What Might Have Saved Gaza?

"Hamas could have spared Gaza’s devastation by choosing peace over terrorism. The conflict has exposed international double standards toward Israel and fueled a resurgence of antisemitism".

Victor Davis Hanson  

"In 2026, these two pernicious forces have united in the new Democratic Party: the antisemitic socialism of the Western Left has now merged with the anti-Israeli Islamism of the growing Muslim and Arab population within the West."

""After October 7, 2023: Could the destruction of Gaza after October 7 have been avoided? The answer is yes—had Hamas so wished.

"First, if the Hamas leadership had simply complied with Israeli demands to (a) return the 251 hostages and (b) surrender the architects and perpetrators of the massacre of some 1,200 Israelis, the Israelis would not have had to fight Hamas in the streets and tunnels of Gaza.

"Note how critics of Israel consistently fail to offer any viable alternative to the Israeli ground effort to destroy the Hamas mass murderers.

"Nor do Israel’s enemies ever bother to explain why Hamas did not return its hostages and give up the perpetrators of October 7. Why did nobody expect the International Criminal Court or the UN to have the slightest effect when they ineffectually interceded to demand the return of the hostages and issued arrest warrants for the “war criminals” of Hamas?

"The answer, of course, is that there was no more likelihood of them getting Hamas to cooperate than there was of the defunct League of Nations convincing Hitler to stop the killing of Jews or the UN persuading Pol Pot to stop murdering Cambodians. And it is likely that many anti-Israeli UN members silently approved of the murders.

"Moreover, there is no evidence that most Gazans objected to the terrorism. Indeed, large numbers joined in when possible. More than 2,000 civilians tagged along in hopes of killing, raping, torturing, and looting with impunity. And when corpses and hostages appeared in the trucks of the returning Hamas murderers, the killers had to protect their prizes from their own even more bloodthirsty people back home, who sought to beat and spit on already dead and wounded Jews. Imagine: the killers had to protect their hostages from an even more bloodthirsty “civilian” mob.

"Second, Hamas didn’t just refuse to stand down and hand over the hostages and culpable terrorists to the Israelis. Far from seeking peace, Hamas and Hezbollah spent the 20 days between the slaughter of October 7 and the Israeli ground forces’ entry into Gaza launching thousands of missiles, rockets, and drones at civilians in Israel (barrages that would exceed, within a year, 25,000 launches).

"Third, the death toll in Gaza would have been far lower had the killers of October 7 helped their own civilians keep clear of combat zones. Far fewer Gazans would have died had Hamas not deliberately situated its tunnel exits and entrances beneath private homes, hospitals, mosques, and schools." . . . Mmore.

The Democrats and Talarico don’t deserve the benefit of the doubt after the Biden episode.

 James (Talarico) Gang Rides Again - Silvio Canto, Jr.   

"A man goes down for two weeks over "the flu", makes conflicting statements about it, and we are supposed to look the other way. Remember Biden?"

. . . "First, he went to an urgent care facility, but that was later changed to say he went to his personal doctor.

"Then, there were claims about a medical facility in Ohio, which Talarico has denied. All of this is so confusing. Miranda Devine is right about the incompetence of these people and selective indignation from the media:

When a candidate in such a crucial race goes missing for so long in the final month before the election, the situation demands proof beyond an airy flu excuse and “trust me” attitude. As White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller tweeted on Sunday: “Talafreako needs to release the medical records.”

It’s a reasonable request and one that The Washington Post, for one, should be demanding." . . .

 James Talarico’s 12-Day Campaign Absence Deserves Scrutiny in Texas  . . .

"If he continues the farce, his purported lead in the polls is likely to evaporate. Texas voters have patiently watched Talarico change virtually all of his positions on the issues. This final lie could well be fatal."

The Most Perilous Period In American History

 Steve McCann - American Thinker  

"Thus, the current iteration of the Democrat Party cannot win any upcoming mid-term or presidential elections if the United States is to survive as founded."

. . . "Clearly unconstitutional lawfare was unleashed with the sole objective of imprisoning a former president and future candidate, Donald Trump, as well as many of his close associates and allies. Crimes were created out of whole cloth where none existed, as former President Trump was indicted an absurd 91 times. No thought was given to his rights, or the legality of what was being done, or the long-term impact on the rule of law in the United States. All to make certain Trump and a revitalized Republican Party could never achieve power and threaten the plot to transform the nation.

"In the most Machiavellian scheme since the nation’s founding, the borders were flung open and an invitation extended to anyone on the planet who could find their way to America. Twenty-plus million did. It did not matter if they were convicted criminals, terrorists, or drug dealers, they were welcomed as part of a plot to irreversibly and permanently change the demographic makeup of the nation and create a dependent voting bloc that would keep the Democratic Socialists in power in perpetuity." . . . More.

Democrats on Ilhan Omar: No Republican Is Above the Law, No Democrat Is Required to Follow It..

 Abdul El-Sayed denies Muslim Brotherhood ties on 'Meet the Press' 

 .  . . ."However, according to his half-sister Eman Abdelhadi, their mother was an active member of the Muslim Brotherhood."

AfterMath - Home

El-Sayed in 2020-1: Disarm the Police! (And Defund Them, Too)

   . . . "Speaking of irony, the comment about police in the UK should get even more attention with recent events. The police in British cities have been ineffective at protecting girls from rape gangs run mainly by South Asian immigrants. They have also been forced to kowtow to Muslim mobs while doing little to protect Jews and Christians. Perhaps that's why El-Sayed prefers police to be disarmed; the mobs have an easier time taking control of the streets." 

oh, by the way: "In an interview on June 17, 2020, El-Sayed recalled his experience living in England and suggested that American police officers should be unarmed like their British counterparts." . . .

. . . "And I lived in the U.K. while I was in grad school, and in the U.K., their cops don't have guns," said El-Sayed, who studied at Oxford." . . . 

Mace brands Muslim officials dangerous 'trojan horses,' Democrats respond with fury - The Daily Bo Snerdley   . . . "House Speaker Mike Johnson has argued that imposing Sharia law would conflict with the Constitution. That is a serious constitutional point—but it is not the same as claiming every Muslim who wins an election is secretly carrying Sharia law into city hall inside a trench coat."

Democrats on Ilhan Omar: No Republican Is Above the Law, No Democrat Is Required to Follow It... – HotAir

Democrats Warn Trump Of Dangerous Precedent Set By Law Enforcement Raiding Homes Of Political Opponents   | Babylon Bee Parody  . . ."Today, it's a member of Congress. Tomorrow, it could be a former president," Jeffries continued. "Imagine armed federal agents descending on a former president's private residence while he's considering another run for office. Searching his home. Going through his and his wife's belongings. I know it sounds far-fetched, but that's the nightmare scenario we're inviting here. Surely Republicans wouldn't want to open that door."

Beach houses crumble as Rachel slams California coast

AccuWeather

"Oceanfront homes along Long Beach and Newport Beach are in danger of crumbling into the water as Tropical Storm Rachel brought high surf crashing into the Southern California coast on Oct. 11."

If not El Gavin, it's El Tormentos, El Disturbios or El Fuegos:

From El Gavin: California wealth tax proposal sends rich residents fleeing

Scott Bessent calls out Elizabeth Warren over 'economically illiterate' letters

 Fox Business

"'The Big Money Show' panelists analyze this high-profile feud between Treasury Secratry Scott Bessent and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Ma., as they spar over economic policy and his response regarding the senator's letters."

Video: Scott Bessent calls out Elizabeth Warren over 'economically illiterate' letters

Trump Calls on Senate to Pass Bill Making Daylight Saving Time Permanent

 The Thinking Conservative News

   "“While briefly popular, it proved deeply unpopular when reality set in,” Cotton said, adding that polls taken at the time show that support for permanent daylight saving time dropped by 30 percentage points in three months."

ChatGPT

"‘Most people like having an hour of extra sunlight in the evening, rather than in the morning,’ the president said. The House passed the bill in July.

"President Donald Trump on Friday morning urged Senate Republicans to pass a bill that makes daylight saving time permanent, coming months after the measure cleared the House of Representatives.

"“A ridiculous Clock changing process that takes place twice a year, costs our Country a fortune, is bad for Crime, stress on people, Sports, and just about everything else you can imagine,” Trump said in a long Truth Social post early Friday.

"He added that people don’t want to change their clocks while asserting that “most people like having an hour of extra sunlight in the evening, rather than in the morning.”

"The House in July passed the measure, dubbed the Sunshine Protection Act, on a 308—117 vote before sending it to the Senate for approval. But the bill has not been considered.

"“It is foolish, inconvenient and, in some cases, very costly. For Cities and States with Watchtowers, and hard to reach places, it costs Millions of Dollars. A recent case was made that it is also bad for your health in the anxiety it creates,” the president said.

"Blaming Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) for holding up the bill, Trump wrote that the bill has bipartisan support. “Democrats and Republicans want it to happen. It’s now up to the U.S. Senate where it would be another Great Bipartisan Victory,” he added.

"Last year, Cotton told the Senate that he would oppose the measure and said a similar measure was repealed in the mid-1970s.

"In 1973, Congress passed a law instituting permanent daylight saving time for what was supposed to be a trial period from January 1974 to April 1975. It lasted until October, when it was repealed. Among the concerns was worry that schoolchildren would have to start the school day without daylight.

"“While briefly popular, it proved deeply unpopular when reality set in,” Cotton said, adding that polls taken at the time show that support for permanent daylight saving time dropped by 30 percentage points in three months."

UPDATED: Rogers spanks El-Sayed

 J.R. Dunn  

"As for Rogers, if the rest of the GOP slate acted like this, we’d have nothing to worry about." 

"The focus on James [Talarico]’s quest for sanity this weekend has taken some of the focus off the other critical Senate campaign, that of Mike Rogers against Abdul Muhammed el-Sayed on Saturday night

"Which is a pity, because on Saturday night, Rogers pretty much wiped the floor with El-Sayed during the Michigan Senate campaign debate.

"Rogers relentlessly hammered El-Sayed al Misri throughout the debate, seldom if ever letting up. Some of the more sensitive souls on our side might say that he was too brutal, too harsh, and too unrelenting, but he really had no choice, since the moderator, a local nonentity named Rick Abin, was filling the customary Dem-leaning role, yapping over Rogers while he spoke but listening respectfully to El-Sayed. Rogers was not playing, much to his credit. It was, all in all, a most unGOP performance, particularly as it occurred in a Northern Tier state. (It would  – and perhaps did – have sent Karl Rove staggering to his fainting couch: “I didn’t invent American conservatism to serve as a platform for this kind of crude, vulgar, undignified hijinks.”)

"Rogers left very few targets unserviced.

"Regarding Al-Sayed’s status as a “doctor”: “He’s not really a doctor… If somebody came into his office and he tried to treat them, he’d go to jail.”

"Regarding his unusual real estate holdings: “He has a home in the United Arab Emirates,” Rogers said while discussing last week’s revelation that El-Sayed holds dual citizenship with Egypt. Doc Sayed responded with “He’s got a house in Florida,” to which Rogers replied, “At least Florida is in the United States.”

"But things really lit up when Rogers began discussing El-Sayed’s terror connections through his mother. This exchange throws some light on the quality of thinking that went into the Rogers campaign’s debate prep. He did not attack El-Sayed’s mother directly, or at all. Instead, he simply compared her job with the Islamic American Relief Agency, a Hamas and Al Qaeda affiliate, with his own mother’s humble career." . . .  

Regarding his unusual real estate holdings: “He has a home in the United Arab Emirates,” Rogers said while discussing last week’s revelation that El-Sayed holds dual citizenship with Egypt. Doc Sayed responded with “He’s got a house in Florida,” to which Rogers replied, “At least Florida is in the United States.”    More.

 El-Sayed: the honesty and tolerance of Islamists   

"E[l]-Sayed has consistently dodged saying anything negative about the Iranian Islamist regime. At his recent debate with Republican Mike Rogers, he continued dodging: Michigan Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed repeatedly refused to answer whether he considers Iran or Israel to be the “greater threat to the United States.”

. . . "That’s a significant issue, as is El-Sayed’s non-response. Iran is historically a Persian, not an Arabic and Islamic nation. Islam was imposed on them after the Shah was deposed, which explains why the IRGC so willingly slaughters Iranians who violate Sharia, Islamic customs, and dare to protest."  . . .

The daughter of a Hamas founder left Islam for Christianity and said she was
taught to k*ll Jews and Christians, and that their Jesus returns to destroy the cross   . . . "She fled Gaza after her conversion because apostasy carries the d*ath penalty under Islamic law. She is now in a protected location. Pew Research estimated 3.45 million Muslims in the United States in 2017 and projected 8.1 million by 2050, driven by higher fertility and continued migration. The same teachings Al Qawasmi described travel with that growth.

UPDATE: 10 Times Abdul El-Sayed Was Absolutely Wacked Out  . . . "As for Mike Rogers, the Free Press’s attack on the former Army officer and FBI agent amounts to going after his pro-life position, which the newspaper characterized as a willingness to “deprive Michiganders of essential rights.”

"El-Sayed is so off-the-charts extreme that it is difficult to grasp the full extent of it. This is the man who is the political protégé of antisemitic extraordinaire Linda Sarsour, formerly of the Women’s March. Sarsour, in a comment characteristic of her usual drivel, once said women couldn’t be true feminists if they supported Israel’s right to exist." . . .

“Under my leadership our state will not expend a dime of state taxpayer resources enforcing federal immigration policy.”

Don't make Fort Hood terrorist Nidal Hasan's execution a public spectacle — and him a martyr

Post Editorial Board   

For the sake of upholding America’s moral stature — and decency itself — Trump must put an end to this abominable idea. 

"Nidal Hasan is a savage Islamic terrorist who killed 13 innocent US service members at Fort Hood in 2009. He deserves the death penalty, nothing less.

"But the idea of broadcasting his execution publicly — livestreaming it! — is beyond grotesque.

"America is supposed to be a model nation, with the highest values, a shining light that leads the world into a civilized future.

"The spectacle of a publicized, glamorized execution sends us in the opposite direction.

"It signals a type of gloating and bravado unbecoming a proud, moral country.

"America is not a medieval caliphate. Our leaders aren’t supposed to act like jihadists.

"Will Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who proposed the hideous extravaganza, next suggest filming captured, blindfolded Islamists on their knees, while US soldiers behead them?  

"Hasan’s death is meant to achieve justice for the horrific evil he perpetrated, not serve as a source of entertainment or pleasure for masses.

"Imagine young children tuning in.

"Such practices define the monstrous beliefs Hasan adhered to: Islamist jihadis like him worship violence and cruelty, a world filled with hatred, utterly lacking mercy or grace." . . . More.

Justice finally comes for Nidal Hasan 

"Sending him to hell—no 72 virgins for him—is the justice a just, moral society deserves and is negligent in withholding. A truly moral people accept and carry out every act morality and order demands, and televising it makes that necessary and final.  Only then will his victims rest easy, and to hell with his supporters. They’ll have to settle up with God later."

Mamdani’s Oct. 7 statement isn’t pro-Palestinian. It’s pro-Hamas

Mamdani’s Oct. 7 statement isn’t pro-Palestinian. It’s pro-Hamas

"Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar described mounting civilian losses as “necessary sacrifices” and declared, in the middle of the supposed “genocide,” that “We have the Israelis right where we want them.'”

"New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s statement on the third anniversary of Oct. 7, 2023, begins reasonably enough. He calls the Hamas attack “horrific war crimes,” recalls the more than 1,100 Israelis who were killed and the 251 people abducted into Gaza, and offers sympathy to New Yorkers who continue to carry the trauma of that day.

"So far, so good. In the political atmosphere of the past three years, even that clarity has sometimes proved elusive.

"Then Mamdani moves on, and the statement becomes something else entirely. On the anniversary of the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, he devotes most of his message to an indictment of Israel, accusing it of an “ongoing genocide,” invoking “apartheid” and “occupation,” describing American “complicity,” and presenting a litany of Palestinian suffering in which Israel appears almost exclusively as the perpetrator.

"The Palestinian suffering is immense. Gaza has been devastated. Tens of thousands of people have died. Children have been killed in horrifying numbers, families have been obliterated, much of the territory has been reduced to ruins, and an enormous population has been displaced.

"None of this would have happened if Hamas had not attacked — and done so in so barbaric a manner, hacking and burning to death entire families, raping and dismembering amid frenzied celebrations recorded pridefully on video. None of it would have gone on if Hamas had not clung on — which this savage, fanatical mafia did precisely to cause its own people’s suffering.

"Hamas does not seek a resolution with Israel but the destruction of Israel. Its campaign of terrorism began in earnest as soon as the 1993 Oslo Accords between the PLO and a pro-peace Israeli government were signed — and intensified as the sides were negotiating a two-state solution in 2000." . . .

Mamdani supporters

CNN and The New York Times Can't Bring Themselves To Be Honest About Islamic Terrorism   "Flydubai Flight 1073 was forced to make an emergency landing after a violent cockpit attack during its flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. Rich Lowry examines the media’s initial coverage of the incident and asks why suspected Islamist terrorism is so often described in more cautious terms.

"From the Flydubai attack to the Pulse nightclub shooting, San Bernardino, and the Manchester Arena bombing, Rich argues that the same pattern has appeared repeatedly — and contrasts that caution with the media’s coverage of the 2023 Gaza hospital explosion."

“The Evil and the Stupid” | Douglas Murray on Hamas Supporters

Bill Maher on the genocide lie

On Talarico: "Say what you want, we'll just deny it all."

 Paxton's Democratic rival James Talarico strikes different tone on trans rights at secret LGBTQ fundraiser    

. . . "Talarico was asked on Fox if he would vote as a senator in favor of a national ban on gender surgery for minors, and he replied, 'Absolutely.' He also stated, 'I will oppose trans athletes playing in girls' sports if it risks safety or fairness.'  '. . . 

[UPDATE] Audio Appears to Confirm Talarico’s Stay at Mental Health Facility; Campaign Denies It   . . . "An Ohio mental health facility discharged Texas State Rep. James Talarico (D-50th District), the Democrat Party's nominee for U.S. Senate, earlier this week, according to bombshell audio that independent journalist Nick Sortor released on Sunday.

"The recording answers a question that has hung over the Texas Senate race for days. Talarico went two weeks without an in-person campaign event in the state, with the general election less than a month away. His campaign claimed he was recovering from the flu, an explanation that never held up. Talarico has diabetes, which can complicate the flu, but the campaign never disclosed that as an explanation.

"Sortor and Rhein Amacher ran out of patience on Sunday morning. They gave Talarico until 1 p.m. ET to explain his absence and promised to release the details themselves if he stayed quiet.

"The deadline passed, and Sortor and Amacher dropped the audio.

"On the call, Amacher asks a woman who answers the phone at the Lindner Center of Hope whether the facility has anything for James Talarico.

"'It looks like he was just discharged this evening," the employee says after a long pause. "That's why I don't have it."

"Amacher then asked to confirm he had the correct place, and the employee did in fact confirm he was speaking to the Lindner Center of Hope in Mason, Ohio." . . .

Talarico FINALLY Speaks, and I Think He Just Made Things Worse

Mamdani snubs Brooklyn Columbus Day Parade, ghosts Queens organizers

NY Post 

 A Mamdani social media post from 2020 surfaced during last year’s mayoral race showing the Ugandan-born pol flipping the bird to the Christopher Columbus statue in Astoria. Mamdani, who that same year successfully ran to represent the neighborhood in the state Assembly, included the caption, “Take it down.”

"The Columbus Citizens Foundation, which runs the famed parade along Fifth Avenue, got plenty of heat from other Italian American groups for trying to extend an olive branch to Mamdani by inviting him to the event despite the socialist mayor’s past rocky relationship with Italian Americans.

"Christopher Loiacono, president of the Columbus Citizens Foundation, and other leaders of the group did not return messages."But Angie Markham, executive director of FAIO of Queens, which organizes the Astoria event, said Mamdani not attending the Astoria parade “isn’t gonna make or break the event for me.”"'People wanna change history,” she said. “It is what it is. This is the day we chose to [honor] Italian heritage. The Spanish have a whole month. The blacks have a whole month. We have one day. Leave us alone!”

"Jerry Iannece, a criminal court judge and parade chairman, said Mamdani and other far-left pols’ disdain for Columbus is “misguided,” adding that “there’s a lot of people who want to rewrite history.”

"Carlo Scissura, vice chairman of the FAIO of Brooklyn, declined to address Mamdani’s snub at the Bensonhurst parade but said, “We are proud and excited to host our annual parade, a powerful celebration of Italian American heritage, pride and culture.”

A June 2020 social media post by Mamdani
 gave the finger to a statue of Christopher
 Columbus in  Queens and said “Take it down.”

"Many Brooklyn patrons said they were upset — but not shocked — Mamdani snubbed Big Apple Italian Americans yet again." . . . More.

Victor Davis Hanson: The Double Standard of Islamist Immigrants Who Attack America