National

28 offense from serving as a minister to apply only to those serving active jail sentences. Deri, convicted of tax offenses in The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 29, 2022 February, was sentenced to a conditional jail term and a financial penalty. The second permits more than one minister to be appointed to a ministry, enabling Smotrich to take charge of the Civil Administration, which operates under the Defense Ministry and is responsible for construction and other bureaucratic matters in Area C, which comprises 60% of Judea and Samaria, or the West Bank. Smotrich and Deri insisted the amendment pass before the new government was sworn in, currently scheduled for Thursday. The Yesh Atid Party, soon to be in the opposition, stated, “Deri’s law is further proof of Netanyahu’s embarrassing weakness in the face of his extremist partners.”

Likud MK Shlomo Karhi, who headed the special committee that debated the law, rejected the criticism, saying, “We are laying the groundwork for the new government, and we will bring the State of Israel to the dawn of a new day.”

Likud MK Yariv Levin announced he was stepping down as Speaker of the Knesset on Tuesday in anticipation of being appointed Minister of Justice in the new government. Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu will appoint a new speaker from his Likud Party. (JNS)

Israel’s Economy is Doing Great

Israel is the fourth best-performing economy in 2022 among a list of OECD countries, according to a ranking compiled by The Economist.

The publication cited Israel’s well-performing economy as one of the “pleasant surprises” in 2022 “despite political chaos” wrought by the government’s collapse, which took Israelis to the polls for a fifth time in less than four years.

The Economist’s ranking is based on an overall score measured by five economic and financial indicators: gross domestic debt (GDP), inflation, inflation breadth, stock market performance, and government debt.

Israel’s economy shared the fourth place with Spain and was ranked after Ireland among the 34 wealthy OECD countries cited in the survey. Greece scored the top spot followed by Portugal in second place, while Latvia and Estonia came at the bottom of the list. Japan, France, and Italy made it into the top 10. Meanwhile, the U.S. economy, which grew at a rate of 0.2%, ranked 20th, and Germany, “despite political stability,” is in 30th place.

Countries, including Spain and Israel, that are not dependent on oil and gas delivery from Russia fared better than average, the survey noted

“Those reliant on Vladimir Putin for fuel have truly suffered,” The Economist noted. “In Latvia, average consumer prices have risen by a fifth.”

Israel’s economy is projected to have grown at a rate of 6.3% in 2022, according to Finance Ministry estimates, following its even faster expansion of 8.1% in 2021, the year of recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. That compares with projected GDP growth of 3% among world economies for this year, according to an OECD outlook.

Israeli exports, which comprise about 30% of the country’s economic activity, are expected to have increased by more than 10% to record highs of between $160 billion and $165 billion in 2022, according to a conservative estimate published on Sunday by the Economy Ministry’s Foreign Trade Administration (FTA).

Inflation in Israel for the last 12 months has climbed above the upper limit of the target range of 1% to 3% and stands at 5.3%, which is high, although it is significantly lower than in most developed countries.

Looking ahead to 2023, the Finance Ministry earlier this month cut its growth outlook for the country’s economy from 3.5% to 3%, citing a contraction in consumer spending and a slowdown in the global economy, which is expected to grow at a rate of about 2.2%.

The Shin Bet domestic intelligence agency announced on Monday that it thwarted a Palestinian terrorist bomb plot and a separate suicide bombing targeting areas inside Green Line Israel, involving operatives from Judea and Samaria who were being directed by handlers from the Gaza Strip.

A working bomb hidden in a fire extinguisher was seized.

According to the Shin Bet, a joint investigation with the Israel Defense Forces saw the plot foiled on Dec. 14, adding that the Popular Resistance Committees directed it together with Shuhada Al-Aqsa, both of them terrorist organizations based in the Gaza Strip.

Four suspected terror operatives from Judea and Samaria are under arrest, the Shin Bet said.

The Israeli security operation focused on known terrorist operatives in the Strip headed by Ahmad Fathi Hajaj, an explosives expert who lives in Jabalia in northern Gaza, the agency said.

The thwarting of the plot is “part of an ongoing campaign that the Shin Bet together with the IDF and the Israel Police are conducting, to foil terrorism in Israel while using a range of techniques and tools,” the Shin Bet said.

Prime Minister Yair Lapid said, “Following an operation that lasted several weeks, the security forces have arrested terrorists in Judea and Samaria who were planning to carry out a large-scale bomb attack in Israel, assisted by terrorist organizations from the Gaza Strip. The war against terrorists and their cells continues on a daily basis in all sectors. The security forces are constantly working to thwart all attempts to attack us.” (JNS)

Zelenskyy Takes Home Big $$

30 “your money is not charity” and vowing that his people would eventually secure an improbable victory against Russia on The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 29, 2022 behalf of all free nations. “Against all odds and doom-andgloom scenarios, Ukraine did not fall,” Zelenskyy said in halting but forceful English from the dais in the House chamber, where he was greeted with extended applause from lawmakers. In blunt terms, Zelenskyy pleaded for more military assistance from the lawmakers, who are poised to approve $45 billion in additional aid by the end of the week, bringing the total over a year to nearly $100 billion. His message: Your support has kept President Vladimir Putin of Russia from overrunning our country. Now keep it coming. “We have artillery, yes, thank you,” he said. “We have it. Is it enough? Honestly, not really.” The money, he added, was not charity. “It’s an investment,” he said.

Zelenskyy’s visit to Washington — kept secret until the eve of his arrival for security reasons — was a dramatic show of confidence by Ukraine’s leader, who had not left his country since Putin began his assault 300 days ago.

His speech at the Capitol capped a remarkable day of urgent, personal diplomacy that began with more than two hours of closed-door meetings with President Joe Biden at the White House, where both men reaffirmed their determination to defend Ukraine against Russian forces, which invaded in February.

Zelenskyy warned that his country was digging in for a long, cold winter of war and had little hope of securing a just peace with the “terrorists” who are battering his people.

For Biden, the highly orchestrated visit is an opportunity to remind Americans why he has committed the United States’ Treasury to defending the borders of a country a continent away.

There remains widespread bipartisan support on Capitol Hill for financially supporting Ukraine in its war against Russia, and the majority of Republicans have rallied behind the aid.

After his 10-hour dash to the nation’s capital last week, Zelenskyy left with nearly $2 billion in new arms and equipment — as well as a likely commitment from Congress for nearly $50 billion in additional aid next year.

And while Zelenskyy did not get everything on his wish list, John Kirby, a National Security Council spokesperson, said Thursday that the United States was committed to providing the equipment that Ukraine needs, although he declined to provide specifics.

He added that President Joe Biden and Zelenskyy did not spend a majority of their meeting going over each of Ukraine’s requests. The discussion was not “driven by a list of additional capabilities. There was a much broader, deeper discussion about the situation in Ukraine and what the future portends,” he said.

Zelenskyy’s trip was a vivid demonstration of his strategy for wooing and pressuring allies. He mixed appreciation for the aid provided by the United States with growing demands for weaponry, knowing that he will not get all of what he wants but believing the combination of his continued requests and shifts on the battlefield will lead Washington to recalibrate its own assessments of what systems Ukraine can receive without risking a dangerous escalation with Russia.

In some respects, the Biden administration’s acceptance of risk has increased as the war has gone on. Some weapons systems that were off the table early in the war have since been approved and either are in the fight or on the way. (© The New York Times)

School Withholds Awards in Name of Equity

In an effort to maintain that all students are “equal,” a top-rated high school in Alexandria, Virginia, withheld from notifying students about their National Merit Scholar awards.

At least 1,200 students at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Virginia, have been affected by a policy that has been carried out by Principal Ann Bonitatibus as recently as this year, according to a report in City Journal.

The policy reportedly reflected the school’s desire for “equal outcomes for every student, without exception.”

Brandon Kosatka, the director of student services, reportedly told Shawna Yashar, a TJ parent, that he and Bonitatibus agreed to underplay the awards because they didn’t want to hurt the feelings of the students who weren’t recognized.

“We want to recognize students for who they are as individuals, not focus on their achievements,” Kosatka told Yashar, according to the City Journal report. The school did not inform students about their awards for the past few years.

Being named a National Merit Scholar means that a student scored in the top 3% nationwide on the PSAT. It’s a major boost to a student’s college applications and ability to compete for lucrative scholarships.

Yashar was the parent who first learned about the withholdings, discovering this fall that her teenage son was recognized as a National Merit Scholar in fall 2021, according to the report.

However, Bonitatibus didn’t distribute the notices to families last year, and didn’t alert the students of their commendations this year until mid-November, well after the early application deadlines for certain elite universities.

Another former student, who wasn’t named, reportedly said that the principal never told his parents or made a public announcement that he won the award. This student learned he was named a National Merit Scholar through a random email from the school to a school-district email account that students rarely check.

School systems typically announce the honored students either publicly or by throwing them a party, according to the report. This year, the report said teachers unceremoniously delivered the certificate to the 240 students recognized while they were sitting at their desks.

Bonitatibus has a record of pushing equity-based policies at TJ.

During the summer 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, she emailed students and parents urging them to consider “the privileges you hold that others may not.” A federal judge ruled earlier this year that the prestigious school had altered its admissions rules to restrict the number of Asian Americans in a bid for “racial diversity.”

National Merit’s only notice about the commendation is sent to the schools, and it lets schools decide how to deliver the news to students.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 29, 2022 Santos: “I Embellished”

After Rep.-elect George Santos (RNY) won the election for New York’s 3rd congressional district over Robert Zimmerman in November, the New York Times alleged that parts of his resume were fabricated.

Now, Santos is admitting that he may have “embellished” his education and work experience.

“My sins here are embellishing my resume. I’m sorry,” Santos told the New York Post. “I am not a criminal. This [controversy] will not deter me from having good legislative success. I will be effective. I will be good.”

The initial report found that Santos embellished details about his alleged employment history with several Wall Street firms after he wrote in his campaign biography that he worked with Citigroup and Goldman Sachs. However, both companies confirmed to multiple outlets that Santos had no employment history with them.

Instead, Santos told the New York Post that he worked for a company called Link Bridge that did business with the two financial firms, conceding he “never worked directly” for them and chalking it up to a “poor choice of words.”

“I will be clearer about that,” he said. “It was stated poorly.”

Santos also came under fire for lying about his educational history after he initially claimed he earned degrees in finance and economics from New York University and Baruch College. However, the congressman-elect later confirmed he never graduated from any college.

“I didn’t graduate from any institution of higher learning. I’m embarrassed and sorry for having embellished my resume,” he said. “I own up to that … We do stupid things in life.”

Santos also said on the campaign trail that he had Jewish ancestry, that his mother was Jewish, and that his grandparents had escaped the Nazis. But a peek into his lineage says otherwise. Santos is Catholic. He said that his grandmother used to tell stories about being Jewish before converting to Catholicism.

“I never claimed to be Jewish,” Santos said. “I am Catholic. Because I learned my maternal family had a Jewish background I said I was ‘Jew-ish.’”

Despite the wave of “embellishments,” Santos insists he is fit for office in January.

“I campaigned talking about the people’s concerns, not my resume,” Santos said. “I intend to deliver on the promises I made during the campaign – fighting crime, fighting to lower education, improving education.”

Power Grids Vandalized in WA

Four Washington state electrical facilities were vandalized on Sunday. Damages caused power outages in Graham, Kapowsin, and Puyallup, affecting more than 14,000 customers.

Police are investigating the matter and said Monday morning that there are no suspects in custody at this time and that power has been restored to most homes.

The Sheriff’s Office reported that vandalism started early Sunday morning. Police responded to a 5:36 a.m. call about a burglary at a Tacoma power substation near Frederickson and found nothing taken but discovered damaged equipment and a power outage in the surrounding area.

A second call came in that morning alerting officers of another burglary at a different Tacoma power substation near Spanaway, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Officers found a similar situation: nothing was stolen, but property was damaged and an outage was caused.

In the late morning, the Sheriff’s Office was made aware of a power outage that occurred earlier that morning at a Puget Sound Energy (PSE) facility that had been broken into and also vandalized.

On Monday, the Sheriff’s Office reported a fourth attack at a PSE substation in Kapowsin. The attack occurred on Sunday evening. Damages were said to have caused a fire.

Law enforcement sources had received a memo from the FBI in early December that warned them of planned attacks against Pacific Northwest substations.

Three weeks ago, a North Carolina power grid was vandalized, leaving around 45,000 people in Moore County without power. Two of the vandalized substations were damaged by gunfire. The attacks came a week after the Department of Homeland Security reupped a January report on the increasing likelihood of attacks on the country’s electrical power grid.

$1.7 Trillion Spending Package

Congress on Friday cleared a roughly $1.7 trillion government funding package that would provide significant increases to national security and domestic spending and billions of dollars to aid Ukraine, sending the measure to President Joe Biden’s desk for his signature.

The bill was the last major legislative accomplishment of the 117th Congress and set aside $858 billion in funds for the military that Republicans pushed for and more than $772 billion for the education, health and veterans programs Democrats have championed. The measure is the second major government funding bill passed during the Biden administration and served as the final opportunity for congressional Democrats to shape the federal budget while they retain control of both chambers.

On nearly party lines, the House approved the more than 4,000-page bill by a vote of 225-201, with one lawmaker voting present, a day after it was shepherded through the Senate. It concluded a scramble driven by the threat of both a government shutdown and a winter storm, a desire to enact unfinished legislation before the start of divided government next month, and a

0.5 MILE WALK FROM AHAVAS TORAH SPA HEATED POOL OPTIONAL POOL FENCE OPTIONAL FULLY KOSHER WITH EVERYTHING NEEDED FOR SHABBOS

GAME ROOM WITH POOL TABLE & ARCADE MASSAGE CHAIR

surprise appearance in Washington this week by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine, who urged continued investment in his country’s fight against Russian invasion.

Biden, who is expected to sign the measure in the coming days, said that it “advances key priorities for our country and caps off a year of historic bipartisan progress for the American people.”

To ensure that the government does not run out of funds and shut down at the end of Friday as the legislation is processed, the House also approved a oneweek stopgap bill.

“We have a big bill here because we have big needs for our country,” Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California said Friday, noting that it was most likely her last speech on the House floor as speaker.

The legislation guarantees that the government will remain open through the end of the current fiscal year on Sept. 30.

It unlocks key funding accounted for in bipartisan legislation approved earlier this session, including money previously set aside in the infrastructure law and the industrial policy law. The package also sets aside more than $15 billion for lawmakers to direct money to over 7,200 community projects in their districts and states. (© The New York Times)

3 NIGHT MINIMUM 1 WEEK 10% DISCOUNT

EARLYBIRD EXPIRES 1/9 Arizona

KOSHER RENTALS 732.440.5624

Americans Had to Spend More This Season

Americans increased their spending during this year’s holiday season, as inflation forced consumers to shell out more for retail goods and dining experiences.

U.S. retail sales increased 7.6% during the period of November 1 to December 24, compared to the same time last year, according to the Mastercard Spending Pulse, released this week. The index tracks in-store and online retail sales, excluding automotive sales, across all forms of payment and is not adjusted for inflation.

Inflation likely accounts for much of the year-over-year rise in holiday spending.

The Personal Consumption Expenditures price index — the Federal Reserve’s preferred measure of inflation — rose 5.5% in November from a year earlier, the Commerce Department reported Friday.

“Consumers and retailers navigated the season well, displaying resilience amid increasing economic pressures,” Michelle Meyer, North America Chief Economist at the Mastercard Economics Institute, pointed out.

According to Mastercard, consumers diversified their spending to cope with higher prices and prioritized dining out and other experiences. Restaurant sales grew more than 15% compared to the same period last year.

American shoppers also displayed a growing preference for shopping online, with online sales growing 10.6% yearover-year and ecommerce making up 21.6% of total retail sales, up from 20.9% in 2021.

A Deadly Blizzard

A deadly blizzard hit western New York over the weekend, with a least 27 people dead and thousands shivering in their homes without power.

“We can see, sort of, the light at the end of the tunnel,” Mark C. Poloncarz,