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April 23, 2017 at 5:32 pm
Violent attacks on Jews dropped for a second straight year in 2016, but other forms of anti-Semitism are on the rise worldwide, particularly on U.S. university campuses, according to a report released Sunday.
Researchers at Tel Aviv University said assaults specifically targeting Jews, vandalism and other violent incidents fell 12 percent last year. They recorded 361 cases compared to 410 in 2015, which had already been the lowest number in a decade. The figure reported Sunday is the lowest since 2003, when 360 incidents were recorded.
The report attributed much of the drop to increased security measures in European countries including France, where there were 15 attacks compared to 72 in the previous year, and the United Kingdom, where the number of incidents fell from 62 to 43.
Anothe...
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April 23, 2017 at 5:16 pm
“Holocaust remembrance and the lessons to be learned are founded on three central pillars: We shall always undertake our own defense; the shared common Jewish destiny; and beloved is man for he was created in G-d’s image."
“The Shoah has always been, and will always be a program of annihilation that was planned and implemented against the Jewish People. There has been no previous historical event like this: extermination divorced from any [political] conflict, divorced from territorial issues, or from a struggle for dominance.”
“The Shoah is permanently branded in our flesh. Each of us has a number on our arm. Nevertheless, the Shoah is not the lens through which we should examine our past and our future.”
Photo Credit: BJLife/Sharon Altshul
Presiden...
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April 23, 2017 at 5:09 pm
A fire destroyed a two-story home in Queens on Sunday, killing five people, firefighters said.
FDNY members were on the scene of a large blaze in Queens Sunday afternoon.
The 3-alarm fire broke out in a two-story home on 48 Avenue in the Jamaica section of Queens.
As many as five people were killed and others were seriously hurt, sources said. At least one of the injured is a child with serious burns reported.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
(Source: Breaking911.com)
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April 23, 2017 at 5:08 pm
Republicans have put President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee on the bench, and they’re now in a position to fill dozens more federal judgeships — and reshape some of the nation’s highest courts.
Democrats have few ways to stop them.
The Republicans’ opportunity comes with the GOP in control of Congress and the White House, about 120 vacancies in federal district and appeals courts to be filled and after years of partisan fights over judicial nominations.
Frustrated by Republican obstruction in 2013, then-majority Democrats changed Senate rules so judicial nominations for those trial and appeals courts are filibuster-proof, meaning it takes only 51 votes, a simple majority in the 100-member Senate, for confirmation.
Today, Senate Republicans hold 52 ...
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April 23, 2017 at 5:08 pm
The Shin Bet working with police have arrested six suspects, residents of Beersheva, believed to have assaulted Arabs. Among the suspects in custody are two IDF soldiers and a minor.
The investigation began in December 2016 following a number of attacks against Arabs in the city. The most serious attack investigated was a stabbing on February 21, 2017 during the evening hours. In the other attacks batons and metallic rods were used as were other blunt objects.
During their interrogation, police have linked some of the suspects to additional attacks, which are being viewed as hate crimes as they were acting to prevent assimilation between Jewish women and Arabs in the southern city.
Authorities also report the suspects viewed a Lehava video which addresses extricating Jewish women marrie...
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April 23, 2017 at 5:07 pm
As France’s polls closed in the first round of presidential voting on Sunday, Marine Le Pen and Emmanuel Macron were projected by multiple news agencies to advance to a May 7 runoff.
The projections, based on vote totals in certain constituencies that were then extrapolated nationwide, were reported by The Associated Press, Reuters and AFP.
The likely Le Pen-Macron matchup was announced almost immediately after polls closed at 8 p.m. local time. But even before the first results were announced, Le Pen’s fans were so sure of her victory they began singing “La Marseillaise” at one of her headquarters.
The May 7 runoff now places the controversial, right-wing nationalist Le Pen against the centrist, Pro-European Union Macron. Le Pen’s entry into the second rou...
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April 23, 2017 at 12:43 pm
As is the case every year when Lag B’Omer falls on Motzei Shabbos, Rishon L’Tzion Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef Shlita is calling to delay the lighting of the main bonfire in Meron to prevent Chilul Shabbos. Rav Yosef calls for delaying the lighting of the main torch, which symbolizes the beginning of the day’s events, for hours after Shabbos.
The Boyaner Rebbe, Shlita, who lights the main bonfire, announced this would not take place until close to midnight to avoid chilul Shabbos. The Rebbe, Shlita, also called on police and visitors alike to refrain from engaging in any activity related to Lag B’Omer until Motzei Shabbos.
Rav Yosef praised the rebbe’s announcement, that he was delaying the lighting for hours to prevent chilul Shabbos, instructing all others to foll...
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April 23, 2017 at 12:14 pm
Baltimore, MD - Apr. 23, 2017 - At approximately 10:30 this morning in the 3100 block of Bancroft a man was unloading groceries from his car.
A white Honda civic with three black males approximately 14-15 years old pulled up. Two got out of the car and one presented a black gun and asked him for his keys, cell phone and wallet. His wallet was not taken as it was inside his house. They jumped in to the car and drove off.The stolen car is described as a 2012 silver Honda accord.Md. Tag 2at6452.It had 2 car seats in it.The victim is currently tracking the phone and we are trying to get police to go to the area.
This is the second armed robbery on this block over the past month.
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April 23, 2017 at 12:12 pm
Histadrut to declare country-wide public sector strike if solution to communications crisis not found by Tuesday.
Israelis working in the public sector will strike on Tuesday if a solution for the Israel Public Broadcasting Corporation employees is not found by then, Israel's Histadrut Labor Union warned.
On April 3, the Histadrut opened a work dispute, on behalf of all of Israel's public sector workers. This includes government companies, government offices, and others.
The reason for the dispute is the plan to reform the Israel Public Broadcasting Corporation (IPBC) and split it into two, with the IPBC ceding its news division to the Israel Broadcasting Authority. This plan raises concerns about future IPBC employees' job security.
Histadrut Chairman Avi Nissenk...
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April 23, 2017 at 12:10 pm
Dr. Yaakov Hoffman and Professor Amit Shrira from Bar-Ilan University have presented findings on their research dealing with the effect of the Holocaust on the third generation descended from survivors.
In the present research, Hoffman and Shrira tested the level of anxiety among the third generation over a future ISIS attack.
The researchers polled high school students, who were asked if they had seen ISIS videos. In general, it was found that most had, indeed, seen the videos, but that the anxiety among students varied.
The research found that those who had 4 grandparents who had been through the Holocaust and who had shown trauma symptoms from the terror wave were more likely to show anxiety from ISIS than those who did not have Holocaust trauma in their families.
The results fit wi...
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April 23, 2017 at 12:08 pm
JTA - A retailer in the Australian North Queensland city of Cairns displayed a sign in its window saying that it does not serve Israelis.
Israeli tourist Mohr Wenger posted a photo of the sign in the window reading “No Israelis served here” on Facebook.
Wenger wrote in her post that she and a friend with whom she was traveling around Australia entered a body piercing store to have their noses pierced only to be told by the owner that he would not serve them since they were from Israel.
The owner of the Cold Steel Piercing store told the women that “he doesn’t serve Israelis out of principal (sic). He said he doesn’t agree with what our government does and there for we are not welcomed in his shop. He even pointed out a sign that we missed saying ‘No I...
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April 23, 2017 at 12:07 pm
The National Front’s Marine Le Pen and former Economy Minister Emmanuel Macron led polls going into election day Sunday, as France’s 47 million eligible voters choose which two candidates will proceed to a run-off election scheduled for May 7th.
A total of 11 candidates are on the ballot in Sunday’s vote, but polls show only 4 have a reasonable chance of proceeding to the run-off election.
Recent polling shows the nationalist Le Pen, an outspoken opponent of French membership in the European Union who has called to significantly reduce Muslim immigration into France, effectively tied with Macron, a former member of the Socialist Party who now heads En Marche!, a Third Way party branded as a centrist alternative to the incumbent President Francois Hollande and Le Pen.
I...
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April 23, 2017 at 11:50 am
A Monsey teen suffered serious injuries after the vehicle he was involved in a serious crash.
The accident happened around 4:15AM in front of 174 Buena Vista Road in New City, NY (Rockland County).
Clarkstown PD arrived on scene and requested Paramedics forthwith after finding the driver unconscious and entrapped in the vehicle. He was the only person in the SUV at the time of the collision.
It took approximately 30 minutes until the victim was removed from the vehicle.
He was rushed to a local hospital unconscious and suffering from serious injuries.
He is listed in serious but stable condition.
An investigation into the cause of the crash is underway.
A Tehillim name was not available.
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April 23, 2017 at 11:38 am
President Reuven Rivlin this morning (Sunday), held a working meeting at his residence in Jerusalem with Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern who was making his first visit to Israel. Later the Chancellor was due to visit Yad Vashem, and then participate in the Yom HaShoah commemorations, Israel’s national Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Day.
President Rivlin thanked the Chancellor for his visit, and for his longstanding support for Israel. The President spoke of the importance of cooperation between Israel and Austria in many fields, especially in the field of sustainable energy in which he noted Austria was a world leader. He stated, “Cooperation between our two countries is growing stronger, and we know that under your leadership, Austria will contin...
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April 23, 2017 at 11:16 am
It is a tradition among many Jewish people that the child at a Bris Milah develops, in personality, to be like the Sandek that held him at a Bris Milah. This is perhaps another motivation as to the reason why an attempt is made to obtain a great Tzaddik to serve as the child’s Sandek. But from where did this idea originate? And what should someone do who has irreligious parents or grandparents and wishes to honor them with being Sandek?
The Ramah (YD 264:1) writes that a person should get a Mohel and a Baal Bris (i.e. a Sandek) who is yoser tov (very good) and a Tzaddik, a righteous person. It is unclear to this author whether the term “very good” as it applies to a Sandek is in terms of capability or in terms of moral character.
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April 23, 2017 at 11:14 am
An Iranian presidential candidate said Sunday the landmark 2015 nuclear agreement with world powers has failed to lift sanctions or improve the country’s economy.
Mostafa Mirsalim, a conservative, told a news conference that President Hassan Rouhani’s outreach to the West had failed, adding that “sanctions remained in place and were even intensified.”
Under the nuclear deal, international sanctions were lifted in exchange for Iran curbing its uranium enrichment, but separate U.S. sanctions related to Iran’s ballistic missile program have been tightened.
Mirsalim said that, if elected, he would abide by the nuclear deal. But he said U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration had already undermined the agreement, without elaborating.
Last week, the S...
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April 23, 2017 at 11:14 am
Amid heightened security, French voters began casting ballots for their next president Sunday in a first-round poll that’s seen as a litmus test for the spread of populism around the world and a vote on the future of Europe.
More than 50,000 police and gendarmes were deployed to the 66,000 polling stations for Sunday’s election, which comes after Thursday’s deadly attack on the Champs-Elysees in which a police officer and a gunman were slain. The presidential poll is the first ever to be held during a state of emergency, put in place since the Paris attacks of November 2015.
Voters are choosing between 11 candidates in the most unpredictable contest in decades.
The vote “is really important, mainly because we really need a change in this country with all the diff...
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April 23, 2017 at 11:13 am
About 1,100 terrorists imprisoned in Israel announced their participation in a hunger strike begun a week ago, demanding improved conditions. While organizers of the effort hoped to enlist thousands of the 6,000 imprisoned terrorists, this did not occur and it now appears that many of those taking part are not as committed as they thought would be the case.
About a hundred quit the strike in recent days, joining over 85 who have quit over the weekend. What was hoped to be a major effort to improve conditions and increase international pressure against Israel seems to be waning quicker than anticipated.
Imprisoned Fatah terrorist Marwan Barghouti, who is serving five life sentences for his heinous acts, organized the strike. He was optimistic after learning of widespread international med...
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April 23, 2017 at 8:51 am
Reports claim IDF bombed Syrian military base in retaliation for Friday strikes on the Golan.
Arab media on Sunday morning reported that Israel struck a military base under the control of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces.
Before the civil war, my friends on the left said that it is possible for us to leave the Golan Heights in return for peace [between Syria and] Israel," he added.The base was located in the village of Nbaa Al-Fawwar, on the outskirts of Quneitra.
According to Al Mayadeen TV, three people were killed and two were injured in the attack.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said the attack had targeted a "weapons warehouse" in the camp.
Additional details have not been released.
On Friday, just before the Sabbat, air raid s...
