#World Jewish Congress Foundation

[sefaradweb]

La RAE, el “judío” avaricioso o usurero

🇦🇷🇪🇸 El 5 de octubre de 2023, el juez federal argentino Ariel Lijo ordenó a la Real Academia Española (RAE) eliminar la quinta acepción de la palabra "judío" en su diccionario, que describe a una persona como "avariciosa o usurera", al considerarla un discurso de odio que incita a la discriminación religiosa. La denuncia fue presentada el 28 de agosto de 2023 por Claudio Gregorio Epelman, de la Fundación del Congreso Judío Mundial, y Jorge Knoblovits, presidente de la DAIA. El juez también ordenó bloquear el acceso al sitio web de la RAE en Argentina hasta que se cumpla la eliminación de esta acepción, destacando que la inacción de la RAE perpetúa estereotipos ofensivos hacia la comunidad judía.

🇺🇸 On October 5, 2023, Argentine federal judge Ariel Lijo ordered the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) to immediately remove the fifth definition of the word "Jew" in its dictionary, which describes a person as "greedy or usurious," deeming it hate speech that incites religious discrimination. The complaint was filed on August 28, 2023, by Claudio Gregorio Epelman, from the World Jewish Congress Foundation, and Jorge Knoblovits, president of DAIA. The judge also ordered the blocking of the RAE website in Argentina until the definition is removed, emphasizing that the RAE's inaction perpetuates offensive stereotypes against the Jewish community.

[girlactionfigure]

Is Zionism white supremacy?

WHAT IS WHITE SUPREMACY?

White supremacy is the belief that white people are superior to all other races and should thus dominate them. 

Contemporary white supremacist ideology stems from the pseudoscientific antisemitic and anti-Black racial “science” that emerged in the seventeenth century. 

This racial “science” established the foundation for the Holocaust. 

WHAT IS ZIONISM?

Zionism is the national movement for Jewish self-determination in the Land of Israel, the ancestral homeland of the Jewish People. 

Self-determination is the concept that peoples who share a national identity — not to be confused with nationality — have a legal right to choose their own governance, rather than being forced into living under the thumb of an empire. Self-determination is a basic tenet of international law, applicable to all peoples. 

In 1897, Jewish delegates from across the world met for the First Zionist Congress. There, they defined Zionism in simple terms: “Zionism seeks to establish a home for the Jewish people in Eretz ­Israel [the Land of Israel] secured under public law.”

Zionism has absolutely nothing to do with race. Zionism is a movement for self-determination for all Jews, regardless of skin color. Early Zionists included figures such as Taamrat Emmanuel, who was an Ethiopian Jew. 

SCIENTIFIC RACISM, ANTISEMITISM, AND WHITE SUPREMACY

Antisemitism is foundational to white supremacy, but it is not exclusive to white supremacy. As the “world’s oldest hatred,” antisemitism predates both white supremacy and other forms of anti-minority bigotry. White supremacy built upon the already existing foundation of antisemitism. 

“Scientific racism” (also known as “biological racism”) is a pseudoscientific form of racism that claims there is scientific evidence to justify racial discrimination or the belief that some races are inferior or superior to others. Scientific racism reached its peak and “legitimacy” between 1870 and the end of World War II. The Nazis applied the theories of scientific racism to antisemitism, which in turn was one of the main factors that fueled the Holocaust. Today’s white supremacist ideology stems from scientific racism.

In the 1870s, Wilhelm Marr, a scientific racist and antisemite, coined the word “antisemitism” to replace the previously used term “Jew-hatred,” as “antisemitism” sounded scientific, which “legitimized” it (as in: “I’m an antisemite, not a Jew-hater!” Sound familiar?). 

There is no white supremacy without antisemitism. It’s absurd to describe the Jewish movement for self-determination as “white supremacy” when white supremacists themselves openly revile Jews (and Zionism). Marr, for example, said of Zionism, “the entire matter is a foul Jewish swindle, in order to divert the attention of the European peoples from the Jewish problem.” 

WHAT DO WHITE SUPREMACISTS THINK OF ZIONISM?

White supremacists, historically, have loudly opposed Zionism. As mentioned, Marr himself called Zionism a “foul Jewish swindle.” 

Arguably the most infamous white supremacist of all time, Adolf Hitler, wrote in his infamous manifesto, Mein Kampf, “For while the Zionists try to make the rest of the world believe that the national consciousness of the Jew finds its satisfaction in the creation of a Palestinian state, the Jews again slyly dupe the dumb Goyim. It doesn’t even enter their heads to build up a Jewish state in Palestine for the purpose of living there; all they want is a central organization for their international world swindle…”

Before, during, and after the Holocaust, the Nazis worked to prevent a Jewish state from establishing. The Nazis supported Palestinian Arab nationalists, most notably the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Haj Amin al-Husseini, in material ways. In November of 1933, the Nazis revealed that they had established a direct contact with the Arab leadership in Palestine, with the hopes of “adapting the Nazi program” to the Holy Land. 

Between 1936-1939, the Arabs in Palestine revolted against the British and Jewish immigration, killing some 500 Jews. The British quickly suspected Nazi involvement, noticing that the Arab rioters carried smuggled Nazi weaponry. The Jerusalem police found that the Arabs had received 50,000 pounds from Germany and 20,000 pounds from Italy. The British also suspected the Germans of planning the 1938 pogrom in Tiberias.

In November of 1941, al-Husseini met with German foreign minister Joachim von Ribbentrop and with Hitler himself. Hitler promised al-Husseini that once the German troops reached the Arab world, “Germany’s objective would then be solely the destruction of the Jewish element residing in the Arab sphere…”

In 1957, a top secret document came to light, which revealed that Germany and Italy recognized the right of the Arabs to “solve the Jewish question” in Palestine and other Arab nations. During the meeting, Hitler told the Mufti: “Germany is resolved, step by step, to ask one European nation after the other to solve its Jewish problem, and at the proper time to direct a similar appeal to non-European nations as well.”

Between 1948-1949, 1000 former Bosnian Muslim SS members joined the Palestinians in their fight against the Jews.Hundreds of members from the 13th and 23rd SS Divisions volunteered as well.

In early 1948, 30,000 army veterans from various fascist forces created an army known as Black International. Some of the members included Nazi soldiers, a pro-Nazi renegade Soviet battalion, and pro-Nazi Poles and Yugoslavs, as well as the Muslim members of a brigade that al-Husseini had organized to fight alongside the Nazis. Black International attacked Jewish towns and kibbutzim.

A source close to the group commented: “These Poles, Russians, Germans and Yugoslavs…are the Arabs fighting for national liberation…Actually their cynical joy is unbounded at the double gift which has been handed them — the opportunity to butcher Jews, and get paid for it.”

After the Holocaust and the establishment of the State of Israel, white nationalists have continued to oppose Zionism. In 1976, an American neo-Nazi, Eric Thomson, used the term “Zionist Occupation Government,” alleging that Zionist organizations, working on behalf of an international Jewish conspiracy, are controlling foreign governments. The “ZOG” conspiracy remains popular among white supremacists and white nationalists. 

Just as Hitler once did, neo-Nazis have continued colluding with Palestinians in their quest to destroy Israel. In 1972, the Palestinian terrorist organization Black September carried out a massacre of Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics. Black September had enlisted the help of two notorious German neo-Nazis, Willi Pohl and Wolfgang Abramowski, to carry out the attack, though apparently the neo-Nazis were unaware of their exact plans.

Specifically, Pohl aided Abu Daoud, the mastermind behind the Munich Massacre, by helping him obtain forged passports, credentials, and other documents. Even worse, he helped Daoud obtain weapons. According to Pohl himself, “[I] drove Abu Daoud around Germany, where he met Palestinians in various cities.”

Former Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, David Duke, openly reviles Zionism. He’s made statements such as “the only Nazi country in the world is Israel,” echoing the sentiments of many Islamists and those on the far left today. Just recently, David Duke, along with fellow white supremacists Nick Fuentes and Jake Shields, met with a number of pro-Palestinian influencers. Duke also coined the antisemitic slur “Zio,” now popular among many in the pro-Palestine crowd. 

THE ZIONISM IS RACISM LIBEL

In 1969, the United Nations passed the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. Both the United States and Brazil wanted to add a clause including antisemitism. The Soviet Union, which had been heavily oppressing its Jewish population since the 1950s, worried that such a clause would be used to rebuke them for persecuting Soviet Jews. As such, they included a counter proposal, which was a clause that equated Zionism to Nazism. That way, they could say that they were (rightfully) anti-Zionists, not antisemites.Neither clause passed.

But the Soviets were never covert about the fact that their “anti-Zionism” was actually just antisemitism. In the 1960s, Soviet propaganda made blatantly antisemitic claims, including: “The character of the Jewish religion serves the political aims of the Zionists,” “Zionism is inextricable from Judaism, rooted in the idea of the exclusiveness of the Jewish people,” comparisons of Judaism to the Italian mafia, and claims that Israel was merely a means to an end of Jewish imperialism and world domination.

On November 10, 1975, on the 37th anniversary of the Nazi pogrom of Kristallnacht, the United Nations, headed by the Soviet Union, Soviet satellite states, and over countries in the Arab League, passed Resolution 3379, declaring Zionism a form of racism. Absurdly, the resolution never defined Zionism, nor did it explain, how and why, exactly, Zionism is a form of racism. In fact, the delegate for Liberia stated that, while reading the resolution, he “anxiously waited” to see a definition for Zionism, and an explanation as to how Zionism is racism. Since he found no such thing, he voted against it. 

Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Russia all but admitted that Resolution 3379 had been nothing more than a Cold War propaganda ploy, calling it “a relic of the Ice Age.” In December of 1991, UN Resolution 46/86 revoked Resolution 3379. But while Resolution 3379 was repealed, the dark shadow of its legacy lingers.

THE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT IS NOT ABOUT RACE

Many people in the west, particularly in the United States, only understand oppressor-oppressed dynamics through the lens of race and white supremacy. Given the history of their country, that makes sense. Many anti-Israel activists are weaponizing this ignorance by framing the Israelis in the conflict as the “white people” and the Palestinians as the “people of color.” For example, in 2021, Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind of the October 7 massacre, compared himself and the Palestinian people to George Floyd in an interview with Vice News. Another example? Various anti-Israel groups have been pushing the “Deadly Exchange” conspiracy theory, falsely alleging that Israel is behind police brutality in America. 

Unfortunately, many people are falling for it. But what they don’t realize is that they are projecting their own experience of the world onto a drastically different region of the world, where the dominant force of oppression is not white supremacy but Islamist fundamentalism. 

Palestinians and Israeli Jews are both Middle Eastern people, with Middle Eastern ancestry, belonging to Middle Eastern cultures. The majority of Israeli Jews are Mizrahi and Sephardi Jews, whose ancestors spent many, many centuries continuously in the Middle East and North Africa. Ashkenazi Jews, whom many people incorrectly dub “European Jews,” can trace their genetic ancestry to Israel, have practiced a Middle Eastern culture for thousands of years, and were considered “Asiatic foreigners” for the centuries during which they were exiled to Europe.

Of course, racism and anti-Blackness exist in Israel. But they exist in the Palestinian Territories, too. Afro-Palestinians first arrived to what are now Israel and the Palestinian Territories via the Arab slave trade. The Arab slave trade laid the groundwork for the transatlantic slave trade most of us are familiar with; in other words, they established the routes.

Before October 7, some 11,000 Afro-Palestinians resided in the “Al Abeed” neighborhood in Gaza, translating, quite literally, to “slaves.” They are also derogatorily referred to as “abeed,” meaning slaves. This conflict is not between two different races, but between two opposing national movements.

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[adarinas]

(WIP) Resources Masterlist

*Note: a lot of these are geared toward American and/or English-speaking populations, my apologies, but plenty of them are global!

GENERAL

End Global Genocides Master Document | Another Master Doc | Tumblr Post - Links to Informational Articles/Websites

Donations: Fundraisers - Gaza, Sudan, Congo, and more | Doctors Without Borders | Care.org | World Central Kitchen | Operation Olive Branch | Islamic Relief USA

Discord: Global Strikes Against Genocide Discord Server

SUDAN

Eyes on Sudan | Sudan Solidarity Collective | Linktree - Sudanese Diaspora Network

Info: 500 days of war... | Sudan War Explained - Interview

Petitions/Letters: Stop Sudan War | Justice for Human Rights Abuse Victims in Chad and Sudan | Stop Arming Saudi Arabia and the UAE to stop the Sudan genocide

Donations: Sudan Funds | Tumblr Masterpost - Sudan Orgs/Fundraisers | Water for South Sudan

ROHINGYA

Free Rohingya Coalition

Info: CNN - Hundreds of Rohingya face drone strikes / ethnic cleansing in Myanmar

Spotify - Rohingya Culture Interview

Petitions:

Donations: Mutual Emergency Aid 4 Rohingya | Emergency Aid for Rohingya Orphans and Disabled Families

TIGRAY

Tigray Action Committee

Info: Omna Tigray - What's happening in Tigray? | Tghat News | UN Article from Sept 2023

Petitions/Letters: Petition - Demand Aid to Tigray | Stop the Tigray Genocide

Donations: Places to Donate for Tigray Tumblr Post | Ahwatna Relief

DRC

Friends of the Congo | Focus Congo | Congo Resources Tumblr Post

Info: DRC: Inside the world's forgotten war | Congo Genocide Explained - Interview

Petitions: No Tax Dollars to Fund Congo Genocide | Halt the Ongoing Genocide in Congo

Donations: SOS Congo (organized by Goma Actif) | IRC in Congo | Action Kivu

KASHMIR

Stand with Kashmir | Kashmir Masterlist Tumblr Post

Info: Kashmir - Paradise Lost (BBC)

Petitions/Letters: Stop Arming Indian Occupation of Kashmir

Donations: KASHMER

EAST TURKESTAN

Campaign for Uyghurs | Uyghur Truth Project | Camp Album Project

Info: Persecution of Uyghurs in China - Wikipedia

Petitions/Letters: Change.org - Uyghur Muslims

PALESTINE

Jewish Voice for Peace | USPCR Stop Gaza Genocide Toolkit

Info: Wizard Bisan, a Palestinian journalist

Petitions/Letters: Not Another Bomb | Amnesty - Demand a Ceasefire | Tumblr Post with Petitions | Ceasefire Now | (JVP) Tell Congress - Arms Embargo Now

Donations: Gaza Funds | Low on Funds Palestinians Fundraisers | Vetted Gaza Evacuation Fundraisers | Arab.org Daily Click | Middle East Children's Alliance

ARMENIA

Learn for Artsakh | Help Armenians Carrd | Artsakh Genocide Action Toolkit

Info: Denying Your History - Armenian Genocide

Petitions/Letters: Petition - Stop Erasing Armenian Culture | International Recognition of Artsakh

Donations: Fund for Armenian Relief | Armenia Fund | CARITAS Armenia | ARS of Eastern USA inc.

INDIGENOUS AMERICANS

MMIWG2S | Indigenous Action | NDN Collective

Petitions/Letters: Stop sterilizing Indigenous women without consent | Free Leonard Peltier

HAWAII

Info: Tourism's Negative Impact on Native Hawaiians | Noho Hewa Film (2008)

Donations: Hawaii Community Foundation

HAITI

Haiti Liberation Google Doc

Donations: Hands Together for Haitians | Haiti Outreach | Hope for Haiti | Twitter Thread of GoFundMes/Donation Links

WEST PAPUA

Free West Papua Website | West Papua Resources/Info Tumblr Post | We Need to Talk about Papua Carrd (last updated 2021 but has good info)

Info: United Nations - Indonesia: Shocking abuses against indigenous Papuans | Twitter Thread of Helpful Articles

Petitions/Letters:

ALSO:

The Kurdish Project

KEEP BOYCOTTING, PROTESTING, AND DOING EVERYTHING YOU CAN! FREE ALL OPPRESSED PEOPLES OF THE WORLD!

If you can't donate, share!

If you have any concerns with the links I've posted, please share! I tried my best to verify everything but please let me know if you are doubtful of something! Also, please please share other resources from people who are directly impacted by these genocides!!

LAST UPDATED SEPTEMBER 16 2024.

[the-garbanzo-annex-jr]

by Jaryn Crouson

Professors connected to anti-Israel protests head programs that received millions of taxpayer dollars, according to a report released Wednesday by government transparency group Open The Books.

The Department of Education has spent $283 million on foreign studies grants since 2020, with over $22.1 million going towards programs studying the Middle East, Open The Books found. The study analyzed the top three grant recipients, Indiana University, Columbia University and Georgetown University, and found that each highlighted anti-Israel professors as distinguished staff in their programs.

“These universities all have multibillion dollar endowments,” Amber Todoroff, deputy policy editor at Open The Books, told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “They get tax breaks, government-backed student loans, and enormous sums through federal grants and contracts. Through these Title VI grants, they’re getting funding specifically for departments that have hosted radical professors, instigating shameful protests nationwide. It’s high time Congress takes a closer look at how this money is being spent, and, with so many new ways to learn languages and international culture, if it’s even necessary at all.”

Universities received these funds in the form of two different grants: National Resource Centers grants, which go directly to departmental programs, and Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) grants, which can be used to give students fellowships to study foreign regions or languages, according to Open The Books.

Columbia received $2.8 million in FLAS grants from 2020 to 2024, according to the report. Its program is meant to “examine transnational connections, develop Islamic studies, and deepen specialist expertise on the region,” according to Columbia’s 2018 grant proposal.

The 2018 application mentioned Joseph Massad, a professor in the Middle Eastern, South Asian and African Studies department, as a selling point for the university’s program, noting that his classes “focus on the modern history, gender, political economy, international relations, politics and culture of the region.” The university received $653,632 in an FLAS grant in the 2022-2023 school year that was used in part to fund a fellowship for a student to take Massad’s “Gender and Sexuality in the Arab World” class, according to Open The Books.

Massad was alleged by students to be biased “against both Israel and the West” in his classes, according to Open The Books, citing nonprofit group Middle East Forum. The professor published an article the day after Hamas’ attack in 2023 calling it a “stunning victory,” and he gave a talk at the university in 2002 titled “On Zionism and Jewish Supremacy.”

Columbia experienced intense anti-Israel campus protests during the spring semester that resulted in over 100 arrests and multiple safety concerns. (RELATED: Many Pro-Palestinian Protesters Remain In ‘Good Standing’ At Columbia)

🧵On October 8, Professor Joseph Massad described the Oct. 7 brutal terror attack as “awesome” and a “stunning victory.” He also happens to be the chair of an important academic approval Committee. Watch as @Columbia President claims: “he is no longer a chair of that… pic.twitter.com/rRU32HQnTv — House Committee on Education & the Workforce (@EdWorkforceCmte) April 17, 2024

Indiana University raked in $2.84 million in federal grants from 2020 to 2023 for its Middle East program, and touted professor Abdulkader Sinno its 2018 grant application for his specialization in “the evolution and outcomes of civil wars, ethnic strife and other territorial conflicts; Muslim representation in Western liberal democracies; Islamist parties’ participation in elections,” according the report. Sinno reportedly served as a faculty advisor for the university’s Palestinian Solidarity Committee, which was involved in hosting an “anti-Israel counter protest” where members confronted participants of a Hillel demonstration.

Sinno attempted to sidestep university policies to host the pro-Palestinian speaker Miko Peled for the organization, booking the speaker as an academic event rather than student event, according to the university’s students newspaper, the Indiana Daily Student. The decision led to a two-semester suspension from teaching and a year suspension from advising student groups, according to Open The Books.

Even after the suspension, Sinno gave a speech at an “alternative” graduation for anti-Israel activists during which he praised them for being part of a “proud tradition” and said that their protesting showed “empathy and caring,” according to WFYI.

More than 50 protesters were arrested on Indiana University’s campus in April after a clash with police that left multiple injured, according to Fox 59.

Georgetown received $2.64 million from the Department of Education from 2020 to 2023 in FLAS funding, and it named Associate Professor and Director of Georgetown’s Center for Contemporary Arab Studies Dr. Fida Adely in its 2018 grant proposal, the report found. Adely is a member of the Faculty for Justice in Palestine’s National Advisory Board, according to Open The Books, which is a group that “encourages academic and cultural boycotts of Israel and Israeli academic institutions,” according to its website.

Hundreds rallied on Georgetown’s campus during the spring semester, hosting an encampment that lasted more than a week and scuffled with police, according to the university’s student newspaper, The Hoya. Adely participated in an October rally, calling on the university to divest from Israel-linked companies, according to a separate student paper, The Georgetown Voice.

“By funding schools that teach radical ideologies and practice a far-Left DEI philosophy, controversial professors and administrators are also gaining access to a vast ecosystem of tax dollars, and influence over impressionable young people,” the report concluded. “These funds can be used to advance their research, build their standing as credentialed academics, gain tenure, and impact international policy discussions. Meanwhile, our national interest in these grants comes into considerable question. Are we encouraging more professionals who will be credible in these fields and represent U.S. interests, or more folks who are determined to ‘dismantle’ the ‘settler colonialism’ they see all around them?”

Columbia, Georgetown, Indiana University, Massad, Sinno and Adely did not respond to the DCNF’s request for comment.

[a-very-tired-jew]

Manipulation of Westerners by Hamas - A conspiracy that's not so much a conspiracy

Since the inception of the current war I have seen a number of people try to identify why Leftists are so quickly to defend Hamas's action and embrace/justify varying degrees of antisemitism. Often I see right wing authors point to DEI programs, safe spaces, and other such things. To me this is just another attempt at discrediting academia and they're using the guise of "fighting antisemitism" to push their narrative. I have found several neutral Jewish writers on the subject, such as Feldman from Harvard, who have addressed the long standing antisemitism within academia, politics, and culture. However, I have not seen anyone address the manipulation of Leftists by extremists as long standing tactic. What do I mean? Shortly after this began, Dr. Lorenzo Vidino of the George Washington University put together a small document titled The Hamas Network in America: A Short History. Dr. Vidino is considered an expert in these type of terrorist groups and has advised governments around the world for years. As such there is some contention regarding him and things he has said. However, this document is fairly clean of bias and lays out this network based upon evidence that the FBI collected through wiretaps and presented in a court case in the 00's. While it is a short document, I will not go over everything and just discuss the highlight. In 1993 a meeting was held in Philadelphia, PA, USA by senior Hamas members. The members of this meeting discussed how they could garner support from the West and protect themselves from scrutiny. One quote that stands out and highlights their intent comes from Shukri Abu Baker "I swear by Allah that war is deception, we are fighting our enemy with a kind heart. . . . Deceive, camouflage, pretend that you’re leaving while you’re walking that way. Deceive your enemy.” This statement of deception underscores the rest of the meeting and their subsequent plans. How do we know what was said? Well, the FBI had wiretapped the room the meeting was held in, so we have transcripts of their intent straight from their mouths. The strategy that the members come up with and discuss in the document has three approaches. 1) Charity & Fundraising.

In the meeting the Hamas members discuss how to raise money for their cause. They would fundraise inside and outside their respective communities, and that for every 5,000 that they raised for others they would send 100k to their allies. This type of behavior culminated in the USA's case against the Holy Land Foundation and associated groups. Many other charities have followed suit and have conducted similar behavior, hence why many charities focused on the I/P conflict are viewed suspiciously. There is not a good tract record of these groups actually getting the aid to the Palestinian civilian and instead funding terrorist groups.

2) Politics.

The members of the meeting stressed the need to influence Congress, the general American public, and to garner political support. They emphasized that they needed a neutral organization that would not publicly state it supported Hamas or other terrorist organizations and could deceive the general public into thinking they didn't. They would use neutral language and simply try to sway politics. Members of this meeting then went on to help found CAIR (specifically Omar Ahmed and Nihad Awad).

3) Research and Outreach.

Within the meeting they repeatedly emphasize that their violent rhetoric would upset the Westerners that would likely support them. As such, they needed to change the way they spoke to outsiders, change the perceptions of them, and influence progressives through coopting their language. They state that you need to use the language that the American progressive sympathizes with and couch things in terminology such as "oppressor", "colonist", and so on. One method that was suggested, and employed, was to infiltrate academia and produce research that was biased towards their ideals.

“This can be achieved by infiltrating the American media outlets, universities and research centers." - Omar Ahmed For example, The United Association for Studies and Research was created by members of this group and is a think tank outside of Chicago. The organization is considered defunct now, but its members went on to other positions in politics, academia, think tanks, and research. Think about that. Members of Hamas's network have become professors at colleges and universities. These are institutions where many young adults go to round out the beliefs they began developing in their early teens. This means that they're extremely passionate, but also easily manipulated. I personally remember the anti-GMO craze of the 00's and 10's and how every college campus was full of anti-GMO student activists claiming wild conspiracies about the danger of them. Now? That movement mostly gone and relegated to the corners where anti-science and pseudoscience believers dwell. But more importantly, a lot of that activism was manufactured by outside agitators with malicious intent disguised as benign activists.

In regards to the current group of young adult activists in the West (the majority are Zoomers and Millenials), they have been consuming material from academics with questionable intent that has been wrapped in language they resonate with. That makes the 3rd tactic of the Philadelphia Meeting the most dangerous one to me. For all the concern about academia "brainwashing our youth" there is a very real element of manipulation by academics who have allegiances and/or sympathy to terrorist groups and ideals. But they hide it in academic speak to make the general public think that they're not endorsing violent and hateful rhetoric. All of this feels like a conspiracy theory that has me linking red string to photos like Charlie from Always Sunny... but this is real. The FBI wiretapped a meeting and presented their transcripts back in the 00s. So some part of the USA knew that this was happening, knew that this manipulation was going on...and just allowed it. Bringing awareness is just a small step into addressing something that, to me, is quite scary to consider.

[lesbianchemicalplant]

lmao the OP of this post about that “survey on Holocaust awareness in the Netherlands” by the Claims Conference has blocked me for some reason

anyhow, to have a version I can still reblog: this response is correct, and I'll copy over what I added on in my own reblog at the time:

Criticism On May 19, 2006, The Jewish Chronicle revealed that the Claims Conference highest-paid official, executive vice-president Gideon Taylor, was awarded $437,811 (£240,000) in salary and pension (2004 numbers). An advisor to British survivors in compensation claims in the 1990s, Dr Pinto-Duschinsky, commented: “It is wrong for the executive vice-president to earn annually the same as the compensation for several hundred former slave laborers. The moral authority of the leading Jewish organizations is gravely weakened by excessively high salaries for top officials.”[21] One of the most outspoken critics of the Claims Conference is Isi Leibler, the former chairman of the Governing Board of the World Jewish Congress, who cites allegations of incompetence, impropriety and cover-ups as well as the absence of an independent review board, bureaucratization and a domination by a small clique.[22][23] In an article of The Jerusalem Post he says that “the richest Jewish foundation in the world, has still failed to provide adequate financial assistance to elderly and sick Holocaust survivors who live in abject poverty in the twilight of their lives. An organization which boasts that it currently holds in trust $900 million in assets, yet fails to rectify such a condition, must be held accountable for one of the greatest scandals in contemporary Jewish life.”[22] The priorities of the organization have also been criticized. Among the critics is the Claims Conference own treasurer, Roman Kent, a Holocaust survivor, who told The Jewish Chronicle: “Survivors are suffering. Our only priority should be the survivors, and everything else should be secondary. We are spending money for thousands of projects, but the health of the survivors can’t wait. They are dying daily.” […] “I’m not saying that these are bad programs, but they can wait – or else they should be the responsibility of the world Jewish community, not the Claims Conference.[24] In a 2006 investigative report, it was claimed the organization, while having $1.7 billion in its accounts, finances welfare assistance for only 9,000 survivors while "tens of millions of dollars each year” are spent on management expenses.[25] Amidst this mounting criticism, the office of Germany’s independent federal auditor announced it was considering an investigation of the Claims Conference in June 2008.[26]

unfortunately, mainstream studying and reporting on antisemitism has been monopolized by institutions that are not trustworthy, and which broadly have either recuperated or aggressively suffocated any of our independent orgs for studying and reporting on antisemitism. you unfortunately cannot just take these kinds of orgs and their reports at face value

[banji-effect]

We, the undersigned organizations, write to express our urgent concern regarding dire and escalating violence in Israel and Occupied Palestinian Territory, which continues to result in significant human suffering and loss of civilian life.

We condemn all violence against civilians by Hamas and the Israeli military. In this critical moment, we believe it is imperative that U.S. policymakers take measures to immediately de-escalate the violence to prevent the further loss of civilian life. We urge Congress and the Administration to:

Publicly call for a ceasefire to prevent the further loss of life;

Prioritize the protection of all civilians, including by urgently securing the entrance of humanitarian aid into Gaza and working to secure the release of hostages; and

Urge all parties to fully respect international humanitarian law.

We implore Congress and the Administration to abstain from rhetoric that exacerbates violence and to unequivocally condemn all violations of international law. Over the last several days, the Israeli government has cut all food, fuel, and humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip. On October 12, Israel issued an evacuation order for the entire northern Gaza Strip, telling residents to evacuate south of Wadi Gaza. This amounts to approximately 1.1 million people. The U.N. is calling for this order to be rescinded, warning it will have “devastating humanitarian consequences.”

We again urge Congress and the Administration to publicly call for, and help to facilitate, an immediate ceasefire to prevent the tragic loss of more innocent Palestinian and Israeli lives. Thank you for your urgent consideration.

Sincerely,

Alliance of Baptists American Baptist Churches USA American Friends Service Committee American Muslims for Palestine Americans for Justice in Palestine Anera Arab American Institute Auburn Theological Seminary Center for Civilians in Conflict Center for Jewish Nonviolence Center for Victims of Torture Church of the Brethren, Office of Peacebuilding and Policy Churches for Middle East Peace Common Defense Council on American-Islamic Relations Demand Progress Democracy for the Arab World Now The Episcopal Church Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Fellowship of Reconciliation Freedom Forward Friends Committee on National Legislation Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect Grassroots International Historians for Peace and Democracy If Not Now Institute for Policy Studies New Internationalism Project International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN) Israel/Palestine Mission Network of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Jewish Voice for Peace Action Just Foreign Policy Justice Democrats Lott Carey Baptist Foreign Mission Convention MADRE Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns Mennonite Central Committee U.S. Minnesota Peace Project MPower Change Action Fund National Council of Churches National Iranian American Council Neighbors for Peace Nonviolent Peaceforce PAX Pax Christi USA PC(USA) Office of Public Witness Peace Action Project on Middle East Democracy Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft Quixote Center ReThinking Foreign Policy Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights RootsAction September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows Sojourners The Duty Legacy The Unitarian Universalist Association The United Methodist Church - General Board of Church and Society The Zomia Center United Church of Christ United for Peace and Justice UNRWA USA Women for Weapons Trade Transparency Working Families Party World BEYOND War Yemen Freedom Council Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation Yemeni Alliance Committee

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) had a temper tantrum in Congress during a hearing about Twitter yesterday, where she accused a gay former Twitter employee of “shadow-banning” her account over “a freaking joke.”

“Did either of you approve a shadow-banning of my account, @LaurenBoebert?” Boebert asked former Twitter employees Yoel Roth and Vijaya Gadde at a House Oversight Committee hearing yesterday.

The hearing was ostensibly about Twitter allegedly suppressing a 2020 New York Post article about Hunter Biden, but many congressmembers used the hearing to air grievances against the social media platform. “Shadow banning” is a term for reducing the visibility and reach of an account on social media, usually without that account owner’s knowledge.

“No I did not,” Roth responded.

“Not to the best of my recollection,” Gadde said.

“I know you looked at it because fascist Twitter 1.0 had a public interest exceptions policy, which means for members of Congress to be shadow-banned, it had to go before you, Mr. Roth,” Boebert snapped at them. “So, I’ll ask again. Did you shadow-ban my account, yes or no?”

He said “not to the best of my recollection,” to which Boebert responded: “So the answer is, Mr. Roth, yes you did!”

She claimed she heard from “Twitter staff” that Roth “suppressed” her account for a specific tweet about former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

“It’s a freaking joke about Hillary Clinton being angry that she couldn’t rig her election!” Boebert shouted. “It’s a joke! But in response, being the sinister overlords that you all are, you placed a 90-day account filter, so I could not be found!”

“Now who the hell do you think that you are? Election interference? Yeah, I would say that that was taking place because of you four sitting here.”

“This is fundamental to our nation’s governance and you all attacked that very foundation,” she said, referring to how visible her tweets allegedly were on the app’s search function.

“I’m not angry for myself,” she concluded. “I’m not angry because I was silenced.”

“I am angry for the millions of Americans who were silenced because of your decisions, because of your actions, because of your collusion with the federal government!”

Last year, Twitter CEO Elon Musk attacked Roth, posting a brief section of Roth’s thesis that mentioned Grindr and wrote, “Looks like Yoel is arguing in favor of children being able to access adult Internet services.” In December 2022, Musk also released internal Twitter records showing how the company initially suppressed the Post‘s Hunter Biden article.

Roth, who is gay and Jewish, told the congressional hearing that he faced “a wave of homophobic and antisemitic attacks” following Musk’s release of the records.

“Twitter has removed vanishingly little [of the attacks against me],” Roth said. “And following The Daily Mail’s decision to publish where I live, I had to leave my home and sell it.” He added that lower-level Twitter staff around the world, “had their families threatened and experienced harm equal to or greater than what I’ve experienced.”

[roscoebarnes3]

Humanities Council is a friend of Natchez

By Roscoe Barnes III

The theme song for the NBC show, “Golden Girls,” begins with the words, “Thank you for being a friend. Travel down the road and back again. Your heart is true, you're a pal and a confidant.”

As corny as these words may seem, they express the gratitude that I have for Mississippi Humanities Council and its contributions to Natchez. The council has been a friend, but even more, it has been an essential partner to Natchez, helping us to grow as we strive to tell our full history.

The council has provided many opportunities for our institutions to succeed in their areas of expertise. These institutions are telling stories, providing lectures, having dialogue, and discovering history that is preserved, presented, and publicized throughout the year. This is all being done, in part, by the resources provided by the council.

The success is no surprise when you consider the council’s mission, which is to “create opportunities for Mississippians to learn about themselves and the larger world and enrich communities through civil conversations about their history and culture.”

Just recently, the council and its board members paid a visit to Natchez for a two-day retreat. They met on Thursday and Friday, June 8 and 9, at Historic Natchez Foundation. During their stay, they conducted business and dined at local restaurants. They also toured some of our historical sites, such as Melrose, Rhythm Night Club Memorial Museum, and the Dr. John Banks House, where they held a reception.

Over the years, Dr. Stuart Rockoff, the council’s executive director, and his team have been staunch supporters of Historic Natchez Foundation, Natchez Historical Society, Visit Natchez, and Natchez National Historical Park. They also support the annual Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration. But that isn’t all. In 2021 and 2022, the council approved six grants for three of our museums.

Here's a list of other things the council has done over the last two years in its support of Natchez:

* In August 2021, John Spann, the council’s program and outreach officer, came to Natchez and spent the day meeting with the staff of Visit Natchez and directors of three museums: Rhythm Night Club Memorial Museum, Dr. John Bowman Banks Museum, and the Natchez Museum of African American History and Culture.

* Spann returned in July 2022 to lead a symposium on the subject of “Freedom.” The event drew a large audience.

* In May 2022, the council, along with Visit Mississippi, approved our application to have Natchez listed on the Mississippi Freedom Trail and the U.S. Civil Rights Trail.

* In October 2022, Rockoff spoke at the monthly meeting of the Natchez Historical Society, where he gave a talk on the Jewish history of Mississippi.

* In 2022, the council brought the traveling Smithsonian exhibit “Voices & Votes: Democracy in America” to Co-Lin in Natchez.

* The council also provides support through its Speakers Bureau, of which our very own Jeremy Houston and Galen Mark LaFrancis are members.

This list does not include the webinars, Zoom calls, and phone calls the council used to provide guidance on grant funding.

As noted on its website, the council is “a private nonprofit corporation funded by Congress through the National Endowment for the Humanities to provide public programs in traditional liberal arts disciplines to serve nonprofit groups in Mississippi.”

By supporting us in our efforts to promote the humanities here in southwest Mississippi, the council is doing what it does best, which is exactly what it was created to do.

In the book of Proverbs, we’re told, “There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (ESV). Mississippi Humanities Council, I’m happy to say, has been and continues to be such a friend.

 ----------------

Roscoe Barnes III, Ph.D., is the cultural heritage tourism manager for Visit Natchez.

Note: This column appears on the op-ed page (4A) of The Natchez Democrat (June 14, 2023).

[lordzannis]

On August 14, 1929:

The Pro-Wailing Wall Committee, organized by Joseph Klausner, held a demonstration with about 6,000 youths marching around the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem.

This was in protest of the 1928 Commission's conclusion that the Wall was Muslim property.

On August 15, 1929 (during the Jewish fast of Tisha B'Av):

Several hundred members of Klausner's right-wing group, including members of Betar (the Revisionist Zionist youth organization), marched to the Western Wall.

They shouted "the Wall is ours," raised the Jewish national flag, and sang Hatikvah (the Jewish anthem).

Some sources describe the demonstrators as "brawny youths with staves," though the Shaw Report later concluded the crowd was peaceful.

Rumors spread among Arabs that the procession had attacked local residents and cursed Muhammad, though these were not confirmed.

British response:

The Acting High Commissioner summoned Mufti Haj Amin al-Husseini and informed him that such a demonstration at the Wailing Wall was unprecedented and would shock the Jews who considered it a holy site.

Arab counter-demonstration on August 16:

After a sermon, a demonstration organized by the Supreme Muslim Council marched to the Wall.

At the Wall, the crowd burned prayer books, liturgical fixtures, and notes left in the Wall's cracks. The beadle was injured.

These events significantly heightened tensions between Jews and Arabs in Jerusalem and are considered a key trigger for the broader violence that followed in the 1929 Palestine riots.

The British government established the Shaw Commission to investigate the riots. Its findings highlighted the complex roots of the conflict:

Arab fears of Jewish economic and political domination

Disappointment of Arab political aspirations

Concerns over Jewish immigration and land purchases

The commission's recommendations led to restrictions on Jewish immigration, a move that pleased Arabs but deeply angered the Zionist movement.

A Legacy of Mistrust

The 1929 riots marked a turning point in Arab-Jewish relations in Palestine. They shattered any illusions of peaceful coexistence and hardened attitudes on both sides. For many Jews, it reinforced the need for self-defense and ultimately, a Jewish state. For Arabs, it galvanized opposition to Zionism and British rule.

Founding the Zionist Movement

First Zionist Congress: In 1897, Herzl convened the First Zionist Congress in Basel, Switzerland. This event is considered the formal beginning of the organized Zionist movement.

World Zionist Organization: At this congress, Herzl founded the World Zionist Organization (WZO), which became the primary institutional framework for the Zionist movement.

Ideological Contributions

"Der Judenstaat" (The Jewish State): Published in 1896, this seminal work outlined Herzl's vision for a Jewish state. It provided a political and practical blueprint for achieving Jewish statehood.

Political Zionism: Herzl championed the idea of political Zionism, which emphasized the need for diplomatic efforts and international support to establish a Jewish state.

Diplomatic Efforts

Meeting World Leaders: Herzl tirelessly engaged in diplomatic efforts, meeting with various world leaders, including the Ottoman Sultan, the German Kaiser, and the Pope, to gain support for the Zionist cause.

Uganda Proposal: In 1903, Herzl presented the British Uganda Program as a temporary haven for Jews fleeing persecution. While controversial, this demonstrated his pragmatic approach to finding solutions.

Organizational Leadership

Presidency of WZO: Herzl served as the first president of the World Zionist Organization from its inception until his death in 1904.

Zionist Congresses: He organized and presided over the first six Zionist Congresses, establishing a democratic framework for the movement.

Legacy and Impact

Visionary Leadership: Herzl's charismatic leadership and visionary ideas galvanized support for Zionism among Jews worldwide.

Practical Foundations: He laid the groundwork for practical Zionist efforts, including the establishment of financial institutions like the Jewish Colonial Trust.

Inspiration: Herzl's famous quote, "If you will it, it is no dream," became a rallying cry for the Zionist movement.

The Hovevei Zion (Hebrew for "Lovers of Zion") was an important early Zionist movement that preceded and laid the groundwork for the organized Zionist movement founded by Theodor Herzl. Here are key points about the Hovevei Zion:

Time Period: The movement was active between 1870 and 1897.

Achievements: They were responsible for creating 20 new Jewish settlements in Palestine during this period.

Goals: Their primary aim was to promote Jewish immigration to Palestine and establish agricultural settlements there.

Ideological Basis: The movement combined religious and nationalistic motivations, seeing agricultural work and settling the land as having religious and even messianic significance.

Approach: They sought to change the identity of the "exilic Jew" focused solely on spiritual religious life, aiming to reinstate the identity of the "biblical Jew" who combined spiritual and material religious life.

Context: The movement emerged in Eastern Europe in the 19th century, reflecting broader social changes and nationalistic trends of the time.

Religious Perspective: Prominent thinkers in the movement viewed farming and settling the land as having deep religious meaning, while still maintaining that the Torah was the foundation of Jewish existence.

Influence: The Hovevei Zion movement was a precursor to the more organized Zionist movement that would follow under Herzl's leadership.

Legacy: Their work in establishing settlements and promoting immigration set the stage for later Zionist efforts and contributed to the practical foundations of Jewish presence in Palestine.

Colonialism and Displacement

Many critics argue that the Hovevei Zion's settlement activities were essentially a form of colonialism, disregarding the existing Palestinian population.

The movement's focus on creating new Jewish settlements often ignored or minimized the presence and rights of indigenous Arab inhabitants.

Religious Justification

Some critics view the movement's use of religious justifications for settlement as problematic, seeing it as a manipulation of faith to justify political and territorial ambitions.

The blending of religious and nationalist ideologies has been criticized for fueling extremism and making conflict resolution more difficult.

Romanticization of "Biblical Jew"

The movement's idealization of the "biblical Jew" and agricultural life has been criticized as a romanticized, ahistorical view that oversimplified complex historical realities.

This idealization potentially contributed to a disconnect between the movement's goals and the realities of life in Palestine.

Economic Challenges

Critics point out that many early settlements established by Hovevei Zion faced significant economic difficulties and required external support to survive.

This dependence on outside funding raised questions about the sustainability and self-sufficiency of the settlement project.

Cultural Imperialism

The movement's aim to transform Jewish identity has been criticized as a form of cultural imperialism, imposing a particular vision of Jewishness on diverse Jewish communities.

This approach potentially marginalized or devalued other forms of Jewish identity and practice.

Relationship with Local Population

The Hovevei Zion's focus on exclusive Jewish settlement and labor has been criticized for setting the stage for later conflicts with the Arab population.

Critics argue that this approach laid the groundwork for segregation and unequal treatment of non-Jewish residents.

Historical Context

Some historians argue that the movement, while presenting itself as a response to antisemitism, actually contributed to increased tensions and antisemitism by promoting the idea of Jews as a separate nation.

The movement's goals have been criticized as unrealistic given the political realities of the Ottoman Empire at the time.

Long-term Consequences

Critics argue that the Hovevei Zion's activities set in motion processes that led to long-term conflict in the region.

The movement's legacy is seen by some as contributing to ongoing issues of land rights, displacement, and political tensions in Israel/Palestine.

Colonialism and Displacement

Many critics argue that the Hovevei Zion's settlement activities were essentially a form of colonialism, disregarding the existing Palestinian population.

The movement's focus on creating new Jewish settlements often ignored or minimized the presence and rights of indigenous Arab inhabitants.

Religious Justification

Some critics view the movement's use of religious justifications for settlement as problematic, seeing it as a manipulation of faith to justify political and territorial ambitions.

The blending of religious and nationalist ideologies has been criticized for fueling extremism and making conflict resolution more difficult.

Romanticization of "Biblical Jew"

The movement's idealization of the "biblical Jew" and agricultural life has been criticized as a romanticized, ahistorical view that oversimplified complex historical realities.

This idealization potentially contributed to a disconnect between the movement's goals and the realities of life in Palestine.

Economic Challenges

Critics point out that many early settlements established by Hovevei Zion faced significant economic difficulties and required external support to survive.

This dependence on outside funding raised questions about the sustainability and self-sufficiency of the settlement project.

Cultural Imperialism

The movement's aim to transform Jewish identity has been criticized as a form of cultural imperialism, imposing a particular vision of Jewishness on diverse Jewish communities.

This approach potentially marginalized or devalued other forms of Jewish identity and practice.

Relationship with Local Population

The Hovevei Zion's focus on exclusive Jewish settlement and labor has been criticized for setting the stage for later conflicts with the Arab population.

Critics argue that this approach laid the groundwork for segregation and unequal treatment of non-Jewish residents.

Historical Context

Some historians argue that the movement, while presenting itself as a response to antisemitism, actually contributed to increased tensions and antisemitism by promoting the idea of Jews as a separate nation.

The movement's goals have been criticized as unrealistic given the political realities of the Ottoman Empire at the time.

Long-term Consequences

Critics argue that the Hovevei Zion's activities set in motion processes that led to long-term conflict in the region.

The movement's legacy is seen by some as contributing to ongoing issues of land rights, displacement, and political tensions in Israel/Palestine.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The year 1948 was a pivotal moment in the history of Israel/Palestine, marking the establishment of the State of Israel and the beginning of the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Here's an overview of key events and their significance:

Declaration of Israeli Independence

On May 14, 1948, David Ben-Gurion proclaimed the establishment of the State of Israel.

This followed the UN Partition Plan (Resolution 181) of November 1947, which recommended dividing Mandatory Palestine into Jewish and Arab states.

Arab-Israeli War of 1948

Also known as Israel's War of Independence or the Palestinian Nakba ("Catastrophe").

Fighting began immediately after the declaration of Israeli statehood.

Israel faced invasion by neighboring Arab states, including Egypt, Syria, Jordan, and Iraq.

Palestinian Exodus

Approximately 700,000 Palestinians fled or were expelled from their homes during the conflict.

This mass displacement is referred to as the Nakba by Palestinians.

The refugee crisis created by this exodus remains a central issue in the conflict today.

Territorial Changes

By the end of the war in 1949, Israel controlled more territory than originally allocated in the UN Partition Plan.

The West Bank came under Jordanian control, while the Gaza Strip was administered by Egypt.

International Recognition

The United States recognized Israel immediately after its declaration of independence.

The Soviet Union also recognized Israel, though its support would later shift towards Arab states.

Humanitarian Crisis

The war and displacement led to significant humanitarian challenges for both Jewish and Palestinian populations.

Refugee camps were established in neighboring countries to house displaced Palestinians.

Long-term Consequences

The events of 1948 laid the foundation for ongoing conflict in the region.

The unresolved status of Palestinian refugees became a core issue in future peace negotiations.

Israel's establishment as a Jewish state raised questions about the status of its non-Jewish citizens.

The war resulted in a significant redrawing of borders in the region.

Competing Narratives

Israeli narrative often focuses on the achievement of statehood and survival against overwhelming odds.

Palestinian narrative emphasizes dispossession, loss of homeland, and the injustice of displacement.

The events of 1948 continue to shape the political landscape of the Middle East and remain a source of intense debate and conflicting historical interpretations. The establishment of Israel and the concurrent displacement of Palestinians created a complex situation that continues to challenge efforts at peace and reconciliation in the region.

The recent escalation began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing over 1,200 people and taking hostages. In response, Israel declared war on Hamas and began military operations in Gaza. According to Gaza's health ministry, over 33,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes since October. However, casualty numbers from Gaza are difficult to independently verify. The Israeli military has accused Hamas of using civilian infrastructure like UN facilities, schools, and hospitals to store weapons and launch attacks. UN officials have acknowledged this is likely occurring to some degree, though the extent is debated. Israel recently claimed to have found a large cache of Chinese-made weapons being used by Hamas fighters in Gaza. However, China officially does not sell weapons to non-state groups. Hamas receives significant support from Iran in terms of weapons and funding. They are also believed to smuggle in weapons from other sources. While Hamas has built up its arsenal over time, experts note that Israel still maintains vastly superior military capabilities overall. The conflict has deep historical roots dating back decades, with key unresolved issues including Palestinian refugees, Israeli settlements, the status of Jerusalem, and the possibility of a two-state solution.

https://www.972mag.com/lavender-ai-israeli-army-gaza/

https://www.972mag.com/al-mawasi-safe-zone-airstrike-gaza/

https://www.972mag.com/wadi-rahal-settler-soldier-attack/

[ramon-balaguer]

Based on my Belief, Faith, US Constitution and History, The United States of America 🇺🇸 Republic is an English speaking Christian✝️ Country Blessed by GOD👻 Jesus🎚️ through The Holy Spirit👻 of great Power 💥 Freedom 🗽 and Wealth 💰and in diversity of beliefs, cultures, ethnicities, languages, religions, and politics that both Divide US🇺🇸 internally and Unite US🇺🇸 under external attacks and ridiculous ridicule… But “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord…” Psalm 33:12

Is the United States a Christian nation? In 2009, President Barack Hussein Obama said speaking for himself and his Democratic Party, “…we do not consider ourselves a Christian nation or a Jewish nation or a Muslim nation. We consider ourselves a nation of citizens who are bound by ideals and a set of values.”

President Obama did not echo the words of his predecessors or post POTUS (watch Pause to Pray—short video clips of former Presidents expressing their faith). However, I beg to differ and the question still remains: Is the United States a Christian nation?

To answer, this question needs to be asked. . .

What is “a Christian nation?”

First, we must state the obvious. A nation can’t be Christian because a Christian is a person. Jesus🎚️ died for individual people. He paid the penalty for mankind’s sins, and when He saves a person, He regenerates the soul. A nation doesn’t have a real soul — but people do.

Now, we must also understand that if “a Christian nation” means that everyone in the nation is a Christian, then by that definition, the United States is certainly not a “Christian nation.”

However, if “a Christian nation” means that our Founding Fathers were GOD fearing Bible-Believing Christians who practiced their Faith and laid down a government and a social order founded upon Christian ethics, morals, and values (i.e., the teachings of Jesus🎚️), then, yes, we can be considered a Christian nation — but perhaps more accurately, a nation of many Christians; actually a Majority of around 70%

Historical Support

Historical documents support the intent of our Founding Fathers in building this nation as a Republic upon a Biblically Christian foundation:

The glory of GOD👻 and the advancement of Christianity can be found in almost all of the colonial charters.

The Declaration of Independence cites:

“… the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s GOD👻 entitle them …”

“…all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator👻 with certain unalienable Rights…”

“the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge👻 of the world 🌎…”

“And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine👻 Providence…”

The U.S. Constitution📜, which reflects the Christian✝️ worldview, recognizes Sunday as a day set apart for Honoring GOD👻 Jesus🎚️:

“If any Bill shall not be returned by the President within ten Days (Sundays excepted) after it shall have been presented to him, the Same shall be a Law, in like Manner as if he had signed it, unless the Congress by their Adjournment prevent its Return, in which Case it shall not be a Law.”

The Constitution of the United States of America, Article 1, Section 7

Personal Testimonies

John Adams, Letter to Thomas Jefferson, June 28, 1813

“The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were… the general principles of Christianity✝️ …I will avow that I then Believed, and now Believe, that those general principles of Christianity ✝️ are as eternal and immutable as the existence and attributes of GOD👻.” –

Abraham Lincoln, Proclamation Appointing a National Fast Day, Washington, D.C., March 30, 1863

“It is the duty of nations as well as men, to own their dependence upon the overruling power of GOD👻 and to recognize the sublime Truth🎚️ announced in the Holy Scriptures📖 and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose GOD👻 is the LORD🎚️.”

Grover Cleveland, The Public Papers of Grover Cleveland, Governor, 1883.

“Those who manage the affairs of government are by this means reminded that the Law of GOD👻 demands that they should be courageously True to the interests of the people, and that the Ruler👻 of the Universe🌌 will require of them a strict account of their stewardship.”

Teddy Roosevelt, address before the Long Island Bible Society in the Presbyterian church at Oyster Bay in 1901

“In taking a general survey of the concerns of our beloved country, with reference to subjects interesting to the common welfare, the first sentiment which impresses itself upon the mind is of gratitude to the Omnipotent👻 Disposer🎚️ of All Good for the continuance of the signal blessings of His🎚️ providence, and especially for that health which to an unusual extent has prevailed within our borders, and for that abundance which in the vicissitudes of the seasons has been scattered with profusion over our land.

Nor ought we less to ascribe to Him🎚️ the glory that we are permitted to enjoy the bounties of His🎚️ hand in peace and tranquillity — in peace with all the other nations of the earth 🌏, in tranquillity among ourselves🇺🇸. There has, indeed, rarely been a period in the history of civilized man in which the general condition of the Christian✝️ nations has been marked so extensively by peace and prosperity.”

Supreme Court Justice David Brewer in 1905:

In what sense can [America] be called a Christian nation? Not in the sense that Christianity is the established religion or that the people are in any manner compelled to support it. On the contrary, the Constitution specifically provides that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”

Neither is it Christian✝️ in the sense that all its citizens are either in fact or name Christians✝️. On the contrary, all religions have free scope within our borders. Numbers of our people profess other religions, and many reject all (religions). Nor is it Christian✝️ in the sense that a profession of Christianity✝️ is a condition of holding office or otherwise engaging in public service, or essential to recognition either politically or socially. In fact, the government as a legal organization is independent of all religions. Nevertheless, we constantly speak of this Republic🇺🇸 as a Christian nation – in fact, as The Leading Christian✝️ nation of the world 🌍.

President Woodrow Wilson, 1911 Presidential campaign speech

“America was Born a Christian✝️ nation.”

President Franklin Roosevelt, Christmas, 1944

“Peace on earth, goodwill toward men – America🇺🇸 must cling to that message. For it is my deep conviction that democracy cannot live without that True🎚️ religion which gives a nation a sense of justice and moral purpose.”

President Ronald Reagan was very well known for speaking boldly of his Christian✝️ Faith🎚️…

August 1, 1983, At the Annual Meeting of the American Bar Association, Atlanta, Georgia

“It’s not good enough to have equal access to our law; we must also have equal access to the higher law🎚️ – The Law of GOD👻.

President George Washington warned that morality could not prevail in exclusion of religious principles. And Jefferson asked, ‘Can the liberties of a nation be thought secure, when we’ve removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of people that these liberties are the gifts of GOD👻?’ We must preserve the noble promise of the American dream for every man, woman, and child in this land. And make no mistake, we can preserve it, and we will. That promise was not created by America. It was given to America as a gift from a loving GOD👻 – a gift proudly recognized by the language of liberty in the world’s greatest charters of freedom: our Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.”

Dallas Ecumenical Prayer Breakfast, August 23, 1984, Reunion Arena, Dallas, TX

“Without GOD👻, there is no virtue, because there is no prompting of the conscience. Without GOD👻, we’re mired in the material, that flat world that tells us only what our senses can perceive. And without GOD👻, there is a coarsening of society. And without GOD👻, democracy will not and cannot long endure. If we ever forget that we’re one nation under GOD👻, then we will be a nation gone under!”

A Christian✝️ Legacy

The legacy we leave to our children will direct their future. So, we must always remember and reflect upon our blessing of freedom and the importance of protecting our freedom. Let us give thanks to the only One who offers true freedom and pray fervently for His mercy on our country. May we always be mindful of the legacy we will leave to future generations and strive to make it Godly.

We must teach our children about Jesus, tell them of our country’s biblical foundation, and share the testimonies of the “great cloud of witnesses” from the Bible📖 and history. If we don’t teach our children GOD’s👻 Truth🎚️, the world 🌎 will teach them its lies.

A Son’s Testimony

After his father’s death on June 5, 2004, Michael Reagan issued the following statement, reflecting the kind of legacy given to him by a godly father and President:

“And as I look back over Dad’s 93 years, what puts me truly at peace is knowing that my father was fully aware of Who his God is. Not only did he offer up his presidency but he offered up his life a long time ago to serve his GOD🎚️Jesus.

And so now the peace I feel is knowing that my father has gone home to be with his GOD👻 and his Lord🎚️, and that is the greatest gift that he ever gave me.” Michael Reagan, June 7, 2004

Pause to Pray

Ask yourself, “Is America a Christian✝️ nation? Is it a nation of many Christ🎚️ followers who remember, support, and defend the biblical📖 principles upon which our nation🇺🇸 was built?

Take a minute and watch testimonies from former Presidents and evangelists of our day:

https://reasonsforhopejesus.com/presidents-prayed-professed-faith/

Pause to Pray for America. <*}}}><

U.S. PRESIDENTS SPEAK JESUS🎚️:

"It would be peculiarly improper to omit, in this first official act, my fervent supplication to that Almighty Being who rules over the universe, who presides in the councils of nations, and whose providential aids can supply every human defect, that His benediction may consecrate to the liberties and happiness of the people of the United States."-George Washington (1789-1797)

"It is essential, my son, in order that you may go through life with comfort to yourself, and usefulness to your fellow creatures, that you should form and adopt certain rules and principles, for the government of your own conduct and temper. It is in the Bible, you must learn them, and from the Bible how to practice them. Those duties are to God, to your fellow creatures, and to yourself."-John Adams (1797-1801)

"God who gave us life gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are of the gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with His wrath? Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that His justice cannot sleep forever."-Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809)

"My confidence will under every difficulty be best placed, next to that which we have all been encouraged to feel in the guardianship and guidance of that Almighty Being whose power regulates the destiny of nations, whose blessings have been so conspicuously dispensed to this rising Republic, and to whom we are bound to address our devout gratitude for the past, as well as our fervent supplications and best hopes for the future."-James Madison (1809-1817)

"Voltaire spoke of the Bible as a short-lived book. He said that within a hundred years it would pass from common use. Not many people read Voltaire today, but his house has been packed with Bibles as a depot of a Bible society. The Bible rose to the place it now occupies because it deserved to rise to that place, and not because God sent anybody with a box of tricks to prove its divine authority."-James Monroe (1817-1825)

"May I never cease to be grateful for the numberless blessings received through life at His hands, never repine at what He has denied, never murmur at the dispensations of Providence, and implore His forgiveness for all the errors and delinquencies of my life!"-John Quincy Adams (1825-1829)

"We who are frequently visited by this chastening rod, have the consolation to read in the Scriptures that whomsoever He chasteneth He loveth, and does it for their good to make them mindful of their mortality and that this earth is not our abiding; and afflicts us that we may prepare for a better world, a happy mortality."-Andrew Jackson (1829-1837)

"I only look to the gracious protection of that Divine Being whose strengthening support I humbly solicit, and whom I fervently pray to look down upon us all. May it be among the dispensations of His Providence to bless our beloved country with honors and length of days; may her ways be pleasantness, and all her paths peace!"-Martin Van Buren (1837-1841

"I deem the present occasion sufficiently important and solemn to justify me in expressing to my fellow citizens a profound reverence for the Christian religion, and a thorough conviction that sound morals, religious liberty, and a just sense of religious responsibility are essentially connected with all true and lasting happiness; And to that good Being who has blessed us by the gifts of civil and religious freedom, who watched over and prospered the labors of our fathers and has hitherto preserved to us institutions far exceeding in excellence those of any other people, let us unite in fervently commending every interest of our beloved country in all future time."-William Harrison (1841-1841)

"When a Christian people feel themselves to be overtaken by a great public calamity, it becomes them to humble themselves under the dispensation of Divine Providence, to recognize His righteous government over the children of men, to acknowledge His goodness in time past, as well as their own unworthiness, and to supplicate His merciful protection for the future."-John Tyler (1841-1845)

"Under the blessings of Divine Providence and the benign influence of our free institutions, it stands before the world a spectacle of national happiness. It becomes us in humility to make our devout acknowledgements to the Supreme Ruler of the Universe for the inestimable civil and religious blessings with which we are favored."-James Polk (1845-1849)

"In conclusion I congratulate you, my fellow-citizens, upon the high state of prosperity to which the goodness of Divine Providence has conducted our common country. Let us invoke a continuance of the same protecting care which has led us from small beginnings to the eminence we this day occupy."-Zachary Taylor (1849-1850)

"I rely upon Him who holds in His hands the destinies of nations to endow me with the requisite strength for the task and to avert from our country the evils apprehended from the heavy calamity which has befallen us."-Millard Fillmore (1850-1853)

"We have to maintain inviolate the great doctrine of the inherent right of popular self-government; to reconcile the largest liberty of the individual citizen with complete security of the public order; to render cheerful obedience to the laws of the land, to unite in enforcing their execution, and to frown indignantly on all combinations to resist them; to harmonize a sincere and ardent devotion to the institutions of religious faith with the most universal religious toleration....whilst exalting the condition of the Republic, to assure to it the legitimate influence and the benign authority of a great example amongst all the powers of Christendom. Under the solemnity of these convictions the blessings of Almighty God is earnestly invoked to attend upon your deliberations and upon all the counsels and acts of the Government, to the end that, with common zeal and common efforts, we may, in humble submission to the divine will, cooperate for the promotion of the supreme good of these United States."-Franklin Pierce (1853-1857)

"We ought to cultivate peace, commerce, and friendship with all nations, and this not merely as the best means of promoting our own material interests, but in a spirit of Christian benevolence toward our fellow-men, wherever their lot may be cast. In all our acquisitions the people, under the protection of the American flag, have enjoyed civil and religious liberty. I shall now proceed to take the oath prescribed by the Constitution, whilst humbly invoking the blessing of Divine Providence on this great people."-James Buchanan (1857-1861)

"That the Almighty does make use of human agencies, and directly intervenes in human affairs, is one of the plainest statements of the Bible. I have had so many evidences of His direction, so many instances when I have been controlled by some other power than my own will, that I cannot doubt that this power comes from above."-Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865)

"Let us look forward to the time when we can take the flag of our country and nail it below the Cross, and there let it wave as it waved in the olden times, and let us gather around it and inscribe for our motto: 'Liberty and Union, one and inseparable, now and forever", and exclaim: Christ first, our country next!"-Andrew Johnson (1865-1869)

"I believe in the Holy Scriptures, and whoso lives by them will be benefitted thereby. Men may differ as to the interpretation, which is human, but the Scriptures are man's best guide. Yes, I know, and I feel very grateful to the Christian people of the land for their prayers in my behalf. There is no sect or religion, as shown in the Old or New Testament, to which this does not apply."-Ulysses Grant (1869-1877)

"I am a firm believer in the Divine teachings, perfect example, and atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. I believe also in the Holy Scriptures as the revealed word of God to the world for its enlightenment and salvation."-Rutherford Hayes (1877-1881)

"My countrymen, we do not now differ in our judgement concerning the controversies of past generations, and fifty years hence our children will not be divided in their opinions concerning our controversies. They will surely bless their fathers and their fathers' God that the Union was preserved, that slavery was overthrown, and that both races were made equal before the law. Above all, upon our efforts to promote the welfare of this great people and their Government I reverently invoke the support and blessings of Almighty God."-James Garfield (1881-1881)

"It has long been the pious custom of our people, with the closing of the year, to look back upon the blessings brought to them in the changing course of the seasons and to return solemn thanks to the All-Giving Source from whom they flow."-Chester Arthur (1881-1885)

"All must admit that the reception of the teachings of Christ results in the purest patriotism, in the most scrupulous fidelity to public trust, and in the best type of citizenship. Those who manage the affairs of government are by this means reminded that the law of God demands that they should be courageously true to the interests of the people, and that the Ruler of the Universe will require of them a strict account of their stewardship. The teachings of both human and Divine law thus merging into one word, duty, form the only union of Church and state that a civil and religious government can recognize."-Grover Cleveland (1885-1889, 1893-1897)

"The importance for man and beast of the prescribed weekly rest, the sacred rights of Christian soldiers and sailors, a becoming deference to the best sentiment of a Christian people, and a due regard for the divine will demand that Sunday labor in the Army and Navy be reduced to the measure of strict necessity."-Benjamin Harrison (1889-1893)

"There is no currency in this world that passes at such a premium anywhere as good Christian character. The time has gone by when the young man or the young woman in the United States has to apologize for being a follower of Christ. No cause but one could have brought together so many people, and that is the cause of our Master."-William McKinley (1897-1901)

"Every thinking man, when he thinks, realizes that the teachings of the Bible are so interwoven and entwined with our whole civic and social life that it would be literally impossible for us to figure ourselves what that life would be if these standards were removed. We would lose almost all the standards by which we now judge both public and private morals; all the standards towards which we, with more or less resolution, strive to raise ourselves."-Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909)

"No man can study the movement of modern civilization from an impartial standpoint, and not realize that Christianity and the spread of Christianity are the basis of hope of modern civilization in the growth of popular self government. The spirit of Christianity is pure democracy. It is equality of man before God - the equality of man before the law, which is, as I understand it, the most God-like manifestation that man has been able to make."-William Taft (1909-1913)

"A nation which does not remember what it was yesterday, does not know what it is today, nor what it is trying to do. We are trying to do a futile thing if we do not know where we came from or what we have been about.....The Bible is the one supreme source of revelation of the meaning of life, the nature of God, and spiritual nature and needs of men. It is the only guide of life which really leads the spirit in the way of peace and salvation. America was born a Christian nation. America was born to exemplify that devotion to the elements of righteousness which are derived from the revelations of Holy Scripture." -Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921)

"What doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?"-Warren Harding (1921-1923)

"The strength of our country is the strength of its religious convictions. The foundations of our society and our government rest so much on the teachings of the Bible that it would be difficult to support them if faith in these teachings would cease to be practically universal in our country."-Calvin Coolidge (1923-1929)

"Menaced by collectivist trends, we must seek revival of our strength in the spiritual foundations which are the bedrock of our republic. Democracy is the outgrowth of the religious conviction of the sacredness of every human life. On the religious side, its highest embodiment is the Bible; on the political side, the Constitution."-Herbert Hoover (1929-1933)

"We cannot read the history of our rise and development as a nation, without reckoning with the place the Bible has occupied in shaping the advances of the Republic. Where we have been the truest and most consistent in obeying its precepts, we have attained the greatest measure of contentment and prosperity." -Franklin Roosevelt (1933-1945)

"The fundamental basis of this nation's laws was given to Moses on the Mount. The fundamental basis of our Bill of Rights comes from the teachings we get from Exodus and Saint Matthew, from Isaiah and Saint Paul. I don't think we emphasize that enough these days. If we don't have a proper fundamental moral background, we will finally end up with a totalitarian government which does not believe in rights for anybody except the State!"-Harry Truman (1945-1953)

"The spirit of man is more important than mere physical strength, and the spiritual fiber of a nation than its wealth. The Bible is endorsed by the ages. Our civilization is built upon its words. In no other book is there such a collection of inspired wisdom, reality, and hope."-Dwight Eisenhower (1953-1961)

"We in this country, in this generation are, by destiny rather than choice, the watchmen on the walls of world freedom. We ask, therefore, that we may be worthy of our power and responsibility, that we may exercise our strength with wisdom and restraint, and that we may achieve in our time and for all time the ancient vision of peace on earth, goodwill toward men. That must always be our goal. For as was written long ago, 'Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.'."-John Kennedy (1961-1963)

"If we fail now, we will have forgotten that democracy rests on faith....For myself, I ask only in the words of an ancient leader: 'Give me now wisdom and knowledge that I may go out and come in before this people'....Come now, let us reason together." -Lyndon Johnson (1963-1969)

"Today, I ask your prayers that in the years ahead I may have God's help in making decisions that are right for America, and I pray for your help so that together we may be worthy of our challenge. Let us go forward from here confident in hope, strong in our faith in one another, sustained by our faith in God who created us, and striving always to serve His purpose."-Richard Nixon (1969-1974)

"Without God there could be no American form of government, nor an American way of life. Recognition of the Supreme Being is the first - the most basic - expression of Americanism. Thus, the founding fathers of America saw it, and thus with God's help, it will continue to be."-Gerald Ford (1974-1977)

"Here before me is the Bible used in the inauguration of our first President in 1789, and I have just taken the oath of office on the Bible my mother gave me just a few years ago, opened to the timeless admonition from the ancient prophet Micah: 'He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God"-Jimmy Carter (1977-1981)

"Let us, young and old, join together, as did the First Continental Congress, in the first step, humble heartfelt prayer. Let us do so for the love of God and His great goodness, in search of His guidance, and the grace of repentance, in seeking His blessings, His peace, and the resting of His kind and holy hands on ourselves, our nation, our friends in the defense of freedom, and all mankind, now and always."-Ronald Reagan (1981-1989)

"The great faith that led our nation's founding fathers to pursue this bold experience in self-government has sustained us in uncertain and perilous times; it has given us strength and inspiration to this very day. Like them, we do very well to recall our 'firm reliance on the protection of divine providence' to give thanks for the freedom and prosperity this nation enjoys, and to pray for continued help and guidance from our wise and loving Creator."-George Bush (1989-1993)

"When our Founders boldly declared America's Independence to the world and our purposes to the Almighty, they knew that America, to endure, would have to change....And so, my fellow Americans, at the edge of the 21st century, let us begin with energy and hope, with faith and discipline, and let us work until our work is done. The Scripture says, "And let us not be weary in well-doing, for in due season, we shall reap, if we faint not." From this joyful mountaintop of celebration, we hear a call to service in the valley. We have heard the trumpets. We have changed the guard. And now, each in our way, and with God's help, we must answer the call." Bill Clinton (1993-2001)

++++++++++++

Inauguration Speech 
Saturday, January 20, 2001

This peaceful transfer of authority is rare in history, yet common in our country. With a simple oath, we affirm old traditions, and make new beginnings. As I begin, I thank President Clinton for his service to our nation. And I thank Vice President Gore for a contest conducted with spirit, and ended with grace. I am honored and humbled to stand here, where so many of America's leaders have come before me, and so many will follow.

We have a place, all of us, in a long story; a story we continue, but whose end we will not see. It is the story of a new world that became a friend and liberator of the old. The story of a slave-holding society that became a servant of freedom. The story of a power that went into the world to protect but not possess, to defend but not to conquer. It is the American story; a story of flawed and fallible people, united across the generations by grand and enduring ideals.

The grandest of these ideals is an unfolding American promise: that everyone belongs, that everyone deserves a chance, that no insignificant person was ever born. Americans are called to enact this promise in our lives and in our laws. And though our nation has sometimes halted, and sometimes delayed, we must follow no other course.

Through much of the last century, America's faith in freedom and democracy was a rock in a raging sea. Now it is a seed upon the wind, taking root in many nations. Our democratic faith is more than the creed of our country, it is the inborn hope of our humanity; an ideal we carry but do not own, a trust we bear and pass along. And even after nearly 225 years, we have a long way yet to travel.

While many of our citizens prosper, others doubt the promise — even the justice — of our own country. The ambitions of some Americans are limited by failing schools, and hidden prejudice, and the circumstances of their birth. And sometimes our differences run so deep, it seems we share a continent, but not a country.

We do not accept this, and will not allow it. Our unity, our union, is the serious work of leaders and citizens in every generation. And this is my solemn pledge: I will work to build a single nation of justice and opportunity.

I know this is within our reach, because we are guided by a power larger than ourselves, Who creates us equal in His image. And we are confident in principles that unite and lead us onward.

America has never been united by blood or birth or soil. We are bound by ideals that move us beyond our backgrounds, lift us above our interests, and teach us what it means to be citizens. Every child must be taught these principles. Every citizen must uphold them. And every immigrant, by embracing these ideals, makes our country more, not less, American.

Today we affirm a new commitment to live out our nation's promise through civility, courage, compassion and character. America, at its best, matches a commitment to principle with a concern for civility. A civil society demands from each of us good will and respect, fair dealing and forgiveness.

Some seem to believe that our politics can afford to be petty because, in a time of peace, the stakes of our debates appear small. But the stakes, for America, are never small. If our country does not lead the cause of freedom, it will not be led. If we do not turn the hearts of children toward knowledge and character, we will lose their gifts and undermine their idealism. If we permit our economy to drift and decline, the vulnerable will suffer most.

We must live up to the calling we share. Civility is not a tactic or a sentiment. It is the determined choice of trust over cynicism, of community over chaos. And this commitment, if keep it, is a way to shared accomplishment.

America, at its best, is also courageous. Our national courage has been clear in times of depression and war, when defending common dangers defined our common good. Now we must chose if the example of our fathers and mothers will inspire us or condemn us. We must show courage in a time of blessing, by confronting problems instead of passing them on to future generations.

Together, we will reclaim America's schools, before ignorance and apathy claim more young lives. We will reform Social Security and Medicare, sparing our children from struggles we have the power to prevent. We will reduce taxes, to recover the momentum of our economy and reward the effort and enterprise of working Americans. We will build our defenses beyond challenge, lest weakness invite challenge. We will confront weapons of mass destruction, so that a new century is spared new horrors.

The enemies of liberty and our country should make no mistake, American remains engaged in the world, by history and by choice, shaping a balance of power that favors freedom. We will defend our allies and our interests. We will show purpose without arrogance. We will meet aggression and bad faith with resolve and strength. And to all nations, we will speak for the values that gave our nation birth.

America, at its best, is compassionate. In the quiet of American conscience, we know that deep, persistent poverty is unworthy of our nation's promise. And whatever our views of its cause, we can agree that children at risk are not at fault. Abandonment and abuse are not acts of GOD👻, they are failures of love. And the proliferation of prisons, however necessary, is no substitute for hope and order in our souls. Where there is suffering, there is duty. Americans in need are not strangers, they are citizens; not problems, but priorities; and all of us are diminished when any are hopeless.

Government has great responsibilities, for public safety and public health, for civil rights and common schools. Yet compassion is the work of a nation, not just a government. And some needs and hurts are so deep they will only respond to a mentor's touch or a pastor's prayer. Church and charity, synagogue and mosque, lend our communities their humanity, and they will have an honored place in our plans and laws.

Many in our country do not know the pain of poverty. But we can listen to those who do. And I can pledge our nation to a goal: When we see that wounded traveler on the road to Jericho, we will not pass to the other side.

America, at its best, is a place where personal responsibility is valued and expected. Encouraging responsibility is not a search for scapegoats, it is a call to conscience. And though it requires sacrifice, it brings a deeper fulfillment. We find the fullness of life, not only in options, but in commitments. And we find that children and community are the commitments that set us free. Our public interest depends on private character; on civic duty and family bonds and basic fairness; on uncounted, unhonored acts of decency which give direction to our freedom.

Sometimes in life we are called to do great things. But as a saint of our times has said, every day we are called to do small things with great love. The most important tasks of a democracy are done by everyone. I will live and lead by these principles: to advance my convictions with civility; to pursue the public interest with courage; to speak for greater justice and compassion; to call for responsibility, and try to live it as well. In all these ways, I will bring the values of our history to the care of our times.

What you do is as important as anything government does. I ask you to seek a common good beyond your comfort; to defend needed reforms against easy attacks; to serve your nation, beginning with your neighbor. I ask you to be citizens. Citizens, not spectators. Citizens, not subjects. Responsible citizens, building communities of service and a nation of character.

Americans are generous and strong and decent, not because we believe in ourselves, but because we hold beliefs beyond ourselves. When this spirit of citizenship is missing, no government program can replace it. When this spirit is present, no wrong can stand against it.

After the Declaration of Independence was signed, Virginia statesman John Page wrote to Thomas Jefferson: "We know the Race is not to the swift nor the Battle to the Strong. Do you not think an Angel rides in the Whirlwind and directs this Storm?" Much time has passed since Jefferson arrived for his inaugural. The years and changes accumulate. But the themes of this day he would know: our nation's grand story of courage, and its simple dream of dignity.

We are not this story's author, who fills time and eternity with His purpose. Yet His purpose is achieved in our duty; and our duty is fulfilled in service to one another. Never tiring, never yielding, never finishing, we renew that purpose today: to make our country more just and generous; to affirm the dignity of our lives and every life.

This work continues. This story goes on. And an angel still rides in the whirlwind and directs this storm. God bless you, and God bless our country.

-George W. Bush (2001-?)

Inauguration Speech 
Saturday, January 20, 2001

https://youtu.be/3welTDYEfW0?si=XoKt8pz7kfQ2WmdQ

Pause to Pray for America. <*}}}>< 🙌🎚️🥰🇺🇸🙏🌎#REBTD😇

[ruminativerabbi]

The Anti-Semitism Report Card

I get a lot of mail, especially e-mail. Some of it, I always read. Some of it, I read sometimes or just partially. A fair amount, there just being so many hours in the day, I delete without reading. But I got, unsolicited, something in my inbox this week that was so eye-opening that I resolved not only to read it all (which I did, and without getting up from my chair even once), but also to share it with you all this week. It is the first annual ADL Campus Anti-Semitism Report Card, available to all by clicking here. It was not pleasant reading.

Like all eye-opening surveys built on careful research, it is filled with little details and tiny facts that, considered entirely on their own, would sound banal or even petty. You could say the same, I suppose, of a single brick from the Taj Mahal or the Parthenon: it’s only just a brick if you consider it entirely on its own, but nothing like that when considered in the larger context of the structure of which it has survived as a single, tiny part. Obviously, not every college and university in the nation was included in the study. (That would have been too gargantuan an undertaking even for an organization as well equipped to undertake such things as the ADL.) So, instead, a sampling of eight-five of the nation’s schools were chosen for study, some because they have an especially large number of Jews in their student body and others because they are widely considered—or at least up to now have traditionally  been considered—to be our nation’s finest, most desirable institutions of higher learning. When considered against the fact that there are just shy of 4000 degree-granting institutions of higher learning in the United States (click here for corroboration of that number), the number sounds low. But when the actual roster of schools included in the study is considered, that number sounds reasonable: if I had been challenged personally to make up a list of the schools that are the best-known and most popular in the Jewish community, more or less every single school that would have been on my list appears in the survey, as do also the college I myself attended and those from which two of my children got their degrees. So waving the survey away as not broad enough in scope would be, in my opinion, a huge error of judgment. As noted, you won’t enjoy your time spent reading. No normal person would. But this is something every American should read—and not just every Jewish American either. This is the social fabric of our country we’re analyzing here, the institutions that train our young people to take their place as productive citizens. To put it another way, what percentage of members of Congress in twenty-five years will be people who are in or who soon will be in college in the United States? Surely not 100%, but I’m guessing that a serious majority of our nation’s leaders in a quarter-century will be people enrolled as undergraduates in our nation’s colleges and universities in the 2020s. If they are poisoned as undergraduates with prejudice and bigotry, and if they are trained to see nothing abnormal in hating Jews or Judaism, then we are in, I fear, for a very rough ride. And be “we,” I don’t mean just we Jews. I mean we Americans, we who imagine ourselves to live in the world’s most enlightened democracy, in a nation where the civil rights of the citizenry are not only universally respected, but understood to serve, each in its own way, as the foundational principles upon which the republic rests.

Like all complex documents, this one gives up its secrets slowly. But there are also shortcuts to be taken: the ADL has actually awarded letter grades to the surveyed institutions based on their efforts to create a safe environment for Jewish students and to combat anti-Semitism on campus. A quick survey yields some surprising results and some expected ones. Some of our most prestigious institutions were awarded D’s: Cornell, Columbia, Barnard, Dartmouth, Johns Hopkins, Brown, Northwestern, Princeton, and the University of Pennsylvania. So were many others. But the list of schools awarded F’s is also interesting: some obvious institutions (Harvard, Tufts, Stanford, Swarthmore, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the University of Chicago) and some that came as a surprise to me (SUNY Purchase, for example, or the University of Virginia at Charlottesville).

Of course, these letters grades—both the high one and the failing ones—have to be approached with caution. The ADL site itself offers the following advice: “Just because a school has received a letter grade A or B…does not mean that the school does not have an antisemitism problem. It also does not mean that the school is in compliance with existing legal frameworks, including but not limited to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Similarly, just because a school has received a C or D does not mean that the school is failing to support its Jewish students. For example, some schools received lower grades relative to others due to the severity and prevalence of incidents on campus, administrative policies notwithstanding.) In other words, the grade is meant to address two simple questions that are merely two sides of the same coin: how safe would a young Jewish person be as an undergraduate or graduate student in the college in question and how rational a choice would that institution be for high school seniors having to decide now where to attend university.

Looking more carefully at the survey leads to some interesting results. Let’s consider Princeton, for example, which has always been considered one of America’s finest institutions of higher learning. When you consider Jewish life on campus, every box is checked off: active Hillel, active Chabad, kosher dining hall, Jewish studies courses, pro-Israel activities permitted, Jewish religious services held on campus, etc. Then, when you consider the school’s policies, it also sounds wonderful: Princeton publicly condemns anti-Semitic incidents when they occur, has a clear process for reporting anti-Semitic incidents, maintains an advisory council specifically charged with monitoring anti-Semitism on campus, etc. So that sounds ideal too. So how could such an ideal institution end up with a D? Well, that’s a different column, the one that takes note of the fact that the school has tolerated severe anti-Semitic and anti-Israel incidents, has permitted hostile anti-Israel student government activity, has not censured anti-Zionist student groups, and tolerates anti-Semitic guest speakers on campus. In other words, Princeton seems to have all the right councils and advisory boards in place, plus they seem not to tolerate but to foster Jewish student life. But when it comes to protecting those Jews from predatory groups whose rhetoric is clearly meant to intimidate Jewish students and to humiliate those who dare speak out as Jews or as pro-Israel advocates, the school seems to fall seriously short of its own theoretical agenda. Yet it also bears noting that things are improving: the school originally got an F, but was upgraded to a D just a few weeks ago.

The other schools I investigated were similar in many ways: all had formal policies in place decrying anti-Semitism and anti-Semitic bullying and all tolerated overt Jewish activity on campus under the aegis of the local Hillel or Chabad House. But again and again they fell down on the actual application of those policies when such decisions might anger the extreme leftist students bent on denouncing Israel and condemning any who disagree as murderers and torturers.  The University of Chicago, for example, earned its F not by not formally condemning anti-Semitism or by not permitting kosher dining or on-campus religious services, but by tolerating extreme anti-Israel and anti-Semitic rhetoric on campus—rhetoric that is threatening, intimidating, and insulting to Jewish students—and not feeling obligated to deal with the matter forcefully or conclusively. To make believe that Jewish students can walk past signs condemning IDF soldiers as terrorists or see “bring home the hostage” posters vandalized but left in place by the university without feeling—to say the very least—unwelcome is just the kind of fantastical thinking that seems to be the norm in the nation’s colleges. When the president of Harvard couldn’t quite bring herself to say that calling for the annihilation of the Jewish people (i.e., the murder of every single Jewish person alive, which was Hitler’s goal as well) was not quite severe enough to warrant intervention by the Harvard administration, that weakness of moral character cost her her job. That certainly worked for me. But applying that standard to tuition-paying undergraduates seems to be the problem here: we will not see real progress until the nation’s schools can bring themselves to understand that bullying and threatening the safety of Jewish students who are not willing to condemn Israel and, in effect, join their own enemies in calling for the destruction of the Jewish state, should result, if not in the offending student being arrested, then at least with that student’s expulsion from the school. That would certainly happen if violent rhetoric were to be levelled against Black students or Latino ones, or against gay students or against Asians. But somehow violent anti-Jewish rhetoric gets a pass in the groves of academe that no other kind of prejudicial language ever would.

I strongly recommend my readers to visit the ADL site and spend time with the Anti-Semitism Report Card. (The link is above in the first paragraph of my letter. If you are reading a print copy of this letter, the URL is https://www.adl.org/campus-antisemitism-report-card.) You won’t enjoy your time there, that I can promise you. But it will remind you, as it did me, that all is not lost, that we have allies and friends, that there remains the possibility of the nation’s schools taking strong, meaningful action on behalf of Jewish students. We’re nowhere near there now, regretfully. But we could get there—I truly do believe that. And perusing the ADL’s Report Card, in addition to horrifying me, also made me feel (even I can’t explain this) slightly hopeful. What has been ruined by inattention, moral laziness, and political ineptitude, is surely fixable if the will is there to do right and to do good. Why wouldn’t it be?

[rauthschild]

We are on the same page with this one. 

However, I would add that the goal here is to incite Iran to act.  This may happen when Israel gets the upper hand or if they put US troops on the ground in Israel.  There is a strong Ukrainian connection here, please watch this video:

Now we know why Zelensky was parading around the world asking for weapons and money, more on the money part later, but he was selling US made weapons all over the planet and most likely to Hamas and Hezbollah.  Zelensky is supporting Israel which is serving many aspects.  One he is Jewish and two, he wants the evidence destroyed that he was sponsoring terror.  Best way for that to happen is to make sure Israel wins in a big way.  The Biden administration will also need to make sure Israel comes out on top.

Let’s continue?

So, the Clinton Foundation and the Pope are talking “humanitarian aid”?  How noble of them.  I would like to ask you guys where are they getting the money to help Ukraine?  US Tax payer?  Or the Vatican and the Church?  Try the collateral accounts and the gold backed bonds that Hillary told the Chinese to use prior to the 2016 Presidential election.  “Go ahead use the bonds, I will be President soon and i will support this.”  Paraphrasing.  This we know from David Crayford’s writing back then and it was at least $3 trillion there.

So, how much do you want to bet that Hillary had gold backed bonds for her use?  Therefore, is it reasonable to assume that she needs the Ukraine to help clean those funds?  I would say a most definite YES.

On top of all this the EU has the Russian assets frozen in the amount of $300 billion, which I am sure they will confiscate and use (and mask their abuse of the collateral account bonds).

How do we stop this?  Find the bank wire transfers to all the recipients in the US Congress.  Lists were floating around the net, but I bet that Zelensky and Putin know exactly.”

Yes the trail leads to the Clintons who are really Rockefellers. They also control the WHO and the much of the UN. They are now making a desperate push to create a world dictatorship controlled by them.

[lesbianchemicalplant]

Criticism On May 19, 2006, The Jewish Chronicle revealed that the Claims Conference highest-paid official, executive vice-president Gideon Taylor, was awarded $437,811 (£240,000) in salary and pension (2004 numbers). An advisor to British survivors in compensation claims in the 1990s, Dr Pinto-Duschinsky, commented: "It is wrong for the executive vice-president to earn annually the same as the compensation for several hundred former slave laborers. The moral authority of the leading Jewish organizations is gravely weakened by excessively high salaries for top officials."[21] One of the most outspoken critics of the Claims Conference is Isi Leibler, the former chairman of the Governing Board of the World Jewish Congress, who cites allegations of incompetence, impropriety and cover-ups as well as the absence of an independent review board, bureaucratization and a domination by a small clique.[22][23] In an article of The Jerusalem Post he says that "the richest Jewish foundation in the world, has still failed to provide adequate financial assistance to elderly and sick Holocaust survivors who live in abject poverty in the twilight of their lives. An organization which boasts that it currently holds in trust $900 million in assets, yet fails to rectify such a condition, must be held accountable for one of the greatest scandals in contemporary Jewish life."[22] The priorities of the organization have also been criticized. Among the critics is the Claims Conference own treasurer, Roman Kent, a Holocaust survivor, who told The Jewish Chronicle: "Survivors are suffering. Our only priority should be the survivors, and everything else should be secondary. We are spending money for thousands of projects, but the health of the survivors can't wait. They are dying daily." [...] "I'm not saying that these are bad programs, but they can wait – or else they should be the responsibility of the world Jewish community, not the Claims Conference.[24] In a 2006 investigative report, it was claimed the organization, while having $1.7 billion in its accounts, finances welfare assistance for only 9,000 survivors while "tens of millions of dollars each year" are spent on management expenses.[25] Amidst this mounting criticism, the office of Germany's independent federal auditor announced it was considering an investigation of the Claims Conference in June 2008.[26]

i need you all to be aware that a survey on Holocaust awareness in the Netherlands was recently commissioned by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany and the responses are frightening.

(as a reminder: more than 75% of Dutch Jews were murdered in the Holocaust, which is the highest percentage of Jewish Victims per country in Western Europe. it’s also where Anne Frank lived and went into hiding before she was deported.)

according to the study,

23% of Dutch Millennials & Gen Z (12% overall) believe that the Holocaust is a myth or has been greatly exaggerated.

22% of Millennials and Gen Z (12% overall) believe it is acceptable to support neo-nazi views.

54% of all respondents do not know 6 million Jews were murdered. 29% believe it was 2 million or fewer (that number jumps to 37% when only looking at Millennials and Gen Z).

only 50% of all respondents support recent efforts by Dutch public figures to acknowledge and apologize for the Netherland’s failure to protect Jews during the Holocaust.

53% of all respondents and 60% of Millenials and Gen Z did not list the Netherlands as a country where the Holocaust took place.

Holocaust denial and erasure is getting worse. I would expect this from the USA maybe, but i’m surprised and very very concerned to see this coming from the Netherlands, which is very highly ranked in terms of education and research. please like and share and post about this, we need people to know.

[the-garbanzo-annex-jr]

Dean of Students Mona Dugo said she showed up at the rally on Monday to support anti-Israel activists’ "right to protest" and to "protect the right to free speech," according to the Daily Northwestern.

Protest organizers demanded that the university end its relationship with Hillel, a 100-year-old nonprofit group that operates Jewish community centers on campuses around the world, including Northwestern. The protest took place during Northwestern’s Admitted Students Day, which seeks to introduce incoming students to campus life.

"[Hillel] is one of the many ways in which this university is complicit in infusing Jewishness with Zionism," one protest organizer said in a speech at the rally.

A leaflet handed out by protesters accused Northwestern of "funneling Jewish students into Hillel, the Zionist ‘foundation for Jewish life.’" It also claimed the school "weaponizes claims of anti-Semitism on campus to silence pro-Palestinian activism."

Protesters also accused Israel of "genocide" and called on Northwestern to end any relationships with "Zionist companies."

The protest comes as alumni have accused Northwestern president Michael Schill of allowing anti-Semitism to proliferate on campus, where anti-Israel protesters have raised the Hamas flag at student demonstrations. During Northwestern’s Martin Luther King Jr. memorial ceremony in February, a speaker accused Israel of "genocide" as Schill sat silently in the audience, the Washington Free Beacon reported.

Earlier this year, the Department of Education opened an investigation into alleged anti-Jewish incidents at the school. Last month, Jewish students also urged Congress to launch an inquiry into the university.

[mortonmattd]

Amazing Historical Events That Occurred on 4/1🎉 #shorts #history

Welcome to our look at amazing historical events that occurred on April 1st. On this day in 527 AD, Byzantine Emperor Justin I made a momentous decision: he named his nephew Justinian I as his co-ruler and successor to the throne. This decision would lay the foundations for the Byzantine Empire for centuries to come.

On this day in 1693, tragedy struck Cotton Mather's family. His four-day-old son died and was blamed on witchcraft. This event was one of the last witch-hunts in the United States.

In 1778, New Orleans businessman Oliver Pollock made a lasting contribution to the world of finance: he created the "$" symbol. This symbol has become a worldwide symbol of money and economic power.

On April 1st 1866, the US Congress rejected a presidential veto and made a landmark decision that granted all citizens equal rights in the United States. This was an important step forward in the civil rights movement and a major victory for the concept of equality.

Finally, on this day in 1933, Nazi Germany began its systematic persecution of Jews by boycotting Jewish businesses. This was the start of the Holocaust and one of the darkest periods in human history. These events are all a reminder of the importance of standing up for justice and equality.

We hope you've enjoyed this look at amazing historical events that occurred on April 1st. Be sure to stay tuned for more educational content.

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