The historic Pool of Siloam — the nearly three millennia-old public pool in the City of David in which Jewish pilgrims would purify themselves before journeying on to the Temple and which the New Testament records as the site where Jesus healed a blind man — is to be fully excavated and opened to modern-day pilgrims in the coming months, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) announced Tuesday.
&#8220;Due to its great significance, over the past 150 years the Pool of Siloam has been an attraction for archaeologists and researchers from all over the world,&#8221; the IAA said Tuesday in a joint <a href="https://www.ynetnews.com/travel/article/rkt6v4uti" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> with the City of David Foundation and the Nature and Parks Authority. “Now it is expected to be fully exposed for the first time and to be open to the general public.&#8221;
The mayor of Jerusalem, Moshe Lion, said the long-awaited opening will further enrich visitors to the holy city.
&#8220;After many years of anticipation, we will soon merit being able to uncover this important site and make it accessible to the millions of visitors visiting Jerusalem each year,&#8221; he <a href="https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/article-725901">said</a>.
The historically and religiously significant pool is believed to have been constructed around 2,700 years ago, during the reign of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Hezekiah">King Hezekiah</a> (late 8th century B.C.), one of the most venerated kings of Judah described as having done “what was right in the eyes of the LORD” in his religious reformations and who led Israel during the Assyrian siege of Jerusalem.
By the time of Jesus, the Pool of Siloam was a place in which Jewish pilgrims would regularly come to immerse themselves for ritualistic cleansing before journeying up to the Holy Temple, and it was at this pool Jesus is believed to have miraculously given sight to a blind man, as recorded in the Gospel of John:
<blockquote>As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing. (John 9:1-7, NIV)</blockquote>
<div id="attachment_481496" style="width: 807px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-481496" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-481496 size-large" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Jesus-Heals-a-Blind-Man-797x576.jpg" alt="A painting of Jesus healing a blind man" width="797" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/12/Jesus-Heals-a-Blind-Man-797x576.jpg 797w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/12/Jesus-Heals-a-Blind-Man-300x217.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/12/Jesus-Heals-a-Blind-Man-768x555.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/12/Jesus-Heals-a-Blind-Man-1536x1111.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/12/Jesus-Heals-a-Blind-Man.jpg 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 797px) 100vw, 797px" />Bible Art Library/Getty Images</div>
During the <a href="https://www.ynetnews.com/travel/article/rkt6v4uti">initial phase</a> of the new tourism project, visitors will be able to observe the excavation process taking place in the City of David, the original settlement location of Jerusalem, which lies just south of the Temple Mount. Within a few months, the City of David Foundation will expand public access to include the entirety of the pool as part of a tour of the historic route to the Holy Temple.
While the first excavations of the site began back in 1880, it was not until 2004 when archaeologists announced that they were “100 percent” confident that they had discovered the precise location of the pool.
&#8220;The moment that we revealed and discovered this four months ago, we were 100 percent sure it was the Siloam Pool,&#8221; said archaeologist Eli Shukron, who along with Ronny Reich uncovered stone steps leading from the pool to the Temple, as reported by <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna6750670">NBC News</a> at the time. &#8220;We know today that the Siloam Pool is connected to the Temple Mount. There is a road that connects the two elements. The entire system is clearer today.”
<div id="attachment_481499" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-481499" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-481499 size-large" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Pool-of-Siloam-864x576.jpg" alt="Historic pool of Siloam where Hezekiah's tunnel ends, Jerusalem, Israel" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/12/Pool-of-Siloam-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/12/Pool-of-Siloam-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/12/Pool-of-Siloam-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/12/Pool-of-Siloam-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/12/Pool-of-Siloam-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/12/Pool-of-Siloam-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/12/Pool-of-Siloam-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Jacek Sopotnicki/Getty Images</div>
Shukron and Reich, working with the IAA at the time, were able to confirm the location of the pool after finding pottery shards and biblical-era coins marked with ancient Jewish writing at the site.
Biblical scholar Stephen Pean stressed the significance of the purity of the water of the pool, which was originally fed by the Gihon Spring.
&#8220;The whole point is that people will not only be healed physically but also healed spiritually,&#8221; he said. &#8220;This discovery helps bring the Gospel alive in the context of Jewish practice.&#8221;

Jerusalem

One Of Most Sacred Sites For Jews & Christians To Be Fully Opened To Public: ‘Miracle’ Pool Of Siloam

Israel

Middle East

Religion

World

A journalist from a far-left news organization published the latest installment of &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/twitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Twitter Files</a>&#8221; Tuesday afternoon and sought to portray the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-military" target="_blank" rel="noopener">U.S. Military</a> in a negative light with the information that was released.
The Intercept&#8217;s Lee Fang called his release of &#8220;The Twitter Files,&#8221; the eighth release in the series, &#8220;How Twitter Quietly Aided the Pentagon’s Covert Online PsyOp Campaign.&#8221;
The files showed that the U.S. Department of Defense created fake non-English-speaking accounts that it used to promote information in only foreign countries, mostly in the Middle East, to counter America&#8217;s enemies in the region, like Iran.
Twitter assisted the Pentagon&#8217;s efforts by giving the network of accounts special protections so they would not get flagged as spam accounts and removed from the platform.
&#8220;The Pentagon has used this network, which includes U.S. government-generated news portals and memes, in an effort to shape opinion in Yemen, Syria, Iraq, [and] Kuwait,&#8221; Fang noted, adding that the network &#8220;relentlessly pushed narratives against Russia, China, and other foreign countries.&#8221;
Nothing in the report gave even the slightest indication that the Pentagon&#8217;s efforts ever targeted Americans or anyone in the U.S. as all the evidence that was presented said that only foreign adversaries overseas were targeted.
Perhaps the one concern that the report found was that the U.S. did not do a good job of making the accounts appear authentic, as officials from social media companies apparently warned the Pentagon that if they could detect inauthentic accounts then foreign adversaries likely could as well.
Research from social media companies has <a href="https://www.axios.com/2021/06/01/facebook-disinformation-campaigns-globally" target="_blank" rel="noopener">found</a> that the U.S. is by far the #1 target of foreign disinformation campaigns online, with Russia and Iran being the biggest culprits on Facebook.
Journalist Yashar Ali responded to one of Fang&#8217;s tweets that claimed that the U.S. Military&#8217;s accounts &#8220;tweeted frequently about U.S. military priorities in the Middle East, including promoting anti-Iran messages,&#8221; by noting that is not what the messages said.
&#8220;To be clear they’re not anti-Iran messages,&#8221; said Ali, whose family is from Iran. “They’re anti-Islamic Republic messages.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
To be clear they’re not anti-Iran messages. 
They’re anti-Islamic Republic messages. <a href="https://t.co/Z8mBHGvYHi">https://t.co/Z8mBHGvYHi</a>
&mdash; Yashar Ali 🐘 یاشار (@yashar) <a href="https://twitter.com/yashar/status/1605300168399630337?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Hudson Institute Senior Fellow Rebeccah Heinrichs, a foreign policy expert who was a staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump&#8217;s foreign policy agenda, responded to the thread by noting: &#8220;This isn’t obviously bad and might be very good.&#8221;
&#8220;One advantage the CCP has over the US is that the entire nation, from its &#8216;influencers&#8217; to its businesses, to its academics, all serve the CCP in international relations. US media and influencers, in contrast, tend to aid narratives that undermine US interests,&#8221; Heinrichs tweeted. &#8220;The U.S. is in a vicious info war with adversaries ranging from the CCP to Russia to Iran, etc. So if a major news platform like twitter is willing to cooperate w/ the Pentagon trying to shape and bend info to serve US interests? I certainly hope they are.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The U.S. is in a vicious info war with adversaries ranging from the CCP to Russia to Iran, etc. So if a major news platform like twitter is willing to cooperate w/ the Pentagon trying to shape and bend info to serve US interests? I certainly hope they are.
&mdash; Rebeccah Heinrichs (@RLHeinrichs) <a href="https://twitter.com/RLHeinrichs/status/1605316190238232578?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Foreign policy columnist Jason Willick responded, &#8220;This seems to be the one Twitter file that shows Twitter *supporting* the U.S., rather than subverting its constitutional principles. What’s the problem?&#8221;
&#8220;Put differently, it shows Twitter acting like an *American* company, for once,&#8221; he added. &#8220;Good.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Put differently, it shows Twitter acting like an *American* company, for once. Good.
&mdash; Jason Willick (@jawillick) <a href="https://twitter.com/jawillick/status/1605318237540864000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2022</a></blockquote>
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In this photo illustration, a Twitter logo is displayed on a

New ‘Twitter Files’ Shows Company Helped The Military Battle Foreign Adversaries Trying To Hurt U.S.

New 'Twitter Files' Shows Company Helped The Military Battle Foreign Adversaries Trying To Hurt U.S.

Business

Military

Social Media

Twitter

Two millennia ago, the people of <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/israel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Judea</a> visited the Jordan River in droves as the voice of John the Baptist cried to them from the wilderness about the arrival of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jesus-christ" target="_blank" rel="no opener noopener">Jesus Christ</a>. Today, that wilderness from which Jesus began his ministry could become the home of souvenir shops, botanical gardens, and boutique hotels.
King Abdullah II of Jordan recently heard a proposal to pour as much as $300 million into a “tourist city” adjacent to the site where Jesus was believed to have been baptized, according to a <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/jordan-eyes-tourism-bonanza-expansion-jesus-baptism-site-2022-12-14/">report</a> from Reuters. The attraction could eventually quintuple the number of pilgrims who visit the location to one million per year.
Planners would attempt to maintain the idyllic location, which is 30 miles west of Amman, the capital of Jordan and the Islamic nation’s largest city. &#8220;We are talking about rustic stones and pebbles in architectural designs that preserve the place&#8217;s pristine nature and ensure that the sanctity and spirituality that existed 2,000 years ago are not trampled on by any development,&#8221; architect Kamel Mahadin told Reuters.
In recent years, various churches and organizations have raced to construct houses of worship near the site, where John the Baptist proclaimed Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, as recorded in the Gospel of John. According to the New Testament, the baptism of Jesus marked the beginning of his three-year earthly ministry.
The project would mark the first revenue-generating Christian holy site operated by the Jordanian government, which plans to solicit funding for the initiative from churches, donors, and private investors. &#8220;This is an attempt to usurp religious spirit,” Jordanian Baptist Evangelical researcher Philip Madanat told Reuters. “It is unprecedented to have such a Christian holy site used for this purpose in Jordan.”
The most popular religious pilgrimage destination in the Holy Land is the Western Wall in Jerusalem, the last remaining portion of the retaining wall surrounding the courtyard of the Temple Mount, according to a <a href="https://www.travelandleisure.com/attractions/worlds-most-visited-sacred-sites" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a> from Travel and Leisure. The most frequented Christian location in the region is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which some believe commemorates the site of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Other sites visited by millions of Christian pilgrims include the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth and the Mount of Beatitudes in Galilee.
Tourism constitutes nearly 20% of the Jordanian economy, according to a <a href="https://www.moin.gov.jo/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Sector-Profile-Tourism-Final-Apr-2018-2.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the nation’s government. King Abdullah, who has reigned over the country since 1999, has been widely regarded as tolerant toward Christians.
Though Christians in Jordan face a relatively lower degree of persecution than believers in other Middle Eastern countries, the state “exerts pressure” by monitoring all Christian communities, especially unrecognized churches that publicly evangelize, according to a <a href="https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/world-watch-list/jordan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from Open Doors. Converts from Islam face a high degree of pressure from their families; some have been beaten or killed for professing faith in Jesus.
Beyond preserving the dwindling Christian population in the Middle East, clerics in Jordan expressed hope that the tourist attraction will generate revenue for the nation’s struggling economy. &#8220;It will lead to prosperity when tourists who come and buy souvenirs and get services, help the local community and the country at large,&#8221; Father Ibrahim Dabbour, the general secretary of the Assembly of Christian leaders of Jordan, told Reuters.
One would be remiss, however, to forget Jesus&#8217; words of rebuke to those who turned the Temple into a place to buy and sell animals for sacrifice: &#8220;It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”

The Jordan River Baptismal site

Site Of Jesus’ Baptism Could Become Home To $300 Million Tourist Village

Jordanian Government Could Turn Site Of Jesus' Baptism Into Tourist Destination

Christianity

Jesus Christ

The brother of U.S. journalist Grant Wahl believes that his death in Qatar while covering the World Cup was not an accident.
CBS News <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/news/grant-wahl-renowned-american-soccer-journalist-dies-at-age-48/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that Wahl “suffered a heart attack” while in the press box of Lusail Stadium in Doha.
Wahl generated international headlines during the World Cup in November after he wore LGBT gear in support of members of that community who live in fear of criminal prosecution in Qatar. Wahl was detained for wearing the shirt and was told to change his shirt because it was not allowed. He was released after roughly half an hour.
Eric Wahl says that he believes that his brother was killed because he was a healthy person.
&#8220;My name is Eric Wahl. I live in Seattle, Washington. I am Grant Wahl&#8217;s brother,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I&#8217;m gay, I&#8217;m the reason he wore the rainbow shirt to the World Cup.&#8221;
&#8220;My brother was healthy. He told me he received death threats. I do not believe my brother just died,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;I believe he was killed and I just beg for any help.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
This is a video posted to the Instagram account of Eric Wahl, saying that he is Grant Wahl’s brother.
In the video, he said he is the reason Grant wore the rainbow shirt to the World Cup &amp; that he believes Grant was killed. (Instagram: <a href="https://twitter.com/eewahl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@eewahl</a>) <a href="https://t.co/krOoXuSjVc">pic.twitter.com/krOoXuSjVc</a>
&mdash; Jeanna Trotman (@JeannaTrotmanTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/JeannaTrotmanTV/status/1601414091205390337?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 10, 2022</a></blockquote>
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On Monday, Wahl <a href="https://www.wcvb.com/article/american-journalist-grant-wahl-dies-while-covering-world-cup/42204330">wrote</a> on his website that he went to a medical facility to receive treatment because he was not feeling well.
“My body finally broke down on me. Three weeks of little sleep, high stress and lots of work can do that to you,” Wahl wrote. “What had been a cold over the last 10 days turned into something more severe on the night of the USA-Netherlands game, and I could feel my upper chest take on a new level of pressure and discomfort.”
“I didn’t have Covid (I test regularly here), but I went into the medical clinic at the main media center today, and they said I probably have bronchitis,” he added. “They gave me a course of antibiotics and some heavy-duty cough syrup, and I’m already feeling a bit better just a few hours later. But still: No bueno.”
Wahl <a href="https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/35221443/american-soccer-journalist-grant-wahl-dies-49-qatar">said</a> on a Thursday podcast that he was not feeling well again went back to the clinic for treatment.
“I basically canceled everything on this Thursday that I had, and napped and I’m doing slightly better that you can probably tell in my voice that I’m not at it at 100 percent here,” he said.
“The only thing that’s surprising to me actually is there isn’t that much COVID here. I thought there might be a real issue with that,” he continued.
Wahl’s wife released a statement upon learning of her husband&#8217;s death, saying that she was “in complete shock.”
“I am so thankful for the support of my husband @GrantWahl ‘s soccer family &amp; of so many friends who’ve reached out tonight,” she said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I am so thankful for the support of my husband <a href="https://twitter.com/GrantWahl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GrantWahl</a>&#39;s soccer family &amp; of so many friends who&#39;ve reached out tonight.
I&#39;m in complete shock. <a href="https://t.co/OB3IzOxGlE">https://t.co/OB3IzOxGlE</a>
&mdash; Céline Gounder, MD, ScM, FIDSA 🇺🇦 (@celinegounder) <a href="https://twitter.com/celinegounder/status/1601404727014879232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 10, 2022</a></blockquote>
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AIPS FIFA Journalists Award Ceremony – FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022

Brother Of U.S. Journalist Grant Wahl, Who Collapsed And Died At World Cup: ‘I Believe He Was Killed’

Brother Of U.S. Journalist Grant Wahl, Who Collapsed And Died At World Cup: 'I Believe He Was Killed'

Media

Qatar

World Cup

U.S. journalist Grant Wahl collapsed and died Friday in Qatar while covering the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/world-cup" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Cup</a> quarterfinal match between Argentina and the Netherlands.
CBS News <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/news/grant-wahl-renowned-american-soccer-journalist-dies-at-age-48/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that Wahl &#8220;suffered a heart attack&#8221; while in the press box of Lusail Stadium in Doha.
Wahl generated international headlines during the World Cup in November after he wore LGBT gear in support of members of that community who live in fear of criminal prosecution in Qatar. Wahl was detained for wearing the shirt and was told to change his shirt because it was not allowed. He was released after roughly half an hour.
On Monday, Wahl <a href="https://www.wcvb.com/article/american-journalist-grant-wahl-dies-while-covering-world-cup/42204330">wrote</a> on his website that he went to a medical facility to receive treatment because he was not feeling well.
&#8220;My body finally broke down on me. Three weeks of little sleep, high stress and lots of work can do that to you,&#8221; Wahl wrote. &#8220;What had been a cold over the last 10 days turned into something more severe on the night of the USA-Netherlands game, and I could feel my upper chest take on a new level of pressure and discomfort.
&#8220;I didn&#8217;t have Covid (I test regularly here), but I went into the medical clinic at the main media center today, and they said I probably have bronchitis,&#8221; he added. &#8220;They gave me a course of antibiotics and some heavy-duty cough syrup, and I&#8217;m already feeling a bit better just a few hours later. But still: No bueno.&#8221;
Wahl <a href="https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/35221443/american-soccer-journalist-grant-wahl-dies-49-qatar">said</a> on a podcast Thursday that he again was not feeling well and went back to the clinic for treatment.
&#8220;I basically canceled everything on this Thursday that I had, and napped and I&#8217;m doing slightly better that you can probably tell in my voice that I&#8217;m not at it at 100 percent here,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Hopefully I will not cough during this podcast. I&#8217;m coughing a lot. Everyone&#8217;s coughing here in like this is by no means limited to me like so many journalists have got a crazy cough. It sounds like a death rattle sometimes.
&#8220;The only thing that&#8217;s surprising to me actually is there isn&#8217;t that much COVID here. I thought there might be a real issue with that,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;We&#8217;re not really seeing COVID cases. We&#8217;re just seeing a lot of general sickness, coughing, colds, and I can&#8217;t wait to be on the other side of what I have. But I am going to be ready to go. I&#8217;m attending on Friday.&#8221;
Wahl&#8217;s wife released a statement upon learning of her husbands death, saying that she was &#8220;in complete shock.&#8221;
&#8220;I am so thankful for the support of my husband @GrantWahl &#8216;s soccer family &amp; of so many friends who&#8217;ve reached out tonight,&#8221; she said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I am so thankful for the support of my husband <a href="https://twitter.com/GrantWahl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GrantWahl</a>&#39;s soccer family &amp; of so many friends who&#39;ve reached out tonight.
I&#39;m in complete shock. <a href="https://t.co/OB3IzOxGlE">https://t.co/OB3IzOxGlE</a>
&mdash; Céline Gounder, MD, ScM, FIDSA 🇺🇦 (@celinegounder) <a href="https://twitter.com/celinegounder/status/1601404727014879232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 10, 2022</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;The entire U.S. Soccer family is heartbroken to learn that we have lost Grant Wahl,&#8221; U.S. Soccer said in a statement. &#8220;Fans of soccer and journalism of the highest quality knew we could always count on Grant to deliver insightful and entertaining stories about our game, and its major protagonists: Teams, players, coaches and the many personalities that make soccer unlike any sport.&#8221;
&#8220;Here in the United States, Grant&#8217;s passion for soccer and commitment to elevating its profile across our sporting landscape played a major role in helping to drive interest in and respect for our beautiful game,&#8221; the statement continued. &#8220;As important, Grant&#8217;s belief in the power of the game to advance human rights was, and will remain, an inspiration to all.&#8221;
&#8220;Grant made soccer his life&#8217;s work, and we are devastated that he and his brilliant writing will no longer be with us. U.S. Soccer sends its sincerest condolences to Grant&#8217;s wife, Dr. Celine Gounder, and all of his family members, friends and colleagues in the media,&#8221; the statement concluded. &#8220;And we thank Grant for his tremendous dedication to and impact on our game in the United States. His writing and the stories he told will live on.&#8221;
This report has been updated to include additional information.

Grant Wahl

U.S. Journalist Grant Wahl Collapses And Dies While Covering World Cup Soccer Games

Soccer

Over 40 years after the 1979 Iranian Revolution, which led to the taking of U.S. hostages, relations between the U.S. and Iran are as tense as ever.
Iran’s advancement of its nuclear program and support for terrorist groups has frayed the relationship between the two countries, and Iran officials’ recent violence against demonstrators has stretched the tension further. The protests against the government came after <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/iran-will-hold-public-trials-for-at-least-1000-detained-protestors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the death of Mahsa Amini</a>, a 22-year-old Iranian who was arrested by the morality police in September for what the government called “unsuitable attire.”
As a result, the U.S.<a href="https://u12097671.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=9rudYHeevExQpJ5A1h-2BA7ena96JJ6-2FsMIZ5Zwq2lLW463IMlR7Ob3QBAwfgJ-2FZ8fmK3ZYY55NyM53MjGf14U91e2thzsYhgjpIfL4DEU99mhDwpyocZ7A-2BgsrYS8-2FzzxxsId_Gve9-2FwzDyZqlYopf90xcK6vaL50XNW-2FieHYjlbLgpVU8SJNEnO2oM2OigyqqIApHv2SaVD-2F0OmROVUn1sHOinM1IBecz8PVh9GrF3L195VYRsJNFxsUlLTWNXC7O53cF5EO4x-2BrZmmrp4Rim1mfTdqxtQXn3yfaUttw9AWu6gQYLjP6HhJLqIYKxCflMMGVQ75yFLMobCl0ua3YBOg8-2Bm-2BxY-2B1vHGN7RqsQZC2lopKEepONtM0d7bMntp9-2B1etnrTiF6qvQV23Q4OjdUkkVHoUhYIjyHCltk1JUdLXCLhhxDXWH-2Fl8MrXa9GF6twzrtP62eP01r7C1lZ9ZTpJpx8uLiAxugJWwxv6GZwEFL-2FgvGqIhKleH7pgMQCfC6RuKd-2BILAxJUwmpuNKjGldbe4gZyTovG0iR5cvreklFtQjJyaWbuhDIhMPidhnOi1kIAofOmkNzzYZKrf-2F-2BCDxdxZ-2BaMeOo3V4jMW6K-2Fy7KUfd2UPJdhx4Z7o8a0K67KpjAJHOK8FsdlL01CkvRmRqjRNU8stWdoTRJDgjcFRgcypz6pQmW3lbmhESzUu3LGZ2V7cp" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> announced sanctions</a> against Iranian officials, and at the same time is trying to revive a nuclear deal with Iran. In the ever more dangerous world in which we live, it’s important for the U.S. government to lead the free world in applying pressure against governments that threaten the world order and their own citizens.
<h3>A History Of Oppression</h3>
The Iranian regime has been oppressing its people for many years and has spread terrorism and fear throughout the Middle East. It has supported terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and Houthi in Yemen as well as militias in Iraq. And it also supported Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, who’s responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths in Syria and crimes against humanity.
The economic situation in Iran is poor, in part because the regime spent tons of money on supporting terrorist organizations. The Iranian people deserve a better government, one that doesn’t spend money on terrorists but rather on their own people to improve their lives.
Uprisings among the Iranian people asking for democratic changes have been met with an iron fist. Iranian authorities have ruthlessly cracked down on anti-government protests with excessive and lethal force. Videos have shown security forces using shotguns, assault rifles, and handguns against protesters who were gathering peacefully, and hundreds have been killed and injured.
It is time for concerned governments to come together and increase pressure on Iran. One route they could take would be a United Nations-led inquiry into the serious abuses the government committed during the protests, with the goal of holding those who were responsible to account.
<h3>Pressure Works Better Than Compromise</h3>
What does the United States need to do to support and push for democratic changes in Iran? It has to deal with Iran the same way it has dealt with Vladimir Putin in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – no compromising, no appeasing the current extremist regime. The U.S. imposed numerous sanctions on Russia and has done so against Iran in response to its nuclear program and Iran’s support for terrorist organizations.
The U.S. should put as much pressure on the Iranian government as possible, while also being mindful of the Iranian government’s support of Putin during the Ukraine war. Iran supplied him with drones that have been used against the Ukrainian people. If leaders in the U.S. government think they can break the alliance between Putin and Iran, they are dreaming.
The U.S. took the lead in the accountability context against Russia during a trip to Ukraine by U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland last summer, when he announced the creation of a new War Crimes Accountability team. It will assist Ukrainian officials in identifying and apprehending Russian war criminals. 
It’s an encouraging initiative, but the Department of Justice shouldn’t limit its efforts to Ukraine’s borders. In my home country of Syria, Putin’s intervention to support and keep in power the murderous dictator Assad has enabled the regime to torture and slaughter tens of thousands of political prisoners. Holding those torturers and executioners accountable isn’t just the right moral thing to do, it’s also essential in the fight against Putin’s assault on the international order. And, it’s necessary to wipe out Assad, who is a threat to U.S. global influence and a clear danger to American national security.
And then there’s Iran’s connection with Assad, which I touched on earlier. Iran has provided military support to Assad since the beginning of Syria’s civil war. And Assad has allowed Iran to use Syria as a safe harbor from which to attack other countries in the Middle East, including Israel and Jordan. Hezbollah has sent thousands of fighters to assist Assad, and he has returned the favor by funneling Iranian weapons to the group.
These are forces the U.S. must reckon with one way or the other, and for freedom to prevail, taking a strong stand for human rights in volatile places like Iran is non-negotiable.
Dr. Tarek Kteleh is a medical doctor who established Rheumatology of Central Indiana in 2018. He is the co-founder Citizens for Secure and Safe America (C4SSA), an organization whose mission is to promote security for the U.S. in the Middle East and to see democratic changes in Syria. He has led advocacy efforts for a variety of causes in the U.S. Congress, at the White House and in the Indiana Statehouse. He is the author of the Amazon bestseller, <a href="http://www.sixpillarsofadvocacy.com">The Six Pillars of Advocacy</a>: Embrace Your Cause and Transform Lives.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

TOPSHOT-TURKEY-IRAN-WOMEN-RIGHTS-PROTEST

For Freedom To Prevail In Iran, America Must Take A Hard Line Stance Against The Regime

Iran

Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps

Readers Pass

U.S. Politics

Vladimir Putin

Amou Haji, an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/iran">Iranian</a> hermit dubbed the &#8220;World&#8217;s Dirtiest Man,&#8221; has died at the age of 94, according to state media reports.
Locals from the village of Dejgah in the southern province of Fars claim that Haji&#8217;s leathery skin had not been washed by soap and water for more than six decades and believe that he decided to live alone after suffering from an emotional setback in his early years.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
World dirtiest man, Amou Haji has died in Iran at age 94.
An Iranian man nicknamed the &quot;dirtiest man in the world&quot; for not taking a shower for decades has died at the age of 94.
Amou believes that he has survived for so long by keeping himself dirty. <a href="https://t.co/dY8LFXYGU3">pic.twitter.com/dY8LFXYGU3</a>
&mdash; Raihana-voice-of-Fulbe🇳🇬 (@Fulani_Tutor) <a href="https://twitter.com/Fulani_Tutor/status/1584871636318433287?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 25, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Haji reportedly lived alone in a soot-covered shack made of cinder blocks. Previous <a href="https://twitter.com/mennts/status/1584864760863997952/photo/1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stories</a> regarding Haji&#8217;s lifestyle noted that he ate roadkill and smoked a pipe filled with animal feces, believing cleanliness would make him sick.
The lonely man&#8217;s favorite food was reportedly the rotten meat of dead animals, particularly <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/iran-hermit-eschews-showers-for-60-years/">porcupines</a>.
Reports by locals also claimed that Haji drank five liters (1.5 gallons) of water per day that he got from puddles, <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2022/10/25/worlds-dirtiest-man-dies-shortly-taking-first-bath-50-years/?utm_content=telegraph&amp;utm_medium=Social&amp;utm_campaign=Echobox&amp;utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1666702416-1">according</a> to The Telegraph.
A few months before his passing, villagers persuaded Haji to wash for the first time, according to a report by Iran&#8217;s state media agency IRNA.
A short documentary film titled &#8220;The Strange Life of Amou Haji&#8221; was made about his life in 2013.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="What If You Were the Dirtiest Man on Earth?" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/g0FCgcOgQpQ?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
An Iran state report added that earlier this year, a team of doctors led by Dr. Gholamreza Molavi, a professor at the Tehran School of Public Health, ran a series of tests on Haji, the Daily Mail <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11352037/Worlds-dirtiest-man-dies-aged-94-Iranian-man-went-decades-without-washing-only.html">reported</a>. The doctor was surprised to discover that Haji had not suffered from any bacteria or parasites apart from Trichinosis, a bacteria that comes from eating raw meat.
Molavi suggested that Haji was perhaps able to remain healthy due to a strong immune system from living in difficult conditions.
A similar <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/this-man-hasn-t-taken-a-bath-in-35-years/story-CoVSBWvhOGsGfsRbL2KJdN.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">account</a> of a man who has lived for decades without bathing was reported in the Hindustan Times in 2009. The outlet noted that Kailash &#8220;Kalau&#8221; Singh of Varanasi, India, had not bathed in more than 30 years.

Amou Haji

‘World’s Dirtiest Man’ Dies At 94

‘World’s Dirtiest Man’ Amou Haji Dies At 94

Death

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nfl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NFL</a> free agent wide receiver Antonio Brown was allegedly caught on video appearing to expose himself to a woman in a swimming poll at a high end hotel in the Middle East.
The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/10/01/video-antonio-brown-exposes-himself-to-stunned-guests-in-hotel-pool/">reported</a> that Brown, 34, was caught &#8220;shoving his bare buttocks into the face of a stunned woman&#8221; while both were in the swimming pool, and that he later lifted &#8220;his manhood out of the water&#8221; and whipped &#8220;it in her direction.&#8221;
However, the footage, obtained exclusively by the Post, was from several months ago, taking place on May 14 at the Armani Hotel Dubai.
The video shows the woman apparently initially laughing off Brown&#8217;s antics before swimming off to remove herself from the situation.
The report said that Brown had just met the woman and that the woman was reportedly &#8220;fuming&#8221; after the encounter.
The Post said that in one video, Brown lifted himself out of the water twice in front of the woman while naked, thus exposing his bare backside to her face. In a separate video, Brown reportedly tried to wrap a &#8220;scare around her head&#8221; that he grabbed from another person at the pool.
&#8220;Brown then lifts the woman up and tosses her head first into the water like he was spiking a football,&#8221; the report said. &#8220;Brown then grabs his penis, and briefly yanks it out of the water in the direction of the woman.&#8221;
The Post reported that multiple eyewitnesses said that the athlete continued to expose himself to the woman after the recording ended and allegedly propositioned her, asking, &#8220;You want it?&#8221;
The hotel reportedly asked Brown to leave following the incident.
The report said that Brown, who is now pursuing a music career, may have violated United Arab Emirates laws about drugs and dress code with his behavior at the hotel.

Antonio Brown

NFL Player Allegedly Exposes Himself In Middle East Swimming Pool

Football

Sports

Six nations in the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/middle-east" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Middle East</a> are demanding that streaming service <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/netflix" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Netflix</a> remove “offensive content,” especially culturally sensitive programming targeting children.
The Gulf Cooperation Council of Electronic Media — a union that includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates — issued a joint statement <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/technology/gulf-arab-countries-demand-netflix-remove-offensive-content-streaming-service-pushes-lgbt-shows-films" target="_blank" rel="noopener">declaring</a> that some content on the streaming service “violated Islamic and societal values and principles.”
“It has been noticed in the recent period that the Netflix platform has broadcast some visual materials and content that violates the media content controls in the UAE and contradicts societal values ​​in the country,” the statement explained, according to a <a href="https://www.esquireme.com/culture/film-and-tv/uae-saudi-arabia-ask-netflix-to-censor-culturally-sensitive-content-aimed-at-children" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from Esquire Middle East. “The Netflix platform has been contacted to remove this content, especially the offending content directed at children.”
Although specific examples of inappropriate content were not mentioned in the statement, Saudi state-run news outlet Al-Ekhbariya mentioned “movies and series for children with scenes promoting homosexuality under a dramatic cover via Netflix,” according to a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/sep/07/six-gulf-states-warn-netflix-over-content-violating-islamic-values" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the Daily Mail.
The nations will apply “necessary measures” in the event that Netflix — which lost nearly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/netflix-loses-nearly-1-million-subscriptions-largest-drop-in-company-history" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one million subscribers</a> in its second quarter — continues to broadcast material that contradicts local values or fails to comply “with the laws and regulations in force.” The admonition from the Gulf Cooperation Council occurs after several Islamic nations, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/disney-pixars-lightyear-banned-in-saudi-arabia-over-same-sex-kiss-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">banned</a> the Disney movie “Lightyear” over a same-sex kiss scene.
In domestic markets, the “Toy Story” spinoff <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gay-kiss-included-woke-toy-story-spinoff-lightyear-struggles-at-box-office?%3Futm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=dwtwitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">earned</a> a paltry $51 million during its three-day opening — despite a lack of competition from other children’s movies and significantly more robust success from past films in the hit franchise. Meanwhile, Chris Evans — the actor who voiced Buzz Lightyear — <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/idiots-actor-chris-evans-slams-critics-who-dont-want-gay-kiss-in-toy-story-spinoff" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lauded</a> the kiss scene in multiple interviews and labeled parents with reservations about showing the movie to their children “idiots.”
“Every time there’s been social advancement as we wake up, the American story, the human story is one of constant social awakening and growth and that’s what makes us good,” Evans, who formerly played Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, remarked.
Disney+ Middle East has since decided that the platform will nix content that does not “align with local regulatory requirements” among Islamic nations, the entertainment conglomerate <a href="https://www.esquireme.com/brief/disney-middle-east-culturally-sensitive" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Esquire Middle East.
Earlier this year, Disney <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/disney-announces-plans-to-oppose-texas-order-criminalizing-sex-change-surgeries-on-children" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vowed</a> to “take action” against the state of Texas over the treatment of juvenile transgender procedures as child abuse and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/disney-florida-bill-banning-sexuality-gender-discussions-for-little-kids-should-never-have-passed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">opposed</a> parental rights legislation in Florida banning classroom instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity from kindergarten to third grade.
Despite its involvement in activism, Disney appeared to be drastically out of step with the American public. In an exclusive <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-poll-over-60-of-americans-back-floridas-limits-on-k-3-lessons-on-sexual-orientation-and-gender-identity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">poll</a> from The Daily Wire, 64% of Americans supported the Florida law, including 62% of Democrats and 57% of independents. Disney also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-subscriptions-at-ultra-woke-disney-slow-to-a-crawl-after-company-loses-left-wing-political-battles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">witnessed</a> a severe slowdown in new subscriptions among domestic customers in its most recent fiscal quarter.
Though many Americans want companies to advance certain causes beyond their bottom lines, another exclusive <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/poll-by-two-to-one-margin-investors-reject-woke-companies-pushing-political-causes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">poll</a> from The Daily Wire recently showed that most American investors would rather see companies pursue profits rather than pontificating on political matters. While 29% of respondents to the poll agreed it is a “good thing” for companies to leverage their financial power for political or social means supported by executives, 58% — twice as many — said it is a “bad thing.”
Disclosure: The Daily Wire has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/videos/introducing-dw-kids" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced plans</a> for kids entertainment content.

Netflix To Release A Brand New Movie Every Week In 2021

6 Middle Eastern Countries Demand Netflix Remove ‘Offensive Content’ Targeting Children

6 Middle Eastern Countries Demand Netflix Remove ‘Offensive Content’ Targeting Children, Float ‘Necessary Measures’

LGBTQ

Netflix

Saudi Arabia

United Arab Emirates (UAE)

A former Twitter employee was convicted Tuesday of spying for Saudi Arabia by turning over private user information on accounts that were criticizing the country.
Ahmad Abouammo, who is an Egyptian national, was specifically convicted of acting as foreign agent, money laundering, conspiracy to commit fraud, and falsifying records.
The Department of Justice <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-ex-twitter-employees-charged-for-spying-for-saudi-arabia-reports-say">charged</a> Abouammo and Ali Alzabarah, a Saudi national who is wanted by the FBI, back in 2019. A third man, Ahmed Almutairi, who is also a Saudi national was charged in the scheme for allegedly acting a middle man between the Saudi government and the two Twitter employees.
Alzabarah and Almutairi are &#8220;wanted for failing to register as an agent of a foreign government as required by United States law,&#8221; the FBI said. &#8220;In 2015, [the two suspects] allegedly took part in a scheme to steal proprietary and confidential user data from a U.S. company, Twitter, for the benefit of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The stolen data included email addresses, telephone numbers and internet protocol addresses of Saudi dissidents and critics of the Saudi government, among others.&#8221;
“Abouammo acted in secret as an agent of a foreign government targeting dissenting voices,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “This verdict shows that the Justice Department will not tolerate any act of transnational repression and will hold accountable those who aid hostile regimes in extending their reach to our shores.”
“Any attempts by foreign governments to hijack free speech – in social media or any form – will not be tolerated here in the United States. This case is proof of the FBI’s commitment to defend our constitutional right,” said Assistant Director Alan E. Kohler Jr. of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “Authoritarian governments rely on transnational repression to shape the world in their favor and stifle dissent. We remain dedicated to protecting the United States from all threats foreign and domestic, which includes efforts by foreign governments to stalk, harass, or intimidate the people within our borders.”
This report has been updated to include additional information.

Twitter : Illustration

Twitter Employee Convicted Of Spying For Saudi Arabia

Crime

Spying

TEL AVIV &#8212; President Joe Biden’s trip to Israel earlier this month featured saccharine platitudes and rote pledges of friendship and fealty, but given that Biden was spurned by the Saudis, used by the Palestinians, left Israel worse than he found it, and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/president-joe-biden-has-covid-white-house-announces">apparently got COVID</a> for his trouble, maybe he should’ve stayed home.
After landing at Ben Gurion International Airport July 13, Biden was warmly greeted by Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid, who called the American president “​​a great Zionist and one of the best friends Israel has ever known.&#8221; Israeli President Isaac Herzog was equally effusive, calling Biden “a visionary and a leader,” “like the biblical Joseph.”
Biden’s very words and deeds while in the Jewish State belied their charitable words, and it wasn’t just the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/joe-biden-looks-lost-during-trip-to-israel-makes-holocaust-gaffe">shocking gaffe in which he referred to the “honor of the Holocaust</a>,” or his failure to visit the iconic Western Wall. Biden smiled to our faces, then insulted us behind our backs. His limousine sported Israeli and American flags during visits to Yad Vashem and the Maccabiah games, but the Israeli banner vanished when he headed east Jerusalem to visit the Augusta Victoria Hospital on the Mount of Olives.
The Palestinian flag waved from the hood of the presidential limousine when Biden went on to Bethlehem to meet with the Palestinian Authority president, Mahmoud Abbas. Biden stood mute while Abbas accused Israel of “apartheid” and demanded an end to 74 years of “occupation,” an unmistakable call for the end of Israel.
Biden reiterated his support for a two-state solution, calling it “the best way to achieve an equal measure of security, prosperity, freedom, and democracy for the Palestinians as well as the Israelis.”
“The Palestinian people deserve a state of their own,” Biden said before <a href="https://www.jpost.com/israeli-news/article-712210">calling</a> for a divided Jerusalem to be the capital of that state, breaking from the Trump administration&#8217;s recognition that Jerusalem is the undivided eternal capital of the Jewish people.
“Jerusalem must be a city for all its people, its holy sites preserving the status quo &#8230; We must all be free to practice our faiths in peace, in safety, and in dignity,” said Biden.
Of course, Biden’s real mission on the Middle East trip was to beg the Saudis for more oil production. With the Kingdom interested in better relations with the Jewish State, Biden sought to position the U.S. as a facilitator – in effect using Israel to leverage oil from the Saudis.
“Biden didn’t come to Israel as a giver, rather as a beggar,” said former Likud Member of Knesset and Zehut founder Moshe Feiglin. “He came to the Middle East because of the oil prices in the United States. He needs Saudi Arabia to produce more oil, and don’t forget that it was Biden who left the Saudis alone to deal with Iranian attacks, so the Saudis are not exactly lining up to do him favors. The Saudis, due to U.S. foreign policy of abandoning them, have grown closer to Israel.”
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/desantis-unloads-on-biden-over-energy-crisis-hell-fist-bump-saudi-arabia-but-wont-produce-oil-here">Biden’s infamous fist bump with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman</a> angered the left, which was hoping he would take a break from begging long enough to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-claims-he-confronted-saudi-crown-prince-over-murder-top-saudi-official-pushes-back">deliver a rebuke</a> for the grisly murder of Jamal Khashoggi. Of course, the same left sought no such rebuke for Abbas, who praises terrorists who kill innocent Jews and pays their families if they are killed or imprisoned, <a href="https://youtu.be/xhpC0ySJyuA?t=2335">noted</a> Israeli journalist Amit Segal during a recent question and answer session with Daily Wire Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro in Tel Aviv.
“Biden’s Middle East trip was despicable, disastrous, and dangerous to the future of the Jewish state in the Middle East,” said Melissa Jane Kronfeld, a former Rutgers University lecturer and national security expert who now lives in Tel Aviv. &#8220;From the removal of the Israeli flag during his visit to Jerusalem’s Arab neighborhoods and his homage paid to the “honor of the Holocaust”; to his callous commitment to the long defunct two-state solution and feigned intent to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon — whose sole purpose is the destruction of the State of Israel — and even his bestie fist bump with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman; Biden proved that his foreign policy is careless, cowardly, and always conciliatory to those state actors who seek to undermine the stability of the region.”
Gaffes, snubs, and cynical photo ops aside, the real damage done by Biden’s visit was caused by the leftist government of Lapid. As preconditions for the visit, Israel agreed to a host of “good-will” concessions, including the approval of hundreds of existing illegal structures and the territorial expansion of Arab settlements, consisting of thousands of dunams in Area C of Judea and Samaria. Those will effectively lead to the isolation of Gush Etzion, a major Jewish area, from Jerusalem. In addition, Lapid promised Biden that his coalition will not “<a href="https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/356514">surprise</a>” the White House with any more Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria.
Meir Deutsch, director general of Regavim, an NGO that monitors and pursues legal action against illegal Palestinian construction in Judea and Samaria, <a href="https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/356467">called</a> on the right-wing members of the coalition to reverse this “catastrophe.”
“Saar, Shaked, Kahana, Elkin, Hendel, Orbach – you were elected on right-wing votes because you promised to protect the Jewish settlement enterprise,” Deutsch said. “It is your responsibility to block this insane plan to whitewash thousands of illegal structures that will cut off Jewish settlement blocs from Jerusalem and give permanence to the criminal Palestinian takeover of Area C.”
Israeli diplomats with decades of experience engaging U.S. presidents struggled to put the bungled trip into perspective.
&#8220;It starts with the visit of a U.S. President to a Palestinian institution in east Jerusalem; it continues with the inability of Lapid to set a red line and prevent this dangerous precedent; and it ends with the removal of the Israeli flag from Biden&#8217;s entourage in the capital of the State of Israel,&#8221; said Danny Danon, head of World Likud and a former Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations.
Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman called the trip offensive to the people of Israel.
“President Biden wouldn&#8217;t go to the Western Wall which is the iconic symbol of the Jewish people in the land of Israel,” Friedman told <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuVZhCts-YQ">Fox News</a>. “Instead, he goes to a hospital in Jerusalem, takes down the Israeli flag, and refuses to acknowledge that Jerusalem is fully the capital of Israel, even though the State of Israel has asserted its sovereignty over all of Jerusalem for more than 50 years. His actions were very clear. He denied Israeli sovereignty over parts of Jerusalem. Every Israeli prime minister, right, left, or center, would find that offensive.”
In an odd post script that would seem to indicate the White House was as confused about the purpose of the trip as Israelis, a video summarizing it in glowing terms was uploaded to the President&#8217;s Twitter account, where Biden wrote, “May Israel and the U.S. continue to prosper together for the benefit of the world.”
However, just a few hours later, without any explanation, the video was <a href="https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/356632">deleted</a>.

TOPSHOT-ISRAEL-US-SAUDI-POLITICS-DIPLOMACY

View From Israel: Biden Visit ‘Despicable, Disastrous’ Flag-Waving Failure

View From Israel: Biden Visit 'Despicable, Disastrous' Flag-Waving Failure

Biden Administration

Palestinians

Yair Lapid

Twitter users drew comparisons to dystopian horror Wednesday after <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/saudi-arabia">Saudi Arabia</a> shared an advertisement for a titanic megacity project it has proposed.
The project, simply referred to as &#8220;<a href="https://www.neom.com/en-us/regions/theline">The Line</a>,&#8221; is a smart megacity project being proposed in the planned city of Neom, in the northwestern part of the country. The ambitious project will be just 200 meters, or about 650 feet wide and 500 meters, or about 1,600 feet tall, but is planned to stretch for 170 kilometers, or just under 106 miles long. The project&#8217;s website claims that once it is completed, the city will be home to some 9 million residents on a total footprint of just 34 square kilometers.
&#8220;For too long, humanity has existed within dysfunctional and polluted cities that ignore nature,&#8221; a promotional video for the project says. &#8220;Now, a revolution in civilization is taking place. Imagine a traditional city, and consolidating its footprint, designing to protect and enhance nature.&#8221;
The video claims that The Line is being designed to &#8220;provide a healthier, more sustainable quality of life.&#8221;
The Line&#8217;s website promotes the futuristic megacity as operating on 100% renewable energy, and preserving 95% of the surrounding land for nature. The city will be built as a series of individual nodes connected by a high-speed rail system that can travel the length of the city in just 20 minutes. The city is divided into three layers: two layers underground for transportation and infrastructure, and the surface layer, which will be exclusively for pedestrians. There will be no cars or roads, and the website claims that all residents will be able to access their daily necessities within 5-minute walk neighborhoods.
The website also touts the city&#8217;s micro-climate, created by &#8220;natural ventilation,&#8221; creating the &#8220;ideal climate all-year-round.&#8221; The promotional video further explains that the city will be surrounded by a mirrored glass facade, and will provide &#8220;equitable views&#8221; and an &#8220;immediate access to nature.&#8221;
The city will also be driven by <a href="https://www.engadget.com/the-line-neom-smart-city-saudi-arabia-mohammed-bin-salman-113539487.html">AI technology</a>. The promotional video says that services will be autonomous, and artificial intelligence, working with data analysis and predictive models, will figure out ways to improve daily life.
Twitter users reacted to the promotional video on Twitter, with nearly all users comparing it to a work of dystopian horror fiction.
&#8220;I never seen something more dystopian,&#8221; user @adara_salim tweeted.
&#8220;Saudi Arabia figured out a way to cram all the city-dwelling libs into a giant wall that they never have to leave and convinced them it&#8217;s really cool and progressive,&#8221; The Daily Wire&#8217;s <a href="https://twitter.com/michaeljknowles/status/1552371497074835457">Michael Knowles</a> added. &#8220;If we can build it on the southern border, Mohammad bin Salman deserves a Nobel Prize.&#8221;
&#8220;This remake of Blade Runner is a little disturbing,&#8221; CBS News anchor <a href="https://twitter.com/jdickerson/status/1552271552477003778?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1552271552477003778%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpublish.twitter.com%2F%3Fquery%3Dhttps3A2F2Ftwitter.com2Fjdickerson2Fstatus2F1552271552477003778widget%3DTweet">John Dickerson</a> wrote.
&#8220;How is this not a dystopian video game trailer?&#8221; games journalist <a href="https://twitter.com/Toadsanime/status/1551923560536473607?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1551923560536473607%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpublish.twitter.com%2F%3Fquery%3Dhttps3A2F2Ftwitter.com2FToadsanime2Fstatus2F1551923560536473607widget%3DTweet">Ryan Brown</a> tweeted.
&#8220;So&#8230;..Snowpiercer&#8230;.But it doesn&#8217;t move&#8230;But guaranteed to have the same class stratification,&#8221; journalism professor and MSNBC contributor <a href="https://twitter.com/DrJasonJohnson/status/1551930090031910914?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1551930090031910914%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpublish.twitter.com%2F%3Fquery%3Dhttps3A2F2Ftwitter.com2FDrJasonJohnson2Fstatus2F1551930090031910914widget%3DTweet">Jason Johnson</a> added.
&#8220;I’d rather be dead than live in something like this,&#8221; The Daily Wire&#8217;s <a href="https://twitter.com/MattWalshBlog/status/1552335811063971843?s=20&amp;t=7GKI2DCflAg9vOicMFiNgA">Matt Walsh</a> wrote.
&#8220;Is this something out of a dystopian film? Because this feels like a video you’d see in a dystopian film,&#8221; @strangeland_elf commented.
&#8220;What in the Phillip K. Dick?&#8221; user @anthony_hyphen tweeted.
According to <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-10-31/saudi-arabia-starts-moving-earth-for-its-futuristic-linear-city">Bloomberg</a>, earthwork on the city began in October 2021, and the first residents are projected to move in by 2024.

Riyadh, Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia

‘I’ve Never Seen Anything More Dystopian’: Saudi Arabia Unveils 100-Mile Long MegaCity, And The Internet Is Terrified

Saudi Arabia Unveils 100-Mile Long MegaCity, And The Internet Is Terrified

Artificial Intelligence

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