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February 16, 2018 at 11:32 am
A classified cable sent to Israeli ambassadors by Israel’s Foreign Ministry warned that Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad may again utilize chemical weapons in an ongoing civil war, and such chemicals may spillover into Israel, according to Israel’s Channel 10 news.
The cable warned that Israel would react with severity against Syria if chemical weapons were used anywhere near the Israeli border. “It must be made clear that such an incident would require Israel to respond in the strongest possible terms,” the cable stated. “We must convey the message that Israel will not allow this and will defend itself, its citizens, and its sovereignty.”
Ambassadors were asked to inform senior political leaders in the countries in which they are stationed of the threa...
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February 16, 2018 at 11:32 am
WARSAW, Poland – Poland's senate leader has appealed to Poles living abroad to report to the authorities any statements deemed "anti-Polish" or hurt "Poland's good name."
The letter posted on the Senate's website is part of a wider campaign by Poland's nationalist government, which says it is defending Poland's good name against historical untruth. It is linked to a controversial new law that penalizes blaming Poland for World War II crimes committed by Nazi Germany.
Israel says that law could whitewash the role some Poles played in the Holocaust.
In his letter sent to Polish organizations in the world, Senate Speaker Stanislaw Karczewski appealed to their members to "document" anti-Polish sentiment and to report them to Polish diplomatic missions.
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February 16, 2018 at 11:24 am
Agudath Israel of America applauds the New York State Legislature for their recent action (A8917, S7597) moving the 2018 primaries from Tuesday September 11th 2018 to Thursday September 13th. This year Tuesday September 11th falls out on the second day of Rosh Hashanah, thus preventing observant Jews from exercising their right to vote. The bill, sponsored by Senator Simcha Felder and Assemblymember Robert Carroll passed both the Senate and Assembly unanimously and awaits Governor Cuomo’s signature.
“To have an election on a day where so many would be precluded from voting due to religious reasons would be inherently unfair” said Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel, Executive vice President of Agudath Israel “and we thank the legislature for correcting this. We are particu...
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February 16, 2018 at 11:09 am
Bulletproof backpacks have seen a huge boost in sales following the deadly shooting which killed 17 people at a Florida high school.
Sales of Bullet Blocker's fortified backpacks, which cost anywhere between $200 and $500, have seen a 30 per cent boost in sales. The company claimed it sold 500 of the bags on Thursday, the day after the attack.
Joe Curran, the company's owner, said most of the backpacks are due to be sent to Florida, he told TMZ.
On Bullet Blocker's website, there are up to 12 different bulletproof backpacks, ranging from $199 to $490....Read more at Daily Mail
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February 16, 2018 at 11:07 am
Before Nikolas Cruz carried out his mass killing at a Florida high school this week, police responded to his home 39 times over a seven-year period, according to disturbing new documents.
Details about the calls to the Broward County Sheriff’s Office — obtained from police records by CNN — were not immediately available and it was impossible to determine if all involved Cruz.
But the nature of the emergencies at his Parkland home included “mentally ill person,” “child/elderly abuse,” “domestic disturbance” and “missing person,” KTLA reported.
And a schoolmate, Brody Speno, told the network that cops were called to Cruz’s home “almost every other week.”
“Something wasn...
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February 16, 2018 at 11:05 am
Investigation into loss of F-16I during operation over Syria on Saturday suggests pilot could ordinarily have evaded aging S-200 missile.
The loss of an F-16I “Sufa” fighter jet, an advanced two-seat variant of the F-16 “Fighting Falcon”, during combat over Syria on Saturday was an 'operational failure', officials in the Israel Air Force now believe, according to a report by Channel 10.
Last Saturday, a squadron of Israeli F-16I fighters struck a dozen Syrian and Iranian military targets around Damascus, in retaliation for the violation of Israeli airspace by an Iranian “Simorgh”-type unmanned aircraft earlier that day.
Using “Spike” air-to-surface missiles, the F-16I fighters destroyed the command-and-control unit which o...
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February 16, 2018 at 11:03 am
Over the years, thanks to some creative, unusual talmidim I was privileged to teach when I was a mesivta Rebbe, I have had an assortment of pets (the animal sort). Each of several Purims, my shiur would give my wife and me, in addition to mishloach manos, a living gift.
We thereby became the proud caretakers, at various points, of a goat, an iguana and a tarantula — in addition to the tropical fish we’ve always kept, and the occasional hamster or mouse one or another of our children cared for.
I honestly appreciated each of the creatures; they evoked in me amazement over the variety and abilities of Hashem’s creations. Likewise, the birds and squirrels outside our dining room window during breakfast are an endless source of beauty (and, eve...
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February 16, 2018 at 11:03 am
The massacre at a Florida high school is again raising concerns about whether the FBI missed signs that might have stopped a mass shooting.
Last fall, a Mississippi bail bondsman and video blogger noticed a comment on one of his YouTube videos that said, "I'm going to be a professional school shooter." He immediately reported it to YouTube and the FBI and the next day two agents came to his office to take a printout of the comment and ask him whether he knew anything about the person who posted it.
Although the commenter's username was "Nikolas Cruz" — the same name as the 19-year-old man who authorities say killed 17 people at his former high school on Wednesday — the FBI couldn't identify the poster, Robert Lasky, the special agent in charge of the FBI office...
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February 16, 2018 at 11:03 am
Parkland, FL - It was the final period of the day at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High and Jonathan Blank was in history class, learning about the Holocaust. Across campus, five of his friends, pals since grade school, sat in different classrooms watching the clock. In 19 minutes, school would be out and the buddies had plans this Valentine’s Day: a little basketball and boys’ time.
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Inside classroom 1214, the clock hit 2:21 p.m. Then: POP! POP! POP!
Instinctively, 16-year-old Jonathan hit the ground, taking cover under his desk. He smelled the chemical stench of gunpowder, noticed sawdust particles floating in the air: pieces of the classroom door that had been splintered by shots. Around the room, his schoolmates covered themselves with textbooks and ...
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February 16, 2018 at 11:02 am
Following police recommendation PM be indicted, hundreds gather at left-wing rally calling for Netanyahu to resign.
Some 2,000 protesters gathered in Tel Aviv Friday afternoon to demand Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu resign following the police recommendation earlier this week that he be indicted on corruption charges.
On Tuesday, investigators announced that they had collected sufficient evidence to charged Netanyahu with taking bribes and breach of trust over his alleged receipt of some one million shekels ($283,000) in gifts from wealthy businessmen, and charges of collusion with a newspaper publisher to grant political favors in exchange for more sympathetic coverage.
The Prime Minister dismissed the announcement, maintaining his innocence and brushing off demands he eithe...
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February 16, 2018 at 10:43 am
There is a story in the Talmud of an old man planting a carob tree as a younger man strolled by. “Old man,” said the younger man, “what are you doing? Do you really expect to live long enough to enjoy the fruits of your labor?”
The older man wiped the sweat off his brow and then shook his head. “I was born into a world flourishing with ready pleasures. My ancestors planted for me, and so now I plant for my children and theirs after them...”
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And they shall make an ark of acacia wood (atzei shitim), two and a half cubits is length, a cubit and a half its width, and a cubit and a half its height. (Shemot 25:10)
And not only the ark, the Aron! Let us not forget that atzei shitim would be needed for the Shulchan (...
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February 16, 2018 at 8:42 am
Baltimore, MD - Feb. 15, 2018 - Listen to Rabbi Goldberger's latest vort on --Parshas Terumah -- Purim Giving
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February 15, 2018 at 11:11 pm
SPARTANBURG, SC (FOX Carolina) -
A Broome High School student was arrested after a threat was made via social media, a school district spokesperson said Thursday.
Spartanburg School District Three spokesperson Sherri Horton said officials received an anonymous tip from a student, on Thursday about a threat to the “safety of the students and staff of Broome High School.
The threat was made via Snapchat.
An investigation was launched and Horton said the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office arrested a Broome High School ninth grade student.
Deputies said they were called to a home where a parent reported the threat after a child had shown him the Snapchat post. Deputies said the post showed a juvenile male wearing a partial mask holding an apparent assault rifle with the ...
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February 15, 2018 at 11:04 pm
NEW YORK -
As an Ontario court weighed whether a Toronto hospital could remove life support from 25-year-old Shalom Ouanounou, hundreds of members of the local Orthodox community turned out in a show of support for the second time since the case began. The case bears broader significance as well, as it could set an important precedent on the issue of accommodating religious beliefs regarding “end of life” issues.
Attorneys for both sides presented their arguments during a hearing that spanned Monday and Tuesday. Hugh Scher, who is representing the Ouanounou family, has argued that Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms oblige accommodation of the patient’s religious beliefs, which call for treatment to continue. Attorneys for the hospital contend that failur...
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February 15, 2018 at 11:01 pm
YERUSHALAYIM -
Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman’s announcement that he has appointed a special task force to prepare legislation on the drafting of chareidim into the army was met on Thursday with a blunt response from chareidi parties in the coalition.
Liberman’s appointees include the legal adviser to the Defense Ministry, along with representatives of the IDF Human Resources and Military Adjudicates and the IDF Rabbinate, who are expected to seek limitations on deferments in order to pursue Torah studies.
United Torah Judaism and Shas released a joint statement on Thursday night, which said: “The military draft law is a central part of our coalition agreement with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and the Likud. Decisions on this issue will be examined in lig...
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February 15, 2018 at 11:01 pm
More than a dozen advocacy groups issued a warning about traveling in Florida on Wednesday saying immigration arrests there have soared more rapidly in the past year than in any other area of the country.
Leaders from immigrant rights and nonprofit organizations said new cooperation between Immigration and Customs Enforcement and 17 Florida sheriffs is also spreading fear in the state.
The travel advisory issued by 15 groups warns immigrants from other states to reconsider Florida trips or to be ready to encounter immigration agents at airports, sea ports and bus stations.
“We are taking the step of warning our communities that as the Florida lawmakers, state, local and federal do not take steps to push back against the anti-immigrant policies, we do not feel like our commun...
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February 15, 2018 at 10:54 pm
For the seventh consecutive year, Lexus ranked highest among all luxury nameplates in the 2018 J.D. Power U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS). Including Lexus’ top spot in the annual study, four Lexus and two Toyota vehicles were recognized as segment award winners, bringing the total number of awards to seven, the most among all automakers.
Additionally, five Lexus and Toyota models ranked second or third in their respected segments.
For Lexus, the RX earned its ninth VDS award; the GS earned its sixth VDS award; and the ES earned the Compact Premium Car award for the seventh straight year.
Lexus awards:
Ranked highest among luxury brands for the seventh consecutive year
Lexus segment winners:
Model
Segment
PP100
RX
Midsize Premium SUV
83
GS
M...
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February 15, 2018 at 10:52 pm
A story that falsely reports President Donald Trump ordered the FBI in all 50 U.S. states to take action immediately against Muslim people is based largely on a speech 10 months ago by the then-head of the Department of Homeland Security, and also misquotes that speech.
The site newstrumpereteers suggests the president has "just ordered" his cabinet to rein in crime by pursuing domestic terrorists. The report includes quotes from an April speech in Washington by then-Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly — now Trump's chief of staff. Kelly said the FBI had "open terrorism investigations in 50 states," but did not say the probes were started on Trump's orders.
Kelly also never mentioned Muslims, although he said America had an enemy in "radical Islam" and c...
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February 15, 2018 at 10:50 pm
Wednesday’s shooting at a Florida high school that left at least 17 people dead was the 17th incident of gunfire at an American school this year.
At least 21 people have been killed and more than 19 injured in the shootings.
Of the 17 incidents, one involved a suicide, two involved active shooters who killed students, two involved people killed in fights and three involved people who were shot but survived. Nine involved no injuries at all.
Here is a look at the shootings that led to injuries:
—JAN. 20, WINSTON-SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA: A 21-year-old college football player was shot to death at an events center at Wake Forest University. Najee Ali Baker was killed after a fight at a sorority party.
—JAN. 22, ITALY, TEXAS: A 16-year-old student shot a 15-year-old c...
