BRITAIN TURNS TO THE LEFT AS EUROPE TURNS TO THE RIGHT

Supporters of French far-right National Rally react at the party election night headquarters, Sunday, June 9, 2024 in Paris. First projected results from France put far-right National Rally party well ahead in EU elections, according to French opinion poll institutes. (AP Photo/Lewis Joly) https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/made-big-gains-european-elections-matter-110995112

As predicted, the second biggest election in the world (India is first) saw gains for the far right.

In France, President Macron dissolved parliament and announced a general election June 30th.  His gamble is predicted to fail.   His hope was that the rightist party of Marine LePen would be in disarray, meaning there would be less of them and more of Macron’s own party, in the national parliamentary election. 

Meanwhile, the Belgian prime minister resigned.

There will be repercussions from the federal election in the coming weeks and months.

Meanwhile, the British election (purely an internal matter as Britain left the EU some years ago), continues predictably.  Labor is favorite to win.

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MUSLIMS HAVING SECOND THOUGHTS

Falls Church, Virginia Imam Farhan Siddiqi: Building Alliances With LGBT Groups Has Not Benefitted Us, Has Only Confused Our Children; Homosexuality, Sodomy, And Transgenderism Remain A Huge Issue For Our Community; We Do Not Have To Work With Certain Groups

Imam Farhan Siddiqi discussed alliances with LGBT groups over common issues such as Gaza, in his May 24, 2024 Friday sermon at Dar Al-Hijra Islamic Center in Falls Church, Virginia, which was posted on the Islamic Center’s YouTube channel. He said that the issue of Gaza has overshadowed the biggest issue in the Muslim community, which was dealing with homosexuality and transgenderism. Siddiqi said that while the Muslim community does not seek to harm homosexuals, sodomy is forbidden in Islam, and the community cannot accept homosexuality. He said that there are “certain endorsements” the Muslim community doesn’t care for, nor need. Siddqi added that during its ten years of cooperation with gay groups, the Muslim community has not benefited from its alliances.  (MEMRI, 6/7/2024)

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HAMAS AGAINST PEACE DEAL.   ISRAEL TOO?

Hamas responded Tuesday to the US cease-fire proposal for Gaza, reportedly requesting a change to the timeline for a permanent cease-fire and “complete halt” to the war, not just a six-week or phased truce. “The ball is now in the Israeli courtyard,” a Hamas official said. At least one Israeli official said that Hamas’s response effectively amounted to a rejection of the deal laid out by President Joe Biden.

The full details of Hamas’s response remain unclear, but it appears that the militant group is making demands that will be unacceptable to Israel, including the full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. That would leave the door open for Hamas to stay in power in Gaza, which Israel will see as an unacceptable security threat.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not publicly committed to Biden’s cease-fire plan — even though Sec. of State Antony Blinken has said Bibi was onboard. The Israeli leader has repeatedly said the war can’t end until Hamas is destroyed, and the far-right members of his flimsy coalition government have threatened to skedaddle if the plan moves forward.

Hamas may be deliberately making demands it knows Netanyahu won’t agree to in an attempt to prolong the war, boost the Palestinian national cause, and further damage Israel’s global image as the civilian death toll rises. Yahya Sinwar, Hamas’s military leader, reportedly recently told followers that they have “the Israelis right where we want them” and that civilian deaths are “necessary sacrifices.”

We’ll be watching to see how negotiators react to Hamas moving the goalposts. The White House on Tuesday said it’s “evaluating” the response.  (Gzero Signal, 6/12/2024)

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A NEW ALLIANCE BETWEEN ROME AND BRUSSELS?

As the dust settles from last weekend’s EU Parliament elections, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is holding all the cards, and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is preparing to kiss the ring.

The EU undeniably shifted right in the election, with support for Meloni’s right-wing coalition climbing to more than 47%. Meanwhile, for von der Leyen, the center held — but barely. Her coalition of mainstream parties won a narrow 400-seat majority, but with many threatening to defect, so she will need to pull votes from Meloni’s camp to secure the 361 votes she needs to win a second term as commission president on July 18. For Meloni, supporting von der Leyen could further cement her influence in Brussels.

These women aren’t diametrically opposed. While Meloni’s party traces its roots back to a neo-fascist group, and her 2022 victory set the tone for far-right gains across Europe, she’s moderated her position on the international stage and dropped her previous anti-EU rhetoric. She is also a fervent Ukraine supporter, which could make her a key bridge to the far right for von der Leyen, who announced on Tuesday that the EU will send €1.4 billion to Ukraine and that it will begin accession talks this summer.

Meloni is gearing up to host the G7 meeting on Thursday, and Ukraine will top the agenda. We will be watching to see whether she and von der Leyen team up on securing more aid, which could signal a deepening partnership in parliament to come. (Gzero Signal, 6/12/2024)

BREAKING NEWS: POPE TO ADDRESS G7 IN ITALY. This will be the first time a pope will speak live to the G7 (the richest countries in the world).

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HUNTER BIDEN VERDICT

Hunter Biden was convicted on Tuesday of three felony charges related to a 2018 gun purchase, capping a high-profile trial that could impact the 2024 presidential election.

A federal jury found President Joe Biden’s son guilty of making false statements on paperwork to acquire a handgun while struggling with drug addiction and of illegal possession of a firearm. The verdict followed testimony from several of Hunter’s romantic partners and his daughter Naomi about his substance abuse issues around the time of the purchase.

With a potential appeal looming, Hunter’s sentencing hearing is likely to take place in about four months. He could face up to 25 years in jail on these charges, though legal experts think it’s unlikely he will face more than a few months, if any. He is also set for trial in September on separate tax evasion charges.

Republicans have signaled they will seize on the conviction to portray the Bidens as corrupt, though the president has pledged to let the judicial process play out and ruled out pardoning his son. But the verdict also provides Democrats a counterpoint to Republican claims of a politically motivated Justice Department: A Trump-appointed prosecutor charged Hunter.  (Gzero Signal, 6/12/2024)

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BRIEFLY

• Germany and Europe are on the brink of a second ‘Zeitenwende’ – another epochal turning point. At least this is a scenario predicted by the Berlin-based German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) in a recent study. The think-tank points out the likelihood of a significant reduction in US military activities in Europe after the US presidential election on 5 November – not only if Donald Trump wins but also if Joe Biden emerges victorious. When it comes to the crunch, Biden will, according to the SWP’s analysis, prioritise preparation for a war against China over Taiwan over any future support for Ukraine in its war against Russia. The authors argue that ‘the main task’ of German foreign and military policy should be to ‘secure’ the EU and the NATO states of Europe against Russia in the future. ‘All aspects’ of the ongoing arms build-up in Europe must be ‘geared to this objective.’ Berlin should, therefore, step away from small-scale military missions all around the world. This policy recommendation dovetails with strategic deliberations in the US on the feasibility of waging three wars simultaneously: against Russia, against adversaries in the Middle East, and against China. The threat of such a military scenario could only be realised with the support of US allies and a massive arms build-up.  (German Foreign Policy, 6/11/2024)

• Recently, French President Emmanuel Macron came to Jerusalem, where he told Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end the war in Gaza. “The ordeal of the Palestinians in Gaza must end,” Macron said, without even bothering to demand the release of the remaining hostages as a precondition for his fever-dream of a ceasefire. So far, Hamas has rejected all proposals but one, and that came only after extreme military, not diplomatic, persuasion.  (Robert Williams, Gatestone, 6/11/2024)

• Conspicuously, the same Macron who is ordering Israel to lay down its weapons in Gaza has been silent when it comes to asking that of Hamas and Iran.  (RW, Gatestone, 6/11/2024)

• Al-Qaeda top dog urges jihadis to go to Afghanistan for training and then strike Israeli and Western targets. (Jihad Watch, 6/12/2024)

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ONE MORE THOUGHT

IS HAPPINESS FOUND IN SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC POLICIES?

With so many elections going on right now, the question must be asked:  Is happiness found in social and economic policies

I asked myself this question while I was watching the British Labour Party present its manifesto.   You would think the answer is yes.

With a lead of 20 points over the ruling Conservative Party, it’s almost certain that Labor (the socialists) will win the general election on July 4^th.

As I watched, all I heard was promise after promise to create a fairer society.   While doing so the leader of the party, Sir Keir Starmer, largely avoided the obvious question:  how is the UK going to pay for it?   This – at a time when it is widely believed that the country is broke.

As Mrs. Thatcher once famously said, “The problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other peoples’ money.”

So the choice seems obvious.   Or not.  The Conservative Party is really no better.   Its spending has been all over the place.  And its record on government is nothing they can boast about.

But the real problem is that the parties are competing to promise the people everything.

Everything, that is, except your personal relationship with God.   The answers to most questions can be found in your Bibles.  The problem with Britain (and other countries, too) is spiritual, not physical.

Here is what the psalmist observed:   Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance.  (Psalm 33:12)

IRAN ALREADY HAS NUKES

Iran’s Sajjil-2 ballistic missile (FARS News Agency)

“Iran will never get a nuclear weapon on my watch,” says Joe Biden often and unconvincingly. He said it to Israeli prime ministers Bennett in 2021 and Lapid in 2022. He has even threatened to use military force “as a last resort.” A cynic would suggest that Biden’s attempt to forge another Obama-like “nuclear deal” is designed to ensure that Iran gets a nuclear weapon on the next president’s watch. A pessimist believes it’s too late.

As a pessimist by nature, I’m afraid that the window of opportunity to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear bomb has closed. Iran is already a nuclear power, and decades of dithering, cajoling, and appeasing by past U.S. administrations from Clinton to Biden (especially Obama) have given it the time and political cover to build several nuclear bombs. Even the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) now estimates that Iran is only several weeks away from having “the approximate amount of nuclear material for . . . manufacturing a nuclear explosive device,” which, given the IAEA’s spotty record, probably means that threshold was crossed months if not years ago.  (“It’s too late to prevent an Iranian nuke,” AJ Caschetta, National Review, MEF, 9/16/2022)

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RIOTS IN TEHRAN

There have been amazing scenes in Iran. Women have been burning their headscarves and cutting off their hair in protest at the death of 22 year-old Mahsa Amini following her arrest by Tehran’s morality police. 

Amini died after three days in a coma. Witnesses have claimed she was beaten on the head with a baton while being dragged into a police van to be taken to a detention centre for not wearing a headscarf.  

Since Iran’s Islamic revolutionary regime came to power in 1979, women have not only been required to wear headscarves but have also been banned from wearing tight trousers, ripped jeans, brightly colored outfits or clothing that reveals the knee.

Tehran’s police chief, General Hossein Rahimi, said Amini had violated the dress code. The police have rebutted the accusations of brutality and claimed she died of a heart attack. But Col. Ahmed Mirzaei, the head of the moral security police of Greater Tehran, has reportedly been suspended.

The move failed to prevent massive unrest which has now been going on for four days.  The Telegraph reports:  Videos posted on social media showed protesters setting fire to hijabs while chanting promises to “take revenge” for “our sister” Amini, who died in hospital on Friday after three days in a coma following her arrest during a visit to the capital… (“An inflection point for Iran,” Melanie Phillips, 9/21/2022)

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BRITS BLAMED FOR BIAFRAN WAR

I’m mortified by the hideous and historically inaccurate claims’: Nigerian academic slams Carnegie Mellon professor for saying Queen ignited Nigerian Civil War – calling it ‘propaganda and pseudo history’  (Mail,  9/15/2022)

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Ultra-processed Foods –  it’s not just their low nutritional value that’s a concern – The Conversation, 12 Sept 2022

In countries such as the UK, US and Canada, ultra-processed foods now account for 50% or more of calories consumed. This is concerning, given that these foods have been linked to a number of different health conditions, including a greater risk of obesity and various chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and dementia.

Ultra-processed foods are concoctions of various industrial ingredients (such as emulsifiers, thickeners and artificial flavours), amalgamated into food products by a series of manufacturing processes.  Sugary drinks and many breakfast cereals are ultra-processed foods, as are more recent innovations, such as so-called “plant-based” burgers, which are typically made of protein isolates and other chemicals to make the products palatable. The intense industrial processes used to produce ultra-processed foods destroy the natural structure of the food ingredients and strip away many beneficial nutrients such as fibre, vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. 

(https://theconversation.com/ultra-processed-foods-its-not-just-their-low-nutritional-value-thats-a-concern-189918)

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EU SEEKS GLOBAL BLOC

In its power struggle against Russia and China, the EU is aiming at the formation of a global bloc, seeking to comprehensively expand the Western bloc and to move against foreign powers’ “Trojan horses” at home, according to yesterday’s State of the Union Address by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The transatlantic bloc, which includes some Asia-Pacific nations, will thus be given the positively connotated label of “democracies.” It is to include as many African and Latin American nations as possible and juxtaposed with a non-western bloc, which will be given the negatively connotated label “autocracies.” While the EU is fostering the formation of a bloc, in the non-Western “rest” of the world – i.e., three quarters of all nations – new alliances are forming, seeking a multipolar international order. Besides Russia and China, these include India Brazil and South Africa. Diverse countries such as Argentina, the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia are seeking to join BRICS or SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization). (German Foreign Policy, 9/17/2022)

One of the most influential German dailies is offering a sort of constructive assessment of the German government’s repeated claims to leadership at EU and global levels. These claims to leadership are not new. Already more than ten years ago, the chairman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, Volker Kauder, had spoken of a “Zeitenwende” (historical turning point) and openly declared that Berlin must “lead Europe into a new era.” For several months, a growing number of Berlin’s top politicians – including federal minsters – have again been forging ahead and declaring, like Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, “we are prepared to take the lead.” To implement the claim to leadership, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is calling for the introduction of decision-making by majority rule in EU foreign policy. This will hardly work, according to the conservative Frankfurter Allgemeinen Zeitung: Some EU states have already balked at implementing less stringent decisions on the redistribution of refugees within the Union. Recently, Berlin has all too often limited itself to “demanding allegiance.” If it seeks success in the future, it must proceed in a “cooperative” manner.  (German Foreign Policy, 7/21/2022)

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INFLATION REDUCTION ACT

The IRS deliberately sets about impoverishing many Americans by increasing taxes “on everyone” and increasing tax audits at the same time as prices are skyrocketing. Imposing steeper taxes at a time of steeper prices may not mean that much to the rich, but has the effect of a stealth double-tax that crushes especially middle- and working-class families, who now find themselves forced to choose between necessities such as food, gasoline or rent. Reports state that 42% of Americans are struggling financially. (Gatestone, 9/7/2022)

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TO THE POINT

• US WILL DEFEND TAIWAN – Joe Biden has once again said the US would defend Taiwan in the event of an “unprecedented attack” by China. Asked to clarify if he meant that rather than supplying weapons or aid, US forces would actually defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion, Biden replied: “Yes.” After the remawere broadcast by CBS, the White House said that US policy had not changed. The US has long held a policy of “strategic ambiguity” on the question of Taiwanese independence.  (The Week, 9/19/2022)

• UK RIOTS BETWEEN HINDUS AND MUSLIMS – Fifteen people have been arrested in Leicester following unrest in the city over the weekend. The arrests came amid tensions involving mainly young men from sections of the Muslim and Hindu communities including “violence after an India vs Pakistan cricket match”, said the BBC. Police said the latest arrests were “to deter further disorder.” Sanjiv Patel, who represents Hindu and Jain temples across Leicester, said he was deeply saddened by the disturbances. Suleman Nagdi, of the Leicester-based Federation of Muslim Organizations, said the violence had been “very alarming.”  (The Week, 9/19/2022)

• New Zealand becomes the first country to grant all women the right to vote 19^th September, 1893

• One of the people in line to view the queen’s coffin suddenly bolted from the 14-hour queue and charged the casket.  Police grappled him to the floor.  His name was Muhammed Khan.  David Beckham was in the line.  He waited a little over 12 hours.  He received no special favors.  Members of Parliament did, which upset people. 

FINAL THOUGHT

In the Bible certain numbers are of great significance.   The numbers 70 and 40 are both significant.  It remains to be seen if the 70 years that Elizabeth II was on the throne were of biblical significance.  She was also the 40th monarch in a line that began with William the Conqueror in 1066.   We should wait and see what follows her reign.  Something big could happen.

I had no idea until last week that prayers are said every Sabbath in synagogues across the UK for the Queen /King.  Melanie Phillips has been a particularly good news source at this time of transition.  In the second extract you will find the words: Some British monarchs in the past have even purportedly traced their line back to King David.  Be sure to read both.

“In any event, his own deep belief in promoting harmony reinforces the fundamental duty of the British monarchy — to unify the nation.

In that duty, the British crown has patterned itself since antiquity on the monarchy of King David, who forged a united kingdom out of disparate tribes and whose own power was limited through alternative power bases of priests, prophets and judges.

Charles III is the latest British monarch in that Davidic tradition. God save the King. And God save British Jews.”  (“The defender of faith,” Melanie Phillips, Jewish Chronicle, 9/18/2022).

The monarch in Britain is consecrated to a higher king. At the coronation — which will take place next year — Charles will be anointed. The oath that he takes is not to the people but to God.

That’s why his duty to serve the people is unbreakable. And that’s why the monarch is a unifying force, and melds the people into a united nation. The royal family helps forge the country into a kind of national family.

Citizens of republics often find it hard to appreciate the benefits of a constitutional monarchy. By enshrining the identity of the nation above and beyond temporal politics, the constitutional monarch acts as a focus for unity often denied to countries that have instead elected presidents as their head of state.

Few also appreciate that the British monarchy is patterned on ancient Israel. It’s why the monarch is anointed; it’s why Handel’s “Zadok the Priest,” with its words taken from the first Book of Kings, has been sung at every English coronation since 973 CE. Some British monarchs in the past have even purportedly traced their line back to King David.

True, ancient Israel was a theocracy and was also eventually destroyed by internal divisions. Nevertheless, it developed a concept of governance that was to serve as a template for both Britain and America.

The genius of the monarchy invented by King David was that it brought together, as one governable nation, otherwise disparate and potentially warring tribes. 

Even more revolutionary was the ancient Israelites’ concept of limited governance. Their king didn’t enjoy absolute power. He was constrained from below by the authority vested in priests, prophets and judges, and from above by the belief that the supreme ruler whose laws even the king had to follow was the Almighty himself. 

Under Oliver Cromwell, some even advocated turning parliament into a sanhedrin or supreme council patterned on the biblical high court of Judea. 

Just as Britain’s constitutional monarchy is generally not understood in republican countries, nor is the relationship in Britain between church and state in which the Crown plays a central role.  (‘The Momentous task for King Charles III,” Melanie Phillips, 9/16/2022)

‘For this is what the LORD says:  David will have a descendant sitting on the throne of Israel forever.”  (Jeremiah 33:7 New Living translation)