Dear Family & Friends,

To me the worst story today is Israel’s Foreign Ministry is closing its Consulate in Philadelphia by the end of 2016. And American Airlines cut its only flight to Israel which was direct from Philly. [Gail Sez: How can we possibly bring our brothers & sisters in the Jewish Diaspora closer IF our Government’s Foreign Ministry can close their offices in key cities that serve Ohio, Delaware, West Virginia, Kentucky and Southern New Jersey as well as Pennsylvania.

I just returned from visiting family in Philly. By sheer luck, I caught the very last American Airlines direct flight to Israel from Philly. This route always operated full by US Airways – until AA bought (merged?) US Air – so don’t believe that AA CUT ITS ONLY DIRECT FLIGHT TO ISRAEL IN THE ENTIRE US because of costs. The staff, Flight Attendants, Pilots & even the porter at the Airport ALL SAID THAT IT WAS POLITICAL!! What does POLITICAL mean here? You can fill in the proper words.

I would just say:

AA has gone PC &, to me, that means Purple Cr*p!”

But, I’m still in jetlag. Sorry I missed so many days of the GW Diary. Now, I’m ba-a-ack home & glad to be here with all of you.

Have a gentle night, a sweet day. All the very best, Gail/Geula/Savta/Savta Raba x 2/Mom

4.Israel to Shutter Several Diplomatic Outposts, incl. Philly’s Consulate

5.Stabbing Attempt at Gush Etzion Junction, 3 Terrorists Dead

6.A tearful Obama in an imaginary world by Prof. Abraham Ben-Zvi

7.Study shows how processed food lets toxins ‘leak’ into your gut

1.Dry Bones by Ya’acov Kirschen: “Islamism 2016”

This detailed background report on the latest in the current situation is from http://counterjihadreport.com/:

Saudi Arabia cut off diplomatic ties to Iran, saying Iran must act like “a normal country” instead of “a revolution.” The remarks came after an Iranian mob, allegedly made up of protesters, attacked the Saudi embassy. The attack was in reprisal for Saudi Arabia’s execution of a Shi’ite cleric, Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, as part of a wave of executions allegedly aimed at crippling terror organizations within the Kingdom. The Sheikh had accused the Saudi government of mistreating Shi’ites, and called for the secession of the eastern part of the country. Others among the 47 executed included alleged al Qaeda leaders. Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz Al Sheikh, Saudi Arabia’s top religious leader, said that the executions were “a mercy to the prisoners” because it would keep them from further damaging their souls via evil acts.

Although Iran says that a top police official went to the mob attacking the Saudi embassy to disperse it, the suspicion that the mob was a proxy by Iran’s government is highly credible. Iran still celebrates as a national holiday the Iranian Revolution’s mob overrunning of the American Embassy in 1979, when the hostages seized and held for more than a year were used by the new Islamic Republic of Iran in an attempt to extort the United States. In that environment, even without official organization the citizens of Iran know that mob attacks on the diplomatic enemies of their government will be welcomed and praised as authentic examples of the spirit of the revolution. Saudi Arabia’s comments about Iran needing to act like a normal nation instead of a revolution are meant in that context.

The feud between the two nations has both ancient roots and contemporary flash points. Saudi Arabia sees itself as the leader of the Islamic world as a whole, because it contains the holy city of Mecca and most of the important scenes of the life of Muhammad, the founder of the Islamic religion. However, it sides with the Sunni view of the proper leadership of Islam, a civil war between factions of the Islamic world that began hundreds of years ago shortly after Mohammed’s death. Sunnis followed a claim that the leadership of the Islamic world should fall to those with the greatest degree of education and investment in the religious ideology. Shi’a Islam believed that only blood descendants of Muhammad ought to lead Islam. This led to a series of murders and bloodshed among the generation immediately after Muhammad, capped by the Battle of Karbala in the 61st year of the Islamic calendar, or A.D. 680. The Shi’ite faction lost and their leader, Hassan ibn Ali, was killed. The Shi’ite holy festivals of Ashura and Arba’een commemorate this defeat, and are still today marked by huge pilgrimages with self-flagellation and self-cutting by the pilgrims.

In terms of the current flash points, Iran and Saudi Arabia are backing opposite sides in a regional conflict dominated by the wars in Syria and Yemen. Iran has been developing a series of Shi’a militias ideologically loyal to its particular vision of that faith as a means of exerting its influence to dominate a crescent of the Middle east from Yemen and Afghanistan to the Levant. The Saudi government officially bans support to terrorist groups, but has been allowing its citizens to route money through Kuwait to radical Sunni groups including al Nura Front and the Islamic State (ISIS). Saudi Arabia is also leading a coalition of regional nations against Iran’s proxies in Yemen, the Houthis, a band of Shi’ite tribes bent on replacing the admittedly corrupt and inefficient government there.

Saudi Arabia has diplomatic allies who are backing its play. Bahrain, which happens also to be the headquarters of the United States Fifth Fleet, has joined Saudi Arabia in suspending diplomatic relations with Iran. The UAE has downgraded its relationship. Sudan has also cut off Iran.

Although Iran is framing its immediate conflict with Saudi Arabia as over what it describes as politically-motivated executions, Iran has executed three times as many persons as Saudi Arabia in recent years. Many of these, possibly thousands of them, are of political dissidents opposed to the existing regime. By contrast, Saudi Arabia executed fewer than fifty in the end-of-year purge.

Outside of the realms of diplomacy and war, the conflict also has ramifications for the global price of oil. However, rising oil prices may be offset by the entry of Iran’s oil reserves into the global markets pending the full implementation of the Iran nuclear deal. – Dry Bones- Israel’s Political Comic Strip Since 1973

2.Dry Bones by Ya’acov Kirschen “Another Year”

The Dry Bones Online Academy of Cartoon Advocacy and Activism is dedicated to building an army of activist cartoonists. For info about it, to donate to it, or to apply to be a student: www.drybonesacademy.com www.drybonesacademy.com – Dry Bones- Israel’s Political Comic Strip Since 1973

Dry Bones by Ya’acov Kirschen “Another Year”

3.The Great News About Beit Bracha! By Ben Packer Arutz Sheva 1/6/2016, 7:01 PM

Originally from Petersburg, Virginia, Ben Packer moved to Israel in 1999 where he served in the IDF’s Givati Brigade in the Gaza Strip. Ben served as a Rabbi on campus at Univ. of North Carolina and at Duke Univ. Ben now serves as Director of the Jerusalem Heritage House (www.heritagehouse.org.il) and Co-Director of Young Jewish Conservatives (www.youngjewishconservatives.org). He lives in the Old City of Jerusalem with his wife and 5 children.

There was great news today in Gush Etzion! It was announced that the current area of Gush Etzion will be enlarged to include the “Beit Bracha” compound just south of the Gush Junction. It’s always positive when Jews develop our ancestral heritage. But it’s crucial to examine this specific case and learn a very important general lesson that can be applied elsewhere.

For whatever reason, the Israeli Government is paralyzed. This has been the case for some time – actually since the signing of the Oslo Accords. After Oslo, successive Israeli Governments (both right and left), with very few exceptions (like the building of the Har Homa neighborhood in Jerusalem in 1996), have refused to be proactive in Judea, Samaria and even Jerusalem. It seems that it was felt that the Oslo Accords constrained the Government’s ability to build new communities and legally acquire more land – this despite the fact that there is no explicit prohibition on this in the Accords.

As result of this consistently practiced policy, it has been left to private individuals and groups to make this happen. This is true about land purchases in Jerusalem (Israel Land Fund, Ateret Cohanim, Beit Orot and others), Hevron (“Beit HaShalom”) and at Beit Bracha in Gush Etzion. This is also true with the “outposts” and their nearby agricultural developments. The Government stands ready to authorize, but only when backed into a corner.

One could go on and on about how wrong this situation is. Wasn’t part of the purpose of having a State to be that the State would be more powerful than the individual?!! Well it just hasn’t turned out that way. Certainly the Government (especially the current one) should be encouraged by one and all to regain that role of actively settling the country.

However, at the same time, EVERYONE should be doing whatever we can to strengthen the Jewish Presence throughout the country, and especially in Jerusalem and other highly strategic locations. There is no time to bemoan the Government’s perception of the situation, there is only time to act!

We all know people (even if we ourselves are not personally as able) that have the real ability to make ideological investments and strategic charitable donations. One need just visit: www.israellandfund.com or get in touch with Ateret Cohanim to see what is available. Outposts must be actively aided in every way! Synagogues improved and expanded, mikvehs built (like in Eish Kodesh), landscaping and tree planting. And in older communities, housing projects need to be privately financed. For whatever reason, the Government won’t do it right now (Hopefully they will after Obama). WE MUST DO IT!!

I join all of Klal Yisrael in wishing a hearty mazel tov to the Moskowitz Family and Arieh King on their tremendous accomplishment of acquiring and developing Beit Bracha and look forward to many, many more such accomplishments!!!!

Ben Packer, Old City, Jerusalem; www.heritaghouse.org.il; www.youngjewishconservatives.org

The Great News About Beit Bracha! By Ben Packer

4.Israel to Shutter Several Diplomatic Outposts, incl. Philly’s Consulate

Several embassies and consulates, including the one in Philadelphia, are slated for closure by the Israeli Foreign Ministry. JewishPress.com By: Lori Lowenthal Marcus Published: Jan. 6, 2016
Latest update: Jan. 7, 2016

The MFA plans to close 4+ consulates this year, including in Philadelphia.
Photo Credit: Facebook

The permanent staff at the Israeli Consulate in Philadelphia, PA received a last minute reprieve back in 2013, after it was discovered that the office was going to be closed by the Israeli Foreign Ministry. The local Jewish community rallied then, as did several local American politicians. But it’s hard to believe the guardian angel which protected this office twice before will be able to do so again.

An Israeli newspaper leaked the information on Wednesday morning that the Israeli consulate in Philadelphia, as well as several other consulates, will close during the 2016-2017 budget year.

In addition to Philadelphia, the Israeli consulate in Marseilles, France, the embassies in Belarus and El Salvador, and the roving consulate for the Caribbean are all slated to close.

The embassies in El Salvador and Belarus are the only Israeli diplomatic outposts in those nations, while Israel will still have an Embassy in Paris, France after closing its Marseilles consulate. In the U.S. there are eight Israeli consulates, not including the one in Philadelphia. Israel also has its U.S. Embassy in Washington, D.C. and the Israeli Mission to the United Nations is in New York.

The remaining Israeli consulates in the U.S. are in Atlanta, Chicago, Boston, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City and San Francisco.

The Israeli Consulate in Philadelphia has been serving Pennsylvania, Ohio, Delaware, West Virginia, Kentucky and Southern New Jersey. Responsibility for those regions will be transferred to other consulates, if and when the Philly consulate shuts down.

The decision to close the diplomatic outposts was apparently made last year and the funds freed up are intended to be used to strengthen existing diplomatic offices.

The Philadelphia Consulate responded to a request for comment from the JewishPress.com with the following statement:

We can confirm that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State of Israel has decided to terminate operations of the Consulate General of Israel in Philadelphia by the end of 2016. Until the Consulate ceases its activities it will continue operations and serving the Mid-Atlantic region, once closed other Israeli missions in the U.S. will expand their reach. The Ministry will do its best to assist its local employees in this process.

About the Author: Lori Lowenthal Marcus is the U.S. correspondent for The Jewish Press. A graduate of Harvard Law School, she previously practiced First Amendment law and taught in Philadelphia-area graduate and law schools. You can reach her by email: Lori@JewishPressOnline.com

5.Stabbing Attempt at Gush Etzion Junction, 3 Terrorists Dead By: Jewish Press News Briefs Published: January 7th, 2016

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” ” href=”http://www.jewishpress.com/news/stabbing-attempt-at-gush-etzion-junction-3-terrorists-neutralized/2016/01/07/” target=”_blank”> Dead terrorist at Gush Etzion junction. Jan. 7, 2015. Photo Credit: Avraham Weiss / TPS

Three Arab terrorists were shot dead by the IDF, moments after attempting a multiple stabbing attack around 8 PM Israel time near the Gush Etzion junction. No Israeli civilians or soldiers were hurt.

The three terrorists came down with their knives to the intersection from the direction of Beit Fajjar, five miles south of Bethlehem (near Migdal Oz) and were spotted by security cameras. IDF reservists set up an ambush, and called on the three to stop and identify themselves, since they were walking off the road towards the Gush Etzion junction. One of them pulled out a knife and attempted to attack, and was shot on the spot. The other two then pulled out their own knives and were also eliminated.

The three terrorists were from the village of Seir, near Hebron. Two were brothers, the third, their cousin.

The three apparently wanted to avenge the death of another relative, who was killed trying to commit a terror attack, who was, in turn, avenging another relative who was killed committing a terror attack.

Start-Up Israel in Times-of-Israel BY DAVID SHAMAH January 6, 2016, 5:41 pm Get the Start-Up Israel’s daily newsletter
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Illustrative photo of a man shopping at a supermarket. (photo credit: Nati Shohat/Flash90)

David Shamah

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Feeling tired, lethargic, or depressed? Can’t lose weight, plagued by stomachaches, or suffer from psoriasis or rheumatoid arthritis? You could be a victim of “leaky gut syndrome.” And according to a new study led by a Technion professor and his German colleague, the processed food you’re eating could be making your gut even leakier.

“The use of ingredients like emulsifiers, high levels of salt and sugar, and transglutaminase have become very common in processed foods in the past two or three decades, and during that time we have seen a sharp rise in a wide variety of conditions that could definitely be attributed to leaky gut syndrome, such as autoimmune diseases,” said Professor Aaron Lerner.

Lerner, of the Technion’s Faculty of Medicine and Carmel Medical Center, along with Dr. Torsten Matthias of the Aesku-Kipp Institute, have published findings on the health damage caused by processed food.

Although their paper, published in the latest issue of the journal Autoimmune Disease, does not establish definitive causality between an increased in processed ingredients and prevalence of diseases attributed to leaky gut syndrome, Lerner stresses that “the correlation between the sharp increase in the use of these items and the increase of these diseases is just too strong to be dismissed. The scientific evidence for the negative effects of these ingredients is well-known and well-established.”

Lerner hopes that his research will prompt more work in the area, providing clearer answers about how engineered food ingredients are harming people.

One of the bulwarks of the body’s physical defense system is the “tight junction” structure that keeps undesired elements out of the intestines. The human body can process certain types of proteins, and the digestive system breaks down the food we eat into its nutritional components, including proteins – which are the right size to fit through the small “holes” in the intestinal lining, where it undergoes further digestion. When the system is working properly, larger, undigested food particles that have undesirable components – proteins that the body cannot use, yeasts, toxins, waste products, etc. – are kept out, and end up getting excreted.

But sometimes the tight junction structures become less tight, which means that all sorts of junk can find its way into the digestive system. The now “leaky gut” allows toxins to leak in, forcing the immune system to work overtime to fight them. As the body now has to expend energy on this, it has less energy for other things, resulting in lethargy – and sometimes some of the toxins don’t get banished by the immune system. That can result in other complications, such as autoimmune diseases, the research by Lerner and Matthias indicates.

Professor Aaron Lerner (Courtesy)

t’s the additives like emulsifiers and transglutaminase, and the excessive amounts of salt and sugar, that are breaking down the tight-junctions in the first place, the researchers say.

“This is a scientific fact,” said Lerner. “We can see how the glucose, salt, emulsifiers, organic solvents, gluten, microbial transglutaminase, and nanoparticles that are extensively and increasingly used by the food industry have an effect on the tight-junction structure. We believe that these commonly used ingredients abrogate human epithelial barrier function, increasing intestinal permeability through the opened tight junction.”

Although the reasons for leaky gut syndrome have still not been firmly established by researchers (although the condition, which describes a wide range of maladies, is well-known to doctors), Lerner and Matthias believe they have zeroed in on a major cause of the problem.

In their study, the researchers focused on the dizzying increase in the use of industrial food additives aimed at improving qualities such as taste, smell, texture and shelf life, and found “a significant circumstantial connection between the increased use of processed foods and the increase in the incidence of autoimmune diseases,” the study said.

The study supplies plenty of evidence to support that contention, said Lerner. For example, the study says, a positive correlation was shown between the annual sales of emulsifiers for food and beverage production and an increased incidence of Crohn’s disease (a chronic inflammatory disease of the intestines) in Japan. Organic solvents like ethanol, used extensively in food manufacturing, “increases paracellular permeability and induces alterations in tight-junction proteins,” according to a 1999 study called “Ethanol modulation of intestinal epithelial tight junction barrier” cited in Lerner’s report.

Gluten, which increasing numbers of people seem to be sensitive to, has a role in reducing the tight-junction structure, and as more gluten gets through to the digestive system, celiac disease, in which the stomach can no longer tolerate gluten, can develop.

“Evidence exists that intestinal barrier defects have a role in initiating celiac disease,” the report says.

That salt causes hypertension is well-established, but the news about salt is that it causes inflammation throughout the body – “and in inflammation the sky is the limit,” with the entire body at risk, said Lerner.

And on it goes – with many of the basic ingredients in food production, including emulsifiers (used to keep naturally-separating oil and water together), surfactants (natural or manufactured components that keep processed food smooth), solvents (used to extract active ingredients for food processing, and often identical to the ones used in manufacturing, dry cleaning, etc.), microbial transglutaminase (which maintains proper food texture), salt, sugar, and other ingredients all conspiring to break down our digestive system’s tight-junction structure, according to the report.

Is nothing safe to eat? After all, the large majority of products on supermarket shelves undergo extensive processing, all using copious amounts of the components Lerner’s report names as tight-junction killers.

“Obviously we have to eat,” and to expect an overnight change in the food industry is unrealistic, said Lerner. “All things in moderation – especially with regards to processed foods – needs to be the watchword. We really need more studies with human subjects on this issue – most of the studies are on animals.”

With the increased awareness of what happens when people get leaky gut syndrome – and how food additives promote it, Lerner added – there might just be enough pressure on the food industry to change its ways.

8.Conference of Presidents, B’nai B’rith, American Hellenic Leaders to Visit Israel, Greece, Cyprus

By: Jewish Press News Briefs Published: January 7th, 2016 B’nai B’rith International and Conference of Presidents leaders together with leaders of the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA) and American Hellenic Institute (AHI) will join together for an important visit to Israel, Greece and Cyprus. The purpose of the trip is to evaluate the critical and developing relationship between these three countries on security, energy, economics and political areas. B’nai B’rith International will be represented by President Gary P. Saltzman, Executive Vice President Daniel S. Mariaschin and World Center Director Alan Schneider. Stephen Greenberg, Chairman, and Malcolm Hoenlein, CEO, will represent the Conference of Presidents.

Leaders of AHEPA, which is a leading membership-based grassroots association for American citizens of Hellenic heritage and AHI, a Greek American public policy center and think tank, will join the Jewish leaders in exploring developments in the eastern Mediterranean and possibilities for enhancing cooperation and understanding.

The strategic relationship between Greece, Cyprus and Israel has evolved, helping to lend stability to the region with broader implications. This is evidenced by the Trilateral Summit that will be held by the leaders of three countries later this month. The delegation of American Hellenic and American Jewish community leaders plans to explore the major policy issues and concerns as well as ways to foster ties between the people of the three countries. They will also visit military installations to study the security challenges in the area. The joint delegation represents the broad support of Jews and Greeks in the United States for the emerging trilateral relationship.

The 12-member delegation will convene in Jerusalem from Jan. 10 to 13, then continue to Nicosia, Cyprus, Jan. 13 to 14, and wrap up in Athens, Greece, Jan. 14 to 18.

9.London Jewish Shoppers Pelted with Gas Canisters by Neo-Nazis By: JNi.Media Published: January 7th, 2016

Gas canisters were thrown at Jewish shoppers in London / Courtesy

London Police is investigating an incident that took place Wednesday at around 7:45 PM, when three Jewish shoppers were subjected to anti-Semitic abuse in Tottenham Hale in north London by three white men in a white pickup truck.

The three men shouted “Hitler is on the way to you, Heil Hitler, Heil Hitler, Heil Hitler,” and threw small gas refill canisters at the Jewish shoppers, two men and a woman.

Shomrim, the Jewish neighborhood watch patrol, was alerted by the victims and is providing support. None of the victims were injured, but they were badly shaken by the experience.

Jonathan Sacerdoti, Director of Communications at the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism, said in a statement, “This disturbing incident is a reminder of the abuse that many Jewish people experience all too often. It is vital that victims report all anti-Semitic attacks or incidents whenever they happen, and that the police take every report seriously, investigating and charging those responsible wherever possible.”

Shomrim volunteer Michael Blayer said, “This behavior is appalling, the victims were innocent shoppers at the Tottenham Hale Retail Park, and they were targeted because they were visibly Jewish. The verbal abuse was disgusting, and small objects were thrown towards the victims, making them fear for their immediate safety.

Shomrim are supporting the victims. The incident has been reported to the Metropolitan Police, I have absolute confidence in our local police that this will be thoroughly investigated. I encourage anyone who witnessed this incident or who may have experienced a similar incident to report it.”

10.Terrorists Attack Tourist Group at Cairo Hotel, Israelis Present

Masked gunmen opened fire at a Cairo hotel near the Giza pyramids; two Israeli tourists were there.

JewishPress.com By: Hana Levi Julian Published: January 7th, 2016

A view of the Pyramids Sound and Light Show in Giza, Cairo, Egypt. Photo Credit: Wissam Nassar / Flash 90

Two masked terrorists opened fire Thursday morning at the Three Pyramids Hotel in Cairo, located near the Giza pyramids.

At least two Israeli tourists were among the group that was attacked as it was boarding a tour bus. Israel Foreign Ministry officials are still trying to reach the Israeli nationals, according to local reports, but no one was injured.

Some damage was caused to the facade of the hotel and at least one window of the bus was shattered, according to reports by Reuters, Associated Press and other international news agencies.

Security personnel have arrested the terrorists. One was captured by local police at the scene; the second was chased down and captured.

Thursday is a day of joy for Egypt’s Coptic Orthodox Christian community, who are celebrating Christmas today.

The Egyptian government has been battling terrorist elements based in the northern Sinai Peninsula for months, many of whom are linked to the Muslim Brotherhood. The attacks have escalated since former President Mohammed Morsi was ousted from office in 2013. Morsi was backed by the Muslim Brotherhood.

Some of the Sinai terror elements have pledged allegiance to Da’esh (ISIS), forming the “Sinai Province.” The group claimed responsibility for last year’s downing of a Russian airliner, killing all 224 people on board.

About the Author: Hana Levi Julian is a Middle East news analyst with a degree in Mass Communication and Journalism from Southern Connecticut State University. A past columnist with The Jewish Press and senior editor at Arutz 7, Ms. Julian has written for Babble.com, Chabad.org and other media outlets, in addition to her years working in broadcast journalism.

Terrorists Attack Tourist Group at Cairo Hotel, Israelis Present

Three of the six cell members
Photo Credit: Shabak

A Hamas terrorist cell in the advanced stages of planning a major attack has been taken out in a joint operation by the Israel Police and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency, or Shabak).

The cell was discovered last month; its six members were residents of Jerusalem and Hebron. The terrorists planned to kidnap and murder Israeli citizens in an attack similar to that carried out in June 2014 against three yeshiva teens in Gush Etzion. The cell was in the advanced stages of planning, according to the Shin Bet, and had reached the point where cell members had begun to prepare a place to store the bodies of abduction victims.

The Shin Bet investigation revealed the cell was comprised of three Israeli residents who lived in Jerusalem, and three members who lived in the Palestinian Authority-controlled section of Hebron.

All six members of the cell have been taken into custody.

The Shabak investigation discovered that over the past few months the six cell members had been looking at caves and digging up several plots where they planned to hide the dead body of their kidnapped victim. They were going to use two vehicles, with the Israeli member of the cell driving the kidnapping vehicle, since his Hebrew is good enough to allay suspicion. They planned to murder their victim and bury the body, then negotiate for released prisoners in exchange for it.

Mehar Kawasma, 36, a resident of Hebron, was the leader of the cell. He had served two years in Israeli prison for a previous involvement in planning Hamas terror activities.

After the Israeli members of the cell had been arrested, Kawasma started to produce explosives with the remaining members, in the hope of carrying out a mega-attack in a civilian center. They purchased fertilizer and tried to make explosives but did not succeed.