Mamdani and "globalize the intifada"

- Mamdani at protest against the Israel/Hamas war at the White House when Biden was president (2023)

While many in the Democratic party are falling all over themselves to endorse Zohran Mamdani as their candidate for Mayor of New York, there are some who are more cautious ...

Jeffries not yet ready to endorse Zohran Mamdani

[...] “We don’t really know each other well,” said Jeffries on ABC’s “This Week.” “Our districts don’t overlap. I have never had a substantive conversation with him. And so, that’s the next step in terms of this process, to be able to sit down, which we agreed to do, in central Brooklyn, discuss his vision for moving the city forward and addressing the issues that are important to the communities that I represent.” ....

“With respect to the Jewish communities that I represent,” Jeffries said, “I think our nominee is going to have to convince folks that he is prepared to aggressively address the rise in antisemitism in the city of New York, which has been an unacceptable development.” ...

Mamdani has been in synch with pro-Palestinian protesters and their slogans of Globalize the intifada and From the river to the sea, saying that he will not give up these stances (Zohran Mamdani has the Palestinian protest movement to thank for his win).

He was given a chance on Meet the Press today to denounce the slogan "globalize the intafad, and just would not do it ...



He thus joins the group of Democratic lawmakers like Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar who have turned themselves into pretzels trying to distinguish their anti-Israel stance from anti-Semitism against Jewish people.

It's hard to see how someone with such views can credibly be the mayor in a city that has the largest population of Jewish people in the world outside of Israel.

Zohran Mamdani

I see in the news that Zohran Mamdani has won the Democratic primary for NY mayor. I would not have voted for him, even though Bernie did endorse him. Wouldn't have voted for Cuomo either. Maybe I would have voted for Brad Lander.

But anyway, why not Mamdani? It's not because he's a socialist - I like that stuff. It's because of his apparent attitude towards Israel/Jewish people ...

Mamdani’s Comment on ‘Intifada’ Motto Fuels Tension in Mayor’s Race

[...] Mr. Mamdani, a critic of Israel, was asked during a podcast interview if the phrase “globalize the intifada” made him uncomfortable, and he declined to condemn it. Palestinians and their supporters have called the phrase a rallying cry for liberation, but many Jews consider it a call to violence invoking resistance movements of the 1980s and 2000s.

In the interview with The Bulwark, Mr. Mamdani said he believed the phrase spoke to “a desperate desire for equality and equal rights in standing up for Palestinian human rights.” He said the U.S. Holocaust Museum used a similar Arabic term for “uprising” to describe the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising against the Nazis, and stressed his own commitment to nonviolence and fighting antisemitism.

The blowback was swift ...

And then there's his official statement after the October 7 attack by Hamas on Israelis ...

The "occupation"? Israel left Gaza in 2005.

"Dismantling apartheid"? Arab citizens of Israel have the same rights as any other Israeli citizen - they can vote, can run for political office, have freedom of movement in the country, etc.

But he knows this, of course.

The little skunk

I keep trying to remember to take my camera out with me when I feed the cats at dusk so that I can get a photo of the skunk baby, but I always forget. Last night he came out ... he's about as big as a guinea pig ... and I decided to try using my phone camera. Sorry the photo isn't too good - I have trouble seeing all the tiny things on the phone. Lucy is the cat up the path from the skunk.

JFK

JFK and Golda Meir, 1961

I don't know for sure what to make of the US bombing nuclear sites in Iran, but want to point out that supporting Israel is not just a stance of political conservatives. One Democratic example was JFK. When president, he sold Hawk missles to Israrel and he looked the other way when France helped Israel start their nuclear program in Dimona. In a speech in 1960 he said ...

Israel will endure and flourish. It is the child of hope and the home of the brave. It can neither be broken by adversity nor demoralized by success. It carries the shield of democracy and it honors the sword of freedom. - John F. Kennedy: "Speech by Senator John F. Kennedy, Zionists of America Convention, Statler Hilton Hotel, New York, NY," August 26, 1960 - Wikipedia

Olive the cat

About a week ago I noticed Olive the cat had a bloody wound on the side of his head, under his ear. My sister gave me and Olive a ride to the emergency vet place and they said he had an absess there. It had to be cleaned out, costing a little over $700 - eeek! - all put on my credit card.

This is like what happened to Vicky.

We were supposed to keep him inside and clean and put hot compresses on the area, hopefully letting it drain and heal. It was worrisome because Olive has never been inside and I didn't know if he would even let me do things to him. Also, Yoda hates all other cats, so he had to be kept in my mom's old room.

It's now been a week and a day. Olive has let us do everything. The wound stopped draining a few days ago but we are still doing the hot compresses to aid healing. You can see the area here where they shaved behind and below his ear (his skin is gray and brown) ...

Now I'm not sure what to do. Olive is pretty old - he showed up here at least 11 years ago and was already an adult then, and he has become very thin and kind of weak. He may have some age-related problem like kidney failure, and the doc wanted to do a blood panel, but that would have cost $400 more and I just couldn't afford it.

Olive was probably attacked by another cat and couldn't really defend himself or run away because of his condition. If we put him back outside will he be ok? I don't know if Yoda and I can make it emotionally or financially with another indoor cat. I hate this.

The bombing

The Times of Israel's daily briefing discusses the recent US bombing raid on Iran's nuclear sites, both US reaction and also reaction in the region ...

Regret

Some Democratic senators regret voting to confirm Kristi Noem as DHS secretary

Really? You regret your vote? Because, what, you thought she would actually be a good Secretary for DHS, but now you finally see the error of your ways after she had Senator Padilla thrown to the ground and handcuffed?

Holy shit! That was your first clue? The fact that she has been for years an extremist cosplaying puppy-murdering moron didn't tip you off?

And the Democrat politicians don't understand why no one wants tyo vote for them.

Jaws

How ‘Jaws’ Made a Template for the Modern Blockbuster

Fifty years ago, Steven Spielberg’s “Jaws” terrified moviegoers. Its shocks still reverberate. Its blueprint is now so recognizable that you have probably seen “Jaws” — even if you haven’t actually seen “Jaws.” ...

I remember Jaws very well because when it came out, I was in college and had a part-time job at a local movie theater, an iconic group of domes with extra wide screens which, sadly, have since been demolished.

But anyway, Jaws was so popular that people stood in lines that wound throughout the parking lot to buy tickets. We workers would schedule our breaks so that we could watch various parts of the movie ... mostly parts where people got eaten.

Maybe I'll look for it at the library :)

A new kind of warfare

Will Trump have the US join Israel in the war against Iran? The truth is, though I'm sure Israel would like that, Israel doesn't really need our help, not even with blowing up the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant ... they can just send in teams to blow it up from within.

What we are seeing now in Iran is a new kind of warfare by Israel, also exemplified by Ukraine when they snuck drones into Russia recently. On The Times of Israel's daily briefing, they discuss this new kind of strategy and tactics ...

Regime change?

Listen to Haviv Rettig Gur explain about the Israel/Iran war and the supposed idea of regime change ...

The war

On The Times of Israel's daily briefing, they discuss the war between Israel and Iran, and the possibility of US involvement.

:)

Cuddle puddle 🤗 pic.twitter.com/IwXKQTluvc

— San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance (@sandiegozoo) June 10, 2025

Israel/Iran

Iranian missile attacks overnight have so far killed 10 people, including 4 children.

Over 200 others are injured, and 35 are still missing.

📷: @israelpolice pic.twitter.com/p3OQYeU43i

— Amit Segal (@AmitSegal) June 15, 2025

Senator Padilla interview

CA Congressman Ted Lieu

Pete: they have crossed a line

Today they have crossed a deep red line.

We, the people, must hold the president and his appointees accountable for this outrageous abuse against American liberty. pic.twitter.com/iPIlR4U5Fv

— Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) June 12, 2025

My Senator

Sen. Alex Padilla handcuffed by federal agents at immigration press conference

My Senator was attacked when trying to ask a question of the DHS Secretary at a press conference. He was grabbed, pushed out of the room, and forced to the floor and handcuffed.

The Republicans are already lying about what happened, saying the Senator "didn't identify himself" and that "he rushed at her" .... the video proves these are lies, plus it's been pointed out that she did know who Padilla was. They think they can get away with anything now. It makes me sick to think that's probably true. Newsom is right: "the moment we feared has arrived".

Bernie

"Don't confuse me with the facts"

Greta Thunberg and the other activists were given plane tickets to Paris. Before they left Israel, they were asked to watch footage of the October 7 attack by Hamas. They all refused. Who was it who said don't confuse me with the facts?

I hope one day she watches the footage of Hamas’ October 7 atrocities and that it gets scorched into her retinas. https://t.co/kPC7uSmzm4

— Eylon Levy (@EylonALevy) June 10, 2025

A Closer Look

The LA protests ...

Greta Thunberg

Israel intercepts Gaza-bound aid boat carrying Greta Thunberg: ‘The show is over’

Israeli forces have taken control of a charity vessel carrying climate activist Greta Thunberg and 11 others that attempted to break a naval blockade of the Gaza Strip ...

Greta Thunberg is currently on her way to Israel, safe and in good spirits. pic.twitter.com/pjWSr0lOsE

— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) June 9, 2025

All the passengers of the ‘selfie yacht’ are safe and unharmed. They were provided with sandwiches and water. The show is over. pic.twitter.com/tLZZYcspJO

— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) June 9, 2025

Breaking up is hard to do

Naftali Bennett

From Naftali Bennett ...

Fact: Israel is NOT starving Gaza.

Please share in 7 languages.
See next tweet. pic.twitter.com/NaBSfnwHg0

— Naftali Bennett נפתלי בנט (@naftalibennett) June 4, 2025

Joni Ernst's anthem: Don't Fear the Reaper

(Don't Fear) The Reaper, released in 1976 by the Blue Öyster Cult.

Who is doing the shooting?

The US company distributing aid in Gaza - the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation - is taking a day off to reorganize its sites, due to the shootings that have occurred near the sites. The international press (and the UN) seem to be pushing the idea that the IDF is responsible for the shootings, and the Israelis say that the terrorist group Hamas is doing it to disrupt the new aid distriburion plan, which cuts both them and their enablers, the UN, out of the equation.

From The Times of Israel, a helpful article by editor David Horovitz ...

Who’s shooting whom near Rafah’s aid center, and who’s exploiting the bloodshed?

Henry Cavill

Happened upon this by accident. Had to watch it because I do like Henry Cavill ... he was an excellent Superman, and of course, an excellent Witcher :)

Speaking of The Witcher, here's trailer ...



A warning - the show has a lot of violence and a lot of boobs.

Irresponsible press coverage

Many news organizations are assigning blame to Israel for shootings in Gaza, with no proof. Here's an example from The Guardian ... Three killed as Israeli forces open fire near Gaza food distribution site, officials say ... those "officials" are the terrorists who raped and tortured and kidnapped and murdered over 1000 Jews, starting this war. Not exactly unbiased observers.

Here's a more balanced article from Newsweek ...

Conflicting Narratives Surround Gaza Aid Site Incident: What We Know

[...] At least 31 people were killed near an aid distribution point in Rafah on Sunday, according to the Hamas-run health authorities in Gaza, but conflicting accounts have emerged as to how people died.

Local health officials said Israeli forces fired on civilians, while the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) denies involvement and blames Hamas militants.

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), the Israel-backed group which is distributing aid, denies the shooting happened at its site. The Red Cross confirmed treating casualties, but without assigning blame for causing them ...

Meanwhile, in the US, "free Palestine" activists continue to target Jewish people ...

Colorado suspect, now charged with federal hate crime, planned antisemitic attack for a year, FBI says

A man used a flamethrower and Molotov cocktails to set people on fire Sunday at a Jewish community event in Boulder, Colorado, held in support of hostages in Gaza. He injured at least eight people ranging in age from 52 to 88 — including a Holocaust survivor — before being detained.

The FBI identified the suspect as Mohamed Sabry Soliman and said he yelled “Free Palestine!” during the attack. He faces both federal hate crime and multiple state felony charges. Soliman is scheduled to appear in a local court this ...

Coincidence?

Fury

Joni Ernst's Sarcastic 'Apology' for Medicaid Cuts Response Sparks Fury

Remember just a few days ago when Senator Joni Ernst had a town hall meeting of her constituents to discuss the coming Medicaid cuts? And a woman in the audience called out that people were going to die because of the cuts? And Ernst responsed "we're all going to die"? ...



Well, as bad as that was ... a nihilist telling her voters that she isn't going to help them, but will instead kick them and their families to the curb to die ... it gets worse.

Ernat has now posted another video, both sarcastic and condescending. She's at a graveyard, apologizing (not) for telling people the truth about our mortality, and then telling everyone to embrace death and come to Jesus () ...



Someone should tell her, Jesus is not the God of the dead, but of the living (Matthew 22:32)