Classified Documents

01/16/2023

Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed a special counsel to investigate the circumstances surrounding the classified documents found in Joe Biden’s garage and office. While there are significant differences between this situation and that of Donald Trump and the documents found at Mar a Lago, at the very least this has created political turmoil for President Biden and the Democratic leadership. Israel, like all countries, maintains secrecy for many government documents. In 2019, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed a law which extended the classification time frame for many documents from 70 to 90 years, specifically secret documents maintained by such agencies as the Shin Bet, the Mossad, and the Israeli Atomic Energy Commission. Around the same time, however, Israel’s State Archive published a catalog listing more than 300,000 secret documents maintained by other Israeli agencies (including the Israel Police, the Foreign Ministry, and the Prime Minister’s Office), some dating back to the 1800’s. Only the names of the documents are included, however. Journalists, historians and others who are interested must request access to view any of these documents. Journalist Asaf Shalev filed a request with the Israel Police Agency in 2019 to receive documents about the Israeli Black Panthers, an organization which fought in the 1970’s for the rights of Jewish immigrants from the Middle East and Africa. What was the reason that his request was denied?

"Confidential" coversheet by RestrictedData is licensed under CC BY 2.0

A. Shalev was told that despite the fact that he had found many documents about the Black Panthers included in the State Archives list, they did not actually exist and therefore could not be produced.

B. Shalev was told that as a result of the law that had just been signed by Prime Minister Netanyahu, all of the 1970’s documents about the Black Panthers were still classified and could not be released until at least the year 2060.

C. Shalev was told that officials had searched for the documents he requested, but could not actually locate them among the thousands of documents which were poorly stored in government warehouses.

D. Shalev was told that he could not obtain access to the documents as he was on a list of journalists who were forbidden to receive any classified material, given his history of “anti-Israel journalism.”

E. Shalev was told that the person in charge of reviewing and releasing archival police records had died and the agency had not yet advertised for and hired a replacement.

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Kevin McCarthy

01/09/2023

Congressman Kevin McCarthy was finally elected Speaker of the House on the 15th vote, following negotiations with a group of approximately 20 far right-wing Republicans who demanded and received many concessions from McCarthy. Surprisingly, McCarthy was supported by Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, herself a right-wing member, who referenced McCarthy’s conservative views on budgetary issues and opposition to overspending in Washington. Greene stated, “That is something that I think, especially, the new freshman Freedom Caucus members just don’t know about Kevin McCarthy, because they’ve only heard the attacks on him because they’ve been listening to Scott Perry, Chip Roy, Matt Gaetz and others.” Previously, however, McCarthy was critical of Congresswoman Greene when she said of mask mandates, “We can look back in a time in history where people were told to wear a gold star and they were definitely treated like second-class citizens — so much so that they were put in trains and taken to gas chambers in Nazi Germany.” At that time, Congressman McCarthy condemned her remarks, noting in a statement that “Marjorie is wrong, and her intentional decision to compare the horrors of the Holocaust with wearing masks is appalling. The Holocaust is the greatest atrocity committed in history. The fact that this needs to be stated today is deeply troubling.” He then went on to say what in that statement?

Kevin McCarthy - Caricature by DonkeyHotey is licensed under CC BY 2.0

A. McCarthy strongly backed up his criticism of Congresswoman Greene by noting,“As leader of the House Republicans I assure you that I will not work with Congresswoman Greene in any fashion until she retracts her statement and issues an apology to our Jewish citizens.”

B. McCarthy added that meanwhile, “We cannot allow Soros, Steyer, and Bloomberg to BUY this election! Get out and vote Republican November 6th. #MAGA.”

C. McCarthy concluded,“However, what she said is not as appalling as Congresswoman Ilhan Omar’s antisemitic remarks. She is a far bigger threat to the Jewish community and our democracy.”

D. McCarthy concluded his critical remarks of Congresswoman Greene by saying “At a time when the Jewish people face increased violence and threats, anti-Semitism is on the rise in the Democrat Party and is completely ignored by Speaker Nancy Pelosi.”

E. McCarthy concluded his statement by saying,“But I will say, Congresswoman Greene’s statements about Jewish space lasers intrigues me a lot.”

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Barbara Walters, z”l

01/02/2023

Journalist Barbara Walters died last week at the age of 93. Walters was the granddaughter of Russian Jewish immigrants. She began working in television in the early 1950’s, eventually becoming the Today Show “Today Girl,” presenting weather and light news assignments. She went on to become the first female and the first Jewish co-host of an American TV news program, co-anchoring the ABC Evening News with Harry Reasoner. She later became famous for her in-depth interviews of many public figures, including Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter, Barbara Streisand, and a joint interview with Anwar Al Sadat and Menachem Begin. Walters also created and co-hosted the ABC daytime talk show The View. Barbara Walters was married to three Jewish men and dated many other Jews and non-Jews. What other prominent Jewish person did Barbara Walters date?

Barbara Walters at Met Opera by Rubenstein is licensed under CC BY 2.0

A. In 1997, Walters began dating Bernard Lewinsky, the father of Monica Lewinsky. They had met when Bernard Lewinsky, who was an oncologist, treated Dena Walters, Barbara’s mother, for cancer. It is because of this relationship that Monica Lewinsky agreed to her famous interview with Barbara Walters at a time when every prominent news reporter was trying to land that interview.

B. Barbara Walters met NBC News producer and executive Reuven Frank when she first stared working as the Today Show “Today Girl.” Walters says she started dating Frank as a way to gain entrée into the hard news side of the business, which was at that time not open to women, and in fact Frank did give her the opportunity to begin covering hard news stories.

C. When she was in college, Barbara Walters dated Roy Cohn, the lawyer who later served as the chief counsel for Senator Joseph McCarthy. Walters dated Cohn to thank him for getting an arrest warrant against her father dismissed, and Cohn claims to have later asked her to marry him (a claim which Walters denies).

D. Barbara Walters briefly dated journalist Mike Wallace, one of the correspondents on 60 Minutes. But the relationship ended when Walters landed her interview with Fidel Castro in 1976. This was Castro’s first interview with an American journalist, and Castro had agreed to meet with Wallace. But a week before Wallace was scheduled to fly to Havana for the interview, he learned that Walters had scooped him, and he ended their relationship.

E. Gilda Radner asked Barbara Walters out on a date in 1976. Walters was intrigued by the young comedian so she accepted, and the couple dated for a few months until Radner suddenly ended the relationship. Only later did Walters learn that Radner was just doing research as she developed her Baba Wawa character for Saturday Night Live.

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RASHI, RAMBAM and RAMALAMADINGDONG

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Weekly Quiz-2023

Classified Documents

01/16/2023

Kevin McCarthy

01/09/2023

Barbara Walters, z”l

01/02/2023