RSS
Why Israel’s Fight Is America’s Fight
Israeli and American air force crews participate in the “Desert Falcon” joint international exercise in Israel in January 2022. Photo: IDF
More than 3,000 years ago, the Creator gave Israel to the Jewish people. Yet, today, Israel faces existential threats from Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran, and Iranian-backed terror groups. What does this mean for the United States? The answer is clear — Israel’s fight is not just about the world’s only Indigenous Jewish homeland, but a battle for the values of democracy and decency — which both our republic holds dear.
As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., taught us, “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”
On October 7, 2023, during the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah, Hamas launched a brutal attack on Israelis and Americans, committing unspeakable atrocities. Babies were murdered, girls were raped, and evil was unleashed. Deplorably, over 18 million of our “fellow” Americans think this is “acceptable.” This wasn’t just an attack on Israel, but an assault on humanity.
Yet, as Congressperson Ritchie Torres (D-NY) tweeted, our country is full of “useful idiots” who parrot terrorist propaganda on college campuses, online, and even in the hallowed halls of Congress and government, thereby letting Hamas literally get away with murder. (In the interests of free speech, would we allow the KKK to march around calling for the extermination of all Black people? I didn’t think so.)
The pro-Hamas mob wants to delegitimize and ultimately destroy an innocent minority group through propaganda — exactly what the Nazis sought to do. And stopping Nazis is as American as you can get.
Iran is the puppet master. Through proxies like Hezbollah and the Houthis, Iran aims to destabilize the region, isolate Israel, and advance its nuclear ambitions. Their goal is to use Russia, China, Turkey, and the Arab League, against the Jewish homeland. Weapons and training flow from Iran to terror affiliates worldwide. Have we forgotten November 4, 1979?
This is why the obvious must be said again and again: Hamas and Hezbollah are our enemies as well — and they directly threaten American interests.
US intelligence has repeatedly warned of these groups’ potential to strike within the US and incite violence against Americans. Supporting Israel is not just about our ally; it’s a defense of democracy against the encroaching tide of extremism.
Israel’s military efforts are unmatched in minimizing civilian casualties, yet Israel is vilified in the court of public opinion. (Why are no media outlets comparing the civilian casualty toll of the conflict in Gaza with similar conflicts in Afghanistan, Syria, Sudan, etc? Why are there no protests for the Muslims and Arabs being killed in these countries in horrific numbers?)
The United Nations harbors blatant bias against the only democracy in that region, and is complicit in a UN-Hamas alliance, which is being exposed daily. UN-run schools brainwash kids to hate Jews, funnel our taxpayer dollars to pay for terrorist wealth, and allow their buildings to store weapons and conceal terror tunnels.
For Americans, the choice is clear. Stand with Israel or embolden regimes that celebrate death over life. The US must continue its unwavering support of the Jewish State, both diplomatically and militarily, ensuring Israel’s victory is a victory for humanity. For we all are created in the image of G-d, and we all deserve to live in a world free from terror.
As former US Congressman Tom Lantos (D-CA) said, “The veneer of civilization is paper-thin. We are its guardians, and we can never rest.”
The author is an active duty service member in the US military.
The post Why Israel’s Fight Is America’s Fight first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Terrorist Responsible for Death of 21 Soldiers Eliminated
An Israeli F-35I “Adir” fighter jet. Photo: IDF
i24 News – Khalil Abd al-Nasser Mohammed Khatib, the terrorist who commanded the terrorist cell that killed 21 soldiers in the southern Gaza Strip on January 22, 2024, was killed by an Israeli airstrike, the IDF said on Sunday.
In a joint operation between the military and the Shin Bet security agency, the terrorist was spotted in a reconnaissance mission. The troops called up an aircraft to target him, and he was eliminated.
Khatib planned and took part in many other terrorist plots against Israeli soldiers.
i24NEWS’ Hebrew channel interviewed Dor Almog, the sole survivor of the mass casualty disaster, who was informed on live TV about the death of the commander responsible for the killing his brothers-in-arms.
“I was sure this day would come – I was a soldier and I know what happens at the end,” said Almog. “The IDF will do everything to bring back the abductees and to topple Hamas, to the last one man.”
The post Terrorist Responsible for Death of 21 Soldiers Eliminated first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Stanley Fischer, Former Fed Vice Chair and Bank of Israel Chief, Dies at 81
FILE PHOTO: Vice Chair of the U.S. Federal Reserve System Stanley Fischer arrives to hear Governor of the Bank of England Mark Carney delivering the Michel Camdessus Central Banking Lecture at the International Monetary Fund in Washington, U.S., September 18, 2017. Photo: REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/File Photo
Stanley Fischer, who helped shape modern economic theory during a career that included heading the Bank of Israel and serving as vice chair of the US Federal Reserve, has died at the age of 81.
The Bank of Israel said he died on Saturday night but did not give a cause of death. Fischer was born in Zambia and had dual US-Israeli citizenship.
As an academic at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Fischer trained many of the people who went on to be top central bankers, including former Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke as well as Mario Draghi, the former European Central Bank president.
Fischer served as chief economist at the World Bank, and first deputy managing director at the International Monetary Fund during the Asian financial crisis and was then vice chairman at Citigroup from 2002 to 2005.
During an eight-year stint as Israel’s central bank chief from 2005-2013, Fischer helped the country weather the 2008 global financial crisis with minimal economic damage, elevating Israel’s economy on the global stage, while creating a monetary policy committee to decide on interest rates like in other advanced economies.
He was vice chair of the Federal Reserve from 2014 to 2017 and served as a director at Bank Hapoalim in 2020 and 2021.
Current Bank of Israel Governor Amir Yaron praised Fischer’s contribution to the Bank of Israel and to advancing Israel’s economy as “truly significant.”
The soft-spoken Fischer – who played a role in Israel’s economic stabilization plan in 1985 during a period of hyperinflation – was chosen by then Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon as central bank chief.
Netanyahu, now prime minister, called Fischer a “great Zionist” for leaving the United States and moving to Israel to take on the top job at Israel’s central bank.
“He was an outstanding economist. In the framework of his role as governor, he greatly contributed to the Israeli economy, especially to the return of stability during the global economic crisis,” Netanyahu said, adding that Stanley – as he was known in Israel – proudly represented Israel and its economy worldwide.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog also paid tribute.
“He played a huge role in strengthening Israel’s economy, its remarkable resilience, and its strong reputation around the world,” Herzog said. “He was a world-class professional, a man of integrity, with a heart of gold. A true lover of peace.”
The post Stanley Fischer, Former Fed Vice Chair and Bank of Israel Chief, Dies at 81 first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Says Israel Blocking Ramallah Meeting Proof of ‘Extremism’
Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud attends a news conference at the Arab Gulf Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, December 9, 2022. Photo: REUTERS/Ahmed Yosri
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud said the Israeli government’s refusal to allow a delegation of Arab ministers to the West Bank showed its “extremism and rejection of peace.”
His statement came during a joint press conference in Amman with counterparts from Jordan, Egypt and Bahrain, after they met as part of an Arab contact group that was going to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah.
“Israel’s refusal of the committee’s visit to the West Bank embodies and confirms its extremism and refusal of any serious attempts for (a) peaceful pathway… It strengthens our will to double our diplomatic efforts within the international community to face this arrogance,” the Saudi minister said.
On Saturday, Israel said it would not allow a planned meeting on Sunday that would have included ministers from Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, Palestinian Authority officials said.
Bin Farhan’s visit to the West Bank would have marked the first such visit by a top Saudi official in recent memory.
An Israeli official said the ministers intended to take part in a “provocative meeting” to discuss promoting the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said blocking the trip was another example of how Israel was “killing any chance of a just and comprehensive” Arab-Israeli settlement.
An international conference, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, is due to be held in New York on June 17-20 to discuss the issue of Palestinian statehood.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said the conference would cover security arrangements after a ceasefire in Gaza and reconstruction plans to ensure Palestinians would remain on their land and foil any Israeli plans to evict them.
The post Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Says Israel Blocking Ramallah Meeting Proof of ‘Extremism’ first appeared on Algemeiner.com.