Straughn informed the organizers that the State Department canceled her authorization to fly.
This is governmental BDS, but it also reminds me of how the Obama administration gamed the shutdown by forcing the cancelation of all sorts of events and venues just to make a point. If this story is accurate, then part of the Biden admin’s pressure campaign on Israel involved the cancelation of completely apolitical events.
Astrophysicist and deputy project scientist of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope Amber Straughn canceled her scheduled Israel Physical Society conference appearance due to tensions between Israel and the United States.
Straughn told the conference organizers at Bar-Ilan University that the cancelation was due to instructions from the U.S. State Department.
In addition to her appearance at the conference, which was slated for next week, Straughn was also scheduled to give a lecture this week sponsored by the university’s physics department to some 300 students and researchers. She additionally was set to hold a lecture open to the public at Jerusalem’s Bloomfield Science Museum on Friday.
Straughn said at the start of the week that NASA and the State Department might order her to cancel her appearance due to bilateral tensions.
On Tuesday afternoon, a few hours before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced he was pausing his government’s judicial overhaul legislation, Straughn informed the organizers that the State Department had, in fact, canceled her authorization to fly.
That is really ugly, if true.
One issue with this story is that it’s Haaretz, an extreme left publication, one that is a longtime opponent of Israel and its government, and which has credibility issues. Also it seems like a story out of Bar-Ilan University would not be the immediate vector to Haaretz.
But the premise is credible enough. If this were happening, then it would be part of a broader package of similar canceled events. We’ll see if that turns out to be the case. The lack of response by Jewish groups to this entire situation is disgusting and predictable.
A petition has been created challenging the culture of lies about democratic judicial reform that all of this has been based on.
It notes that…
We have different views on these reforms, but many of them parallel existing practice within the United States and all are compatible with democracy. The U.S. Constitution even allows Congress to eliminate most of the federal judiciary, and President Joe Biden himself has considered “packing” the Supreme Court.
There is room for criticism and debate, and good friends can disagree, even on fundamental issues. But the attacks have gone too far. They echo the worst claims of Israel’s enemies in the “Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions” (BDS) movement — an antisemitic effort to isolate Israel, as the White House is now doing.
It is a slander against the Jewish state to claim that its government is mounting a “coup” because its newly-elected legislature is engaged in the democratic process of lawmaking.
With stories like these, we see that the campaign against democratic judicial reform has become BDS.
Gabriel Alan King says
$10 bucks says the media doesn’t cry “anti semitism !” because it’s a democrat.
Gamaliel says
The most recent accusations against Trump include his being an anti-semite because he said that George Soros gave a million dollars to Alvin Bragg. That accusation was published in USA Today and then MSNBC put it on their web site which is the default page of Microsoft Edge Browsers. Never mind that George Soros did give a million dollars to Alvin Bragg. Never mind that Trump was the best friend Israel ever had. Never mind that Biden is the worst enemy Israel ever had who was president of the United States.
gravenimage says
Yes–claims that President Trump is antisemitic are absurd.
SJ says
Agreed! And because I’m Jewish I have the right to say if an idiotic Jew calls Trump a Jew hater because that criminal POS Soros, EFF THEM! I’ve already written the editor to a Jewish newsletter, and read the ‘bubble brain’ the riot act!
johnny says
you can make it $100
gravenimage says
Biden Regime Boycotts Israel
……………………………….
Just appalling–Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East, and our only ally.
Walter Sieruk says
Joe Biden with his regime joining with Mahmoud Abbas and his PA may scheme to have some kind of US government boycott of Isreal is some economic areas.
Biden to favor his comrade Abbas might enact such policies but their sinister scheming together against Israel will come ti nothing in the end. For Biden does favor the anti-Israel Abbas and his PA but God favors Israel and God’s benevolence for the Jewish State of Israel is extremely more powerful than the malice of Biden and Abbas malice for Israel
As the Bible informs in reader in Psalm 135 :4. “For the Lord has chosen Jacob for Himself, Israel for His special treasure.” [N.K.J.V.]
In addition, as for ominous comradeship of Biden and Abbas , as seen in that above picture, their devious union will only come back on both of them to their own harm.
For the Bible reads “Though they join forces, the wicked will not go unpunished. Proverbs 11:21.
tgusa says
Probably better for Israel in the long run. Lots of countries are reexamining their relationship with the ****show the USA has become. Cant really blame them.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Yeah, the Saudis have already done that, and others are following through. Israel would do well to be one of them. Last week, I read somewhere that Indonesia has outlawed Mastercard and Visa, and other countries are working deals to trade in their own currencies, instead of the dollar
Israel would do well to cease sharing intel w/ the US, and start acting like a rogue wrt US: that’s the only thing our Leftist overlords respect
Sherry C Miller says
The Biden administration is systematically alienating Israel, like a dripping tap. The only democracy in the Middle East, one would deduce this one country would be the one the US would support. But Biden would sell his soul to bring the JCPOA back to life. With his alienation of Israel, Biden is essentially signing a death warrant for Israel. Not only is Biden stroking Abbas, but also Iran who will surely manufacture their first nuclear bomb in the very near future. Biden is destroying the US and the fallout may destroy Israel.
somehistory says
Looking at the photo….they are close enough to play kissy-face…is rather like seeing again the pope and his best bud from Egypt doing a kissy-face.
They are making a great witches brew, these human ‘Snakes in Suits.”
“Snakes in Suits” is a book by Dr. Robert Hare about psychopaths who wear “suits” due to their positions, such as lawyers, doctors, executives, etc. Politicians are frequently found to be in that group.
SJ says
I keep telling everyone who will listen that our US State Department is anti-American, anti-Israel and is run by Islamists, that are intentionally trying to destroy Israel and the U.S., and conquer the U.S.! They’ve been emboldened and it’s getting worse in all Western nations! What will it take for us to do something about this?
SUBSCRIBE TO THE US STATE DEPT EMAILS AND LOOK FOR YOURSELVES. ARE WE JUST GOING TO SIT HERE AND ALLOW THIS?
We are in SERIOUS danger! Wake UP!!!
Robert Anderson says
The Watcher says,
Grab your bible and read Jeremiah chapters 50 and
51 also read Revelation chapters 17 and 18.
I believe that the nation referred to as “the daughter
Of Babylon” or mystery Babylon” is the USA.
The Medes are Iran. Notice that it says to leave
this country.