garybaumgarten

Journalist for more than 5 decades. Opinions mine alone. Avid documentary photographer. You can check out my photos here

[garybaumgarten @garybaumgarten]

So here’s an update on that ceasefire agreement with regard to Lebanon.

Recall that yesterday the United States, Israel and Lebanon issued a joint statement announcing a ceasefire, contingent upon Hezbollah laying down its arms.

Well, Sky News is now reporting Hezbollah is rejecting the overture.

What does this mean? If Hezbollah continues firing into Israel, will the IDF launch a full court press on the terrorist group’s Lebanese enclaves? Or will President Trump tell Israel to take some hits for fear if they defend themselves Iran will make good on its threat to walk away from negotiations with the U.S. ?

All this is putting a strain on U.S.-Israeli relations as the president has now substantiated the Axios and ABC reporting of Trump’s obscene laden contentious conversation with Netanyahu after he’d ordered the IDF to advance on those Beirut Hezbollah targets.

Imagine if terrorists were firing rockets and drones into the United States from Canada or Mexico. Would any president exercise the same restraint Trump demands of Netanyahu?

[garybaumgarten @garybaumgarten]

A second Truth Social posting on the same topic from the president:

There’s BIG cheating by the Dumocrats in California. Votes are all tied up. May not be in for weeks. Under investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles. Why the vote counting DELAY??? President DJT

[garybaumgarten @garybaumgarten]

The president is out with this Truth Social posting in which he accuses the Democrats of attempting to steal elections in California:

The Dumocrats are at it again! They are trying to STEAL THE GOVERNOR OF CALIFORNIA PRIMARY, AND THE MAYOR OF LOS ANGELES, PRIMARY, AWAY FROM TWO GREAT REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES. Here we go with the very late and massive numbers of MAIL IN BALLOTS

I imagine this will be an administration talking point that will be oft repeated.

[garybaumgarten @garybaumgarten]

New York City is home to the largest population of Jews outside of Israel. But many New York Jews say, for the first time, they don't feel safe here.

Many people claim that Mayor Mamdani makes the city less safe for them. I don't know if that's a fair criticism. He has an extremely competent police commissioner who happens to be Jewish. It seems to me that she's doing all in her power to protect all faith communities, possibly with special concern for Jews, because, statistically, we are the victims of hate crimes at a disproportionate rate compared to other targeted groups. (I say this not to minimize attacks against others. All hate crimes are heinous).

Here are the latest statistics. Then I want to speak briefly about a recent attack on a Jewish woman on a New York subway.

The NYPD says anti-Jewish incidents increased 46 percent last month as compared with the previous three. With 41 confirmed hate crimes targeting Jews. That's an average of one antisemitic hate crime every 18 hours.

But now I want to highlight one such attack that took place just this past Sunday.

A 23-year-old Orthodox Jewish nurse was riding the subway when, cops say, she was approached by a 34-year-old woman who, initially verbally assaulted her with blood libels like "Jews are eating kids." That eventually accelerated into the woman grabbing the nurse by the throat, first by one hand and then by both, strangling her. The victim, who is a mere 5-foot-3 says it took sometime before anyone intervened, which is as disturbing as the attack itself. Eventually the assailant let go of her throat and grabbed her hair, pulling out a fist full.

At the next station the nurse ran to the cops for help while someone hit the emergency stop on the subway making her assailant easy for police officers to arrest.

These are the realities of Jewish life in the diaspora today. Similar reports come in on a daily basis from places like Toronto and London, for example.

What's perhaps most disappointing to me is that when posting about this, invariably the Jew haters online suddenly appear. With additional hateful rhetoric and, sometimes even threats.

[garybaumgarten @garybaumgarten]

Hezbollah is coming under increased political pressure designed to isolate the terrorist organization.

The United States, Israel and Lebanon have issued a joint statement indicating that a ceasefire is contingent on Hezbollah putting down its arms and evacuating its operatives from the enclave they control in Lebanon.

This is significant because it indicates that any further military action would be the result of Hezbollah’s actions. And it implies that any action by the Israelis alone or with others would be condoned by the government of Lebanon.

This, of course, sends a completely different message than the one President Trump sent when he told Netanyahu to turn around troops advancing on Beirut. But for the moment, it seems like the fate of Lebanon is largely in the hands of Hezbollah.

[garybaumgarten @garybaumgarten]

He's a trauma surgeon. But he was once a witness for a terrorist. And now, he is a nominated candidate for the United States Congress.

Dr. Adam Hamawy, who testified on behalf of the Blind Sheik in the first World Trade Center bombing case, wins a crowded primary to take the Democratic nomination in New Jersey's 12th Congressional District.

The political novice ran away with a wide lead in a field of 12. It was a race that was boosted by the endorsements of a host of progressive members of Congress, led by Senator Bernie Sanders. Some of the other notable congressmembers lending their support were Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, Alexandria Ocascio-Cortez, Pramila Jaypal, Ro Khanna and former Congressman Keith Ellison.

It makes one wonder the direction the party is taking. A direction that many people embrace as a populous approach. But others view with concern and trepidation. Especially many Jewish voters who feel less than protected these days.

I know little about Dr. Hamway, except what I've read. I've read that he's an Army veteran and an opponent of the war in Gaza. I've read that the plastic surgeon served as a trauma surgeon n Gaza. I've also read that he is a staunch critic of Israel.

I've also read that his campaign has ducked questions about his past association with a known terrorist. Calling them "gross and bigoted."

That response concerns me. The campaign and the candidate may want to put that aspect of his life behind him. But the questions, posed by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, are legitimate and deserve a forthright answer.

Hamawy will face Republican Gregg Mele, who ran unopposed in his party’s primary.

[garybaumgarten @garybaumgarten]

It’s interesting, isn’t it, that when Israel announced plans to attack a Hezbollah stronghold in Beirut, Iran immediately threatened to suspend peace talks with the United States. But then, the very next day, they launched attacks against two Arab neighbors, Kuwait and Bahrain.

They also launched attacks on ships in the region.

U.S. CENTCOM says the United States was able to blow the Iranian missiles and drones from the sky. The U.S. then launched what it is terming defensive attacks on an Iranian military ground control station.

There seems to be a double standard here. If Israel breaks a cease fire, Iran will threaten to walk away from negotiations. But if Iran breaks a ceasefire it’s just Iran being Iran. And the beat goes on.

[garybaumgarten @garybaumgarten]

Once again President Trump is suggesting that a deal with Iran is close at hand. Perhaps just a week away. But there's a danger in embracing such optimism. I can say that with a degree of assurance based on how many times we've been told we're "close." (I say this with regret, I hope I'm wrong and the president's assessment is on target).

This upbeat prognostication by the president is nothing new. In fact, it actually dates back to his first term in office. When he told us we were close to an historic deal with Iran.

As far back as May, 2018, when Trump withdrew from the JCPOA, he was making such declarations. Saying Iran would be forced to negotiate a "much better, much fairer deal."

You'll recall that last year the president kicked off negotiations with Iran in which he imposed a 60 day deadline to reach a final nuclear peace deal. Suggesting this was something highly achievable during that window.

More recently, on May 23rd, Trump announced a deal was "largely negotiated." Days later, he said negotiations were "proceeding nicely." And now, again, he's suggesting a deal could be imminent.

I'm not certain why he's making these pronouncements and on what basis they are being made. Iran certainly hasn't publicly matched his assessment.

Perhaps he's a believer in the power of positive thinking. Some people believe that works. But can we bank on it?

I hope so. But history has shown us we probably cannot.

[garybaumgarten @garybaumgarten]

Some good news from Newark, NJ this past overnight.

The cops outnumbered the protesters and when the 9 pm curfew arrived, officers were able get those gathered to disperse without incident.

This is in contrast with weekend clashes between demonstrators and police. Several of those arrested had traveled long distances to participate in the demonstration outside an ICE detention facility were, it is alleged, detainees are being held in substandard conditions.

Earlier, demonstrators taunted a Newark city councilwoman who had gone to the scene to express support for the demonstrators but also to implore them to protest peacefully.

[garybaumgarten @garybaumgarten]

You'd think that if there was one area at the Pentagon where the press would be welcomed it would be the press office. But if you thought that, you'd be wrong.

That's because the Pentagon's acting press secretary has declared the press office a classified space no longer accessible to journalists.

The reasoin given: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's speech writers now share the space. And they, the Pentagon says, handle classifed material.

[garybaumgarten @garybaumgarten]

Apparently I missed something over the weekend in Newark New Jersey.

I wasn’t outside Delaney Hall, the location of the anti-ICE demonstrations. But I did review video from the event and the subsequent confrontations between demonstrators and law enforcement.

As best as I can determine, based on videos, live feeds and on scene reporting, a relatively calm situation turned sour when provocateurs in the crowd rushed ICE officers and/or state troopers. But my perspective isn’t aligned with that of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka. He has directed the Newark police to take control, starting tonight. Proclaiming they will use community policing techniques to protect the demonstrators. Notably adding that over the weekend, “the police tactics were overly aggressive, unnecessary and in some cases unconstitutional.”

He is also extending, indefinitely, the 9 pm curfew in the area of the ICE detention center.

It will be interesting to see if this overture pacifies those who were aggressive toward the police. And if it doesn’t, whether the Newark cops will act in the same fashion as did ICE officers and state troopers, especially if the curfew is, once again, defied.

[garybaumgarten @garybaumgarten]

And to further complicate matters...

While Iran announced via its state media that talks had broken off, President Trump says otherwise. Posting to Truth Social, "Talks are continuing, at a rapid pace, with the Islamic Republic of Iran."

Of course, we receive this without context. It's plausible that Iran announced a breakoff of talks because of Israel's intent to attack Beirut. And that Trump intervened as he has said to get both Israel and Hezbollah to stand down. And that talks immediately resumed "at a rapid pace." But we can't really know for certain simply from a short Truth Social posting.

But that, my friends, is at least, the latest that is known. For the moment.

[garybaumgarten @garybaumgarten]

This is getting a bit tiring but I guess we're all used to what was true one minute changes the next.

President Trump is now claiming that he held discussions both with Netanyahu and with Hezbollah. And that Netanyahu has agreed to not advance on Beirut and has already turned his troops around.

Hezbollah, the president tells us, has agreed to stop shooting.

"...Israel sill not attack them, and they will not attack Israel."

Hopefully, what the president announced is spot on and will hold. At least for the next several hours :).

[garybaumgarten @garybaumgarten]

So now, Iran says it’s suspending talks with the United States because of the renewed Israeli attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon.

This underscores how attacking Hezbollah equates with attacking Iran. Because, as we are reminded, Hezbollah is an Iranian proxy.

Let’s at least not forget the number of lives taken by Hezbollah, Hamas and other terrorist proxies of Iran as we digest this new information.

[garybaumgarten @garybaumgarten]

A New York City pub all decked out for America’s birthday.

[garybaumgarten @garybaumgarten]

What is journalism? Who is a journalist?

This is increasingly a question as society shifts from traditional media to alternatives, like social media.

Today, anyone seemingly can claim to be a reporter. Just by carrying the tool (singular) of the trade. A smartphone.

They call it the democratization of journalism. But if it is, it risks changing our understanding of what journalism is.

In some cases, as I’ve discussed before, folks with smartphones have uncovered wrongdoing or have reported on events in their neighborhoods as they are happening with a nimbleness and spontaneity traditional news organizations struggle to meet. In many cases, traditional news sites are waving the white flag and instead of sending trained journalists to the scenes, they are now reposting what folks have contributed to social media.

Oftentimes these social media postings are well intentioned attempts to inform fellow citizens in unvarnished fashion. But not always.

I’m thinking about this today because of events that unfolded outside the ICE detention facility in Newark New Jersey last night. Anxious to see what was happening in real time, I turned to a YouTube live stream from street level.

In one respect the so-called citizen journalist was providing a public service. I could watch live as people were being arrested. But was the man behind the camera a disinterested observer striving to accurately put into perspective what was happening for his thousands of viewers? Hardly.

His running commentary talked about the aggression of ICE, the New Jersey State Police and Newark cops. Comparing their actions to the overreach he sees in U.S. foreign intervention.

Except this, he told his audience, was worse. Because these were American citizens being detained “simply because they are exercising their First Amendment rights to peacefully protest.” Along with a blow by blow description as the zip ties were being applied as if he were calling a fight at Madison Square Garden.

Except he failed to mention why, after 10 pm, they were being arrested. Certainly an important element when covering a story.

Because of the previous night’s brawling between demonstrators and cops, and because things were heating up again, a 9 pm curfew had been imposed for the area around the detention center.

The demonstrators had been repeatedly warned by loud hailer that they’d be arrested if they didn’t abide by the curfew. And they all got an alert on their smartphones advising them of the curfew, giving the same warning.

I know this because I received the warning, too, as I happened to be driving past Newark Airport on the New Jersey Turnpike when it was sent out.

For some reason in the half hour or so of watching this feed after I got home the guy never bothered to mention the curfew. Instead he opined about how unjust the arrests were.

He, of course, had the right to his opinion and his right to express it. But is he a journalist? I think not.

[garybaumgarten @garybaumgarten]

The truce in Lebanon is unraveling as people pack their cars to the gill and jam highways in a desperate attempt to escape Beirut in anticipation of Israeli retaliation for Hezbollah drone and missile attacks on Israel.

https://t.co/qctF4nHowB

[garybaumgarten @garybaumgarten]

Kuwait under attack.

https://t.co/b6koLpy587

[Lucas Tomlinson @LucasFoxNews]

More missile and drone attacks on Kuwait:

[garybaumgarten @garybaumgarten]

Multiple arrests in Newark outside an ICE detention center of demonstrators violating a 9 pm curfew.

https://t.co/l7bZPRL4ov

[Oliya Scootercaster 🛴 @ScooterCasterNY]

BREAKING: Multiple Arrests as Anti-ICE Protesters KETTLED outside Delaney Hall Detention Center in Newark NJ after Curfew

Video by @yyeeaahhhboiii2 | Licensing @FreedomNTV [email protected]