Day: March 1, 2024

Israel’s Ambassador to UN: ‘Russia is deepening its ties with global forces of destabilization’

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SEE: https://www.jihadwatch.org/2024/02/israels-ambassador-to-un-russia-is-deepening-its-ties-with-global-forces-of-destabilization; republished below in full, unedited, for informational, educational, & research purposes:

The “axis of evil” includes Iran and North Korea, which have been described today as “bigger, bolder — and more evil.” As Israel’s Ambassador to UN Gilad Erdan points out, “Russia will be hosting a Hamas delegation in Moscow! And not for the first time!” Erdan goes on to describe the “red carpet” treatment that is being accorded to Hamas and Yemen’s Houthis. Also this week, in a Russian-North Korea arms-for-food deal, 6,700 containers of artillery was shipped to Russia by North Korea in exchange for “much-needed” food. What does North Korea have to do with the war in Israel? Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, founder of the Israel Law Center, writes in Newsweek about the North Korea-Palestinian nexus:

North Korea has been providing military and financial support to Palestinian terror groups as far back as 1966, particularly those groups that shared its socialist and communist ideologies. North Korea provided pivotal assistance—weapons, money, documents, and covert diplomatic cover—to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the inventors of hijacking, and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the terror group that perpetrated the slaughter of more than 30 children in Ma’alot, Israel, in 1974.

While Trump the Washington Post claimed that Trump idolized Putin, and John Bolton called Trump a “Putin-loving moron,” America had stature while Trump was president. China North, Saudi Arabia and North Korea are among those countries which view Biden as a joke. Iran considers Biden to be a better option to Trump, who stymied the regime with sanctions. At no time has America fallen so low on the global front as under Joe Biden . Its enemies are emboldened everywhere. Israel now faces a global gang-up which is intensifying, and it cannot depend on America as it did under Trump, despite whatever offense Trump caused with his words and personality.

“Russia deepening ties with global axis of evil, Israel charges at UN,” by Tovah Lazaroff, Jerusalem Post,  February 27, 2024:

Russia is deepening its ties with global forces of destabilization, chiefly Iran, Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, told the General Assembly on Monday. Erdan’s comments came ahead of the parley Moscow is holding this week with Palestinian factions, including Hamas.

“This week, Russia will be hosting a Hamas delegation in Moscow! And not for the first time!” Erdan told the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, which held a debate to mark two years to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “Russia is one of the only places outside of the Middle East where Hamas terrorists and Houthi Jihadists are given the red-carpet treatment, even after October 7,” Erdan said.

“Russia is hosting those who are responsible for intentionally murdering babies, raping women, and burning families alive,” Erdan stated. He also added that “this meeting in Moscow is a result of something more dangerous. Russia is now deepening its ties with global forces of destabilization.”

His words underscored the shift in Israeli policy regarding Moscow since the start of the war, a conflict for which Jerusalem had initially attempted to hold a neutral line and maintain strong ties with both Russia and Ukraine.

The reason for Russian-Israeli ties cooling
The growing ties between Tehran and Moscow come as Iran has increased its military activity against Israel through attacks by its proxy groups: Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis. It has cooled Russian-Israeli ties while strengthening those with Ukraine.

Erdan told the UNGA that “It is no secret that Hamas is merely one tentacle of Iran’s terror armies. This horde of death and destruction includes Hezbollah, the Houthis, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and other terror organizations. They are funded, trained, armed, and directed by Iran.”…

Welsh singing star Charlotte Church leads ‘From the river to the sea’ chant, denies it’s antisemitic

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SEE: https://www.jihadwatch.org/2024/02/welsh-singing-star-charlotte-church-leads-from-the-river-to-the-sea-chant-denies-its-antisemitic; republished below in full, unedited, for informational, educational, & research purposes:

In the Western since Oct. 7, there has been an explosion of antisemitism. Antisemitism is being normalized.

Popular culture is influential. The “Sing for Palestine” event, led by Charlotte Church, called for the destruction of Israel. It also constituted incitement against Jews and Zionists. While the Left is infamous for stifling free speech that is merely found to be offensive, the Left has shown remarkable tolerance for antisemitic incitement and even violence.

After she led “From the river to the sea” chants, Church denied that the chant was antisemitic, and attempted to justify it by pointing out that Palestinians are being killed in Israel’s war on Hamas. This justification, too, is becoming increasingly normalized. Pro-Hamas individuals and groups as a rule do not point out Hamas’ use of human shields, which is directly responsible for the number of civilian deaths. Nor do they condemn the United Nations for stymieing Israel’s efforts to evacuate refugees. Many Leftists don’t know the facts and history of the Palestinian jihad, but easily digest the prevailing propaganda, and then regurgitate it.

“Welsh singing star Charlotte Church leads ‘from the river, to the sea’ chants,” JNS, February 27, 2024:

At a “Sing for Palestine” event in Caerphilly, South Wales, musician and actor Charlotte Church led a choir that included children in singing a protest chant calling for the destruction of Israel.

In a video of the performance, Church can be seen wearing a keffiyeh. Near the end of the show, she sang with the group, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”

“I stand by everything that we sang on Saturday. It was really beautiful,” Church said. The singer called the event “a deeply spiritual experience for me, and I would do it again 100 times and plan to.”

She interprets the slogan as advocating for “the human rights and for the equal liberty of Palestinian people as well as Israeli people on the lands of Israel and Palestine.”

The singer shifted the focus away from her statements and to the war in Gaza, saying “This is about the slaughter of tens of thousands of innocent people, the slaughter of children. What is happening in Gaza is a hell on Earth. A hell has been created, people are being purposefully starved and it’s emotional.”….

“Charlotte Church denies ‘River to the Sea’ song sang during pro-Palestine concert is antisemitic,” by Ellie Muir, Independent, February 26, 2024:

Charlotte Church has denied the song “From the River to the Sea” is antisemitic after she belted out a rendition at a pro-Palestine concert.

The Welsh musician was recorded singing the divisive song, which can be interpreted as a direct call for the state of Israel to be destroyed, during a pro-Palestine fundraising concert….

Mills, Gottlieb at CPAC: Gun Control is about Weakening America

Ammoland Inc. Posted on  by 
SEE: https://www.ammoland.com/2024/02/mills-gottlieb-at-cpac-gun-control-is-about-weakening-america; republished below in full, unedited, for informational, educational, & research purposes:
‘Shooting from the Hip’ was a segment at the Conservative Political Action Conference. From left: moderator Carl Higbie, Congressman Cory Mills (R-FL), and Alan Gottlieb, Second Amendment Foundation. (Courtesy of CPAC)

An important segment of last weekend’s Conservative Action Political Conference, virtually overlooked by the media, featured U.S. Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL) and Alan Gottlieb, founder of the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF), telling the audience that gun control is not about public safety, but about public control.

Mills, who was elected to office in 2022, came out swinging, referring to the text of the Second Amendment, which he said “cannot be clearer.”

“It doesn’t say ‘may.’ It says ‘shall not be infringed,’” Mills stressed.

He accused the administration of mounting a “multi-pronged attack” on our liberties. The administration is allowing open borders while at the same time pushing for more laws and regulations that will not be obeyed by criminals who are already violating existing laws. These restrictions prevent U.S. citizens from protecting themselves from criminal harm, he suggested.

A self-described constitutionalist, Mills—who served with the 82nd Airborne—told the audience, “This is not about policing, it’s about politics. They are trying to do everything they can to weaken the American people to make us dependent upon the administrative state.”

The 18-minute segment, headlined “Shooting from the Hip,” was moderated by Carl Higbie, host of Frontline, with Newsmax. Turning his attention to Gottlieb, who serves as executive vice president of SAF, Higbie inquired about legal actions challenging gun control laws in the wake of the 2022 Bruen ruling.

Right now, Gottlieb disclosed, SAF has a whopping 59 cases filed against gun control laws across the country, from one coast to the other. He pointed specifically to lawsuits against laws in Connecticut and New York, observing that some states have adopted gun laws as a means of “thumbing their nose at the Supreme Court.”

“I expected after Bruen they would pass laws that would be a little less restrictive…to see what they could get away with,” the veteran gun rights leader observed. “They didn’t do that. They doubled and tripled down and passed laws that are worse.”

He reminded the audience that days before the CPAC event, the Hawaii Supreme Court handed down a ruling in a gun case which said the “Aloha spirit” essentially outweighed the Second Amendment. The bizarre ruling is almost certain to be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

SAF currently has two cases asking certiorari before the Supreme Court, in Maryland and Illinois. Both challenge bans on semi-auto rifles and so-called “high-capacity” magazines. The court has not announced yet whether it will take either case for review.

A few moments later, Gottlieb bristled as he commented about the left’s gun control crusade.

“It is so blatantly political, their agenda of socialism and controlling people’s lives,” he stated. “I mean, gun control isn’t about controlling guns; it’s about controlling people. That’s what their agenda really is. Facts, figures don’t matter to them. All they care about is taking away our rights.”

Higbie, who served as a Navy SEAL for nine years, had a solid grasp of the current political environment.

“You look at all of these mass shootings that are happening recently,” he noted. “Most of them happened in Joe Biden’s gun-free zones that he was the original architect of…The top ten most dangerous cities are Democratically-held cities, some in Republican states.”

Elsewhere during the discussion, Mills acknowledged he would like to abolish the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The remark drew applause from the audience.

All three men concurred that Democrat gun control efforts have resulted in more gun sales. Gottlieb noted how high-profile crimes, terrorist attacks, and other domestic factors invariably result in increased firearms sales.

Higbie observed, “Democrats are the greatest gun salesmen. Every time a Democrat comes into office, they actually help drive those numbers up.”

The discussion wrapped up with Mills and Gottlieb reminding the CPAC audience about media bias against reporting stories in which law-abiding citizens have used firearms, including semiautomatic rifles, in self-defense.

“They only report on mass shootings when it fits a certain narrative,” Mills said about the media, calling it “fake news.”

“What they want to do is to not vilify the actual criminal who is committing an act which is obviously illegal,” he said, “they want to criminalize our ability to hold arms.”

“It’s such a one-sided debate with the national media, which carries the agenda for the gun ban movement it’s actually disgusting,” Gottlieb said.

“This is about them controlling the message,” Mills added, “and we can’t allow that. We have to be louder. Utilize your platforms…We have to control the narrative. We have to control our ability to hold our own rights.”

About Dave Workman

Dave Workman is a senior editor at TheGunMag.com and Liberty Park Press, author of multiple books on the Right to Keep & Bear Arms, and formerly an NRA-certified firearms instructor.

Dave Workman

Trump Rallies the 2A Faithful in Pennsylvania

Ammoland Inc. Posted on  by 
SEE: https://www.ammoland.com/2024/02/trump-rallies-the-2a-faithful-in-pennsylvania; republished below in full, unedited, for informational, educational, & research purposes:
Donald Trump speaks to NRA
The Stakes in 2020

On Friday, February 9, President Donald Trump took the stage at the NRA Presidential Forum held in Harrisburg, Penn., to the approving cheers of the thousands in attendance.  The Forum was one of the culminating events during the nine-day NRA Great American Outdoor Show—dubbed The World’s Largest Outdoor Show—an annual event that celebrates hunting, fishing, and outdoor traditions.  This year’s event saw the most attendees ever, with more than 200,000 people making their way through 650,000 square feet of exhibit area, viewing more than 1,000 exhibitors.

Trump started things off with the proclamation, “Your Second Amendment will always be safe with me as your President.”  He added, “When I’m back in the Oval Office, no one will lay a finger on your firearms.”

The crowd roared its approval, and the 45th President of the United States went on for more than an hour making his case for being elected the 47th on November 5, 2024.

With thousands of NRA members, hunters, and other outdoor enthusiasts gathered, the former president delivered one of his trademark performances, transitioning smoothly from boilerplate campaign stump speech exposing the policy failures of the current administration to jabbing at the members of the media in attendance—yes, he used the term “Fake News”—to riffing on the myriad problems (cognitive issues, corruption allegations, historically low approval polls, etc.) confronting Joe Biden.

But what the vast majority of the crowd was there to hear was what Trump would do to defend our Right to Keep and Bear Arms.  And they were not disappointed.

He spoke about Biden’s “non-stop war on gun makers, dealers, and sellers designed to put the entire industry out of business.”  If elected, Trump promised, “Every single Biden attack on gun owners and manufacturers will be terminated my first week; maybe my first day (in office).”

He said he would fire Steve Dettelbach, the anti-gun Biden appointee who is the current director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

Under Dettelbach, the ATF has implemented a number of anti-gun policies (some of which are facing serious legal challenges), such as the new rule on pistol braces and efforts to create its own interpretation of the federal laws on firearm transfers.  Trump also referred to ATF policies that have been implemented that are being abused to shut down licensed gun dealers for minor paperwork errors.

To help show the difference between how different he and Biden are when it comes to the firearms industry, he reminded the crowd that he had made sure to designated dealers and manufacturers as “critical infrastructure” during the 2020 pandemic, so that they could remain in operation, even as some states with anti-gun governors and local authorities tried to force them closed.  Trump pledged to reverse ATF’s Draconian new regulations and policies, although the courts may take care of some before he gets into office if he is elected in November.

In addition, the former president said he would fire United States Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, another anti-gun Biden appointee, whose position can have a considerable impact on hunting and recreational shooting on public lands.  As a contrast, Trump pointed out that, while president, he opened up “millions of acres of public land” for recreational use.

When it comes to personal protection, Trump stated clearly, “You have a right to self-defense.”  He also noted that he would work to ensure national Right-to-Carry reciprocity is finally achieved, should he win in November.

The former president also referenced the landmark decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen; and it should always be remembered that three of the six justices who came down on the side of our right to self defense outside the home in that decision were appointed by Trump.  He even recounted how he, during an appearance at the 2019 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits in Indianapolis, Ind., officially announced he was pulling the United States out of the United Nation’s anti-Second Amendment Arms Trade Treaty.

You can watch his entire speech here, but for those interested in seeing the real thing in person, he promised to be at the 153rd NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits in Dallas, Tex., which takes place this year on May 17-19.

About NRA-ILA:

Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the “lobbying” arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess, and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Visit: www.nra.org

National Rifle Association Institute For Legislative Action (NRA-ILA)