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ers. Rather, the coveted shots went to government officials, the Jordanian royal court, and the Palestinian national soccer team.
The Palestinian Authority Health Ministry had previously said that the handful of doses available would be given first to healthcare workers and then to the elderly and other atrisk groups. As such, the announcement of where the vaccinations went produced ire amongst Palestinians.
Among those given vaccines were security officials working in the offices of PA President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh, 100 Palestinian students heading abroad to study, fieldworkers in the Central Elections Committee, PA government ministers, Palestine Liberation Organization executive committee members over the age of 65, and some foreign embassy staff in Ramallah.
The Palestinian national soccer team was also immunized. The Health Ministry explained that the team had been asked to play a match abroad representing Palestine and that a coronavirus immunization was a condition for their participation.
As of Tuesday, only 12,000 vaccines had reached Ramallah. Approximately 2,000 Moderna vaccines were sent by Israel to vaccinate medical staff, and another 10,000 were Russian Sputnik V vaccines sent as a donation by Russian president Vladimir Putin. The Palestinian Authority sent around 2,000 Sputnik vaccines to Gaza.
The PA acknowledged that it also transferred 200 doses of the vaccine to Jordan.
The Health Ministry claimed that 90% of the vaccines it had distributed in the West Bank — around 9,800 vaccines — had gone to frontline health care workers.
The virus continues to surge in Palestinian territories. Palestinian Authority areas saw 1,819 new coronavirus infections on Tuesday, with 28 patients on ventilators.
“Israel, the occupation state, has far more respect for and fear of its own people than you,” one furious commentator wrote on the Health Ministry’s Facebook page. “It even cares more for Arab workers… all you’ve done is inflict corruption and nepotism on us, while the rest of the people die from coronavirus or enter quarantine and die from hunger.”
Geirus Ruling
In an unfortunate turn of events, Israel’s high Court of Justice ruled on Monday that non-Orthodox conversions in Israel would be considered legitimate for the purpose of Israeli citizenship.
The Reform and Conservative movements celebrated the ruling.
Union for Reform Judaism President Rabbi Rick Jacobs said the ruling “was years in the making and reflects the diversity and vibrancy of Jewish life in Israel and around the world.”
“The Court has affirmed the reality that the Jewish people are stronger because of the contributions of Reform and Conservative Movements and their commitment to bringing more Jews into the Jewish People,” he continued. “We hope this ruling establishes a precedent that will lead to further recognition of the Reform and Conservative movements in Israel.”
The Conservative Movement’s Rabbinical Assembly called the ruling a “rebuke” of “recent Knesset efforts to restrict religious freedom in Israel.”
“This was a very long time coming. Not swift justice, but sweet and righteous just the same,” it said.
Monday’s High Court ruling determined that people who convert to Judaism in Israel through the Reform and Conservative movements must be recognized as Jews for the purpose of the Law of Return and are thus entitled to Israeli citizenship.
The bombshell decision, which shatters the longstanding Orthodox ruling on officially recognized conversions in Israel, was the culmination of an appeal process that began more than 15 years ago, involving 12 people in the country who converted to Judaism through non-Orthodox denominations. The justices specified that they had previously withheld issuing a ruling to allow the state to handle the matter, but the state had failed to do so.
The ruling only applies to conversions in Israel.
Chief Sephardic Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef blasted the ruling.
“What the Reform and Conservatives call ‘conversion’ is nothing but a forgery of Judaism,” he said in a statement, calling on lawmakers to work for a “quick” legislative fix.
Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi David Lau said that those who undergo Reform or Conservative conversions “are not Jews.”
“No High Court decision will change this fact,” he said.
According to Agudath Israel of America, the ruling is a “body blow to true Jewish unity” and is “both misleading and dangerous.”
“Misleading, because conversion is not a secular change of status; it is, inherently, a religious one. And dangerous, because bestowing legal status of any sort to ‘conversions’ that lack the essential elements that have defined geirus for millennia can only confuse the Jewish public and increase disunity.”
White House Declassifies Khashoggi Report
The State Department declassified an intelligence report that accused Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman (MBS) of ordering the 2018 assassination of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The Saudi journalist had been abducted and killed in Riyadh’s Istanbul consulate in 2018 by operatives reporting to the crown prince. Ever since the saga exploded in an international scandal, MBS has denied knowing about the assassination and
vowed to punish those responsible.
The now-public State Department report released on Friday found that MBS had personally recruited and trained the ex-Special Forces soldiers before tasking them to find Khashoggi and kill him. Known as the “rapid intervention force,” or RIF, the force, according to the State Department, is there “to defend the Crown Prince, answers only to him, and had directly participated in earlier dissident suppression operations in the Kingdom and abroad.”
Citing the crown prince’s “control of decision-making in the Kingdom” and the “direct involvement of a key adviser and members or Mohammed bin Salman’s protective detail in the operation,” the report said that there “was no way” MBS was not aware of happenings.
It added that MBS had frequently indicated his “support for violent measures to silence dissidents abroad, including Khashoggi.”
“Since 2017, the Crown Prince has had absolute control of the Kingdom’s security and intelligence organizations, making it highly unlikely that Saudi officials would have carried out an operation of this nature without the Crown Prince’s authorization,” the report concluded.
Saudi Arabia categorically denied the allegations, calling them “misleading and false” in a statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia completely rejects the negative, false and unacceptable assessment in the report pertaining to the Kingdom’s leadership and notes that the report contained inaccurate information and conclusions,” the Foreign Ministry asserted.
This report marks the first time that the U.S. allowed the findings to be published. Former President Donald Trump had prohibited the State Department from airing the conclusions due to concerns that such an act could torpedo the U.S.-Saudi alliance.
Following the release of the U.S. intelligence community’s findings, the Biden administration sanctioned 76 senior Saudi officials for their role in the murder. The aforementioned individuals will be banned from visiting the United States and will have their assets in the U.S. frozen.
Upon announcing the sanctions, Secretary of state Anthony Blinken said the move was a sign of the Biden administration’s intent to “push back against governments that reach beyond their borders to threaten and attack journalists and perceived dissidents for exercising their fundamental freedoms.
“As a matter of safety for all within our borders, perpetrators targeting dissidents on behalf of any foreign government should not be permitted to reach American soil,” Blinken added.
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U.S. Going to Pot
Virginia is set to become the 16th state to legalize recreational marijuana use after both houses of government approved the legislation bill on Saturday.
In a special legislative session, lawmakers voted 48-43 in the House and 20-19 in the Senate to remove all legal prohibitions relating to the use of marijuana. The approval came after last-minute negotiations reconciled different versions of the bill that passed in both chambers in February.
As per the legislation, Virginians over the age of 21 will be allowed to use marijuana starting in 2024. A new state agency to regulate cannabis sales will be established, and possession of marijuana will be capped at an ounce.
In addition, those caught using marijuana under the age of 21 would be fined $25 and undergo mandatory drug treatment. Thirty percent of the tax revenue from cannabis sales will be used to rehabilitate minority communities lawmakers alleged were historically targeted by police for drug-related crimes.
The bill now awaits the signature of Governor Ralph Northam, who has voiced support for the measure. Should it be approved, Virginia would join 15 states and the District of Columbia in allowing marijuana use and would be the first in the Old South to embrace full legalization.
Democratic lawmakers hailed the bill as something that would increase Virginia’s tax revenue and reduce marijuana-related crimes.
“We are on the path to an equitable law allowing for adults to not be penalized for using cannabis,” said Democratic state Sen. Adam Ebbin, who co-sponsored the bill.
According to Democratic state House Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn, the measure would increase equality in Virginia by reducing “over-policing” in black and hispanic communities.
“The House and Senate took a strong step in legalizing the sale and possession of Marijuana here in the Commonwealth,” tweeted Filler-Corn. “This legislation will make our criminal justice system fairer and help end the targeting of black and brown communities over the possession of cannabis.”
Tax on UltraMillionaires
A new bill proposed by Senator Elizabeth Warren would tax Americans whose net worth exceeds $50 million.
Known as an Ultra-Millionaire Tax Act, the measure would levy a 2% annual tax on households worth between $50 million and $1 billion. All net worth that exceeds $1 billion would be taxed at 3%, something the lawmaker said would create a “fairer economy” by redistributing wealth.
It also includes a 40% “exit tax” that would tax Americans seeking to give up their citizenship in order to avoid paying taxes.
The bill is cosponsored by Representatives Pramila Jayapal and Brendan Boyle in Congress and Senators Bernie Sanders, Sheldon Whitehouse, Jeff Merkley, Kirsten Gillibrand, Brian Schatz, Ed Markey and Mazie Hirono.
Pointing to a recent study at the University of California-Berkeley, Warren said that the tax would create “at least $3 trillion in revenue over 10 years” and would affect only 100,000 Americans.
“The ultra-rich and powerful have rigged the rules in their favor so much that the top 0.1% pay a lower effective tax rate than the bottom 99%, and billionaire wealth is 40% higher than before the Covid crisis began,” Warren said.
“A wealth tax is popular among voters on both sides for good reason: because they understand the system is rigged to benefit the wealthy and
large corporations.”
Jayapal contended that the progressive tax would “help level the playing field, narrow the racial wealth gap, ensure the wealthiest finally begin to pay their fair share, and invest trillions of dollars into our communities so we can make a real difference in the lives of people across America.”
The bill is not expected to pass the Senate, which is evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats. Such a measure would need 60 votes to pass, something exceedingly difficult for a controversial wealth redistribution scheme such as Warren’s.
Mossad, IDF Vets to Biden: Reject Iran Deal
One-thousand-eight-hundred former officials from the Mossad intelligence agency and the IDF penned an open letter imploring U.S. President Joe Biden to oppose an agreement with Iran over its nuclear program.
The missive was released on Monday and came after dovish high-ranking IDF officers circulated a similar petition a week earlier supporting the deal. In Monday’s letter, the ex-spies and generals argued that returning to the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran would gravely harm Israel’s security and pave the way for Tehran to achieve nuclear capability.
Saying that they “watched with great concern as your administration appears focused on creating a new agreement based on the flawed guiding principles of the JCPOA,” the Israeli security experts wrote that a new nuclear agreement constituted an existential threat to the Jewish State.
“From a strict security perspective, this approach represents an existential threat to the Jewish State. It also would work against your Administration’s stated goal of stabilizing the Middle East, as such action would push Israel and her Sunni allies into a dangerous corner and potentially ignite a massive nuclear arms race,” read the letter.
“What is needed is not to succumb to the false brinkmanship and nuclear blackmail of Iran, and to use the maximum pressure sanctions to demand Iran accept a more effective deal that will not include sunset clauses, and will guarantee that Iran shall never have the capability to produce nuclear weapons,” it continued.
“A deal that dismantles the military nuclear facilities, provides for real inspections anywhere anytime, limits enrichment for a very long time or prevents it and takes care of delivery systems (ballistic missiles).”
The missive was organized by “Habitchonistim,” a group of right-leaning officials from the Mossad, IDF, Shin Bet, and Israel Police, and came as the Biden administration prepares to negotiate with Tehran on rejoining the nuclear deal with Iran. While former President Donald Trump withdrew from the deal in 2018, Biden has repeatedly spoken of his willingness to reenter the JCPOA should Iran stick to the terms.
U.S. Approves J & J Vaccine
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a COVID-19 vaccine produced by Johnson and Johnson for emergency use, making it the third such drug to go on the market.
The approval came after a unanimous vote by the FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) on Friday to allow Johnson and Johnson’s vaccine to be given to adults over 18.
“The authorization of this vaccine expands the availability of vaccines, the best medical prevention method for COVID-19, to help us in the fight against this pandemic, which has claimed over half a million lives in the United States,” said Acting FDA Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock.
“The FDA, through our open and transparent scientific review process,
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has now authorized three COVID-19 vaccines with the urgency called for during this pandemic, using the agency’s rigorous standards for safety, effectiveness and manufacturing quality needed to support emergency use authorization.”
Known officially as JNJ-78436735, or Ad26.COV2.S, the vaccine is produced by Janssen Pharmaceutica, a Belgian drug company owned by Johnson and Johnson. It utilized the SARS-CoV-2 virus’s genetic makeup to spur the body to make spike proteins that combat the virus.
During clinical trials, Johnson and Johnson’s vaccine was found to have a 72% efficacy rate, lower than the 95% boasted by competing drugs made by Pfizer and Moderna. It also showed 85% efficacy against severe variants of COVID-19 and 100% efficacy against symptoms leading to hospitalization and death.
However, this vaccine only requires one shot, unlike Pfizer’s and Moderna’s, and can be stored for as long as three months. It also protects against recently-discovered COVID-19 strains that have shown increased resilience to the already-available inoculations.
In a press conference announcing the approval, chief U.S. infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony S. Fauci called the reduced efficacy rate of the new vaccine a “non-issue,” stressing the importance of having a third COVID-19 on the market.
“Don’t get caught up, necessarily, on the number game, because it’s a really good vaccine, and what we need is as many good vaccines as possible,” said Fauci. “Rather than parsing the difference between 94 and 72, accept the fact that now you have three highly effective vaccines. Period.”
Slavery Reparations
On Monday, senior White House advisor Cedric Richmond said that the Biden administration will soon unveil its proposal to pay reparations for slavery.
Saying that the White House is “going to start acting now,” Richmond added that the Biden administration would begin the effort even before Congress releases its study on the issue.
“We don’t want to wait on a study. We’re going to start acting now,” he asserted.
Long a controversial idea, paying African Americans for the period in which slavery was legal in the United States is now going mainstream. Following the killing of George Floyd this past summer and the resulting race riots across America, President Joe Biden voiced his support for reparations “to heal decades of injustice and discrimination.”
Only last week, former President Barack Obama went on record supporting reparations, calling it “justified” during a podcast he cohosts with rock star Bruce Springsteen.
“So if you ask me theoretically: ‘Are reparations justified?’ The answer is yes,” Obama said.
“There’s not much question that the wealth of this country, the power of this country, was built in significant part — not exclusively, maybe not even the majority of it — but a large portion of it was built on the backs of slaves.”
While the idea has existed for decades, it was only recently that leading politicians came out in favor
of slavery reparations. Legislation to pay descendants of slaves was first introduced by Rep. John Conyers in 1989 and had never made any headway despite being reintroduced repeatedly by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee.
But now, the Democratic Party’s leading heavyweights have thrown their support behind the initiative. A program currently being put together by the White House would offer direct payments to African Americans and has already won the support of a slew of civil rights activists.
Meanwhile, Congress is debating establishing a commission tasked with exploring reparations, including issuing recommendations on how to compensate descendants of slaves. Last week, a House committee held a hearing on the issue for the first time and will hold an additional hearing imminently.
Yet, despite the growing acceptance of reparations amongst leading Democratic Party lawmakers, the idea remains wildly unpopular amongst the electorate. In a survey conducted by the Associated Press in 2019, only 29% said that they favored providing financial compensation.
Reparations have also been criticized by black conservatives, with Republican Representative Burgess Owens likening it to “socialism” last week.
“The reality is that black American history is not one of a hapless hopeless race oppressed by a more powerful white race,” said the Utah Republican. “Instead, a history of millions of middle and wealthyclass black Americans throughout the early 20th century achieving the American dream.”
Unpopular as it may be, the Biden administration says that it fully supports reparations as a way to correct a century of discrimination.
“He certainly would support a study of reparations,” said White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki. “He understands we don’t need a study to take action right now on systemic racism, so he wants to take actions within his own government in the meantime.”
Cancel Culture Attacks Dr. Seuss
Oh, the places Dr. Seuss will not
go!
This week, a publisher announced that it will not be publish-
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ing six of Dr. Seuss’s books because of racist and insensitive imagery.
“These books portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong,” Dr. Seuss Enterprises said in a statement that coincided with the late author and illustrator’s birthday.
“Ceasing sales of these books is only part of our commitment and our broader plan to ensure Dr. Seuss Enterprises’ catalog represents and supports all communities and families,” it said.
The books targeted by the edict include “And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street,” “If I Ran the Zoo,” “McElligot’s Pool,” “On Beyond Zebra!,” “Scrambled Eggs Super!,” and “The Cat’s Quizzer.”
In the books, some characters are portrayed as Asians, carrying “white” characters.
Books by Dr. Seuss — who was born Theodor Seuss Geisel in Springfield, Massachusetts, on March 2, 1904 — have been translated into dozens of languages as well as in braille and are sold in more than 100 countries. He died in 1991.
The children’s author remains popular, earning an estimated $33 million before taxes in 2020, up from just $9.5 million five years ago, the company said. Forbes listed him No. 2 on its highest-paid dead celebrities of 2020, behind only the late pop star Michael Jackson.
As popular as Dr. Seuss and his books are, some are triggered by his illustrations and writings.
In 2017, a school librarian in Cambridge, Massachusetts, criticized a gift of 10 Seuss books from first lady Melania Trump, saying many of his works were “steeped in racist propaganda, caricatures, and harmful stereotypes.”
In 2018, a Dr. Seuss museum in his hometown of Springfield removed a mural that included an Asian stereotype.
A study, published in 2019, examined 50 books by Dr. Seuss and found 43 out of the 45 characters of color have “characteristics aligning with the definition of Orientalism,” or the stereotypical, offensive portrayal of Asia. The two “African” characters, the study says, both have anti-black characteristics.
Eat Your Veggies
If you want to stay healthy, make sure you consume at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. That’s the optimal number of greens to eat to live the longest, according to a new study released by the American Heart Association (AHA) that analyzed data representing nearly 2 million adults worldwide.
Two of those five servings should be fruit; the other three should focus on veggies, the study found.
“This amount likely offers the most benefit in terms of prevention of major chronic disease and is a relatively achievable intake for the general public,” said lead author Dr. Dong Wang, an epidemiologist and nutritionist at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
But not all fruits and vegetables are created equal.
“We also found that not all fruits and vegetables offer the same degree of benefit, even though current dietary recommendations generally treat all types of fruits and vegetables, including starchy vegetables, fruit juices and potatoes, the same,” Wang said.
But peas, corn, potatoes and other starchy vegetables, for example, were not associated with a reduced risk of death or specific chronic disease.
Green leafy vegetables rich in beta carotene and vitamin C, such as spinach, leafy green lettuce and kale, along with carrots, did show benefits.
In the fruit category, fruits packed with beta carotene and vitamin C, such as berries of all kinds and citrus fruits, also helped reduce risk of death and chronic disease. Fruit juice was not found to be beneficial.
The study, published Monday in AHA’s journal Circulation, was large and in two parts. The first was an analysis of data from the Nurses’
