It is important that the world abandon the God of it's fathers or it will not be ready for what is to come. succeeding it's authority by the Orthodox Jew will be a rather big indicator of this readiness. We all need to pay close attention to these things.
A meeting between chummy old family friends. This is an older article but it continues to be in the news. I believe that this peace plan has been completed for quite some time now and that it will only be unveiled when other indicators show that the time is right. I do not know what those are but I suspect they have to do with "dialogue" between the religious leaders that have been selected to take part in the interfaith meetings Mr Greenblatt has been charged with. Possibly the Orthodox stepping down from their position of authority with the state perhaps? Who knows. It has been a few months away from completion for the last year. I do not think that the Palestinian authority will agree to this plan regardless of its promises of prosperity but the people very well may revolt against the PA after so many decades of strife and brutality. I also think that Mr Kushner certainly does not worship the Orthodox God of his father by the looks of that kaballah string often tied around his wrist. Usually it is concealed but his wife wears hers quite frequently and their small children do also. If that isn't a "sign" worth noting I don't know what is. http://blackchristiannews.com/2018/...ill-be-announced-with-or-without-his-support/ Jared Kushner Criticizes Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas; Says Peace Plan Will be Announced With or Without his Support June 24, 2018 (Photo: MATTY STERN / US EMBASSY JERUSALEM HANDOUT, EPA-EFE) President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser said in an interview published Sunday that the administration will soon present its Israeli-Palestinian peace plan, with or without input from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. In an interview published in the Arabic language Al-Quds newspaper, Jared Kushner appealed directly to Palestinians and criticized Abbas, who has shunned the Trump team over its alleged pro-Israel bias, particularly on the fate of contested Jerusalem. The interview came out after a weeklong trip around the region by Kushner and Mideast envoy Jason Greenblatt. The team met with leaders of Israel, Jordan, Qatar, Egypt and Saudi Arabia to discuss the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza and the administration’s proposals for a peace deal. The Palestinians refused to meet with Kushner, and leaders have criticized the Trump negotiating team in recent days. Senior Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat accused Kushner and Greenblatt on Saturday of trying to topple the Abbas-led West Bank autonomy government and dismantle the U.N. aid agency for Palestinian refugees. On Sunday, Erekat doubled down on his criticism, telling Israel’s Channel 10 that the American negotiators are “not neutral” and predicting their peace plan would fail. Any peace plan would face major obstacles, including the increasingly dire humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, internal Palestinian divisions, and recent cross-border violence between Gaza’s Hamas rulers and Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his Cabinet on Sunday that he met twice with Kushner and Greenblatt this weekend and discussed “how to solve the humanitarian situation in Gaza without strengthening Hamas.” It remains unclear how the Trump administration would proceed with a peace plan without Palestinian cooperation. Kushner said the plan is “almost done,” but offered scant details aside from the promise of economic prosperity. He made no mention of a Palestinian state arising alongside Israel, though he acknowledged that Arab partners support that goal. The Palestinians seek the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza – territories captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war. Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005, and two years later, Hamas seized control of Gaza from Abbas’ forces. Abbas now governs only small autonomous zones in the West Bank. Kushner cast doubt on Abbas’ ability to make a deal, alleging that the Palestinian leadership is “scared we will release our peace plan and the Palestinian people will actually like it” because it would offer them a better life. “The global community is getting frustrated with Palestinian leadership and not seeing many actions that are constructive toward achieving peace,” Kushner said. “There are a lot of sharp statements and condemnations, but no ideas or efforts with prospects of success.” Palestinian leaders have refused to meet with the Trump team since the president recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in December. Jerusalem is an emotional issue at the epicenter of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel captured the city’s eastern half, home to holy sites for Jews, Christians, and Muslims, in the 1967 Mideast war and annexed it. The annexation is not internationally recognized. Palestinians seek east Jerusalem as capital of a future state. “If President Abbas is willing to come back to the table, we are ready to engage; if he is not, we will likely air the plan publicly,” Kushner said. Abbas spokesman Nabil Abu Rdeneh responded to Kushner’s interview by restating that American efforts will yield no result if they bypass the Palestinian leadership, and if they are not aimed at an independent Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital. Later in the day Israel’s military said its aircraft carried out several strikes in Gaza in response to Palestinians launching “arson and explosive balloons.” Gaza’s Health Ministry said three people were wounded. Local media and witnesses in Gaza said the injured were members of Hamas forces. For weeks, Israel has been struggling to combat large fires caused by kites and balloons rigged with incendiary devices launched by Palestinians in Gaza that have destroyed forests, burned crops and killed wildlife and livestock. The military said that Hamas is now orchestrating the flying fire bomb attacks and “will bear the consequences for its actions.”
Could America's "Deep Underground Seismic Scar" Be Re-Awakening? https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018...deep-underground-seismic-scar-be-re-awakening ============================================================================== But hey.....don't worry....there's always "domani"! Volcano WARNING: Naples supervolcano showing 'signs' of possible 'Vesuvian-style eruption' ITALY'S Campi Flegrei volcano has, for the first time in nearly 400 years, been “showing a type of unrest” which could indicate it is “getting ready for another eruption”, volcano expert Christopher Kilburn has said. ....... He added: “The point is that because it is the first time in nearly 400 years that the volcano has been showing this type of unrest, there is now concern that the volcano might be getting ready for another eruption in the foreseeable future. “But that type of eruption is of the size of possibly a Vesuvian-style or even much smaller. “So we are not talking about another giant eruption that might produce another caldera.” Dr Kilburn said it is “important to be aware” that the volcano is active. But he urged people living in the area not to worry, adding: “It is important to be reassured that plans are being made and not to be worried every day that something might happen because that is actually not the case.” https://www.express.co.uk/news/worl...les-Campi-Flegrei-supervolcano-Mount-Vesuvius
Following the history of the Russian church being seen as a kind of political control over the people....associated with a one kind of state outlook and not universal or independent. Ukrainian Orthodox leaders seal divorce from Russian church The Ukrainian Orthodox council has elected a leader of the country's newly-established independent Orthodox church. The decision to cut ties with Moscow has caused a split within the Ukrainian church hierarchy. Ukraine on Saturday formally created a new national Orthodox church, breaking away from Russia's influence, as worsening political and military tensions between the two neighbors spills over to religion. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko confirmed the decision following a historic synod at Kyiv's Saint Sophia Cathedral when the country's Orthodox Council voted to establish the independent church. Poroshenko added that Metropolitan Epifany, of the Kiev Patriarchate church, was chosen as head of the new church: "This day will go down in history as the sacred day ... the day of the final independence from Russia," Poroshenko told a crowd awaiting the council's decision in central Kiev. Several thousand people had rallied outside the cathedral ahead of the synod in support of the move, which the Ukrainian president pushed for as part of his 2019 re-election campaign. https://www.dw.com/en/ukrainian-orthodox-leaders-seal-divorce-from-russian-church/a-46755901
It is as though people right across Europe have reached a turning point and where they say, 'Enough is enough!!!' But it is very,very late indeed.
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-12-15/russias-new-rules-engagement-syria Russia's New Rules Of Engagement In Syria by Tyler Durden Sat, 12/15/2018 - 14:00 Authored by Elijah Magnier, Middle East based chief international war correspondent for Al Rai Media Syria will adopt a new rule of engagement with Israel now that Russia has taken a tougher and clearer stance on the conflict between Israel and the “Axis of the Resistance”. Henceforth, Damascus will be responding to any Israeli strike. If it damages a specific military target it will reply with a strike against a similar objective in Israel. Decision makers in Damascus said, “Syria will not hesitate to hit an Israeli airport if Damascus airport is targeted and hit by Israel. This will be with the consent of the Russian military based in the Levant.” Prior file photo. Source: Office of the Russian President This Syrian political decision is based on the clear position taken by Russia in Syria following the downing of its aircraft on September 18 this year. In 2015 when the Russian military landed in Syria, it informed the parties concerned (i.e. Syria, Iran and Israel) that it had no intention to interfere in the conflict between them and Hezbollah and that it would not stand in the way of Tel Aviv’s planes bombing Hezbollah military convoys on their way to Lebanon or Iranian military warehouses not allocated to the war in Syria. This was a commitment to remain an onlooker if Israel hit Iranian military objectives or Hezbollah convoys transporting arms to Hezbollah from Syria to Lebanon, within Syrian territory. Russia also informed Israel that it would not accept any attacks on its allies (Syria, Iran, Hezbollah, and their allies) engaged in fighting ISIS, al-Qaeda and its allies. Israel respected the will of Moscow until the beginning of 2018, when it started to attack Iranian bases and Syrian military warehouses, though it never attacked a Hezbollah military position. Israel justified its attack against the Iranian base, a military facility called T4, by claiming it had sent drones over Israel. Tel Aviv considered violation of its neighbors’ sovereignty as its exclusive prerogative. Damascus and Iran have responded with at least one confirmed shooting down of an Israeli F-16. Israel started to attack Syrian warehouses, mainly where Iranian missiles were stored. Iran has replaced every single destroyed warehouse with other more sophisticated precision missiles, capable of hitting any objective in Israel. However, Russia’s neutrality towards Israel in the Levant turned out to be quite expensive. It has lost more than Iran, especially after the downing of its IL-20, and with it, 15 officers highly trained to use the most advanced communication and espionage systems. S-300 anti-aircraft defense system, via EPA Russia then brought to Syria its long-awaited advanced S-300 missiles and delivered them to the Syrian army while maintaining electronic coordination and radar command. The S-300 poses a danger to Israeli jets only if these violate Syrian airspace. Tel Aviv has kept its planes out of Syria since last September but launched long range missiles against a couple of targets. For many months, the Russian President Vladimir Putin refused to receive Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Only through real harassment by the latter did Putin finally accept to briefly meet with Netanyahu over lunch or around the dinner table during a large Summit or meeting of Heads of State, without however accepting any compromise or reconciliation. Russia has now taken a clear position and has no intention of extending its embrace or pardon to Israel. Russia felt that its generosity (by closing its eyes to Israel’s activities in Syria) was neither recognized nor sufficiently appreciated by Tel Aviv. This past week, Moscow agreed to receive an Israeli military delegation led by Major-General Aharon Haliva, following Israel’s insistence on breaking the ice between the two countries. However, Russia’s position is not expected to change in Syria and no Israeli bombing of Syrian or Iranian targets will be tolerated. IDF delegation returns from Moscow after Northern Shield, Syria talks https://t.co/mVAFUJASMi — The Jerusalem Post (@Jerusalem_Post) December 12, 2018 According to these sources: “Russia has informed Israel that there are Russian officers present at every Syrian or Iranian military base and that any strike against Syrian or Iranian objectives would hit Russian forces as well. Putin will not allow his soldiers and officers to be struck down by Israel’s direct or indirect bombing”. Moreover, Russia has given Syria the green light — said the source — to strike Israel at any time if and when Tel Aviv’s planes launch raids against Syrian military targets or launch long-range missiles without flying over Syria (for fear of the S-300 and to avoid seeing its jets downed over Syria or Lebanon). The source confirmed that Syria — contrary to what Israel claims — now has the most accurate missiles, which can hit any target inside Israel. The Syrian armed forces have received unrevealed long and medium-range missiles from Iran. These operate on the GLONASS system – the abbreviation for Globalnaya Navigazionnaya Sputnikovaya Sistema, the Russian version of the GPS. Thus, the delivery of Iran and the manufacture of missiles inside Syria (and Lebanon) is now complete. Israel, however, claims it has destroyed Syria’s missile capability, including that of the missiles delivered by Iran. According to the source, Damascus controls a very large number of precision missiles, notwithstanding those destroyed by Israel. “In Iran, the cheapest and most accessible items are the Sabzi and the missiles”, said the source. The new Syrian rule of engagement — according to the source — is now as follows: an airport will be hit if Israel hits an airport, and any attack on a barracks or command and control center will result in an attack on similar target in Israel. It appears that the decision has been taken at the highest level and a clear “bank of objectives” has now been set in place. The rules of engagement are changing and situation in the Levant theatre is becoming more dangerous; regional and international confrontations are still possible. The Middle East will not return to stability unless the Syrian war ends — a war in which the two superpowers, as well as Europe, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, have played essential roles. The final chapters have not yet been written.
Catholic Prophesy indicates the whole heap will round on Israel and defeat it. But on the other hand the Defeat of Israel will mean their mass return to the Church. Which they will lead. Quite amazing anD very different than the Protestant understanding, which seems to centre on some kind of Israeli victory. But it is quite scriptural. That the vine cut off to be regrafted. Romans 11:11-31 Gentiles Grafted In 11 So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather, through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. 12 Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusiona]">[a] mean! 13 Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry 14 in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them. 15 For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? 16 If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches. 17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing rootb]">[b] of the olive tree, 18 do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. 19 Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. 22 Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. 23 And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree. The Mystery of Israel's Salvation 25 Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers:c]">[c] a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”; 27 “and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.” 28 As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. 29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 30 For just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, 31 so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may nowd]">[d] receive mercy. [/QUOTE]
Are you beginning to feel just a tad controlled while the controllers need to be reined in themselves. Ironic how technology created the social media room for spewing neanderthal type grossness. Now that "convenient" set up serves the goal of controlling only imagined conservative "hate" speech. All snow flakes will feel secure! When this doesn't work then control from afar with various mechanisms perhaps within the brain will make sure there will be complete adherence. Berkeley scientists developing artificial intelligence tool to combat ‘hate speech’ on social media ‘Ten students of diverse backgrounds’ helped developed algorithm https://www.thecollegefix.com/berke...e-tool-to-combat-hate-speech-on-social-media/
Of course, those who believe in nothing but the natural world will have no choice but to try to control mankind through material means. This is of course impossible but they will still try.
I can see where this is needed. Imagine if a committee from John Hagee's church was given authority to define Christianity. In that case it's possible that Catholic baptisms might not be recognized as valid.
I hate to say this whole site would be considered hate speech. It might not be in the next few years... but 10 years is a possibility. Everything is moving in the wrong direction. Not sure it can be stopped. The church in the West is not helping, the Vatican is losing legitimacy and the internet is gradually being censored. We are going to be silenced sooner or later. Trump's Nationalistic vision might slow down process... but a one world government has been prophesied. I have seen mass possession and seen demons take over people. It seems to be happening everywhere...more then we understand. And with all the nonsense of the Catholic Church...some demons are running amoke, even in our holiest places. The sexualization of children in the United States is destroying the innocence. Abortion is part of our culture. The amount of medication given to elderly seems to be life shorteners. Evil is growing...not sure we can stop it. We can pray to slow it down but the world is becoming too dark. I think the bad ones have been released. But even with all the darkness...I think God is building his army. We might be the last line of defense.
Apparently we're living "it"! Nvidia’s Scary AI Generates Humans That Look 100% Real Believe it or not, all these faces are fake. They have been synthesized by Nvidia’s new AI algorithm, a generative adversarial network capable of automagically creating humans, cats, and even cars. Credit: NvidiaThe technology works so well that we can expect synthetic image search engines soon — just like Google’s, but generating new fake images on the fly that look real. Yes, you know where that is going — and sure, it can be a lot of fun, but also scary. Check out the video. It truly defies belief: Nvidia Generative Adversarial Networks According to Nvidia, its GAN is built around a concept called “style transfer.” Rather than trying to copy and paste elements of different faces into a frankenperson, the system analyzes three basic styles — coarse, middle, and fine styles — and merges them transparently into something completely new. MORE: Best Amazon Alexa Skills - Top 50 Cool and Useful Things Coarse styles include parameters such as pose, the face’s shape, or the hair style. Middle styles include facial features, like the shape of the nose, cheeks, or mouth. Finally, fine styles affect the color of the face’s features like skin and hair. According to the scientists, the generator is “capable of separating inconsequential variation from high-level attributes” too, in order to eliminate noise that is irrelevant for the new synthetic face. For example, it can distinguish a hairdo from the actual hair, eliminating the former while applying the latter to the final photo. It can also specify the strength of how styles are applied to obtain more or less subtle effects. Not only the generative adversarial network is capable of autonomously creating human faces, but it can do the same with animals like cats. It can even create new cars and even bedrooms. Nvidia’s system is not only capable of generating completely new synthetic faces, but it can also seamlessly modify specific features of real people, like age, the hair or skin colors of any person. The applications for such a system are amazing. From paradigm-changing synthetic free-to-use image search pages that may be the end of stock photo services to people accurately previewing hair styling changes. And of course, porn. https://www.tomsguide.com/us/nvidia-ai-faces-generative-adversarial-network,news-28869.html
Now who/what do you think just might be behind this???!!! This individual has been in the news recently due to accusations against him. 'Supernatural' events terrify police while interrogating celebrity medium John of God over sexual abuse claims as computer 'takes on life of its own' and electrical appliances short circuit Spiritual healer Joao Teixeira de Faria, 76, has been accused of sexual abuse Around 300 other women have claimed Faria has sexually assaulted them Police questioning Faria said electrical items began to malfunction in the room Detectives questioning a celebrity medium in Brazil, accused of sexually abusing more than 300 women, have reported spooky goings-on during their two hour interrogation. Unexplained incidents ranging from a 'bizarre' computer crash to wiring on electrical appliances suddenly 'short circuiting' appears to suggest supernatural forces were at play during the interview. The mysterious problems unnerved cops but didn't deter them from collecting the testimony from faith healer, João Teixeira de Faria, who is known as João de Deus – John of God on Sunday night in Goiânia. +6 Joao Teixeira de Faria, better known as John of God, arrives at the Dom Inacio Loyola House in Abadiania, Brazil on Wednesday last week Detective Karla Fernandes, responsible for coordinating the task force investigating the allegations, claimed that as the spiritual guru began to speak, strange things started to happen. She said to Folha de Sao Paulo: 'Suddenly the computer that was being used to transcribe the suspect's answers to the allegations seemed to have a life of its own and the commands on the keyboard wouldn't work. 'When the clerk tried to enter the medium's statement, the keys locked on a specific letter and 'OOOOOOO' was recorded continuously on the screen for a few seconds.' Although this has never happened before, bemused agents put the incident down to a faulty computer. But when the printer in the room began to print without receiving a command and a fridge blew up, their thoughts turned to paranormal interference. Det Fernandes said: 'It was hot in the interrogation room and I decided to turn on the air conditioning. 'I plugged the lead into an extension shared with a mini-fridge and the electrical wiring suddenly exploded, burning out the fridge. Everyone in the room screamed with fright.' According to the officer, the 76-year-old spiritual healer, who is accused of sexually molesting women during private consultations at his clinic, stayed silent. She said: 'Although these things happened and surprised us, they failed to interfere with our work. He (John of God) didn't say a word.' Investigators also believe that two unexplained incidents which occurred prior to Teixeira giving himself up on Sunday, could be linked to the occult. A police clerk, who was meant to transcribe the faith healer's testimony at the police station in the rural town of Annapolis, was run over in a car accident and broke his arm. Investigators originally intended to question the suspect at this small outpost. But the unexpected incident meant the interview had to be transferred to Goiânia, the capital of the state of Goiás. And last Friday as the press staked out John of God's house in the city of Abadiânia, rumours began to circulate that 'spirits' had cursed the reporters, photographers and TV camera crew who had camped for nearly 24 hours waiting for the psychic healer to surrender after a warrant was issued for his arrest. Hardened professionals admitted they started praying when a news agency photographer in the press pack suddenly fell ill and lost consciousness for a few minutes. Many who were reluctant to admit the 'episode' was associated with John of God's 'mystic powers', did concede that a paranormal association wasn't so 'far-fetched'. Det Fernandes agreed the unexplained happenings cannot be 'flippantly' dismissed. 'I accept that we are dealing with a situation that involves beliefs and mystic energies,' she said adding she believes John of God has supernatural powers. 'I'm spiritualist and a believer in the spirit world and the paranormal. Although I'm not afraid, I do have a healthy respect for the unknown.' Teixeira has denied allegations that he sexually violated hundreds of women, including his own daughter, under the pretence of administering mystical treatments. His lawyer claimed his client is being 'persecuted' and the complaints made by hundreds of women, with the number now topping some 500, are coming from 'people who want to destroy him.' The mystic has been detained in custody and on Monday as agents started the search of the faith healer's premises, a court denied an appeal for bail. The bombshell allegations have sent shock waves across the world. John of God became famous for performing 'miracle surgeries' on hundreds of thousands of people from all over the globe. He has been practising since 1976 and is revered as a 'powerful' spiritual force. He has been interviewed by Oprah and has treated Bill Clinton. Many followers have allegedly been cured of cancers, disabilities, psychological illnesses and numerous other ailments while attending his alternative treatment clinic in central west Brazil. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...ing-celebrity-medium-sexual-abuse-claims.html ========================================================== Brazil faith healer tried to withdraw millions before arrest https://news.yahoo.com/brazil-faith-healer-tried-withdraw-millions-arrest-163247495.html
My oldest daughter is a big Final Fantasy fan. She has a poster on a wall for FF VII, which was the first major video game to have a completely CGI cast of human characters. Three years later, in 2001, when the movie Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within came out, people were amazed at how life-like these CGI characters were. Time Magazine speculated that this marked the beginning of the end of having to pay multi-million fees to real live actors. Now I look at the poster, and it's clear to me that these characters are CGI. Now we have the capability to create characters that look 100% real, we have synthesized voices that are indistinguishable from the original speakers, and we have software that can make these CGI characters move their lips in time with these synthesized voices. We can now have any person, living or dead, say on film anything we want them to say. It is the death of reality.
https://theintercept.com/2018/12/17/israel-texas-anti-bds-law/ A Texas Elementary School Speech Pathologist Refused to Sign a Pro-Israel Oath, Now Mandatory in Many States — so She Lost Her Job Glenn Greenwald December 17 2018, 3:58 a.m. A children’s speech pathologist who has worked for the last nine years with developmentally disabled, autistic, and speech-impaired elementary school students in Austin, Texas, has been told that she can no longer work with the public school district, after she refused to sign an oath vowing that she “does not” and “will not” engage in a boycott of Israel or “otherwise tak[e] any action that is intended to inflict economic harm” on that foreign nation. A lawsuit on her behalf was filed early Monday morning in a federal court in the Western District of Texas, alleging a violation of her First Amendment right of free speech. The child language specialist, Bahia Amawi, is a U.S. citizen who received a master’s degree in speech pathology in 1999 and, since then, has specialized in evaluations for young children with language difficulties (see video below). Amawi was born in Austria and has lived in the U.S. for the last 30 years, fluently speaks three languages (English, German, and Arabic), and has four U.S.-born American children of her own. Amawi began working in 2009 on a contract basis with the Pflugerville Independent School District, which includes Austin, to provide assessments and support for school children from the county’s growing Arabic-speaking immigrant community. The children with whom she has worked span the ages of 3 to 11. Ever since her work for the school district began in 2009, her contract was renewed each year with no controversy or problem. But this year, all of that changed. On August 13, the school district once again offered to extend her contract for another year by sending her essentially the same contract and set of certifications she has received and signed at the end of each year since 2009. She was prepared to sign her contract renewal until she noticed one new, and extremely significant, addition: a certification she was required to sign pledging that she “does not currently boycott Israel,” that she “will not boycott Israel during the term of the contract,” and that she shall refrain from any action “that is intended to penalize, inflict economic harm on, or limit commercial relations with Israel, or with a person or entity doing business in Israeli or in an Israel-controlled territory.” The language of the affirmation Amawi was told she must sign reads like Orwellian — or McCarthyite — self-parody, the classic political loyalty oath that every American should instinctively shudder upon reading: That language would bar Amawi not only from refraining from buying goods from companies located within Israel, but also from any Israeli companies operating in the occupied West Bank (“an Israeli-controlled territory”). The oath given to Amawi would also likely prohibit her even from advocating such a boycott given that such speech could be seen as “intended to penalize, inflict economic harm on, or limit commercial relations with Israel.” Whatever one’s own views are, boycotting Israel to stop its occupation is a global political movement modeled on the 1980s boycott aimed at South Africa that helped end that country’s system of racial apartheid. It has become so mainstream that two newly elected members of the U.S. Congress explicitly support it, while boycotting Israeli companies in the occupied territories has long been advocated in mainstream venues by Jewish Zionist groups such as Peace Now and the Jewish-American Zionist writer Peter Beinart. This required certification about Israel was the only one in the contract sent to Amawi that pertained to political opinions and activism. There were no similar clauses relating to children (such as a vow not to advocate for pedophiles or child abusers), nor were there any required political oaths that pertained to the country of which she is a citizen and where she lives and works: the United States. In order to obtain contracts in Texas, then, a citizen is free to denounce and work against the United States, to advocate for causes that directly harm American children, and even to support a boycott of particular U.S. states, such as was done in 2017 to North Carolina in protest of its anti-LGBT law. In order to continue to work, Amawi would be perfectly free to engage in any political activism against her own country, participate in an economic boycott of any state or city within the U.S., or work against the policies of any other government in the world — except Israel. That’s one extraordinary aspect of this story: The sole political affirmation Texans like Amawi are required to sign in order to work with the school district’s children is one designed to protect not the United States or the children of Texas, but the economic interests of Israel. As Amawi put it to The Intercept: “It’s baffling that they can throw this down our throats and decide to protect another country’s economy versus protecting our constitutional rights.” Amawi concluded that she could not truthfully or in good faith sign the oath because, in conjunction with her family, she has made the household decision to refrain from purchasing goods from Israeli companies in support of the global boycott to end Israel’s decadeslong occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. Amawi, as the mother of four young children and a professional speech pathologist, is not a leader of any political movements: She has simply made the consumer choice to support the boycott by avoiding the purchase of products from Israeli companies in Israel or the occupied West Bank. She also occasionally participates in peaceful activism in defense of Palestinian self-determination that includes advocacy of the global boycott to end the Israeli occupation. Watch The Intercept’s three-minute video of Amawi, as she tells her story, here: Video by Kelly West When asked if she considered signing the pledge to preserve her ability to work, Amawi told The Intercept: “Absolutely not. I couldn’t in good conscience do that. If I did, I would not only be betraying Palestinians suffering under an occupation that I believe is unjust and thus, become complicit in their repression, but I’d also be betraying my fellow Americans by enabling violations of our constitutional rights to free speech and to protest peacefully.” As a result, Amawi informed her school district supervisor that she could not sign the oath. As her complaint against the school district explains, she “ask[ed] why her personal political stances [about Israel and Palestine] impacted her work as a speech language pathologist.” In response, Amawi’s supervisor promised that she would investigate whether there were any ways around this barrier. But the supervisor ultimately told Amawi that there were no alternatives: Either she would have to sign the oath, or the district would be legally barred from paying her under any type of contract. Because Amawi, to her knowledge, is the only certified Arabic-speaking child’s speech pathologist in the district, it is quite possible that the refusal to renew her contract will leave dozens of young children with speech pathologies without any competent expert to evaluate their conditions and treatment needs. “I got my master’s in this field and devoted myself to this work because I always wanted to do service for children,” Amawi said. “It’s vital that early-age assessments of possible speech impairments or psychological conditions be administered by those who understand the child’s first language.” In other words, Texas’s Israel loyalty oath requirement victimizes not just Amawi, an American who is barred from working in the professional field to which she has devoted her adult life, but also the young children in need of her expertise and experience that she has spent years developing. The anti-BDS Israel oath was included in Amawi’s contract papers due to an Israel-specific state law enacted on May 2, 2017, by the Texas State Legislature and signed into law two days later by GOP Gov. Greg Abbott. The bill unanimously passed the lower House by a vote of 131-0, and then the Senate by a vote of 25-4. When Abbott signed the bill in a ceremony held at the Austin Jewish Community Center, he proclaimed: “Any anti-Israel policy is an anti-Texas policy.” Continued at the link...
More warnings? Powerful quake strikes off Russia's far east: USGS https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...rikes-off-russias-far-east-usgs-idUSKCN1OJ2CE
