Tuesday July 14, 2020
I've Been Thinking:
The Israeli Air Force announced that all their special forces will now be under one command. This will be a totally new squad composed of five distinct groups working together to assist the air force.
Unit 669, one of the five groups, is an elite search and rescue team. Shaldag is the commando unit. There will be a Frontal Landing Unit whose job it is to build ad hoc landing strips behind enemy lines. There is, of course, a dedicated intelligence unit. And finally, a special forces school.
This is a sign of Israel’s future.
The combined skills and talents of some of Israel’s best youth will come together to protect and ensure Israel’s future. The commander of the air force, only identified as Colonel Ayin, said that this elite group “is standing on the shoulders of giants who did bold things.” Now, he said, it is our turn.
He is correct.
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Monday July 13, 2020
I've Been Thinking:
The Palestinian Authority has begun to take the COVID -19 issue seriously. Why? because they are getting seriously hit.
It was just a question of time. That is the way this virus progresses. We do not have numbers from the PA, but it must be very bad.
On Sunday night, in light of the recent rise in corona virus cases, the PA announced curfews and new travel restrictions.
Travel between all districts has been prohibited for the next two weeks. Nighttime curfew between 8pm and 6am has been implemented. Hebron, Ramallah, Nablus and Bethlehem are under a four-day lockdown. All public gatherings are banned.
These restrictions will help stop the spread from place to place - but not within the districts and towns. Unfortunately, the virus will have to run its course inside these areas.
The only thing people can do in the PA, just like everywhere else world over, is keep their hands clean and away from their faces and keep safe social distance.
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Sunday July 12, 2020
I've Been Thinking:
During the last week of June a small and not very well known office in the US federal bureaucracy changed one of their policies.
The U.S. Commercial Remote Sensing Regulatory Affairs Office decided that they will permit smaller images of Israel and the Palestinian Authority areas to be sold.
Up until now, images could not portray something less than 2 meters or 6.5 feet.
The new regulation allows for images to be .4 meters or 19 inches.
The change went into place on June 25th.
The original regulation had been in place since 1997and is known as the Kyl-Bingaman Amendment.
Israel has always argued that terrorists and other enemies can use google maps to plan and improve rocket targeting. That they can use the pictures to monitor sensitive sites and plot strategies to attack military and civilian locations.
The U.S. Commercial Remote office argued that there are already foreign companies that provide the material, so it is useless for the United States to prohibit it.
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Saturday July 11, 2020
I've Been Thinking:
I just read an amusing AP release about voter registration in Georgia.
Someone received a voter registration form for his cat, Cody Tims. What makes this even more ludicrous is that the cat died – 12 years ago.
The Georgia Secretary of State said that the form did not come from the official office of voter registration. However, interest groups bought lists and are trying to get people out to vote.
The essential point here is that there is and there will be tremendous voter fraud in this coming election. Especially because of Covid-19 and the fact that new methods of voting will be used to try to accommodate for social distancing.
The basic rule in voting is that the first time a system is used it is fraught with problems. It’s the case no matter how many times you test and try the new system. It’s the case even when we are not faced with the challenges of a pandemic.
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Wednesday July 8, 2020
I've Been Thinking:
Erin O’Toole is a Canadian MP running for Prime Minister.
His chances are looking good.
O’Toole is a conservative and a proud supporter of Israel. And if he wins, O’Toole has promised to move the Canadian embassy to Jerusalem.
On his Facebook page O’Toole writes: "I'm a proud Conservative and firmly believe in a principled approach to foreign policy - one that builds on our values and interests as a country,"
"This approach has made me a resolute and strong friend to Israel."
Erin O’Toole was a member of Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s administration. He recalled that back then, Canada was known to be a staunch supporter of the Jewish state and "trustworthy friend" to Israel.
This is a very good sign - even if it ends up a close election and this friend of Israel loses. It means that, once again, Israel and support of Israel is an important political value in Canada.
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