Rabbi Mordechai Eliezer Balla | Jun. 12, 2021

 2 - White House News in Chinese (weebly.com)

The logo of Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games is seen through signboards, in Tokyo
Olympics-Japan may keep some virus curbs until Games start -paper

Jun. 12 - The Japanese government is considering ending a state of emergency in Tokyo and several other prefectures as scheduled on June 20, but keeping some curbs such as on restaurant hours until the Olympics start in July, the Mainichi daily reported.

New coronavirus infections in Olympics host Tokyo have inched down during the last month of emergency restrictions although authorities remain concerned about the spread of variants and the continued strain on medical resources.

On Friday, the head of Japan's main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, Yukio Edano, called for the Games to be postponed or cancelled, saying there was an "extremely high risk" of an explosive outbreak in August and September if they went ahead.

The Mainichi newspaper reported on Friday the government would ask restaurants to keep shorter hours and impose other curbs under the targeted quasi-emergency measures. Bars and restaurants are now asked to close by 8 p.m. and are banned from serving alcohol.

A final decision is expected late next week, a few days before the end of the current emergency state, which also covers the northern island of Hokkaido, host of the marathon event.     more

Rabbi Mordechai Eliezer Balla at the biennial convention of the Conference of European Rabbis 
Germany’s 1st post-WWII military rabbi aims to open door to more Jewish recruits

The son of a Holocaust survivor, Rabbi Mordechai Balla says one of the most important aspects of his new job is educating non-Jewish soldiers while ministering to all faiths’ needs

Jun 12 - Shortly after assuming power in 1933, Adolf Hitler banned rabbis from administering to Jewish conscripts in the German military. Later this month, the German government will install the first chief military rabbi since the ban, with more Jewish clergy set to bolster the lines in the near future. It has been 76 years since the conclusion of the Holocaust, and nearly 90 years since a rabbi has served in this capacity.

The appointee, Budapest-born Rabbi Mordechai Eliezer “Zsolt” Balla, told The Times of Israel that his goal isn’t only to provide religious resources for soldiers, but to normalize German military service for all prospective Jewish inductees...     more

German soldiers at a press presentation on May 26 in Frankenberg

German army appoints first chief rabbi in a century

Jun. 4, 2021

Rabbi Mordechai Eliezer (Zsolt) Balla says he 'will help all Jews live Jewish life'
For the first time in 100 years, and 76 years after the end of the Holocaust, a chief rabbi has been appointed to the German army.

Rabbi Mordechai Eliezer (Zsolt) Balla's appointment ceremony will take place in Leipzig in three weeks, according to several reports. At least ten other rabbis will also be appointed to various posts in the German army.

"It is a great responsibility. We have to help all Jews live a Jewish life, if they are looking for kosher food and the opportunity to pray," Balla told Kan public broadcaster Thursday .

Germany has reportedly allocated € 5 million to establish the army's new chief rabbinate.

The German army does not record the religious affiliations of its members. But an estimated 300 Jews, 1,400 Muslims and 94,000 Christians make up the armed forces of the Bundeswehr, German media reported. 

In 2019, the German government approved a bill to allow rabbis to serve in the German military, a further sign, it said, meant to show that Jewish life is an integral part of the country...     more

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美英签新“大西洋宪章”难昔日重来 美俄峰会前互下“猛料” 20210611 |《今日关注》CCTV中文国际
Jun 12, 2021

The New Atlantic Charter

JUNE 10, 2021•STATEMENTS AND RELEASES

Today, the President of the United States and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom reaffirm their commitment to work together to realise our vision for a more peaceful and prosperous future.

Our revitalised Atlantic Charter, building on the commitments and aspirations set out eighty years ago, affirms our ongoing commitment to sustaining our enduring values and defending them against new and old challenges. We commit to working closely with all partners who share our democratic values and to countering the efforts of those who seek to undermine our alliances and institutions...    more

《花生漫畫》西元1953年六月/"Peanuts" on June 14, 1953
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Yossi Cohen | Jun. 11, 2021

 2 - White House News in Chinese (weebly.com)

Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar speaks at an election night watch party, in St. Paul, Minnesota, Nov. 3, 2020
Rep. Ilhan Omar ‘Clarifies’ Comments After 12 Jewish House Members Blast ‘False Equivalencies’ Between Israel and US, Hamas and Taliban

Jun. 11 -...There is no evidence that the signatories to the letter have harassed Omar, and the letter made no mention of Islam.

In 2019, antisemitic comments from Omar about US support for Israel prompted bipartisan condemnations from members of Congress and ultimately a House resolution denouncing antisemitism.

Israel critic and Omar ally Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) also attacked the signatories of the letter, asserting that they were “demonizing” Omar and that “their obsession with policing her is sick.     source from

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拜登访欧难掩裂痕 “普拜会”前俄美加码博弈？20210610 |《今日关注》CCTV中文国际
Jun 11, 2021

This picture released by the official website of the Iranian Defense Ministry on July 27, 2017, claims to show the launching of a Simorgh satellite-carrying rocket at an undisclosed location in Iran.
Russia is preparing to supply Iran with an advanced satellite system that will boost Tehran’s ability to surveil military targets, officials say

Jun. 11 - Russia is preparing to supply Iran with an advanced satellite system that will give Tehran an unprecedented ability to track potential military targets across the Middle East and beyond, according to current and former U.S. and Middle Eastern officials briefed on details of the arrangement.

The plan would deliver to the Iranians a Russian-made Kanopus-V satellite equipped with a high-resolution camera that would greatly enhance Iran’s spying capabilities, allowing continuous monitoring of facilities ranging from Persian Gulf oil refineries and Israeli military bases to Iraqi barracks that house U.S. troops, the officials said. The launch could happen within months, they said.

While the Kanopus-V is marketed for civilian use, Iranian military officials have been heavily involved in the acquisition, and leaders of Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps have made multiple trips to Russia since 2018 to help negotiate the terms of the agreement, the officials said. As recently as this spring, Russian experts traveled to Iran to help train ground crews that would operate the satellite from a newly built facility near the northern city of Karaj, the officials said...     more

Career

Cohen was drafted into the Israel Defense Forces in 1979. He volunteered as a paratrooper in the Paratroopers Brigade. He served as a soldier and a squad leader.[7] After being discharged, he studied at university in London, and joined the Mossad in 1982. Cohen has been described as 'able to inspire the confidence of his charges'.[8] He became a case officer, charged with recruiting and handling spies in foreign nations. While in training, he had been the only religious candidate in the Mossad's case officer course at the time.[6] He ran agents in a number of countries over his career, and rose to lead the Mossad's collections division ("Tsomet").[9] From 2011 to 2013, he was the deputy director of the Mossad,[10] serving under Tamir Pardo. He was known publicly as "Y" (Hebrew: "י") in this post.[11] Cohen won the prestigious Israel Security Prize for his Mossad work.[12]

In August 2013 he was appointed the National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister of Israel. In December 2015, Cohen was appointed to succeed Tamir Pardo as director of Mossad.[13][14] and assumed office in January 2016. Cohen is one of the closest officials to Netanyahu.[15]

In January 2018, Cohen oversaw the Mossad operation to steal Iran's secret nuclear archive in Tehran and smuggle it out of the country.[15] According to the Jerusalem Post, a map of nuclear sites captured in the operation has not yet been made public.[15] Among the assassinations attributed to the Mossad during Cohen's tenure were those of Hamas drone expert Mohamed Zouari in Tunisia, Hamas rocket expert Fadi Mohammad al-Batsh in Malaysia, and Iranian nuclear program chief Mohsen Fakhrizadeh in Iran.[16][17][18]

Cohen has also been the chief Israeli official in charge of managing Israel's largely clandestine relations with various Arab nations. He has often met with representatives of Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar and helped negotiate Netanyahu's visit to Oman in 2018. Reportedly, he met Sudan's chief of intelligence, though the Sudanese intelligence service denied it. He was Israel's chief negotiator in arranging the Israel–United Arab Emirates peace agreement.[19][20][21]

Intelligence reporter Ronen Bergman has written that Cohen has a reputation as a tough boss, that he speaks fluent English, French, and Arabic,[22] and is also a marathon runner.[23] Cohen is nicknamed "the Model"[24] for his stylish appearance.[8]

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly considers Cohen to be the best person to succeed him as Prime Minister when he leaves office.[15] In September 2019, The Jerusalem Post listed Cohen as the most influential Jew of the year.     from Wikipedia

Ex-Mossad chief signals Israel behind Iran nuclear attacks

Jun. 11 - The outgoing chief of Israel's Mossad intelligence service has offered the closest acknowledgment yet his country was behind recent attacks targeting Iran s nuclear program and a military scientist.

The comments by Yossi Cohen speaking to Israel's Channel 12 investigative program “Uvda” in a segment aired Thursday night, offered an extraordinary debriefing by the head of the typically secretive agency in what appears to be the final days of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu s rule.

It also gave a clear warning to other scientists in Iran's nuclear program that they too could become targets for assassination even as diplomats in Vienna try to negotiate terms to try to salvage its atomic accord with world powers...     more

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G7 summit in UK | Jun. 10, 2021

1 - White House News in Chinese (weebly.com)

2 - White House News in Chinese (weebly.com)

G7 Summit 2021 — live: Biden issues warning to Johnson over Brexit protocol on eve of meeting
Follow below for all the latest updates as leaders arrive in the UK ahead of the summit

Jun. 10 - Boris Johnson will be warned by Joe Biden not to put peace in Northern Ireland at risk, as the UK heads for a Brexit trade war with the EU over sausages.

In their first face-to-face meeting, ahead of the G7 summit in Cornwall, the prime minister and the US president will launch a new bid to reopen US/UK air links as they seek to revive the close ties of wartime leaders Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt with an updated Atlantic Charter.

But the White House made clear that Mr Biden will voice his concern over London’s threat of a further breach of the Northern Ireland protocol agreed by Mr Johnson in 2019.

Arriving in the UK on Wednesday night, Mr Biden praised the US and the UK’s “special relationship”. The president touched down at RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk — home to US Air Force personnel — at around 7.30pm.
He addressed troops before flying on to Cornwall later in the evening ahead of his meeting with Mr Johnson.

In his speech, Mr Biden also declared that the US “is back” in global diplomacy and sent a warning to Vladimir Putin, telling him the US would act “robustly” in the face of Russian aggression.    Read the Updates

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Rumours swirl and disquiet grows as locals says G7 is ‘last thing Cornwall needs’
Biden says G7 will prove ‘Europe and the United States are tight’ and will provide a vaccine plan for the world
What, exactly, is the G7 for?

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NBC Nightly News Broadcast (Full) - June 9th, 2021
Jun 10, 2021
President Biden works to strengthen alliances on first foreign trip, millions of J&J Covid vaccine doses may expire, and TSA scrambling for more staff with summer airport traffic uptick.

White House announces major boost to global vaccine supply

Jun. 10 - The White House announced Thursday that the Biden administration will purchase 500 million Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccines and donate them to poorer countries over the next year, a major step in the global fight against the pandemic.

President Biden will announce the plans on Thursday as he prepares to attend a Group of Seven (G7) summit in the United Kingdom as part of his first trip abroad as president. The G7 leaders, which also include Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom, are expected to make commitments to boost the global supply of vaccines.

The Biden administration plans to distribute the 500 million doses of the two-dose Pfizer vaccine through COVAX, the World Health Organization-backed vaccine initiative, to 92 low and middle income countries and the African Union beginning in August 2021. According to the White House, 200 million doses will be delivered by the end of 2021 and the remaining 300 million by June 2022.     more

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• US will donate 500 million Pfizer doses to other countries: reports
• U.S. in talks to buy Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine to send abroad: report

Zaid Jilani: Push to oust Netanyahu won't incite change

Jun. 10 - Journalist Zaid Jilani says even if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is ousted from power, it is unlikely to spark meaningful change in the country. 

"I think in the United States based on the interests of people here [whoever is in charge] it does not really matter, they'll want to maintain an ironclad relationship with the United States and basically the same policy visa vie Palestinians," Jilani said. 

Last week, opposition parties in Israel confirmed they had reached an agreement that would establish a ruling coalition that would seek to replace Netanyahu, who has been in power in Israel for over a decade. 

"Its notable that [Naftali] Bennett who is expected to be the next prime minister, is very vocal that he doesn't agree with the Palestinian state, he does not think its worth it for Israel," Jilani said. "Whereas Netanyahu at least in the past suggested he would be open to it."      source from

美推涉华法案打压中国 中方：不得人心 注定失败！20210609 |《今日关注》CCTV中文国际
Jun 10, 2021

America Is Not Ready for a War With China
How to Get the Pentagon to Focus on the Real Threats

Jun. 10 - The United States has spent $19 trillion on its military since the end of the Cold War. That is $16 trillion more than China spent and nearly as much as the rest of the world combined spent during the same period. Yet many experts think that the United States is about to lose a devastating war. In March, Admiral Philip Davidson, then the commander of U.S. forces in the Indo-Pacific, warned that within the next six years, China’s military will “overmatch” that of the United States and will “forcibly change the status quo” in East Asia. Back in 2019, a former Pentagon official claimed that the U.S. military routinely “gets its ass handed to it” in war games simulating combat with China. Meanwhile, many analysts and researchers have concluded that if China chose to conquer Taiwan, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) could cripple whatever U.S. forces tried to stand in its way.

It has become conventional wisdom that this gathering storm represents the inevitable result of Beijing’s rise and Washington’s decline. In fact, it is nothing of the sort. The United States has vast resources and a viable strategy to counter China’s military expansion. Yet the U.S. defense establishment has been slow to adopt this strategy and instead wastes resources on obsolete forces and nonvital missions. Washington’s current defense posture doesn’t make military sense, but it does make political sense—and it could very well endure. Historically, the United States has revamped its military only after enemies have exposed its weaknesses on the battlefield. The country may once again be headed for such a disaster.     more

Biography

Wang was born in Anhui, China in April 1971. He secondary studied at Nanjing Jinling High School.[1] In 1989 he entered China Foreign Affairs University, where he majored in French. After graduation, he was assigned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He served various diplomatic positions including deputy director and director of the Policy Research Office, political counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in the Republic of Mauritius, counsellor of the Department of Policy Planning, and deputy director of the Department of Policy Planning. He was designated by 13th Standing Committee of the National People's Congress in May 2018 to replace Bian Yanhua as Ambassador to Tunisia. On 17 July 2020, he was appointed the spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry, succeeding Geng Shuang.     from Wikipedia

An employee makes chips at a factory of Jiejie Semiconductor Company in Nantong, in eastern China's Jiangsu province, March 17, 2021

Senate Act to Aid US Competition With China Prompts Backlash From Beijing

The bipartisan bill would buoy Biden administration efforts to reduce supply chain reliance on China.

Jun. 10 - The U.S. Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would fund the development of technologies at home to compete with those being backed by China’s government, prompting Beijing to dismiss the move as motivated by “Cold War mentality” and chastise Washington for treating it as an “imaginary enemy.”

The bipartisan U.S. Innovation and Competition Act, also known as the Endless Frontier Act, passed the Senate with a vote of 68-32 and earmarks nearly U.S. $250 billion to promote research into emerging technologies that include computer chips, lithium batteries, robotics, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing—all of which Beijing has worked to nurture at home. The bill now heads to the House, where its future appears murkier.

Introduced by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Indiana Republican Senator Todd Young the Senate passage of the act follows an April U.S. intelligence assessment that labeled China a global threat to U.S. interests, as well as a supply chain disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic that led to questions about U.S. dependency on Chinese manufacturers.

The U.S. Innovation and Competition Act also directs U.S. Secretary of State to publish a list of all state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in China that have engaged in unfair trade practices such as intellectual property theft and forced technology transfers.

Under the act, U.S. President Joe Biden would be authorized to impose sanctions on individuals or entities that have stolen U.S. trade secrets or benefitted from such theft.

Young tweeted Tuesday that the vote demonstrates that lawmakers are “united in our fight against the Chinese Communist Party,” while Schumer, without mentioning China specifically, said in a separate tweet that the legislation will allow the U.S. to “out-compete and out-innovate,” as well as “strengthen critical supply chains, partnerships, and alliances abroad.”

Biden, who has retained many of the Trump administration’s tough China policies since taking office in January, also applauded the Senate vote, saying in a statement that the U.S. is “in a competition to win the 21st century, and the starting gun has gone off.”

“As other countries continue to invest in their own research and development, we cannot risk falling behind,” he said. “America must maintain its position as the most innovative and productive nation on Earth.”

Beijing slammed the bill Wednesday, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin telling a regular press briefing that it advocates for strategic competition with China and “gravely interferes with China’s domestic affairs,” including its repressive policies in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), Tibet, and Hong Kong.

Wang said the legislation is “filled with Cold War zero-sum mentality” and suggested it is the result of U.S. perceptions that China is “an imaginary enemy”...     more

Immigrants | Jun. 9, 2021

 2 - White House News in Chinese (weebly.com)

White House press secretary Jen Psaki listens as deputy director of the National Economic Council Sameera Fazili speaks during a press briefing at the White House, Tuesday, June 8, 2021, in Washington.

President Biden to launch task force addressing bottlenecks in supply chains

Jun. 9 - ...Administration officials said the goal of the review, detailed in a 250-page report, was to increase domestic manufacturing, limit shortages of vital goods and reduce a dependence on geopolitical competitors such as China. The officials said the administration wanted to get ahead of crises such as the computer chip shortage that has hurt automakers this year.

“Our approach to supply chain resilience needs to look forward to emerging threats from cybersecurity to climate issues,” Sameera Fazili, a deputy director of the White House National Economic Council, said at Tuesday’s news briefing. “And so we are future-proofing.”

The 100-day review emphasized that supply chains are critical for national security, economic stability and global leadership, noting how the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent economic turmoil exposed U.S. supply chain vulnerabilities, like when soaring demand for medical products wreaked havoc on the health care system...     quoted from

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Senate approves bill that aims to boost US technology in face of competition with China

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JUNE 8, 2021
Vice President Harris Meeting with Women Entrepreneurs in Mexico City
Vice President Harris meets with women entrepreneurs at the Sofitel Mexico City Reforma.

Human rights

...Before law school, Fazili worked at Karamah: Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights. Her experience in human rights includes working at the World Health Organization and United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), on missions in Palestine, Kashmir and Pakistan. She is an activist for religious freedom and international human rights.[5] Fazili has supported 'Stand with Kashmir', a diaspora-led international solidarity movement of Kashmiris, and has opposed the Indian government's revocation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir    quoted from Wikipedia


Press Secretary Jen Psaki, Deputy Director of the National Economic Council Sameera Fazili, and Senior Director for International Economics and Competitiveness Peter Harrell

Jun. 9 - ...To achieve supply chain resiliency, we need to build back better by leveraging America’s greatest strengths:

First and foremost, American workers.  Decades of focusing on labor as a cost to be managed and not an asset to be invested in have weakened our domestic supply chains, undermined wages and union density for workers, and also contributed to companies’ challenges finding skilled talent.

We must focus on creating pathways for all Americans to access well-paid jobs with a free and fair choice to join a union and bargain collectively.

Second, our diversity.  We need to unlock the full potential of the American people, including making economic opportunities available across our country and for women and for people of color.

Third, our small businesses.  To build a diverse and healthy ecosystem of suppliers, we must rebuild our small- and medium-sized business manufacturing base that has borne the brunt of the hollowing out of U.S. manufacturing.

Fourth, our alliances.  We need to diversify our international suppliers and reduce geographic concentration risk...     quoted from

拜登将赴欧拉拢盟友 特朗普高调“复出”再搅政坛？20210607 |《今日关注》CCTV中文国际
Jun 8, 2021

Belarus toughens laws against protesters and 'extremism'

Jun 7 - ...Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has signed a law tightening sanctions against protesters who take part in unauthorised rallies.

The new legislation also increases the penalties for those found guilty of "extremism" in Belarus.
A protester who takes part in more than two "illegal" demonstrations will now face up to three years in prison, according to the reform published on Tuesday.

Meanwhile those of participate in or promote "extremist activities" face up to six years in prison. Anyone accused of "financing" extremism in Belarus can also be imprisoned for up to five years.

The legislation was signed into effect by Lukashenko on Tuesday, authorities said.

The laws come as the Belarusian regime continues to crack down on the historic opposition protest movement disputing Lukashenko's re-election in 2020...     quoted from

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Letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate on the Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to the Actions and Policies of Certain Members of the Government of Belarus and other Persons to Undermine Democratic Processes or Institutions of Belarus

June 08, 2021 • Statements and Releases

Dear Madam Speaker: (Dear Madam President:)

Section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)) provides for the automatic termination of a national emergency unless, within 90 days prior to the anniversary date of its declaration, the President publishes in the Federal Register and transmits to the Congress a notice stating that the emergency is to continue in effect beyond the anniversary date.  In accordance with this provision, I have sent to the Federal Register for publication the enclosed notice stating that the national emergency with respect to the actions and policies of certain members of the Government of Belarus and other persons to undermine democratic processes or institutions of Belarus that was declared in Executive Order 13405 of June 16, 2006, is to continue in effect beyond June 16, 2021.

The actions and policies of certain members of the Government of Belarus and other persons to undermine Belarus’s democratic processes or institutions, to commit human rights abuses related to political repression, and to engage in public corruption continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.  Therefore, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13405 with respect to Belarus.

        Sincerely,

                               JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.     source from