Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on October 16, 2020

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In the months that followed New Yorks COVID-19 shutdown, Rabbi Marc Schneier of The Hampton Synagogue in Westhampton Beach set four goals for himself and his leadership teamto make The Hampton Synagogue the first major synagogue in the state to reopen, to launch their own television platform and build a global congregation, to adapt their annual Jewish film festival into a drive-in format at Gabreski Airport, and to continue the Jewish author discussion series in-person. He and his team managed to accomplish each of these goals, complying with all COVID-19 guidelines without compromising the quality and authenticity of programs offered.

In addition to reopening his own synagogue in May, Schneier was appointed to advise Governor Andrew Cuomo on how to best reopen all churches, mosques and synagogues in New York. Setting an incredibly high bar for the rest of the Jewish leadership in the state, The Hampton Synagogue increased its offerings to include open-air Shabbat services by appointment only, outdoor Minyan services every morning and evening, online services that can be accessed globally and televised services that reach more than 200,000 homes. Despite the speed, health and safety precautions were made a top priority, with temperature scanning, frequent sanitization, mask requirements and seating spaced six feet apart. The Jewish Week newspaper described the safety measures as arguably the strictest protocol [in New York].

Its really been a tremendous opportunity to lead the way and, particularly in the Hamptons, spring inspiration and hope in the midst of all of this uncertainty, Schneier says. We are the paragon for synagogues not only in New York State but across the country.

Schneier, an 18th generation rabbi, is considered a trailblazer in Jewish relations globally, which brings international attention to his synagogue. He led The Hampton Synagogue on the first Jewish mission to the Arabian Gulf country of Bahrain in 2018, and he was invited to the White House on September 15, 2020 to witness the signing of the Abraham Accords peace treaty between Bahrain and Israel.

The Hampton Synagogue is unique. Were in Westhampton Beach, which I believe is the crown jewel of the Hamptons, but were this global platform. Thats our reach, he says. The Hampton Synagogue is renowned for its magnanimous Jewish institution out here and in Israel. As an expression of that commitment, orientation and philosophy, we channel that spirit into bringing light, inspiration and hope, through our magnificent services, to many Jews across the world.

While Schneiers mission is global, his heart remains in the Hamptons. My great passion, my overriding joy, is my congregation at The Hampton Synagogue in Westhampton Beach, he says. I feel very very blessed to be ministering to such a community as this.

Extending their reach in Westhampton Beach, The Hampton Synagogue is working on a plan to build a new childrens center dubbed Jacks House, which is expected to open in summer 2021. It will be located across the street from the synagogues Kaylie Center. Its a new year, and for us, its a new beginning, a new chapter, Schneier says. Without hope, nothing is possible; with hope, nothing is impossible.

Its certainly a new year for Schneier personally, as well. Living primarily on the Upper East Side for his entire life, he is turning his Hamptons home into his primary residence for the next year and realizes what a privilege that is. I think we all feel very blessed and privileged to be out here. Ive commented to so many reporters during this pandemic that living in the Hamptons is like living in Disney Land. It has brought the community together in terms of how blessed and privileged we all feel while this virus is raging across the country, he says. We should be very grateful to be here in the Hamptons. Lets choose to magnify our blessings, not exaggerate our challenges.

To learn more about The Hampton Synagogue, visit thehamptonsynagogue.org.

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The Hampton Synagogue: Making Global Waves from WHB - Dan's Papers

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Posted By admin on October 16, 2020

YouTube is the latest social network to take action to limit the spread baseless conspiracy theories online.

The Google-owned video platform followed the lead of Twitter and Facebook by announcing an expansion of their existing hate and harassment policies on Thursday.

YouTube will "prohibit content that targets an individual or group with conspiracy theories that have been used to justify real-world violence", the company said in a blog post.

An example would be videos that threaten or harass users by suggesting they are complicit in the QAnon conspiracy theory.

Followers of the unfounded theory believe that US President Donald Trump is a secret warrior against an alleged child-trafficking ring run by corrupt celebrities and "deep state'' government officials.

Another internet theory - Pizzagate - promoted baseless claims that children were being harmed at a pizza restaurant in Washington. D.C.

In December 2016, a man who believed the conspiracy theory entered the restaurant and fired an assault rifle. He was sentenced to prison in 2017.

In July, Twitter announced they would be strengthening their policies on tackling content which could lead to "offline harm".

The social network banned thousands of accounts and blocked URLs associated with QAnon content, while also preventing QAnon tweets from being recommended to users.

Facebook meanwhile said they would remove pages, groups and Instagram accounts which "represented" QAnon, even if they didnt promote violence.

However, a recent report by the Associated Press found that QAnon content was still spreading online and being recommended to users. Industry experts have long advocated for "cross-platform" action against online conspiracy theories.

YouTube said it had already removed tens of thousands of QAnon-videos and eliminated hundreds of channels under its existing policies, especially those that explicitly threaten violence or deny the existence of major violent events.

The number of views of prominent QAnon-related channels from non-subscribed recommendations had dropped by over 80% since January 2019, according to the platform.

All of this work has been pivotal in curbing the reach of harmful conspiracies, but theres even more we can do to address certain conspiracy theories that are used to justify real-world violence, like QAnon, YouTube said on Thursday.

Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, said YouTube's new policy was "good to see" and showed the platform was taking threats around violent conspiracy theories seriously.

YouTube said it would be enforcing the updated policy immediately and plans to ramp up in the weeks to come.

But QAnon has increasingly creeped into politics in the United States, and analysts have suggested that the policy moves by social media companies were long overdue, coming three years after the conspiracy theory first appeared.

On Thursday, President Trump declined to condemn QAnon conspiracy theorists during NBC's town hall event and says he does not know much about the baseless theory.

Jonathan Greenblatt said the US president's ignorance on the subject was "unacceptable" and "shockingly irresponsible".

President Trump has previously retweeted accounts linked to QAnon and his supporters have been seen holding flags bearing the QAnon logo at election rallies.

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QAnon: YouTube bans conspiracy theory content that justifies real-world violence - Euronews

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Posted By admin on October 16, 2020

YES on Prop 17 Will Restore Voting Rights to Nearly 50,000 Californians Who Have Completed Prison Terms

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContacts:Shay Franco-Clausen, [emailprotected], 408-966-8157Rafael Medina, [emailprotected], 202.869.0390

SACRAMENTO, CA Today, the Yes On Prop 17 campaign announced a wide array of endorsements from leading national and state advocacy groups, Ben & Jerrys, and The Sacramento Bee in favor of Proposition 17, a measure on the November ballot that would restore the right to vote for nearly 50,000 Californians who have completed their prison terms.

Among the latest wave of national endorsers are Color Of Change PAC, Human Rights Watch, LatinoJustice PRLDEF, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc., National Urban League, R Street Institute, The Sentencing Project, and UnidosUS.

Proposition 17 would amend the state constitution so that all Californians who have completed their prison term would automatically regain the right to vote. The Yes On Prop 17 campaign is based on the belief that these individuals, having completed their prison term, are entitled to have their voice heard in our democracy, and that the current law is a relic of Californias 19th century efforts to disenfranchise Black, Latino, and Asian American citizens.

The campaigns website highlights the personal stories of Californians who have been impacted by mass incarceration and who would regain their voice in our democracy with the passage of Proposition 17. Read more here.

Nearly 50,000 Californians who have returned home from prison cant vote. They should be inspired and supported to reenter society to have a voice in their community, said Taina Vargas-Edmond, executive chair of the Yes On Prop 17 campaign and co-founder and executive director of Initiate Justice. This November, California has the opportunity to right past injustices by voting YES on Proposition 17, and were beyond humbled to have the exceptional leadership and support of todays endorsers, all of whom are committed to paving the way to justice for all.

In recent weeks, the Yes On Prop 17 campaign has also secured endorsements from Anti-Defamation League, Bend the Arc: Jewish Action, California Council of Churches, CAIR-California, Campaign Legal Center, Dolores Huerta Foundation, Immigrant Legal Resource Center, National Union of Healthcare Workers, Rock the Vote Action Fund, SEIU-UHW, Sierra Club California, UAW Western States, UFCW Western States Council, United Ways of California, Western Center on Law and Poverty, and many more. (The complete list of endorsers is below.)

Today, there are laws still on the books across the country that were enacted to stifle the political power of Black citizens, said Christopher Miller, head of global activism strategy at Ben & Jerrys. These laws stand as a relic of our nations history of racial injustice and amplify the damaging effect of systemic racism on communities of color. We encourage every Californian who cares about civil rights and social justice issues to vote YES on Prop 17.

Voting is supposed to be the foundation of our democracy, yet it remains inaccessible for millions of Americans, said Arisha Hatch, executive director of Color Of Change PAC. Felony disenfranchisement is one of our nations longest standing practices created to keep Black people from voting. It is time we do away with this archaic and harmful policy. With some states having restored voting rights for returning citizens, its time for California to get on the same page. We can only achieve a true representative democracy when all Americans can cast a ballot.

With Prop 17,Californiais taking the important step of ensuring that those who have completed their prison terms can fully participate in our democracy by restoring their right to vote, said Vanita Gupta,president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. Prop 17would amend the California Constitution and end disenfranchisement for people on parole restoring voting rights to nearly 50,000. We urge passage of Prop 17 to help dismantle the relics of racial injustice and combat voter suppression among Black and brown communities that are subject to unequal treatment in our criminal legal system.

Human Rights Watch supports Prop 17 as an important step towards fulfilling the states obligation under international human rights law to ensure voting rights for all citizens, said Alison Leal Parker, managing director of Human Rights Watchs U.S. Program. Ensuring the human right to vote means restoring and respecting the voting rights of any citizen who may have a conviction of any kind, and who has been released from incarceration, including people under probation or parole or who may owe fines and fees.

As the country slowly grapples with undoing the draconian consequences of previous criminal convictions Prop 17 poses an illuminating question for Californias general electorate: What exactly are you afraid of if persons who have paid their debt are allowed to vote? We cannot fear democracy. Not now. Not ever. Vote YES on Prop 17, said Juan Cartagena, president and general counsel of LatinoJustice PRLDEF.

Proposition 17 would put California in league with a growing number of states across the country restoring the right to vote to returning citizens. The legacy of structural racism in this country continues to result in a disproportionate number of people of color interacting with the criminal justice system and being incarcerated. Californians now have the opportunity to help right the scales of justice by affirming the right of all Americansregardless of their race, national origin, or criminal historyto have their voices heard on the issues and candidates that impact their lives, those of their families, and the communities in which they live and work, and to which they contribute, said Monique Dixon, deputy director of policy and director of state advocacy at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF), Inc.

Felony disenfranchisement is rooted in the post-Reconstruction-era crackdown on civil rights for Black Americans known as Jim Crow, said Marc Morial, CEO and president of the National Urban League. Unequal justice means Black and Brown Americans are disproportionately deprived of the most fundamental right under our democracy. Restoring the voting rights of returning citizens not only is a step away from our racist past, it is a step toward safer, more stable and more equitable communities. The National Urban League is proud to endorse Prop 17 and call on other states to follow Californias example.

We support Prop 17 because restoring the right to vote for those who have completed their prison sentences embraces human dignity and second chances, said Arthur Rizer, director of criminal justice and civil liberties and senior fellow at the R Street Institute. It means our fellow reentering neighbors are actually welcomed back into their community and civically engaged. And practically speaking, empirical research suggests that restoring voting rights might decrease reoffending rates by making individuals feel more connected with their communities.

Prop 17 would reduce the disenfranchised population by almost 50%, said Nicole Porter, director of advocacy for The Sentencing Project. California cannot claim progressive values while excluding so many from the franchise. In recent years, Colorado, Maryland, New York, and New Jersey all took steps to expand the vote for residents on parole. California should be next.

As 40% of the Californians on parole, Latinos understand the importance of restoring the right to vote to Americans who have completed their sentence and reenter their communities, said Jose Carmona, policy advisor at UnidosUS. While much work is left to be done to address the systemic inequities of our justice and electoral systems, Prop 17 signals a commitment to meaningfully address policies that marginalize communities of color and silence their voices.

If Proposition 17 is approved, California would join Washington, D.C., and 17 other states, both red and blue, that automatically restore voting rights upon release from prison. California will also become the first state to restore voting rights via statewide ballot measure since the 2018 passage of Amendment 4 in Florida.

Endorsements of Proposition 17 as of today:

Elected Officials:

Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, Congressman Ro Khanna, Congressman Eric Swalwell, Governor Gavin Newsom, Lt. Governor Eleni Kounalakis, Secretary of State Alex Padilla, Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, Assemblymember Kevin McCarty, Assemblymember Marc Berman, Assemblymember Rob Bonta, Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo, Assemblymember David Chiu, Assemblymember Kansen Chu, Assemblymember Cristina Garcia, Assemblymember Mike Gipson, Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez, Assemblymember Laura Friedman, Assemblymember Marc Levine, Assemblymember Evan Low, Assemblymember Ash Kalra, Assemblymember Sydney Kamlager, Assemblymember Kevin Mullin, Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva, Assemblymember Bill Quirk, Assemblymember Luz Rivas, Assemblymember Mark Stone, Assemblymember Shirley Weber, California State Board of Equalization Chair Malia Cohen, Candidate for State Senate District 15 Ann Ravel, former State Senate Pro Tempore Kevin de Len, State Senator Jim Beall, State Senator Bill Dodd, State Senator Lena Gonzalez, State Senator Scott Weiner, and State Senator Bob Wieckowski.

Cities and Counties:

City of Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arregun City of Berkeley

City of Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia City of Long Beach

City of San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo City of San Jose

City of San Jose Vice Mayor Charles Chappie Jones City of West Hollywood

Los Angeles County Santa Clara County

Activists, Community Organizations, and Business Organizations:

Activist Kimberly Ellis, actress Annie Gonzalez, #cut50, A New PATH, Advancement Project California, Alameda County Community Food Bank, Alliance for Boys and Men of Color, Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE) Action, American Association of University Women, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, Asian Solidarity Collective, Bay Rising, Ben & Jerrys, Berkeley Tenants Union, and Black Lives Matter California.

California Alliance for Retired Americans, California Association of Nonprofits, California Coalition for Women Prisoners, California Common Cause, California Calls, California Environmental Justice Alliance Action, California Families Against Solitary Confinement , California Health Advocates, California Immigrant Policy Center, California Latinas for Reproductive Justice, California League of Conservation Voters, California NORML, California Pan-Ethnic Health Network, Californians United for a Responsible Budget, Campaign Legal Center, CAUSE Action Fund, Center for Employment Opportunities, Chinese for Affirmative Action, Chispa, Chrysalis, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA), Color Of Change PAC, Courage California, Defy Ventures, Dignity and Power Now, Disability Rights California, Dolores Huerta Foundation, Drug Policy Alliance, East Bay for Everyone, Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, End Citizens United, Equal Justice Society, Equality California, Essie Justice Group, Evolve California, Fair Chance Project, Greenlining Institute, Homeboy Industries, Homies Unidos, Housing California, Human Impact Partners, Human Rights Watch, Immigrant Legal Resource Center, Indivisible CA: StateStrong, Justice LA, and Justice Reinvestment Coalition of Alameda County.

La Defensa, LatinoJustice PRLDEF, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area, Let America Vote, Los Angeles Regional Reentry Partnership (LARRP), MALDEF, Mid-City CAN (Community Advocacy Network), NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc., NARAL Pro-Choice California, National Center for Youth Law, National Urban League, Northern California Grantmakers, Our Revolution East Bay, Outten & Golden LLP, Pasadenans Empowering Parent Participation in Education Governance, People over Profit San Diego, Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, PolicyLink, Prison From-TheInside-Out Inc., R Street Institute, Re:Store Justice, Right2Vote Campaign, Rock the Vote Action Fund, San Bernardino Free Them All, San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR), San Francisco YIMBY, Secure Democracy, Showing Up for Racial Justice Bay Area, Showing Up for Racial Justice Marin, Sierra Club California, Sierra Club San Diego, Silicon Valley DeBug, Success Stories Program, TechEquity Collaborative, The Million Voters Project, The Sentencing Project, TheatreWorkers Project, Time for Change Foundation, Transformative In-Prison Workgroup, Transforming Justice Orange County, UnCommon Law, UnidosUS, Union of Concerned Scientists, United Way Bay Area, United Ways of California, UNITE-LA, We the People San Diego, Western Center on Law and Poverty, and Young Womens Freedom Center.

Criminal Justice and Public Safety Organizations:

American Probation and Parole Association, Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice, Coalition for Juvenile Justice, Law Enforcement Action Partnership, San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin, and Smart Justice California.

Faith Organizations:

Anti-Defamation League, Bend the Arc: Jewish Action, CAIR-California, California Council of Churches, California Religious Action Center (RAC-CA), Clergy & Laity United for Economic Justice, Friends Committee on Legislation of California, Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace, Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity, Jewish Center for Justice, Jewish Community Relations Council, LA Voice, Lutheran Office of Public Policy California, Multi-faith ACTION Coalition, National Council of Jewish Women, People Acting in Community Together, PICO California, and Unitarian Universalist Justice Ministry of California.

Unions and Associations:

AFSCME, AFSCME 3299, California Association of Nonprofits, California Federation of Teachers, California Labor Federation, California Medical Association, California Primary Care Association, California Psychological Association, California Public Defenders Association, Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County, IBEW Local 569, IFPTE Local 21, Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, Los Angeles Public Defenders Union Local 148, National Association of Social Workers (NASW) California Chapter, National Union of Healthcare Workers, San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council, San Diego County Building and Construction Trades Council, San Francisco Human Services Network, San Francisco Tenants Union, San Mateo County Central Labor Council, SEIU California, SEIU Local 1021, SEIU Local 221, SEIU Local 521, SEIU Local 721, SEIU-UHW, South Bay AFL-CIO Labor Council, UAW Local 5810, UAW Western States, UDW/AFSCME Local 3930, UFCW Local 324, UFCW Western States Council, and Valley Industry & Commerce Association.

Media:

Daily Breeze, East Bay Times, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, Long Beach Press-Telegram, Los Angeles Daily News, Los Angeles Times, San Bernardino Sun, San Francisco Chronicle, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Santa Barbara Independent, The Fresno Bee, The Mercury News, The Orange County Register, The Press Democrat, The Press-Enterprise, The Sacramento Bee, and The San Diego Union-Tribune.

Political Organizations:

Alice B. Toklas LGBTQ Democratic Club, Beverly Hills Democratic Club, Black Women for Wellness Action Project, Black Women Organizing for Political Action, California Democratic Party, California Democratic Party Black Caucus, California Democratic Party LGBT Caucus, California Democratic Party Progressive Caucus, California Young Democrats, Clairemont Democratic Club, Democratic Socialists of America Los Angeles, Democratic Socialists of America Orange County, Democratic Socialists of America San Diego, Democratic Socialists of America Santa Cruz, Democratic Socialists of America Silicon Valley, East Bay Young Democrats, Green Party of California, Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club, Libertarian Party of California, Los Angeles County Democratic Party, Peace and Freedom Party, Pilipino American Los Angeles Democrats, Richmond Progressive Alliance, Sacramento County Democratic Party, San Diego Democrats for Equality, San Francisco Eastern Neighborhoods Democratic Club, San Francisco Green Party, San Francisco Womens Political Committee, San Mateo County Democratic Party, Santa Barbara County Democratic Party, Santa Clara County Democratic Party, Santa Clara County Libertarian Party, Silicon Valley Stonewall Democrats, United Democratic Club, Valley Grassroots for Democracy, Ventura County Democratic Party, and West Hollywood Democratic Club.

Student Organizations:

Berkeley Journal of Criminal Law, Berkeley Journal of Gender, Law & Justice, Cal Berkeley Democrats, California High School Democrats, Underground Scholars Initiative UC Santa Barbara, and University of California Students Association.

**Media interviews are available upon request**:

Proposition 17 is sponsored by Yes On Prop 17, a campaign by and for Californians directly impacted by mass incarceration, and the following organizations: ACLU of California, Anti-Recidivism Coalition, Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law, Initiate Justice, League of Women Voters of California, Mi Familia Vota, Vote Allies, Voting Rights Lab Action, and White People 4 Black Lives. To learn more, visit yeson17.vote.

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LEADING NATIONAL AND STATE ADVOCACY GROUPS, BEN & JERRY'S, AND THE SACRAMENTO BEE ENDORSE PROPOSITION 17 - Civilrights.org

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Posted By admin on October 16, 2020

Tom Hayden (Eddie Redmayne) and Rennie Davis (Alex Sharp) were in charge of the National Mobilization Committees Chicago office, and both were former leaders of the Students for a Democratic Society. Hayden was an established organizer of student protests, including the occupation of campus buildings at Columbia University. Davis, the only defendant other than Hoffman to testify, offered a powerful account in court of his experience in Grant Park during the week of the convention, when multiple officers beat him to the point of losing consciousness.

Lee Weiner (Noah Robbins) and John Froines (Danny Flaherty) were both academics: Froines was a chemistry professor at the University of Oregon, Weiner a research assistant in the sociology department at Northwestern University. They were involved in the National Mobilization Committee, but unlike the others, neither was a leader of any group. And also unlike the others: Both were cleared of all charges against them at the end of the trial.

Bobby Seale (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), a founder of the Black Panther Party, was the final and most puzzling defendant. He had never met some of the seven before the trial, even though all eight had been accused of conspiring with each other to incite a riot.

Seale and Judge Hoffman were continuously at odds during the trial. Seales lawyer, Charles Garry, was stuck in California for health reasons and unable to travel. Seale repeatedly asked to represent himself and was repeatedly refused by the judge (whom he subsequently called a pig, fascist and racist).

After weeks of bickering, Judge Hoffman ordered federal marshals to bind and gag Seale during his appearances, a visual that stunned the country. He eventually declared a mistrial in Seales case, leaving seven defendants and sentenced Seale to four years in prison for 16 counts of contempt.

Sorkin didnt have to do much to spice up the story. The trial, which began in the fall of 1969 and lasted nearly five months, was defined by dramatics on all sides. The defendants and their lawyers, William Kunstler (Mark Rylance) and Leonard Weinglass (Ben Shenkman) openly defied Judge Hoffman in his courtroom. (Collectively, the lawyers and their clients were convicted of more than 150 counts of contempt.) Squabbles over procedure were constant, and the judge himself, according to the Federal Judicial Center, made few attempts to disguise his bias against the defense.

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What You Need to Know About The Trial of the Chicago 7 - The New York Times

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Posted By admin on October 16, 2020

Experts who track extremists say the loosely organized groups can serve as a gateway to radicalization and in extreme cases, that can lead to planned acts of domestic terrorism such as those described in the Michigan plot. Some of these groups deny being anti-government extremists. On the Three Percenters website, the organization states: We are NOT a militia. But a consistent thread among such groups is the idea that people should be prepared for an armed struggle against the government.

Thirteen men were charged on October 8 in what authorities say was a plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. According to the criminal complaint, the Michigan men did weapons training in the Wisconsin village of Cambria, and planned to bring Whitmer back to an undisclosed Wisconsin location for what they termed a trial.

The training site was outside of Cambria in the town of Courtland, at a rural home on about two acres of land. On October 8, a reporter from Milwaukees CBS 58 interviewed the owner of the home, Michael Jung, who said he belonged to the Three Percenters. Jung said he knew the men charged in the kidnapping plot and confirmed they had participated in paramilitary trainings there.

Columbia County Sheriff Roger Brandner said the FBI investigation found the Michigan men participated in training at the house for one day. He did not name Jung, but said the property owner was not a target of the investigation and was not facing criminal charges in the case.

The connection has put a spotlight on the presence of anti-government groups in Wisconsin. The Three Percenter group, researchers told WPR, is not tightly organized and is as much a brand that can be used by any anti-government group as it is an actual organization.

But there are indications that this group and other anti-government extremists are active in Wisconsin. A November 2019 post on a national forum sought to recruit Wisconsinites to the Three Percenter organization.

We are a national group with a heavy presence in Wisconsin, read the post. We are not keyboard warriors, we are very active and train all year round.

More recent posts on the same forum show members seeking to connect with other extremists. As recently as September, members discussed a training event and meet-up in northeastern Wisconsin. Such gatherings are not criminal, and many of those involved with extremist groups emphasize they are interested in self-defense or preparation for off-the-grid living, not acts of violence.

Javed Ali, a former National Security Council counterterrorism director in the Trump administration, said most group meet-ups dont lead in the direction of criminality but that the difference between a law-abiding group and one that leads to radicalization can be a very fuzzy line.

At some point, (the Michigan group) turned even from that orientation of being a militia and then started doing something much more sinister and dangerous that involved elements of terrorist plotting, Ali said.

Alex Friedfeld, an investigative researcher at the Center on Extremism at the Anti-Defamation League, said its not unknown for people who plan or commit acts of domestic terrorism to have first gotten involved with an established extremist group such as the Three Percenters.

Weve seen it become almost like a gateway for these other ideologies, Friedfeld said. People will get introduced to the Three Percenter concept first, then decide its something they like, and go down that rabbit hole and potentially get further radicalized.

Online rhetoric in the extremist forums is filled with violent fantasies. In July, one northern Wisconsin forum member wrote that, in the event of unspecified government actions to infringe his liberty, he will not go willingly or alive for that matter. But I am a tough SOB and I promise to take many with me.

Sam Jackson, author of Oath Keepers: Patriotism and the Edge of Violence in a Right-Wing Antigovernment Group, said the charged rhetoric often used by such groups is a form of strategic ambiguity. They stand in opposition to tyranny without stating clearly how they identify it or what appropriate action would be against it.

Is appropriate action voting? Is it engaging in a letter-writing campaign? Jackson said. Or does it mean something more conflictual, like arming up and going to a legislative chamber or arming up and going to an anti-Trump protest to intimidate those who are protesting Trump? Or does it even mean engaging in some sort of violence?

Rhetoric from such groups sets the stage for violence, Jackson said, while still allowing them the ability to disavow, for example, the accused domestic terrorists in Michigan.

Public health restrictions put in place to slow the spread of COVID-19 have been a focus of the right-wing extremist movement, which have drawn encouragement from President Donald Trumps opposition to many of them, including a tweeted call in April to LIBERATE MICHIGAN! Jackson said conspiracy theories about the imposition of martial law through public health declarations long predate the pandemic, including the frequent opposition in the groups to forced vaccination.

They have been ready and even preparing to see tyranny in different forms for years, Jackson said.

Ali, a longtime FBI official before his time on the White House National Security Council, emphasizes that the men arrested in the Michigan plot are accused of going much further than simply engaging in overheated rhetoric. For example, the men are accused of conducting surveillance on one of Whitmers residences. In Wisconsin, they are alleged to have practiced building improvised explosive devices, though the criminal complaint states that their improvised explosive devices failed to explode. They were said to be planning to blow up a bridge.

They took a number of active steps to further their plan, Ali said. This went way beyond aspirational chitchat.

Experts said the evidence points to the threat of domestic terrorism, both from semi-organized extremist groups and individuals, getting worse. For more than a year, Ali has been calling for an increased focus on the threat of domestic terrorism. And Friedfeld said the fact that the Michigan plot was disrupted by authorities doesnt mean another, similar group or individual cant still do serious damage.

The Michigan group tried to build an explosive, Friedfeld said. It didnt work, but someone else may have a little bit more knowledge. And there are so many way to hurt people that do not require a lot of still or training. Thats whats concerning.

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Gateway to Radicalization: Wisconsin cultivates extremism with ties to Michigan insurrection group - Milwaukee Independent

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Posted By admin on October 16, 2020

Californians are voting on a number of propositions that deal with a wide variety of issues this election season. Heres a closer look at Proposition 16, which deals with affirmative action. This is a summary of information taken from the official California voters guide and the website Ballotpedia.

Proposition 16: Would Allow Diversity as a Factor in Public Employment, Education, and Contracting Decisions. Legislative Constitutional Amendment.

A yes vote supports this constitutional amendment to repeal Proposition 209 (1996), which stated that the government and public institutions cannot discriminate against or grant preferential treatment to persons on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in public employment, public education, and public contracting.

Arguments in Favor

Despite living in the most diverse state in the nation, white men are still overrepresented in positions of wealth and power in California. Although women, and especially women of color, are on the front lines of the COVID-19 response, they are not rewarded for their sacrifices.

Women should have the same chance of success as men. Today, nearly all public contracts and the jobs that go with them go to large companies run by older white men. White women make 80 on the dollar. The wage disparity is even worse for women of color and single moms. As a result, an elite few are able to hoard wealth instead of investing it back into communities. Prop 16 opens up contracting opportunities for women and people of color.

Yes on Prop 16 means creating opportunities for women and people of color to receive public contracts that should be available to all of us, which improves access to quality education, both K12 schools and higher education, for all of Californias kids, a well as invests wealth back into our communities as opposed to continuing to allow the rich to get richer.

We live in the middle of an incredible historic moment. In 2020, we have seen an unprecedented number of Californians take action against systemic racism and voice their support for real change. At the same time, our shared values are under attack by the Trump administrations policies. We are seeing the rise of overt racism: White supremacists on the march, the daily demonization of Latino immigrants, Black people gunned-down in our streets, anti-Asian hate crimes on the rise, womens rights under attack, and COVID-19 ravaging Native American communities.

Arguments Against

The California Legislature wants you to strike these words from our State Constitution: The State shall not discriminate against, or grant preferential treatment to, any individual or group, on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education, or public contracting.

Those wordsadopted by California voters in 1996 as Proposition 209should remain firmly in place. Only by treating everyone equally can a state as brilliantly diverse as California be fair to everyone.

Discrimination of this kind is poisonous. It will divide us at a time we desperately need to unite. Politicians want to give preferential treatment to their favorites. They think they can fix past discrimination against racial minorities and women by discriminating against other racial minorities and men who are innocent of any wrongdoing. Punishing innocent people will only cause a never-ending cycle of resentment. The only way to stop discrimination is to stop discriminating.

Prior to the passage of Proposition 209, California and many local governments maintained costly bureaucracies that required preferential treatment in public contracting based on a business owners race, sex, or ethnicity. The lowest qualified bidder could be rejected. A careful, peer-reviewed study by a University of California economist found that CalTrans contracts governed by Proposition 209 saved 5.6% over non-209 contracts in the two-year period after it took effect.

Prohibiting preferential treatment based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin is a fundamental part of the American creed. Its there in our Constitution for all of us . . . now and for future generations. Dont throw it away.

Groups supporting Prop 16 include:

California Democratic Party

Los Angeles County Board of Education

University of California Board of Regents

California Labor Federation

California Nurses Association

California Teachers Association

ACLU of California

Anti-Defamation League

Top donors to Yes on 16:

M. Quinn Delaney ($5.5 million)

Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. ($1.5 million)

Patty Quillin ($1 million)

California Teachers Association / Issues PAC ($550,000)

Connie Ballmer ($500,000)

Steve Ballmer ($500,000)

Groups opposed to Prop 16 include:

Republican Party of California

American Civil Rights Institute

American Freedom Alliance

Association for Education Fairness

Chinese American Civic Action Alliance

Students for Fair Admissions, Inc.

Top donors to No on 16:

Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. ($50,000)

Gail Heriot ($30,000)

Frank Xu ($10,000)

IvyMax, Inc. ($10,000)

Susan Xu ($10,000)

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Posted By admin on October 14, 2020

Al-Qaedas main media wing, Al-Sahab Media Foundation, released a statement on Tuesday condemning the normalization deal between Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. It also urged Muslim scholars to mobilize Muslims to overthrow what it called the toadies of the West and despotic regimes, reveals a report shared exclusively with JNS by the Middle East Media Research Institutes Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor.

According to the MEMRI JTTM report, the terrorist groups central command also stated that American and Israeli interests, embassies, companies and combatant nationals shall be legitimate targets.

In the two-page statement titled Statement on the Normalization of Ties With Israel by Arab Zionists, released in Arabic and English, Al-Qaeda began by condemning the deal, saying: The complete sell-out of the Palestinian cause by the rulers of the Gulf statelets and the normalization of political, economic and diplomatic relations with the Zionist state that occupies Jerusalem and the Masjid Al-Aqsa, the destination of the night journey of the Prophet (peace be upon him), should hardly surprise anyone.

The group further said: This is what was precisely expected from the rulers of the Gulf statelets who are spearheading the Crusade in the Arabian Peninsula. Nor should it surprise anyone that their Crusader master, [U.S. President Donald] Trump, exposed their treachery.

Separately, according to another JTTM report, in a video marking the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attack, Al-Qaedas leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri denounced in a video what he called The Deal of the Century or the Crusade of the Century, sponsored by Trump.

The post Al-Qaeda slams UAE, Bahrain for normalization with Israel; calls for attacks appeared first on JNS.org.

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Posted By admin on October 14, 2020

Around 90 percent of Twitter discourse in Arabic was against Abu Dhabis recent treaty with Israel, but pro-Emirati news outlets cite polls showing most Arabs supporting the deal.

An Israeli government study has found that the overwhelming amount of Twitter chatter in Arabic on Twitter was against the recent deal between Israel and the UAE.

A report released by Israels Ministry of Strategic Affairs found that 90 percent of Arabic language tweets and hashtags concerning the treaty were negative with just five percent positive.

The research by Israeli officials, which covered the period between August 12 and September 8, found that 45 percent of tweets characterised the deal between Israel and Abu Dhabi as a betrayal of the Palestinian cause, while 27 percent objected to the signing of any agreement with Zionists.

The findings run contrary to a Zogby poll published by the pro-Emirati news outlet, Sky News Arabia, which found majorities in Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE in favour of the deal.

It should be noted that with the relative exception of Jordan, the remaining states closely monitor their populations for dissenting views.

A separate study by the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies (ACRPS), which ran between November 2019 and September 2020 and found that overwhelming majorities in all Arab countries rejected normalisation with Israel, including in Saudi Arabia.

The findings released earlier in October, said 88 percent of Arabs were opposed to normalising relations, with just six percent in support.

Reasons for opposing normalisation

Many across the region refuse to accept normalisation so long as Israel continues to occupy Palestinian land, including the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza.

The founding of the state of Israel in 1948 involved the ethnic cleansing of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians and the appropriation of their land and homes by Zionist forces.

Seven decades later, these refugees and their descendants are still not allowed to return to their homes, with a majority living in neighbouring Arab states.

Military occupation comes coupled with frequent abuses against the Palestinian population, including arbitrary arrests, restrictions on movement, and frequent killings of protesters.

Israel has entrenched the occupation with its policy of illegal settlement building and expansion, which has created a two-tier system in the occupied West Bank, where Jewish settlers enjoy privileged access to roads, arable land, and water resources.

These conditions have long kept Arab public opinion on the side of the Palestinians and despite most Arab states functioning as autocratic dictatorships, rulers were cautious not to be seen as too close to Israel.

That situation has changed in the last decade with Gulf states in particular first establishing clandestine ties with Israel and later establishing full relations.

Leading this paradigm shift has been the UAEs Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed.

Bin Zayed initially established backchannels with the Israelis as the two states' interests converged on the issue of Irans nuclear programme but grew stronger with the advent of the Arab uprisings of 2010 and 2011.

Spooked by the overthrow of allies, such as the Tunisian dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and Egypts Hosni Mubarak, Bin Zayed sought to shut off the fledgling democratic experiments in other Arab countries by attacking and undermining the well organised Islamically oriented parties that were benefiting from the opening up of the political sphere.

Israel for its part feared the loss of dependable allies, such as Mubarak, and worried that the democratic process would usher in more antagonistic governments, which would be more assertive about Palestinian rights.

Source: TRT World

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Posted By admin on October 14, 2020

We are in a battle for the soul of this nation, former Vice President of the United States Joseph R. Biden proclaimed in his 2020 campaign launch video. Guided by my values as an American Jewish Cornellian, I have proudly enlisted to fight alongside Biden in this battle over the character of our country by joining forces with the grassroots organization Jews 4 Joe. With less than a month to go until Election Day, as a J4J Campus Ambassador at Cornell, I am urging Jews and non-Jews alike on campus to vote in accordance with foundational American and Jewish principles all men are created equal and receive all men with a pleasant countenance, respectively as well as with the founding Cornell principle of any person, any study. That is to say, cast your ballot for the Democratic presidential nominee who embodies these principles, and not for the incumbent who is their very antithesis. American Jewry, nay all Americans of conscience, must vote Biden over Trump because Joe will not persistently stoke antisemitism and its ugly twin isms or debase the presidency and in turn degrade the public discourse.

In the words of Stuart Eizenstat, Obama-Biden administration Special Advisor for Holocaust Issues, Joe Biden has worked tirelessly with American Jewish organizations for tikkun olam, making our country and the world a better place. As a senator, Biden spearheaded the landmark 1994 Violence Against Women Act and championed the struggle to end South African apartheid. As vice president, Biden secured the passage of Obamacare and headed the Cancer Moonshot that is dedicated to curing the disease that took the life of Joes son Beau. A vote for Biden-Harris 2020 is a vote for the values of tikkun olam to persist and a vote to honor the legacy of the beloved Big Red alumna and Jewish luminary, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg 54.

While the policy differences between the candidates are stark, this election is first and foremost about moral character, without which the enactment of equitable policy is impossible. Trump, informed by a lifetime of bigotry, has served as U.S. Divider-in-Chief. He uses the bully pulpit of the American presidency to tear at our social fabric by fanning the flames of antisemitism and other forms of discrimination. In light of the long history of Jewish persecution, it is worth stating that even if Trump were good for the Jews, American Jewry must follow in the late RBGs footsteps of tzedek, tzedek tirdof, meaning Justice, justice you shall pursue. We cannot stand idly by as Trump discriminates against fellow minority groups. By contrast, Biden, in a demonstration of profound moral character, launched his campaign as a response to Trump calling neo-Nazis very fine people and has pledged unbreakable support for the Jewish State, the Jewish people and Jewish values.

For Trump, his both sides comment is just the tip of the antisemitic iceberg: Jews, according to this president, are only in it for themselves and stick together; Jews have dual loyalty to Israel great disloyalty, your country, your prime minister (referring to Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu); Jews are money grubbers the only kind of people I want counting my money are short guys that wear yarmulkes. These are age-old antisemitic canards, regularly spewed by the leader of the free world, that have undoubtedly contributed to the current spike in U.S. antisemitism. Trump also praised antisemite Henry Ford as having good bloodlines, embraced the antisemitic conspiracy QAnon, repeatedly declined to disavow Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard David Duke, hired alt-right strategist Steve Bannon, created a Patriotic Education commission reminiscent of the Hitler Youth, shared a white power video on Twitter, and campaigned using imagery of a Star of David alongside dollar bills, the Nazi symbol of an imperial eagle, and footage of famous Jews imposed over the term global special interest.

This endless stream of antisemitism that comes out of the White House recently prompted the Jewish Democratic Council of America to astutely compare Trumpism to the advent of Nazism, and Biden to compare Trump to Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels. Indeed, anti-Jewish hatred pervades Trumps America, with the highest level of antisemitic incidents reported across the United States last year, 2,100, including the deadliest attack on American Jews in U.S. history at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. Inspired by Trumps xenophobic conspiracy about a migrant caravan, a Pennsylvanian shooter killed 11 Jewish synagoguegoers whom he blamed for the caravan of invaders. While the President may claim to be the least antisemitic person, citing his Jewish son-in-law as evidence thereof, the blood of my people on the streets of modern-day America proves otherwise.

Again, by contrast, Biden has pledged to lead a comprehensive approach to battling antisemitism. He also remarked at a Jewish American Heritage Month reception that Jewish values are such an essential part of who we are. The 2020 Democratic National Convention demonstrated that from befriending Amtrak workers to a 13-year-old fellow stutterer to an elevator operator, Biden embodies these values, especially the aforementioned pleasant countenance principle from Pirkei Avot, or Jewish Ethics. Shaped by humble beginnings and unspeakable tragedy, Biden is a real mensch, the Yiddish word for a person of integrity. He is the Healer-in-Chief we need to replace an occupant of the Oval Office who emboldened white nationalists to chant Jews will not replace us.

Avraham Spraragen is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences and the Jews 4 Joe Campus Ambassador at Cornell. He can be reached at abs356@cornell.edu.

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Posted By admin on October 14, 2020

By Judy Fleischer

Three years ago, Ofir Dayan, an Israeli student at Columbia University, was on her way to a math class. It was her first semester at Columbia and she ran into a Jewish American friend who was leaving the building as she was entering. The two exchanged greetings and small talk in Hebrew.

The next thing Ms. Dayan knew, a woman sitting on a bench near the door, who had heard the two friends speaking in Hebrew, called out the words baby killers.

Ms. Dayan tried to ignore her, but the young woman continued to berate her, screaming at her to Stop killing Muslim babies.

Ms. Dayan asked, Do I know you? The young womans response: No, but youre Israeli. You kill Muslim babies.

Adding insult to injury, said Ms. Dayan, the security guard sitting nearby did and said nothing.

Scenes like that have become all too familiar for Jewish students on American college and university campuses. As anti-Zionist organizations get increasingly vocal in their denunciation of Israel, they are more and more using tactics including harassment, protest, disruption of campus events and even the threat of vandalism to make their point. Last month, Chabad at University of Delaware was burned down and in August the vice president of the student government at USC was forced to step down solely because she is a supporter of Israel.

Indeed, since 2015, there have been more than 3,000 antisemitic events at American colleges and universities, according to AMCHA, a non-profit organization that combats campus antisemitism.

What weve seen over the past few years is a real concentrated effort among student groups, professors and others to isolate pro-Israel students on campus, whether Jewish or non-Jewish, with anti-Israel events, BDS campaigns, harassment in classrooms, even refusing to write recommendations for students to study abroad in Israel, said Rena Nasar First, executive director of campus affairs for StandWithUs, an organization that fights antisemitism and educates about Israel throughout the globe.

Indeed, groups such as Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement (BDS) are now recruiting other campus social justice groups to their cause, said Ms. Dayan, including the Black Students Association at Columbia, LBGTQ groups and even the hip hop club.

At Columbia, it was the first time in my life that Israels existence was challenged, said Ms. Dayan. I was shocked, but at Columbia its a legitimate position to hold. Its the cool kids position. Everyone wants to be in that camp.

Ms. Dayans experiences at Columbia and those of other Jewish students on campuses in the United States and abroad will be the subject of an online panel discussion, Making a Commitment: the Fight Against Global Campus Antisemitism, scheduled for October 18 and sponsored by six non-profit organizations, including Hidden Light Institute (HLI), StandWithUs, Menachem Begin Heritage Center, Combat Anti-Semitism, Fuente Latina and OpenDor Media.

The organizer, Tamara Berens, an HLI board member, is a graduate of Kings College London and a Krauthammer fellow at Mosaic magazine. For Ms. Berens, the goal of the upcoming panel session, which will feature speakers from the United States, Britain and Argentina, is to focus on campus antisemitism as a global problem.

We want to rally around the idea that more needs to be done globally, said Berens. Jews need to come together and take a no tolerance approach to antisemitism.

Indeed, Ms. Berens is a living witness to the fact that antisemitism is not confined to American campuses. At Kings College, she said, Jews are often targeted. She recalled that a male friend was beaten up when someone made a comment about his kippah and an argument ensued. As worrisome, several years ago, after a violent protest of a Shin Bet speaker, according to Ms. Berens, the college administration ruled that speakers invited by the Israel Club had to pass muster with the Palestinian Club before being allowed on campus. Importantly, no such restriction was placed on speakers invited by the Palestinian group.

As for reasoned debate among the groups, thats never been possible, said Esther Walker, another Kings College graduate, a former Tikvah Fund fellow and a speaker at the October 18 panel. While some people from the Palestinian Society are open to private, even heated debate, she said, none of them will debate publicly even though the Israel Society has often asked them to.

They refuse because they say that would be recognizing our society, said Ms. Walker.

It doesnt help that technology has made it a lot easier for such groups to promulgate their message to tens of thousands of others via online sites and social media. Ms. Nasar First of StandWithUs said, Online access and social media have emboldened anti-Israel groups and, far from slowing down their mission, has made it easier to accomplish.

People who have, at best, been misguided and, at worst, are motivated by hate, are feeling even more emboldened behind a screen to bully and harass pro-Israel students, said Nasar First.

For their part, college and university administrators may opt to hang back, often issuing blanket statements of criticism or support, but are leery of bad publicity or riling up more disruption. Frequently, said Nasar First, administrators dont know what to do.

Its really easy for an administration to send a mass email saying they dont support an anti-Israel program or that they stand with Jewish students and leave it at that, but that is just not enough, said Ms. Nasar First. We want to see more than lip service, but in the meantime, we are actively taking steps so that pro-Israel students feel protected on campus.

StandWithUs, said Ms. Nasar First, provides resources for administrators (aside from students) and, in the past few months, has seen a few administrations who have stood up and done the right thing. We hope to see this momentum build from here.

The upcoming panel discussion will not only delve into the campus experiences of Jewish students but also will highlight the no-nonsense approach to antisemitism of the late Israeli prime minister and Nobel Peace Prize winner Menachem Begin who himself experienced antisemitism at the University of Warsaw in the 1930s. This program is part of a larger initiative for HLI, the leading sponsor of the event, to introduce, or in some cases reintroduce, Menachem Begin to the world.

On campuses, the Jewish community is often fractured, holding different views about Israel and its place in the world of nations. In the face of that divisiveness and the onslaught of antisemitism, HLI believes Begin can be a role model for young people as they fight harassment and work to support Israel and the Jewish people worldwide. Students today have little knowledge of Begins life or the risks he took to secure Israels birth and his defense of and fight for the survival of the Jewish people.

At the center of HLIs efforts is the production of a documentary on Menachem Begin, to be released in 2021, which will both educate and galvanize, showcasing a strong and principled leader who never compromised when the dignity of the Jewish people was at stake.

For Esther Walker, the relevance of Menachem Begin to her experience and that of Jewish students on college campuses throughout the world is clear.

To me, Menachem Begin is an extremely inspiring leader, said Walker. He was unapologetic and had a humongous commitment to the unity of the Jewish people.

Ms. Walker sees the upcoming panel as an opportunity to refresh her knowledge of Begin and draw inspiration: It reminds me of how truly great he was and that he must definitely not be forgotten.

Like the other panelists who will be speaking about their experiences with antisemitism, Ms. Walker has made a commitment to fight for the Jewish people. To learn about their fight and how to counter anti-Jewish prejudice and discrimination at your college or university, sign up here: https://bit.ly/36R5Mhs.

Making a Commitment: The Fight Against Global Campus Antisemitism is a virtual event that will be held October 18 at 1:00 pm EST. Four student leaders from the US, the UK, and Argentina, through storytelling of their own experiences, will share how Menachem Begins values and legacy inspire them to respond to antisemitism on their campuses.

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