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240 People Diagnosed With COVID Despite Receiving Vaccine

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Among the nearly one million Israelis vaccinated against coronavirus so far, some 240 Israelis have been diagnosed with the virus days after getting the shot, Channel 13 News reported Thursday.

The figure underscores the need for individuals to continue to protect themselves for weeks after being inoculated, as the body takes time to develop effective antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19.

The Pfizer vaccine is not made with the coronavirus itself, meaning that there is no chance anyone could catch it from the shots. Instead, the vaccine contains a piece of genetic code that trains the immune system to recognize the spiked protein on the surface of the virus and create antibodies to attack if it encounters the real thing.

But this process takes time, and studies of the vaccine so far have shown immunity to the virus rises only some 8-10 days after the first injection — and then only to around 50 percent effectiveness.

This is why the second dose of the vaccine, given 21 days after the first, is critical: It strengthens the immune system’s response to the virus, bringing it to 95% effectiveness and ensuring that immunity lasts. This level of immunity is only reached about a week after the second dose — or 28 days after the first. (Read more from “240 People Diagnosed With COVID Despite Receiving Vaccine” HERE)

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Omar and Tlaib Headline Anti-Israel Hatefest

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Democratic representatives Ilhan Omar (Minn.), Rashida Tlaib (Mich.), and Betty McCollum (Minn.) headlined a conference this weekend run by one of the nation’s most prolific anti-Israel advocacy groups, lending their support to an organization that champions boycotts of Israel and has partnered with individuals tied to terrorism.

The lawmakers, known for their anti-Israel rhetoric and promotion of anti-Semitic materials, appeared at the American Muslims for Palestine’s (AMP) annual conference, which was held virtually over Thanksgiving weekend. The conference featured outspoken critics of Israel, including those with reported ties to the Hamas terror group. AMP, which itself has been tied to terror financiers, is a leading promoter of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement, which seeks to wage economic warfare on Israel by boycotting Jewish-made goods.

The lawmakers gave remarks alongside speakers such as Tarek Hamoud, executive director of the Palestinian Return Center, which has reportedly been linked to Hamas. Other speakers included Huwaida Arraf, a BDS promoter and lawyer who represented a Palestinian terrorist. AMP has also employed individuals who worked for the Holy Land Foundation, which was probed by the FBI in 2001 for illicitly funneling upward of $12 million to Hamas. AMP’s founder, Hatem Bazian, is the creator of Students for Justice in Palestine, a notoriously anti-Semitic campus group that has harassed and assaulted Jewish students.

During the three-day conference, speakers from across the pro-Palestinian advocacy scene discussed their efforts to push the incoming Biden administration into adopting a more hardline stance against Israel that includes rolling back critical U.S. security aid. Organizations like AMP are fighting for a seat at the table in Joe Biden’s White House, as lawmakers such as Omar and Tlaib work to mainstream anti-Israel voices.

Tlaib, in her remarks, lashed out at American “supporters of the occupation,” a reference to pro-Israel organizations in America that support Israel’s right to exist. She claimed these groups are “working to criminalize our right to boycott and organize—literally our freedom of speech and First Amendment.” (Read more from “Omar and Tlaib Headline Anti-Israel Hatefest” HERE)

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Anti-Israel Radical Named as Biden’s Deputy White House Press Secretary

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On Sunday, Joe Biden’s transition team announced that Karine Jean-Pierre would become the principal deputy White House press secretary. Previously, Jean-Pierre was both a senior advisor and chief of staff to Kamala Harris.

However, Jean-Pierre is also notoriously anti-Israel.

In 2019, as a national spokesperson for the radical-Leftist group MoveOn.org, Jean-Pierre commended the 2020 Democrat presidential candidates for boycotting the annual American-Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) conference. She wrote in Newsweek at the time that “AIPAC’s policies are not progressive policies. AIPAC’s values are not progressive values.”

Jean-Pierre criticized AIPAC for hosting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, writing that “under his leadership of Israel, according to the United Nations, Israel may have committed war crimes in its attacks on Gazan protesters.” She has also accused the group of “severely racist, Islamophobic rhetoric.”

(Read more from “Anti-Israel Radical Named as Biden’s Deputy White House Press Secretary” HERE)

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NYT Columnist Who Called for ‘End of Israel’ to Appear With Noted Antisemites

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Anti-Israel activist groups are sponsoring a panel discussion on “dismantling antisemitism,” featuring New York Times columnist Peter Beinart who previously called for the “end of Israel” as a panelist.

Despite promoting anti-Israel rhetoric in the past, Beinart, joined by Rep. Rashida Tlaib, Barbara Ransby, and Marc Lamont Hill, is slated to speak at a discussion titled, “Dismantling Antisemitism, Winning Justice,” sponsored by anti-Israel groups such as United Against Hate, Jewish Currents, Jewish Voice for Peace, Arab American Institute, and Foundation for Middle East Peace.

Just a few months ago, Beinart openly called for the undermining of Israel and Zionism by creating an equal state shared by the Palestinians in a New York Times op-ed titled “I No Longer Believe in a Jewish State.”

“It’s time to abandon the traditional two-state solution and embrace the goal of equal rights for Jews and Palestinians. It’s time to imagine a Jewish home that is not a Jewish state,” he wrote. (Read more from “NYT Columnist Who Called for ‘End of Israel’ to Appear With Noted Antisemites” HERE)

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Israel Demands Apology From CNN Anchor for Holocaust Comparison

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Israel demanded an apology from CNN anchor Christiane Amanpour on Sunday for her comments comparing the Trump presidency to Kristallnacht, a violent pogrom perpetrated against Jews in Nazi Germany that killed dozens and left synagogues and Jewish-owned businesses destroyed .

“Using the memory of the Holocaust for cheap headlines or a political agenda is concerning and distorts the historical and moral truth,” Diaspora Affairs minister Omer Yankelevich said, according to the Jerusalem Post. She added that CNN “should be a partner in the global effort to fight anti-Semitism and not fuel the fire.” . . .

Following the comments, prominent American and Israeli commentators slammed Amanpour for the analogy. White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany called the comparison “despicable,” demanding CNN “apologize for trivializing the Holocaust and the tragic genocide of millions of Jews.”

“They must also apologize for slandering the most pro-Israel President in history,” she added. (Read more from “Israel Demands Apology From CNN Anchor for Holocaust Comparison” HERE)

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Sudan, Israel Agree To Normalize Ties in U.S.-Brokered Deal

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Israel and Sudan have agreed to normalize relations, the third such U.S.-brokered agreement in the Middle East in recent weeks, the Trump administration announced Friday.

President Donald Trump announced the deal during a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok he hosted in the presence of reporters in the Oval Office.

“This is an incredible deal for Israel and Sudan,” Trump said during the call. “For decades Sudan has been at a state of war with Israel — they have been in a state of war and boycotted Israeli goods. There was no relationship whatsoever.

“Today’s peace agreement will enhance your security and end Sudan’s long isolation from the world.

“It’s peace in the Middle East without bloodshed,” Trump added. (Read more from “Sudan, Israel Agree To Normalize Ties in U.S.-Brokered Deal” HERE)

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Kamala Harris’s Ties to Muslim Anti-Israel Group Revealed

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Democratic vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris’s ties to a leading anti-Israel group are generating scrutiny among Jewish voters, particularly in Florida, a perennial swing state populated by a large number of staunchly pro-Israel voters.

As California’s attorney general and then as U.S. senator, Harris forged a relationship with the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), one of the nation’s top anti-Israel groups and advocates for boycotts of the Jewish state. CAIR advised Harris on community issues during her time in California politics, and she later offered the group her “gratitude and admiration” in a 2018 personal letter to the group.

Harris’s association with CAIR is drawing scrutiny ahead of the 2020 presidential election. While Jewish voters overwhelmingly lean Democratic, the party’s recent embrace of anti-Israel causes and activists could make the critical voting bloc think twice. Biden has promised to be a mainstream pro-Israel president, but the Democratic Party’s alliance with anti-Israel leaders threatens to pull the candidate leftward, as evidenced by Biden’s campaign pledge to confront Israel over its continued building of Jewish homes in disputed areas. Recent national polls show around 30 percent support for Trump among Jewish voters, a number that ranks on the high end historically. And CAIR’s support for the Democratic ticket could prove to be a lightning rod for team Biden in states such as Florida, local GOP officials say.

“Every Jewish American should be concerned about a potential vice president who aligns herself with groups that support terrorists,” said Randy Fine, a former Republican Florida state politician who went toe-to-toe with CAIR on several initiatives. “I don’t think we want people in the White House to invite anti-Semites to have a seat at the table.” (Read more from “Kamala Harris’s Ties to Muslim Anti-Israel Group Revealed” HERE)

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‘Jerusalem Is Our City,’ Turkey’s Erdogan Declares

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Thursday implied that Jerusalem belongs to Turkey, referring to the Ottoman Empire’s control over the city for much of the modern era.

“In this city that we had to leave in tears during the First World War, it is still possible to come across traces of the Ottoman resistance. So Jerusalem is our city, a city from us,” he told Turkish lawmakers during a major policy speech in Ankara. “Our first qibla [direction of prayer in Islam] al-Aqsa and the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem are the symbolic mosques of our faith. In addition, this city is home to the holy places of Christianity and Judaism.”

The Ottoman Empire ruled over Jerusalem from 1516 to 1917. Modern Turkey, its successor state, has long stressed its enduring connection to the holy city, regularly condemning Israel’s alleged efforts to “judaize” it and the US administration’s December 2017 recognition of it as Israel’s capital.

Jerusalem has been the capital of Israel since the country’s founding, and the Jewish people have thousands of years of history in the city, backed up by extensive archaeological finds.

During a lengthy speech at the opening of the Turkish parliament’s new legislative session, Erdoğan spent several minutes lamenting the fate of Jerusalem and the Palestinians’ plight. (Read more from “‘Jerusalem Is Our City,’ Turkey’s Erdogan Declares” HERE)

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‘Historic Breakthrough’: President Trump Announces Another Middle East Peace Deal

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President Donald Trump announced another peace deal Friday, as Israel and Bahrain established diplomatic relations just weeks after a similar agreement was struck between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Fox News reported.

Bahrain becomes just the fourth country in the region to establish formal peaceful ties with Israel, joining Egypt, Jordan, and UAE. President Trump was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for his role in the deal between Israel and UAE.

“This is a historic breakthrough to further peace in the Middle East,” a joint statement from the U.S., Bahrain, and Israel said. “Opening direct dialogue and ties between these two dynamic societies and advanced economies will continue the positive transformation of the Middle East and increase stability, security, and prosperity in the region.” . . .

The White House emphasized the impact of the agreements as Trump runs for reelection, pointing out the historic nature of the peace deals and using them as examples of the president’s desire to end long-term conflicts in the region.

“This is an extraordinary achievement,” White House deputy press secretary Brian Morgenstern told Fox News. “The president made the first major breakthrough like this in 26 years. In less than a month, he’s made yet another one.” (Read more from “‘Historic Breakthrough’: President Trump Announces Another Middle East Peace Deal” HERE)

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Israel Imposes Second Nationwide COVID Lockdown

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Israel is poised to enter another nationwide lockdown that would shutter schools, restaurants, markets, and more for two weeks, making it the first developed nation to shut down for a second time.

Cabinet ministers approved the second lockdown late Thursday, and it will be up for final approval Sunday with a full Cabinet vote. It would last for two full weeks, followed by two more weeks of stringent economic and social restrictions starting Sept. 18, Bloomberg reported Friday.

Israel successfully got the coronavirus under control in the spring and lifted the national lockdown in May. (Read more from “Israel Imposes Second Nationwide COVID Lockdown” HERE)

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