Page 21 – The Jewish Link

Federal Officials Ground Some Boeing 737 Max 9 Jetliners After Plane Suffers Blowout

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U.S.

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January 7, 2024

Federal Officials Ground Some Boeing 737 Max 9 Jetliners After Plane Suffers Blowout

(AP) – Federal officials on Saturday ordered the immediate grounding of some Boeing 737 Max 9 jetliners until they are inspected after an Alaska Airlines plane suffered a blowout that left a gaping hole in the side of the fuselage.

The required inspections take around four to eight hours per aircraft and affect about 171 airplanes worldwide.

Alaska Airlines said in a statement that of the 65 737 Max 9 aircraft in its fleet, crews had inspected the paneled-over exits as part of recent maintenance work on 18 planes, and those were cleared to return to service Saturday. Inspections for the remaining aircraft were expected to be completed in the coming days, the company said.

An Alaska Airlines jetliner blew out a portion of its fuselage shortly after takeoff 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) above Oregon late Friday, forcing the pilots to make an emergency landing as its 171 passengers and six crew members donned oxygen masks.

No one was seriously hurt as the depressurized plane returned safely to Portland International Airport about 20 minutes after departure.

Passenger Evan Smith said a boy and his mother were sitting in the row where the panel blew out, and the child’s shirt was sucked off him and out of the plane.

“You heard a big loud bang to the left rear. A whooshing sound and all the oxygen masks deployed instantly and everyone got those on,” Smith told KATU-TV.

The National Transportation Safety Board said Saturday it will investigate.

Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci said the inspection of the company’s 737-9 aircraft could take days to complete. They make up a fifth of the company’s 314 planes.

“We are working with Boeing and regulators to understand what occurred … and will share updates as more information is available,” Minicucci said. “My heart goes out to those who were on this flight – I am so sorry for what you experienced.”

Alaska canceled more than 100 flights, or 15% of its Saturday schedule by midday, according to FlightAware. United said the plane inspections would result in about 60 cancellations.

The Port of Portland, which operates the airport, told KPTV that the fire department treated minor injuries at the scene. One person was taken for more treatment but wasn’t seriously hurt.

Flight 1282 took off from Portland at 5:07 p.m. Friday for a two-hour flight to Ontario, California. About six minutes later, the chunk of the fuselage blew out as the plane was at about 16,000 feet (4.8 kilometers). One of the pilots declared an emergency and asked for clearance to descend to 10,000 feet (3 kilometers), the altitude where the air would have enough oxygen to breathe safely.

‘We need to turn back to Portland,” the pilot told controllers in a calm voice that she maintained throughout the landing.

Videos posted by passengers online showed a gaping hole where the paneled-over exit had been and passengers wearing masks. They applauded when the plane landed safely about 13 minutes after the blowout. Firefighters then came down the aisle, asking passengers to remain in their seats as they treated the injured.

The aircraft involved rolled off the assembly line and received its certification two months ago, according to online FAA records. It had been on 145 flights since entering commercial service Nov. 11, said FlightRadar24, another tracking service. The flight from Portland was the aircraft’s third of the day.

Aviation experts were stunned that a piece would fly off a new aircraft. Anthony Brickhouse, a professor of aerospace safety at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, said he has seen panels of fuselage come off planes before, but couldn’t recall one where passengers “are looking at the lights of the city.”

He said the incident is a reminder for passengers to stay buckled in.

“If there had been a passenger in that window seat who just happened to have their seat belt off, we’d be looking at a totally different news story.”

The Max is the newest version of Boeing’s venerable 737, a twin-engine, single-aisle plane frequently used on U.S. domestic flights. The plane went into service in May 2017.

The president of the union representing flight attendants at 19 airlines, including Alaska Airlines, commended the crew for keeping passengers safe.

“Flight Attendants are trained for emergencies and we work every flight for aviation safety first and foremost,” Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants, said in a statement Saturday.

Two Max 8 jets crashed in 2018 and 2019, killing 346 people and leading to a near two-year worldwide grounding of all Max 8 and Max 9 planes. They returned to service only after Boeing made changes to an automated flight control system implicated in the crashes.

Last year the FAA told pilots to limit use of an anti-ice system on the Max in dry conditions because of concern that inlets around the engines could overheat and break away, possibly striking the plane.

Max deliveries have been interrupted at times to fix manufacturing flaws. The company told airlines in December to inspect the planes for a possible loose bolt in the rudder-control system.

Source: VosIzNeias

Israel Finds Evidence of Iranian Effort to Help Hamas Build Precision Missiles

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January 7, 2024

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Israel Finds Evidence of Iranian Effort to Help Hamas Build Precision Missiles

By TPS • 7 January, 2024

Jerusalem, 7 January, 2024 (TPS) — Israel Defense Forces troops operating in Gaza City’s Daraj and Tuffah districts discovered components used by Hamas to produce precision-guided missiles and other strategic weapons with direct assistance from the Islamic Republic of Iran, the military announced on Sunday.

Nahal Brigade troops found “components proving terrorists of the Hamas terror organization learned under Iranian guidance how to operate and build precision components and strategic weapons,” the IDF said on X, sharing photos showing a rocket engine and warhead.

The Iran-backed weapons manufacturing plant was discovered as part of an operation to expose a 330-foot terror tunnel, the army added.

“Over the last few days, we encountered the enemy and many [terror] squads, infrastructure and boody-trapped houses,” said Nahal Brigade Commander Col. Yair Zuckerman.

Forces also discovered many terror tunnels, as well as rocket launching pads used to target the greater Tel Aviv area and Israeli communities near the Gaza border, said Zuckerman.

Iran supports Hamas by supplying it with funding, intelligence, weapons and technological knowledge, and the Biden administration has described the Islamic Republic as being “complicit” in the Oct. 7 attacks.

As many as 500 men affiliated with Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad trained in the Islamic Republic leading up to Oct. 7, The Wall Street Journal reported in late October. The exercises reportedly took place in September, at which time terrorists received specialized combat training.

At least 1,200 people were killed in Hamas’s attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on Oct. 7. The number of men, women, children, soldiers and foreigners held captive in Gaza by Hamas is now believed to be 129. Other people remain unaccounted for as Israeli authorities continue to identify bodies and search for human remains.

North Korea’s Kim Orders Increased Production of Mobile Launch Vehicles as Tensions Grow With US

North Korea

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January 5, 2024

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North Korea’s Kim Orders Increased Production of Mobile Launch Vehicles as Tensions Grow With US

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered authorities to increase production of mobile launch vehicles for missiles because the country faces a looming military showdown with its enemies, state media reported Friday, as it pushes to make its launches harder to detect.

The report on Kim’s order came hours after the White House said U.S. intelligence has determined that North Korea has supplied ballistic missile launchers to Russia for its war in Ukraine. The U.S. and its allies have previously accused North Korea of sending artillery and ammunition to Russia in return for Russian technologies to enhance its own military programs.

The official Korean Central News Agency said Kim visited a factory that produces transport erector launchers, or TELs, without saying when he went or where the factory is.

TELs are mobile launch vehicles which give North Korea the ability to move missiles around its territory, making it more difficult for its adversaries to detect launches in advance. Some South Korean experts have estimated that North Korea has about 100-200 such vehicles.

Kim said the factory’s role is “very important” in bolstering North Korea’s national defense “given the prevailing grave situation that requires the country to be more firmly prepared for a military showdown with the enemy,” KCNA reported.

“He took an important measure for expanding the production capacity of the factory,” it said.

In a key ruling party meeting last week, Kim vowed to expand the country’s nuclear arsenal, launch three additional military spy satellites and take other steps to build up the military this year to acquire “overwhelming” war readiness to cope with what he called U.S.-led confrontation. Kim cited the expansion of U.S.-South Korean military drills that sometimes involve U.S. long-range bombers and a nuclear-armed submarine.

Experts say Kim is likely to increase weapons tests ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November because of a belief that a boosted military capability would increase his chances of wresting U.S. concessions if former President Donald Trump is reelected.

Kim’s factory visit may also be related to arms supplies for Russia. Last year, Kim toured weapons factories and pledged to speed up efforts to advance his military when speculation about North Korea-Russia weapons transfers was widespread.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Thursday that recently declassified intelligence showed that North Korea has provided Russia with ballistic missile launchers and several ballistic missiles. He said Russian forces fired at least one of those missiles into Ukraine on Dec. 30 and it landed in an open field in the Zaporizhzhia region.

In November, South Korea’s military said North Korea is suspected of sending short-range ballistic missiles, anti-tank missiles and portable anti-aircraft missiles to Russia, in addition to rifles, rocket launchers, mortars and shells.

Julianne Smith, the U.S. permanent representative to NATO, said last month that U.S. intelligence indicates that North Korea has provided Russia with more than 1,000 containers of military equipment and munitions. Smith said North Korea is suspected of seeking Russian technologies related to fighter aircraft, surface-to-air missiles, armored vehicles and ballistic missile production.

Source: VosIzNeias

MIT Jewish alumni urge donors to withhold donations

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January 5, 2024

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MIT Jewish alumni urge donors to withhold donations

The initiative aims to force the university’s administration to crack down more forcefully on campus antisemitism.

A group of Jewish alumni of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) launched a campaign on Wednesday to withhold donations until the administration cracks down more forcefully on manifestations of antisemitism on campus, Haaretz reported.

The campaign organizers, a group called MIT Jewish Alumni Alliance (MITJAA), are urging Jewish graduates and their allies to reduce their annual gift to their alma mater to a token $1. Similar campaigns have been launched at Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia by Jewish alumni.

The campaign, the organizers said in an announcement, was in response to “continued inaction following numerous antisemitic incidents on campus.”

MITJAA was formed soon after the October 7 Hamas attack against Israel.

Matt Handel, a founding member, said he drew inspiration from Tuesday’s resignation of Harvard President Claudine Gay and last month’s resignation of Penn President Elizabeth Magill over responses to antisemitism on their respective campuses.

Both Gay and Magill came under fire following their disastrous testimony at a congressional hearing on campus antisemitism last month.

Handel said he believed the campaigns to withdraw donations at the other schools “sent a message” that ultimately led both Gay and Magill to step down. “One of the primary jobs of a university president, after all, is to fundraise,” he added.

Source: Arutz 7

Israel was condemned by the UN more than twice as much as every other country

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January 5, 2024

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Israel was condemned by the UN more than twice as much as every other country

Since 2015 the UN passed 141 resolutions against Israel, more than double the rest of the world.

By Jack Elbaum, The Algemeiner

The United Nations General Assembly condemned Israel twice as often as it did all other countries combined in 2023, according to UN Watch.

The Geneva-based NGO, which monitors the UN, found that the General Assembly last year passed 14 resolutions singling out Israel, while passing only seven condemning other countries. The international body passed two measures against Russia and one each against North Korea, Myanmar, Syria, Iran, and the United States.

Notably, there were zero resolutions passed condemning countries such as Venezuela, Lebanon, China, Saudi Arabia, or Iraq — or terrorist groups such as Hamas — all of which have poor human rights records or committed extensive war crimes last year.

The UN focusing a disproportionate amount of its time on Israel is a long-standing trend. Since 2015, the General Assembly has passed 141 resolutions condemning Israel, which is more than double the number of condemnatory resolutions targeted at all other countries combined. And since 2006, the UN Human Rights Council has passed 104 resolutions against Israel, as opposed to 99 against other countries.

Two of the General Assembly resolutions condemning Israel were specifically tied to its defensive war in Gaza in response to Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre across southern Israel. Those measures did not mention the Palestinian terror group or condemn the Oct. 7 onslaught, in which 1,200 people were killed and 240 others taken as hostages.

Hillel Neuer, the executive director of UN Watch, called the ratio of condemnatory resolutions “absurd” in a statement, arguing that “the purpose of the lopsided condemnations is to demonize the Jewish state.”

“This demonization fuels the antisemitic agitators in America today and around the world who are threatening Jews on campus, at community centers, and at their businesses,” he added.

Neuer also questioned the European Union’s commitment to equally applying human rights standards, pointing out that “while France, Sweden, and other EU states have supported nearly all of the 14 resolutions adopted against Israel during this General Assembly session, the same European nations have failed to introduce a single UNGA resolution on the human rights situations in China, Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, Cuba, Turkey, Pakistan, Vietnam, Algeria, or on 170 other countries.”

PEW POLL: 50% OF DEMOCRATS BLAME ISRAEL FOR WAR IN GAZA

His criticism came on the heels of widespread scrutiny of another UN body — UN Women, which describes itself as a “global champion for women and girls” — for its prolonged silence on the extensive gender-based and sexual violence against Israeli women during Hamas’ Oct. 7 terrorist attack.

The UN agency for gender equality and women’s empowerment released on Nov. 25 its first statement about the Hamas atrocities — 50 days after the onslaught took place. A week later, on Dec. 1, the agency condemned the Hamas attacks for the time, saying it was “alarmed” by accounts of systematic sexual violence and supported an investigation into the matter

The criticism reached its apex in November, when UN Women’s deputy executive director did not directly answer a question when asked on CNN why she would not “specifically call out Hamas and the mounting evidence” of mass rapes and sexual violence, including torture, perpetrated against Israeli women and girls.

More than half the countries on the executive board of UN Women are non-democracies, such as Afghanistan. Similar concerns have been expressed about the UN Human Rights Council, whose executive board includes countries such as China, Pakistan, and Sudan — as well as the General Assembly, of which only 44 percent of its members are free democracies, according to Freedom House.

Source: World Israel News

Houthis Launch Sea Drone to Attack Ships Hours After U.S., Allies Issue Final Warning

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January 5, 2024

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Houthis Launch Sea Drone to Attack Ships Hours After U.S., Allies Issue Final Warning

WASHINGTON (AP) — An armed unmanned surface vessel launched from Houthi-controlled Yemen got within a “couple of miles” of U.S. Navy and commercial vessels in the Red Sea before detonating on Thursday, just hours after the White House and a host of partner nations issued a final warning to the Iran-backed militia group to cease the attacks or face potential military action.

Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, the head of U.S. Navy operations in the Middle East, said it was the first time the Houthis had used an unmanned surface vessel, or USV, since their harassment of commercial ships in the Red Sea began after the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war. They have, however, used them in years past.

Fabian Hinz, a missile expert and research fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said the USV’s are a key part of the Houthi maritime arsenal and were used during previous battles against the Saudi coalition forces that intervened in Yemen’s war. They have regularly been used as suicide drone boats that explode upon impact.

Most of the Houthis’ USVs are likely assembled in Yemen but often fitted with components made in Iran, such as computerized guidance systems, Hinz said.

At the United Nations, U.S. deputy ambassador Christopher Lu said at a emergency Security Council meeting on Wednesday that Iran has supplied the Houthis with money and advanced weapons systems, including drones, land attack cruise missiles and ballistic missiles. He said Iran also has been deeply involved in planning the Houthis’ attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea.

He said the United States isn’t seeking a confrontation with Iran, but Tehran has a choice.

“It can continue its current course,” Lu said, “or it can withhold its support without which the Houthis would struggle to effectively track and strike commercial vessels navigating shipping lanes through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.”

This raises questions as to whether any action against the Houthis would also address Iran’s role in any way, which could risk widening the conflict.

A statement Wednesday signed by the United States, Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore and the United Kingdom gave the Houthis what a senior Biden administration official described as a final warning.

“Let our message now be clear: we call for the immediate end of these illegal attacks and release of unlawfully detained vessels and crews,” the countries said in the statement. “The Houthis will bear the responsibility of the consequences should they continue to threaten lives, the global economy, and free flow of commerce in the region’s critical waterways.”

Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder would not say whether any military action would follow Thursday’s launch of the sea drone.

?I’ll let the statement speak for itself, which, again, represented many nations around the world and highlighted that if these strikes don’t stop, there will be consequences,” Ryder said.

Since late October, the Houthis have launched scores of one-way attack drones and missiles at commercial vessels transiting the Red Sea. U.S. Navy warships have also intercepted ballistic missiles the Pentagon says were headed toward Israel. Cooper said a total of 61 missiles and drones have been shot down by U.S. warships.

In response to the Houthi attacks, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in December announced Operation Prosperity Guardian, with the United States and other countries sending additional ships to the southern Red Sea to provide protection for commercial vessels passing through the critical Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

Cooper said 1,500 commercial ships have been able to transit safely since the operation was launched on Dec. 18.

However, the Houthis have continued to launch missiles and attack drones, prompting the White House and 12 allies to issue what amounted to a final warning Wednesday to cease their attacks on vessels in the Red Sea or face potential targeted military action.

Cooper said Operation Prosperity Guardian was solely defensive in nature and separate from any military action the U.S. might take if the Houthi attacks continue.

The U.S., United Kingdom and France are providing most of the warships now, and Greece and Denmark will also be providing vessels, he said.

Source: Hamodia

Zera Shimshon – Parshas Shemos

Parsha of the Week

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January 4, 2024

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Jewish-Owned Deli in Toronto Firebombed In “Free Palestine” Hamas Attack

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January 4, 2024

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Jewish-Owned Deli in Toronto Firebombed In “Free Palestine” Hamas Attack

A Jewish-owned delicatessen in Toronto was intentionally set on fire in what law enforcement is treating as a hate crime.

The incident occurred at International Delicatessen Foods, located in the northern part of Canada’s largest city. Fortunately, there were no reported injuries, according to local Toronto media.

The establishment’s doors were marked with graffiti that read “Free Palestine.”

The business is identified as “International Deli Foods” in local media, featuring a prominent red sign above its entrance with the acronym IDF.

Toronto Police Staff Superintendent Pauline Gray emphasized that the arson attack is considered a criminal act and cannot be justified as a lawful protest. Gray stated, “It’s criminal. It’s violent, targeted, and organized. We’ll utilize all available resources to investigate, apprehend, and prosecute those responsible.”

“I’ve been a criminal investigator the vast majority of my career, and in most of those criminal investigations, there was a tipping point. This is this tipping point,” Gray said.

“This is not graffiti on a bus shelter. This is not lawful protest protected by constitutional right. This is a criminal act. It is violent, it is targeted, it is organized, and it will receive the weight of the Toronto Police Service to exactly what it deserves,” Gray continued. “We will leave no stone unturned. We will use all the resources available to us to investigate, arrest and prosecute who is responsible for this.”

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow also weighed in on social media, expressing that “acts of antisemitism, hate, and violence are not welcome here.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A Major Storm Sweeping the US Is Expected to Bring Heavy Rain, Snow to East Coast This Weekend

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U.S.

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January 4, 2024

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A Major Storm Sweeping the US Is Expected to Bring Heavy Rain, Snow to East Coast This Weekend

NEW YORK (AP) — A winter weather system moving through the U.S. is expected to wallop the East Coast this weekend with a mix of snow and freezing rain from the southern Appalachians to the Northeast — although it’s too early to say exactly which areas will get what kind of precipitation and how much.

Details on the storm’s path should firm up this week as the Pacific system moves through Colorado and New Mexico Thursday and into Texas and the Southeast before moving up the East Coast, said Tony Fracasso, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland.

“It’s still a few days away, so we’ll have to hash out the storm track — where the precipitation falls, and how long the cold air can stay,” he said Wednesday.

Major U.S. cities accustomed to white winters — such as Boston, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia — didn’t receive much snow last year due to a lack of cold air.

The National Weather Service in New York City posted on social media platform X Wednesday that the city has a low probability of snow and sleet Saturday into Sunday, with significant snowfall expected in areas west and north of the city.

Earlier this week, the NWS of New York said that 2023 would go down as the city’s “least snowiness” year, with just 2.3 inches (6 centimeters) measured in Central Park.

Source: VosIzNeias

Sick With COVID And The Flu: Double Infections Hit Hard

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January 4, 2024

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Sick With COVID And The Flu: Double Infections Hit Hard

Hospitals are experiencing an uptick in activity as more patients with both COVID-19 and flu are seeking treatment simultaneously. This dual illness scenario adds complexity to an already busy respiratory virus season, with Los Angeles County recently entering the “medium” COVID-19 hospitalization category designated by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Dr. Daisy Dodd, an infectious disease specialist with Kaiser Permanente Southern California, notes the presence of multiple viruses, including influenza, COVID-19, and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), causing a viral cocktail that impacts various age groups.

Even younger and middle-aged adults are facing the challenges of battling both COVID-19 and flu simultaneously, leading to prolonged fevers and persistent symptoms. Dr. Dodd observes a widespread and persistent hacking cough among patients, making them considerably ill. The reasons behind the surge in viral co-infections this winter remain unclear, raising questions about how one virus might compromise immunity and facilitate the infection of another.

The surge in hospitalizations prompted local public health measures, with healthcare employees and visitors required to mask up in patient-care areas. As the CDC recommends high-quality masks for those at high risk, the situation highlights the seriousness of the ongoing respiratory virus season. Despite hospitalizations being lower than the previous winter peak, the state is witnessing an increase in infected individuals admitted to hospitals.

The rising positivity rates for COVID-19 and flu in lab specimens indicate the prevalence of these viruses in the community. The state of California is urging the use of antiviral drugs, such as Paxlovid, which can reduce symptom severity and lower the risk of hospitalization and death when taken early in the illness. However, there is concern about the underuse of these therapeutic agents and the slow adoption of new COVID vaccines. Read more.

Source: Matzav