20160921

Obama exacts endorsement from Netanyahu for military package (that phases out Israeli industry)

Netanyahu knows Obama will soon be unrestrained against Israel (Getty Images)
After acquiescing to Obama's golden (military) handcuffs terms, at press-conference with Obama, Israel's PM Benjamin Netanyahu indicates Obama's pro-Islamist obsession will continue outside of office, with less encumbrance.


Transcript (courtesy The Times of Israel

PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU: Mr. President, it’s very good to see you again. First, I want to thank you for the Memorandum of Understanding that we signed last week. It greatly enhances Israel’s security. It fortifies the principle that you’ve enunciated many times that Israel should be able to defend itself, by itself, against any threat.
Secondly, I want to thank you for the extensive security and intelligence cooperation between our two countries. I don’t think people at large understand the breadth and depth of this cooperation, but I know it. And I want to thank you on behalf of all the people of Israel. 
Third, I want to thank you for the many meetings we’ve had in which we discussed how to confront common challenges and how to seize common opportunities. The greatest challenge is, of course, the unremitting fanaticism. The greatest opportunity is to advance a durable peace. That’s a goal that I and the people of Israel will never give up on.

We’ve been fortunate that, in pursuing these two tasks, Israel has no greater friend than the United States of America, and America has no greater friend than Israel. Our alliance has grown decade after decade, through successive presidents, a bipartisan Congress, and the overwhelming support of the American people. It’s an unbreakable bond based on common values, buttressed by common interest, and bound by a shared destiny.
And I want to thank you, Mr. President, for the opportunity to once again discuss how we can shape that destiny together.
And I’d like to add, if I may, one final point. As you conclude your presidency, I know you’re going to be busy with many, many things, much more than improving what I hear is a terrific golf game. (Laughter.) Your voice, your influential voice will be heard for many decades. And I know you’ll continue to support Israel’s right to defend itself and its right to thrive as a Jewish state. So I want you to know, Barack, that you’ll always be a welcome guest in Israel.
And, by the way, I don’t play golf, but right next to my home in Caesarea, in Israel, is a terrific golf course.
PRESIDENT OBAMA: We’ll set up a tee time. (Laughter.)
Thank you. Thank you so much.
Well, it’s good to once again welcome Prime Minister Netanyahu and his delegation here. I want to start by just sending a message that all of the American people, my entire administration, and me, personally, are thinking about Shimon Peres — a great friend, a hero, and giant in the history of Israel. And we are hopeful that he will have a speedy recovery.
I’ve always joked whenever I’ve seen Shimon that I wanted to see what he ate and what he did, because he’s always looked so good. I know this has been a challenging time for him and his family, but I wanted to make sure that I relay my gratitude to him for his friendship and his leadership, and helping to forge a strong U.S.-Israeli bond.
As Prime Minister Netanyahu mentioned, the bond between the United States and Israel is unbreakable. It is based on common values, family ties, a recognition that a Jewish state of Israel is one of our most important allies, and a guiding principle throughout my presidency — one that I’ve expressed often to the Prime Minister — is, is that it is important for America’s national security to ensure that we have a safe and secure Israel, one that can defend itself.
And so the Memorandum of Understanding that we recently signed I think is indicative of that. What it does is provide an assurance and a foundation for the kinds of ongoing military and intelligence cooperation that has been the hallmark of our relationship. It allows I think Israeli planners the kind of certainty in a moment where there’s enormous uncertainty in the region. It is a very difficult and dangerous time in the Middle East, and we want to make sure that Israel has the full capabilities it needs in order to keep the Israeli people safe and secure.
This will give us an opportunity to talk about the challenges that arise out of situations like Syria. I’ll also be interested in hearing from the Prime Minister his assessment of conditions within Israel and in the West Bank. Obviously, our hearts go out to those who have been injured, both Israeli and Palestinian. Clearly, there is great danger of not just terrorism, but also flare-ups of violence. We do have concerns around settlement activity, as well. And our hope is that we can continue to be an effective partner with Israel in finding a path to peace.
Obviously, I’m only going to be President for another few months. The Prime Minister will be there quite a bit longer. And our hope will be that in these conversations we get a sense of how Israel sees the next few years, what the opportunities are and what the challenges are in order to assure that we keep alive the possibility of a stable, secure Israel at peace with its neighbors, and a Palestinian homeland that meets the aspirations of their people.
But obviously, these are challenging times. One thing I can say about Prime Minister Netanyahu is he has always been candid with us, and his team has cooperated very effectively with ours. We very much appreciate it. And I guarantee you that I will visit Israel often, because it is a beautiful country with beautiful people. And Michelle and the girls I think resent the fact that I’ve not taken them on most of these trips, so they’re insistent that I do take them. Of course, they will appreciate the fact that the next time I visit Israel I won’t have to sit in bi-lats — (laughter) — but instead can enjoy the sights and sounds of a remarkable country.
So thank you very much.
PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU: Thank you.

20160920

Hot-shot right-talk hosts debate at Pasadena Town Hall, organized by Salem Radio

Town Hall discussion among (from left): Hugh Hewitt, Brian Whitman, Elisha Krauss, Larry Elder, Mike Gallagher,
Mark Levin, Michael Medved, Dennis Prager, Ben Shapiro 

More than 3,000 people attended the Town Hall 2016, held at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium on Sunday night, 18 September. Radio's AM 870 presented the event, in which the station’s radio talk  hosts took on the question: Who would be better to lead the country – Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump?

Panelists Mark Levin, Ben Shapiro, Mike Gallagher, Michael Medved, Dennis Prager, and Larry Elder debated points presented by Hugh Hewitt, Brian Whitman and Elisha Krauss on the presidential election, national security, the economy and the future of the Republican Party.

Townhall 2016 was presented by AM 870 The Answer, the local L.A. radio station on which the hosts’ shows can be heard.

20160913

NYC & West Coast 9/11 firefighters unite at tribute documentary; How have they (and we) evolved to protect us since 2001?

World Trade Center Twin Towers
WTC Etching at NYFD W. 48th St Firefighter Memorial Park 

In 1994, November Productions' filmmaker Kevin Dornan created a multimedia tribute to firefighters from various parts of the United States. New York was the first location for the filming, and Dornan met with firefighters from across the city before choosing Mike Weinberg. Over the course of several days, Dornan recorded, both on film and in still photography, the life of a firefighter. 

The project was discontinued after Dornan finished shooting New York. 

Dornan only learned that Mike was killed at the 9/11/01 World Trade Center attack six months later. Dornan completed "Liberty, Courage, and Hope: The Portrait of an American Hero" as a tribute to all the first-responders whose lives were taken in rescuing victims of al-Qaeda's attacks. 

What had originally been intended as a celebratory documentary of living American firefighters-is now a bittersweet remembrance of a brave soldier. 

The movie trailer was not available at press time, but here is a memorial montage to Mike Weinstein. 



From the varied depictions of the everyday life of a firefighter to the now-fateful final dialogue, this film, now narrated by Alec Baldwin,  is one to be viewed as its own inspirational portrait.

"We as a nation need to heal, and by having even one story of hope and bravery can keep the memory our heroes with us forever," writes Mr. Dornan.


The Museum of Tolerance held the West Coast premiere of "Liberty, Courage and Hope: The Portrait of an American Hero," followed by a question-and-answer session with director Kevin Dornan on September 11th, 2014. 

NYC Fireman Michael Lynch, a colleague of Weinstein flew to L.A. (in his first 9/11 since 2001 outside NYC) to participate in the event. Joining them was Lynch's colleague from Los Angeles, L.A. County Fire Chief Craig Fleetwood.

Firefighters and rescuers from Los Angeles flew on the first flight permitted during the 9/11/01 FAA ban on airplanes. Here they talk about their involvement in and reactions to the film.


In DemoCast's video interviews from the event filmmaker, Dornan, discusses his attitudes about the project and its meanings.  FF Lynch relates how 9/11 is commemorated differently for firefighters and their constituents in New York over time.  Chief Fleetwood Lynch explains how firefighter first responders participate in pre-positioning and allocating emergency equipment- in coordination with federal and local counter-terror intelligence- to make resources available where they might be needed, such as conspicuous public terror-target events. 


(Menu controls on upper left). 


In-depth interviews at the West Coast premiere screening of "Liberty Courage and Hope" a film about the lives of firemen, and the death of Michael Weinstein, found dead beneath a fire truck at World Trade Center in 2001. Kevin Dornan is still completing national distribution arrangements for the documentary. Details can be found on www.LibertyCourageAndHope.com/."

20160908

Sept 11th +15yrs: How well do we recognize that Islamists are at with the West?

LAFD Memorial contains remnants of WTC and Pentagon
After 15-years, ought Sept 11th be at least one day we can acknowledge the Islamist motives which oppose liberty?

In its quest to spread Islamist domination, Islamists kill more Muslims than non-Muslims world-wide. Los Angeles' 9/11 Memorial at Van Nuys Station House 88, (from which first-responders traveled to NYC's World Trade Center to assist in the rescue and recovery mission) presents physical remnants from the attacked World Trade Towers and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. 


At L.A.'s annual 9/11 Memorial Ceremony at Fire Station 88- which lost firefighters at Ground Zero on Sept 11, 2001, Los Angeles Fire Department Deputy Chief Daryl Arbuthnott of the San Fernando Valley Bureau addressed the audience with consolation for the victims. No one in the ceremony addresses the agenda of the hijackers or their role in the greater, global Islamist movement to subjugate non-Muslims to Islam.



L.A. millenial, Grace Bannon at 9/11 Memorial Museum
Deputy Chief Daryl Arbuthnott references visiting the 9/11 Museum at the site of NYC's World Trade Center. We encountered a visiting 20-something Angeleno, Grace Bannon at the 9/11 Museum. She candidly revealed what what NY's 9/11 Memorial Museum teaches (or doesn't) about the Islamists' motivations (and ongoing threats to democracy). She reveals what her generation has (and hasn't) been taught in general about the about Islamism and free-people's obligation to recognize and resist it.

NY Fire Dept bas-relief etching at Memorial Park on W 48th St

N.Y. Fire Dept hosts a memorial park in tribute to the rescuers killed by Islamists- outside Battalion 9 Station House in Midtown Manhattan. Sept 11th awareness primarily addresses Western victimhood, but rarely addresses the Islamic theological imperatives to spread Islam over non-Muslims, who are considered less than fully human, via means including intimidation and terror.


Egyptian-American, Nonie Darwish, whose Egyptian-Army-officer father was killed fighting against Israel, explains how Muslims are taught to regard kufars (non-Muslims).




How L.A. and N.Y.C. are similar in their counter-terror policing practices. LAPD Capt. Andrew Neiman, Valley Bureau at Sept. 11 ceremony at Pentagon and WTC remnant display at LAFD Stationhouse 88 in Sherman Oaks.



African journalist, Stephen Tebid, decries attempts to discredit acknowledging Islamism as a motive for Islamic terrorism (or discrediting valid criticism of the Democrat administration's philo-Islamist policies) as Islamophobic.



A dozen years after 2001, the 8th grader who sings the national anthem at the September 11th Attack commemoration ceremony in Beverly Hills is asked some basic questions about the 9/11 attacks and consequent war- with surprising answers.



High-school senior, Savanah Palacio, (Miss Teen USA contestant from Beverly Hills in 2013) explains what high-school has taught her about the identity and intentions of the 9//11 jihad attackers, and America's defense against jihadism, and to protect freedom from totalitarian Islamism.



Stephen Tebid declares that 'racism-branders' inhibit understanding and protecting ourselves against Islamic-terrorism.



 "The greatest victims of Islamic terrorism, first of all, are Muslims. So those who use racism as an excuse to stifle debate are complicit with terrorists. They protect terrorists, they help terrorists, and they inhibit a free and impartial discussion of the evils of Islamic terrorism- let's call it what it is," Mr. Tebid says.

What should our September 11th wake-up call remind us? Islamism (political Islam) fights to subjugate non-Muslims who must openly condemn and challenge it. And, despite Islamist-lobby groups endeavoring to taboo it, opposing Islamism isn't racist, but noble.