Saudi Arabia launches ferocious state media attack on Benjamin Netanyahu

Onslaught points to growing frustration in Gulf state’s royal court with Israeli prime minister and war in Gaza

The unusually hostile barrage, which could only have been published with authorities’ approval, came after US and Israeli officials talked up the prospects of Saudi Arabia normalising relations with Israel, despite Riyadh’s insistence that this would depend on the establishment of a Palestinian state.

The onslaught was triggered by Netanyahu joking in an interview last week about creating a Palestinian state in Saudi Arabia.

After a presenter at Israel’s Channel 14 mistakenly said there would be no progress in normalising relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel without the establishment of a Saudi state, Netanyahu corrected him by saying: “[You mean] a Palestinian state”.

“Unless you want the Palestinian state to be in Saudi Arabia,” he added. “They have a lot of territory.”

State media responded ferociously, reflecting anger that has simmered for months among senior officials and the public.

A report on state news channel Al Ekhbariya pointedly described Netanyahu as a “Zionist and the son of a Zionist . . . who inherited extremism in his genes”. It added: “Occupation does not have a good face or an ugly face. It has only one face and it is Benjamin Netanyahu.”

The Saudi-owned Al Arabiya channel aired a talk show in which the presenter raised questions about Netanyahu’s mental state. “Maybe it was a case of hallucination?” the anchor asked.

A columnist for the Okaz daily called the Israeli prime minister’s comments “silly and ridiculous”, while pro-government pundits on social media called Netanyahu the “rotten one”, a wordplay on his name in Arabic.

Saudi Arabian anger has been thrust into the open as Riyadh is expected to face pressure from US President Donald Trump to normalise relations with Israel. Like other Arab states, the kingdom has also been rattled by Trump’s insistence that Palestinians should be forced out of Gaza.

https://archive.is/2025.02.13-150620/https:/www.ft.com/content/be852fec-d1df-4131-9e3f-23b1a0897f5b#selection-2363.0-2415.283

State Department scrubs Tesla from a $400M contract after Musk scrutiny. The contract originated under Biden, yet media spin suggests Trump ties.

Biden’s State Department quietly erased Tesla from a $400M armored EV contract. This was never a Trump deal—Biden’s administration planned it, then panicked when Musk aligned with Trump. Political retribution disguised as procurement policy.

Tesla, owned by Elon Musk, expressed interest in the $400 million contract in May 2024, during Joe Biden’s presidency. The deal with Tesla was anticipated to be the largest contract of the year before being put on hold. This showcases the significant influence and financial benefits that Musk’s companies have garnered from federal contracts over the years.

After reports of a potential conflict of interest surfaced, given Musk’s prominent role in the Trump administration, the State Department updated the procurement document. The mention of Tesla was removed, and the line item was changed to “Armored Electric Vehicles.” This change was made to ensure a more competitive and transparent procurement process.

Elon Musk’s companies have a history of securing substantial federal funds. Since 2008, SpaceX has received nearly $20 billion in federal funds to transport astronauts and satellites into space. Additionally, Tesla had already secured $41.9 million from the U.S. government, which included payment for vehicles provided to U.S. embassies.

The procurement process for the $400 million contract is currently on hold. The State Department is reassessing the situation to ensure fairness and transparency in the awarding of such substantial contracts. The revised line item now opens the door for other manufacturers of armored electric vehicles to participate in the bidding process once it resumes.

https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-tesla-biden-federal-contract-electric-vehicles-donald-trump-f8f5b07d03f6e0c9d072abd69feedec4

https://www.foxbusiness.com/media/state-department-omits-armored-tesla-mention-from-its-2025-budget-procurement

https://time.com/7221880/state-department-2025-procurement-forecast-tesla-armored-electric-vehicles-musk/

3 arrested in Moldova for links with the Wagner Group

Moldavan authorities raided over 50 locations connected to suspected members of the paramilitary group linked with war crimes against Ukrainians

An operation by the Moldavan and Ukrainian national authorities, supported by Europol’s Core International Crimes team, targeted individuals suspected of having taken part in the war of aggression against Ukraine as mercenaries for the Wagner Group. The investigation, led by the Ukrainian Police, involved the Moldavan Police and the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine and the Prosecutor's Office for Combating Organised Crime and Special Cases of Moldova.

The investigation has so far identified 85 individuals linked to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. The National Police of Ukraine has opened a special criminal case, which contains information about the recruitment, training, financing, and the use of the alleged mercenaries in combat actions against Ukraine. This information has been shared with authorities in Moldova, where new preliminary investigations have been initiated.

The action days on 12 and 13 February 2025 led to:

Over 50 locations searched in Moldova;

3 arrests in Moldova;

Seizures, including documents, electronic equipment, video material and picture evidence.

The seizures made during the raids include a large number of documents, pictures and video material, which attest to the recruitment and conditions of service within the Wagner Group private military company and illustrate the involvement of the suspects in military actions in the territory of Ukraine. The individuals, all Moldavan nationals, allegedly participated in the occupation of the city of Bakhmut, the battle for Donetsk Airport, the creation of the Debaltsevo cauldron within the Wagner paramilitary group, the Somali battalion and other armed formations of the self-proclaimed Donetsk Republic and Russia. Investigative information shows that the investigated individuals have been awarded medals and decorations by the military leadership of the Russian forces in the occupied territories.

Europol supported the investigation by facilitating information exchange, coordinating operational activities and providing specialised analytical support focussed on the potential involvement of these individuals into war crimes committed in Ukraine. On the action days, Europol established a virtual command point to streamline communication between involved authorities and enhance field operations by cross-checking real-time operational data against its databases.

See more about the operation in this video by the the National Police of Ukraine:

https://youtu.be/XnKK-0EIays

https://www.europol.europa .eu/media-press/newsroom/news/3-arrested-in-moldova-for-links-wagner-group

Former Georgia Poll Worker Pleads Guilty to Bomb Threat of Voting Location

https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdga/pr/former-georgia-poll-worker-pleads-guilty-bomb-threat-voting-location

Religious Zionist Rabbis bless Trump as "God's Messenger" - Israel365 News

https://israel365news.com/400378/religious-zionist-rabbis-bless-trump-as-gods-messenger/

Sanhedrin Letter to Trump: "You have been elected to fulfill a heavenly mission" - Israel365 News

The Sanhedrin called on the President to establish an International Divine Court for all nations.

This refers to the president announcing last week at the National Prayer Breakfast that he would create a White House Faith Office headed by Pastor Paula White. – (Trump appoints circus clown to White House Faith Office)

"The First Commandment and the Seven Laws of Noah"

A Call to Establish an International Divine Court - IDC

https://israel365news.com/400368/sanhedrin-letter-to-trump-you-have-been-elected-to-fulfill-a-heavenly-mission/

For Israelis, 'From the River to the Sea' Is a Reality. For Palestinians, It's a Crime

It is nonsensical, and hypocritical, to arrest or accuse Palestinians of promoting the ideology of 'From the river to the sea,' while in Israel, school maps don't show the Green Line and the government is advancing full annexation

The great existential threat of Palestinians against Israel is back. A children's coloring book with the title "From the River to the Sea" leaves no doubt: Palestinians want all of the land, and they want to destroy Israel. The book is incontrovertible evidence that they incite their children to this aim of destruction and therefore they must never, ever have a state of their own.

So goes widespread sentiment in Israel, following the arrest of booksellers Mahmoud and Ahmed Muna of the Educational Bookshop in Jerusalem earlier this week.

The police first accused them of selling material involving incitement to terror. But having failed to produce evidence, they later reduced their claims to "public disturbance." But lack of evidence even for that led to the brothers' release after two nights in jail rather than the eight the police had requested. Disclosure: Mahmoud is a colleague and a friend – a thoughtful, sharp, warm, sensitive and welcoming bookstore owner. Images of him and Ahmed in handcuffs are shocking.

Apparently this needs to be said again: Israeli Jews are the last people on Earth who can complain about Palestinian longing for the land from the river to the sea. The State of Israel is the mother of "river to the sea" – using graphic rather than geographic language. It is nearly impossible to find a map in any public space in Israel today, from official maps to public art and iconography, showing the Green Line that would delineate a hypothetical Palestinian state. Maps in Israel show the whole land, undivided – in effect, erasing Palestinian political and national identity.

A private collection of snapshots I've taken around the country or captured from the internet tells a story as clearly as a coloring book: a Judaica shop down the block in Tel Aviv has a blue-glass standing object for your coffee table shaped like the map of Eretz Israel – no Green Line blemish. A charging stand for electric cars in Haifa displays a map of its stations spread generously throughout the Land of Israel – a single unit from the river to the sea (thanks to my partners in this project who snapped the shot).

Open gallery view

https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2025-02-13/ty-article/.premium/for-israelis-from-the-river-to-the-sea-is-a-reality-for-palestinians-its-a-crime/00000194-ff23-d1d7-a9d5-ff677aae0000

REVEALED: Trudeau dumping $573,500,000 into offshore 'gender-responsive' economic development and climate initiatives

Canadian Taxpayers Federation releases bombshell information

Franco Terrazzano, federal director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, would say yes. Terrazzano released a series of bombshell tweets revealing extreme waste in Ottawa.

"Global Affairs Canada (is doling) out $223 million to the "private sector" in South America for climate change mitigation and gender-responsive, sustainable economic development," he wrote on X.

"Global Affairs Canada (also) doles out $350 million in corporate welfare to the private sector in Asia to develop low carbon and climate-resilient initiatives and advance gender equality in the region."

Other wasteful spending in Ottawa includes Global Affairs Canada spending a significant sum on a sex toy show in Germany, and funding discussions on seniors' sex lives abroad.

https://www.westernstandard.news/news/revealed-trudeau-dumping-573500000-into-offshore-gender-responsive-economic-development-and-climate-initiatives/62181

Over 500 COVID studies retracted for 'unreliable' information: watchdog

More than 500 studies on COVID-19 have been withdrawn due to “bias,” “unreliable” information, or unspecified reasons, a blog that tracks retracted documents, found.

Retraction Watch co-founder Ivan Oransky told The College Fix via phone interview one reason for the high number of retractions is the academic system’s incentive structure which pressures researchers to rapidly produce studies and get them peer reviewed as quickly as possible.

“Why do they feel the need to rush papers through? Well, it’s because that’s how they get or keep their jobs, that’s how they get grants, everything is based on that,” he said.

“When you know that your whole career depends on publishing papers in particular journals, you’re going to do what you have to do to publish those papers. Most of the time that means you work hard, you hire the smart grad students and postdocs,” he said.

Oransky also said researchers may feel “too desperate” or that “incentives are so stark” that there’s no “humanly possible way” to do it. “So you start engaging in misconduct,” he said.

The articles in the list pertain to risk factors related to COVID-19 vaccines and various alternative treatments for the disease.

“It’s really a range of everything from essays to big clinical trials,” he said.

Oransky pointed The Fix to one of his research letters examining the differences between retractions of COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 related research papers.

The results showed that papers on COVID-19 had a higher likelihood of being retracted or withdrawn within the first six months of publication and that they were more likely removed “without detailed explanation or for non-misconduct-related concerns.”

He said retracting papers is not necessarily a bad thing, as it can correct information that was potentially wrong or misleading. Ensuring clear and concise reasoning for retractions is crucial, he told The Fix.

https://www.thecollegefix.com/over-500-covid-studies-retracted-for-unreliable-information-watchdog/

State Bills Grant Pfizer-Style Immunity to Pesticide Manufacturers That Give People Cancer

This week in “government by special interest,” flyover country is awash in agricultural chemicals — and it’s only going to get flooded harder in the near future if a raft of proposed legislation is any indication.

Glyphosate (aka Roundup), formerly sold by Monsanto and now owned by foreign multinational agrichemical company Bayer, is one of the easier problems to solve on the contamination front in that it mercifully only remains in plant tissues for a decade or more.

Via Forest Ecology and Management (emphasis added):

“We collected plant tissues from five forest understory perennial species growing in two distinct biogeoclimatic regions of northern BC to map out how glyphosate residue quantities change over time according to species, plant tissue type, and climate regime. We found that residues persisted for up to 12 years in some tissue types, and that root tissues generally retained glyphosate residues longer than shoot tissue types.”

What’s a dozen years of pesticide contamination here or there among friends?

Iowa Senate Study Bill 1051 — one example out of dozens currently proposed in various state legislatures — would make it just a little bit easier for these agri-chemical corporations to get away with, potentially, murder:

“[The bill] provides for a defense from civil liability associated with the use of pesticides that are registered with the United States environmental protection agency (EPA)… The label is sufficient to satisfy any requirements for a warning or label under Code Chapter 206… or any other common law duty to warn.”

How Democracy™ works:

Slap a tiny label no one is going to read on your techno-toxin, hide behind the veil of authority of the EPA, and you too can get off scot-free with slaughtering and maiming the peasants with the state seal of approval — provided, obviously, that you have enough cash on hand to divvy out to legislators.

Related: SHOCKER: Bill Gates Met With Trump, Pressured Him Not to Investigate Vaccine Safety

They don’t have licenses to kill out like candy.

Something, though, in the Iowa environment has been handing cancer out like candy.

Via The Gazette (Iowa) (emphasis added):

“Fifty years after Iowa began collecting and analyzing data on residents diagnosed with cancer through its Iowa Cancer Registry, statistics reveal Iowa has the second-highest cancer incidence rate in the nation…

With cancer registries now in 50 states, Iowa tops most in incidence of at least eight types of cancer — ranking first nationally in oral pharynx cancer diagnoses; second in leukemia; fifth in melanoma; and sixth in Non-Hodgkin lymphoma.”

Via The Gazette (Iowa) (emphasis added):

“Iowa’s stubbornly-high cancer rate can’t be blamed on just one thing, but oncologists and public health researchers agree it’s time to look more closely at Iowa’s top industry to see how it might be contributing.

“If you did an aerial map of Iowa, we are — river to river and north to south — a bath of ag chemicals: herbicides, pesticides, fertilizers, nitrates,” Dr. Richard Deming, a Des Moines oncologist, said at The Gazette’s Iowa Ideas conference last fall.

“We’re not yet at the point where we can say what every single chemical that ultimately gets into our water supply (or) onto our skin causes, but when you look at the amount of ag chemicals Iowans are exposed to compared to other states, I suspect that we’ll find that might also be one of the contributing factors.””

My best guess — and my hope — is that these corporations are threatened, for the first time perhaps ever, by an ascendent RFK Jr. MAHA regulatory machine that appears, at least in rhetoric, to be hostile to the forces that have sickened and killed Americans with impunity for decades.

https://youtu.be/QWM_PgnoAtA

https://armageddonprose.substack.com/p/state-bills-grant-pfizer-style-immunity

>>22583249

6 gorillion

AUS MSM Busted staging fake Antisemitism piece

News Corp publication the Daily Telegraph says an apparent undercover stunt "could have been better handled" after it led to an altercation in a Sydney cafe.

Ofir Birenbaum, a prominent member of Sydney's Jewish community, appeared to be accompanied by senior Daily Telegraph journalist Danielle Gusmaroli and a photographer to the Cairo Takeaway, a popular Egyptian restaurant on Enmore Road in Newtown, on Tuesday.

In CCTV obtained by 9News, Birenbaum, wearing a white Star of David cap and video camera-equipped glasses, can be seen entering the venue and ordering a hibiscus tea.

According to a chef at the cafe, Birenbaum allegedly made a provocative comment.

As he reached the door, it is alleged he asked a staff member if his presence was upsetting them because he was Jewish.

It's alleged the exchange then led to a verbal altercation between cafe staff, onlookers, Birenbaum and the newspaper's crew, who soon made an exit.

One woman began filming the newspaper team and Birenbaum, at one point saying: "You picked the wrong restaurant to f-- try this shit in."

A leaked planning document reveals the stunt was part of a story about "what it's like being Jewish in Sydney", the Sydney Morning Herald and Crikey have reported.

9News understands the Daily Telegraph also approached a Jewish organisation to partake in the story, but they declined.

The restaurant's owner Hesham El Masry called police but after a three-day investigation, it was decided no crime had been committed.

Cairo Takeaway has posted pro-Palestine messages on its social media accounts and its exterior features a mural of a fist in the Palestinian flag's colours by prominent street artist Scottie Marsh.

"We are a small community restaurant," El Masry said.

"We accept everyone into our restaurant and respect all walks of life."

This afternoon, the Daily Telegraph's editor Ben English said the publication "never intended to provoke an incident".

"Like other media the Daily Telegraph has been reporting on the rise of antisemitism and investigating how it is affecting the daily lives of Jewish people in Sydney," English said.

"The Telegraph never intended to provoke an incident at the Cairo Takeaway restaurant in Enmore, which was one of multiple venues across Sydney we visited, nor to report that its staff are antisemitic.

"The Daily Telegraph acknowledges our approach could have been better handled."

Birenbaum has not responded to a 9News request for comment.

https://www.9news.com.au/national/daily-telegraphs-undercover-stunt-at-sydney-cafe-causes-stir/fbc61790-9f45-47bf-86c2-01368126df2e