The Israel Film Fest resumes in L.A. for a 36th year with a glimpse into Israeli culture - beyond this year's war headlines

After 2 ½ years of delays due to the pandemic and the on-going war, the 36th ISRAEL FILM FESTIVAL in Los Angeles, the largest showcase of Israeli films in the United States, held its sold-out Gala Opening Night at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills on November 13th, 2024. 

Hon. Israel Bachar, Ynon Kreiz, Gal Gadot, Ms. Tom Nesher, and Meir Fenigstein

Among those joining IFF Festival founder/executive director Meir Fenigstein were Ynon Kreiz, Mattel Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, who was presented by actress/producer Gal Gadot with the 2024 IFF Industry Leadership Award. Also in attendance was Israel Bachar, Consul General of Israel in Los Angeles, and writer/director Tom Nesher, whose film Come Closer, Israel’s Academy Award submission for Best International Film, had its West Coast Premiere at the Festival event. Fifteen visiting Israeli filmmakers and actors who have movies in the Festival also joined the celebration. 

The Israel Film Fest L.A. during a year of news of war and protesters' maligning. Meir Fenigstein, Exec. Director,and Sharona Farber, composer.

 

How has anti-Israel newsreporting influenced interest in Israeli films? LA Consul Gen @ IsraFilmFest

 

Will war-coverage or protest-bias prejudice Oscar Academy voters on Ms. Tom Nesher's "Come Closer?"

 

Mr. Kreiz noted to the audience that he fondly recalled being an Israel Film Festival volunteer 31 years ago in Los Angeles while he was studying at UCLA. Gadot, when presenting her friend Kreiz with his award, said “We both champion this festival because it champions bold voices, breaking barriers through the power of storytelling. It is why, amidst the chaos in our world, this week we celebrate the enduring, unstoppable Israeli creativity. And why tonight, we celebrate a man who understands every story’s potential to transport, transform and transcend.”

Why did #GalGadot salute #Barbie's fellow #Israeli-Amer filmmaker, Ynon Kreiz? #IsraelFilmFest's #MeirFenigstein

 

Meir Fenigstein welcomed the audience, noting “We are proud to present during this year’s Festival more than 40 new feature films, thought-provoking documentaries, and our new initiative of a student short film competition. We remain dedicated to fulfilling our promise to our generous sponsors, our community partners, the beloved filmmakers and their great films, and our wonderful audiences to bring Israeli culture and cinema to Hollywood which has, and will always stand with, the creative community of Israel.” 

How Israel Film Fest represents a return to roots for honoree, Ynon Kreiz, exec pdcr Mattel's "Barbie"

"Wonder Woman" actress, Gal Gadot honors fellow Israeli-American, Ynon Kreiz, "Barbie" Executive Producer and Mattel CEO, on opening night. Comic actor, Elon Gold, introduces Ms. Gadot with amusing observations.

Taking place through November 26th, the ISRAEL FILM FESTIVAL screenings will show at the Laemmle Royal Theatre (West Los Angeles) and the Laemmle Town Center 5 (Encino).

Visit  https://IsraelFilmFestival.com for more information, schedules and tickets.

Veterans Day: Tribute to Jewish, U.S. Medal of Honor recipients: Col. Jack Jacobs (Vietnam War- era) and Benjamin Salomon (WWII- era) in L.A.

The War against the West, launched by Iran's proxies around Israel on October 7th, 2023 was exacerbated by antagonist riots and media around the world. Communist and jihadist militarism increased the need for deterrent preparedness from Israel, the United States, Taiwan, and NATO / Ukraine. During the past year, media propaganda has vilified the image of the Jewish State of Israel, Zionism, and exacerbated antisemitism against Jews in the Diaspora.

Negative press about Israel's war against Hamas and Hezbollah has revived antisemitic challenges to Jewish ethos toward non-Jews. Israel's ameliorating Hamas' attacks have come more through military than diplomacy through the Biden administration's appointed Qatar. Social-media spreads accusations of Jewish dual allegiance to our native diaspora countries. Factual media reminding the public of Jews' military contributions to Western nations' freedoms are necessary. Moreover, according to many military analysts, the US, Israel, and allied forces need to fortify their ranks through military and national service from our younger citizens. 

In spring of 2023, the good offices of Ms. Stephanie Stone (the Chief Deputy Director of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs for Los Angeles County) combined with the initiative of Mr. Greg Lee (a Jewish War Veterans California State former Commander) to host NBC/MSNBC military analyst, Col. Jack Jacobs - a Vietnam War Medal of Honor recipient - to participate in a day of Minorities and Women Veteran activities at Patriot Hall in Los Angeles.

In the morning, the Department gave regional an opportunity to Col. Jacobs participated in a roundtable discussion with an aggregation of Southern California, veterans' affairs officials. In this exclusive video interview, Col. Jacobs emphasizes the historical contributions of Jewish Americans in serving in the military and stresses the importance of recognizing and honoring these contributions. He also discusses the challenges faced by Jewish Medal of Honor recipients in being recognized for their bravery due to discrimination.

 Col. Jack Jacobs at 4/23 CalVet event which saluted him and
Capt. Benjamin Salomon, both Jewish US Medal of Honorees

Col. Jacobs expressed his concerns about the proliferation of nuclear weapons in the Middle East, particularly in relation to Iran, and highlights the need for better policies to prevent such proliferation. Additionally, he touches upon the media's portrayal of Israel, acknowledging the presence of bias in media coverage and emphasizing the importance of educating the public on issues affecting national security and the defense of allies. He discusses the increase in anti-Semitism and the need for political leaders to do a better job of educating the public to decrease it. He emphasizes that elected leaders play a crucial role in shaping attitudes and must work harder to inform their supporters and combat anti-Semitic beliefs.          

In keeping with the theme of Minorities and Women Veterans affairs, Patriot Hall presented an afternoon event to educate officials and the military and veterans' community. 

The afternoon ceremony highlighted Jewish War Veterans and Jewish US Medal of Honor recipients, WWII dentist Capt. Ben Salomon (a Los Angeleno - honored through painter David Schwartz and Rep. Brad Sherman's District Director Scott Abrams) and Col. Jack Jacobs in person. 

Here is an excerpt from Col. Jacobs' remarks to the gathering in which he relates the story of Ted Rubin, a Jewish soldier whose nomination for Medal of Honor was bigotedly denied 5 times, only to be conceded 55 years after  his documented bravery.

Part 1: Honoring Jewish-American, US Medal-of-Honor Heroes- Ben Salomon, WWII, & Jack Jacobs- Vietnam. Welcome from Jim Zenner, Director of M.V.A.; Color Guard: N. Valley Military Institute; National Anthem performed by N. Valley Military Institute Band; Intro to Emcee: Jim Zenner; Program Overview: Major Michael Gregory; Presentation to Honorees from Rep. Brad Sherman: District Director Scott Abrams; Chaplain Dov Cohen; JWV Calif State Commander Col. Dr. Gerry Silver introducing National Commander, Nelson Mellitz.

 

Part 2

David Schwartz personalizes his painting poster of Capt. Ben Salomon
for Mr. Mat Millen, Cmndr, JWV Santa Monica Post

Captain Ben Salomon was born September 1, 1914, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He graduated from the USC Dental School in 1937 and began a dental practice. In 1940, he was drafted into the United States Army and began his military service as an infantry private, qualifying expert in rifle and pistol. 

In 1942, he was notified that he would become an officer in the Army Dental Corps and was commissioned a first lieutenant. In May 1943, he was serving as the regimental dental officer of the 105th Infantry Regiment, 27th Infantry Division. He was promoted to the rank of Captain in 1944. 

In June 1944, Salomon saw his first combat — going ashore on Saipan with the 105th Infantry. Salomon volunteered to replace the 2nd Battalion's surgeon, who had been wounded. As the 2nd Battalion advanced, casualties were high. On July 7, Salomon's aid station was set up only 50 yards behind the forward foxhole line. Fighting was heavy and a major Japanese assault soon overran the perimeter, then the aid station. Salomon was able to grab an M1 Garand that was near him, kill the enemy that entered the hospital tent and ordered the wounded to be evacuated, while he stayed and fired upon the incoming enemy with an M1917 machine gun to cover their withdrawal. 

When an Army team returned to the site days later, Salomon's body was found

slumped over the machine gun deceased, with the bodies of 98 enemy troops piled up in front of his position. He received the Medal of Honor posthumously in 2002 by President George W. Bush only after his military courage was campaigned by USC Dental School alumnus, Dr. Robert West.

Ben Shapiro speaks on UCLA campus and anti-Israelites protest from own Sukkah! Zionists arrive to counter more quickly than April

At UCLA, organized, Islamo-Marxist demonstrators crashed a rare, pro-Israel rally on April 30th

On Monday 21 October, the Wall St. Journal referenced the U.C.L.A. antisemitism task force report published last week in an article by Joe Pisani, "Jewish Students at UCLA Were Harassed, Threatened and Assaulted on Campus, Report Finds."

Jewish students and staff at the University of California, Los Angeles, were harassed, threatened and assaulted as pro-Palestinian protests spread on campus. The university prioritized free speech over stopping protests, which were among the most violent of the pro-Palestinian campus demonstrations, WSJ's Joe Pisani wrote.

UCLA anti-Israel protest starts day of Ben Shapiro's
speech on campus  (photo: UCLA Daily Bruin)

Also on Monday, the Islamo-Marxist movement whose encampment was uprooted in May, resumed camping on the UCLA grounds - this time under the pretense of a ritual Jewish Sukkah tent. This coincided with the appearance of alumnus Ben Shapiro returning to his alma mater to speak - under the auspices of the D.C.-based, Young America's Foundation. 

Yitzy Frankel, a Y.A.F. board-member, prefaced Mr. Shapiro's remarks with a reference to UCLA having cancelled its previous, scheduled group talk with JihadWatch founder, Robert Spencer, in May. 

Mr. Spencer characterized the offense thusly: "UCLA has proven once again that our universities are not centers of higher learning, but radioactive wastelands of far-left-indoctrination - that are run by fascists - and that train fascists - who cannot stand the light of truth to be shone on their activities."

The YAF audience welcomed Daily Wire founder, Ben Shapiro, rousingly. He began his address recounting the trouble he had with leftist culture at UCLA while pursuing his Bachelor's degree. Editors for the UCLA Daily Bruin newspaper censored his two columns about radicalism among the Muslim Student Association. Soon after, they fired him. 

Ben Shapiro addressed a full, UCLA auditorium

Mr. Shapiro discussed the beliefs that bind together a coalition of individuals at the institution, which he refers to as the "Coalition of Losers," and the importance of individuals taking responsibility for their actions and building civilization. 

Shapiro also touches upon the clash between those who believe in duties and contributing to the community and those who prioritize tearing-down systems. The conversation covers topics such as climate-change solutions, the legitimacy of President Trump's claimed immunity from political prosecution, and the Israel-Palestine conflict. Throughout the discussion, Shapiro emphasizes the importance of personal agency freedom of speech, and the belief in the logic of the universe.

00:00:00  Yitzy Frankel of Young America's Foundation (YAF) discuss their ongoing efforts to hold events at UCLA despite the university's past blocking of their events. He introduces Ben Shapiro, the speaker for the night, who shares his history with UCLA. Shapiro recalls coming to the campus in 2000 at the age of 16, meeting his wife, and writing for the UCLA Daily Bruin. However, he was fired from the paper after they refused to publish his columns critical of the Muslim Student Association's radicalism. Despite this, Shapiro continues to engage with the campus community, speaking in the very room where he once wrote for the Daily Bruin. The event is part of YAF's Things that Matter lecture series, and Shapiro thanks the anonymous sponsor for making it possible.

00:05:00  Mr. Shapiro speaker recounts two incidents at UCLA from a decade ago and more recently, where the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel was being discussed. During the first incident, the speaker attended a hearing and delivered a speech against BDS, arguing that the movement's focus on Israel was due to anti-Semitic sentiments. The second incident involved a tent encampment on campus, where students and faculty were demanding amnesty for those involved. Mr. Shapiro expresses concern that the university has become a haven for various groups, united by their hatred of the system, and that these groups have become more emboldened over the years. He believes that this coalition of privileged individuals is engaged in a battle against those who wish to build and produce, and that their belief in the absence of duty to others fuels their desire to tear down existing structures.

00:10:00  Mr. Shapiro discusses the beliefs that bind together a coalition of individuals, which he refers to as the "Coalition of losers." He outlines three principles that define this group: (1) all disparity equals discrimination, (2) failure equals victimization and success equals victimizer, and (3) if there is any group that is both victimized and successful, that group does not exist. Shapiro argues that this coalition includes imported students who don't like American values, Marxists who believe capitalism is the root of all evil, transgressors who seek to tear down institutions, and racialists who deeply desire to divide Americans by group identity. He also mentions that there is evidence suggesting that some of the protests on campus are funded from abroad by terrorist groups and foreign front organizations.

Lessons from an (election) year of post-October 7th, anti-Zionist conflict

For many of today's Leftists & Muslims, even one Jewish-state on Earth - has become one too many.

Excerpted from "The real lessons of October 7th must not be ignored" by Jonathan Tobin in JNS, Oct 6th, 2024.  

A man wearing a yarmulke holds a small Israeli flag over his head as 1000's
 of pro-Palestinian supporters rally in front of the Israeli Consulate in Los
Angeles, on Oct 14, 2023 (Photo: Jay

L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

While there are individual Palestinians who may believe in the idea of peace with Israel, they are isolated and overwhelmingly outnumbered by supporters of Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the so-called “moderates” of the Fatah party (whose nearly 89-year-old leader Mahmoud Abbas serves as the head of the Palestinian Authority). 

They have all made it clear over and over again in their organizational charters, statements, and rejection of every effort at a compromise peace plan over the decades - that they deny the legitimacy of a Jewish state, no matter where its borders might be drawn.

The only relevant debate

To Israelis and those elsewhere who have been paying attention to Palestinian rejectionism, this is nothing new. Post-Oct. 7, belief in the myth that the conflict can be solved by partitioning the country beggars the imagination. The point of the mass terror attack wasn’t to end the “occupation” of a coastal enclave that had been evacuated by Israelis 18 years earlier or to push for a withdrawal from Judea and Samaria. It represented a Palestinian desire to turn back the clock to 1947 or even 1917 and destroy the State of Israel, even within the borders that existed before 1967.

Marxist speakers with Black Lives Matter L.A, Latino & Muslim Unity / Shutting it Down for Palestine, protested Christmas Shopping for Black Xmas, Dec 23, 2023 at La Cienega Park

The widespread support among Palestinians for this effort (and for the atrocities that ensued) lays bare the futility and the insanity of any attempt to force Israel to make territorial retreats to accommodate yet another attempt at a Palestinian state. Palestinian political culture is solely predicated on the premise that Zionism and a Jewish state are incompatible with the minimum demands of their national identity.

This is something that ought to be clear to all Americans by now. Oct. 7 should have ended the debate about two states and the peace process for the foreseeable future. That is frustrating and hard to grasp for Americans who believe compromise is always possible or for Jews who are hard-wired to believe in millenarian solutions even when the facts on the ground argue otherwise. At the moment, the only debate about Israel that is relevant is the one that the pro-Hamas mobs that took over America’s streets and college campuses since Oct. 7 have been wanting to have: whether one Jewish state on the planet is one too many.

Calling out the antisemites

That is a position many on the American left have increasingly adopted. Indeed, it is the reason why anti-Israel protesters chant “from the river to the sea” and “globalize the intifada.” The whole point of woke ideology, such as critical race theory and intersectionality, as it applies to the Middle East, is to delegitimize Israel as a “settler/colonial” state. Seen from that perspective, nothing it does in its defense—even against the most barbarous opponents, like Hamas and Hezbollah—can be falsely characterized as “genocide” since there is virtually nothing Israel could do to defend itself that could be justified in their eyes. And it’s why the same people dismiss the atrocities of Oct. 7 (which, like Holocaust deniers, they simultaneously justify and minimize).

And so, it is incumbent on Israelis and friends of Israel elsewhere to stop bickering over peace plans or pretending that Israel should be “saved from itself,” as former President Barack Obama believed it should.

In the absence of a complete transformation of Palestinian society that is nowhere in sight, any advocacy for a Palestinian state in the post-Oct. 7 world from those who claim to support Israel is a unique form of delusionary thinking.

The only logical way to defend Israel going forward must begin by recognizing this truth and stop treating those who wish to deny Israel the same rights granted to every other nation in the world as if their opinions were reasonable and well-intentioned. We must not hesitate to label those who seek to “flood” cities like New York with protests glorifying the Oct. 7 massacres as justified “resistance” and call them out for being antisemites and proponents of foreign terror groups.

After Oct. 7, we must no longer treat those who oppose Israel’s existence as if there was some distinction between their position and that of classic Jew-hatred. The brutal truth is that whether or not they root their stand in what they call “anti-racism” or even if they claim to be Jewish, those who wish to eradicate the only Jewish state on the planet are, at best, the “useful idiots” of the Oct. 7 murderers, rapists and kidnappers. At worst, they are their active supporters.

As much as Israelis can and must sort out the crucial questions about who bears the lion’s share of the blame for the success of Hamas’s brutal surprise attack, there are more important lessons to be learned from this episode than just another repeat of the same questions that were asked after the 1973 Yom Kippur War, which began with a similar failure. Doing so will be extremely hard for liberal Americans who believe in the two-state myth as if it were a religious doctrine handed down from Mount Sinai. But if we fail to learn them, then they will set the stage for more such tragedies, just as much as if the IDF chose to repeat its pre-Oct. 7 complacency.

This Israeli-American woman was entering a Oct. 7th commemoration at the Nova Exhibition in L.A. and addressed the anti-Zionism that Jewish students attending colleges like the University of Wisconsin at Madison (such as her daughter) are still subjected to this semester. How well does she believe that legacy, Jewish communal management has managed the crisis?

To read the beginning part of Jonathan Tobin's original article (end has been excerpted here) just click or tap here

Approaching 12th-month of anti-Zionism since Oct 7, '23, realistic reform rabbi calls for tougher Jewish defense

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch delivers sermon in Manhattan synagogue

NYC rabbi reflects on Rosh Hashana: 'The most challenging year in my career' by Sharon Crowley and Amanda Geffner, Fox5NY.com 2 Oct '24.

With the start of Rosh Hashanah, many are approaching the Jewish New Year with mixed emotions. 

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch leads the historic Stephen Wise Free Synagogue on the Upper West Side. Hirsch is preparing to celebrate the high holy days on the calendar. "We don't celebrate the new year with fireworks and getting drunk and wild parties. It ushers in 10 days of reflection on what we did wrong, how we can do better, and atonement by asking for forgiveness," Hirsch said.

This year, for many, the emotions will be extraordinarily powerful, given that the midpoint of the 10 days spanning Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur is Oct. 7 — the one-year anniversary of the Hamas attack that killed 1,200 Israelis and triggered the still-ongoing war in Gaza.

For Jews in the U.S. — the world’s second-largest Jewish community after Israel — the past 12 months have been challenging in many ways linked to Oct. 7. There’s been a surge in antisemitic incidents, and many college campuses were wracked by divisive pro-Palestinian protests.

Jews grieved for Israelis killed or taken hostage by Hamas; many also are grieving for the tens of thousands of Palestinians subsequently killed during Israeli's military offensive in Gaza.

 

"This has been the most trying and challenging year in my career and the life times of many of our people," Hirsch said. At the same time, there is pervasive anxiety about a rise in antisemitic incidents over the past year. Major Jewish groups have been tracking this trend, which was confirmed last week in the FBI’s 2023 Hate Crime Report. It found that the Jewish community was the most-targeted religious group, with 1,832 anti-Jewish incidents accounting for 67% of all religiously motivated hate crimes recorded by the FBI. That was up from up 1,124 incidents the prior year. The incidents include vandalism, harassment, assault, and false bomb threats.

As a prominent figure in the Reform Jewish community, Rabbi Hirsch's first day of Rosh Hashana sermon, "The Tests of Our Time" may surprise you. We start with excerpts from it (with links to the video on his Twitter page). 

“For Jews, our deepest anxieties for the safety of our people — the product of centuries of repressed traumas — have reawakened and our confidence in the West’s ability to withstand the test of civilization has been shaken,” says Rabbi Ammi Hirsch on Rosh Hashanah, warning that what was unleashed against Israel on October 7th “threatens the West as much as it does the Middle East...” 

https://x.com/AmmiHirsch/status/1841935240228422130  

✡️ On the seriousness and resurgence of antisemitism: “One of the saddest developments since October 7 is the shock experienced by American Jews, who, for the first time in their lives, are encountering pervasive antisemitism...”
https://x.com/AmmiHirsch/status/1841935244267819379 

🇮🇱 On today’s manifestations of anti-Zionism: “...the intent of anti-Zionism is to generate intense hostility to Judaism and Jews themselves… How easily do anti-Israel passions lead to violence against Jews and Jewish institutions…” “If you understand the history of classic antisemitism, the connection to today’s anti-Zionism stares you in the face. The Jewish state has become the Jew of the world, humanity’s ultimate villains, and accused of our era’s worst transgressions..” 

https://x.com/AmmiHirsch/status/1841935248155672745

🗽 On post-October 7 society and the test of Western civilization: “For years now, some of us have been warning of a deteriorating commitment to liberal values, camouflaged by a torrent of high-sounding words like ‘progress, civil and human rights, anti-racism, and anti-colonialism.’ Ideologies that divide people by the color of their skin rather than the content of their character; philosophies that reduce all human conflict to oppressor and oppressed, subjugation and freedom fighting, racists and anti-racists — are not liberal values… These are illiberal and dangerous ideas that threaten the future of our country and Western civilization.”

https://x.com/AmmiHirsch/status/1841935251708510495

 💪 What can we do? “Recognize the urgency of the times. We must win this battle of ideas and reassert basic norms of Western liberal morality. Do not be in denial. Do not be complacent. Fight back… fight back hard!” 
https://x.com/AmmiHirsch/status/1841935248155672745

Above is the entire speech worthy of watching by Jews of all denominations and viewpoints. Recorded on Thursday 3 October 2024. 

Excerpted from 00:18:23 "Protesting to relieve the carnage of war is fine.  I, too, am devastated by the destruction, and have spoken of my anguish many times. Even not liking Jews is fine. “Who can fathom the human heart,” Jeremiah preached. “It is beyond cure.” And therefore — Jeremiah concluded: “God rewards a person by his deeds.” All of us have our prejudices and predispositions. What matters is how we act on them. We are judged by our deeds, no matter what disturbing, disconcerting and discouraging desires we harbor in our hearts.

No country, no government and no community is beyond criticism. Even if I disagree, I will listen to your critique and endeavor to learn from you. We will study your narrative of the history of this awful conflict. We will debate with you all the terms and conditions of an eventual two-state solution that will bring dignity and coexistence to both peoples. We will consider your accusations of excessive force in Gaza and Lebanon, and study your suggestions, learned or not, on how you would have handled the military campaign differently, in a manner that would have reduced civilian casualties while still achieving security for Israel. We will reflect on your views when and how a ceasefire should have been effected. These are all legitimate issues. 

But we will not debate with you whether the Jewish state, of all the countries of the world, has a right to exist. We will not debate whether we have a right to live. If we cannot persuade you to leave us alone - we will defend ourselves!  What other choice is there? We have already tried everything else. The days of prostrating before the marauding murderers are over."

Pres. Trump at Israeli-American Summit, reminds Jews of his championing our interests, warrants our reciprocating, restoring his protecting America and Israel

Pres. Trump addresses Israeli-American Council Summit
(photo: Hindustan Times)

At the Israeli American Council Summit in Washington on Thursday, President Donald Trump discussed the critical nature of the upcoming U.S. election, describing it as the most important in both U.S. and Israeli history.

He noted his disappointment in receiving only 24% of the Jewish vote despite what he claimed were significant accomplishments for Israel during his presidency, such as recognizing Jerusalem as its capital and brokering the Abraham Accords.

Trump stated he believed he was the best president for Israel and detailed his administration’s efforts, emphasizing that he provided over $20 billion in support. He expressed concern that if he didn’t win the election, Israel could be in grave danger, suggesting it might not survive the next few years under a different administration.

The President is introduced by I.A.C. Chief Elan Carr and Mrs. Miriam Adelson - in the presence of Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Herzog.

WATCH: Pres. Trump speaks at Fighting Antisemitism event at the Israeli American Council (I.A.C.) Summit! 9.19.24

Mr. Trump criticized the current Democratic leadership, particularly Vice President Kamala Harris, and called for the Jewish community to unite and vote, arguing that failing to do so would put at risk Israel and Jewish people around the world at risk. Trump highlighted the stark contrast between his popularity in Israel and his support in the U.S., claiming he had a 99% favorable rating among Israelis.

He concluded by stressing the urgency of the situation, urging attendees to reject anti-Semitism and support pro-Israel policies at the ballot box, asserting that the future of Israel depended on their actions in the upcoming election.

Why these Jewish Democrats walked-away from hijacked party, joining Mark Levin at RJC in averting one-party, leftist rule

Seeking to defeat neo-fascist antisemitism in the Democrat Party, Ms Maren Faiella, Mr Shabbos Kestenbaum, and Ms Melissa Siegel explain how the Democrat Party's policies and practices have sufficiently disillusioned them to vote against it.

 

Mark Levin: Why to elect Republicans to Congressional and Senate majorities, not globalist authoritarianists.

 

Rabbi Yitz Tendler on Mark Levin's appearance at Repub. Jewish Coalition (RJC) pre-election Summit 

 

Zionistic granddad, Allen Alavy encourages AEPi (Alpha Epison Pi) college students with life lessons; How he fought antisemitism in his youth. (Introduction by son, Steven)

 

How Eyal Yakoby 'antisemitism on campus' fighter, addressed Republican Jewish Coalition gathering

Palestinians failed their "peaceful state-worthy" promise after they massacred the liberal Jews whom Israel resettled from Gaza 19-years ago this week

Israeli Prime Minister Sharon's 2005 choice to let Gazan Arabs prove their neighbor-readiness if the Gazan Jewish communities would be removed has failed long before the  Palestinians' October 7th '23 genocide of non-Muslims.

JewTube.Info has documented evidence of empowering Palestinian nationalism over the past two decades: 

Israel withdrew all Jewish life from Gush Katif Gaza to give the Palestinians opportunity to prove safe sovereign neighbors JewTube.Info August 2010

Many of those "Disengaged" Jews moved to the Israeli side, referred to as the Gaza Envelope and attempted cohabitating for years. Yet in 2023 October, the Palestinians attempted to genocide the Jews - not only along the Gaza Envelope, but in central Israel. 

Why now, is the Democrat Administration and E.U. pushing Israel to cede more territory in East Jerusalem and the West Bank to trust that a sovereign Islamic State of Palestine would prove safe for Israelis? 

In 2018, the Jewish National Fund (which Canada this week removed charity status from) brought resettled Jewish Gaza residents to tour U.S. communities to discuss their experiences. 

Residents of Eshkol, a region along the border with Egypt and Gaza, share their challenges, including threats from Palestinian attacks and Hamas' intention to target them with short-range rockets. Eshkol is a county consisting of 32 communities along the border triangle of Israel, sharing a 40km border with Gaza and a further 20km Egypt. 

Mrs. Michal Uziyahu, at the time of this appearance in '18, directed the Community Center of the Eshkol Regional Council, explains that no matter where Jews sacrificed land, Muslims never ceased hating, nor endeavoring to drive them out, not only of Gaza & Judea / Samaria, but of the recognized 1948 armistice lines of Israel. 

Mrs. Michal Uziyahu, who grew up in Sinai and was displaced during "the Gaza disengagement," emphasizes that these communities are not heroes but people who love the land and Israel. The Jewish resident expresses her thoughts on the Palestinian situation in Gaza and the Sinai withdrawal, advocating for Palestinians to take responsibility for their revolution and remove Hamas from power. She questions the potential for peace with a Palestinian state in Gaza, expressing optimism for a democratic Palestinian state but doubting peace could be achieved if the Palestinian culture remains Islamist and fixated on reclaiming land. 

 

Mrs. Uziyahu is currently the volunteer Liaison for the Mayor of Eshkol Regional Council assisting with partnerships & collaborations for the rehabilitation of Eshkol following the massacre of the Black Sabbath on Oct 7th. 

Gazan Jewish man recalls life in & after '05 de-occupying Gaza gauging Palestinian reality of touted peace. 

First-hand Israeli perspective from Mr. Yedidiya Harush on Muslims driving out Jews from legal communities in Gush Katif on the Gaza Strip (such as Atzmona) resettled to "safer" new desert community Halutza, where the Jewish National Fund contributes to their habitat. Recorded at Stephen Wise Temple in Los Angeles.

 

'Israel withdrew for peace 19-years ago - what has Palestinian 'state' wrought?" 

19-years ago today, Israel uprooted Jewish Gaza/ Gush Katif resident, Yedidya Harush (among 8,000 other Jewish inhabitants) to test Palestinians' readiness to provide peace from their proposed "state." Today, Mr. Harush serves as the Jewish Nat'l Fund's representative to the re-settled Jews along Israel's southern border with Gaza. He reveals the Palestinians' terror attacks on his Jewish communities. 

  al,

Israeli-American, Mrs. Mirie Ezer (of Free Israeli & American Hostages) Rally October 23, in Encino, Los Angeles argues against further empowering Palestinians led by Islamist Hamas and the Fatah Party-led Palestinian Authority.

 

What I Saw at a Terrorist Rally Outside a Synagogue

By Daniel Greenfield, Sultan Knish, June 27, 2024

The retire-to-Israel exhibition pretense that Muslims used to riot through an orthodox Jewish neighborhood 

 

Thirty minutes after Hamas supporters first set up their operation outside a Los Angeles synagogue, they maced their first Jew. And the Los Angeles police did nothing.

Not until an hour into the terrorist rally outside a synagogue, did the LAPD finally step in, pushing back masked Jihad supporters in keffiyeh terror scarves from the entrance of Congregation Adas Torah (Congregation of the Bible) which they had occupied.

And then the mob, chanting calls for “intifada” and the destruction of Israel, moved outward to target two smaller synagogues attended by Persian Jewish refugees from Islamic terror in Iran.

“Billions of us will come and kill you,” a heavily accented Middle Eastern man in a keffiyeh unprompted rasped at me as I walked up. Only dozens had actually shown up, but they made up for it with bullhorns, robotic chants, and assaults in the middle of a Jewish neighborhood.

The Jewish counter-protesters had come waving American and Israeli flags while the other side was a sea of terrorist flags. A man wore an Antifa cap, another had come in ski goggles during 90-degree heat, while others toted bear spray, metal bottles, and other implements of violence.

 

 The Jewish community members included older men and women, as well as families, while the Hamas contingent was mostly young and many were masked. A pair of rabbis led a melodic song that could hardly be heard over the harsh clatter of the hateful terror chants.

Despite knowing that a terrorist rally was planned outside a synagogue, the LAPD had allowed the terrorist supporters to take over the entire sidewalk leaving only a thin lane for attendees to walk through to get inside. The LAPD did little to interfere with the terrorist supporters, but did block Jewish counter-protesters from reaching their own synagogue. The police also did nothing as clumps of masked Hamas supporters broke away from the synagogue and began confronting, threatening, and attacking Jewish community members on the street. 

LAPD officers did not stir as confrontations escalated into assaults, shoving into mace and bear spray. Jewish community members rushed to provide water bottles to the affected. Only after several such incidents did the LAPD finally bring in reinforcements and push the Hamas supporters away from the synagogue entrance (dispersing them to harass and threaten two other synagogues) while also clearing Jewish families away from the other side of the street who had been peacefully waving flags near a children’s school.  

The terrorist hate rally spread outside three synagogues, Congregation Adas Torah, Chabad Persian Youth, and Congregation Ateret Israel (Glory of Israel), and the confrontations in the center of the street continued. There were running battles along the large commercial street with violent assaults outside a Kosher luncheonette and running battles down a residential street in the Jewish neighborhood. 

The terrorist hate rally was not an aberration, It’s become the new normal. SoCal officials set-up fear tactics- enabling Islamo-Leftists to antagonize Jewish residential area

  

Beginning with the assault on the Museum of Tolerance when it was screening a documentary on the Oct 7 massacre to the violence at UCLA, it has played out this way for 8 months. 

The LAPD has consistently failed to secure protest zones, to separate different groups of protesters and to prevent violence, and only steps in when it escalates past a set point. That point usually comes when the Jewish counter-protesters start fighting back. And then the LAPD begins arresting both sides while politicians, including Mayor Bass, deplore the violence. 

Media accounts, especially from the Los Angeles Times, CNN and the JTA, falsely characterize the violence as coming from the Jewish counter-protesters rather than the terrorist supporters. 

I had previously heard first person accounts from people who were assaulted while the police and security at UCLA did nothing, but now I saw it for myself. And after 8 months of the same thing, it’s hard to believe that it’s simple incompetence or that a major urban police force has no idea how to handle the same kind of protests and is incapable of figuring out how to do so. 

Especially when it’s been standard procedure by other urban police forces.

The LAPD is clearly aware of the potential for violence because it sends out offices in riot gear. But rather than engaging in proactive policing to prevent violence, they stand passively and wait for orders from higher up before taking any action. This is not normal policing during protests and counter-protests when the standard doctrine is for police to set up barriers and stand between groups of protesters before they bring out the riot gear. But the LAPD brings out the riot gear, allows the radicals free rein and waits as long as possible before taking any action. 

Why is this happening? I previously reported that Mayor Karen Bass is a close political ally of BLM LA boss Melina Abdullah, who has backed the pro-terrorist campaign against Jews. When Jews were attacked at UCLA, Democrat members of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors passed a motion to fund legal support for the terrorist supporters. The resolution to use taxpayer money to fund legal defenses for antisemites was put forward by Supervisor Lindsey Horvath who ‘represents’ CD3 where the synagogue hate riot was taking place. After all the antisemitic violence at UCLA, the only one facing serious charges is a Jewish student.

The Democrat leadership of Los Angeles does not stand with the Jewish communities being targeted by hate, but with the antisemitic mobs surrounding synagogues. Behind the masks, keffiyehs and the terrorist flags is the new Democratic Party.