Aleph, Beit, Veit

Aleph, Beit, Veit Took a YouTube Hebrew lesson.  Know five Hebrew sounds, with the kamatz (I think, LOL). Even though it's only five sounds, it's cool knowing the 'scribbles' aren't just scribbles and that if you wish to persevere, maybe Hebrew isn't all that hard to grasp. Didn't look up what a 'kamatz' was when I was doing my lesson, but I think it's in the right spot on my lesson diagram ... ie it represents a long 'AH' sound. Kamatz = a Hebrew niqqud (pronounced like 'nikod', I think, and is a dot vowel) sign or symbol, which in this case is T-shaped: >  shown by two perpendicular lines (looking like an upper-case T) Lesson was off this video: Prefer this video to some of the others, as it makes most sense. The video got a lot of down votes, which is ridiculous.  Ignore the down-voters.  It's a great video. Even better would be a video that shows you how to write ... as in where you start and finish forming each letter.  Found it quite hard to form the letters. Also wrote up my lesson diagram left to right, although it's supposed to be right to left.  Think that might the best way for me until stringing letters together to make words ... but that depends on how motivated I get about learning, I guess. Anyway, that was a bit of fun that took my mind off the back pain that I seemed to be developing.  All gone now.  :) PS  If you put the kamatz (T accent) under the Aleph, you get an 'AH' sound ... and if you put some other accent there, you get a different vowel sound.  So, on its own, the Aleph is silent ... which is novel, because silent letters are normally silent when they found among a combination of letters.  .............................................................. Ummmm ... it's a LOT more complicated than it seems at first. Way too complicated for me, I think. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uz_m118Yheg Just deciding whether to go with 'Beyt, Veyt' or 'Beit, Veit' (which sounds like 'bet' & 'vet') is a chore to figure out.  And that's not even Hebrew. Then there's a gazillion variables when it comes to the accents and rules, which only appear in texts written for foreigners ... so all those dots that signify vowels don't appear in texts for Hebrew speakers, if I understand correctly.

USA - Canned Whining About Obama's Cuba Policy

Editorial: Rubio on wrong side of Cuba policy changes Wednesday, February 4, 2015 5:44pm Sen. Marco Rubio has a new Senate chairmanship but the same old tired perspective on Cuba. The new chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere was at it again this week, criticizing President Barack Obama for the promising diplomatic overture he launched with Cuba. Rubio is out of touch with the public and on the wrong side of history, and his views hurt the cause of democracy in Cuba and the interests of Floridians. The Republican senator used the first congressional hearing since Obama announced a shift in Cuba policy to proclaim that he was "pretty convinced" the move would not lead to positive change. That's not startling from a lawmaker who has clung to the falsehood that 54 years of isolation is working. But it's irresponsible from a Senate chairman mulling a run for president and whose home state is an outsized player in the Cuba debate that stands to gain economically from an improvement in relations. Obama announced a further loosening of restrictions on Cuba in December, expanding legal travel to the island, increasing the amount of money that could be sent to Cuban nationals and authorizing new commercial exports to the island. Though only Congress can end the U.S. trade embargo, the steps by the administration will increase contacts between the two nations, giving those in the communist state more exposure to Western ideals. [Eyeroll.  Hey, they chose in favour of communism, rather than 'Western ideals', of which they were aware.] The president is also moving to re-establish diplomatic ties with Cuba, including opening an embassy in Havana. Improving diplomatic relations would have immediate benefits, enabling the two sides to better coordinate everything from drug interdiction efforts and disaster relief to immigration matters and oil spills in the gulf. The new trade provisions will help more Cuban families who are struggling to survive. They also will build Cuba's nascent private sector and help open up society by clearing the way for new communications between the two countries. These efforts take time, and it is no easy haul to overcome the suspicions on both sides after a half-century as enemies. But that's what isolation brought. It's been a painful lesson for decades, but the American public has come around, and so have Cuban-Americans in Florida. Polls show a majority of Americans support opening ties to Cuba. That's also the view of the large and influential Cuban-American community in South Florida. The Cuba Poll at Florida International University, which is the longest-running research project to track Cuban-American opinion in South Florida, found last year that two-thirds of those polled favored diplomatic ties with Cuba, while a slim majority opposed the embargo. The younger generation opposed the embargo by nearly a two-thirds majority. These are the voices Rubio needs to recognize and Congress needs to hear. There are serious differences separating the Cuban and American governments, and Cuba has a long way to go on human rights and economic freedom. But it's senseless to pursue a course that hasn't worked for a half-century and oppose positive reforms because they come from a Democrat in the White House. http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-rubio-on-wrong-side-of-cuba-policy-changes/2216420 COMMENT Politicians sound like complete wastes of space, and it's beyond me how anybody has the tolerance to listen to this crap day, in and day out, like it means anything. Here's more from Rubio and Bob Menendez: Politicians Against The U.S.-Cuba Deal Miss The Point — It Was, Absolutely, A Failed Policy http://www.bustle.com/articles/54787-politicians-against-the-us-cuba-deal-miss-the-point-it-was-absolutely-a-failed-policy Wondered why such an anti-Cuban (or is that an anti-Obama?) headline, so checked out Bustle: Bustle, a site for women, raises $15.5 million The new round, led by General Catalyst, brings the young company’s total capital raised to $27 million and is the latest in a line of high-profile venture capital investments in digital media companies. Bustle, a digital publication aimed at young women, has raised $15.5 million in venture funding led by General Catalyst. The company, founded in 2013, has raised a total of $27 million in venture funding to date. Existing investors Time Warner Investments, Rothenberg Ventures, 500 Startups, and The Social+Capital Fund participated. ... Bryan Goldberg, Bustle’s founder and chief executive ... Time Warner [fortune=stock symbol=”TWX”] ... acquired Goldberg’s previous company, Bleacher Report, for less than $200 million in 2012. http://fortune.com/2014/12/18/bustle-raises-15-5-million/ General Catalyst Partners is an American venture capital firm. Nothing jumps out at me, apart from biggish money and probable neocon investors. 'Bustle' is a crappy name for a site aimed at women.

Turkey - Bank Asya Seizure / Hizmet Movement

Turkey's Bank Seizure Highlights Erdogan's Growing Ambition VoA - News Wednesday 4th February, 2015 ISTANBUL - Turkey's banking watchdog has transferred control of Bank Asya to a state-run fund, purging its executives with a decision that effectively hands over the Islamic lender to the government. Banking regulators seized control of Bank Asya citing a lack of transparency in its operations. The seizure is being seen as the latest chapter in a bitter feud between President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and U.S.-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen and his Hizmet movement. While Bank Asya denies any link to Gulen, political scientist Cengiz Aktar of Istanbul's Suleyman Sah University says the bank was targeted by the government and president. "Bank Asya's problems are artificial and they have been created by the government because Bank Asya belongs to the Hizmet movement and the government," Aktar said. "Actually the ruler of the country [President Erdogan] has decided to liquidate the movement and Bank Asya is an important source of finance so they are hitting Bank Asya." Bank Asya woes started in December 2013 when the government and Erdogan were implicated in a high-level graft probe. Erdogan claimed the investigation was a coup attempt by Gulen followers. Since then Bank Asya has faced growing pressure from state authorities and the pro-government media. Economy Minister Nihat Zeybeki defended the seizure of the bank. "I believe it is necessary to stabilize financial markets and to end speculation, bringing about a safer environment," Zeybeki said. The bank's confiscation coincides with Turkish authorities canceling Gulen's passport. He lives in self-imposed exile in the United States. On Tuesday, Gulen penned an op-ed in The New York Times warning Turkey is sliding towards totalitarianism. Global Source Partners political consultant Atilla Yesilada says there is growing concern the bank seizure is part of a new trend. "I am already receiving questions from investors whom I serve about political connections of major listed companies. This has become an issue," Yesilada said. "This is one of the main reasons why business and consumer confidence has been declining steadily for the last five months." An international network of schools set up by Gulen in more than 100 countries is also in Erdogan's sights. The school network developed across Africa is not only an important source of education, but also for commerce, which is why analyst Yesilada says the Turkish president is determined to close them. "Mr. Erdogan has already toured Africa and will probably arrange new visits to forcefully persuade African leaders to shut down Gulen schools. Gulen schools also serve as trading missions, trading outposts," he said. "So, I do not know the relationships between these schools and the local leaders and communities, but if they were going to shut down, I can assure you that trade relationship between those countries and Turkey would deteriorate substantially." Bank Asya last month said it was selling its 40 percent stake in Senegal-based Tamweel Africa Holding for $37.7 million. As Bank Asya continues to sell off its interests in Africa, Erdogan continues to ratchet up his focus on the region. In 2004, Turkey had only 12 embassies in Africa. Today, it has 39 and the next Turkish embassy will be opened in Equatorial Guinea this year. A decade ago, Turkey's total trade with Africa was less than $3 billion. Today, the trade volume has exceeded $25 billion and Turkish Airlines flies to about 40 points in more than 30 African countries - more than any other international airline. http://www.bignewsnetwork.com/index.php/sid/229990447 COMMENT Think Turkey's slide into totalitarianism might have already happened, judging by the poor treatment of its journalists. Some interesting information in this article. Look-Ups Fethullah Gulen: Turkey’s Eroding Democracy By FETHULLAH GULEN     FEB. 3, 2015 "Turkey’s current leaders seem to claim an absolute mandate by virtue of winning elections. But victory doesn’t grant them permission to ignore the Constitution or suppress dissent, especially when election victories are built on crony capitalism and media subservience. The A.K.P.’s leaders now depict every democratic criticism of them as an attack on the state. By viewing every critical voice as an enemy — or worse, a traitor — they are leading the country toward totalitarianism." http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/04/opinion/fethullah-gulen-turkeys-eroding-democracy.html?_r=0 Hizmet / Gulen Movement Religious & social Islamic movement that's supposed to be modern, but sounds rather conservative to me (an outsider).

Swedish Justice: Assange vs Hockey Players

ASSANGE "We have been told that they may testify via Skype" Published December 23, 2014 15:12 Now it is clear to date in the assault case against Rögle player Alen Bibic. The main hearing collides with rogles away game against Timra January 15, but Angelholm club need not spare any player. - We have been told that they may testify via Skype says rogles sports director Anders Carlsson. It was in April this year that Rögle player Alen Bibic was involved in a brawl on the dance floor at a hotel in Salen. Bibic was reported to the police for assault after being awarded two slap in the face of a 21-year-old who, among other things, a fractured nasal bone and a tooth injury. Alen Bibic has always maintained that he acted in self-defense. On January 15, the main hearing in Mora District Court happen, where the battered 21-year-old insists 51400 crowns in compensation of Rögle player. In addition Alen Bibic is Rögle players Christopher Liljewall and Niklas Hansson called as witnesses, as before teammate Kevin Lindskoug who was also there that night. Testifying via Skype The same date also plays Rögle away game against Timra the Hockey Allsvenskan. But the players can participate in spite of everything, according to the club's sporting director Anders "mask" Carlsson. - We have been told that they may testify via Skype. But even if the players do not need to be present in Mora, so does the crash then that the three players may be required to follow and participate in the trial when teammates simultaneously charging and heats for the match. Are you preparing a special way before the negotiation date? - No, we're working on as usual, and then gain it run its course. It is not going to dwell on this every single day. Once it gets there then we deal with it then. Do you go and dwell on it every day it will be probably quite a hassle, says Anders Carlsson. What do you expect the outcome? - We rely on the Swedish legal system, then we take it that becomes says Anders Carlsson. Is there a plan How do you handle it if it becomes a conviction? - We must take when it happens. Is there anything I said if he can play left or not in Rögle on conviction? - Yes, there is. By that he firmly asserts that it is self-defense, I do not see any reason why he should not be able to do it. How do you think this affects the image of Rögle? - I do not know, but I think most people would defend themselves if they were attacked. Surely you and me too. Have Alen asked for extra support? - He talks to me and their loved ones. He is quite safe and calm as a person, so I think he handles it pretty well. Anders Carlsson expect a quick process. - It is well clear 15 (January) I hope. "I am innocent" Evening Post has been in contact with Alen Bibic which refers to its previous comments in the case. - I beat him to protect me. It's all about I want to Friday me. The dance floor is very crowded and I have no way to escape the situation and get out of there, 'said Alen Bibic told Aftonbladet in November. - I maintain that I am innocent. I acted in self-defense, self-defense. This guy reported only my brother, indicating poor grasp of the situation, continues Bibic. Kvällsposten also searched rogles coach Magnus Bogren for comment. http://www.expressen.se/kvp/sport/vi-har-fatt-besked-att-de-far-vittna-via-skype/ COMMENT Thought I'd post this, although it's a rather poor Google translation. A Swedish hockey player -- Alen Bibic -- was accused of a fairly serious assault. Bibic, and several players who were witnesses. were permitted to testify via Skype  ... so as not to disrupt their hockey game. Meanwhile, after 4 years of detention, Julian Assange has not been questioned by Sweden's prosecutor: Last month a Swedish appeals court upheld the detention order on Assange, dismissing a challenge by the WikiLeaks founder. Confirming a ruling by a lower court, the Svea appeals court said there is no reason to lift the detention order just because it cannot be enforced at the moment. The court also criticised the prosecutors, who have declined Assange's offer to be questioned in London, for not considering 'alternative avenues' to move the investigation forward. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2865992/John-Cusack-visits-Wikileaks-founder-Assange-Ecuadorian-Embassy.html The siege of Julian Assange is a farce - a special investigation The Swedish prosecutor, Marianne Ny, has refused to come to London to question Assange about allegations of sexual misconduct in Stockholm in 2010 - even though Swedish law allows for it and the procedure is routine for Sweden and the UK.  http://johnpilger.com/articles/the-siege-of-julian-assange-is-a-farce-a-special-investigation COST TO DATE  ECUADOR EMBASSY SURVEILLANCE & DETENTION OF ASSANGE (NO CHARGE)

El Salvador - Robert E White

Pope Francis Just Declared This Murdered Archbishop a Martyr. Reaganites Should Be Embarrassed. By Joel Gillin / February 4, 2015 Pope Francis has declared Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Romero, who was murdered while celebrating Mass in 1980, a martyr. Like much of what Francis has done and said since ascending the papal throne, the decision could anger American conservatives. After all, a number of prominent Reaganites and religious leaders in the U.S. embraced the man responsible for Romero's death. In 1979, moderate military officers overthrew El Salvador’s strongarm ruler Carlos Humberto Romero. The archbishop was initially supportive of the government before realizing that the military’s abuses and the persecution of the poor would not cease. Seen as a hero within Latin America’s liberation theology movement, which sought to align the Church with the poor and oppressed, Romero grew concerned after reading reports that the U.S. was planning to send support to the Salvadoran military. He wrote a letter to President Jimmy Carter urging him to not intervene, arguing that U.S. aid, “rather than favoring greater justice and peace in El Salvador, will make injustice and repression against the organization of the people, who have been struggling for the respect of their most fundamental rights, even more acute.” Romero was assassinated the following month. One week after his killing, the U.S. approved $5.7 million in emergency military aid, just as El Salvador’s bloody twelve-year civil war was getting underway. The U.S. embassy had evidence that Roberto D’Aubuisson, an anti-Communist former army major whom Reaganites considered a Cold War ally, was behind the killing. The embassy handed this intelligence over the CIA, which kept it buried so that Congress would continue providing military aid to the El Salvadoran and Guatemalan governments. A U.N.-sponsored truth commission found in 1993 that D’Aubuisson “gave the order to assassinate the Archbishop and gave precise instructions to members of his security service, acting as a 'death squad,' to organize and supervise the assassination.” It was eventually revealed by The New York Times that the Reagan administration knew more about the Salvadoran regime’s complicity and participation in atrocities than it had led Congress to believe. Soon after the truth commission published its findings, the Times reported that the “Reagan Administration withheld its own evidence of Mr. D'Aubuisson’s death squad activities from members of Congress who argued that Washington should have no dealings with terrorists.” Suspicion that D'Aubuisson was involved in Romero's death didn't stop U.S. officials and other conservatives from praising him. After D'Aubuisson entered politics in 1982, then-U.S. Ambassador to El Salvador Deane R. Hinton called D’Aubuisson a “fine young Democrat,” later declaring him “an intelligent man” and a “dynamic leader.” Senator Jesse Helms was an unabashed supporter, suggesting that D’Aubuission’s credentials as “free enterprise man” who was “deeply religious” were more important than accusations that he murdered civilians. Elliott Abrams, then assistant secretary of state for Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs, told a congressional committee that the former army major was not an extremist because one would have to be “involved in murder” to earn that designation. Members of the Religious Right also offered their support to D’Aubuisson in the 1980s. Pat Robertson claimed to have gone to dinner with D’Aubuisson, calling him a “very nice fellow.” D’Aubuisson was honored at a 1984 dinner at the Capitol Hill Club by a number of conservative groups, including the Moral Majority, the National Pro-Life Action Committee, and The Washington Times. He was presented a plaque for his “continuing efforts for freedom.” On another visit to Washington, D’Aubuisson was chaperoned around the city by Young Americans for Freedom. One notable voice of dissent during this period was Robert E. White, the U.S. Ambassador to El Salvador from 1980-1981, who passed away last month. While serving as ambassador, he denounced the Salvadoran government and right-wing death squads, famously calling D’Aubuisson a “pathological killer.” White was dismissed from his post, but that didn't quiet him: In 1984, he accused the Reagan administration of attempting to cover up D’Aubuisson’s involvement in Romero’s murder. http://www.newrepublic.com/article/120973/pope-francis-declares-oscar-romero-martyr-embarrassing-reaganites COMMENT Religious stuff is a huge turn off for me, but I thought the article was worthwhile checking out for the information. Roberto D’Aubuisson was widely known as "Major Soplete" (i.e., "Major Blowtorch") [Source  S.R. Shearer - here] LOOK-UPS Deane R. Hinton  career diplomat / last post in 1990s / member Council on Foreign Relations & American Academy of Diplomacy. / [Wikipedia] Senator Jesse Helms Southern Baptist WWII recruiter in the United States Navy Reporter The Raleigh Times Senate Foreign Relations Committee from 1995 to 2001 long-time chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he demanded a staunchly anti-communist foreign policy Republican (1970–2008) Democratic (1942–1970) / [Wikipedia] Elliott Abrams Diplomat, lawyer and political scientist who served in foreign policy positions for US Presidents Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush. ... serving for Reagan, Abrams and retired US Marine Corps officer Oliver North were integral players in the Iran-Contra affair. ... currently a senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. His appointment by Bush was controversial due to his conviction in 1991 on two misdemeanor counts of unlawfully withholding information from Congress during the Iran-Contra Affair investigation. Abrams accompanied Condoleezza Rice as a primary adviser on her visits to the Middle East in late July 2006 in the course of discussions relating to the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict. [Wikipedia] And this guy's influence has been everywhere: American Committee for Peace in Chechnya: Member NGO Monitor: member of the International Advisory Board American Jewish Committee: Former member, National Advisory Council Center for Security Policy: Former member, National Security Advisory Council Committee for the Free World: Member of 1985 conference on Reagan-Gorbachev summit meeting in Geneva Committee for Peace and Security in the Gulf: Former Member (1998) Committee on U.S. Interests in the Middle East: Former Member Council on Foreign Relations: Member Ethics and Public Policy Center: President, 1996–2002 Heritage Foundation: Alumnus of Heritage Foundation Resource Bank Francisco Marroquin Foundation: Former chairman Hudson Institute: Senior Fellow, 1990–96 Independent Task Force on Colombia: Former member Middle East Forum: Signatory of 2000 report urging military action against Syria Nicaraguan Resistance Foundation: Former chairman Project for the New American Century: Signatory of 1997 Statement of Principles and various other statements U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom: Former member National Endowment for Democracy: Board of Directors [Wikipedia] Religious Right Right wing, conservative political factions. "In the U.S., the Christian right is an informal coalition formed around a core of evangelical Protestants and Catholics. The Christian right draws additional support from politically conservative mainline Protestants, Jews, and Mormons." / [Wikipedia] Pat Robertson Evangelist Republican Media mogul / [Wikipedia] Moral Majority dissolved 1980s - financial difficulties, following Liberty Federation affiliation was political organisation associated with Christian Right (ie Religious Right) / [Wikipedia] National Pro-Life Action Committee oldest and largest anti-abortion & anti-euthanasia organisation in USA / [Wikipedia] The Washington Times News World Communications founded 1976 by Unification Church founder and leader Sun Myung Moon News World's best-known newspaper was the Washington Times, which the company owned from the paper's founding in 1982 until 2010. 02 Nov 2010: Sun Myung Moon and a group of former Times editors purchased the Washington from News World. / [Wikipedia] Young Americans for Freedom ideologically conservative youth activism organization that was founded in 1960 as a coalition between traditional conservatives and libertarians / [Wikipedia] ROBERT EDWARD WHITE Here's the dissenting voice: Robert Edward White, Ambassador (b. 1926 - d. 2015) Source:  "Ambassador Robert E White" by Robert White - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ambassador_Robert_E_White.JPG#mediaviewer/File:Ambassador_Robert_E_White.JPG What an amazing guy.  Really brave. "... once called prominent military figure Roberto D'Aubuisson a "pathological killer". D'Aubuisson was widely suspected of collaboration with death squad killings including the assassination of Archbishop Óscar Romero. He also accused José Napoleón Duarte, El Salvador's President from 1984 to 1989 of being a CIA asset. He was dismissed by the new Reagan administration in 1981. He wrote of his ouster: In 1981, as the ambassador to El Salvador, I refused a demand by the secretary of state, Alexander M. Haig Jr., that I use official channels to cover up the Salvadoran military's responsibility for the murders of four American churchwomen. I was fired and forced out of the Foreign Service."   [Wikipedia] Robert White 1999: In the name of anticommunism, U.S.-supported armies suppressed democracy, free speech, and human rights in El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama. Torture and assassination of democratic leaders, including presidential candidates, journalists, priests and union officials became commonplace.    [Wikipedia] Robert White died on 13 January 2015. Obituaries Robert E. White, Ex-Ambassador to Latin America, Dies at 88 http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/18/world/americas/robert-e-white-ex-ambassador-to-latin-america-dies-at-88.html?_r=0 Robert E. White, who criticized policy on El Salvador as U.S. ambassador, dies at 88 http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/robert-e-white-who-criticized-policy-on-el-salvador-as-us-ambassador-dies-at-88/2015/01/15/0c504738-9c29-11e4-96cc-e858eba91ced_story.html

ISRAEL - "Foreign Ministry initiates disciplinary measures over political tweets by diplomats"

Foreign Ministry initiates disciplinary measures over political tweets by diplomats By HERB KEINON \ 02/05/2015 01:01 Two Israeli diplomats, including the country’s ambassador to Switzerland, were recalled Wednesday to face disciplinary measures for posting blatantly political comments on their Twitter accounts. A third employee, who works at the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem, is to face disciplinary actions for the same reason. The decision to take measures that could eventually lead to their dismissal came following an NRG report on the tweets Wednesday by Ariel Kahana. The three are Yigal Caspi, a senior diplomat who is the envoy to Switzerland, Assaf Moran and Yaron Gamburg. Caspi, for instance, retweeted posts last month mocking Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s planned speech to Congress and for harming ties with the US, as well as another that slammed Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman for his treatment of his ministers. As of Wednesday evening, his Twitter account only had some 250 followers. Moran, a political counselor at Israel’s embassy in New Delhi, posted a tweet this week quoting a public relations man saying that Netanyahu is trying to do everything except talk about the issues. His Twitter account was taken down Wednesday night. And Gamburg, formerly Israel’s spokesman in Paris and currently working in the ministry’s political research division, wrote on his account that Bayit Yehudi head Naftali Bennett was, among other things, delusional, messianic, violent and homophobic. His account was also unaccessible Wednesday evening. One ministry source said that when these tweets were brought to Liberman’s attention, he decided to immediately initiate disciplinary procedures. This, the source said, will likely trigger a response in defense of the employees from the worker’s committee. Under civil service regulations, civil servants are forbidden from publicly taking political positions. http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Politics-And-Diplomacy/Foreign-Ministry-initiates-disciplinary-measures-over-political-tweets-by-diplomats-390033 COMMENT Wow, this is almost like a Foreign Ministry mutiny. Links Bayit Yehudi = HaBayit HaYehudi ie The Jewish Home religious Zionist political party in Israel (successor party to the National Religious Party) founded 2008 Ideology:  Religious Zionism Political position: Right-Wing to Far-right Leader:  Naftali Bennett "Represents Modern Orthodox" voters "who tend to be more nationalist in Israel" Bayit Yehudi gaining ground, prompting Likud party to go more right wing

Politico: "Israeli officials fail to quell Democratic revolt"

Israeli officials fail to quell Democratic revolt By Edward-Isaac Dovere 2/4/15 7:28 PM EST Updated 2/4/15 8:19 PM EST Israeli Ambassador Ron Dermer and Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein rushed to meetings on Capitol Hill on Wednesday trying to calm a furor created by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s planned speech to Congress next month and quell a Democratic revolt that has dozens threatening a boycott. It didn’t work. If anything, Democrats finished the day more frustrated. According to a source in the room, one Jewish Democratic member of Congress even accused Dermer of being insincere when he claimed not to have anticipated the partisan uproar he’d ignite when he skirted protocol and went around the White House and scheduled the speech only with House Speaker John Boehner. White House press secretary Josh Earnest, meanwhile, dangled the possibility that the White House would have Vice President Joe Biden skip the speech in what the West Wing acknowledges would be a serious snub. The U.S. and Israeli alliance is rooted in deep defense, security, economic and investment ties, and all sides insisted the U.S. commitment to defend Israel is unaffected by the unseemly dispute of the last two weeks. And with Netanyahu on course to be reelected in March, he and President Barack Obama will need to find a way to talk again. But the ongoing dispute over the speech seemed likely to make that more difficult than ever. Biden has to date missed only one speech by a foreign leader at a joint session of Congress, Earnest said. The vice president really likes his ceremonial duties, he added, but might be busy on March 3, when Netanyahu is scheduled to deliver his warning to Congress about U.S. negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program. The Obama administration considers the talks an important diplomatic opening that could lead to the dismantling of Iran’s nuclear weapons program. Netanyahu believes Iran has no intention of holding to any deal and U.S. diplomats are being naive. The speech, which would also come just two weeks before Israeli elections, was widely interpreted as an attempt to rally opposition in Congress, which is considering legislation to try to block a deal. “The muddled manner in which this invitation to speak to Congress has been handled is striking,” said Edward Djerejian, a former ambassador to Israel and the founding director of Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy. “This is an unnecessary irritant in the basic U.S.-Israeli relationship and it couldn’t come at a more delicate time, where the Middle East region is in such turbulence and there’s so many challenges.” Dermer and Edelstein running around the Hill on Wednesday is “symptomatic of what’s happened as a result of the speaker’s invitation and the prime minister’s acceptance of this speech,” said Martin Indyk, a former ambassador to Israel under Bill Clinton. If Dermer really wants to fix the problems created by the speech, goes the consensus among Democrats in Washington, he’ll need to do more than apologize: he and Netanyahu have to cancel or reschedule the speech. Otherwise, Wednesday won’t be the lowest point of the relationship. “It’s going to get worse: because Democrats, whether it’s Jewish Democratic congressmen, or Jewish voters for the Democratic Party — which is the majority of American Jewish voters … nobody wants to be part of that position,” Indyk said. Democrats who are supporters of Israel don’t want to have to choose between supporting Israel and supporting their president.” Earnest ducked answering whether Obama would ask Biden to attend the speech; an Oval Office meeting with the president has already been ruled out. Earnest acknowledged that a Biden snub might hurt Netanyahu in the Israeli elections March 17. [Josh Earnest, White House Press Secretary.] “We’ll see,” Earnest said. “As we consider the vice president’s attendance, that’s one of the factors that will weigh on that decision.”  Seven Jewish Democratic members of Congress who met Wednesday in Rep. Steve Israel’s (D-N.Y.) office — Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Ted Deutch of Florida, Jerry Nadler and Nita Lowey of New York, Sander Levin of Michigan and Jan Schakowsky of Illinois — lit into Dermer. The invitation, they said, was making them choose between Netanyahu and Obama, making support for Israel into a partisan issue that they never wanted it to be, and forcing them to consider a boycott of the speech. One member, according to someone in the room, went so far as to tell Dermer it was hard to believe him when he said he didn’t realize the partisan mess he was making by going around Obama to get Boehner to make the invitation. They suggested Netanyahu consider speaking to members of Congress privately, and not from the podium of the House. “There were a wide range of views that were discussed, but one thing we all agreed on emphatically is that Israel should never be used as a political football,” Israel told POLITICO. [No idea who this may be. ] As that was happening, a new diplomatic rift was opening. The Israelis sent Edelstein, a member of Netanyahu’s Likud party, to meet with Boehner. Boehner’s office remembered to invite Pelosi’s rival, Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), but left House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) out.  [Is this some kind of faux pas or an outright snub?] A spokesman for the Israeli embassy didn’t return a request for comment. Hoyer and House Foreign Relations Committee ranking member Eliot Engel, who’d also been invited, both pulled out when they realized Pelosi was being left out.  “Had we been told that Rep. Pelosi wanted to attend, she certainly would have been welcome,” explained Boehner spokesman Michael Steel afterward. By then the Israeli embassy was scrambling. Pelosi got her own meeting with Edelstein added to the schedule for Wednesday afternoon. She brought along Hoyer and Engel, as well as Assistant Democratic Leader Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) and Intelligence Committee ranking member Adam Schiff (D-Calif.). Pelosi’s office told POLITICO Tuesday that she’ll go to Netanyahu’s speech if it happens. But Wednesday, she used the Edelstein meeting to tear into the Israelis directly. Pelosi “expressed her concern that casting a political apple of discord into the relationship is not the best way forward given the formidable challenges our two countries are facing together,” said Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill. Dermer, meanwhile, scheduled another rushed meeting with Engel for Thursday. Nothing that happened Wednesday seems to have calmed the revolt that has dozens of Democrats considering skipping Netanyahu’s speech. Earnest said that the White House can see why they might. “Individual members of Congress will have to make their own decision, some of which I assume will be driven by their schedule and some of which will be driven by their own views about what has transpired over the last several weeks as it relates to this speech,” Earnest said. Asked whether the president believes the America-Israel relationship would be harmed by Democrats skipping the speech, Earnest ducked again. “The president believes that individual members of Congress will have to decide for themselves,” he said. Jake Sherman and John Bresnahan contributed to this report. http://www.politico.com/story/2015/02/israeli-officials-fail-to-quell-democratic-revolt-114923.html COMMENT This stuff sounds pretty exciting, but it's really not that big a deal (I think).  Hard to see any of it affecting US-Israel relations. LINKS Josh Earnest - White House Press Secretary - here. Democratic Rice University Assumed office:  June 2014 UPDATE Haartz article: Israeli foreign ministry receiving consul general reports of criticisms regarding planned Netanyahu speech. Criticism is mainly levelled at Benjamin Netanyahu,  Israel ambassador Ron Dermer and US speaker John Boehner. Main supporters of the Netanyahu speech are right winger types: Republican Jewish Coalition Zionist Organization of America and Christian evangelists. Netanyahu is determined to press on. More on ...  Consuls in U.S. warn: Israel's friends fear Netanyahu's speech to Congress will harm ties http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/.premium-1.640896