometrics will likely receive a warm welcome, indeed.

1Password acquires Trelica to bolster Extended Access Management platform-Jan 9, 2025, 5:13 pm EST    | Joel R. McConvey

Toronto biometric identity security firm 1Password has announced the acquisition of UK SaaS access management company Trelica. A release says the strategic acquisition will “accelerate the delivery of new capabilities in the 1Password Extended Access Management (XAM) platform.”“Trelica’s technology and approach align perfectly with our mission to unleash employee productivity without compromising security,” says Jeff Shiner, Co-CEO of 1Password. “The acquisition of Trelica accelerates our path to delivering the full potential of our Extended Access Management platform, which ensures that employees’ devices, identities, and apps are trusted before access is granted.”The complexity of modern digital ecosystems, which mix personal and corporate devices, mobile and in-person workforces, biometric authentication and traditional login, among other variables, makes 100 percent awareness a tricky proposition. Per the release, one in three employees use unapproved apps and tools to boost productivity.The XAM concept is to give companies the ability to manage unsanctioned, and therefore insecure, apps employees may be using in breach of policy.By enabling control of so-called shadow IT not secured behind single sign-on (SSO) and other unprotected devices, Trelica helps the 1Password Extended Access Management platform close the “trust-access gap” – “the security risks posed by unmanaged devices and apps accessing company data without proper governance controls.”“The greater the gap, the greater the risk of a data breach,” Shiner says.In addition to shadow IT management, Trelica will help “optimize software licenses to uncover cost-saving opportunities, automate workflows for smarter resource allocation, and maintain continuous compliance with standards such as SOC 2 and ISO/IEC 27001 through comprehensive audit trails and robust policy.”

Inverid and iProov revealed as developers for Frontex’ ‘Travel to Europe’ EES app-Jan 9, 2025, 5:07 pm EST    | Chris Burt

Inverid and its face biometrics and liveness detection partner iProov are behind the pre-registration app launched by Frontex to meet the requirements of Europe’s incoming Entry/Exit System (EES), Biometric Update can reveal.Frontex announced the arrival of the Travel to Europe app as a voluntary tool for national authorities to implement to streamline EES entry processes in a social media post on Sunday.Streamlining entries is a pressing priority for EU member states and their neighbors, as concerns about prohibitive wait times at borders and capacity limits have forced the system’s launch to be delayed and altered to a phased approach.A white paper from Inverid on “Entry/Exit System Queue Busting Through Pre-Registration” describes the use of digital machine-readable travel documents (mMRTDs) to carry out traveler identity verification and optimize passenger flows.Inverid confirmed the contract with Frontex and its own partnership with iProov on the project in an email to Biometric Update.The app is used to scan the machine-readable and visual inspection zones in the traveler’s passport prior to travel. The same document’s NFC chip is scanned to extract data and prove its authenticity, and the traveler submits a selfie biometric for a liveness check. The document scanning function is supplied by Inverid’s Read ID, while the liveness check function is provided by iProov.Inverid and iProov are also partnered with Entrust on the SmartCheck biometric application used by Eurostar.The app was referred to by the name “QuickBorder” during the APP4EES pilot project. A prototype of the app was tested at Arlanda and Schiphol airports, in Sweden and the Netherlands, respectively, during the pilot.The pilot ran for six weeks, with the results independently analyzed. Inverid calls the early results “very encouraging,” and notes that in addition to being rebranded, the app was also “revised.”Sweden has already confirmed it will use the app once EES takes effect.People make 500 million trips cross Europe’s borders per year, Frontex Deputy Executive Director Uku Särekanno said during a keynote on the app at the Tallinn Digital Summit in November. Särekanno explicitly connected the app’s development to the “longer queues” which would be “highly likely” under EES, due to the additional data collection it involves. That data is face and fingerprint biometrics, along with information about the individuals’ travel plans.The Travel to Europe app can provide all of this information except the fingerprints, which Särekanno notes would still have to be collected at border crossings. iProov and others are working on smartphone-based contactless fingerprint capture technology which could potentially enable all biometric data to be submitted ahead of time in the future.

NRF 2025: Corsight, Paravision, Diebold among biometrics providers staking retail claims-Biometrics talk shifts from security to customer insights, age assurance at big retail expo-Jan 9, 2025, 4:59 pm EST    | Joel R. McConvey

Step right up, folks: it’s time for Retail’s Big Show, NRF 2025 – the yearly conference showcasing technological innovation and other developments in the retail space, which this year include emerging use cases for facial intelligence and other biometric recognition tools.Taking place in New York City from January 12-14, the event will host nearly 40,000 attendees, with 5000 brands represented. It represents a key opportunity for biometrics and digital ID providers, who continue to develop use cases for in-person payments, age assurance, loss prevention, virtual try on and more.Numbers from Juniper Research show that in-store biometric transactions grew by 138 percent between 2023 and 2024, and predict that total transaction value for biometric in-store payments will hit $1.2 trillion in 2028. As biometric age assurance, cashless payments and data-driven customer relationships become the norm, biometric applications are taking a more central stage in retail innovation.Corsight’s facial intelligence supports accurate visitor-to-buyer conversion rates-Among those on hand to exhibit technological wares is Corsight, which will showcase its facial recognition and facial intelligence capabilities. While the company has touted its tech’s ability to stem losses from so-called “sweethearting” and other types of retail theft, it also sees its offering as a value-added proposal for businesses on the marketing and operations front.“Facial intelligence isn’t just for security anymore,” says Shay Poleg, North America sales director for Corsight. “It’s a powerful tool for retailers to gain deeper insights into customer behavior, streamline everyday retail processes and safeguard their assets.” In addition to queue management and safeguarding restricted areas, biometric technology can help determine accurate visitor-to-buyer conversion rates.Corsight says facial intelligence is superior to existing customer counting methods such as pressure mats and infrared beam counters, which don’t account for unique visitors, repeat entries, staff movements and other anomalies.“By distinguishing between new and returning customers and analyzing demographic data,” the company says, “retailers can better understand traffic patterns and make informed decisions.”This is particularly useful in highly dynamic retail environments. Karla Lopez oversees Corsight’s operations in Latin America, where, she says, “facial intelligence is proving to be transformative.”Corsight’s appearance at NRF 2025 will also feature a collaboration with physical security and retail analytics firm ISEG. The two companies will showcase “tools for advanced traffic analysis and segmentation that help retailers optimize performance.”“ISEG’s BI platform leverages recognition capabilities to provide unique and segmented traffic analysis,” says Gabriel Lerner, CEO of ISEG, noting the partnership’s strengths. “We chose Corsight AI for its unmatched accuracy and reliability in crowded retail environments. Their technology consistently delivers precise insights, even under challenging real-world conditions, making it a cornerstone of our retail analytics platform.”Paravision pitches in-store, online and staff management-Paravision is bringing its face biometrics, single-frame liveness detection and facial age estimation technology to the show to support seamless digital transactions and in-store payments. The company also notes the retail applications of its enterprise management tools in a LinkedIn post.Diebold Nixdorf provides ‘shrink reduction’ product-Diebold Nixdorf is using biometrics to tackle the problem of shrinkage for French retail conglomerate Groupement Mousquetaires. Retail shrinkage, that is – losses that occur at self-checkouts when customers underscan, skip or stack items.A release says that the firm’s AI-driven Vynamic Smart Vision I Shrink Reduction product will be integrated into self-service checkouts across Groupement Mousquetaires’ store locations. The tool analyzes customer behavior in real-time and sends alerts to attendants if it detects signs of petty thievery.Deployments have already shown positive results. Erroneous transactions, a “major concern” for retailers, dropped from 3 percent to under 1 percent. Cashier interventions fell nearly 15 percent.Matt Redwood, vice president, Retail Technology Solutions at Diebold Nixdorf, says the company’s “combined solution of hardware, software and service globally has been designed alongside retailers, keeping store staff, serviceability and customer experience in mind. It provides a range of actionable outputs that help the retailer combat shrink without alienating their customers.”Diebold Nixdorf has also made recent moves into the age assurance market.Biometrics and digital identity well represented at NRF 2025A number of other firms from the biometrics ecosystem are making an appearance at NRF, with exhibitors ranging from massive payments firms to digital ID startups. Names familiar to biometrics observers include Accenture, Advantech, AWS, Chetu, Cognizant, Feitian, Fujitsu, G+D, Glory, Hanwha, ID.me, IDscan, Innovative Technology, J.P. Morgan, Mastercard, NXP, Telpo, Visa and Wink.Visitors to the Big Show can also drop by the NRF 2025 Innovators Showcase, an “immersive and interactive” area of the expo with demos of cutting-edge technology. The slate features firms working in spatial AI, augmented reality, computer vision, digital real estate, mobile payments and more.

Guyana political parties urge GECOM to decide on election biometrics now-Jan 9, 2025, 2:09 pm EST    | Ayang Macdonald

A political alliance in Guyana – A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) – has told the election management agency (GECOM) that a decision on whether to incorporate biometrics in to the electoral process or not, must be taken now as general elections in the country are expected by the end of the year.The call from the coalition of political parties formed in 2011 comes just months after GECOM released a report detailing findings of a feasibility study on the integration of biometrics into the South American nation’s electoral system.The report presented by Chief Election Officer Vishnu Persaud noted that while biometrics hold great promise for the organization of streamlined and credible elections, the system would be costly for the country to implement.With general elections scheduled to take place either in October or November this year, APNU thinks the election management agency needs no further delay on taking a definitive decision on the matter.One of the political parties of the APNU alliance which has been vocal about election biometrics is the People’s National Congress (PNC).In a press statement issued early this month, the party called on GECOM to take concrete steps aimed at introducing a biometric voter registration system as well as biometrics in the later stages of the electoral process such as for voter verification and result management.In the statement posted to its Facebook page, APNU said it aligns with the findings of the feasibility study which largely favour the implementation of a biometric system.“GECOM must now urgently advance the process to ensure the use of fingerprint biometrics becomes a reality for the 2025 elections,” a part of the statement reads.It adds: “Chairperson Claudette Singh must realize that her role as chair must extend far beyond that of a glorified returning officer, as she is not there merely to count the votes of the six commissioners. She must see her role as a mission to guarantee accurate and credible elections in which Guyanese can have full confidence.”Buttressing its argument, APNU cites the example of Ghana where the use of biometrics in elections is said to be maturing.“We in the Opposition believe, from experiences in other countries such as Ghana, that GECOM can ensure there is biometrics. Ghana, during Covid 19 and all the challenges it posed, implemented biometrics in under two months. It is important to note that Ghana has 17 million registered voters in comparison to Guyana’s 750,000,” it states.GECOM Commissioner slams delays in making decision-Meanwhile, also speaking on the issue, GECOM opposition-nominated Commissioner Vincent Alexander, regrets that the commission wasted time during the Yuletide recess whereas there are important decisions they had to make.Alexander regrets, as quoted in a report by Credible Sources, that throughout their discussions on the adoption of a digital registration and biometrics system by GECOM, there has been a clear divide among Commissioners even if those speaking against it have no tangible reasons.“We spent approximately two months discussing this matter, and in those discussions, there was a clear divide,” he said.“I dare say that the commissioners nominated by the opposition gave very good reasons why biometrics should be introduced. For the other commissioners, some of them hardly spoke on the matter, and those who spoke [against] could give no real sound and objective reasons.” He also blamed the GECOM chair for not having a clear position on the issue.Alexander has been an ardent advocate for the adoption of biometrics for elections in Guyana.Belize, Nigeria plan biometric voter registration drives-In separate developments but related to biometric voter registration, Belize says it is preparing to dispatch mobile teams to remote areas to enroll voters ahead of general elections expected by year-end.Love FM indicates that the mobilization is being made by the country’s Elections and Boundaries Department to serve areas where citizens find it difficult reaching its offices. The first teams were expected today in San Antonio village.To make voter registration smooth, the department is working to enable thousands of persons pick up their processed ID cards. For new registrants, documents needed as proof of ID include a Belizean birth certificate or nationality certificate alongside a social security card or a signed and certified photograph.In Nigeria, officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) say the Continuous Voter Registration (CRV) will begin in the first quarter of this year, according to People’s Daily.

Next nets ‘significant’ design-win with new fingerprint-enabled keyboard-Jan 9, 2025, 11:35 am EST    | Lu-Hai Liang

Next Biometrics has secured a “significant” new design-win with an unspecified Asian customer. The customer’s end-user product is a medical keyboard for industrial use, with Next supplying the fingerprint biometric modules and touchpads for the keyboard. It marks Next’s first design-win for the touchpad segment.“The estimated order value for this design-win is in excess of NOK three million with planned delivery during 2025,” said Joshua Chiu, senior vice president and head of sales Southeast Asia at Next.“Following the launch of this touchpad on keyboard, we are also working with this Asian customer on three additional touchpad projects, which are expected to be in the market in Q2 2025,” he continued. The product is being demonstrated at CES 2025.In addition, Next delivered a NOK 8m ($702,424) order before 2024’s end. The order came via one of Next’s Chinese distribution partners and was part of a previously communicated design-win that targeted the growing government ID market in Africa. Next said the demand for its Active Thermal fingerprint biometric sensor has increased outside of China, particularly in the global government ID sector.Around the same time, Next signed a new multi-year MoU with an Indian OEM. The strategic agreement is valued at approximately NOK 18m ($1.58m), the company claims, with the parties targeting the law enforcement and banking industries in Europe and South Africa, as well as the growing MOSIP market in Asia and Africa.The MoU states that the Indian OEM will design and manufacture an authentication device featuring Next’s FAP30 sensor, which will be compatible with both Windows and Android devices. The authentication device will be battery driven and targets the “continuous need” for secure biometric authentication in the law enforcement and banking industries.“South Africa is the leader on the African continent and as such [is] a significant and powerful trend setter,” said Digvijay Singh Kanwar, senior vice president and head of sales for India, U.S., EU and Africa at Next. “Due to Africa’s unique climate, sensor solutions for this market must be resistant to weather conditions and durable.”He continued: “Our new FAP30 fingerprint sensor is a premium biometric security product, which not only meet all the above-mentioned demands, but it is also easy to integrate and consumes less battery than competing optical solutions.”Kanwar said the FAP30 will be ready for mass production in the latter half of this year, with improved samples expected to ship to the Indian OEM in the first half. As engineering samples have been achieved, Marcus Lauren, chief product officer at Next, commented that the market demand has been stronger than expected, with the size of the sensor being the right fit for all relevant UN projects based in Africa.“One of the strongest features of the FAP30 is its outstanding picture quality and built-in anti-spoofing, which provides unmatched capability to detect liveness in the finger,” Lauren said.“The larger size is naturally also an important feature that ensures a more complete picture of the fingerprint.”Earlier last month, one of Next’s Indian partners successfully completed a 5000 FRR (False Rejection Rate) test, securing an important milestone in the Aadhaar UIDAI L1 approval process. The 5000 FRR is an industry standard that measures and certifies on-field performance of biometric systems. It is a mandatory step for companies aiming to become L1 certified for their devices and be compliant within India’s Aadhaar. Next Biometrics provided its FAP20, one of its Active Thermal fingerprint biometric sensors, to the Indian partner.

China reveals draft rules on cross-border personal data transfers-Jan 9, 2025, 11:15 am EST    | Masha Borak

China’s government has released a draft version of guidelines on cross-border flow of personal information, opening it for public comments. According to the proposed rulebook, any organization transferring personal information from China to overseas entities must undergo a certification process.Personal information processors within the territory of China will be required to apply for certification for personal information export to professional certification agencies approved by the State Administration for Market Regulation. The rules, standards and technical regulations for the qualification assessment will be issued by the Cyberspace Administration of China, the country’s main internet regulator.Certification standards will consider the legality and necessity of the cross-border data transfer, as well as the data protection standards in the destination country.The guidelines are formulated according to the country’s laws, including the Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL) which regulates biometric data privacy in China. Often compared to the European Union’s GDPR, the 2021 law introduces hefty fines for business operators that fail to protect consumers’ personal information.PIPL also allows prosecutors to initiate civil litigation and has been used to slow down the unchecked expansion of commercial facial biometrics in industries such as hotels and leisure. Similar to the law, the draft guidelines on cross-border data transfer will open the possibility for organizations and individuals to report violations.The deadline for public feedback is February 3rd, 2025.

China’s use of AI, biometrics pose significant, persistent threats, DOD says-Jan 8, 2025, 12:39 pm EST    | Anthony Kimery

Advancements in AI and biometrics by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) pose significant risks to global security, particularly to the United States and Western nations, according to an unclassified report from the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD).The nearly 200-page DOD report to Congress, Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China, details how the PRC’s strategic integration of AI and biometric technologies into national security, military modernization, and global influence operations threatens U.S. and Western security.The report warns that “PRC leaders … power to shape world events continues to grow, presenting ‘new strategic opportunities’ to create an environment favorable for PRC interests and national rejuvenation.” The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) defines “the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation” as a state in which the PRC is “prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful.”National rejuvenation, however, DOD emphases, “requires the PRC to ‘take an active part in leading the reform of the global governance system’ since many rules and norms were established, in the PRC’s view, during a time of PRC weakness and without the PRC’s consultation and input.”Mandated by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2000, the report highlights the intersection of technological innovation and global security challenges stemming from China’s ambitions.The report charts the course of the PRC’s national, economic, and military strategy, offering insights into the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) strategy, current capabilities, and activities, as well as its future modernization goals. DOD said the report “illustrates the importance of meeting the pacing challenge presented by the PRC’s increasingly capable military.”The report ominously warns that the “PRC’s longstanding national strategy is to achieve ‘the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation’ by 2049,” and that “this strategy determinedly pursues political, social, economic, technological, and military development to increase the PRC’s national power and revise the international order in support of the PRC’s system of governance and national interests.”The PRC views AI as being pivotal to its future warfare capabilities and global influence. According to DOD, “The PRC aims to overtake the West in AI R&D by 2025 to become the world leader in AI by 2030. The PRC has designated AI as a priority, national-level S&T development area and assesses that advances in AI and autonomy are central to ‘intelligentized warfare,’ the PRC’s concept of future warfare.”This strategy includes leveraging AI to enhance cyber operations, such as reconnaissance, deepfake generation, misinformation campaigns, and state-sponsored hacking to acquire a waterfront of sensitive information, including personal data that it can use to blackmail and coerce targeted individuals. DOD says, “the PRC presents a significant, persistent cyber-enabled espionage and attack threat.” Conversely, DOD says the CCP Party Congress has “stressed the CCP’s need to prevent digital penetration, sabotage, subversion, and separatism activities from external actors.”All of these tools support the PRC’s broader approach to what it calls “cognitive domain operations,” which DOD says are aimed at manipulating perceptions and disrupting adversaries’ decision-making processes. The report warns that deepfakes are a low-cost but effective means for shaping narratives and sowing discord.Indeed. DOD says the PRC sees synthetic media as an aspect of “cognitive warfare” and calls for the use of emerging technologies such as AI and big data to enhance operations, including the production and use of deepfakes.DOD says, “PLA researchers have been interested in developing this technology since 2011 when National University of Defense Technology researchers proposed using audio-visual technology to imitate voices of foreign senior political and military leadership to mislead adversaries and shape their decision-making process. The researchers identified what they called ‘voice information synthesis technology’ as a key enabling technology to accomplish this, indicating the development of underlying technologies used in deepfakes.”In 2018, PLA researchers also found that the PLA needed to improve other AI techniques such as deep learning and natural language processing to employ voice information synthesis technology to spread content online. In 2020, elements of the PLA reportedly created a deepfake to mislead the U.S. public.“The PLA has identified that using deepfakes presents the PLA with a low cost and quick-to-develop capability to shape the information environment with a low threshold for use in operations,” DOD warned.Under its Military-Civil Fusion initiative, the PRC seeks to integrate civilian and military innovation ecosystems to develop cutting-edge AI-enabled military capabilities. DOD says, “Beijing views the integration of military and civilian institutions as central for developing AI-enabled military capabilities and has established military-civilian R&D centers and procured commercially developed AI … to ensure PLA access to cutting-edge AI technologies.”The report highlights the PRC’s global leadership in specific AI applications, including facial recognition and natural language processing. Chinese companies, which dominate these fields, are producing domestically designed AI chips and exploring next-generation semiconductor technologies. While still reliant on foreign capabilities for advanced semiconductor fabrication, the PRC is working to close these gaps through industrial policies and massive R&D funding.DOD says the “PRC is prioritizing the development of AI-enabled capabilities because of its belief that AI is leading to the next revolution in military affairs. To actualize the level of AI integration that the PLA is envisioning, Beijing recognizes the need to leverage developments from across its commercial and academic sectors. By 2030, the PLA expects to field a range of ‘algorithmic warfare’ and ‘network-centric warfare’ capabilities operating at different levels of human-machine integration. CCP leaders believe AI and machine learning will enhance information, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities.”The PLA and other PRC defense organizations “have … used public purchasing platforms to improve military access to civilian AI research and capabilities in areas such as AI-enabled … image and object recognition,” DOD said.DOD added that “the PLA’s ‘core operational concept,’ Multi-Domain Precision Warfare, is intended to leverage a command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance network that incorporates advances in big data and AI, what the PLA calls the ‘network information system-of-systems’ to rapidly identify key vulnerabilities in the U.S. operational system and then combine joint forces across domains to launch precision strikes against those vulnerabilities.” This includes vulnerabilities in U.S. government and private sector information collection and storage systems.Domestically, China has integrated biometric and AI technologies into a comprehensive surveillance apparatus. Facial recognition systems, a core component of this infrastructure, are employed to monitor and control its population, including within the Social Credit System. DOD warns that these technologies are particularly invasive in regions like Xinjiang and Tibet, where they are used to suppress ethnic and religious minorities.Internationally, the PRC exports these technologies through initiatives like the Digital Silk Road, a subset of the Belt and Road Initiative. By providing surveillance systems to developing countries, China fosters strategic dependencies while promoting its authoritarian governance model. Critics argue that these exports facilitate repression and expand Beijing’s surveillance influence globally.The deployment and proliferation of PRC-made biometric and AI technologies carry profound ethical and geopolitical consequences. Domestically, they enable unprecedented social control, raising concerns about human rights abuses. Internationally, these technologies risk normalizing authoritarian practices, undermining democratic norms, and facilitating state-led oppression in adopting countries.The dominance of Chinese firms in these industries also raises concerns about technological sovereignty. Nations relying on PRC technology may face risks of espionage or political coercion, as Beijing could exploit vulnerabilities or backdoors in these systems.Additionally, by controlling vast repositories of biometric data, the PRC could exploit this information for strategic purposes, DOD warned U.S. lawmakers. This includes leveraging data gathered through international collaborations or stolen via cyber espionage. Such data provides insights into population behaviors and vulnerabilities, which could be weaponized in geopolitical conflicts.To mitigate these risks, nations have implemented various countermeasures, including restricting Chinese-made surveillance equipment and diversifying critical supply chains to reduce dependencies on PRC technologies. Efforts are also underway to establish global standards for the ethical use of AI and biometrics. The international community must address regulatory gaps to ensure innovation is directed toward constructive ends while preventing misuse.China’s advancements in AI, biometrics, and facial recognition highlight a dual-edged narrative of technological progress and global security risks. While these technologies offer potential benefits, their integration into the PRC’s surveillance state and military ambitions raises significant alarms.Addressing these risks requires a concerted international effort to promote transparency, establish ethical standards, and reduce dependencies on Chinese technology. Failure to act could solidify the PRC’s influence in shaping the future of these transformative technologies, with profound implications for global stability and governance.

Facial recognition, digital ID firms land on DOD’s list of Chinese military companies-Beijing says U.S. sanction list exaggerates “China threat” under auspice of national security-Jan 8, 2025, 12:37 pm EST    | Joel R. McConvey

The U.S. Department of Defense always marks the start of a new year by updating its list of Chinese companies operating in the States which it classifies as military contractors for Beijing. This year’s Section 1260H list adds some familiar names to the list of 134 total firms, including several operating in the biometrics and digital identity market.While inclusion on the list has no formal legal consequences, it is not intended as a compliment. Per the DOD’s website, Section 1260H of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 “directs the Department to begin identifying, among other things, Military-Civil Fusion contributors operating directly or indirectly in the United States.”In other words, the Section 1260H list puts a large red flag on civilian companies (including biometrics firms) whose operations could help build Chinese military might, which can ultimately lead to sanctions and dissuade international customers from engagement. It has already caused shockwaves in the stock market, causing several firms’ value to tumble by millions of dollars.In 2020, then-President Donald Trump ordered a ban on U.S. investments in entities on the Section 1260H list. He returns to the White House for his second term this month.Biometrics firms classified as military contractors by DOD-While the intent of the list is clear, its definition of what constitutes a “military company” goes far beyond missiles and munitions. According to the update, the following firms have been designated Chinese military companies.Aisino Corporation is a large technology and telecoms company that, in 2023, had a public tender contract to provide passports to the government of Chile cancelled, allegedly over data privacy concerns.Guangzhou-based facial recognition provider Cloudwalk has been on the list before. Its biometric algorithms have been ranked near the top of the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology’s benchmark for accuracy.Dahua Technology is a large biometric surveillance systems provider based in Hangzhou. Dahua recently spiked five contracts between its subsidiaries and local governments in China’s north-western Xinjiang region. The company has been tied to allegations of repression against the region’s Muslim Uighur minority through biometric surveillance with ethnicity detection. There is speculation that the incoming Trump administration is creating pressure on firms to distance themselves from the situation in Xinjiang.Hikvision’s scenario is much the same. The Chinese biometric surveillance tech group likewise cancelled five contracts with local governments in Xinjiang. Its operations in the territory – like Tibet, a so-called Autonomous Region – have already landed it on the U.S. government’s trade restriction “entity list.” The sanctions reportedly forced it to lay off about a thousand workers in October 2024.For many, Huawei will be the most familiar name on the list. In recent years, the world’s largest provider of telecommunications equipment has ramped up its work in national digital infrastructure and identity projects, supporting a larger global digital transformation. It is also closely tied to 5G wireless technology, which has generated its own share of controversy.Beijing-based SenseTime recently pivoted away from facial recognition technology to focus on generative AI, in what leaders called “a repositioning of the company’s strategic direction and core business areas.” The company has seen some instability since the death of billionaire co-founder Tang Xiao’ou in December 2023. It has also appeared on the Section 1260H list before, but calls its inclusion “baseless.”Tech titan Tencent has also landed on the list. While it is well known for gaming and its social media app, WeChat, the firm also runs research in artificial intelligence and deepfake detection through its Youtu Lab, on top of its work in biometrics and digital payments. Tencent has balked at its inclusion, telling the BBC, “we are not a military company or supplier.”Shanghai’s facial recognition developer Yitu Technology is another firm with prior Section 1260H appearances. Yitu, which has had financial backing from Sequoia Capital China, works in AI-assisted FRT for smart cities, banking and other use cases. As a provider of surveillance tech, it has also been alleged to have ties to human rights abuses in Xinjiang.Megvii falls off list after inclusion last year-One lucky firm has been removed from the Section 1260H list: Megvii, which landed on the U.S.’s danger list alongside Yitu last year, is no longer classified as a military company. It provides a face detection, recognition and analysis platform for websites, mobile apps and smart TVs.For its part, the Chinese Foreign Ministry has called the legitimacy of the list into question, saying it will “take all measures necessary to firmly defend the lawful rights and interests of Chinese companies and uphold its legitimate rights to development.”

Precise introduces new features, strategy for biometric visitor management market-Jan 9, 2025, 11:34 am EST    | Lu-Hai Liang

Precise Biometrics is introducing new features for its visitor management system YOUNiQ Visit by EastCoast. The new features include self-check-in, package delivery, and enhanced integration capabilities.YOUNiQ Visit by EastCoast is a cloud-based service, with Precise Biometrics developing new functionality with a strong security focus, with features such as multi-factor authentication (MFA) and Single Sign-On (SSO).The self-check-in will come via personal devices with visitors able to check-in using their mobile phones, and there’s package delivery management to handle pack deliveries within the system. “The visitor management market is evolving rapidly in response to changing demands,” said Joakim Nydemark, CEO of Precise Biometrics.“A visit today can take many forms – from a package delivery to a high-security visit requiring signed agreements before arrival,” he continued. “By continuously developing YOUNiQ Visit, we can provide a system that not only simplifies day-to-day operations for our customers but also helps them maintain high security and compliance.”The Lund, Sweden-headquartered company has two business units operating in digital identity and biometric tech, and is increasingly prioritizing visitor access and management systems applications.“Increased sales force, expanded offering and expansion into new geographical areas are some of the initiatives [the company is taking],” the company announced recently on the company’s website.The company’s goal is to increase the visibility of its visitor management system YOUNiQ Visit to meet “growing demand for high-tech security solutions” in the Swedish market and internationally.

Trump border plans spur hopes and fears for biometrics spending bonanza-Jan 8, 2025, 5:16 pm EST    | Chris Burt

Speculation over how incoming U.S. President Donald Trump plans to harden the country’s borders and carry out mass deportations, the place of biometrics in border control programs and the budgets those programs will have has reached a fever pitch.The Trump campaign was heavily focused on increasing border control and promises to deport illegal immigrants, both of which would entail identifying people who are crossing or have crossed the border. Civil society groups and media outlets warn that these efforts have warned that “techno-solutionism” applied to immigration could easily be turned against Americans.President-elect Trump told NBC News in the wake of the election that his deportation plan would have “no price tag.” And Thomson Reuters notes that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued an RFI for GPS tracking and biometric monitoring devices the day after the election.An opinion piece published by The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists points out that shares in GEO Group, a prison company whose subsidiary BI Inc. manages the SmartLINK facial recognition app through which ICE monitors migrants, jumped by 73 percent following the election.But as many observers have noted, biometrics contracts with ICE have also expanded under the outgoing Democratic Party Administration.Changes and more restrictive border policies are being planned, however.Republican lawmakers including House Speaker Mike Johnson have said that the preferred approach to the legislative changes needed to enact the President’s desired policies at the border and elsewhere is the passage of a single, comprehensive bill. The bill would be voted on through a “reconciliation” process, allowing a simple Senate majority of 50 votes for approval instead of the 60 normally required under a filibuster rule, The Guardian reports.President Trump is even taking credit for Canadian investments in drones and helicopters for border security.

DHS unveils ‘playbook’ for deployment of AI by the public sector-Jan 8, 2025, 12:48 pm EST    | Anthony Kimery

The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) just published Playbook for Public Sector Generative Artificial Intelligence Deployment outlines a comprehensive framework for integrating generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) responsibly into public sector operations. The report prioritizes key considerations such as privacy, security, civil rights, transparency, and online authentication.DHS said, “The playbook is designed to meet organizations wherever they are in their journey to understand and incorporate AI technology in their work. Any public sector organization can start today to assess and gather resources, cultivate internal buy-in, and lay the groundwork for effective deployments of GenAI.”“The release of this playbook marks a significant step forward in our efforts to integrate safe and secure AI use responsibly and effectively within the public sector,” said DHS Chief Information Officer Eric Hysen. “By sharing our experiences and best practices, we aim to empower other government agencies to leverage AI in a way that enhances their missions while safeguarding the rights and privacy of the individuals they serve.”DHS said that “the rapid advancement and commercialization of GenAI presents both significant opportunities and challenges for [DHS] and public sector organizations at all levels,” and noted that “in alignment with Executive Order 14110, which emphasizes the responsible deployment of AI technologies, [it] has proactively initiated GenAI pilot programs to explore their potential in enhancing our mission capabilities.”“These pilot initiatives have provided valuable insights into the practical applications of GenAI within our operations,” DHS says, and “have underscored the importance of a measured and thoughtful approach to AI integration, ensuring that our deployments are responsible, trustworthy, and effective while protecting privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties.”Earlier this year, DHS released an Artificial Intelligence Roadmap describing its plans to guide its responsible use of AI while ensuring individuals’ privacy rights, civil rights, and civil liberties are protected.One of the playbook’s central themes is safeguarding individual privacy during GenAI deployment. DHS emphasizes stringent controls over the handling of sensitive data, particularly in scenarios where GenAI interfaces with public or personal information. To mitigate risks, DHS requires clear guidelines that define what data can be shared with GenAI systems and restricts unauthorized use.Privacy Impact Assessments are integral to this framework, ensuring that all uses of GenAI comply with federal privacy laws and regulations, DHS said. Furthermore, the playbook mandates human oversight in evaluating GenAI outputs, reinforcing the principle that these tools must supplement human decision-making rather than replacing it entirely. By embedding privacy professionals into pilot Integrated Project Teams, DHS sys it has created a culture of proactive privacy management that minimizes risks such as data breaches or inadvertent exposure of sensitive information.The playbook also underscores the necessity of robust cybersecurity measures when implementing GenAI systems. Recognizing the potential vulnerabilities inherent in AI systems, DHS developed security guidelines tailored for critical infrastructure and public sector applications. These measures include comprehensive risk assessments, system testing for adversarial robustness, and stringent compliance with existing cybersecurity protocols.GenAI deployments must be integrated into secure IT environments, which often require custom configurations or the use of specialized models such as open-weight AI systems for offline operations. DHS says this adaptability is particularly crucial for sensitive applications such as law enforcement investigations or immigration services where data security is paramount. The playbook also advises continuous monitoring of GenAI tools to enable early detection and mitigation of security threats.Ensuring the ethical application of GenAI is a cornerstone of DHS’s framework. The playbook repeatedly stresses the importance of aligning AI use with constitutional rights, civil liberties, and anti-discrimination laws. GenAI must not perpetuate or exacerbate biases, whether in training data or its outputs. This principle is critical in areas like immigration processing, where any algorithmic bias could have significant consequences for individuals.To safeguard civil rights, DHS says it has embedded oversight professionals -including civil liberties experts – into every stage of the pilot process. This collaborative approach allows for the real-time identification of risks and the implementation of corrective actions, fostering trust in GenAI systems. For example, the requirement for transparency and explainability in GenAI tools ensures that all stakeholders, including the public, can understand how decisions are made.Transparency is pivotal in building trust in GenAI deployments. DHS says it has committed to openly sharing non-sensitive uses of GenAI through its AI Use Case Inventory, a resource designed to inform the public and other stakeholders about the applications of AI across the department. This initiative aligns with broader government mandates for accountability in AI systems.The playbook also emphasizes the importance of iterative feedback and usability testing to refine GenAI tools. Stakeholder engagement, both internal and external, is a recurring theme. By soliciting input from users, oversight bodies, and the public, DHS says its has created mechanisms to enhance system transparency and usability while addressing emerging concerns.While not a primary focus, the playbook additionally addresses online authentication challenges within GenAI deployment. Ensuring that users and systems interacting with GenAI are properly authenticated is a fundamental security measure. DHS proposes integrating GenAI with existing authentication frameworks, such as multi-factor authentication and digital identity verification, to bolster system integrity. These safeguards are particularly important in applications involving access to confidential data or high-stakes decision-making environments.The playbook defines responsible GenAI use as aligning AI systems with democratic values and societal goals. Trustworthiness is achieved through characteristics such as reliability, safety, transparency, and fairness. To operationalize these principles, DHS has established comprehensive guidelines for evaluating GenAI systems, including their accuracy, interpretability, and potential impacts on civil rights.DHS has also developed training programs to ensure employees are well-versed in the capabilities and limitations of GenAI. These programs aim to instill a shared understanding of responsible AI practices across the DHS enterprise. This approach not only mitigates risks, but it also fosters a culture of ethical innovation, DHS says.The playbook also advocates for a structured governance model that incorporates diverse stakeholders, from technical experts to civil liberties professionals. By building cross-functional teams, DHS says it has ensured that GenAI deployments benefit from a broad spectrum of expertise and perspectives. Governance structures also provide a framework for addressing the ethical, legal, and operational challenges posed by GenAI.The DHS Playbook for Public Sector GenAI Deployment represents a critical step forward in integrating AI responsibly into government operations. By addressing privacy, security, civil rights, transparency, and online authentication, the framework ensures that GenAI deployments are both effective and aligned with societal values.The playbook’s holistic approach not only mitigates risks but also sets a standard for how public sector organizations can harness the transformative potential of AI responsibly and ethically. As DHS continues to refine its strategies, its playbook serves as a foundational guide for advancing trustworthy AI in service of the public good.

EU tender for Portuguese biometric support closed with no winners-Biometrid consortium among bidders-Jan 8, 2025, 11:38 am EST    | Lu-Hai Liang

The European Union ran a competition for information systems, setting out a tender to the tune of around €2.1 million for a Portuguese buyer several months ago.But it has cancelled the tender. The buyer was the Portuguese Administrative Modernization Agency (AMA), a public services body. The procurement would’ve been financed with EU funds, at least in part.One of the three bidders was Biometrid who work closely with the AMA on identity verification. This includes a Digital Mobile Key, which allows Portuguese citizens to use their mobile phone and face to verify ID documents.The EU tender was for biometric support for digital identity software with the implication that it was for first-time users or the first phase of such a project, with a timescale of 20 months, and an estimated value of €2,152,185,00 (excluding VAT).However, the EU has disclosed that “no winner was chosen” for the tender and that the competition is closed. The reason why a winner was not chosen was given simply as “Other.”Three companies bid on the tender, one of which was a joint venture bid by Biometrid along with NOS Comunicações. The latter offers TV interfaces with iris and voice recognition, among its offerings. No doubt the JV bidders will be disappointed by the result although for the general public the concluding reason would be more informative if it wasn’t listed just as “Other.”Porto-based Biometrid announced it would add iProov face biometrics to its identity orchestration platform in November.

STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES

LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun,(HEATING UP-SOLAR ECLIPSES) and in the moon,(MAN ON MOON-LUNAR ECLIPSES) and in the stars;(ASTEROIDS ETC) and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear,(TORNADOES,HURRICANES,STORMS) and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth:(DESTRUCTION) for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.(FROM QUAKES,NUKES ETC)

THE FIRST JUDGEMENT OF THE EARTH STARTED WITH WATER-IT ONLY MAKES SENSE THE LAST GENERATION WILL BE HAVING FLOODING (BUT WILL NOT KILL EVERY BODY WITH WATER)(BUT 50% OF EARTHS POPULATION DIE (4 BILLION PEOPLE) FROM NUCLEAR WAR)(THE BIBLE SAYS BY FIRE OR ATOMIC BOMBS THIS TIME)
GENESIS 7:6-12
6 And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth.
7 And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood.
8 Of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of fowls, and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth,
9 There went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah.
10 And it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth.
11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.
12 And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.
GOD PROMISED BY A RAINBOW-THE EARTH WOULD NEVER BE DESTROYED TOTALLY WITH A FLOOD AGAIN.BUT FLOODIING IS A SIGN OF JUDGEMENT.

OZONE DEPLETION JUDGEMENT ON THE EARTH DUE TO SIN

ISAIAH 30:26-27
26 Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold,(7X OR 7-DEGREES HOTTER) as the light of seven days, in the day that the LORD bindeth up the breach of his people,(ISRAEL) and healeth the stroke of their wound.
27 Behold, the name of the LORD cometh from far, burning with his anger, and the burden thereof is heavy: his lips are full of indignation, and his tongue as a devouring fire:

MATTHEW 24:21-22,29
21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22 And except those days should be shortened,(DAY LIGHT HOURS SHORTENED) there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake (ISRAELS SAKE) those days shall be shortened (Daylight hours shortened)(THE ASTEROID HITS EARTH HERE)
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:

REVELATION 16:7-9
7 And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.
8 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
9 And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.

EZEKIEL 32:6-9
6  I will also water with thy blood the land wherein thou swimmest, even to the mountains; and the rivers shall be full of thee.
7  And when I shall put thee out, I will cover the heaven, and make the stars thereof dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give her light.
8  All the bright lights of heaven will I make dark over thee, and set darkness upon thy land, saith the Lord GOD.
9  I will also vex the hearts of many people, when I shall bring thy destruction among the nations, into the countries which thou hast not known.

REVELATION 16:3-7
3 And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.(enviromentalists won't like this result)
4 And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.
5 And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.
6 For they(False World Church and Dictator and baby murderers by abortion) have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.

2 Peter 3:6-7 Amplified Bible (AMP) (HOT SUN, NUKES ETC)
6 By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed.
7 By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.

We shall have World Government, whether or not we like it. The only question is whether World Government will be achieved by conquest or consent.James Paul Warburg appearing before the Senate on 7th February 1950-Like a famous WWII Belgian General,Paul Henry Spock said in 1957:We need no commission, we have already too many. What we need is a man who is great enough to be able to keep all the people in subjection to himself and to lift us out of the economic bog into which we threaten to sink. Send us such a man. Be he a god or a devil, we will accept him.And today, sadly, the world is indeed ready for such a man.

JUDGEMENT-WE ALL(EVERYONE) STAND IN FRONT OF GOD TO GIVE ACCOUNT

JOHN 14:3
3  And if I (JESUS OUR JEWISH MESSIAH) go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

MATTHEW 24:33
33  So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things,(IN THERE BEGGINING STAGES-NOT FINAL STAGES) know that it is near, even at the doors.

LUKE 21:32
32  Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.

2 CORINTHIANS 5:10
10  For we must all (MEANS EVERYONE EVER BORN ON EARTH FROM ADAM-EVE ON) appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.(THIS IS THE CHRISTIANS IN FRONT OF JESUS)

LUKEWARM CHURCHES

REVELATION 3:15-19
15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I(GOD) will spue (VOMIT) thee out of my mouth.
17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent

FEARFUL SIGHTS AND GREAT SIGNS FROM HEAVEN

LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.so was not yet deemed a threat to land.The storm was located about 580 miles (930 kilometers) west-southwest of the southernmost tip of the Cabo Verde Islands and had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (85 kph), the center said.The storms churned in the Atlantic as rescuers in the U.S. Southeast searched for people unaccounted for after Hurricane Helene struck last week, leaving behind a trail of death and catastrophic damage.

REV 8:7
7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.

JAMES 1:11
11 For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.

Ecclesiastes 1:6 ESV
6 The wind blows to the south and goes around to the north; around and around goes the wind, and on its circuits the wind returns.

Jonah 1:4 ESV
4 But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up.

Psalm 135:7 ESV
7 He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth, who makes lightnings for the rain and brings forth the wind from his storehouses.

Psalm 78:26 ESV
26 He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens, and by his power he led out the south wind;

Psalm 1:4 ESV
4 The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

Acts 27:14 ESV
14 But soon a tempestuous wind, called the northeaster, struck down from the land.

Amos 4:13 ESV
13 For behold, he who forms the mountains and creates the wind, and declares to man what is his thought, who makes the morning darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth— the Lord, the God of hosts, is his name!

I BELIEVE BECAUSE OF ALL THE PROTESTS AGAINST ISRAEL IN SPRING AND SUMMER. GOD IS TEACHING ALL OF CALIFORNIA. YOU WANNA PROTEST ISRAEL. WELL GOD WILL SHOW HIS BURNING FIIRE AGAINST THAT ISRAEL HATER, CALIFORNIA.

 The Hebrew noun accurately translated “oven” refers to a “baking oven” as distinct from a kiln or smelting furnace—both of which burn much hotter. (The Hebrew nouns for “kiln” or for “smelting furnace” are more likely to appear in contexts of God's wrath or judgment.)

UCLA criticizes ruling that pro-Palestinian protesters can’t exclude Jews from campus-US judge finds Jewish students were blocked from parts of university ‘because they refused to denounce their faith… a fact so unimaginable and so abhorrent’ to First Amendment By Andrew Lapin 15 August 2024, 4:07 am

JTA — The University of California, Los Angeles, must take more decisive action to protect its Jewish students from any obstacles they encounter from pro-Palestinian protesters and encampments, a judge ruled Tuesday.The temporary injunction, from US District Judge Mark Scarsi, is one of the most significant legal rulings to follow the spread of pro-Palestinian encampments, which protesters organized on campuses across the country last spring. It comes in response to a handful of Jewish students suing UCLA, alleging that they were briefly barred from entering a campus space that had been occupied this spring by people protesting Israel’s military ongoing campaign in Gaza in response to Hamas’s October 7 attack.In his comments, the judge wrote that he was appalled at the state of campus affairs for Jewish students.“In the year 2024, in the United States of America, in the State of California, in the City of Los Angeles, Jewish students were excluded from portions of the UCLA campus because they refused to denounce their faith,” Scarsi wrote.“This fact is so unimaginable and so abhorrent to our constitutional guarantee of religious freedom that it bears repeating, Jewish students were excluded from portions of the UCLA campus because they refused to denounce their faith,” he added, with emphasis his.UCLA’s encampments attracted particular scrutiny in April after campus police failed to promptly intervene when protesters erected physical barricades on campus, preventing pro-Israel students from crossing. School security instead instructed Jewish students to avoid the encampments. Pro-Israel counterprotesters attacked the encampment soon afterward, leading to violent clashes and arrests and to Congressional testimony from the school’s Jewish outgoing chancellor, Gene Block.The judge said the fact that a public university’s staff was aiding any behavior that excluded Jewish students, instead of stopping it, violated the First Amendment. Without specifying what steps UCLA should take to rectify the problem, he said the school needs to ensure that all campus locations and activities are open to all students.The ruling was praised by Jewish plaintiff Yitzchok Frankel, a rising third-year UCLA law student, and by Becket, a law firm specializing in religious liberty that sued the school on Frankel’s behalf.“I am grateful that the court has ordered UCLA to put a stop to this shameful anti-Jewish conduct,” Frankel said in a press release. Attorney Mark Rienzi said in the release, “Today’s ruling says that UCLA’s policy of helping antisemitic activists target Jews is not just morally wrong but a gross constitutional violation.”A spokesperson for UCLA criticized the ruling to the Los Angeles Times, saying it would “improperly hamstring our ability to respond to events on the ground.” They added that the school is “considering all options moving forward”; the university had previously indicated it could appeal. UCLA’s fall semester for law students begins this month.Lawyers for the university had argued during a hearing that UCLA wasn’t at fault for the protesters’ behavior, and that the school had sought to non-violently de-escalate the encampments without involving police. Campus police instead took a strategy of enforcing “neutral zones” once the encampments formed, as a way of preventing altercations, the attorneys said. Other schools had faced criticism from some corners for sending in law enforcement to immediately break up encampments and make arrests.The injunction is “a significant decision, one that has legal consequences,” Michael Helfand, a professor of law and religion at Pepperdine University’s law school and a legal advisor for education matters with the Orthodox Union, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.He noted that, unlike many of the most prominent schools that have dealt with encampments, UCLA is a public university and subject to the First Amendment — including the right to free religious expression. Pro-Palestinian protesters at some other public universities, including Portland State University and Cal Poly Humboldt, took over school buildings and similarly prevented others on campus from accessing them.As more universities are facing — and settling — lawsuits from Jewish students over their handling of the encampments, Helfand said the UCLA case could have “spillover effects” even at private schools like Harvard (where a judge ruled last week that a lawsuit alleging it failed to protect Jewish students can go to trial).“The opinion is written in a way that really lays down the gauntlet,” he said. “I wouldn’t want to be a university that says, ‘I’m not abiding by what the judge in the UCLA case said.’”Scarsi also wrote that he accepted the Jewish students’ claim that “supporting the state of Israel is their sincerely held religious belief,” negating one of the key arguments pro-Palestinian groups have made in favor of the encampments — that protesting the state of Israel is not the same as targeting Jews. Many encampments, including at UCLA, have included anti-Zionist Jews. Helfand said the judge’s views on the question were significant as well.“It doesn’t matter if there are Jewish students in the encampment or if there are other people who don’t believe these things,” he said. “The only question is, what do the plaintiffs believe?”Earlier this summer UCLA announced it was appointing Julio Frenk, a descendant of Jewish immigrants who fled to Mexico in the 1930s, as its next permanent chancellor. Frenk, currently president of the University of Miami, was previously a Harvard dean.This isn’t the first court decision at UCLA to address the protests. Academic workers at UCLA and across the University of California system also briefly went on strike this summer to protest what they said was the school’s unfair treatment of pro-Palestinian protesters, before a court ordered them back to work.Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

US anti-Israel activists blame Jewish state for Los Angeles wildfire crisis-Far-left groups Code Pink and Jewish Voice for Peace tie catastrophic fires to funding for Israel, prompting condemnation from Jewish groups By Luke Tress Today, 12:46 am-JAN 10,25

US Jewish groups condemned anti-Israel activists on Thursday for blaming the Los Angeles wildfire crisis on Israel.Several anti-Israel groups and commentators linked the war in Gaza and US military spending on Israel to the catastrophic fires.Code Pink, a far-left activist group, said on Instagram, “When US taxes go to burning people alive in Gaza, we can’t be surprised when those fires come home.”The group also said it was pressuring California Senator Alex Padilla at his Washington, DC office, tying the war to climate change.California sees blazes most year, with the wildfire season typically beginning in June or July and running through October, according to the Western Fire Chiefs Association. But CalFire says January wildfires are not unprecedented; there was one in 2022 and 10 in 2021.The season is beginning earlier and ending later due to rising temperatures and decreased rainfall tied to climate change, according to recent data. Rains that usually end fire season are often delayed, meaning fires can burn through the winter months, the association said.The New York branch of the anti-Zionist Jewish Voice for Peace, in an Instagram post about the fires, said, “Instead of putting resources toward making our country livable, our government is putting billions toward Israel’s genocide of Palestinians in Gaza.”Fatima Mohammed, a leader of New York’s hardline anti-Israel group Within Our Lifetime, posted an image of the fires and said, “The flames of Gaza will not stop there.”“Dropping hundreds of thousands of bombs on Gaza, turning it into a blazing inferno, has consequences,” she said. “There are climate consequences that will find us all.”Commentator Mehdi Hasan also linked US military aid to Israel to the Los Angeles fire department’s budget.The Los Angeles Fire Department is mainly funded by the city of Los Angeles, while military spending for Israel comes from the federal government.Anti-Israel activists have previously tied funding for Israel to unrelated issues, such as New York libraries.New York Congressman Ritchie Torres, one of Israel’s most outspoken supporters in Washington, lashed Code Pink for blaming Israel for the fires.“The nature of Antisemitism is to scapegoat the Jewish People and the Jewish State for everything wrong in the world — no matter how tenuous the causal connection,” he said on X. “The modus operandi of Antisemitism is slanderous scapegoating: when in doubt, blame the Jews.”“Codepink’s rabid anti-Zionism and insatiable animosity toward Israel drives them to make an absurd, incomprehensible claim,” the head of the Anti-Defamation League, Jonathan Greenblatt, said on X. “What does it say about a group that will find a way to use any tragedy to foster incitement and antisemitism?”Amy Spitalnick, the head of the progressive Jewish Council for Public Affairs, called the Code Pink statement “the latest example of a relentless scapegoating of Israel or Jews for virtually any global problem.”Spitalnick also warned against right-wing rhetoric blaming the fires on diversity initiatives. Elon Musk, in a post on X about the fires, said, “DEI means people DIE.”Agencies contributed to this report.

California firefighters make some progress, but largest fires remain out of control-LA official ‘hopeful that the tide is turning,’ as Hollywood Hills area sees evacuation order lifted; 20 arrested for looting; blazes have left 5 dead, destroyed 45 square miles By Christopher Weber, JULIE WATSON and John Seewer Today, 12:28 am-JAN 10,25

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) — Firefighters began to slow the spread of deadly and devastating fires in the Los Angeles area Thursday after the ferocious winds that drove the fast-moving flames diminished, but the largest blazes still burned out of control.Crews were able to knock down a major threat that broke out Wednesday evening in the Hollywood Hills, close to the heart of the entertainment industry, and by morning had lifted an evacuation order for the area.“While we are still facing significant threats, I am hopeful that the tide is turning,” Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said during a news conference Thursday morning.Water dropped from aircraft helped fire crews quickly seize control of the fires in the Hollywood Hills and Studio City, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said. Much of the widespread destruction around the city occurred Tuesday after those aircraft were grounded due to high winds.Wind gusts were expected to strengthen Thursday evening through Friday morning, with yet another round of strong winds expected next week, raising concerns that the conditions could worsen, the National Weather Service said.But Thursday’s daytime forecast could provide a window for firefighters — including crews pouring in from neighboring states and Canada — to make progress in reining in blazes that have killed at least five people, ravaged communities from the Pacific Coast to Pasadena and caused thousands of people to flee their homes.The metropolitan region, home to 13 million people, was marred by haunting scenes of destruction: At one spot in Malibu, blackened palm strands towered over debris where homes with ocean views once stood.Flames from the Sunset Fire in the Hollywood Hills soared Wednesday night not far from the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the TCL Chinese Theatre and Madame Tussauds. Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Erik Scott said firefighters were able to keep the blaze in check because “we hit it hard and fast and Mother Nature was a little nicer to us.”Fire officials said Thursday that they don’t yet know the cause of the fires but are actively investigating.Wind fuels the fires-Earlier in the week, hurricane-force winds with gusts up to 80 mph (129 kph) blew embers, igniting block after block in the coastal neighborhood of Pacific Palisades and in Altadena, a community near Pasadena.Thousands of homes, businesses and other structures have been destroyed in those blazes, known as the Palisades and Eaton fires. Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said the Palisades Fire alone has burned thousands of coastal structures, and that the damage is still being calculated.The five deaths recorded so far were from those two fires. Cadaver dogs and search crews are searching through rubble and the death toll is expected to rise, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said.While those two fires were no longer spreading significantly, both remained at 0% containment, officials said.In Pasadena, Fire Chief Chad Augustin said Wednesday that the city’s water system was stretched and further hampered by power outages, but even without those issues, firefighters would not have been able to stop the fast-moving blaze because of the erratic wind gusts.Still, questions have been raised about why some hydrants ran dry and what caused the water system to buckle when it was needed most.180,000 people are ordered to evacuate-In Pacific Palisades, a hillside area along the coast dotted with celebrity homes, block after block of California Mission Style homes and bungalows were reduced to charred remains.Roughly 180,000 people are under evacuation orders, and the fires have consumed about 45 square miles (117 square kilometers) — roughly the size of San Francisco. The Palisades Fire is already the most destructive in Los Angeles’ history.At least 20 arrests have been made for looting and the city of Santa Monica declared a curfew Wednesday night because of the lawlessness, officials said.A longer fire season-The main fires grew rapidly in different areas that had two things in common: densely packed homes in places that were choked with dry vegetation that was primed to burn. Flames moved so quickly that many barely had time to escape.California’s wildfire season is beginning earlier and ending later due to rising temperatures and decreased rainfall tied to climate change, according to recent data.Dry winds, including the notorious Santa Anas, have contributed to warmer-than-average temperatures in Southern California, which has not seen more than 0.1 inches (2.5 millimeters) of rain since early May.Picking up the pieces with nowhere to go-Robert Lara sifted through the remains of his home in Altadena on Thursday with tears in his eyes, hoping to find a safe containing a set of earrings that once belonged to his great-great-grandmother.“All our memories, all our sentimental attachments, things that were gifted from generation to generation to generation are now gone,” he said.His mother and uncle lost their homes too.“I haven’t slept for two whole days now, and I keep asking myself what do I do? Where do I start?” he said. We’re lost.”

California wildfires live updates: 10 killed in Los Angeles County as Palisades, Kenneth and Eaton fires continue to spread-The Hurst and Lidia wildfires are also still burning in the area, officials said.Yahoo News Staff-Updated Fri, January 10, 2025 at 11:13 AM EST

A man looks at what remains of a burned-down home in Altadena, Calif.The deadly wildfires roaring through Los Angeles County entered a fourth day on Friday. At least 10 people have been killed, about 130,000 are under mandatory evacuation orders and entire neighborhoods and historic landmarks have been destroyed, according to local officials.A new fire — the Kenneth Fire — erupted Thursday afternoon, so far spreading across 960 acres in Los Angeles and Ventura counties. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection says that blaze is 35% contained.Four other fires are currently burning in Los Angeles County. The Palisades Fire, which has burned over 20,000 acres, has become the most destructive wildfire to ever hit L.A. and is 6% contained. The Eaton Fire, at over 13,600 acres, is 0% contained. The Hurst Fire, burning around 770 acres, is 37% contained, and the Lidia Fire, at 394 acres, is 75% contained, according to Cal Fire.On an encouraging note, the Sunset Fire, which erupted Wednesday evening and burned around 43 acres in the densely populated Hollywood Hills, is now 100% contained.Dylan Stableford. 27 mins ago-Dylan Stableford-L.A. County apologizes for erroneous evacuation alerts-Los Angeles County has issued a public apology after at least two evacuation alerts were mistakenly sent to residents in the last 24 hours."We are aware of the reports of erroneous messages, and we apologize for the disruption," the county said in a brief message posted on X. "We are working with FEMA to investigate the issue." Important update on emergency alert issue.Actualizacion importante sobre el problema de la alerta de emergencia.#EatonFire #PalisadesFire pic.twitter.com/ymzol8NEcd — Los Angeles County (@CountyofLA) January 10, 2025-On Thursday afternoon an evacuation alert was mistakenly sent to 10 million people in Los Angeles County.Residents in Beverly Hills received another erroneous evacuation alert from the L.A. County Fire Department at 4 a.m. Friday.Dylan Stableford-56 mins ago-Dylan Stableford-California National Guard troops deployed to prevent looting-Over 600 California National Guard troops have been deployed to assist first responders and local law enforcement, largely to prevent looters from stealing from evacuated homes."Taking advantage of evacuated communities is absolutely sick," California Gov. Gavin Newsom wrote on X while announcing their arrival. "Looting will not be tolerated.".@TheCalGuard has arrived to Los Angeles to support local law enforcement.Taking advantage of evacuated communities is absolutely sick.Looting will not be tolerated. pic.twitter.com/q72oiVSrAa— Governor Newsom (@CAgovernor) January 10, 2025-Dylan Stableford-Today at 10:19 AM EST-Dylan Stableford-Nearly 800 incarcerated firefighters are helping battle the wildfiresAmong the more than 7,500 personnel currently fighting the wildfires in Los Angeles, nearly 800 are incarcerated.California's Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) said in a statement on Thursday that it has deployed 783 incarcerated firefighters to help cut fire lines and remove fuel to slow the fires from spreading.The firefighters, who participate voluntarily, earn $5.80-$10.24 per day plus $1 an hour when responding to active emergencies, the CDCR said.U.S. states have long looked to prison labor to respond to natural disasters. And, as NPR notes, California has relied on incarcerated firefighters since 1915.Kate Murphy-Today at 10:05 AM EST-Kate Murphy-Palisades Fire has scorched over 20,000 acres, now 8% contained and other wildfire updatesThe Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) has provided multiple updates about the five active wildfires in Los Angeles County:Palisades Fire: 20,438 acres, 8% contained-Eaton Fire: 13,690 acres, 0% contained- Kenneth Fire: 960 acres, 35% contained (L.A. and Ventura counties)-Hurst Fire: 771 acres, 37% contained-Lidia Fire: 394 acres, 75% contained-At least 130,000 people were under evacuation orders early Friday, according to the Los Angeles Times.Dylan Stableford-Today at 9:46 AM EST

INVENTION OF THE ATOMIC BOMB.

2 PETER 3:10-11
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements (NUKES) shall melt with fervent heat,(BLAST) the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.(BUT ITS NO END OF THE WORLD HOGWASH)
11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved,(BY NUKES INCLUDING 3 BILLION PEOPLE) what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,

NUCLEAR WEAPONS WILL BE USED.

JESUS SHED HIS BLOOD FOR US THAT WE CAN BE SAVED FOREVER.AND DURING WW3 PEOPLES BLOOD WILL BE SHED AS A JUDGEMENT FOR HATING HIM AND ISRAEL.GOD IS NOT MOCKED.

ZEPHANIAH 1:2-3
2  I will utterly consume all things from off the land, saith the LORD.
3  I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumblingblocks with the wicked; and I will cut off man from off the land, saith the LORD.

PSALMS 97:3
3 A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about.

EZEKIEL 5:15-17
15  So it shall be a reproach and a taunt, an instruction and an astonishment unto the (ARAB/MUSLIM) nations that are round about thee,(ISRAEL) when I shall execute judgments in thee in anger and in fury and in furious rebukes. I the LORD have spoken it.
16  When I shall send upon them the evil arrows of famine, which shall be for their destruction, and which I will send to destroy you: and I will increase the famine upon you, and will break your staff of bread:
17  So will I send upon you famine and evil beasts,(WHEN RUSSIA/MUSLIMS GET DEFEATED THIER BODIES GET EATEN BY BIRDS,ANIMALS IN ISRAEL MIGRATION SEASON) and they shall bereave thee; and pestilence and blood shall pass through thee;(NUKES) and I will bring the sword upon thee. I the LORD have spoken it.

REVELATION 14:18-20
18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.
19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
20 And the winepress was trodden without the city,(JERUSALEM) and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.(200 MILES) (THE SIZE OF ISRAEL)

ISAIAH 66:15-18
15 For, behold, the LORD will come with fire,(NUKES) and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.
16 For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many.
17 They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine's flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the LORD.
18 For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory.

ISAIAH 26:21
21 For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity:(GOD/ISRAEL HATE AND BRAKING OF HIS COMMANDMENTS) the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.(WW3,1/2 earths population die - 3 BILLION).

ISAIAH 13:6-13 KJV
6 Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.
7 Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man's heart shall melt:(FROM FRIGHT)
8 And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.
9 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
10 For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.
11 And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.
12 I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.
13 Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.

ISAIAH 24:17-23 KJV
17 Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth.
18 And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake.
19 The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly.
20 The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.
21 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth.
22 And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited.
23 Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.

2 TIMOTHY 3:1
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous (DANGEROUS) times shall come.

JOEL 2:3,30

ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their eyes shall consume away in their holes,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB)(BECAUSE NUKES HAVE BEEN USED ON ISRAELS ENEMIES)(GOD PROTECTS ISRAEL AND ALWAYS WILL)
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.(1/2-3 BILLION DIE IN WW3)(THIS IS AN ATOMIC BOMB EFFECT)

EZEKIEL 20:47
47 And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.

ZEPHANIAH 1:18
18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.

MALACHI 4:1
1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven;(FROM ATOMIC BOMBS) and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

REVELATION 8:7
7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.

REVELATION 9:18
18 By these three was the third part of men killed,(2 BILLION) by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(ATOMIC BOMBS)(RUSSIA CHINA DESTROYED BY ISRAELS ATOMIC BOMBS)

REVELATION 16:12-16
12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates;(WERE WW3 STARTS IN IRAQ OR SYRIA OR TURKEY) and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.
13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon,(SATAN) and out of the mouth of the beast,(WORLD DICTATOR) and out of the mouth of the false prophet.(FALSE POPE)
14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.(WERE 2 BILLION DIE FROM NUKE WAR)
15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.

PROOF HALF ON EARTH DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION PERIOD (8 BILLION ON EARTH)

REVELATION 6:7-8 (8 BILLION- 2 BILLION = 6 BILLION)
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse:(CHLORES GREEN) and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth,(2 BILLION) to kill with sword,(WEAPONS) and with hunger,(FAMINE) and with death,(INCURABLE DISEASES) and with the beasts of the earth.(ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE).

REVELATION 9:15,18 (6 BILLION - 2 BILLION = 4 BILLION)
15 And the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels were loosed,
18 By these three was the third part of men killed,(2 BILLION) by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(NUCLEAR ATOMIC BOMBS)

HALF OF EARTHS POPULATION DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION.(THESE VERSES ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)

LUKE 17:34-37 (8 TOTAL BILLION - 4 BILLION DEAD IN TRIB = 4 BILLION TO JESUS KINGDOM) (HALF DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION PERIOD JUST LIKE THE BIBLE SAYS)(GOD DOES NOT LIE)(AND NOTICE MOST DIE IN WAR AND DISEASES-NOT COMETS-ASTEROIDS-QUAKES OR TSUNAMIS)
34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other shall be left.(half earths population 4 billion die in the 7 yr trib)
35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.(Christians have new bodies,this is the people against Jerusalem during the 7 yr treaty)(Christians bodies are not being eaten by the birds).THESE ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES-NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES.BECAUSE NOT HALF OF PEOPLE ON EARTH ARE CHRISTIANS.AND THE CONTEXT IN LUKE 17 IS THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION OR 7 YR TREATY PERIOD.WHICH IS JUDGEMENT ON THE EARTH.NOT 50% RAPTURED TO HEAVEN.

MATTHEW 24:37-42 (THESE ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES-SURE NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
42 Watch therefore:(FOR THE LAST DAYS SIGNS HAPPENING) for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

IDF confirms death of hostage Hamza Ziyadne, day after father Youssef laid to rest-22-year-old father of two was abducted from Kibbutz Holit on October 7, 2023; his siblings Bilal, 18, and Aisha, 17, also kidnapped, were released after 54 days in captivity By Emanuel Fabian and ToI Staff Today, 1:11 pm-jan 10,25

The family of Israeli hostage Hamza Ziyadne, 22, who was kidnapped by the Hamas terror group during its October 7, 2023 onslaught, said Friday that they were informed his body had been identified by authorities.The Israel Defense Forces said its representatives notified Ziyadne’s family of the news Friday morning, following the identification process by a forensic institute. The military recovered the hostage’s remains from a tunnel in southern Gaza’s Rafah on Tuesday night, along with the body of his father Youssef, 53.“Hamza and Youssef were abducted alive on October 7 and were killed in Hamas captivity. The IDF and Shin Bet share in the family’s grief at this difficult time,” the military said in a statement, adding, “The IDF and the Shin Bet are making every effort to return all the hostages as quickly as possible.”The 22-year-old father of two was abducted from Kibbutz Holit by Hamas terrorists during the attack 15 months ago, when terrorists invaded southern Israel from Gaza, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages, amid acts of brutality and sexual assault.Hamza was kidnapped along with his father Youssef and siblings Bilal, 18, and Aisha, 17. Bilal and Aisha were released on November 30, 2023, during a weeklong truce, after surviving more than 50 days in Hamas captivity.Following the news of the younger Ziyadne’s identification, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, representing relatives of those abducted during the attack, accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of failing to save the hostage’s life through a deal with Hamas.“Four members of a family were kidnapped and only two of them returned alive. Youssef and Hamza, who survived a period of hell in captivity in Gaza, could have been saved by an agreement made earlier,” the forum said in a statement.“We demand of the prime minister and those making decisions: speed up the negotiations, and reach an agreement immediately to return all the hostages. We have a historic window of opportunity, and we can’t lose it. You have a mandate from the people — bring them home.”It is unclear when Youssef and Hamza died. The Walla news site, citing experts with knowledge of the matter, said it is believed the two were killed around a year ago.The IDF located the remains of the two in a tunnel in southern Gaza’s Rafah on Tuesday night, alongside the remains of at least two Hamas operatives the IDF believes were guarding them.The tunnel in Rafah was located in an area where the military had operated before, according to IDF sources. The IDF returned to the area following new intelligence, to recover the bodies. It was not in the same area where the bodies of six hostages were found in late August.The cause of death of the father and son was still under investigation by the IDF, it said Wednesday, though it noted that according to initial assessments, it did not occur recently.Netanyahu offered condolences to the Ziyadne family.“We hoped and worked for the safe return of the four members of the family from Hamas captivity,” he said. “We returned the children Bilal and Aisha on November 23, and we wanted to return Youssef and Hamza in the same way.”Youssef, married with two wives and 19 children, was working in the kibbutz cowshed on October 7. Hamza, married and father of two, and Bilal, were working with their father, while their sister Aisha had joined them for the morning.The family lives in Rahat, in the Ziyadne neighborhood, named for their extensive family clan.Following his release, Bilal said the terrorists kidnapped him and his family members even though they knew they were Arabs. Bilal said the four of them were kept together.It is now believed that 94 of the 251 hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7 remain in Gaza, including the bodies of at least 34 confirmed dead by the IDF.Hamas released 105 civilians during a weeklong truce in late November, and four hostages were released before that. Eight hostages have been rescued by troops alive, and the bodies of 39 hostages have also been recovered, including three mistakenly killed by the military as they tried to escape their captors.Hamas is also holding two Israeli civilians who entered the Strip in 2014 and 2015, as well as the bodies of two IDF soldiers who were killed in 2014.

Shin Bet chief said to urge major counterterrorism operation in West Bank-Israeli TV says Ronen Bar told ministers that ‘Israel should learn from Oct. 7, not allow the intensification of these terrorist elements’; PA reports nearly 250 arrests in Jenin op-By ToI Staff Today, 6:32 am-JAN 10,25

Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar reportedly urged the government to approve a major IDF counterterrorism operation in the West Bank, warning of the increasingly lethal capabilities of assailants.According to a Channel 12 news report, Bar made the entreaty during a meeting that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held with a small group of ministers and security chiefs in the wake of a shooting attack Monday in which three Israelis were killed.The IDF has already been carrying out near-daily raids throughout the West Bank and in recent weeks, it has been joined by the Palestinian Authority, which is carrying out an unprecedented operation of its own in the Jenin refugee camp, which has become a hotbed for Iran-backed armed groups.Bar however appeared to argue for Israel to ramp up the intensity of operations.“The significant decrease in the number of attacks in Judea and Samaria [West Bank] is deceptive and does not reflect the scope of terrorism on the ground. We identify a consistent escalating trend from [2021] where attackers have shifted from throwing Molotov cocktails to using rifles and explosive devices,” he was quoted as having said during the meeting.“Israel should learn from October 7 and not allow the intensification of these terrorist elements. Therefore a broad, reality-changing move must be initiated that will collapse and eliminate the phenomenon of the armed Palestinian battalions in Judea and Samaria in order to ensure our freedom of operation there,” he reportedly added.The television report came as a spokesperson for the PA security forces reported that the Palestinian Authority has arrested 247 suspects during the ongoing raid in Jenin.Speaking at a press conference in Jenin, Anwar Rajab said Palestinian forces have defused 245 explosive devices in addition to confiscating weapons and ammunition.Eight of those arrested are suspected of illicitly financing terror groups in the northern West Bank.Rajab said PA forces also seized funds that were supposed to go toward the families of “martyrs and prisoners” but had been “misappropriated by the lawbreakers,” according to Haaretz.The Jenin operation began on December 5, with the PA saying it was aimed at suppressing armed groups of “outlaws” who have built up a power base in the city and its adjacent refugee camp.At least eight Palestinians have been killed in Jenin over the past month, one of them a member of the armed Jenin Brigades, which includes members of terrorist organizations such as Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.The PA has reported six deaths among its forces.Violence in the West Bank has mounted since October 7, 2023, when Hamas assaulted southern Israel, sparking war in Gaza and unrest across the region. Since then, 46 people, including Israeli security personnel, have been killed in Palestinian terror attacks in Israel and the West Bank, including some carried out by Israeli citizens.Another six members of the security forces were killed in clashes with terror operatives in the West Bank. Much of the violence has been concentrated near Nablus, Jenin and other Palestinian cities in the northern West Bank where PA control has steadily waned over the years.According to the PA Health Ministry, more than 835 West Bank Palestinians have been killed since October 7, 2023. The IDF says the vast majority of them were gunmen killed in exchanges of fire, rioters who clashed with troops or terrorists carrying out attacks.During the same period, troops have arrested some 6,000 wanted Palestinians across the West Bank, including more than 2,350 affiliated with Hamas.Additionally, settler violence against Palestinians has soared since the Hamas massacre, with security forces accused of turning a blind eye to the attacks.Agencies contributed to this report.

Army says trio of suspected Houthi drones downed, ending short-lived lull-Sirens sound in southern community of Gvulot as first UAV intercepted, 2 more within hour shot down over sea; official tally finds Houthis has fired 40 missiles, 320+ drones in war-By Emanuel Fabian-09 January 2025, 10:56 pm

Israel’s air force intercepted three drones apparently launched at the country by Yemen’s Houthis in quick succession on Thursday evening, the military said, marking the first attack in days by the Iran-backed terror group.No injuries or damage were reported in the attacks, with only one of the three UAVs seemingly reaching Israeli territory. The launches came hours after the IDF released data tallying over 350 drones and ballistic missiles fired by the group at Israel since October 7, 2023.The first drone set off sirens in the southern community of Gvulot, some 20 kilometers from the border with Egypt. The Israel Defense Forces said the sirens were activated there “according to protocol.”In a statement, the IDF said the drone was launched at Israel “from the east,” and initial military assessments found the drone had been fired from Yemen.Footage posted to social media from the incident appeared to show Israeli Air Force helicopters shooting down the drone. Residents of the area also reported seeing an interceptor missile launched.Another image shared online showed that the remains of the intercepted drone crashed in an open field.Footage shows the interception of an apparent Houthi drone over southern Israel this evening.The drone was shot down by Israeli Air Force helicopters. pic.twitter.com/Ji0rsS6zuQ— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) January 9, 2025-Minutes later, the military said a second drone launched at Israel from Yemen was intercepted by the IAF over the Mediterranean Sea.No sirens sounded in the second incident as no towns were under any threat.Less than an hour after that, the military said a third drone “from the east” — likely from Yemen — was intercepted by the IAF over the Mediterranean Sea, before reaching Israel.The IDF later published footage showing one of the drones being knocked down.There was no immediate Houthi claim for the attacks, though the Israeli military believed that the terror group was behind them. The launches appeared to be the first targeting Israel from Yemen since just after midnight on Sunday morning, following several weeks that have seen near-daily attacks by the rabidly anti-Israel Houthis.In past attacks, drones launched by the Iran-backed group from Yemen have crossed into southern Israel via the Egypt border or made a long route — also via Egypt — to reach Israel from the west.The strikes came hours after the IDF released new data on attacks on Israel from Yemen since the onset of the war, which began with Hamas’s October 7, 2023, terror onslaught.According to the military, the Houthis have launched some 40 ballistic missiles at Israel, the vast majority of which were intercepted by Israeli air defenses.In one case, the military failed to shoot down a Houthi missile, and there were two incidents of partial interceptions, all of which resulted in damage and injuries in Israel.According to the military, some of the Houthi ballistic missiles fell short before reaching Israel.Additionally, the IDF said it has recorded over 320 drones launched at Israel from Yemen amid the war.Over 100 of the drones were intercepted by the IAF using ground-based air defense systems, fighter jets, and helicopters. Several drones were also shot down by the Israeli Navy.There have been two cases of what the IDF called “effective” drone impacts in Israel, with causalities and damage, while the others either struck open areas or did not reach the country, according to the military.The Iran-backed Houthis have ramped up missile and drone attacks on Israel since early December, though Thursday’s incidents ended a rare lull that had lasted several days.On Monday, the Houthis claimed to have launched four drones at Israel, targeting a “vital target” near Ashkelon, and targets near Tel Aviv. The IDF said it was unaware of any drones reaching Israel that day from Yemen, and there were no reports of impacts.Israel and Western allies have carried out several sorties against Houthi targets in Yemen, but they have failed to stem the attacks.The IAF last struck the Houthis out on December 26. Since then, the Iran-backed group has fired five ballistic missiles and at least four drones at Israel.The Yemeni rebels have also been firing at ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden — destabilizing a vital shipping lane and prompting reprisal strikes by the United States and sometimes Britain against Houthi targets.

Profile-Lebanon’s Aoun described as ‘dedicated’ army man with ‘national interest at heart’Widely seen as US, Saudi Arabia’s first choice, the 61-year-old general has forged relations across Lebanon’s sectarian divides but is often criticized by Hezbollah affiliatesBy AFP 9 January 2025, 9:05 pm

BEIRUT, Lebanon — Joseph Aoun, Lebanon’s army chief who was elected president on Thursday, is a political neophyte whose position as head of one of the country’s most respected institutions helped end a two-year deadlock.Widely seen as the preferred pick of army backer the United States, as well as regional heavyweight Saudi Arabia, he is perceived as being best placed to maintain a fragile ceasefire between Israel and the Hezbollah terror group and pull the country out of financial collapse.After being sworn in at parliament, Aoun said “a new phase in Lebanon’s history” was beginning.Analysts said Aoun, who turns 61 on Friday and is considered a man of “personal integrity,” was the right candidate to finally replace Michel Aoun — no relation — whose term as president ended in October 2022, without a successor until now.A dozen previous attempts to choose a president failed amid tensions between Hezbollah and its opponents, who have accused the Shiite group of seeking to impose its preferred candidate.Aoun has since 2017 headed the army, an institution that serves as a rare source of unity in a country riven by sectarian and political divides.He has navigated it through a blistering financial crisis that has drastically slashed the salaries of its 80,000 soldiers, forcing him to accept international aid.Since late November, he has overseen the gradual mobilization of the armed forces in south Lebanon after a ceasefire halted more than a year of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, which began firing at Israel unprovoked on October 8, 2023, in support of Hamas in Gaza.Under the truce, the Lebanese army has been deploying progressively alongside UN peacekeepers in the south as Israeli forces withdraw, a process they have to finish by January 26.Speaking on Thursday, Aoun said the state would have “a monopoly” on arms.The general with broad shoulders and a shaved head has stepped up talks with visiting foreign dignitaries since becoming army chief.The man of few words was able to count on his good relations across the divided Lebanese political class, as well as apparent backing from the United States and Saudi Arabia, to see him elected.‘Dedicated’Aoun “has a reputation of personal integrity,” said Karim Bitar, an international relations expert at Beirut’s Saint-Joseph University.He came to prominence after leading the army in a battle to drive out the Islamic State from a mountainous area along the Syrian border.“Within the Lebanese army, he is perceived as someone who is dedicated… who has the national interest at heart, and who has been trying to consolidate this institution, which is the last non-sectarian institution still on its feet in the country,” Bitar told AFP.Aoun was set to retire in January last year but has had his mandate extended twice — most recently in November.Mohanad Hage Ali, from the Carnegie Middle East Center, noted that “being the head of US-backed Lebanese Armed Forces, Joseph Aoun has ties to the United States.”“While he maintained relations with everyone, Hezbollah-affiliated media often criticized him” for those US ties, he told AFP.Washington is the main financial backer of Lebanon’s army, which also receives support from other countries including Qatar.An international conference in Paris last month raised $200 million to support the armed forces.The military has been hit hard by Lebanon’s economic crisis, and at one point in 2020, it said it had cut out meat from the meals offered to on-duty soldiers due to rising food prices.Aoun, who speaks Arabic, English and French, hails from Lebanon’s Christian community and has two children.By convention, the presidency goes to a Maronite Christian, the premiership is reserved for a Sunni Muslim and the post of parliament speaker goes to a Shiite Muslim.Aoun is Lebanon’s fifth army commander to become president and the fourth in a row.Military chiefs, by convention, are also Maronites.Times of Israel Staff contributed to this report.

Says Iran still hopes to 'form resistance cells' in Syria-Iranian general says Assad blocked Tehran’s effort to open Syrian front against Israel-Behrouz Esbati says now-ousted Syrian leader refused multiple requests to let Iran-backed militias attack from country after October 7; acknowledges regime’s fall a ‘very big blow’By ToI Staff 9 January 2025, 2:07 pm

Iran’s former top general in Syria has revealed that Tehran pushed the since-deposed Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad to open an additional front against Israel as it battled terror groups Hamas and Hezbollah over the past 15 months.In a recording cited by the New York Times on Wednesday, Brig. Gen. Behrouz Esbati said ties with Assad had been strained prior to the Syrian regime’s collapse at the beginning of December, over his refusal to let Iran-backed militias open a new front against Israel from Syria.Iran had presented Assad with detailed plans to use Iranian resources in Syria to attack Israel, but despite multiple requests, he refused to let them go ahead, Esbati said.Esbati spoke last week at a Tehran mosque, and his comments were reported in Iranian media on Monday, the NY Times said. In other remarks, Esbati acknowledged that the Islamic Republic was “defeated very badly” by the fall of Assad, despite Iranian leaders’ repeated efforts to downplay the matter.He also was said to play down the notion of Iran again directly attacking Israel and accused Russia of shutting down radar systems in Syria during alleged Israeli attacks on Iranian resources.The fall of the Assad regime came amid an ongoing war in the Gaza Strip that began on October 7, 2023, when the Iran-backed Palestinian terror group Hamas led thousands of terrorists to attack Israel, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping 251.The next day Hezbollah began attacking along Israel’s northern border. That conflict also spiraled into an open war that ended with a fragile ceasefire at the end of November after Israel largely decimated Hezbollah’s leadership and resources.In addition, other Iranian proxies, such as militias in Iraq and Yemen’s Houthis rebels, have also fired missiles and drones at Israel since the Gaza war started.Brig. Gen. Behrouz Esbati, a senior #Iran regime general in #Syria who has worked also in the Armed Forces General Staff, gave remarks in recent days where he said “I don’t consider losing Syria something to be proud of. We were defeated, and defeated very badly, we took a very… pic.twitter.com/wR74HA1IVE— Jason Brodsky (@JasonMBrodsky) January 8, 2025-Despite the ostensible refusal of Assad to sanction the opening of a Syrian front with Israel, there were several rocket attacks from Iran-backed groups in Syria at northern Israel in the past 15 months, though apparently not at the scale Iran had sought. Such attacks had also occurred from time to time before the war started.Hezbollah fired thousands of rockets at Israel during the same period. This, along with the threat of a possible massive cross-border attack similar to Hamas’s, forced the evacuation of 60,000 northern residents of Israel and tied up military resources that were deployed to the area. Israel launched an offensive against Hezbollah in September that eventually brought about a mediated truce in November.Days after the battered Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire in late November, the Assad regime fell, marking two major strategic setbacks for Iran. Hamas, too, has been greatly diminished by the war in Gaza, with many senior figures killed, including two of its long-time leaders.Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah are all avowed to destroy Israel.“I don’t consider losing Syria something to be proud of,” Esbati said “We were defeated and defeated very badly. We took a very big blow and it’s been very difficult.”For decades, Iran and Syria were key strategic allies. Tehran used Syria to supply its proxy Hezbollah terror group in Lebanon with weaponry, and Iranian military advisers as well as Hezbollah helped the Assad regime battle insurgents during the country’s prolonged civil war.But in December rebel forces surged across Syria and ended the Assad regime’s 50-year rule. Since then, the new government has sought to reassure the world that it seeks regional stability and has opened channels of communication with several Western nations, while also talking to Iran.Esbati accused Russia of saying it was bombing rebel forces in Syria when it was in fact dropping munitions on open fields. He further claimed that over the past year, as Israel allegedly stepped up bombing a campaign on Iranian resources in Syria, the Russians “turned off radars,” enabling the strikes.According to the report, Esbati oversaw Iran’s military operations in Syria and worked closely with the country’s ministers, defense officials, and Russian generals. Moscow was also an ally of the Assad regime and provided military support, including significant air power, during the civil war.Israel has acknowledged carrying out hundreds of aerial raids on Iranian targets in Syria but generally does not comment on specific attacks.In light of the heavy Russian presence in Syria, Israel in September 2015 set up a mechanism with Moscow — involving work groups led by the deputy chiefs of both militaries — to avoid conflicts and potentially fatal misunderstandings.Despite Assad’s ouster, Esbati said Tehran will still look for ways to enlist fighters in Syria regardless of who runs the country.“We can activate all the networks we have worked with over the years,” he was quoted as saying. “We can activate the social layers that our guys lived among for years; we can be active in social media and we can form resistance cells.”“Now we can operate there as we do in other international arenas, and we have already started.”The report noted that Iran faces public and political opposition in Syria, as well as Israeli warnings that it will act to destroy any Iranian military buildup.Esbati’s speech at the Valiasr Mosque in central Tehran was titled “Answering Questions about Syria’s Collapse.”During a question and answer session, Esbati said that Iran was not planning to again attack Israel, as it did twice last year.“The situation” at the moment means another attack is not realistic, the report cited Esbati as saying. Across the Middle East, multiple arenas are waiting to see what steps the incoming administration of US President-elect Donald Trump will take after he takes office on January 20.Esbati also explained why Iran did not directly attack US military bases in the area, saying that would only bring a larger retaliation from the US and its allies. Esbati noted that some Iranian missiles would not escape US air defense systems.Nonetheless, he offered his listeners assurances that Iran was still the dominant force in the region, the report said.An Iranian member of the powerful Revolutionary Guards who worked in the past as a strategist in Iraq, where Iran also wields control over powerful militias, told The Times that Tehran has held meetings on forming a Syria strategy. Though no policy has been decided, there is agreement that chaos would benefit Iran.Fighting over the past 15 months also drew in Iran directly when it fired hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel in April and October last year. Both attacks were largely thwarted by Israeli air defenses in cooperation with the US and its regional allies.Following the second attack, Israel carried out widespread strikes on Iran for the first time, pounding its air defense systems and rocket manufacturing capabilities.

 Reporter's notebook'Our German neighbors are very friendly, as they should be'With antisemitism in Berlin at a post-WWII high, Israeli expats explain why they stay-The police chief says Jews shouldn’t enter certain neighborhoods and some Muslim immigrants in the city can be hostile to Israel. But it still offers unbeatable perks, Israelis say By Bart Schut 9 January 2025, 12:45 pm

BERLIN, Germany — On one of the last days of the year, anti-Israel protesters in Berlin delivered a final boost to Germany’s annual antisemitism numbers, as 2024 easily overtook the record number of anti-Jewish incidents of the year before.Images were shown on social media of Muslim immigrants at an anti-Israeli rally calling for the Jews to be killed, while an Israeli woman said she was attacked in the German capital on New Year’s Eve when she wore a coexistence badge depicting the Palestinian and Israeli flags.In the first six months of 2024 alone, there were more antisemitic incidents in the German capital than in all of 2023. No fewer than 25 physical attacks against Jews were recorded in the first half of last year in Berlin, and Holocaust memorials were the target of property damage 21 times. More than seven out of 10 antisemitic incidents were related to Israel, according to RIAS, a federal German watchdog on antisemitism.Berlin police chief Barbara Slowik caused a stir in November when she advised Jewish and gay inhabitants to be vigilant when traveling through neighborhoods with large Arab communities.“Unfortunately, there are certain neighborhoods where there are mostly Arab people who also have sympathy for terrorist groups. Open antisemitism is expressed there against people of the Jewish faith and origin,” said Slowik.Still, members of the Israeli expat community in Berlin remain positive about life in the German capital. Precise numbers are hard to come by, but estimates of Israelis living in Berlin range from 10,000 to about twice that.Jonathan moved to Berlin almost 10 years ago when he was in his mid-40s. He has his own company that imports high-end baby products and his husband Chanan works for a large international fintech company. The couple has 18-month-old twins, a boy and a girl. Last year, they built their own house in a green area, 20 minutes from Berlin’s city center. Asked about the rising antisemitism in the city, Jonathan admitted he only reads about it on social media.“Personally, I haven’t experienced it at all. The government, the police, and the laws protect against hate speech. The anti-Israel marches here are more controlled, more limited; they have boundaries,” he said.“I see people from America posting on X about them. But then again, I don’t go to places like Neukölln or Kreuzberg anymore,” Jonathan said, referring to areas with large concentrations of immigrants from the Middle East.Before October 7, Jonathan and Chanan used to go to the Sonnenallee, Neukölln’s main street, to get the best hummus.“Probably nothing would happen if we went now. We are not outwardly Jewish. But if someone wants to kill me, that makes me uncomfortable,” said Jonathan sarcastically. “Our neighborhood is more German. The foreigners in our neighborhood are us. We have been welcomed very nicely by our German neighbors. No one has ever said anything about us being Israeli or Jewish. Here people say hello to each other in the street. It feels more like a small town.”He added that he has friends calling from Israel saying, “Hey, I hear things are dangerous in Berlin,” and that he responds, “Seriously? You have rockets fired at you.”“We live in a predominantly white neighborhood, we have German neighbors from across the street who come over when we light Hannukah candles. It’s all very friendly, as it should be,” he said.The ‘alternative’ view from Kreuzberg-Things are somewhat different for Moscow-born Vicky, who came to Berlin by way of Bat Yam. She works as an artist in a tattoo parlor in Kreuzberg, one of the neighborhoods police chief Slowik warned Jews about. Walking through Kreuzberg, one is struck by the amount of graffiti on the walls of the often somewhat rundown apartment blocks. “Free Palestine” is a favorite theme, illustrated by Palestinian flags, as are “Stop the occupation” and “End genocide.”Vicky, 28, moves in different circles than Jonathan. Her younger and more alternative German friends and colleagues are more outspokenly anti-Israel. Apart from work opportunities, one of the main reasons why Vicky and her husband moved to Berlin had nothing to do with politics or safety.“I love Israel, but it’s impossibly hot after Moscow. It shouldn’t be in the Middle East, but somewhere a bit colder,” she said with a smile.Vicky moved to Germany after the Hamas-led massacre on October 7, in which 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were slaughtered in southern Israel, while 251 were kidnapped to the Gaza Strip.“I already knew what to expect. I just hoped I would have enough energy and patience to deal with anti-Israel sentiment,” she said.Having two nationalities, the tattoo artist tells some people she is Israeli and others she is Russian.“I can often tell which nationality people can or can’t deal with. If I’m in Neukölln, I never mention I’m from Israel. But most of my customers are okay with either. On the other hand, when we were looking for a place to live, I received a message from a potential landlord saying ‘Go back to Russia, I don’t want Jewish murderers here.’ He mixed up everything,” she said, adding that this was an isolated incident.“A friend of mine in Israel wanted to move… and I recommended that she come to Germany,” Vicky added. “If they are sensitive they will suffer a bit with all the graffiti and the slogans, but the chances of actually meeting someone who will show hatred towards you are small.”For now, Vicky and her husband have no plans to leave Berlin.In Sonnenallee, the word on the street is in Arabic-The district of Neukölln, mentioned by both Jonathan and Vicky, lies to the south of Kreuzberg.On the Sonnenallee, the lingua franca is Arabic, and native Germans are hard to spot. Many men don keffiyehs, and the majority of women wear headscarves. The wide shopping street is dominated by shops with names like Al Quds, the Arab name for Jerusalem, and Middle Eastern barber shops. A large part of the approximately 30,000-40,000 Palestinians in Berlin live in Neukölln. Their flags are everywhere in the shop windows, as are souvenirs referring to the Palestinians and Lebanon. The graffiti is unanimously anti-Israel.Daniel, a 38-year-old from Tel Aviv, also mentioned Neukölln, but pointed out that the neighborhood he lives in, Wedding, is much quieter, even though it has a large Turkish population. Daniel, who works in hospitality, moved to Berlin in 2021.“It’s like a calmer, less stressful version of Tel Aviv,” he said. “People move there from all over to find a little haven where they can be the best version of themselves, it’s the same in Berlin.”Daniel admitted that in the weeks and months after October 7, he was afraid to look at messages on his phone in public out of fear that people would see they were in Hebrew as he did not want to attract attention.However, the reactions at his workplace after the Hamas atrocities were the opposite of what we had feared.“For my work, I wear a badge with flags depicting in which languages I can serve guests. After October 7, I asked to take it off, not out of fear, but because of the opposite. Guests — international and especially German — saw the Israeli flag and the level of solidarity and empathy they showed triggered too many emotions. It would literally ruin my shifts. That was very surprising and quite amazing,” he said.Daniel added that some of his Israeli friends have announced that they would leave Germany if the far-right AfD wins the February 23 elections, despite the pro-Israel stance of the anti-immigrant party. He himself always has a return to Israel on his mind, not so much because of political reasons, but because Daniel’s family and friends live in the Jewish state.“I can’t imagine living in any other city in Europe. If I move anywhere away from here it will be back to Israel,” he said, adding, “I know I live in a place where the majority still protects me. Besides, I can’t afford to go back to Tel Aviv, it’s too expensive. Migration is always an economic decision.”

Hawkish Muslim Brotherhood expert to fill Mideast slot on Trump’s National Security Council-GOP Senate staffer Eric Trager joins crowded field of Mideast-related appointees; will take over White House post from Brett McGurk, who played large role in shaping Mideast policy By Jacob Magid and JTA 9 January 2025, 6:04 am

Eric Trager, a Republican staffer on the Senate Armed Services Committee, will become the next White House National Security Council senior director for the Middle East and North Africa, a source familiar with the matter confirmed Wednesday to The Times of Israel.He will replace Brett McGurk, who played a massive role in crafting outgoing US President Joe Biden’s Mideast policy, the source said, confirming reporting in Jewish Insider.But it is unclear whether Trager will have as much influence, as he’ll be joining an already crowded field of figures appointed to Mideast-related posts, including Steve Witkoff, who will serve as special envoy to the Mideast — a position that doesn’t exist in the Biden administration. Trump also appointed a deputy for Witkoff — former State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus, in addition to hostage envoy Adam Boehler and senior adviser for Arab and Mideast affairs Massad Boulos.Trager, Witkoff, Ortagus, Boehler and Boulos will all be working out of the White House. This will be in addition to already-existing positions in the State Department that haven’t yet been announced. Trump is reportedly slated to tap former US special envoy for Syria Joel Rayburn to be assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern Affairs.Trager previously worked at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, a pro-Israel think tank where his research focused on Egypt and the Muslim Brotherhood. He authored a book on the group, and he later characterized the Brotherhood as an “international hate group” seeking to launder its reputation abroad.He most recently has been a staffer for the Republicans on the Senate Armed Services Committee. A 2005 Harvard University graduate with a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania, he has donated to a Washington, DC, synagogue and to Harvard Hillel, according to those organizations’ fundraising reports. On his account on the social media site X, he has shared posts advocating for the Israeli hostages in Gaza and criticizing the International Criminal Court’s issuance of an arrest warrant for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.News of Trager’s appointment quickly drew praise from conservatives and pro-Israel voices on social media.“While nothing is official until you read it on Truth Social, reports that my good friend and longtime colleague Eric Trager may be tapped as NSC Senior Director for the Middle East and North Africa are very exciting,” tweeted Rich Goldberg, a senior adviser to the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. “Playtime is over for the mullahs and Muslim Brotherhood.”

3 soldiers killed in northern Gaza fighting, raising ground offensive toll to 398-3 other troops seriously wounded alongside Staff Sergeants Matityahu Ya’akov Perel, Kanaoo Kasa and Nevo Fisher; IDF intercepts rocket fired from southern Gaza at Kerem Shalom By Emanuel Fabian 9 January 2025, 2:11 amUpdated at 10:50 am

Three Israeli soldiers were killed and three were wounded while fighting Wednesday in the northern Gaza Strip, the military announced amid several days of deadly battles in the area.The three slain troops were named as Staff Sgt. Matityahu Ya’akov Perel, 22, from Beit El, Staff Sgt. Kanaoo Kasa, 22, from Beit Shemesh, and Staff Sgt. Nevo Fisher, 20, from Bruchin.They all served with the 401st Armored Brigade’s 46th Battalion.In the same incident, three other soldiers were wounded, including an officer in serious condition.According to an initial IDF probe, the troops were hit by a large explosive device that was detonated against a tank during operations in Beit Hanoun.The incident came after three other troops were killed and several more wounded in separate incidents the previous two days, and brought Israel’s toll in the ground offensive against Hamas in the Strip and in military operations along the border with the enclave to 398. The toll includes a police officer killed in a hostage rescue mission and a Defense Ministry civilian contractor.During Wednesday’s combat in northern Gaza, the military said an Israeli Air Force attack helicopter carried out a strike against a group of Hamas operatives at a former school in Jabalia.According to the IDF, the Hamas operatives were at a command center embedded within the Halawa School, and were using the complex to plan and carry out attacks against troops in Gaza and against Israel.The building had also served as a shelter for displaced Gazans, according to Palestinian media.Gaza’s Civil Defense reported at least nine people were killed in the strike. The IDF said it took “numerous steps” to mitigate civilian harm, including by using aerial surveillance and other intelligence.Meanwhile, a rocket launched from southern Gaza at the Kerem Shalom area was successfully intercepted by air defenses.The IDF later launched an interceptor missile near the border with Gaza, though the military said it was found to have been fired at a “false” identification.There were no reports of injuries.In the past two weeks, more than 20 rockets have been fired from Gaza at Israel, mostly from the Strip’s north.Also Wednesday, White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby shot down claims of genocide in Gaza, when pressed on why the US formally recognized genocide in Sudan while not doing so in the coastal territory.“The IDF isn’t waking up every day and putting their boots on the floor, saying, ‘Hey, we’re going to go kill some innocent people because they happen to be Palestinian,’” Kirby said during a press briefing.“That doesn’t mean that there haven’t been too many civilian casualties in this conflict… and we have been nothing but direct with our Israeli counterparts about our concerns on that and about trying to get them… to be more discriminate about the civilian toll in Gaza. It’s unacceptably high… but that is not the same as saying genocide,” he argued.The White House spokesperson said slain Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and his terror organization have been the ones with “genocidal intentions,” as demonstrated during their October 2023 onslaught in which they slaughtered some 1,200 people and take 251 hostages.The subsequent war in Gaza has killed around 46,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, whose unverified figures do not differentiate between combatants and civilians. The IDF said it had killed some 18,000 combatants in battle as of November and another 1,000 terrorists inside Israel on October 7, 2023.An earlier version of this story included an incorrect toll of Israeli soldiers killed in the Gaza Strip.Jacob Magid and Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

NAHUM 3:13
13 Behold, your troops are women in your midst. The gates of your land are wide open to your enemies; fire has devoured your bars.

Military News-Transgender Troops, Confronting Shifting Policies of Acceptance, Just Want to Serve-Military.com | By Steve Beynon , Thomas Novelly and Patricia Kime-Published December 12, 2024 at 12:35 pm

Bree Fram was an Air Force major in 2016 when word came down that the Obama administration would soon be lifting its ban on transgender troops serving in the military following a yearlong study and orders for commanders to educate themselves and their units on integrating transgender personnel.It was during President Barack Obama's first term in 2011 that "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," the then-nearly 18-year-old ban on gay and lesbian troops serving openly, had ended. Despite some resistance in Congress, the intervening five years had gone smoothly, with few noteworthy hurdles for units adjusting to the more tolerant stance. Now, the administration wanted to open up service further.Moments after the new policy supporting trans service members was approved, Fram sent an email to her colleagues and posted to Facebook disclosing that she identified as a woman. After clicking send, she got up from her desk, bolted to the gym and hopped on an elliptical in the lower levels of the Pentagon to work off the adrenaline, unsure of exactly what the response would be."I went nowhere faster than I'd ever gone in my life with all that nervous energy that I had," she quipped.Whenever policies tied to who can serve and how have changed in the military, be it the ending of segregation in the ranks or inclusion of women in new specialties, there were warnings from those opposed that troops wouldn't accept their fellow service members and that unit cohesion would suffer.But when she got back to her desk after the workout, Fram started to get a steady stream of colleagues stopping by. They shook her hand and told her, "It's an honor to serve with you."The new norm of open service would last only a year.In 2017, President Donald Trump began via tweet to unravel that policy and set off a yearslong process that culminated in the Pentagon not accepting new transgender service members and not providing existing troops with care for gender dysphoria, the medical term for identifying with a gender different than that assigned at birth, if they had not already been out and previously diagnosed."So no one new could come out within the military, and no one who was trans could get into the military," Fram explained. "We were functionally an endangered species within the service, but were allowed to continue serving and continue receiving care."Fram, like the eight other transgender service members interviewed by Military.com for this story, noted that she was expressing her personal views and not speaking on behalf of the Defense Department or her service branch.Fram said that, when the policy on trangender service members was reversed again five days into President Joe Biden's administration in 2021, it provided more acceptance but further illustrated the roller-coaster of policy changes that transgender service members had to navigate. She's now a colonel in the Space Force and one of the most senior openly transgender officers serving in the military.U.S. Space Force Lt Col. Bree Fram, an astronautical engineer, talks with attendees at a Pride Month event at Altus Air Force Base.Trump promised on the campaign trail to end acceptance of transgender service members, and several news outlets reported on a proposed executive order that would medically discharge all trans service members from the military. Whether or not that order, or another like it, comes to fruition, Fram said the advice she gives to fellow transgender service members remains the same as during the first Trump-era ban."Lace up your boots and go get the job done, until or unless you get dragged out of the service and serving the country that you love so much and care about," Fram said.The Department of Defense does not track the number of transgender service members, leaving a significant gap in reliable data. A 2016 study conducted by Rand Corp. estimated that between 1,300 and 6,600 transgender troops were serving at that time. Some studies and advocacy groups place that estimate much higher at about 15,000.Transgender troops' right to serve -- perhaps even to fight and die for a nation they volunteered to defend -- has been subject to a whiplash-inducing series of policy reversals and partisan squabbles and created uncertainty as to what they will confront in the coming years.But the nine transgender service members who spoke to Military.com delivered one uniform message: Their units have accepted them, and they just want to serve their country.'I Love My Job' Sgt. 1st Class Cathrine Schmid is not just a soldier; military service is woven into the fabric of her being. Mention the Army, and her eyes light up. A noncommissioned officer to her core, Schmid's dedication isn't performative patriotism wrapped in slogans and sentiment. It's visceral."I love my job," she says. "I really like being in the Army. I love soldiers. I love being around soldiers; I love talking to soldiers."Schmid transitioned a decade ago, a decision that sparked some initial upheaval in the ranks she served in, but she was ultimately accepted by her commanders, even if they lacked the vocabulary or experience to fully understand her journey. Her identity is remarkably a nonfactor in her day-to-day Army life. Over several years, her medical leave amounted to no more than eight weeks, comparable to the recovery from a routine airborne school injury. For Schmid, her transition wasn't a disruption; it was simply part of her story.She's a high performer and part of the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club, among the most prestigious stamps of approval for some of the Army's top-performing NCOs, with troops having to demonstrate expert marksmanship, earn top scores on the service's fitness test, and go through a meticulous interview process."I've got the institutional power of the senior NCO, I've got the shiny bits of metal on my uniform that say I've earned my place, and that isn't true for everybody," Schmid said. "I've been in long enough, and the military is close enough to a meritocracy, that people care less about whether I'm trans and whether I'm qualified, which is one of the best things about the military."Data points to a seismic shift in Gen Z attitudes toward the LGBTQ+ community, with nearly 28% of young adults identifying as gay, lesbian, transgender or queer, Public Religion Research Institute, a nonprofit that researches public perception on cultural issues, found in a study published earlier this year.But despite the changing demographics, the incoming administration has specifically articulated a desire to prevent some of those same young adults from serving, despite the military services facing ongoing struggles effectively adding new recruits.Pete Hegseth, a former Fox News personality and a 13-year National Guard veteran who has been tabbed by Trump to serve as his secretary of defense, slammed in his 2024 book, "The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free," what he perceived as a push to fill the ranks with LGBTQ+ troops, falsely suggesting recruiting ads were targeting those demographics. A Military.com review of recruiting ads in the last half decade found that most military marketing spotlights men and makes no suggestions of their sexual orientation, and that there has been no systemic push to pitch service to LGBTQ+ Americans."Not only do the trannies and lesbians not join, but those very same ads turn off the young, patriotic, Christian men who have traditionally filled out ranks," Hegseth, whose confirmation is facing headwinds tied to scrutiny of past infidelity, excessive drinking and alleged sexual assault, said in his book.Throughout the Biden administration, Republican lawmakers and conservative media personalities have lambasted the military as being "woke," a nonspecific shorthand for acquiescence to progressive ideals, and for filling the ranks with those from the LGBTQ+ community, though there's little demographic evidence of a seismic change to the composition of the force. Those in service leadership don't see recent efforts at acceptance as interfering with the military's mission."Funny enough, there's a lot more room on the Left to hit us on making no effort to recruit these people," one Army marketing official told Military.com on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the press, referring to LGBTQ+ groups. "Most of our stuff is dudes jumping out of airplanes and such, same ads we've been putting out for half a century, not targeting any specific demographics ... which has been part of our problem."Acceptance in the Force-Transgender soldiers are now serving across a range of roles within the U.S. Army, including in front-line units and Special Forces. For many of the nine transgender service members who spoke with Military.com -- their ranks spanning from junior soldiers to senior officers -- their experiences have generally been positive. While some acknowledge the possibility of occasional mockery behind their backs, they said the overall treatment from their peers and commanders has been respectful, and they feel accepted within their formations.Yet, despite this camaraderie, some transgender service members believe that their careers may face obstacles. A number of them suspect that they have been sidelined from key training opportunities, prestigious assignments or advanced schools, with some of these setbacks seemingly stemming from commanders -- often older officers -- who may not have ever met a trans person before."There was an NCO who openly said some bigoted things. He called me a tranny to my face," one soldier told Military.com. "When I first started to use female facilities, I was terrified of getting rejected by other women. But they were all remarkably kind; they could probably see how visibly fearful I was. I always went to the showers with at least one female friend for protection. There was always a fear of rejection from other women."Defense Secretary Ash Carter announces a new transgender policy for the Department of Defense.Navy Cmdr. Emily Shilling, call sign "Hawking" for her love of physics, has spent nearly 20 years as a standout in the U.S. military. A decorated pilot with 60 combat missions from deployments on the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln, Shilling has flown the EA-6B Prowler, EA-18 Growler, and F/A-18E/F Super Hornet -- some of the Navy's most advanced jets.But as the Trump administration prepares to take office, Shilling, who is transgender, is bracing for what could be a career-ending policy shift. As president of SPARTA, an advocacy group for transgender service members, she is deeply aware of what's at stake. With 19 years and five months in uniform, Shilling is just shy of the 20-year milestone needed for military retirement benefits. If a new administration policy leads to her discharge, she could lose not only her pension but also access to the Defense Department's health care program. Also, depending on what type of discharge she receives, her children may lose access to her post-9/11 GI Bill benefits.She wants to serve for 26 years and aims to make captain.She's also fighting for the future of others in her position, arguing that exclusion weakens the military. "History has shown that opening the military to qualified individuals makes us stronger," she said."We saw it with women. We saw it with people of color. This has held true for every group that was once excluded," she said, adding that she was sharing her views as a transgender service member and president of SPARTA, not as a representative of the Navy.SPARTA is gearing up for what could be another fight over who is allowed to serve in uniform. Shilling said the organization is focused on preparing its 2,200 members for the worst. The group is prioritizing job placement and fundraising for medical expenses to support troops who might lose access to the military health system. "We'll let the legal experts take the lead," she said. "Our job is to make sure our people are taken care of."She says she is tired of what she calls the "distraction" of the discussion."We've been serving openly for [nearly] 10 years now, and we just want to get back to fighting our nation's battles and defending the U.S.," she said.

US House votes to sanction ICC over Israel arrest warrants-Nearly all House Republicans, several Democrats back legislation punishing the ICC for going after Netanyahu and Gallant, but measure will face bumpier path through Senate By Jacob Magid,Reuters and ToI Staff Today, 12:17 am-JAN 10,25

The US House of Representatives voted on Thursday to sanction the International Criminal Court to protest its decision to issue arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister over Israel’s campaign against the Hamas terror group in Gaza.Lawmakers voted 243 to 140 in favor of the “Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act,” which would urge sanctions on any ICC official or entities backing The Hague who advance “any effort to investigate, arrest, detain or prosecute any protected person of the United States and its allies.”The sanctions include blocking or revoking visas and prohibiting US property transactions.The legislation states that the US and Israel are not signatories to the Rome Statute that created the ICC, which accordingly has no jurisdiction over their conduct.Forty-five Democrats joined 198 Republicans in backing the bill. No Republicans voted against the measure, but Kentucky Representative Thomas Massie abstained, saying afterward that the House “should not get involved in disputes between other countries.”The House vote, one of the first since the new Congress was seated last week, underscored strong support for Israel’s government among President-elect Donald Trump’s fellow Republicans, who now control both chambers in Congress.Trump will be sworn in on January 20 for a second term as president.“America is passing this law because a kangaroo court is seeking to arrest the prime minister of our great ally, Israel,” Florida Republican Brian Mast, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said in a House speech before the vote.The breakdown of the vote was largely the same as the one on similar House legislation last year that failed to advance out of the Senate, though, the number of “Nos” was slightly lower amid absences due to former president Jimmy Carter’s funeral and the wildfires in Los Angeles-The legislation still needs to be okayed in the Senate, where it will have a harder time passing, although newly appointed Republican majority leader John Thune has promised swift consideration of the act so Trump can sign it into law shortly after taking office.In order to be passed in the Senate, Republicans will need to recruit around seven Democrats to vote with them, which may be difficult given that the outgoing Biden administration has to date refrained from backing such punitive measures against the court, not wanting to delegitimize the international body whose sanctions against Russian President Vladimir Putin it supports.Congressional Republicans have been denouncing the ICC since it issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former defense minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity over the war in Gaza.The warrants effectively bar Netanyahu and Gallant from entering the ICC’s 124 member states. Neither Israel nor the US are members of the court.The charges against the two men allege that they committed the war crimes of directing attacks against the civilian population of Gaza and of using starvation as a method of warfare by hindering the supply of international aid to Gaza.Chief prosecutor Karim Khan also alleged that they committed the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution and other inhumane acts as a result of the restrictions they allegedly placed on the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza.Israel has strongly rejected the substance of the allegations, insisting that it has funneled massive amounts of humanitarian aid through the crossings along the Gaza border, and that any problems with the distribution of that aid to the Palestinian civilian population are a result of inefficient operations by the aid organizations on the ground, difficulties arising from the ongoing conflict in the territory, and the looting of aid by Hamas and other terrorist organizations.Israel has also rejected allegations that it targets civilians, insisting that civilian casualties caused by the operation have resulted in large part due to Hamas’s tactic of embedding its fighters and installations within Gaza’s civilian infrastructure.The war in Gaza was sparked on October 7, 2023, when thousands of Hamas-led terrorists stormed southern Israel to kill some 1,200 people and take 251 hostages. Israel’s counteroffensive has killed more than 46,000 people, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. The figure cannot be independently verified and does not distinguish between civilians and combatants, of whom Israel says it has killed at least 18,000 in Gaza as of November, in addition to about 1,000 inside Israel during the onslaught.The ICC has said its decision to pursue warrants against the Israeli officials was in line with its approach in all cases, based on an assessment by the prosecutor that there was enough evidence to proceed, and the view that seeking arrest warrants immediately could prevent ongoing crimes.The ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif, who Israel says was killed by an IDF strike in Gaza back in July. While Khan had initially sought arrest warrants for Hamas leaders Ismail Haniyeh, and Yahya Sinwar as well, the two were killed before the warrants were issued in November.The Republican-led House passed the act seeking to sanction the ICC in June, but the measure was never taken up in the Senate, which at the time was controlled by a Democratic majority.

American Israeli settlers sanctioned for violence sue Biden administration-Issachar Manne and Levi Yitzchak Pilant say US violated their constitutional rights to due process and equal protection, dispute allegations they attacked Palestinian civilians By ToI Staff Today, 11:52 am-JAN 10,25

Two American Israeli citizens who were sanctioned in 2024 by the Biden administration over alleged violence against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank sued various US agencies and officials on Wednesday, arguing that the action violated their constitutional rights to due process and equal protection.Issachar Manne, who was sanctioned in July, and Levi Yitzchak Pilant, who was sanctioned in August, sued the US Treasury and State Department, as well as the Office of Foreign Asset Controls, and the three bodies’ respective heads, in a Washington federal court, according to records available online.The US asserted last year that Manne, who operates a farm in the Hebron Hills, was connected to acts of violence against Palestinian civilians and efforts to dispossess Palestinians of their property.The US alleged that Pilant, the security coordinator for the Yitzhar settlement, “engaged in malign activities outside the scope of his authority,” including leading a group of armed settlers in February 2024 to set up roadblocks and patrols to attack Palestinians and “forcefully expel them from their lands.”The announcement of the sanctions against Manne — imposed under a February 2024 executive order meant to combat “extremist violence against civilians” — explicitly identified Manne as a “foreign person” and did not mention that he is a US citizen.Pilant, sanctioned through the same executive order, was not explicitly named a “foreign person,” though this was the category of people designated by the executive order as potential targets.Jewish Insider reported that according to the lawsuit, the sanctions resulted in the men’s credit cards being canceled and their bank accounts frozen, preventing them from making essential payments such as their children’s school fees and receiving essential income, such as Pilant’s compensation for reserve duty in the Israel Defense Forces amid the ongoing war.The plaintiffs’ attorneys — working with the National Jewish Advocacy Center (NJAC), as well as the Jerusalem-based Zell, Aron & Co., and Pennsylvania-based Marcus & Marcus law firms — argue that their clients are ineligible for sanctions by virtue of their US citizenship.The settlers’ legal team also argued that by imposing the sanctions without a trial, the administration violated the dual citizens’ right to due process, as guaranteed in the US Constitution’s Fifth Amendment. They further suggest that the executive order itself could violate that provision, citing a 1972 ruling by the US Supreme Court that “vague laws may trap the innocent by not providing fair warning.”In addition, the lawyers dispute that the accusations against their clients are true, and suggest that by mistakenly labeling Manne a “foreign person” — a term they argue is inconsistent with US citizenship — the administration demonstrated it can’t be trusted to ascertain the facts of the matter in this case.“If they can’t verify whether someone is a US citizen, can we really believe that they verified the accusations they made against these people? No,” said Eugene Kontorovich, an NJAC legal consultant, speaking to Jewish Insider.The lawyers claim that Manne’s West Bank property was not acquired illegally and that no Palestinians were dispossessed of legitimate property as a result of his actions, contrary to the State Department’s allegations. They also claim that Pilant’s activities setting up roadblocks and searching Palestinians were not meant to attack or dispossess them, but rather were necessary and legitimate security measures taken as part of their client’s military duties.Additionally, the plaintiff’s lawyers argue that the White House never used the February executive order to levy sanctions against Palestinian groups that targeted Jewish civilians, but only against Jews who allegedly targeted Palestinians, asserting that this constitutes discrimination and violates their clients’ right to equal protection under the law.The order’s preamble notes “high levels of extremist settler violence” when describing the situation in the West Bank. The US has separately imposed heavy sanctions on figures and organizations associated with Palestinian terrorism.The order, being an executive measure, can be overturned by a succeeding administration. Incoming president Donald Trump, who is set to take office on January 20, has signaled a more positive approach to West Bank settlement, along the lines of his administration’s policy during his first term in office. He has not, however, officially indicated that he plans to lift the Biden administration’s sanctions against settlers.The February 2024 executive order came amid a surge in settler violence against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank following the Hamas terror group’s October 7, 2023 attack against Israel, which started the ongoing war.Israel has long struggled to deal with settler violence, but the problem seems to have intensified since far-right lawmaker Itamar Ben Gvir became minister in charge of the police two years ago.In July, outgoing IDF Central Command chief Maj. Gen. Yehuda Fox lambasted settler leaders for failing to curb the violence, saying that some Israelis have adopted “the ways of the enemy.”On Monday, High Court justices impatiently demanded answers for the failure of police to curb settler violence in the southern West Bank, as the court reviewed a petition by residents of the Palestinian village of Khirbet Zanuta, who have accused the IDF, the Israel Police and the Defense Ministry of contempt of court for failing to fulfill court orders to protect them from violence.That same day, settlers rampaged through several Palestinian villages, hours after a deadly shooting attack killed three Israelis in the same area, according to multiple reports.Settler violence has also gone on for three nights in a row this week, most recently overnight Thursday-Friday, when settlers raided a village in the West Bank and set fire to Palestinian property northeast of Ramallah.Emanuel Fabian and Jacob Magid contributed to this report.

What Matters Now to Haviv Rettig Gur: Israel’s wish list for US President-elect Trump-ToI’s senior analyst eyes the January 20 inauguration and spells out some of Israel’s hopes and dreams for the new administration-With:Amanda Borschel-Dan, Haviv Rettig Gur-Today, 9:40 am-JAN 10,25

Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host deputy editor Amanda Borschel-Dan speaking with The Times of Israel’s senior analyst, Haviv Rettig Gur.This week, a committee appointed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to examine defense spending and IDF military force design for the future announced that the election of Donald Trump as US president offers an unprecedented opportunity to remove the threat Israel faces from Iran.Trump’s return to the White House, said the Nagel Committee on Monday, “creates, for the first time, the potential for a fundamental change, and the removal or meaningful reduction of the Iranian threat.”Likewise this week, incoming US envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff announced that he would travel to Doha, saying a hostage deal being mediated by Qatar is on the verge of completion, as Trump again warned “all hell will break loose” in the region if an agreement between Israel and Hamas is not reached by his January 20 inauguration.We all know that Trump is one to talk tough, but the question is — how much of this rhetoric will translate into action? And will he aid Israel in its effort to prevent a nuclear Iran? So this week, we ask Haviv Rettig Gur: What matters now?

Jeremiah 6:14
14 They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.

Isaiah 57:21
21 There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.

1 Thessalonians 5:3
3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

Ephesians 2:2
2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

Biden: ‘Real progress’ being made in hostage talks, but Hamas ‘in the way’ of a deal-Netanyahu’s hostage envoy tries to assure families of captives that government not abandoning their loved ones as it pushes for agreement in which they’d be released in phases-By Jacob Magid-Today, 4:47 am-JAN 10,25

US President Joe Biden said Thursday that he thinks his administration will be able to secure a hostage deal, even though Hamas is currently the obstacle to such an agreement.It was an extension of the stance that the US has held for months, but Biden had not personally weighed in on the negotiations for several weeks.As is often the case, a question about Israel was among the first to be shouted by the White House press corps as Biden wrapped up a briefing on a completely different topic — the wildfires devastating Los Angeles.Asked to provide an update on the hostage talks, Biden was cautious about getting into detail but said, “We’re making some real progress,” adding that he had spoken with US negotiators earlier Thursday.“I know hope springs eternal, but I’m still hopeful that we’ll be able to have a prisoner exchange.”“Hamas is the one getting in the way of that exchange right now, but I think we may be able to get that done. We need to get it done,” he said.For over a year, the White House has blamed Hamas for the lack of ceasefire in Gaza.While Egyptian and Qatari diplomats along with some members of Israel’s negotiating team and even several US officials have told The Times of Israel that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s refusal to agree to anything more than a temporary ceasefire has been the main obstacle, Washington has refrained from voicing that belief publicly.US Secretary of State Antony Blinken suggested in a New York Times interview last week that US pressure on Israel has led Hamas to harden its positions.Blinken said Wednesday that mediators were “very close” to securing a ceasefire and hostage release agreement between Israel and Hamas and that an agreement is all but inevitable, even if it has to wait for the next administration in order for it to be finalized.Earlier Thursday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hostage envoy held a meeting with representatives of the forum representing the vast majority of hostage families who have fumed over the government’s effort to try and reach a temporary deal that will see the release of only around one-third of the remaining 98 hostages.Gal Hirsch insisted to the families that the temporary ceasefire agreement under discussion is only one phase of a three-part deal and that two weeks into the first six-week pause, negotiations will begin on the terms of the second phase during which the remaining living hostages will be released, according to Channel 12 news.But Netanyahu is seeking to resume fighting after the first stage, causing hostage families to worry whether there would be a second or third phase in which the remaining bodies of slain hostages would be released. The gap that Netanyahu is seeking between the first and second phases also has hostage families fearing that their loved ones won’t survive in captivity long enough to be released.Channel 12 said Hirsch declined to say during the meeting that the government is prepared to permanently end the war — which has long been Hamas’s condition for releasing the remaining hostages.Also Thursday, former hostage Sharon Cunio published an Arabic-language video urging her husband David’s Hamas captors to send footage showing that he is still alive.Cunio quoted a passage from the Quran, which directs Muslims to treat hostages like other marginalized populations worthy of compassion.Meanwhile, more than 800 parents of Israel Defense Forces soldiers fighting in Gaza or who previously fought in the enclave penned an open letter to Netanyahu on Thursday, accusing the premier of acting irresponsibly in managing the war, demanding he reach a deal and threatening to launch an “all-out struggle.”A total of 396 IDF soldiers, along with a Defense Ministry contractor and police officer, have been killed in Gaza since the war broke out on October 7, 2023, with Hamas’s devastating onslaught against southern Israel, including six troops killed in the last week alone. Thousands more have suffered injuries, many of them serious.Inside the enclave, Israeli airstrikes pounded areas in the Strip’s north and center on Thursday — a day after the body of at least one hostage previously thought to be alive was recovered.Health officials in the Hamas-controlled Strip said the death toll in over 15 months of fighting had risen beyond 46,000, though the figure cannot be verified.While Hamas has long pushed for a permanent ceasefire, officials familiar with the talks have told The Times of Israel that the terror group has indicated willingness in recent weeks to prioritize the first stage of the three-phase deal that has been under discussion since May.A senior Arab diplomat said on Sunday that Hamas had approved a list of 34 hostages it was prepared to free as part of the deal.Hamas has insisted that it does not know where all of the hostages are, but would be able to ascertain their locations and conditions if Israel agrees to a brief ceasefire. Israel has rejected the idea, insisting that Hamas knows where all of the hostages are.Israel is seeking to maximize the number of living hostages who will be released as part of the deal, while Hamas is looking to hold onto as many hostages as possible, as long as Israel plans to resume fighting once the temporary ceasefire is over. Israeli intelligence assesses that as many as half of the hostages are still alive.Netanyahu’s office has preferred the temporary ceasefire framework, with the premier arguing that ending the war permanently in exchange for all of the hostages would allow Hamas to regain control of Gaza. Repeated polls have indicated that the majority of the Israeli public rejects Netanyahu’s approach.Much of Israel’s security establishment has maintained that Netanyahu’s prosecution of the war contains no exit strategy since he has refused to advance a viable alternative to Hamas’s rule, thereby allowing the terror group to repeatedly return to areas briefly cleared by the IDF. The security establishment and the international community have pushed for allowing the PA, which enjoys limited governing powers over parts of the West Bank, to return to Gaza to replace Hamas.Netanyahu has rejected the idea out of hand, likening the PA — which backs a two-state solution — to Hamas. His far-right coalition partners have backed collapsing the PA entirely and would likely threaten to collapse the government if he considers empowering Ramallah.The security establishment has also backed a more comprehensive deal to free the hostages, arguing that the IDF can return to Gaza if need be and that putting off the release of two-thirds of the hostages not freed in a temporary deal would likely be a death sentence for them.The ceasefire that US, Qatari, and Egyptian mediators are trying to advance is still within the three-staged framework, but Israel this time around is much more open about the second and third phases not coming immediately after the first one. The second phase of the deal is supposed to see the release of the remaining living hostages — men of military age — and the third stage would see the release of the bodies of slain hostages. On Wednesday, the IDF announced that it had recovered the body of Youssef Ziyadne along with findings that raise concerns for the life of his son Hamza.Hamas is demanding assurances from the mediators that there will be some linkage between the first and subsequent phases, as it seeks a permanent ceasefire. Since the weekend, Qatar has been hosting Israeli and Hamas delegations for talks, but no breakthroughs have been reported.

No more ‘cannon fodder’: Parents of troops, slain hostages demand Gaza deal-Netanyahu accused of endangering soldiers to stay in office, as official insists no progress in Doha while feting arrival of Trump aide Witkoff; Hamas claims war toll tops 46,000-By Lazar Berman,Emanuel Fabian,ToI Staff and Agencies 9 January 2025, 7:43 pm

Hundreds of parents of troops fighting in Gaza accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of needlessly prolonging the conflict and risking the lives of their children Thursday, as an Israeli official dismissed talks of progress in ongoing negotiations for a ceasefire and hostage release deal.Inside the enclave, Israeli airstrikes pounded areas in the Strip’s north and center a day after the body of at least one hostage previously thought to be alive was recovered.Health officials in the Hamas-controlled Strip said the death toll in over 15 months of fighting had risen beyond 46,000, though the figure could not be verified.In an open letter to Netanyahu, more than 800 parents of Israel Defense Forces soldiers fighting in Gaza or who previously fought in the enclave, accused the premier of acting irresponsibly in managing the war, demanding he reach a deal and threatening to launch an “all-out struggle.”“Our sons and daughters set out on a necessary war brought upon us by your actions,” the parents claimed, addressing Netanyahu. “They lost many friends and are continuing to die and get injured, mentally and physically.”We “cannot allow you to continue sacrificing our children as cannon fodder,” added the group, called Parents of Soldiers Say Enough.A total of 396 soldiers have been killed fighting in Gaza since the war broke out on October 7, 2023, with Hamas’s devastating onslaught against southern Israel, including six troops killed in the last week alone. Thousands more have suffered injuries, many of them serious.“The IDF has no reason to stay in Gaza, besides fulfilling messianic wishes of settling there,” the letter alleged, pushing back against Netanyahu’s stance that continued military action would free the 98 hostages believed to remain in Gaza, almost all of them kidnapped on October 7.They charged the fighting in Gaza was “a war without a horizon, unlike anything in our history, solely in the interest of your own political survival.” Critics have accused Netanyahu of bowing to the demands of his far-right coalition partners, who openly seek to resettle the Strip, thus refusing to seal a deal that ends the war and frees the hostages.An Israeli official told The Times of Israel on Thursday that recent days had seen no dramatic developments in mediated talks on a ceasefire-hostage release deal taking place in Doha, and that Hamas still has not provided a list of living hostages. Talks were nevertheless ongoing.On Thursday, a Palestinian official close to the mediation efforts said the absence of a deal so far did not mean that talks were going nowhere and that this was the most serious attempt so far.“There are extensive negotiations, mediators and negotiators are talking about every word and every detail. There is a breakthrough when it comes to narrowing old existing gaps but there is no deal yet,” he told Reuters, without giving further details.Qatar, the US and Egypt are making a major push to reach a deal to halt fighting in the 15-month conflict and free remaining hostages held by Hamas before US President Joe Biden leaves office.President-elect Donald Trump has warned there will be “hell to pay” if the hostages are not released by his inauguration on January 20.The Israeli official said Egypt was not present at the talks. “They help when there are certain obstacles. It is possible that if there is progress we will bring in the Egyptians physically. For now, they’re helping from the side.”Contradicting recent reports in the media, the official insisted that Israel is not open to giving Hamas a short ceasefire period to put together a list of hostages still alive, dismissing the claim as “fake news.”Israel has insisted that the terror group detail the condition of the hostages who would potentially be released in the first stage of a possible deal, but Hamas has argued fighting must stop for several days to facilitate such a move.The official also called the arrival of Trump aide Steve Witkoff to the Qatar talks a positive development: “More pressure on Hamas is always welcome,” they said.In recent days, discussions have focused on Hamas’s demand for a complete cessation of fighting to release hostages not freed in a first “humanitarian” phase, which will include women, the elderly and those suffering injuries.“We are trying to find language that is ambiguous enough to square the circle,” the official said.There is also disagreement over freeing male hostages in their 50s: “Hamas says they are willing to release them, but they want a lot of ‘valuable’ terrorists, terrorists with blood on their hands, released,” according to the official.Speaking in Paris on Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that “we’re very close” to reaching a deal, “but if we don’t, then the plan that President [Joe] Biden put forward for a ceasefire-hostage deal will be handed over to the incoming administration.”The Hamas-run health ministry in the Gaza Strip claimed Thursday that over 70 Palestinians were killed and 104 were wounded by Israeli strikes over the past day. Hamas officials now claim that more than 46,000 people have been killed throughout the ongoing war in the Strip. The terror group’s figures are unverified and don’t differentiate between civilians and combatants.Rescuers claimed that eight people were killed in an airstrike on a house in Jabalia in northern Gaza, and that four people — including three girls — were killed in a strike on their house in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza.COGAT, the Israeli body responsible for activity in the West Bank and Gaza, said Thursday that it had facilitated the transfer of large quantities of humanitarian aid to several hospitals in the Strip over the previous three days.The shipments included 6,750 liters of fuel, 10,000 liters of water, dozens of food crates and nearly 300 boxes of medical supplies, COGAT said.There was no IDF comment on the reported attacks.The strikes came after the IDF announced Wednesday that it had recovered the body of Hamas hostage Youssef Ziyadne from inside a tunnel, as well as remains that it was concerned could belong to his son, Hamza Ziyadne.In Tel Aviv, family members of hostages killed in Gazan captivity gathered to mourn Ziyadne, calling on the government to sign a hostage deal.“We are the members of a cohort of loss and bereavement,” said Rachel Goldberg-Polin, mother of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who was killed with five other hostages by their captors in late August. “We don’t want any more people to join our community of agony and pain and yet tragically just yesterday the Ziyadne families joined us. We implore all world leaders to make a deal and bring all 99 remaining hostages home.”Israel believes 95 of the 251 hostages kidnapped by Hamas and other terror groups on October 7 are still being held in Gaza. At least 34 of them are thought to have been killed, some of them while in captivity.Hamas is also holding two Israeli civilians who entered the Strip in 2014 and 2015, as well as the bodies of two IDF soldiers who were killed in 2014.The war in Gaza broke out on October 7, 2023, when some 3,000 Hamas-led terrorists invaded southern Israel from the enclave, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, amid acts of brutality and sexual assault. The subsequent multifront war has also seen other Iranian-backed forces — including Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and Iran itself — attack Israel, and the Jewish state respond militarily.Hamas released 105 civilians during a weeklong truce in late November, and four hostages were released before that. Eight hostages have been rescued by troops alive, and the bodies of 39 hostages have also been recovered, including three mistakenly killed by the military as they tried to escape their captors.Jessica Steinberg contributed to this report.

A FALSE PROPHET COMES FROM THE VATICAN ALSO AT THIS TIME.

ISAIAH 23:15-17
15  And it shall come to pass in that day, that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king: after the end of seventy years shall Tyre sing as an harlot.
16  Take an harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered.
17  And it shall come to pass after the end of seventy years, that the LORD will visit Tyre, and she shall turn to her hire, and shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth.(COULD THIS BE 70 YEARS AFTER ISRAEL BECAME A NATION IN 1948)(IF SO THIS SATANIC ONE WORLD WHORE CHURCH WILL MINGLE TOGETHER BY 2018)(AND NOW ISLAM AND CHRISTIANITY AND ALL RELIGIONS ARE MINGLING AS ONE PEACE-LOVE-JOY-GET ALONG RELIGION LEAD BY THE VATICAN RIGHT NOW 4 YEARS FROM THE 70 YEAR TIME WHEN ISRAEL BECAME A NATION).AND IN CONTROL OF JERUSALEM.

REVELATION 13:11-18
11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth;(FALSE VATICAN POPE) and he had two horns like a lamb,(JESUS IS THE LAMB OF GOD) and he spake as a dragon.(HES SATANICALLY INSPIRED,HES A CHRISTIAN DEFECTOR FROM THE FAITH)
12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him,(WORLD DICTATOR) and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.(THE WORLD DICTATOR CREATES A FALSE RESURRECTION AND IS CROWNED LEADER OF THE NEW WORLD ORDER).
13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
16 And he(FALSE POPE) causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:(CHIP IMPLANT)
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.(6-6-6) A NUMBER SYSTEM

REVELATION 17:1-18
1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication,(VATICAN IN POLITICS) and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
4 And the woman (FALSE CHURCH) was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour,(VATICAN COLOURS)(ANOTHER REASON WE KNOW THE FALSE POPE COMES FROM THE VATICAN) and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:(THE VATICAN GOES AGAINST A PRIEST MARRING A WOMAN-LIKE THE BIBLE SAYS-AND WHATS AN ABOMINATION AGAINST GOD-HOMOSEXUALITY AND PEDOPHILIA JUST LIKE THIS SCRIPTURE SAYS-FORNICATION IS THE SINGLE HOMOSEXUAL PRIESTS IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH HAVING UNMARRIED FORNICATION OR SEX WITH SINGLES-IN THIS CASE ITS SEX WITH CHILDREN OR PEDOPHILIA)
5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.
7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.
8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.(THE VATICAN IS BUILT ON 7 HILLS OR MOUNTAINS)
10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen,(1-ASSYRIA,2-EGYPT,3-BABYLON,4-MEDO-PERSIA,5-GREECE) and one is,(IN POWER IN JOHNS AND JESUS DAY-6-ROME) and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.(7TH-REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE OR THE EUROPEAN UNION TODAY AND THE SHORT SPACE IS-THE EUROPEAN UNION WILL HAVE WORLD CONTROL FOR THE LAST 3 1/2 YEARS.BUT WILL HAVE ITS MIGHTY WORLD POWER FOR THE FULL 7 YEARS OF THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION PERIOD.AND THE WORLD DICTATOR WILL BE THE BEAST FROM THE EU.AND THE VATICAN POPE WILL BE THE WHORE THAT RIDES THE EUROPEAN UNION TO POWER.AND THE 2 EUROPEAN UNION POWER FREAKS WILL CONTROL AND DECIEVE THE WHOLE EARTH INTO THEIR DESTRUCTION.IF YOU ARE NOT SAVED BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS.YOU WILL BE DECIEVED BY THESE TWO.THE WORLD POLITICIAN-THE EUROPEAN UNION DICTATOR.AND THE FALSE PROPHET THAT DEFECTS CHRISTIANITY-THE FALSE VATICAN POPE.
11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.(VATICAN-CATHOLICS ALL AROUND THE WORLD OVER 1 BILLION)
16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast,(WORLD DICTATOR) these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.(GOD HIMSELF GIVES THE OK TO NUKE THE VATICAN)
17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.
18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.(VATICAN)

Addressing diplomats, pope says humanitarian situation in Gaza is ‘shameful’In remarks delivered by aide, pontiff also condemns rise in antisemitism and calls for an end to Ukraine war and other global conflicts-By Reuters and ToI Staff 9 January 2025, 3:25 pm

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis on Thursday kept up his recent criticism of Israel’s military campaign against Hamas in Gaza, calling the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian enclave “very serious and shameful.”In a yearly address to diplomats delivered on his behalf by an aide, Francis appeared to reference deaths caused by winter cold in Gaza, where there is almost no electricity.“We cannot in any way accept the bombing of civilians,” the text said. “We cannot accept that children are freezing to death because hospitals have been destroyed or a country’s energy network has been hit.”Israel has said it seeks to minimize civilian fatalities in its war against the Hamas terror group, which rules Gaza, and stresses that Hamas uses civilians as human shields, fighting from civilian areas including homes, hospitals, schools, and mosques.The pope, 88, who was present for the address but asked an aide to read it as he is recovering from a cold, also condemned antisemitism; called for an end to the war in Ukraine and other conflicts around the world; and expressed concern over climate change.The comments were part of an address to Vatican-accredited envoys from some 184 countries that is sometimes called the pope’s “state of the world” speech. The Israeli ambassador to the Holy See was among those present for the event.Francis, leader of the 1.4-billion-member Roman Catholic Church, has been highly critical in recent months of Israeli activity in Gaza — even going so far in remarks published in November as to call for a probe into whether Israel is committing genocide in the Strip.In his annual Christmas address last month, the pope said that bombings in the Strip were “cruelty. This is not war. I wanted to say this because it touches the heart.”Israel’s Foreign Ministry panned his remarks, accusing him of “double standards” and saying his comments were “disconnected from the true and factual context of Israel’s fight against jihadist terrorism.”The pope’s text on Thursday said he condemns antisemitism, and called the growth of antisemitic groups “a source of deep concern.”Francis also called for an end to the war between Ukraine and Russia, which has killed tens of thousands of people.“My wish for the year 2025 is that the entire international community will work above all to end the conflict that, for almost three years now, has caused so much bloodshed,” he said.The pope also addressed conflicts in places including Sudan, Mozambique, Myanmar and Nicaragua and reiterated his frequent calls for action to confront the impacts of global climate change and the spread of misinformation on social media.