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Monday, November 20, 2023

Israel Looks to Target Hamas Leadership Hiding Away in Qatar

Katie Pavlich: As Hamas terrorists use women and children as human shields in the Gaza Strip, Hamas leaders are watching and directing military action from cushy six star hotels in places like Qatar. They’re also extremely corrupt and have stolen billions in foreign relief aid over the years. But according to statements made by the Israeli government Saturday, their days are limited (Townhall). Dr. Eli David: Israel prime minister and defense minister stated that Hamas leaders in Qatar will be killed. Defense Minister Gallant: “We don’t distinguish between Hamas terrorists with AK-47 in Gaza, and terrorists with suits in lavish hotels. We will eliminate them all” (X).

Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter Passes Away at 96

ABC: Former first lady Rosalynn Carter, the wife of former President Jimmy Carter and a devoted advocate for mental health, died peacefully at home Sunday, the Carter Center announced. She was 96. “Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished,” Jimmy Carter said in a statement. “She gave me wise guidance and encouragement when I needed it. As long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew somebody loved and supported me.” She is survived by her children — Jack, Chip, Jeff and Amy; 11 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren, the Carter Center said (ABC). Axios: While in the White House, she was known to sit in on cabinet meetings and was the original first lady to set up a policy office in the East Wing. The Carters celebrated 75 years of marriage in July 2021 with a party that included 300 guests, such as Bill and Hillary Clinton, singer Garth Brooks and civil rights icon Andrew Young. Rosalynn championed a number of causes throughout her life, including mental health policy reform, which she took up while serving as Georgia’s first lady in the early 1970s (Axios).

75 Percent of Palestinians Support the Hamas Attack on October 7

Daily Wire: A newly released poll that was conducted at the start of the month by the Arab World for Research and Development found that the overwhelming majority of Palestinians supported the October 7 terrorist attacks against Israel and hate the United States. 86.7% now have a “decreased” “conviction” of wanting a “peaceful solution” with Israel. Only 9.1% have an “increased” conviction. 68% said that their support for a two-state solution has “decreased.” 75% of Palestinians directly said that they supported the brutal October 7 terrorist attacks. 76% said that they viewed the Hamas terrorist organization positively while only 22.3% viewed Hamas negatively. 97.3% viewed Israel very negatively. 97.6% viewed the U.S. very negatively (Daily Wire). Jerusalem Post: Very few differences were found in the beliefs between Palestinian women and Palestinian men when it came to supporting the October 7 attack. Men supported the attack to some degree (75.2%) only slightly more than women (74.9%) (Jerusalem Post).

Israel and Poland 21-Under Soccer Teams Hold Moment of Silence Before Match for Victims of October 7 Attacks

Times of Israel: Players from Israel and Poland’s Under-21 teams held an unauthorized minute’s silence for the victims of the October 7 Hamas onslaught straight after kick-off at their Friday game, after the sport’s governing body reportedly refused a request for the remembrance to be formally held. At the start of the game, the referee blew his whistle but none of the players moved, instead standing in silence to honor the some 1,200 people killed in the murderous assault by the Gaza-based Hamas terror group. There was silence at the stadium in Lodz as fans also honored those killed. There was no public comment from UEFA on the matter (Times of Israel). Michael Weingardt: UEFA refused to organize a minute of silence before the start of the match between Israel and Poland (under-21 team). In response, the two teams decided not to play the first minute of the match and observe a minute of silence in homage to the victims of 7 October (X).

Arizona State University Cancels Pro-Palestine Event

HotAir: Arizona State University (ASU) canceled a pro-Palestine event on campus that was to be held Friday. The cancellation came Thursday night and surprised organizers with the last-minute notice. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) was scheduled to be a featured speaker at the “Palestine as an American Issue” event. Event organizers said they have been working with the university for months while planning the event. An ASU spokesperson wrote in an email that the event was canceled due to procedural issues. Tlaib was censured by her colleagues in the House of Representatives last week. The resolution declared she was “calling for the destruction of the state of Israel” and “promoting false narratives” about the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. She continues to unapologetically support those who chant, “From the river to the sea…”, which is universally accepted as a call for the annihilation of Israel and the elimination of Jews. Tlaib is a Palestinian American with a long history of antisemitism (HotAir). Reporter Rachel Alexander: The fact it was canceled citing that at the very last minute makes me suspect the real reason was a lot of their wealthy Jewish alumni threatened to withdraw their funding! And good for them. Fascinating to me to read about all the Democratic opposition to Tlaib as well, this issue is really dividing the left, although their comrades in the MSM are mostly squelching that fact (X).

Media Finally Realizes the Detriment of School Closures During the Pandemic

New York Times: In the thick of the Covid-19 pandemic, Congress sent $190 billion in aid to schools, stipulating that 20 percent of the funds had to be used for reversing learning setbacks. At the time, educators knew that the impact on how children learn would be significant, but the extent was not yet known. The evidence is now in, and it is startling. The school closures that took 50 million children out of classrooms at the start of the pandemic may prove to be the most damaging disruption in the history of American education. It also set student progress in math and reading back by two decades and widened the achievement gap that separates poor and wealthy children (New York Times). Townhall: Every American suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic while elite Leftists relished in power and money. Meanwhile, our own government pushed hysteria on the country that affected millions, including children and businesses. However, liberal media outlets are taking back their push on lockdowns— nearly three years later. The Times complained that politicians are not doing enough to address the issue, saying it requires a “multidisciplinary approach,” starting with “getting kids back on solid ground” and replacing “the federal aid that is set to expire.” The newspaper also cited that kids “will experience diminished lifetime earnings and become a significant drag on the economy” (Townhall).

X to File Lawsuit Against “Media Matters” After Hit Piece Led Advertisers to Desert Platform

National Review: Elon Musk announced X will file a “thermonuclear lawsuit” on Monday against Media Matters for America after one of its reports prompted multiple corporations to pull their advertising from the billionaire’s rebranded social-media platform. Musk, who owns X, took issue with the liberal media watchdog’s story that claimed ads from top corporate brands were running “alongside white nationalist and pro-Nazi content.” An official statement from X stated Media Matters “completely misrepresented the real user experience on X,” leading to IBM, Apple, Disney, Lionsgate Entertainment, and others boycotting the platform (National Review). Elon Musk: The split second court opens on Monday, X Corp will be filing a thermonuclear lawsuit against Media Matters and ALL those who colluded in this fraudulent attack on our company (X). Jack Posobiec: The heads of every tech company had dinner with Xi Jinping and the next day pulled all their ads from Elon Musk’s X. They all continued supporting TikTok. Totally normal, right (X)?

Trump Edges Out Biden in Latest NBC Poll for the First Time

Fox News: NBC political correspondent Steve Kornacki sounded the alarm on a new NBC poll that showed former President Trump beating President Biden in a hypothetical general match-up for the first time in the NBC poll’s history. Trump came out ahead of Biden in another general election match-up poll at 46%, with 44% supporting the president. Kornacki pointed to additional poll results and said that Biden has long had an advantage over Trump in “likability,” but according to NBC’s latest results, was now tied (Fox News). Daily Mail: Biden’s polling continues to flail amid a series of disasters, including increased economic decline and the prevailing conflict between Israel and Hamas. The President has faced immense criticism from pro-Palestine Democrats upset over his continued support of Israel in its counterstrikes against Hamas terrorists operating in Palestinian stronghold of Gaza. He also faced criticism for a swanky dinner featuring Xi as the ‘guest of honor’ just hours after the President called him a dictator. The poll also shows Biden at an all-time-low approval rating of 40 percent, which is a one-point decline from September. His disapproval stands at a whopping 57 percent (Daily Mail).

New Jersey Teacher’s Union Attempting to Weaken Criteria to Teach Children

Daily Wire: One of New Jersey’s main teachers unions is calling for the end of the basic skills test for certifying teachers. The New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) is advocating for the demise of the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators: Reading, Writing and Math. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy’s signing of Bill S1553 would eliminate that requirement; NJEA called the test “an unnecessary barrier” hindering the alleviation of teacher shortages. “When the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) adopted changes to the administrative code around teacher certification, it missed an opportunity to eliminate this requirement, which created an unnecessary barrier to entering the profession,” stated NJEA. Passing scores for the basic skills test are 156 for reading, 150 for math, and 162 for writing. The maximum possible score is 200. Nicki Neily, founder and president of Parents Defending Education, insisted that there were better options for overcoming the teacher shortage other than reducing entry standards (Daily Wire). Nicki Neily: You can eliminate some of the unnecessary red tape around becoming a teacher without eliminating a basic skills test. Teachers should be able to pass a basic skills test before they’re tasked with educating children in those core subjects (X).

10.

Report: Coast Guard Has Caught Double the Number of Illegals Attempting to Enter the Country

Just the News: President Joe Biden is under fire after a new report that the number of illegal immigrants caught by the Coast Guard trying to enter the U.S has doubled in recent years. That data came from Heather MacLeod, director of Homeland Security and Justice at the Government Accountability Office during a hearing this week. “The Coast Guard interdicted more than 12,000 migrants in both fiscal year 2022 and 2023 – more than double the fiscal year 2021 total, according to Coast Guard data,” MacLeod said in prepared testimony. House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green, R-Tenn., responded to The Center Square’s reporting on the increased interdictions, saying President Joe Biden’s immigration policies are endangering U.S. servicemembers (Just the News). Center Square: MacLeod said the U.S. should expect that number to rise. The number of illegal immigrants attempting to come into the U.S. via the southern border has exploded since President Joe Biden took office. Water transport, though, could allow groups to ship larger quantities of drugs if they can arrive undetected. Rear Admiral Jo-Ann Burdian, Assistant Commandant for Response Policy at the U.S. Coast Guard, echoed the concern about transnational criminal organizations and their role in the American drug crisis. Tens of thousands of Americans have died from fentanyl in recent years (Center Square).