The Jewish Home | JULY 21, 2022
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ening Israel’s ties with its Arab neighbors would be a central goal of his trip to Saudi Arabia. The American president emphasized to his counterparts that “the future will be won by the countries that unleash the full potential of their populations” and that this includes allowing people to “question and criticize leaders without fear of reprisal.”
Saudi Arabia Opens Airspace
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said last Saturday that his country’s decision to open its airspace to all civilian flights has “nothing to do with diplomatic ties with Israel” and is “not in any way a precursor to any further steps” toward normalization
with the Jewish state. In a press conference, Prince Faisal said, “No, this has nothing to do with diplomatic ties with Israel. The issue of overflights is a decision we took…in the interest [of] providing connectivity between countries in the world, and we hope that it will make some travelers’ lives easier. It’s not in any way a precursor to any further steps.” In a speech the previous day, U.S. President Joe Biden had called the Saudi decision “a big deal, not only symbolically but substantively.” He added, “This is the first tangible step on the path of what I hope will eventually be a broader normalization of relations” between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir told CNN on Saturday, “We have said that Saudi Arabia supports the Arab Peace Initiative. In fact, we offered it. We have made it clear that peace comes at the end of this process, not at the beginning of it.” Israel’s interim Prime Minister Yair Lapid also praised the decision as the “the first official step in normalization with Saudi Arabia.” “I thank the Saudi leadership for the opening of Saudi airspace. This is only the first step,” Lapid said.
7 out of 10 Americans feel that President Joe Biden hasn’t been on target with regards to the nation’s toughest issues.
Bystander Kills Mass Murderer
A mass murderer was killed by an armed bystander in an Indiana mall over the weekend. Elisjsha Dicken, 22, killed Jonathan Sapirman, 20, after Sapirman killed three people and wounded two others in the suburb of Greenwood. Police were quick to praise Dicken’s quick actions. “Many more people would have died last night if not for a responsible armed citizen,” police Chief Jim Ison said Monday, repeatedly calling Dicken a “good Samaritan” and his response “heroic.” It isn’t common for mass shootings to be stopped in such a fashion. From 2000 to 2021, fewer than 3% of 433 active attacks in the U.S. ended with a civilian firing back, according to the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training Center at Texas State University. Instead, it was far more common for police or bystanders to subdue the attacker or for police to kill the person, according to the center’s national data. In a quarter of the shootings, the attacker stopped by leaving the area. Since July 1, Indiana has allowed anyone 18 or older to carry a handgun in public, though private property owners can prohibit firearms. The Greenwood mall has a ban on weapons, according to its conduct code.
How many people like the President? Well, Biden’s approval rating stands at a dismal 38%, with 62% of those surveyed disapproving of the commander-in-chief. And if you think it can’t get worse for the President, think again. When asked specifically about how he handled the economy and inflation, Americans awarded him with a 30% and 25% approval rating, respectively. And that’s really bad, considering that 75% of Americans see inflation and cost of living as the most important economic factor affecting their families. In comparison, only 43% of Americans saw it that way last summer. Biden better watch out come election season. Even Democrats are softening their ardor for him. Among Dems, Biden is now at a 73% approval rating – as compared to 86% from April. Biden’s approval rating among Democrats for handling the economy is also on the decline (62% approve, down from 71% this spring). And on inf lation, it is barely above water (51% of Democrats approve, 47% disapprove).
Biden Tackles Wrongful Detentions
Bye-Bye Biden? According to a recent CNN poll, Americans are not too happy. There are a number of things contributing to their discontent. Most people say that they view the state of the country to be the worst it’s been since 2009. Similarly, many say that the economy is at its worst since 2011. And
With numerous Americans around the globe in mind, this week, President Joe Biden signed an executive order directing the U.S. government to identify and impose sanctions on foreign officials