JEWISH KING JESUS IS COMING AT THE RAPTURE FOR US IN THE CLOUDS-DON'T
MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.THE BIBLE TAKEN LITERALLY- WHEN THE PLAIN SENSE
MAKES GOOD SENSE-SEEK NO OTHER SENSE-LEST YOU END UP IN NONSENSE.GET
SAVED NOW- CALL ON JESUS TODAY.THE ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WHOLE EARTH - NO
OTHER.
1 COR 15:23-JESUS THE FIRST FRUITS-CHRISTIANS RAPTURED TO JESUS-FIRST
FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT-23 But every man in his own order: Christ the
firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.ROMANS 8:23
And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of
the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the
adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.(THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE)
LUKE 21:28-29
28 And when these things begin to come to pass,(ALL THE PROPHECY SIGNS FROM THE BIBLE) then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption (RAPTURE) draweth nigh.
29 And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree,(ISRAEL) and all the trees;(ALL INDEPENDENT COUNTRIES)
30 When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.(ISRAEL LITERALLY BECAME AND INDEPENDENT COUNTRY JUST BEFORE SUMMER IN MAY 14,1948.)
JOEL 2:3,30
3 A fire devoureth (ATOMIC BOMB) before them;(RUSSIAN-ARAB-MUSLIM ARMIES AGAINST ISRAEL) and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.(ATOMIC BOMB AFFECT)
ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their eyes shall consume away in their holes,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB)(BECAUSE NUKES HAVE BEEN USED ON ISRAELS ENEMIES)(GOD PROTECTS ISRAEL AND ALWAYS WILL)
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.(1/2-3 BILLION DIE IN WW3)(THIS IS AN ATOMIC BOMB EFFECT)
EZEKIEL 20:47
47 And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.
ZEPHANIAH 1:18
18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.
MALACHI 4:1
1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven;(FROM ATOMIC BOMBS) and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
And here are the bounderies of the land that Israel will inherit either through war or peace or God in the future. God says its Israels land and only Israels land. They will have every inch God promised them of this land in the future.
Egypt east of the Nile River, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, The southern part of Turkey and the Western Half of Iraq west of the Euphrates. Gen 13:14-15, Psm 105:9,11, Gen 15:18, Exe 23:31, Num 34:1-12, Josh 1:4.ALL THIS LAND ISRAEL WILL DEFINATELY OWN IN THE FUTURE, ITS ISRAELS NOT ISHMAELS LAND.
12 TRIBES INHERIT LAND IN THE FUTURE
LUKE 21:28-29
28 And when these things begin to come to pass,(ALL THE PROPHECY SIGNS FROM THE BIBLE) then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption (RAPTURE) draweth nigh.
29 And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree,(ISRAEL) and all the trees;(ALL INDEPENDENT COUNTRIES)
30 When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.(ISRAEL LITERALLY BECAME AND INDEPENDENT COUNTRY JUST BEFORE SUMMER IN MAY 14,1948.)
JOEL 2:3,30
3 A fire devoureth (ATOMIC BOMB) before them;(RUSSIAN-ARAB-MUSLIM ARMIES AGAINST ISRAEL) and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.(ATOMIC BOMB AFFECT)
ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their eyes shall consume away in their holes,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB)(BECAUSE NUKES HAVE BEEN USED ON ISRAELS ENEMIES)(GOD PROTECTS ISRAEL AND ALWAYS WILL)
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.(1/2-3 BILLION DIE IN WW3)(THIS IS AN ATOMIC BOMB EFFECT)
EZEKIEL 20:47
47 And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.
ZEPHANIAH 1:18
18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.
MALACHI 4:1
1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven;(FROM ATOMIC BOMBS) and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
And here are the bounderies of the land that Israel will inherit either through war or peace or God in the future. God says its Israels land and only Israels land. They will have every inch God promised them of this land in the future.
Egypt east of the Nile River, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, The southern part of Turkey and the Western Half of Iraq west of the Euphrates. Gen 13:14-15, Psm 105:9,11, Gen 15:18, Exe 23:31, Num 34:1-12, Josh 1:4.ALL THIS LAND ISRAEL WILL DEFINATELY OWN IN THE FUTURE, ITS ISRAELS NOT ISHMAELS LAND.
12 TRIBES INHERIT LAND IN THE FUTURE
Netanyahu
threatens to eclipse 2014 war to destroy Gaza tunnels-Amid increasing
public pressure, PM says Israel working to thwart subterranean Hamas
threat, counsels terror group not to ‘try us’-By Times of Israel staff
January 31, 2016, 9:54 pm
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded Sunday to critics charging his government was failing to deal with newly dug tunnels under the Israel-Hamas frontier, threatening to blow up the underground passages if need be.“We are working methodically and calmly against all threats, including threats from Hamas, both with defensive and offensive measures. And of course, in the event we are attacked from tunnels in the Gaza Strip, we will act very forcefully against Hamas, and with much more force than Operation Protective Edge,” Netanyahu told a conference of Israeli diplomats, referring to the 50-day war in the Gaza Strip in 2014.Israel Defense Forces officials and southern residents have expressed concern in recent days that Hamas is rebuilding a series of subterranean passages, used for attacking Israel, which were destroyed during the 2014 war between Israel and Gazan fighters.During that war, Israeli troops uncovered and destroyed dozens of tunnels, but only after Netanyahu approved a ground invasion of the Strip amid heavy pressure from coalition allies to expand what had — to that point — been a ground campaign.Netanyahu, who is also Israel’s foreign minister, told the diplomats that Jerusalem would have international backing for such a move, and warned Hamas not to “try us.”“I think they understand this in the region, understand this in the world,” he continued. “I hope we won’t need to, but our capabilities — both defensive and offensive — are developing rapidly.”Hours earlier, opposition chief Isaac Herzog called for the government to take action and bomb the tunnels, accusing Netanyahu’s cabinet of being “idle” in the face of the Hamas threat.“The political leadership must provide a clear public answer to the citizens. [It must] stop hesitating…. They must instruct the IDF to bomb the tunnels and destroy this threat. Especially if there are tunnels that have already crossed the border into Israel,” Herzog said.“Why are we waiting? For terrorists, with their weapons drawn, to emerge in a kibbutz or a moshav? The prime minister and the defense minister must provide an answer to the citizens.“One day, we’ll wake up and discover that, once again, we underestimated the seriousness of the threat,” Herzog warned. “It will cost us in blood and terrible sorrow.”Last week, a senior defense official said Hamas’s military wing had rehabilitated itself and was ready for a fresh round of hostilities with Israel. Other military leaders have said intensive tunnel rebuilding is underway.On Saturday, the terror group publicized a new video clip, lauding what it called the unknown fighters who are “toiling day and night” to build the attack tunnels.Over the weekend, residents of areas near the Gaza Strip complained that tunnel digging into Israel from the Hamas-run territory has come so close to their homes that it has caused their floors to shake.The head of the Eshkol Regional Council, Gadi Yarkoni, told Israel Radio that many residents have been complaining of hearing — and feeling — increased underground digging activity in recent weeks. In addition, they were disappointed that the IDF has failed to build protective barriers against the cross-border terror tunnels — as it had promised it would after the summer 2014 war in Gaza.Hamas, the Islamist terror group that rules the Gaza Strip, built dozens of tunnels into Israel, many of which were used to carry out attacks against soldiers during the 2014 war. The IDF said it destroyed over 30 tunnels during the war, and some officials said the army was surprised at the extent of the tunnel building.A number of tunnels were used during the war to attack army installations. The IDF later said the tunnels had been dug as part of a plan to carry out a massive attack against an Israeli community, but when war broke out, Hamas fighters abandoned the plot.
At least one killed in another Hamas tunnel collapse-Conflicting reports say as many as four may be dead, several wounded, one week after similar accident kills seven operatives-By Times of Israel staff February 2, 2016, 11:24 pm
At least one person was killed Tuesday evening when a tunnel collapsed in the southern Gaza Strip, according to Palestinian media reports. Some sources put the death toll as high as four.Hamas would not confirm or deny the reports. But the Hamas-run Al-Quds television network identified the fatality as 23-year-old Haider a-Zaher, a Hamas operative.Separately, IDF bulldozers were reportedly digging near the southern edge of the Gaza Strip, near the southern Gazan city of Khan Younis, across the border from the Israeli villages of Nir Oz and Nirim.Last week, seven people were confirmed killed and four were missing after a tunnel collapsed in the Al-Tuffah neighborhood in northeastern Gaza City.That collapse occurred amid heavy winter rain. Hamas accused Israel of causing the collapse by opening dams to flood Gaza with water — an annual claim made by Palestinians and flatly rejected by Israel. There are no dams in southern Israel.In a bid to keep a lid on last week’s disaster, Hamas forbade local media from reporting the incident.The nature of the tunnel that collapsed today was not immediately clear. Hamas has in the past dug cross-border tunnels into Israel in order to stage attacks on civilians and soldiers. Other tunnels are used by the terror group as part of its defensive infrastructure.It has recently been reported that Hamas accelerated its tunnel-digging program.Several days ago, the head of the Eshkol Regional Council, Gadi Yarkoni, told Israel Radio that many residents have been complaining of hearing — and feeling — increased underground digging activity in recent weeks.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders have warned Hamas not to prepare new tunnel attacks, amid a welter of reports that the terror group has been speedily rebuilding its network of cross-border tunnels. It’s former prime minister, Ismail Haniyeh bragged on Friday that Hamas was advancing its terror tunnels and its rocket production ahead of a further conflict with Israel.Hamas has built dozens of tunnels into Israel, many of which were used to carry out attacks during Operation Protective Edge in 2014. The IDF said it destroyed over 30 tunnels during that conflict.The Strip has been subject to a blockade by Israel and Egypt, designed in part to prevent the terror group from importing arms and building new tunnels with imported concrete.Egypt has embarked on a massive campaign aimed at stemming cross-border smuggling between Gaza and Sinai, where it is fighting an insurgency by Islamist militants. The operation has included flooding hundreds of tunnels that once dotted the border region and building a 500-meter-wide buffer zone filled with seawater.Avi Issacharoff contributed to this report.
PROVERBS 14:28,30,31,33-35
28 In the multitude of people is the king’s honour: but in the want of people is the destruction of the prince.
30 A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones.
31 He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker: but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor.
33 Wisdom resteth in the heart of him that hath understanding: but that which is in the midst of fools is made known.
34 Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.
35 The king’s favour is toward a wise servant: but his wrath is against him that causeth shame.
PROVERBS 16:4,9,18-19
4 The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.
9 A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.
18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
19 Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.
Huckabee ends presidential bid after dismal Iowa result-Eight years after winning caucus, former Arkansas governor failed to garner support in crowded GOP field; O’Malley also throws in towel-By AP February 2, 2016, 9:27 am-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
WASHINGTON — Mike Huckabee ended his second campaign for the White House on Monday amid a poor showing in the Iowa caucuses that he won in his first bid eight years ago.The former Arkansas governor and ardent Israel supporter announced his 2016 bid in May in the hometown he shares with former President Bill Clinton, joining what would become a crowded Republican field that included many political newcomers.His campaign failed to take off early on, with candidates like billionaire Donald Trump, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, Senators Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio dominating the race.As caucus results were still streaming in, Huckabee wrote on Twitter that he was “officially suspending my campaign.” He thanked his backers for their loyal support, adding the hashtag #ImWithHuck. Calls to the Huckabee campaign for comment were not immediately returned. I am officially suspending my campaign. Thank you for all your loyal support. #ImWithHucK-— Gov. Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) February 2, 2016-In 2008, he captivated evangelical Republicans but couldn’t build wide enough support to win the Republican nomination. After ending his 2008 campaign, he took up hosting a weekend cable show on FOX News, but then stopped before announcing his latest White House bid.A populist but no Democrat, he did not endorse a minimum-wage increase, instead calling for policies encouraging a “maximum wage” for workers. But he did align himself with labor interests in criticizing “unbalanced trade deals” and describing President Barack Obama’s immigration policy as a way to “import low-wage labor, undercut American workers and drive wages lower than the Dead Sea.”The ordained minister — he was Arkansas Baptist Convention president before getting into politics — has played up the cultural conservatism learned in this small town where many of his relatives — and a few Clinton relatives — still live. He stood by his opposition to abortion rights and same-sex marriage, declaring that “the Supreme Court is not the supreme being, and they cannot overturn the laws of nature or of nature’s God.”Huckabee has boasted that in Arkansas politics, he found success in “challenging the deeply entrenched political machine that ran this state. It was tough sledding, but I learned how to govern and how to lead.” An introductory video about the governor who fought “the Clinton machine” made clear he meant Bill and Hillary. Bill Clinton was governor before Huckabee, while former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is now vying for the Democratic nomination for president.Huckabee, who first visited Israel more than 40 years ago and regularly leads tourist trips to the country, caused an uproar in July 2015 when he accused US President Barack Obama of “marching the Israelis to the doors of the oven” with the Iranian nuclear deal.Tell Congress to do their constitutional duty & reject the Obama-Kerry #IranDeal –> http://t.co/SaIyuq4w01 pic.twitter.com/2rFJgdDHhV-— Gov. Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) July 26, 2015-The accusation drew wide criticism, including from Israel’s Ambassador to the US Ron Dermer who described the comments as “inappropriate.”After a similarly unimpressive showing in the Democratic caucuses, former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley also ended his Democratic presidential campaign Monday midway through vote-counting, terminating a bid that failed to gain traction against rivals Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.O’Malley’s decision to drop out of the race came even before a winner had been declared but as early results showed O’Malley garnering negligible support in the first primary contest.“We fought very, very hard … in order to give the people a choice, and the people have made their choice tonight,” O’Malley told supporters in Des Moines after bowing out Monday.The former two-term governor and Baltimore mayor campaigned as a can-do chief executive who had pushed through key parts of the Democratic agenda in Maryland, including gun control, support for gay marriage and an increase in the minimum wage.Times of Israel contributed to this report.
O’Malley drops out of Democratic race for president-With negligible support in Iowa caucuses, former Maryland governor’s ‘uphill battle’ comes to an end-By Ken Thomas February 2, 2016, 5:44 am-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley ended his Democratic presidential campaign Monday midway through vote-counting in the Iowa caucuses, terminating a bid that failed to gain traction against rivals Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.O’Malley’s decision to drop out of the race came even before a winner had been declared but as early results showed O’Malley garnering negligible support in the first primary contest. His plans were disclosed by two people familiar with his decision, who weren’t authorized to discuss the decision publicly and requested anonymity.The former two-term governor and Baltimore mayor campaigned as a can-do chief executive who had pushed through key parts of the Democratic agenda in Maryland, including gun control, support for gay marriage and an increase in the minimum wage.A veteran of Colorado Sen. Gary Hart’s presidential campaigns in the 1980s, O’Malley sought to portray himself as a fresh face for a party searching for new ideas. He launched some of the toughest critiques of the race, accusing Clinton of being on “three sides” of the gun control debate and offering “weak tea” when it came to policing Wall Street.But the ex-governor struggled to raise money and was mired in single-digit polls for months, despite an active operation in Iowa and New Hampshire. His campaign was forced to accept federal matching funds in the fall and he failed to become Clinton’s chief alternative as Sanders tapped into the party’s liberal base.Along the way, O’Malley’s campaign dealt with poor timing and some bad breaks. His campaign kickoff was complicated by riots in Baltimore after the death of Freddie Gray in police custody, bringing fresh scrutiny of O’Malley’s law enforcement record as the city’s mayor.Jason Yates, a precinct captain Monday night for O’Malley at a caucus site outside Des Moines, said he was disappointed but not surprised.“Pretty uphill battle from the start for him here,” he said.O’Malley performed well in the televised debates but it never amounted to a marked boost in poll numbers or fundraising. He entered the race after Sanders, who quickly generated massive crowds around the country and a loyal following in the early states. Sanders’s appeal with liberals — and his online fundraising machine — gave O’Malley little room to become the face of the party’s smaller anti-Clinton wing.
On to New Hampshire as Cruz beats Trump, Democrats tight-Clinton defeats Sanders by less than three-tenths of 1 percent in contest that showcases voter dissatisfaction on both sides-By AP February 2, 2016, 8:55 pm-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
MANCHESTER, New Hampshire — Republicans and Democrats scrambling for their party’s 2016 nomination for president descended on the tiny New England state of New Hampshire on Tuesday, leaving behind the Iowa caucuses where Ted Cruz, a fiery, conservative Texas senator loathed by his own party’s leaders, swept to victory over billionaire Donald Trump and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio.Among Democrats, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders rode a wave of voter enthusiasm to a virtual tie with Hillary Clinton, long considered her party’s front-runner.With all precincts reporting, Clinton led Sanders by less than three-tenths of 1 percent. The Iowa Democratic Party declared the contest “the closest in Iowa Democratic caucus history.” Sanders did not concede the race to Clinton, and his spokesman Michael Briggs said they were “still assessing” whether to ask for a recount.The outcome in the country’s first nominating contest drew a line under voter dissatisfaction, especially among Republicans, with the way government in Washington operates, with anger over growing income inequality and fears of global turmoil and terrorism.Cruz’s victory in Monday’s caucuses, which drew a record turnout, was a blow to Trump, the real estate mogul who has roiled the Republican field for months with controversial statements about women and minorities.Cruz now heads to next Tuesday’s first-in-the nation primary vote in New Hampshire as an undisputed favorite of the furthest right voters, including evangelical voters and others who prioritize an abrupt break with President Barack Obama’s policies.But Trump still holds a commanding lead in New Hampshire and national polls.New Hampshire has historically favored more moderate candidates than Iowa, and more than 40 percent of the state’s electorate are not registered in any political party, giving them the power to choose which parties’ primary to vote in on Feb. 9.Cruz on Tuesday suggested he was focused on New Hampshire but also on South Carolina, which votes 11 days later.Trump came in second slightly ahead of Rubio, whose stronger-than-expected finish could help cement his status as the favorite of mainstream Republican voters who worry that Cruz and Trump are too caustic to win the November general election.Trump sounded humble in defeat, saying he was “honored” by the support of Iowans. And he vowed to keep up his fight, telling cheering supporters that “we will go on to easily beat Hillary or Bernie or whoever the hell they throw up.”In the Democratic race, Iowa caucus-goers were choosing between Clinton’s pledge to use her wealth of experience in government to bring about steady progress on party ideals and Sanders’s call for radical change in a system rigged against ordinary Americans. Young voters overwhelmingly backed Sanders.Clinton, the former secretary of state, U.S. senator and first lady, was hoping to banish the possibility of dual losses in Iowa and in New Hampshire, where she trails Sanders, who is from neighboring Vermont. Two straight defeats could throw into question her ability to defeat the Republican nominee.Clinton appeared before supporters to declare she was “breathing a big sigh of relief.” She stopped short of claiming victory.Sanders had hoped to replicate Obama’s pathway to the presidency by using a victory in Iowa to catapult his passion and ideals of “democratic socialism” deep into the primaries.Sanders still faces an uphill battle against Clinton, who has deep ties throughout the party’s establishment and a strong following among a more diverse electorate that plays a larger role in primary contests in February and March.Iowa has long led off the state-by-state contests to choose delegates for the parties’ national conventions. Historically, a victory has hardly assured the nomination, but a win or an unexpectedly strong showing can give a candidate momentum, while a poor showing can end a candidacy.Some of the establishment Republican candidates have been focusing more on New Hampshire than Iowa, including former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Ohio Gov. John Kasich and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.The caucuses marked the end of at least two candidates’ White House hopes. Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley ended his longshot bid for the Democratic nomination, and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee dropped out of the Republican race.The state’s 30 Republican delegates to the national convention are awarded proportionally based on the vote, with at least eight delegates going to Cruz, seven to Trump and six to Rubio. Even without a declared winner, The Associated Press awarded all but one of the 44 Democratic convention delegates. Clinton led Sanders 22 to 21, with the remaining delegate to be awarded to the statewide winner.
New Hampshire Jews all over the map ahead of presidential primary-With more independents in the state than either registered Democrats or Republicans, ballot results often surprise-By Uriel Heilman February 2, 2016, 5:29 pm-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
MANCHESTER, New Hampshire (JTA) – Michael Harris probably isn’t your typical New Hampshire Republican.A 71-year-old from Hollis and president of his synagogue in nearby Nashua, Harris isn’t sure who he would support if the general election came down to the two iconoclasts on either side, Donald Trump and Sen. Bernie Sanders.While the brash real estate mogul running as a Republican and the independent lawmaker from Vermont seeking the Democratic nomination might seem like polar opposites, there are a couple of traits they share that appeal to Harris: their independent-mindedness and their New York bona fides – Trump grew up in Queens, Sanders in Brooklyn.“There’s certain basic things about people from New York that they have in common philosophically, like liberalism on social issues,” Harris said. “Trump makes these outlandish comments, but a lot of his policies are sort of similar to Bernie Sanders’ policies. I might support Trump in the primary and Sanders in the general election.”‘Trump makes these outlandish comments, but a lot of his policies are sort of similar to Bernie Sanders’-As the Granite State gears up for the nation’s first presidential primary on February 9, America is paying close attention to the political proclivities of this state’s tiny population of 1.3 million. And like their non-Jewish neighbors, the political leanings of the state’s estimated 10,000 Jews are all over the map.Ken Kowalchek, a Jew from Portsmouth who spent his life in the foreign service until his retirement not long ago, is an independent who plans to vote Republican – either for Sen. Ted Cruz or Ben Carson.“They’re both brilliant, humble and truthful,” Kowalchek said. “I like Carson’s tax policy of tithing. That’s also in the Torah. I think everyone should contribute something, even the poorest.”The New Hampshire election makes for great political theater not just because of its place on the primary calendar, but because it’s one of the few states where independent voters – known here as undeclared – can vote in either party’s primary (but just one). With more independent voters in New Hampshire than either registered Democrats or Republicans, that can make for an unpredictable result.While many independents vote for their favored candidate, some try to game the system by casting ballots for their opponent of choice – aiming to weaken the political opposition to their favored candidate. Roberta, a Jewish voter in her 60s from Swanzey and one of New Hampshire’s undeclareds, says she likes the Democrats but may cast her vote in the Republican primary to help steer the GOP away from candidates she considers extreme.“I’m not fond of Trump or some of the other leading candidates, so I might vote in the Republican primary,” said Roberta, who asked that her last name not be published to protect her privacy. “In general, I don’t think the Republican candidates reflect the values that I hold. They don’t seem to be open to the needs of ordinary people.”‘Part of me wanted to vote Republican against He Whose Name Must Not Be Spoken’On the Democratic side, Roberta said she has yet to make up her mind between Clinton, whom she considers “eminently qualified” to be president, or Sanders, whom she says is “an eminently honest man.”In interview after interview, Jewish Democrats in New Hampshire leaning toward Sanders cited his authenticity as one of his most appealing characteristics.“I was on the fence between Sanders and Clinton, but after watching the Republican and Democratic debates, the one thing that stood out for me was there was an honest politician and a man of his word on stage, and I haven’t ever seen that,” independent voter Jenny Rosenson said of Sanders.“Part of me wanted to vote Republican against He Whose Name Must Not Be Spoken,” Rosenson said, indicating Trump, “but I think I want to send my vote to the Democratic Party.”Asked if she had any concerns about Sanders’ electability in the general election, Rosenson said, “Does he have a chance? Golly gosh, I don’t think so.”Steve Clayman, a Jewish architect in the Manchester area and a lifelong Democrat, shares that view – which is why he’s planning to vote for Clinton.“I like Bernie Sanders a lot and I would align myself with a lot of his positions, but I just can’t visualize him as a president, and I can’t visualize him winning beyond New Hampshire, Vermont and a few other areas,” Clayman said. “I think Hillary Clinton has the experience in the political arena internationally as well as nationally, and also is politically astute.‘I’m a little bit disappointed that there isn’t a deeper field on the Democratic side’-“I’m a little bit disappointed that there isn’t a deeper field on the Democratic side. If it wasn’t for Bernie being there, the discussion would be pretty limited.”Ron Abramson, a 47-year-old immigration lawyer from Bow, said he’s voting for Sanders – and that his being Jewish has nothing to do with it.“He feels like a conscience that’s been lacking in our political discourse for a while,” Abramson said. “I’m more drawn to the fact that he was a runner in his younger days – I used to be a distance runner – than him being a Jew. Like me, he’s a pretty secular Reform Jew, and like me he didn’t marry a Jew.”Sanders’ wife, Jane, is Roman Catholic. His first wife, whom he divorced in 1966, is Jewish.Joel Funk, a professor of psychology at Plymouth State University, said he’s voting Sanders, too – “not because he’s Jewish, but because his policies are progressive, fair, long overdue and he’s the kind of candidate I feel I can trust.”David Kochman, 60, of Swanzey, who lost his job two years ago after 26 years at Liberty Mutual and has not been employed since, said he’s voting for Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida – in part because of the Republican candidate’s position on Israel.“What I really like about him is his leadership and his temperament,” Kochman said of Rubio. “I think he has got the temperament to be president of the United States. I think it’s good that he’s young, Hispanic, has a nice family. And he’s a lot less divisive, frankly, than either Cruz or Trump.”Kochman said he attended a couple of events with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie but was turned off by his bluster and the so-called Bridgegate scandal in which Christie’s aides shut down traffic lanes to the George Washington Bridge, creating epic gridlock, as political retribution against a local Democratic mayor.“It’s not only what happened, but what he did as a leader that made the people who work for him act that way. I didn’t like it,” Kochman said. “Of course, in New Hampshire we would have just knocked down the barriers and driven right throug
Sanders jubilant after nearly edging out Clinton in Iowa-Jewish Democratic hopeful says ‘political revolution’ has begun; Clinton barely ekes out win, declares victory before results finalized: Cruz trumps Trump-By AFP, AP and Times of Israel staff February 2, 2016, 2:45 pm
Democratic White House hopeful Bernie Sanders told supporters his “virtual tie” in Iowa had “astounded the world” and vowed to repeat the feat again as attention shifted from the US Midwest to New Hampshire.Hillary Clinton narrowly eked out victory in the state, garnering 49.9 percent to Sanders’s 49.6% with 99.9% of precincts in Iowa reporting, but the surprisingly strong showing by the Jewish candidate seemed to put the wind at his back.Sanders was jubilant as he took the stage in a packed hotel ballroom close to Des Moines airport Monday night, where enthusiastic supporters waved signs saying “A future to believe in” and chanting “Bernie! Bernie!”Later on, on his campaign plane, he said, “What Iowa has begun tonight is a political revolution,” the Politico website reported.He said the Iowa results had “kickstarted” his campaign.The result further strengthens Sanders’s hand in the upcoming contest in New Hampshire — which neighbors his Vermont constituency.“The reason that we have done so well here in Iowa, the reason I believe we’re going to do so well in New Hampshire, and in the other states that follow, the reason is, the American people are saying no to a rigged economy,” Sanders said.“We do not represent the interests of the billionaire class, Wall Street or corporate America,” said the self-proclaimed Democratic Socialist.Although Clinton said she was “breathing a big sigh of relief,” and her campaign said it had won an outright victory, the neck-and-neck contest was a blow, evoking the setback she faced in 2008 after her upset loss to then-Sen. Obama. Given the closeness of the Democratic caucuses, the AP did not declare a winner.That did not stop Clinton’s supporters from claiming victory on Tuesday. Matt Paul, Iowa state director for the Hillary for America campaign, said in a statement that “statistically, there is no outstanding information that could change the results and no way that Senator Sanders can overcome Secretary Clinton’s advantage.”The Iowa Democratic Party, however, said the results from one precinct had not yet come in, even as the candidates flew out for New Hampshire.Nearly all the candidates planned to return to New Hampshire by midday Tuesday after hopping overnight flights from Iowa. Voters will hold the first primary of the season here on February 9.Eight years ago, Clinton’s victory in New Hampshire breathed fresh life into her campaign. But New Hampshire is also familiar territory for Sanders, who represents neighboring Vermont in the Senate and is well known among the state’s voters. Sanders’ sizable lead over Clinton in New Hampshire polls has held steady or increased in recent weeks.Benjamin Erkan, a 26-year-old volunteer for Sanders, said the duel with Clinton “wasn’t an uphill battle.”“It was a mountain scaling up a vertical wall with an adversary who had a temperature-controlled escalator, and we met her at the top.”“The main thing Hillary has against us is the false statement that Bernie is not electable.”“Tonight has proven that this is not true.”‘A movement against the Washington cartel’On the Republican side, a victorious Ted Cruz and buoyant Marco Rubio emerged from Iowa with compelling claims to the outsider and mainstream mantles in the fractured Republican primary.Donald Trump, uncharacteristically humble after a second-place Iowa finish, was headed for far friendlier territory in New Hampshire, where the billionaire firebrand had a commanding lead.Amid historically large turnout in Iowa, the unexpected benefactor was Rubio, who came within striking distance of Trump. Republicans had already been looking to New Hampshire to winnow their congested field, and the Florida senator’s strong showing bolsters his case that Republicans should coalesce behind him as the mainstream alternative to the rowdier Trump or Cruz.“We have taken the first step, but an important step, to winning the nomination,” Rubio told supporters in Des Moines.Cruz, the Texas conservative known for his scorched-earth approach to compromise, hoped his triumph in the Iowa caucuses would bolster his standing as the top choice of Republicans seeking an agitator to upend the legacy of eight years under President Barack Obama. Having run a textbook Iowa campaign targeting rural and evangelical voters, Cruz faced a steeper climb in New Hampshire, with its tradition of favoring more mainstream candidates.“We’ve built our campaign as a movement for Americans to organize, rallying and banding together against the disaster of the Washington cartel,” Cruz told The Associated Press as he made his way to New Hampshire.Despite falling short of victory, Trump proved he could transform many of his die-hard fans into actual voters — the key question facing his campaign heading into Monday’s voting. Yet the results raised an equally curious question: how Trump, who’s branded himself as a reliable winner, can handle being a loser.Thanking supporters at a rally, Trump displayed a rare hint of modesty as he congratulated Cruz and the other Republicans.“We finished second, and I want to tell you something: I’m just honored,” Trump said. “We’re just so happy with the way everything worked out.”Behind Trump, who has led by double digits in New Hampshire in recent polls, the GOP race remained hotly contested. Facing dim prospects in Iowa, Chris Christie, John Kasich and Jeb Bush — all current or former governors — were laser-focused on New Hampshire.Those three Republicans were clustered close together with Rubio and Cruz, separated by just a handful of percentage points in a CNN/WMUR poll conducted last week. Yet 6 in 10 Republicans said they hadn’t yet made up their mind, suggesting plenty could change over the next seven days.As the GOP winner in Iowa, Cruz collected at least eight of the state’s 30 Republican delegates, with Trump winning seven and Rubio six. Democrats apportion their delegates differently, and even with no declared winner, the AP awarded Clinton 22 delegates and Sanders 21. The statewide winner will collect the final delegate.New Hampshire’s primary process, in which voters cast ordinary ballots, offers the candidates a more straightforward sprint toward victory than the quixotic Iowa caucuses. But undeclared voters, who make up the largest bloc in New Hampshire, can vote in either party’s primary, infusing the race with an added level of uncertainty. Democrats have 24 delegates at stake in New Hampshire and Republicans have 23.Both parties were offering New Hampshire voters a candidate roster that was shorter than a day earlier. Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, a Democrat, and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, a Republican, both dropped out Monday night following dismal showings in Iowa.Before voters in New Hampshire weigh in, candidates in both parties may have another opportunity to debate. Sanders and Clinton will likely square off Thursday at the University of New Hampshire. The Republicans will meet Saturday in Manchester.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded Sunday to critics charging his government was failing to deal with newly dug tunnels under the Israel-Hamas frontier, threatening to blow up the underground passages if need be.“We are working methodically and calmly against all threats, including threats from Hamas, both with defensive and offensive measures. And of course, in the event we are attacked from tunnels in the Gaza Strip, we will act very forcefully against Hamas, and with much more force than Operation Protective Edge,” Netanyahu told a conference of Israeli diplomats, referring to the 50-day war in the Gaza Strip in 2014.Israel Defense Forces officials and southern residents have expressed concern in recent days that Hamas is rebuilding a series of subterranean passages, used for attacking Israel, which were destroyed during the 2014 war between Israel and Gazan fighters.During that war, Israeli troops uncovered and destroyed dozens of tunnels, but only after Netanyahu approved a ground invasion of the Strip amid heavy pressure from coalition allies to expand what had — to that point — been a ground campaign.Netanyahu, who is also Israel’s foreign minister, told the diplomats that Jerusalem would have international backing for such a move, and warned Hamas not to “try us.”“I think they understand this in the region, understand this in the world,” he continued. “I hope we won’t need to, but our capabilities — both defensive and offensive — are developing rapidly.”Hours earlier, opposition chief Isaac Herzog called for the government to take action and bomb the tunnels, accusing Netanyahu’s cabinet of being “idle” in the face of the Hamas threat.“The political leadership must provide a clear public answer to the citizens. [It must] stop hesitating…. They must instruct the IDF to bomb the tunnels and destroy this threat. Especially if there are tunnels that have already crossed the border into Israel,” Herzog said.“Why are we waiting? For terrorists, with their weapons drawn, to emerge in a kibbutz or a moshav? The prime minister and the defense minister must provide an answer to the citizens.“One day, we’ll wake up and discover that, once again, we underestimated the seriousness of the threat,” Herzog warned. “It will cost us in blood and terrible sorrow.”Last week, a senior defense official said Hamas’s military wing had rehabilitated itself and was ready for a fresh round of hostilities with Israel. Other military leaders have said intensive tunnel rebuilding is underway.On Saturday, the terror group publicized a new video clip, lauding what it called the unknown fighters who are “toiling day and night” to build the attack tunnels.Over the weekend, residents of areas near the Gaza Strip complained that tunnel digging into Israel from the Hamas-run territory has come so close to their homes that it has caused their floors to shake.The head of the Eshkol Regional Council, Gadi Yarkoni, told Israel Radio that many residents have been complaining of hearing — and feeling — increased underground digging activity in recent weeks. In addition, they were disappointed that the IDF has failed to build protective barriers against the cross-border terror tunnels — as it had promised it would after the summer 2014 war in Gaza.Hamas, the Islamist terror group that rules the Gaza Strip, built dozens of tunnels into Israel, many of which were used to carry out attacks against soldiers during the 2014 war. The IDF said it destroyed over 30 tunnels during the war, and some officials said the army was surprised at the extent of the tunnel building.A number of tunnels were used during the war to attack army installations. The IDF later said the tunnels had been dug as part of a plan to carry out a massive attack against an Israeli community, but when war broke out, Hamas fighters abandoned the plot.
At least one killed in another Hamas tunnel collapse-Conflicting reports say as many as four may be dead, several wounded, one week after similar accident kills seven operatives-By Times of Israel staff February 2, 2016, 11:24 pm
At least one person was killed Tuesday evening when a tunnel collapsed in the southern Gaza Strip, according to Palestinian media reports. Some sources put the death toll as high as four.Hamas would not confirm or deny the reports. But the Hamas-run Al-Quds television network identified the fatality as 23-year-old Haider a-Zaher, a Hamas operative.Separately, IDF bulldozers were reportedly digging near the southern edge of the Gaza Strip, near the southern Gazan city of Khan Younis, across the border from the Israeli villages of Nir Oz and Nirim.Last week, seven people were confirmed killed and four were missing after a tunnel collapsed in the Al-Tuffah neighborhood in northeastern Gaza City.That collapse occurred amid heavy winter rain. Hamas accused Israel of causing the collapse by opening dams to flood Gaza with water — an annual claim made by Palestinians and flatly rejected by Israel. There are no dams in southern Israel.In a bid to keep a lid on last week’s disaster, Hamas forbade local media from reporting the incident.The nature of the tunnel that collapsed today was not immediately clear. Hamas has in the past dug cross-border tunnels into Israel in order to stage attacks on civilians and soldiers. Other tunnels are used by the terror group as part of its defensive infrastructure.It has recently been reported that Hamas accelerated its tunnel-digging program.Several days ago, the head of the Eshkol Regional Council, Gadi Yarkoni, told Israel Radio that many residents have been complaining of hearing — and feeling — increased underground digging activity in recent weeks.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders have warned Hamas not to prepare new tunnel attacks, amid a welter of reports that the terror group has been speedily rebuilding its network of cross-border tunnels. It’s former prime minister, Ismail Haniyeh bragged on Friday that Hamas was advancing its terror tunnels and its rocket production ahead of a further conflict with Israel.Hamas has built dozens of tunnels into Israel, many of which were used to carry out attacks during Operation Protective Edge in 2014. The IDF said it destroyed over 30 tunnels during that conflict.The Strip has been subject to a blockade by Israel and Egypt, designed in part to prevent the terror group from importing arms and building new tunnels with imported concrete.Egypt has embarked on a massive campaign aimed at stemming cross-border smuggling between Gaza and Sinai, where it is fighting an insurgency by Islamist militants. The operation has included flooding hundreds of tunnels that once dotted the border region and building a 500-meter-wide buffer zone filled with seawater.Avi Issacharoff contributed to this report.
PROVERBS 14:28,30,31,33-35
28 In the multitude of people is the king’s honour: but in the want of people is the destruction of the prince.
30 A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones.
31 He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker: but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor.
33 Wisdom resteth in the heart of him that hath understanding: but that which is in the midst of fools is made known.
34 Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.
35 The king’s favour is toward a wise servant: but his wrath is against him that causeth shame.
PROVERBS 16:4,9,18-19
4 The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.
9 A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.
18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
19 Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.
Huckabee ends presidential bid after dismal Iowa result-Eight years after winning caucus, former Arkansas governor failed to garner support in crowded GOP field; O’Malley also throws in towel-By AP February 2, 2016, 9:27 am-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
WASHINGTON — Mike Huckabee ended his second campaign for the White House on Monday amid a poor showing in the Iowa caucuses that he won in his first bid eight years ago.The former Arkansas governor and ardent Israel supporter announced his 2016 bid in May in the hometown he shares with former President Bill Clinton, joining what would become a crowded Republican field that included many political newcomers.His campaign failed to take off early on, with candidates like billionaire Donald Trump, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, Senators Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio dominating the race.As caucus results were still streaming in, Huckabee wrote on Twitter that he was “officially suspending my campaign.” He thanked his backers for their loyal support, adding the hashtag #ImWithHuck. Calls to the Huckabee campaign for comment were not immediately returned. I am officially suspending my campaign. Thank you for all your loyal support. #ImWithHucK-— Gov. Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) February 2, 2016-In 2008, he captivated evangelical Republicans but couldn’t build wide enough support to win the Republican nomination. After ending his 2008 campaign, he took up hosting a weekend cable show on FOX News, but then stopped before announcing his latest White House bid.A populist but no Democrat, he did not endorse a minimum-wage increase, instead calling for policies encouraging a “maximum wage” for workers. But he did align himself with labor interests in criticizing “unbalanced trade deals” and describing President Barack Obama’s immigration policy as a way to “import low-wage labor, undercut American workers and drive wages lower than the Dead Sea.”The ordained minister — he was Arkansas Baptist Convention president before getting into politics — has played up the cultural conservatism learned in this small town where many of his relatives — and a few Clinton relatives — still live. He stood by his opposition to abortion rights and same-sex marriage, declaring that “the Supreme Court is not the supreme being, and they cannot overturn the laws of nature or of nature’s God.”Huckabee has boasted that in Arkansas politics, he found success in “challenging the deeply entrenched political machine that ran this state. It was tough sledding, but I learned how to govern and how to lead.” An introductory video about the governor who fought “the Clinton machine” made clear he meant Bill and Hillary. Bill Clinton was governor before Huckabee, while former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is now vying for the Democratic nomination for president.Huckabee, who first visited Israel more than 40 years ago and regularly leads tourist trips to the country, caused an uproar in July 2015 when he accused US President Barack Obama of “marching the Israelis to the doors of the oven” with the Iranian nuclear deal.Tell Congress to do their constitutional duty & reject the Obama-Kerry #IranDeal –> http://t.co/SaIyuq4w01 pic.twitter.com/2rFJgdDHhV-— Gov. Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) July 26, 2015-The accusation drew wide criticism, including from Israel’s Ambassador to the US Ron Dermer who described the comments as “inappropriate.”After a similarly unimpressive showing in the Democratic caucuses, former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley also ended his Democratic presidential campaign Monday midway through vote-counting, terminating a bid that failed to gain traction against rivals Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.O’Malley’s decision to drop out of the race came even before a winner had been declared but as early results showed O’Malley garnering negligible support in the first primary contest.“We fought very, very hard … in order to give the people a choice, and the people have made their choice tonight,” O’Malley told supporters in Des Moines after bowing out Monday.The former two-term governor and Baltimore mayor campaigned as a can-do chief executive who had pushed through key parts of the Democratic agenda in Maryland, including gun control, support for gay marriage and an increase in the minimum wage.Times of Israel contributed to this report.
O’Malley drops out of Democratic race for president-With negligible support in Iowa caucuses, former Maryland governor’s ‘uphill battle’ comes to an end-By Ken Thomas February 2, 2016, 5:44 am-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley ended his Democratic presidential campaign Monday midway through vote-counting in the Iowa caucuses, terminating a bid that failed to gain traction against rivals Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.O’Malley’s decision to drop out of the race came even before a winner had been declared but as early results showed O’Malley garnering negligible support in the first primary contest. His plans were disclosed by two people familiar with his decision, who weren’t authorized to discuss the decision publicly and requested anonymity.The former two-term governor and Baltimore mayor campaigned as a can-do chief executive who had pushed through key parts of the Democratic agenda in Maryland, including gun control, support for gay marriage and an increase in the minimum wage.A veteran of Colorado Sen. Gary Hart’s presidential campaigns in the 1980s, O’Malley sought to portray himself as a fresh face for a party searching for new ideas. He launched some of the toughest critiques of the race, accusing Clinton of being on “three sides” of the gun control debate and offering “weak tea” when it came to policing Wall Street.But the ex-governor struggled to raise money and was mired in single-digit polls for months, despite an active operation in Iowa and New Hampshire. His campaign was forced to accept federal matching funds in the fall and he failed to become Clinton’s chief alternative as Sanders tapped into the party’s liberal base.Along the way, O’Malley’s campaign dealt with poor timing and some bad breaks. His campaign kickoff was complicated by riots in Baltimore after the death of Freddie Gray in police custody, bringing fresh scrutiny of O’Malley’s law enforcement record as the city’s mayor.Jason Yates, a precinct captain Monday night for O’Malley at a caucus site outside Des Moines, said he was disappointed but not surprised.“Pretty uphill battle from the start for him here,” he said.O’Malley performed well in the televised debates but it never amounted to a marked boost in poll numbers or fundraising. He entered the race after Sanders, who quickly generated massive crowds around the country and a loyal following in the early states. Sanders’s appeal with liberals — and his online fundraising machine — gave O’Malley little room to become the face of the party’s smaller anti-Clinton wing.
On to New Hampshire as Cruz beats Trump, Democrats tight-Clinton defeats Sanders by less than three-tenths of 1 percent in contest that showcases voter dissatisfaction on both sides-By AP February 2, 2016, 8:55 pm-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
MANCHESTER, New Hampshire — Republicans and Democrats scrambling for their party’s 2016 nomination for president descended on the tiny New England state of New Hampshire on Tuesday, leaving behind the Iowa caucuses where Ted Cruz, a fiery, conservative Texas senator loathed by his own party’s leaders, swept to victory over billionaire Donald Trump and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio.Among Democrats, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders rode a wave of voter enthusiasm to a virtual tie with Hillary Clinton, long considered her party’s front-runner.With all precincts reporting, Clinton led Sanders by less than three-tenths of 1 percent. The Iowa Democratic Party declared the contest “the closest in Iowa Democratic caucus history.” Sanders did not concede the race to Clinton, and his spokesman Michael Briggs said they were “still assessing” whether to ask for a recount.The outcome in the country’s first nominating contest drew a line under voter dissatisfaction, especially among Republicans, with the way government in Washington operates, with anger over growing income inequality and fears of global turmoil and terrorism.Cruz’s victory in Monday’s caucuses, which drew a record turnout, was a blow to Trump, the real estate mogul who has roiled the Republican field for months with controversial statements about women and minorities.Cruz now heads to next Tuesday’s first-in-the nation primary vote in New Hampshire as an undisputed favorite of the furthest right voters, including evangelical voters and others who prioritize an abrupt break with President Barack Obama’s policies.But Trump still holds a commanding lead in New Hampshire and national polls.New Hampshire has historically favored more moderate candidates than Iowa, and more than 40 percent of the state’s electorate are not registered in any political party, giving them the power to choose which parties’ primary to vote in on Feb. 9.Cruz on Tuesday suggested he was focused on New Hampshire but also on South Carolina, which votes 11 days later.Trump came in second slightly ahead of Rubio, whose stronger-than-expected finish could help cement his status as the favorite of mainstream Republican voters who worry that Cruz and Trump are too caustic to win the November general election.Trump sounded humble in defeat, saying he was “honored” by the support of Iowans. And he vowed to keep up his fight, telling cheering supporters that “we will go on to easily beat Hillary or Bernie or whoever the hell they throw up.”In the Democratic race, Iowa caucus-goers were choosing between Clinton’s pledge to use her wealth of experience in government to bring about steady progress on party ideals and Sanders’s call for radical change in a system rigged against ordinary Americans. Young voters overwhelmingly backed Sanders.Clinton, the former secretary of state, U.S. senator and first lady, was hoping to banish the possibility of dual losses in Iowa and in New Hampshire, where she trails Sanders, who is from neighboring Vermont. Two straight defeats could throw into question her ability to defeat the Republican nominee.Clinton appeared before supporters to declare she was “breathing a big sigh of relief.” She stopped short of claiming victory.Sanders had hoped to replicate Obama’s pathway to the presidency by using a victory in Iowa to catapult his passion and ideals of “democratic socialism” deep into the primaries.Sanders still faces an uphill battle against Clinton, who has deep ties throughout the party’s establishment and a strong following among a more diverse electorate that plays a larger role in primary contests in February and March.Iowa has long led off the state-by-state contests to choose delegates for the parties’ national conventions. Historically, a victory has hardly assured the nomination, but a win or an unexpectedly strong showing can give a candidate momentum, while a poor showing can end a candidacy.Some of the establishment Republican candidates have been focusing more on New Hampshire than Iowa, including former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Ohio Gov. John Kasich and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.The caucuses marked the end of at least two candidates’ White House hopes. Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley ended his longshot bid for the Democratic nomination, and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee dropped out of the Republican race.The state’s 30 Republican delegates to the national convention are awarded proportionally based on the vote, with at least eight delegates going to Cruz, seven to Trump and six to Rubio. Even without a declared winner, The Associated Press awarded all but one of the 44 Democratic convention delegates. Clinton led Sanders 22 to 21, with the remaining delegate to be awarded to the statewide winner.
New Hampshire Jews all over the map ahead of presidential primary-With more independents in the state than either registered Democrats or Republicans, ballot results often surprise-By Uriel Heilman February 2, 2016, 5:29 pm-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
MANCHESTER, New Hampshire (JTA) – Michael Harris probably isn’t your typical New Hampshire Republican.A 71-year-old from Hollis and president of his synagogue in nearby Nashua, Harris isn’t sure who he would support if the general election came down to the two iconoclasts on either side, Donald Trump and Sen. Bernie Sanders.While the brash real estate mogul running as a Republican and the independent lawmaker from Vermont seeking the Democratic nomination might seem like polar opposites, there are a couple of traits they share that appeal to Harris: their independent-mindedness and their New York bona fides – Trump grew up in Queens, Sanders in Brooklyn.“There’s certain basic things about people from New York that they have in common philosophically, like liberalism on social issues,” Harris said. “Trump makes these outlandish comments, but a lot of his policies are sort of similar to Bernie Sanders’ policies. I might support Trump in the primary and Sanders in the general election.”‘Trump makes these outlandish comments, but a lot of his policies are sort of similar to Bernie Sanders’-As the Granite State gears up for the nation’s first presidential primary on February 9, America is paying close attention to the political proclivities of this state’s tiny population of 1.3 million. And like their non-Jewish neighbors, the political leanings of the state’s estimated 10,000 Jews are all over the map.Ken Kowalchek, a Jew from Portsmouth who spent his life in the foreign service until his retirement not long ago, is an independent who plans to vote Republican – either for Sen. Ted Cruz or Ben Carson.“They’re both brilliant, humble and truthful,” Kowalchek said. “I like Carson’s tax policy of tithing. That’s also in the Torah. I think everyone should contribute something, even the poorest.”The New Hampshire election makes for great political theater not just because of its place on the primary calendar, but because it’s one of the few states where independent voters – known here as undeclared – can vote in either party’s primary (but just one). With more independent voters in New Hampshire than either registered Democrats or Republicans, that can make for an unpredictable result.While many independents vote for their favored candidate, some try to game the system by casting ballots for their opponent of choice – aiming to weaken the political opposition to their favored candidate. Roberta, a Jewish voter in her 60s from Swanzey and one of New Hampshire’s undeclareds, says she likes the Democrats but may cast her vote in the Republican primary to help steer the GOP away from candidates she considers extreme.“I’m not fond of Trump or some of the other leading candidates, so I might vote in the Republican primary,” said Roberta, who asked that her last name not be published to protect her privacy. “In general, I don’t think the Republican candidates reflect the values that I hold. They don’t seem to be open to the needs of ordinary people.”‘Part of me wanted to vote Republican against He Whose Name Must Not Be Spoken’On the Democratic side, Roberta said she has yet to make up her mind between Clinton, whom she considers “eminently qualified” to be president, or Sanders, whom she says is “an eminently honest man.”In interview after interview, Jewish Democrats in New Hampshire leaning toward Sanders cited his authenticity as one of his most appealing characteristics.“I was on the fence between Sanders and Clinton, but after watching the Republican and Democratic debates, the one thing that stood out for me was there was an honest politician and a man of his word on stage, and I haven’t ever seen that,” independent voter Jenny Rosenson said of Sanders.“Part of me wanted to vote Republican against He Whose Name Must Not Be Spoken,” Rosenson said, indicating Trump, “but I think I want to send my vote to the Democratic Party.”Asked if she had any concerns about Sanders’ electability in the general election, Rosenson said, “Does he have a chance? Golly gosh, I don’t think so.”Steve Clayman, a Jewish architect in the Manchester area and a lifelong Democrat, shares that view – which is why he’s planning to vote for Clinton.“I like Bernie Sanders a lot and I would align myself with a lot of his positions, but I just can’t visualize him as a president, and I can’t visualize him winning beyond New Hampshire, Vermont and a few other areas,” Clayman said. “I think Hillary Clinton has the experience in the political arena internationally as well as nationally, and also is politically astute.‘I’m a little bit disappointed that there isn’t a deeper field on the Democratic side’-“I’m a little bit disappointed that there isn’t a deeper field on the Democratic side. If it wasn’t for Bernie being there, the discussion would be pretty limited.”Ron Abramson, a 47-year-old immigration lawyer from Bow, said he’s voting for Sanders – and that his being Jewish has nothing to do with it.“He feels like a conscience that’s been lacking in our political discourse for a while,” Abramson said. “I’m more drawn to the fact that he was a runner in his younger days – I used to be a distance runner – than him being a Jew. Like me, he’s a pretty secular Reform Jew, and like me he didn’t marry a Jew.”Sanders’ wife, Jane, is Roman Catholic. His first wife, whom he divorced in 1966, is Jewish.Joel Funk, a professor of psychology at Plymouth State University, said he’s voting Sanders, too – “not because he’s Jewish, but because his policies are progressive, fair, long overdue and he’s the kind of candidate I feel I can trust.”David Kochman, 60, of Swanzey, who lost his job two years ago after 26 years at Liberty Mutual and has not been employed since, said he’s voting for Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida – in part because of the Republican candidate’s position on Israel.“What I really like about him is his leadership and his temperament,” Kochman said of Rubio. “I think he has got the temperament to be president of the United States. I think it’s good that he’s young, Hispanic, has a nice family. And he’s a lot less divisive, frankly, than either Cruz or Trump.”Kochman said he attended a couple of events with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie but was turned off by his bluster and the so-called Bridgegate scandal in which Christie’s aides shut down traffic lanes to the George Washington Bridge, creating epic gridlock, as political retribution against a local Democratic mayor.“It’s not only what happened, but what he did as a leader that made the people who work for him act that way. I didn’t like it,” Kochman said. “Of course, in New Hampshire we would have just knocked down the barriers and driven right throug
Sanders jubilant after nearly edging out Clinton in Iowa-Jewish Democratic hopeful says ‘political revolution’ has begun; Clinton barely ekes out win, declares victory before results finalized: Cruz trumps Trump-By AFP, AP and Times of Israel staff February 2, 2016, 2:45 pm
Democratic White House hopeful Bernie Sanders told supporters his “virtual tie” in Iowa had “astounded the world” and vowed to repeat the feat again as attention shifted from the US Midwest to New Hampshire.Hillary Clinton narrowly eked out victory in the state, garnering 49.9 percent to Sanders’s 49.6% with 99.9% of precincts in Iowa reporting, but the surprisingly strong showing by the Jewish candidate seemed to put the wind at his back.Sanders was jubilant as he took the stage in a packed hotel ballroom close to Des Moines airport Monday night, where enthusiastic supporters waved signs saying “A future to believe in” and chanting “Bernie! Bernie!”Later on, on his campaign plane, he said, “What Iowa has begun tonight is a political revolution,” the Politico website reported.He said the Iowa results had “kickstarted” his campaign.The result further strengthens Sanders’s hand in the upcoming contest in New Hampshire — which neighbors his Vermont constituency.“The reason that we have done so well here in Iowa, the reason I believe we’re going to do so well in New Hampshire, and in the other states that follow, the reason is, the American people are saying no to a rigged economy,” Sanders said.“We do not represent the interests of the billionaire class, Wall Street or corporate America,” said the self-proclaimed Democratic Socialist.Although Clinton said she was “breathing a big sigh of relief,” and her campaign said it had won an outright victory, the neck-and-neck contest was a blow, evoking the setback she faced in 2008 after her upset loss to then-Sen. Obama. Given the closeness of the Democratic caucuses, the AP did not declare a winner.That did not stop Clinton’s supporters from claiming victory on Tuesday. Matt Paul, Iowa state director for the Hillary for America campaign, said in a statement that “statistically, there is no outstanding information that could change the results and no way that Senator Sanders can overcome Secretary Clinton’s advantage.”The Iowa Democratic Party, however, said the results from one precinct had not yet come in, even as the candidates flew out for New Hampshire.Nearly all the candidates planned to return to New Hampshire by midday Tuesday after hopping overnight flights from Iowa. Voters will hold the first primary of the season here on February 9.Eight years ago, Clinton’s victory in New Hampshire breathed fresh life into her campaign. But New Hampshire is also familiar territory for Sanders, who represents neighboring Vermont in the Senate and is well known among the state’s voters. Sanders’ sizable lead over Clinton in New Hampshire polls has held steady or increased in recent weeks.Benjamin Erkan, a 26-year-old volunteer for Sanders, said the duel with Clinton “wasn’t an uphill battle.”“It was a mountain scaling up a vertical wall with an adversary who had a temperature-controlled escalator, and we met her at the top.”“The main thing Hillary has against us is the false statement that Bernie is not electable.”“Tonight has proven that this is not true.”‘A movement against the Washington cartel’On the Republican side, a victorious Ted Cruz and buoyant Marco Rubio emerged from Iowa with compelling claims to the outsider and mainstream mantles in the fractured Republican primary.Donald Trump, uncharacteristically humble after a second-place Iowa finish, was headed for far friendlier territory in New Hampshire, where the billionaire firebrand had a commanding lead.Amid historically large turnout in Iowa, the unexpected benefactor was Rubio, who came within striking distance of Trump. Republicans had already been looking to New Hampshire to winnow their congested field, and the Florida senator’s strong showing bolsters his case that Republicans should coalesce behind him as the mainstream alternative to the rowdier Trump or Cruz.“We have taken the first step, but an important step, to winning the nomination,” Rubio told supporters in Des Moines.Cruz, the Texas conservative known for his scorched-earth approach to compromise, hoped his triumph in the Iowa caucuses would bolster his standing as the top choice of Republicans seeking an agitator to upend the legacy of eight years under President Barack Obama. Having run a textbook Iowa campaign targeting rural and evangelical voters, Cruz faced a steeper climb in New Hampshire, with its tradition of favoring more mainstream candidates.“We’ve built our campaign as a movement for Americans to organize, rallying and banding together against the disaster of the Washington cartel,” Cruz told The Associated Press as he made his way to New Hampshire.Despite falling short of victory, Trump proved he could transform many of his die-hard fans into actual voters — the key question facing his campaign heading into Monday’s voting. Yet the results raised an equally curious question: how Trump, who’s branded himself as a reliable winner, can handle being a loser.Thanking supporters at a rally, Trump displayed a rare hint of modesty as he congratulated Cruz and the other Republicans.“We finished second, and I want to tell you something: I’m just honored,” Trump said. “We’re just so happy with the way everything worked out.”Behind Trump, who has led by double digits in New Hampshire in recent polls, the GOP race remained hotly contested. Facing dim prospects in Iowa, Chris Christie, John Kasich and Jeb Bush — all current or former governors — were laser-focused on New Hampshire.Those three Republicans were clustered close together with Rubio and Cruz, separated by just a handful of percentage points in a CNN/WMUR poll conducted last week. Yet 6 in 10 Republicans said they hadn’t yet made up their mind, suggesting plenty could change over the next seven days.As the GOP winner in Iowa, Cruz collected at least eight of the state’s 30 Republican delegates, with Trump winning seven and Rubio six. Democrats apportion their delegates differently, and even with no declared winner, the AP awarded Clinton 22 delegates and Sanders 21. The statewide winner will collect the final delegate.New Hampshire’s primary process, in which voters cast ordinary ballots, offers the candidates a more straightforward sprint toward victory than the quixotic Iowa caucuses. But undeclared voters, who make up the largest bloc in New Hampshire, can vote in either party’s primary, infusing the race with an added level of uncertainty. Democrats have 24 delegates at stake in New Hampshire and Republicans have 23.Both parties were offering New Hampshire voters a candidate roster that was shorter than a day earlier. Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, a Democrat, and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, a Republican, both dropped out Monday night following dismal showings in Iowa.Before voters in New Hampshire weigh in, candidates in both parties may have another opportunity to debate. Sanders and Clinton will likely square off Thursday at the University of New Hampshire. The Republicans will meet Saturday in Manchester.
