Yom Rishon
Sunday
27 Sivan 5782
June 26 2022
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The Photo of the Day
The Quote of the Day
“A right-wing government in full in the current sense is a disaster in my eyes.”
PM Naftali Bennett last night on Channel 13 Israel television in perhaps his last interview as prime minister.
These words from Bennett sum up what we have found so reprehensible about Bennett over the last year.
What does Bennett mean by “a right-wing government in the current sense”?
He is talking about a government that includes Bezalel Smotrich (the head of the Religious Zionist Party) and Itamar Ben Gvir (the head of the Otzma Yehudit–Jewish Power Party), two Israeli leaders on the right whose beliefs concerning the Temple Mount, Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria used to be those of Bennett.
Bennett espoused those “beliefs” during the last election campaign, and his Yamina Party received seats in the Knesset based on what he said. Then, in order to become prime minister, Bennett threw his “beliefs” and his constituents under the bus.
The News on the Israeli Street
Palestinian terror in the last 24 hours . . .
Eleven wanted and heavily armed Palestinian terrorists were captured overnight in Qaryut, Beit Ummar and Nur Shams by the combined forces of the Israeli Border Police, Border Guards, and General Security Services.
The daily Corona update . . .
9,596 Israelis tested positive yesterday (out of 24,713 tested) bringing to 58,778 the number of active patients in the country.
The positive test rate was 38.83%; the coefficient of infection was 1.24%.
242 Israelis are seriously ill; 56 are critically ill—43 of these are on ventilators.
10,926 have died.
Can you imagine that nearly 40 Israelis out of 100 who were tested yesterday tested positive?
‘Tis the season of strikes . . .
In the past few days we have had the teachers’ strike. This morning we have the bus drivers’ strike which is causing “traffic disruptions” (aka “traffic jams”) all over the country. If that is not enough, the pharmacists in the Israeli health system have also declared a strike today in solidarity with doctors and nurses in health clinics who have been attacked in recent months.
Yes, you read that correctly.
There has been a spate of attacks in hospitals, hospital emergency rooms, and health clinics in recent months by disgruntled patients.
Talk about a deterioration of civility in the country.
Political ultimatums fly left and right . . .
“We will not sit with the orthodox parties or with Netanyahu”. Avigdor Liberman–head of the Yisrael Beiteinu Party this morning.
“We will not be in a coalition with Ra’am.” Spokesman for the Likud Party this morning.
“We will not sit in a coalition with Likud”. Ze’ev Elkin of the New Hope Party this morning.
“We will not join a coalition that includes Smotrich and Ben Gvir.” Spokesman for the Yesh Atid Party today.
“We will never be in a coalition with Ra’am.” Bezalel Smotrich of the National Zionist Party this morning.
We will not, we will not, we will not–but the truth is that the Knesset has not even dissolved yet, and the election is not until November 1–and by that time “We will not” may become “We will if you give us enough ministerial seats and benefits.”
TODAY’S BLOG:
A Masterpiece of Obfuscation:
The Biden Administration Removes
The Iranian Revolutionary Guards From The Terrorism Blacklist
You may remember that it was only a few months ago that we heard that the Biden Administration was thinking about removing the Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRG) from the terrorist blacklist.
Then after an outcry from Israel and Israel supporters in the U.S., the Biden Administration assured Israel that it would not remove the IRG from the list.
Yesterday, however, comes news that the Biden Administration duplicitously moved two weeks ago to de facto remove IRG members from the blacklist. Here is the document that was published in the Federal Register and signed by Alejandro Mayorkas of U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and Antony Blinken the U.S. Secretary of State (I have divided the document into 2 parts):
Part 1:
Exercise of Authority Under Section 212(d)(3)(B)(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, DOS; Office of the Secretary, DHS ACTION: Notice of determination. Following consultations with the Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of State have determined that grounds of inadmissibility at section 212(a)(3)(B) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(3)(B), bar certain individuals who do not pose a national security or public safety risk from admission to the United States and from obtaining immigration benefits or other status. Accordingly, consistent with prior exercises of the exemption authority, the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Attorney General, hereby conclude, as a matter of discretion in accordance with the authority granted by section 212(d)(3)(B)(i) of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1182(d)(3)(B)(i), as amended, after considering the foreign policy and national security interests deemed relevant in these consultations, that section 212(a)(3)(B)(iv)(VI)(cc) of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(3)(B)(iv)(VI)(cc), shall not apply with respect to an individual who provided . . . Did you follow all of that? It is a masterpiece of obfuscation. On to Part 2: . . . an individual who provided: (1) insignificant material support (i.e., support that was minimal in amount and inconsequential in effect); or (2) limited material support under circumstances involving certain routine commercial transactions, certain routine social transactions (i.e., in the satisfaction of certain well-established or verifiable family, social, or cultural obligations), certain humanitarian assistance, or substantial pressure that does not rise to the level of duress, to a designated terrorist organization as described in subsection 212(a)(3)(B)(vi)(I) or subsection 212(a)(3)(B)(vi)(II) of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(3)(B)(vi)(I) or 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(3)(B)(vi)(II), or to any member of such organization, and provided that the individual satisfies the relevant agency authority that the individual: (a) Did not voluntarily and knowingly engage in terrorist activity on behalf of a designated terrorist organization as described in section 212(a)(3)(B)(vi)(I) or (II) of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(3)(B)(vi)(I) or (II); (b) Is seeking a benefit or protection under the INA and has been determined to be otherwise eligible for the benefit or protection; (c) Has undergone and passed all relevant background and security checks; (d) Has fully disclosed, to the best of their knowledge, in all relevant applications and interviews with government representatives and agents, the nature and circumstances of any material support provided and any other activity or association falling within the scope of section 212(a)(3)(B) of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(3)(B), as well as all contact with a terrorist organization and its members; (e) Has not provided the material support with any intent or desire to assist any terrorist organization or terrorist activity; (f) Has not provided material support that the individual knew or reasonably should have known could directly be used to engage in terrorist or violent activity; (g) Has not provided material support to terrorist activities that they knew or reasonably should have known targeted noncombatant persons, U.S. citizens, or U.S. interests; (h) Has not provided material support that the individual knew or reasonably should have known involved providing weapons, ammunition, explosives, or components thereof, or the transportation or concealment of such items; (i) Is not otherwise inadmissible under section 212(a)(3)(B) of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(3)(B), for which no exemption applies; (j) Poses no danger to the safety and security of the United States; and (k) Warrants an exemption from the relevant inadmissibility provision(s) in the totality of the circumstances. Implementation of this determination will be made by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), in consultation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), or by U.S. consular officers, as applicable, who shall ascertain, to their satisfaction, and in their discretion, that the particular applicant meets each of the criteria set forth above. This exercise of authority may be revoked as a matter of discretion and without notice at any time, with respect to any and all persons subject to it. Any determination made under this exercise of authority as set out above can inform but shall not control a decision regarding any subsequent benefit or protection application, unless such exercise of authority has been revoked. This exercise of authority shall not be construed to prejudice, in any way, the ability of the U.S. government to commence subsequent criminal or civil proceedings in accordance with U.S. law involving any beneficiary of this exercise of authority (or any other person). This exercise of authority creates no substantive or procedural right or benefit that is legally enforceable by any party against the United States or its agencies or officers or any other person. In accordance with section 212(d)(3)(B)(ii) of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1182(d)(3)(B)(ii), a report on the applicant or beneficiaries to whom this exercise of authority is applied, on the basis of case-by-case decisions by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security or by the U.S. Department of State, shall be provided to the specified congressional committees not later than 90 days after the end of the fiscal year. This determination is based on an assessment related to the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States as they apply to the particular persons described herein and shall not have any application with respect to other persons or to other provisions of U.S. law. Authority: 8 U.S.C. 1182(d)(3)(B)(i). [[Page 37524]] Dated: June 8, 2022. Alejandro N. Mayorkas, Secretary, U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Dated: June 8, 2022. Antony J. Blinken, Secretary, U.S. Department of State. [FR Doc. 2022-13472 Filed 6-21-22; 11:15 am]
Can you believe this?
In short, all provisions notwithstanding, what this ludicrous document states is that any person on the terrorism watchlist who had been barred from entry into the U.S., will now be permitted in as long as he or she discloses “to the best of his knowledge” that he or she did not engage in terrorism, etc., etc.
The Iranians must have howled with laughter in Tehran when they received the document. And that it was specifically directed to them has been verified by events in Vienna in the past few days where the U.S. has suddenly announced that it is now ready again to go forward with the nuclear deal with Iran and that the Iranians have “dropped” some of their demands.
It is altogether sickening but what we have come to expect from Joe Biden.