National

28 ening Israel’s ties with its Arab neighbors would be a central goal of his trip to Saudi Arabia. The Jewish Home | JULY 21, 2022 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.

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.

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

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 inflation, it is barely above water (51% of Democrats approve, 47% disapprove).

Biden Tackles Wrongful Detentions

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

30 involved in wrongful detentions and abductions of American citizens. The order also seeks new strategies The Jewish Home | JULY 21, 2022 to prevent future episodes of Americans becoming ensnared while abroad and to improve communications with detainees’ families, working to ensure they receive “consistent and accurate information.” The U.S. will warn Americans that they’re at risk of being wrongfully detained by authorities if they travel to six countries, including China and Russia. The Biden administration is under increasing public pressure to secure the release of Americans wrongfully held by foreign countries, including Brittney Griner, the basketball star detained in Russia since February after police accused her of illegally trying to import hash oil into the country in vape cartridges. The Secretary of State will identify officials in foreign governments who are involved, directly or indirectly, in wrongful detentions so that agencies can impose consequences, including financial sanctions. Such sanctions could also be imposed on non-state actors, including terrorist organizations. The State Department is also creating a new travel warning – a “D” indicator that means a country has a risk of wrongful detention by the government. A “K” indicator, added in 2019, signals the danger of kidnapping by criminals or terrorist groups. In addition to China and Russia, Venezuela, North Korea, Iran, and Burma will garner that “D” risk indicator.

“The United States government must redouble its efforts at home and with partners abroad to deter these practices and to secure the release of those held as hostages or wrongfully detained,” Biden said in the order, which also instructs the Treasury secretary to submit reports to Congress.

In addition to Griner, other U.S. citizens being held overseas include Austin Tice, a freelance journalist kidnapped in Syria while on assignment in 2012, and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan who was convicted of spying by a Russian court in 2020. Whelan’s family has said they believe Russia is using him as a bargaining chip to gain U.S. concessions.

Presbyterian Church: Israel is Apartheid State

The Presbyterian Church USA voted in its annual meeting to declare Israel an apartheid state.

At their annual meeting, Commissioners of 225th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) voted 266 to 116 that the actions of the Israeli government against the so-called “people of Palestine” met the legal definition of apartheid.

According to a letter by Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, II, stated clerk of the general assembly of the Presbyterian Church, “In 2018, Israel passed a nation-state law, which declares the distinction between Jews and non-Jews fundamental and legitimate, and permits institutional discrimination in land management and development, housing, citizenship, language and culture. This decision among many other practices have confirmed that the policies and practices of Israel constitute apartheid.”

In reality, the Nationality Law does not permit discrimination and actually protects minorities’ rights and status, especially those of the Arab minority.

Nelson’s letter added that the Presbyterian Church, which has over 1.7 million members, recognizes Israel’s legitimacy as a state but opposes its continuing “occupation” of “Palestine,” which it claims is “illegitimate, illegal under international law, and an enduring threat to peace in the region.”

It claimed that the Presbyterian Church remains “committed” to fighting anti-Semitism, emphasizing, “At the same time, we are convinced that there is a fundamental difference between antisemitism and the right to critique the policies of Israel deemed illegal under international law.”

Responding to the vote, the Jewish Federations of North American (JFNA) said, “Jewish Federations are not surprised by the latest antisemitic action taken by Presbyterian Church USA PC (USA) in its vote to adopt a resolution calling Israel an apartheid state. There was a time when their words mattered. That time is long gone.”

It added, “This resolution does nothing to further peace or foster a better future for Christians, Jews, and Muslims, Palestinians or Israelis. Its only intention is to demonize the Jews and Israel with the offensive and false allegation of apartheid.”

Rabbi Noam E. Marans, director for interreligious and intergroup relations for the American Jewish Committee, told The Washington Post that the Presbyterian Church’s new position is a “tragedy.”

He added, “Presbyterians and Jews in the pews need and want each other in order to address the issues that are most challenging in America today. This prevents that from happening.”

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Largest Data Leak in CIA History

A former CIA employee has been convicted in federal court on all counts of carrying out the largest leak of classified data in the CIA’s history.

Joshua Schulte was accused of handing over reams of classified data to WikiLeaks in 2016. He was convicted of illegally gathering and transmitting national defense information and obstructing a criminal investigation and grand jury proceeding, among other charges.

Schulte had worked as a computer engineer in the CIA’s Center for Cyber Intelligence and created cyber tools that could grab data undetected from computers. According to U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams, Schulte had access to “some of the country’s most valuable intelligence-gathering cyber tools used to battle terrorist organizations and other malign influences around the globe.

“When Schulte began to harbor resentment toward the CIA, he covertly collected those tools and provided them to WikiLeaks, making some of our most critical intelligence tools known to the public – and therefore, our adversaries.”

Williams noted, “Schulte was aware that the collateral damage of his retribution could pose an extraordinary threat to this nation if made public, rendering them essentially useless, having a devastating effect on our intelligence community by providing critical intelligence to those who wish to do us harm.

“Today, Schulte has been convicted

32 for one of the most brazen and damaging acts of espionage in American history.” Schulte stole cyber tools and source The Jewish Home | JULY 21, 2022 code and transferred them to WikiLeaks, before going back to try to cover his tracks. Schulte quit the CIA in November 2016. He allegedly lied to CIA and FBI investigators to cover his tracks and was arrested in August 2017 on other charges; he was then indicted on the charges related to the data breach months later.

Dust Storms Proves Fatal

A dust storm caused a 21-vehicle pileup on Interstate 90 in Big Horn County, Montana, on Friday evening. Six people were killed in the crashes. Three of them were children.

The six people were killed traveling in three different vehicles, according to MHP on Monday. Eleven individuals were injured, three of them critically, the patrol said.

“I’m deeply saddened by the news of a mass casualty crash near Hardin. Please join me in prayer to lift up the victims and their loved ones. We’re grateful to our first responders for their service,” Governor Greg Gianforte tweeted on Friday.

Witnesses said that visibility dropped instantaneously. People couldn’t see a few feet ahead of them during the dust storm.

“The visibility was so poor and scary,” one person told CNN. “The air was warm and eerie. It was like wearing sepia-colored glasses. It was so crazy.” She had driven by the scene just moments after the pileup.

What Went Wrong in Uvalde

The gunman who shot 19 children and two teachers in an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24, carried out the shooting in two adjoining classrooms, the surveillance video showed.

The video, 82 minutes long, shows police officers at the Robb Elementary School massed in a hallway for more than an hour before they entered a classroom and killed the gunman. But before that, within minutes of the shooter entering the school, the police officers approached the classroom doorway – and then made a hasty retreat after the gunman opened fire.

Some of the police officers were armed with rifles and ballistic shields.

The video does not explain why the officers waited so long to confront the gunman or who was responsible for the delay. Most of the shooting was done between when the gunman entered the classrooms and when the officers approached.

Now, people are demanding answers, wanting to know why police officers waited over an hour to take down the murderer.

Bill Francis, a former FBI agent, told CNN that the police had “an amazing response time. What happens next is where things kind of go awry.”

According to the footage, at least three officers, two carrying rifles, immediately moved towards the classroom door, crouching for cover. But instead of forcing their way into the classroom, they stayed outside until additional gunfire was heard.

“They’re right there. They’re receiving gunfire. At that point you just have to win the fight. You have to get in that room, and you have to eliminate the threat, and that’s established doctrine,” Francis noted.

With their delay, the police officers “forfeit the chance for kids that are wounded, bleeding inside there, perhaps to be saved and more kids to be shot at that point. To me, that’s the biggest failure right there.”

Francis added, “The officers do turn their back to the door and they run down the hallway, and the shooter, if he wanted to, easily could have opened that door and killed all those officers. They simply turn and run away from the gunfire. It’s just unfortunate because at that point they lose all momentum.”

Ruben Ruiz, one of the officers who responded to the scene, is the now-widower of teacher Eva Mireles, who was one of the teachers killed in the shooting. Footage shows Ruiz looking at his phone in the hallway – his wife was saying she was dying, as he stood in the hallway holding his gun.

Ruiz was eventually removed from the building, after trying to intervene, State Rep. Joe Moody, one of three House Investigative Committee members looking into the law enforcement response, explained.

“He attempted to engage but was removed from the building and disarmed,” Moody said.

The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) said the officer in charge was the school district’s police chief, Pedro “Pete” Arredondo. According to DPS, Arredondo misclassified the siege as a barricade situation, which – unlike an active shooter report – calls for a more measured response.

Arredondo, who said he did not consider himself incident commander and did not instruct officers to refrain from forcing their way into the classrooms, has resigned his seat on the Uvalde City Council.

Can You Touch Your Toes?

Over 73% of Americans would like to increase their physical activity to keep up with their children, Study Finds reported.

A recent study surveyed 2,000 U.S. adults, examining how they are staying active. Just 51% of respondents said they can touch their toes without straining. Despite the potbellies, 70% said they are making more of an effort to move around and be more physically active than they were in 2020.

At the same time, 42% said they struggle to stay active throughout the day.

The survey, conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Voltaren Arthritis Pain Gel, also showed that Americans are renewing their commitment to activities such as stretching at home (43%), at-home