Naomi Wolf discovers Donald Trump in person--what a wake up

 https://naomiwolf.substack.com/p/on-hearing-president-trump-in-person?

I wish all liberals / progressives / Democrats could read this. She's got a few things a little off, but mostly she remembers her own errors in believing media lies and how she and others have misjudged Trump. And because she is a Jew, she gives a new slant on Trump's programs and behavior. As a real journalist, she has done her homework like Jason Whitlock, Matt Taibbi, Elon Musk, Dave Rubin and a few others.

Watching i24News for Israeli-middle east coverage

CONGRATULATIONS to our President on the 3rd anniversary of recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, something other Presidents had promised, but then backed down. Since 1995 when it was approved by Congress with a bi-partisan majority, other presidents took the out using a waiver, refusing to recognize Jerusalem as the capital. Most politicians don't keep their promises, but a man who wasn't a politician and who has received 4 years of criticism and hate for not being part of the good-old boys club, got the job done.

Also this week-end Israel is participating in a trade show with the UAE. Another result of Trump's brokering a peace between Israel and its Muslim neighbors. Last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met the first commercial flydubai flight, and this week he wished well the pilots of the first Israir flight going to Dubai. And on Wednesday Israelis sent greetings to the United Arab Emirates as it celebrated its national day. Again, this breaking out of peace angered the boys in both parties, who thought nothing could move things ahead except more meetings held over years.

Thank you, Mr. President, for showing the way to get things done, and especially for Warp Speed and the vaccine.

For information on Israel and the middle east that you probably won't get from MSNBC or CNN, try i24NEWS, an Israeli English language international 24-hour news and current affairs television channel located in Jaffa Port, Tel Aviv. It began broadcasting in Feb. 2017.

Sung at the funeral of a friend on Saturday

Jerusalem, by the Hoppers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hy5VxG6q98

Wednesday, Ashdod and Jerusalem

On Wednesday, March 11 we arrived in Ashdod. Our handout says this Mediterranean port city was a major Philistine city in ancient times, the archeological remains here have uncovered no fewer than 23 cities since the Bronze Age. Modern Ashdod was founded in 1956 and during the recent past it has had many new immigrants--70,000--mainly from the former Soviet Union, swelling the city's population to 190,000, becoming the 5th largest city in Israel. I found the port area very impressive.

From Ashdod we started out for Jerusalem, a 5000 year old city revered by Jews, Christians and Muslims. I'm not sure how many buses we had (we were bus 5), but we had different routes so that we weren't all jammed up in one place. Some of us saw the Western Wall on Wednesday, some on Thursday, same with Bethlehem.


Here we are at the Western Wall (also called Wailing Wall), the holiest of Jewish sites, a remnant of the Herodian retaining wall that once supported the Second Temple destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. In 1967 after the Six Day War, Israelis leveled the neighboring Arab district to create the Western Wall Plaza and made the wall higher by digging down to expose two more tiers of stones buried over the centuries.

The men and women pray in separate sections (women need to be modestly covered); some sitting and rocking back and forth reciting the Psalms or Lamentations. This photo is of tiny pieces of paper with prayers put into the cracks in the walls. Every years thousands of people insert these prayers for peace and health, or give thanks and praise for answered prayer. If you're in my family, your name was placed there with a prayer for peace.

According to tradition, The Via Dolorosa (Path of Sorrow or "Way of the Cross") is the route the Lord Jesus walked, from his trial by the Romans to his crucifixion and burial. It begins near Lions Gate (St. Stephen's Gate), in the Muslim Quarter, and ends within the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, in the heart of the Christian Quarter. This route is marked by the 14 Stations of the Cross.

"As they led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him. Jesus turned and said to them, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. (Luke 23:26-28).

Eighth station of the cross where Jesus spoke to the women.