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House Votes 420-9 for Israel
By Micah Halpern

Sunday September 26, 2021
I've Been Thinking:

It is good news when a bill supporting Israel wins by a whopping vote of 420 – 9 in the House of Representatives.

And that’s exactly what happened when the U.S. House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly for legislation to provide $1 billion to Israel to replenish its "Iron Dome" missile-defense system.

Referring to the vote as a "resounding response" to those challenging the United States' support of Israel, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said:
"Thanks to all members of the U.S. House of Representatives, Democratic and Republican alike, for their sweeping support for Israel and the commitment to its security. Those who try to challenge this support got a resounding response today."

In the debate that preceded the vote, Democratic Representative Rashida Tlaib, a Palestinian American, termed Israel an "apartheid state" and demanded that the House of Representatives discuss the protection of Palestinians from Israeli attacks.

She said: "I firmly believe our country must oppose selling weapons to anyone, anywhere without human rights law compliance."

House majority leader Steny Hoyer said support of Israel is not a partisan matter.
In his words: "We vigorously, strongly, unshakably stand for Israel's right to defend itself against terror … Iron Dome has saved countless lives.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the Iron Dome was purely a defensive system and said: "Passage of this bill reflects the great unity in Congress on a bipartisan and bicameral basis for Israel's security … Assistance to Israel is vital, because Israel's security is an imperative for America's security. Today, and every day, Congress stands in support of a comprehensive, durable peace in the region, and we pray for every life lost on all sides of this conflict.”.

This is a major statement of support for Israel.

As an aside, hedging her bets, AOC voted NO VOTE, or PRESENT in the proposal.
After the vote, she apologized to her supporters.

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Iran Talking to Saudi Arabia
By Micah Halpern

Saturday September 25, 2021
I've Been Thinking:

A new, potential problem may be emerging in the Middle East. The anti-Iran block may be cracking – and that is not good news for the West.

There are reports that talks between Middle East regional rivals Tehran and Riyadh have led to "serious progress" on the issue of Gulf security. The direct quote is: "Serious progress has been made on the subject of security in the Gulf," and the quote was released by Iran’s state news agency IRNA, quoting ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh.

For the first time since 2016 when they cut ties, Shiite-majority Iran and Sunni kingpin Saudi Arabia, on opposing sides in multiple regional conflicts, have been engaged in talks since April with the aim of improving relations.

The discussions began under Iran's former moderate president Hassan Rouhani and have continued on, even after the election of his ultra-conservative successor, Ebrahim Raisi, who took over the reins of office in August.

Speaking to journalists at the UN General Assembly, spokesman Khatibzadeh assessed the talks as "good" and called for the countries to settle regional issues between themselves, without foreign interference.

This does not portend well for us.

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Turks Say Ties w US Strained
By Micah Halpern

Friday September 24, 2021
I've Been Thinking:

Finally, the Turks are going public and acknowledging that diplomatic ties with the United States are strained over their purchase of Russian S-400 anti-air batteries.

According to Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey's ties with the United States were not healthy and Washington needed to "sort out" issues.

Ties between the NATO allies hit a low point earlier this year when Washington sanctioned the Turkish defense industry over the S-400s purchase. Washington also expelled Ankara from its F-35 jet program, where it was a buyer and manufacturer.

After attending the UN General Assembly Erdogan spoke to reporters and is quoted as saying: "I cannot say that a healthy process is running in Turkish-American ties ... We bought F-35s, we paid $1.4 billion and these F-35s were not given to us.
The United States needs to first sort this out.”.

The problem with this new public realization is that Turkey is laying blame with the United States and with NATO when it is Turkey that created this situation.

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Meron Finally An Answer
By Micah Halpern

Thursday September 23, 2021
I've Been Thinking:

Finally, details of the Meron stampede in which 45 people were killed in Israel, in April, are coming out.

Ynet published leaked protocols of a meeting of Israeli Police top brass and other senior officials indicating that they were aware, in advance, of all the problems that led to the deadly stampede. And yet, they decided not to stop the celebration at Meron.

In a meeting on April 19 officials discussed all the different and complex security issues pertaining to the event, including COVID-19 restrictions, crowd control and securing access routes to the tomb site.

Ynet has compiled some of the main points raised by police higher-ups in the damning document:

These are the pertinent components of the meeting as quoted by YNET:

Police Northern District Commander Maj.-Gen. Shimon Lavi, who oversaw the event on the ground, remains the only official to publicly take responsibility for the tragedy. However, the protocols show that Israel's top cop — Police Commissioner Yaakov Shabtai — was the one who pushed to authorize the mass event without any restrictions on the number of parishioners allowed on the mountain.

Shabtai and others at the meeting recognized the dangers entailed in allowing large masses of people to pass through the tomb site's narrow walkways at the same time.

"These issues require concentration of effort and attention in the preparation in light of the large number of participants in a small and limited space and the tangible danger to human life," he said.

Northern District Commander Lavi was the only official present at the meeting who pushed to put a cap on the number of participants allowed on the mountain concurrently.

"I recommended an outline… [allowing] 10,000 people to enter the mountain at any given moment. The outline is challenging, but we must make a decision," Lavi said in the meeting.

Another official who sounded the alarm about a potential disaster was then-head of police Operations Department Maj.-Gen. Amnon Alkalay who pointed to the site's rickety infrastructure and called to prepare for a potential mass-casualty event.
Alkalay also admitted that the police would have been unable to enforce coronavirus restrictions at the packed festival if any had been imposed.

"Israel Police will not be able to meet the restrictions... Choosing between safety and health — safety comes first, and preventing overcrowding would serve both purposes," he said.

Then-Israel Police legal adviser Ayelet Elyashar and Human Resources Department chief Maj.-Gen. Boaz Goldberg also joined Alkalay's warnings, stating that enforcing such measures would not be feasible.

In the end, all their fears were realized. 45 people are dead. Countless others will carry emotional scars throughout their lives.

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Sudan Kicks Hamas Out
By Micah Halpern

Wednesday September 22, 2021
I've Been Thinking:

Sudan joined UAE, Bahrain and Morocco declaring that they were normalizing ties with Israel.

Now they are taking a big step forward and stopping all support for Hamas and other terror groups. As a result of that step, the United States has removed Sudan from state sponsors of terror lists enabling the Sudanese to trade freely with the West and netting them well over $50 billion in deals in a very short period of time.
Hamas is no longer operating in their country.

Hamas had major investments in real estate, restaurants and construction in Sudan. Their assets have been seized – including 50 of those companies.

Remember, before signing on to the Abraham Accords in January, Sudan was the hub of terror. Sudan sheltered Osama Bin Laden and Sudan was the center of operations for Palestinian terror.

The United States was firm in insisting that to join the movement, they needed to totally cut off ties and support to terrorist.

This is a huge step forward for Sudan and for the world.

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FL & AZ Divest from Ben & Jerry's
By Micah Halpern

Tuesday September 21, 2021
I've Been Thinking:

Florida and Arizona are finalizing their divestment from Unilever, the owner of Ben & Jerrys.

Ash Williams, executive director and chief investment officer of the State Board of Administration of Florida told the Miami Herald that he anticipated Unilever will be added to what is known as Florida’s list of “scrutinized companies that boycott Israel” prohibiting state investments and contracts with the companies.

The Florida announcement came shortly after Arizona made a similar announcement indicating that it is pulling all the public funds it has invested in the ice cream parlor chain.

Ben & Jerry's pro-BDS statement was issued last July following pressure from pro-Palestinian groups on the Vermont-based company over its business in Israel and Jewish settlements in the West Bank, handled through a licensee partner since 1987.

The company also said it will not renew the license agreement with its Israeli franchise when it expires at the end of next year.

Arizona state treasurer Kimberly Yee — a Republican who is running for governor of her state — said the decision to pull all public funds invested in the frozen dessert company was in compliance with a 2019 state law that bars Arizona government agencies from holding investments or doing more than $100,000 in business with any firm that boycotts Israel or its territories.

On her Twitter feed, Yee posted: "Arizona created a national movement holding companies accountable for boycotting Israel by divesting public funds from woke companies … Israel is and will continue to be a major trade partner of AZ. #IStandWithIsrael and I will not allow taxpayer dollars to go towards anti-Semitic, discriminatory efforts against Israel.”

Arizona and Florida are the first states to have fully divested themselves from Ben & Jerry's and Unilever while Illinois and New Jersey, among other states, warned they would pull any public-funded investments if the company's board does not change its decision within three months.

Florida and Arizona have $139 million and $143 million, respectively, in holdings in Unilever and its subsidiaries. That is over a ¼ billion dollars.

This is significant. And this is just the beginning.

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Had COVID 3 months Can Enter Israel
By Micah Halpern

Monday September 20, 2021
I've Been Thinking:

In a major step forward, a step that recognizes natural immunity for those who have suffered from COVID, Israel has decided that those who have had COVID within the past 90 days do not need a PCR test to enter Israel. Effective immediately and for the next three months.

The decision was made unanimously by the Exceptions Committee of the Foreign Ministry and the Population and Immigration Authority.

Of course, travelers must provide proof that they had and have recovered from the virus.

Three months is a start. It signifies that Israel is following the science which indicates that people who have had COVID are safe for at least 90 days.

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Israeli Baseball Wins
By Micah Halpern

Sunday September 19, 2021
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Israel is not known for their baseball prowess – until now, when the Israeli national baseball team took a silver medal in the European Baseball Championships.

The team lost to the Netherlands in the finals with a score of 9 to 4, taking second place. Earlier in the games, during the semi-finals, Israel defeated Italy 11 to 5.

This is Israel’s second time in the games. And it is their first time taking a medal.
Four years ago they came close and took fourth place after losing to Spain which took home the bronze.

The Netherlands has won 24 times. That is impressive. But, for such a young team and young program, Israel’s silver is also quite impressive.

Good going Israel.

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ISIS Terror in Syria
By Micah Halpern

Saturday September 18, 2021
I've Been Thinking:

There was a terror attack in Syria. The attack struck a gas line that powered an electricity station.

On the state news agency SANA, Syria's electricity minister acknowledged that an attack on one of the gas lines at Deir Ali station led to an electricity outage that affected the capital city Damascus, its outskirts and other areas, and that repair work is ongoing.

The Minister told state TV that electricity was expected to return to Damascus within an hour of his announcement and then, successively, to other affected areas.

Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack according to a statement published on its affiliated channels.

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Bennett Responds to FDA
By Micah Halpern

Friday September 17, 2021
I've Been Thinking:

Israel’s Prime Minister commented on the FDA’s decision to support the third vaccine for high-risk people and people over 65.

Naftali Bennett predicted that the United States will gradually begin to offer the vaccine more widely after being presented with scientific data from Israel.

On Twitter, Bennett asserted that: "The FDA decided to follow in Israel's path … I estimate that the FDA will gradually approve the extension of the vaccine to more age groups, as has happened in Israel, as the effectiveness of the second vaccine continues to decline even among younger age groups.”

The FDA decision will make people uneasy about the vaccine. If it is good for those over 65, it should be good for those 64 and under.

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EU & Israel Accept COVID Cards
By Micah Halpern

Thursday September 16, 2021
I've Been Thinking:

Countries around the world are beginning to create agreements allowing for travel – as long as the travelers have COVID certificates.

Israel and European Union have agreed on mutual recognition of their certificates for coronavirus vaccinations. The move enables Israelis in Europe to apply for and receive local green passes which will give them the ability to enter restaurants, cultural events and public buildings. European citizens will enjoy reciprocal status in Israel.

The problem with the agreement is that it allows each EU country to decide on its own, whether or not it wants Israelis - it does not prevent individual countries within the EU from restricting entry to Israelis.

Despite that caveat, this is an important step toward normalization even as the world is witnessing spikes in the Delta variant.

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Bennett Won't Meet Abbas
By Micah Halpern

Wednesday September 15, 2021
I've Been Thinking:

Israeli PM Naftali Bennett explained why he will not meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmud Abbas.

Bennett gave YNET the reasons for his decision. He said:
"My perception is different than that of the defense minister although we work in harmony. I oppose a Palestinian state and I think it would be a grave mistake to import the failed Gaza model of Hamas which shoots rockets at us and turn the entire West Bank to that.”

Bennett also explained why Defense Minister Benny Gantz met with Abbas and why he can and should continue to meet with him.
Bennett explained that Gantz has different issues and different variables at play when deciding to meet with Abbas. But for him, it is a very different situation. He said:

"I see no logic in meeting Abbas when he's suing our soldiers in the Hague and accuses our commanders of war crimes. In my opinion, the Palestinian Authority is a failed entity.”

The government is acting in concert – there are no secrets among Israel’s leaders.

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Israeli PM Visits Egypt
By Micah Halpern

Tuesday September 14, 2021
I've Been Thinking:

For the first time in a decade an Israeli prime minister went to Egypt - publicly.
Egypt is the very first Arab country to sign a peace treaty with Israel – but – over the past few years, the relationship cooled.

That might be changing.

Israeli PM Naftali Bennett travelled to Israel and met with Egyptian President al Sisi. The meeting took place at the Red Sea resort of Sharm el Sheikh, located at the very southern tip of the Sinai Desert.

The most significant purpose of this Egyptian/Israeli talk was to come up with a plan to jumpstart talks between Israel and the Palestinians. Additionally, Bennett and al Sisi were able to discuss regional tensions in Syria, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza and of course Iran and Iran’s influence in the region.

By the meeting’s end, al Sisi volunteered to host an Israeli/Palestinian summit.

The question is, will the Palestinians accept the invitation.

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Israel Preps a 4th Booster
By Micah Halpern

Monday September 13, 2021
I've Been Thinking:

2.8 million senior adults in Israel have already received their third COVID vaccine.
That is almost everyone eligible for the booster.

And Israel is already securing and preparing a fourth vaccine. The reason should be clear. There is no way to know what will happen next. A fourth shot may be necessary, and necessary around the bend.

In an interview on Radio 103FM, Nachman Ash, Israel’s Health Ministry Director
General explained the thinking this way: “We don’t know when it will happen; I hope very much that it won’t be within six months, like this time, and that the third dose will last for longer.”

Most countries haven’t yet figured out how to vaccinate their citizens in a first round. Israel is preparing for a fourth!

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A Plan for Gaza
By Micah Halpern

Sunday September 12, 2021
I've Been Thinking:

Economy for security – that, in a nutshell, is Israel’s plan to bring quiet to Israel from Gaza.

Foreign Minister Yair Lapid has laid out a detailed plan.

Lapid presented his outline in an address to the International Counter-Terrorism Conference at Reichman University, formerly called IDC, the Interdisciplinary College. The plan is dubbed "Economy for Security" and will include two phases.

Phase 1 will be humanitarian rehabilitation for Gaza in return for combating Hamas' efforts to increase its military capabilities.

Phase 2 will see the Palestinian Authority take control of civil and economic affairs in the enclave.

Sounds simple, sounds easy – on paper. We will see what happens when reality sets in.

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20 yrs Since 9-11
By Micah Halpern

Saturday September 11, 2021
I've Been Thinking:

It’s been 20 years since that fateful day, the day that changed history.

The world is a different place because of what happened that Tuesday morning, September 11, 2001.

What we consider a given, that al Qaeda, under the leadership of Osama Bin Ladin, perpetrated a triple hijacking that resulted in 2,977 deaths and over 20,000 wounded – is not what many people living in the Middle East think happened on that day.

Conspiracy theories positing that 9-11 was not the work of Muslim terrorists are rampant. They believe, instead, that Israel and the CIA colluded to cause that unfathomable act of terror. Or that the United States conspired to destroy their own Twin Towers.

It’s all about perspective. For many, facts and truth be damned.

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Taliban & Israel
By Micah Halpern

Friday September 10, 2021
I've Been Thinking:

The Taliban has announced that they are not at all interested in any diplomatic ties with Israel. What do you know – not a surprise.

The surprise is that they made the announcement in the first place.

Taliban spokesman, Suhaul Shaheen, spoke to Sputnik News Service, a Russian news outlet and said that the Taliban would cooperate with the United States.

He said: "Of course, we will not have any relations with Israel. We want to have relations with other countries, Israel is not among these countries."

"Yes, of course, if America wants to have a relationship with us, which could be in the interest of both countries and both peoples, and if they want to participate in the reconstruction of Afghanistan, they are welcome.”

The Taliban has already named a provisional government and that government includes several people wanted for terror offenses. Among that group are:

Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, a veteran of the group who is on a UN sanctions list and served as the Islamist regime’s brutal leader between 1996-2001. He was named as acting prime minister.

Sirajuddin Haqqani, who is wanted by the FBI for suspected involvement in a 2008 terror attack in Kabul that killed six people, including an American, and other alleged offenses. He has a $10 million bounty on his head. And he was named as acting interior minister.

Taliban co-founder Abdul Ghani Baradar will be the deputy prime minister. He previously served as the head of his movement’s political office, overseeing the 2020 signing of the U.S. withdrawal agreement.

Mullah Yaqoob, son of the Taliban founder and late supreme leader Mullah Omar, was named defense minister.

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Uman & COVID
By Micah Halpern

Thursday September 9, 2021
I've Been Thinking:

Those Israelis who visited Uman this year for Rosh HaShannah have returned home and along with their luggage, they are bringing home COVID.
And the virus is barreling in at a startling rate.

Followers of Rebbe Nachman travel to Uman, in Ukraine, to visit the grave of Rebbe Nachman of Bratslav. Being there for Rosh HaShannah holds serious significance.

In order to return to Israel, travelers from Uman and everywhere else, were required to ahow proof if a negative PCR test. Many of those who returned had COVID and forged their PCR test results.

The COVID positive travelers most certainly infected the entire planeload of people by traveling while infected. Ad then they infected everyone they were in contact with at the airport and upon returning to their apartments - especially their children.

Those now exposed children go to school, see other children and infect them.
Uman has become a super-spreader event. This may be the single largest super-spreader event in Israel since the beginning of COVID.

This behavior is simply unacceptable – it is sheer arrogance of the highest order.

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Abraham Accords 1 yr Later
By Micah Halpern

Wednesday September 8, 2021
I've Been Thinking:

It has been just over a year since the signing of the first Abraham Accords, the U.S. brokered agreements between Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.
Even though the first of the accords were signed during the peak of COIVD, there was a flurry of activity and back and forth travel between the countries.

Israelis flocked to the UAE and Bahrain, some even made weddings and forged new business contacts in these once forbidden countries. But most of the travel and excitement has been one way, one sided.

Residents of the Arab countries are being discreet about their forays into Israel. While we are seeing significant investments, those making the investments are keeping a low profile. They are taking private planes so as not to be seen in the terminals and on the flights coming to and from Israel.

Israelis are jumping at opportunities. The question is whether these will be long term or short term opportunities. Will the relationship develop or disappear after one cycle? Will there be continued and open reciprocity?

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Moderna & The Flu Shot
By Micah Halpern

Tuesday September 7, 2021
I've Been Thinking:

Moderna has announced that it is developing a single vaccine that combines a booster dose against COVID-19 with its experimental flu shot.

Stephane Bancel, CEO of Moderna, presented an update during a presentation to investors on the company’s drugs in development. During the presentation Bancel said: "We believe this is a very large opportunity that is ahead of us, if we could bring to market a high efficacy pan-respiratory annual booster … We believe Moderna could be first to market in this important new opportunity.”

The drugmaker already had several influenza vaccine candidates in development before the corona virus hit. This new vaccine combines the experimental flu shot that is furthest along together with Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine.

The company has also already started clinical trials for a vaccine appropriate for older adults.

Novavax, another pharmaceutical company, has also announced that it has initiated an early-stage study to test its combined flu and COVID-19 vaccine.
This is a major step forward.

By combining the vaccines into a single booster injection, recipients will bolster their overall protection.

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COVID in Israel
By Micah Halpern

Monday September 6, 2021
I've Been Thinking:

It seems that the 4th wave of COVID in Israel is beginning to subside.
Positivity rates have been dropping, the numbers of hospitalizations are dropping and deaths are dropping - but that said, there are still people dying.
COVID is still there and still dangerous, even for those Israelis who are triple vaccinated.

Here are some number from Sunday, September 5th:
After 11 more Israelis succumbed to the virus, the total death toll since the start of the pandemic rose to 7,205.

Of the 127 people who died from COVID since the beginning of September - 65 were unvaccinated, 42 received the first two doses of the vaccine but not the booster shot and 15 received all three vaccinations.

39,600 Israelis received the third dose of the coronavirus vaccine on Sunday.
2.6 million Israelis were given the shot since its rollout late in July.

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Even Harder to Get out of Afghanistan
By Micah Halpern

Sunday September 5, 2021
I've Been Thinking:

Private organizations and private people are still chartering planes to help US citizens and Afghanis who were helpful to the United States, escape Afghanistan.
They are facing terrible obstacles.

At least four chartered planes, capable of rescuing several hundred people, are instead literally sitting on a tarmac in Afghanistan. They have been unable to board the people they came to rescue. They have been unable to leave the country for days. There are a variety of reasons for why they cannot take off.

An Afghan official at the airport in the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif said that the would-be passengers were Afghans, many of whom did not have passports or visas, and thus were unable to leave the country. He said they had left the airport while the situation was being sorted out.

Entrance and exit to Afghanistan has now been tightened.

None of this portends well for those desperate to leave the now Taliban-led country.

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Attacking Saudi Oil Fields
By Micah Halpern

Saturday September 4, 2021
I've Been Thinking:

There was an attack on the oil fields of Saudi Arabia. A missile was shot and intercepted over Saudi Arabia's oil-rich eastern region. The Saudi ministry of defense reported news of the attack.

The missile was intercepted over a suburb of the city of Dammam. The falling shrapnel from the destroyed missile fell and injured two Saudi children and caused light damage to 14 houses. This news came in a statement carried by Saudi Arabia’s state news agency SPA.

Photos on state media showed broken glass and the damaged entrances of several residential buildings.

Conventional wisdom blames the attack on Iran-aligned Houthi forces. There has been no immediate claim of responsibility in Houthi-run media.

The coalition of Western powers policing the region report that they have intercepted and destroyed ballistic missiles heading towards Jazan and Najran in the southern part of the country. They earlier reported the interception of three explosive-laden drones headed towards the Saudi Kingdom.

Iran sponsored tensions are increasing. It is just a matter of time before one of these missiles gets through.

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Europe Wants Iran Talks
By Micah Halpern

Friday September 3, 2021
I've Been Thinking:

France, Germany and The United Kingdom have all been urging Iran to come back to the table and, once again, talk to the P-5+1 about their nuclear plans.

In response, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi announced that Iran would, indeed, resume talks with world powers with the objective of reviving the 2015 nuke deal.
But – and this is a big “but” they will not sit down and talk with Western "pressure". Raisi also made it cleat that Iran’s objective is the lifting of U.S.- imposed sanctions.

Negotiations without pressure. I do not thank that exists anywhere in the world. The entire point of negotiations is to push and to be pushed back. Maybe, quite possibly, this is Iran’s first push.

France and Germany have pushing Iran to return to negotiations. A break in the talks was called a few months ago to allow for Iranian elections in June. And now, elections are over and France is demanding an immediate restart amid Western concerns over Tehran's expanding atomic work.

Last month the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency), aka the UN’s nuclear watchdog, confirmed that. For the first time, Iran has produced uranium metal enriched up to 20% fissile purity and lifted their production capacity of uranium enriched to 60%.

And that is the impetus for the big push by France, Germany and Britain to get Iran back to the table and talking.

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Israel Critiques US Departure
By Micah Halpern

Thursday September 2, 2021
I've Been Thinking:


In an unusual diplomatic moment, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid on Wednesday criticized the way the United States withdrew from Afghanistan, which led to the consequent takeover of the country by the Taliban terrorist organization.
It is unusual for the Israeli Foreign Ministry to comment on US policy.

Lapid said: "The withdrawal was botched. I think the whole world is worried, America first and foremost.”

Lapid continued: "This was probably the right decision, but the way it was done was wrong. I do not think we fully understand the implications of this move. This is going to have a big impact on al-Qaeda, and on ISIS.”

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School Starts in Israel w COVID
By Micah Halpern

Wednesday September 1, 2021
I've Been Thinking:

Today the school year opened in Israel.

About two and a half million students went back to school on Wednesday Sept 1 –
Israel’s traditional first day of school - even as the COVID-19 pandemic continued to rage on.

Education Ministry Director General Yigal Slovik announced that about 250,000 other students were in quarantine and could not attend school.

He explained: "We must get used to living this way this year. the numbers will only go up but most students will continue to learn in person next to their friends, with teachers. 90% of students are in school".

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Bennett on TikTok
By Micah Halpern

Tuesday August 31, 2021
I've Been Thinking:

In order to increase the vaccination rate among teenagers, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett hosted a live broadcast on the TikTok video sharing app, where he answered viewers questions regarding vaccines and the risks of COVID.

"The coronavirus is an epidemic that will end someday. Will we have to get vaccinated every six months for the next few years? Maybe yes, maybe no," said Bennett. "I believe that within two months, approval will be given to vaccinate children aged 6 to 12."

"We see that the vaccines work. It could be that the third jab will last forever, it could last for no more then half a year, and that's not the end of the world. What matters is that the vaccine is not a poison. The poison is the pathogen."

Hopefully, this venture into teenage social media works.

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Israel-PA Dialogue
By Micah Halpern

Monday August 30, 2021
I've Been Thinking:

For the first time in over a decade, a high level Israeli met face-to-face with the PA leader. Israel’s Minister of Defense Benny Gantz travelled to Ramallah to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

In and of itself, this trip was a symbol of respect shown by Gantz, representing Israel, for Abbas, representing the Palestinian Authority.

Their discussion, we are told, was on security issues, not diplomacy.

As expected, Hamas slammed the meeting between Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. In an official statement the terrorist organization termed the meeting: "a knife in the back of our people and sacrifice and a betrayal for the blood of the martyrs."

According to their statement: "Abu Mazen [Abbas] continues to give up on the national values and work to justify the occupation. "He does not represent his people, only himself.”

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Lebanon Oil Shortage
By Micah Halpern

Sunday August 29, 2021
I've Been Thinking:

I have already described the fuel shortage in Lebanon and how Hezbollah is sending tankers to Iran for fuel. There is a new addendum to the situation.

A dispute over scarce fuel supplies ignited sectarian tensions between neighboring Shi'ite Muslim and Christian villages in southern Lebanon, forcing the army to intervene.

The clashes center on the crippling gasoline and diesel shortages that have become a daily occurrence in Lebanon, and now there is concern that Lebanon will descend into chaos and a sectarian civil war.

The Lebanese have been suffering from severe financial woes for two long years.

Sources report that around six people were wounded in a dispute involving residents of the Christian village of Maghdouche and the Shi'ite village of Ankoun.

The incident spiraled out of control when a Maghdouche resident filed a complaint to police after being injured during a dispute over fuel and police visited Ankoun to investigate.

Villagers blocked roads and burned trees and troops were deployed in an effort to bring the situation under control.

This is just one example of the conflict enveloping Lebanon.

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Israel's COVID Stats
By Micah Halpern

Saturday August 28, 2021
I've Been Thinking:

Israel is very open about their COVID situation and statistics - and what happens in Israel has helped medical and scientific personnel around the world shape decisions for their own populations. It should be clear from the COVID situation in Israel that vaccines blunt the virus but vaccines do not eradicate the virus.

Israel is experiencing its 4th COVID spike. In an effort to stave off more cases, vaccines are readily available and strongly advised and many Israelis have already received their booster, a third shot.

What is also clear is that the blunting of COVID means fewer deaths and fewer hospitalizations for high risk people.

Most recently, half of those Israelis who tested positive for COVID were double vaccinated - and few of them were required to be hospitalized. Of the other half, the unvaccinated, many are fighting for their lives.

Most of those people requiring hospitalization in Israel as aa result of COVID, are unvaccinated.

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Iran's Shadow Oil Fleet
By Micah Halpern

Friday August 27, 2021
I've Been Thinking:

Iran has a shadow fleet of oil tankers that is operating daily, shipping fuel to China.

The Iranians are, once again, skirting international sanctions. About 700,000 gallons of oil per day is shipped from Iran to China.

As part of its strategic support, China is assisting Iran in selling pirated oil. This Chinese-sponsored oil export allows Iran to maintain regime stability and inject foreign money into the state coffers.

China is also helping Iran operate its shadow fleet so that the tankers will not be detected.

This, for example, is how they do it: the tankers transmit their incorrect location into the Automatic Identification Systems, the AIS, required by international shipping laws. The tankers are repainted, and the tankers' names are changed to cover the real identity of the tankers.

In another example: the Iranian shadow fleet tankers change their flag with frequency. This move is backed by a global operational infrastructure set up by the Iranian Quds Force, which includes a huge array of straw companies whose tankers are registered as owned.

And this is how Iran manages to inject much-needed money into its coffers, to revive its economy and to continue its arms race to build offensive capabilities and complete its nuclear program – which is getting closer and closer to completion.

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Israeli NGO Sending Planes to Afghanistan
By Micah Halpern

Thursday August 26, 2021
I've Been Thinking:

The Shai Fund in Israel is organizing planes to airlift people out of Afghanistan.

Charmaine Hedding is the president of the fund and she works out of her home in the coastal Israeli town of Zichron Yaakov. Hedding is working feverishly to help extract thousands of people desperate to leave Afghanistan.

Hedding is an emergency response specialist and the Shai Fund is a humanitarian organization based in Israel and registered in the United States.

She revealed that her organization is heading up logistics, in coordination with the U.S. military, on a pending series of private flights that are set to swoop in and out of Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport, in order to evacuate high-risk human rights defenders and other activists, including some high-profile personnel, who are direct targets of the Taliban, the Islamist group that has rapidly retaken control of the country upon the withdrawal of US and international forces, two decades after being overthrown.

I’m quoting: “We formed a coalition because, of course, this is a huge operation.
We have private charter flights. So, this is a civil society, grassroots initiative, run by NGOs (non-government organizations) like mine. We have raised the funds to get the flights in. So we have our first flight arriving. And these flights can take up to 300 people.”

“We’ve got 10 flights, back-to-back potentially, but there’s no point if we land in
Kabul airport and they can’t get through the gates because the Taliban are controlling the gates to the airport. And so, we have to break that open and negotiate where we come in, and we establish this humanitarian corridor so that we can evacuate our people out.”

The humanitarian aid the Shai Fund can offer is desperately needed. Hopefully, they will find a way.

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Gaza Balloons of Fire
By Micah Halpern

Wednesday August 25, 2021
I've Been Thinking:

Gaza is once again lofting balloons that fall as fire bombs inside Israel.

So once again, Israel struck back in response.

The Israeli air force attacked two sites in Gaza after Gazans clashed with IDF forces on the border and launched incendiary balloons at southern Israel.

A statement issued by the Israeli army reads: "IDF fighter jets struck a Hamas military compound used for manufacturing weapons and training as well as an entrance to a terror tunnel adjacent to Jabalia."

"The strikes were in response to Hamas launching incendiary balloons into Israeli territory and the violent riots that took place yesterday."

According to the army, both incidents were "examples of how Hamas continues to employ terror tactics and target civilians."

There were no reports from Gaza of casualties caused by these Israeli strikes.

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Rabbis Vs the Pope
By Micah Halpern

Tuesday August 24, 2021
I've Been Thinking:

There is a kerfuffle going on between the Chief Rabbinate of Israel and the Pope.

The Israeli Chief Rabbinate sent a letter to the Pope asking for an explanation and for clarification after a very significant public address that he gave.

Rabbi Ratzon Arusi, chairman of the Rabbinates Commission on Dialogue with the Holy See, aka the Vatican, sent the letter to the Vatican.

The issue in question is simple and yet, very crucial. It is at the very essence of how Christians view Jews and how Christianity views Judaism.

On August 11, speaking at the Vatican, Pope Francis said that God gave the Torah to the Jewish people. He said: “God offered them the Torah, the Law, so they could understand his will and live in justice. We have to think that at that time, a Law like this was necessary, it was a tremendous gift that God gave his people.”

Later, however, Pope Francis added an addendum to his remarks when he said:
“The Law, however, does not give life, it does not offer the fulfillment of the promise because it is not capable of being able to fulfill it. The Law is a journey, a journey that leads toward an encounter… Those who seek life need to look to the promise and to its fulfillment in Christ.”

In his letter to the Vatican, Arusi wrote: “In his homily, the pope presents the Christian faith as not just superseding the Torah; but asserts that the latter no longer gives life, implying that Jewish religious practice in the present era is rendered obsolete … This is in effect part and parcel of the ‘teaching of contempt’ towards Jews and Judaism that we had thought had been fully repudiated by the Church.”

Truth be told, this is actually the way Christianity understands their role versus the Jewish role. And that is why Christians term their Bible the New Bible or New Testament and refer to the Jewish Bible as the Old Testament.

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