Netanyahu says Gaza-Egypt border zone should be under Israeli control
BREAKINGBREAKING, The Israeli prime minister also predicts the war in Gaza and on other regional fronts would last many months. The border zone between the Gaza Strip and Egypt should be under Israel’s control, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said, as he predicted the war in the Palestinian enclave and on other regional fronts would last many months. As Israel entered the 13th week of its war in Gaza on Saturday, Netanyahu held a news conference where he renewed his promise to eliminate Hamas and bring home all Israelis held captive in Gaza. “The Philadelphi Corridor – or to put it more correctly, the southern stoppage point [of Gaza] – must be in our hands. It must be shut. It is clear that any other arrangement would not ensure the demilitarisation that we seek,” he said. Israel has said it intends to destroy Hamas in Gaza and demilitarise the territory to prevent any repeat of the October 7 cross-border killing and kidnapping spree by the armed group. “The war is at its height. We are fighting on all of the fronts. Achieving victory will require time. As the [Israeli army] chief of staff has said, the war will continue for many more months,” Netanyahu said. He also added a rare threat to attack Iran directly over the near-daily exchanges of fire across the Israel-Lebanon border. “If [the Iran-backed Lebanese armed group] Hezbollah expands the warfare, it will suffer blows that it has not dreamed of – and so too Iran,” Netanyahu said without elaborating. The war has triggered fears of a regional conflagration amid rising tensions with other Iranian-aligned groups in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen. Israel’s relentless bombing and ground offensive on Gaza since October 7 has killed at least 21,672 people, most of them women and children, with thousands of others buried under the rubble. The military operation has also displaced almost the entire 2.3 million population of the besieged territory. About 1,140 people were killed by Hamas in Israel in the October 7 attacks. Adblock test (Why?)
Former top Obama adviser says if Trump prevented from running it ‘would rip the country apart’
Former top Obama adviser David Axelrod warned Friday that a court decision removing former President Donald Trump from the primary ballot “would rip the country apart.” “I have very, very strong reservations about all of this,” Axelrod said on CNN on Friday. “I do think it would rip the country apart if he were actually prevented from running because tens of millions of people want to vote for him.” Axelrod said that the Democrats’ best bet on beating Trump is in the polls. “I think if you’re going to beat Donald Trump, you’re going to probably have to do it at the polls,” he continued. DEMOCRATS AND POLITICAL EXPERTS WARN BARRING TRUMP COULD ‘BACKFIRE’ The former political advisor argued that Maine’s decision to remove the Republican frontrunner from the state’s primary ballot plays into Trump’s narrative that the Democratic Party is only “coming after him” because of his presidential bid. “A lot of the motivation for [Trump’s] candidacy was as a legal defense strategy,” Axelrod said. “He wanted to set up a construct … which says that they’re coming after him because he’s running for president, and they’re trying to prevent him from being president.” Axelrod said that the effort by the left to remove Trump has backfired, and he has only “gained” popularity since his many indictments. “We’ve run this experiment, he’s only gained since he started getting indicted,” he said. POLL SHOWS BIDEN HITTING RECORD LOW APPROVALS, FALLING BEHIND AGAINST TRUMP IN 2024 MATCHUP “What you thought might be kryptonite for him has turned out to be battery packs, and this is a big one for him,” Axelrod said. FBI, DENVER POLICE INVESTIGATING THREATS AGAINST COLORADO JUDGES WHO BARRED TRUMP FOR STATE’S BALLOTS A ruling from the Colorado Supreme Court earlier this month booted Trump from the ballot under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. Colorado’s secretary of state then announced she would keep Trump on the ballot pending the state GOP’s appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. Colorado is a Democratic-leaning state that is not expected to be competitive for Republicans in November. On Thursday, Dec. 28, Maine’s Secretary of State Shenna Bellows disqualified former President Trump from the state’s presidential primary ballot. Bellows also cited Section 3 of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution which bans from office those who “engaged in insurrection.” The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to make a final decision on Trump’s eligibility. Fox News’ Bradford Betz contributed to this report.
How an impasse in the South China Sea drove the Philippines, US closer
Manila, Philippines – On February 2, 1995, just over two years after the last American soldiers had left the Philippines, a Filipino navy patrol boat found a newly built structure on stilts flying a Chinese flag on a submerged reef, some 240 kilometres (149 miles) off the Philippine island of Palawan. The sailors had gone to Mischief Reef in the South China Sea after a Filipino fisherman reported being taken captive by Chinese soldiers in the area. Beijing, which claims nearly all of the South China Sea, dismissed the allegations and insisted that the octagonal structure on the reef – which was equipped with a satellite dish for communications with the Chinese mainland – was merely a shelter for its fishermen. Today, Mischief Reef is a fully fledged Chinese military outpost, with a 3,000-metre airfield runway, radar systems and warehouses probably housing surface-to-air missile systems on land reclaimed from the sea. Chinese navy and coastguard vessels patrol the area, harassing Filipino troops, including by using military-grade lasers and water cannon, and blocking Filipino fishermen from the rich fishing grounds in the waterway by ramming their boats and seizing their catches. The reef, which is submerged at high tide and part of the Spratly Islands, is nearly 1,000km (620 miles) from China’s Hainan Island. Beijing has now fully militarised a total of three islands in the Spratlys, according to officials in the United States, and maintains seven military outposts in the area. Across the top military brass in the Philippines, the view is that China would not have taken over Mischief Reef had US forces stayed in the country. “If in 1992, the US didn’t leave, I don’t think that we will be losing Mischief Reef,” said Jay Tarriela, spokesman for the Philippine Coast Guard. “The Philippine government – during the time that we have enjoyed the security umbrella of the United States – have tremendously strengthened the military deterrence of the Philippine government. So supposing that those bases are still here, I am 100 percent sure that none of all this maritime features will be taken away from us.” (Al Jazeera) Now, three decades after the Philippines ended a vast US military presence that began with the capture of the archipelago from Spain in 1898, American troops are again returning. Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, who took office last year, has pivoted to Washington, in a reversal of his predecessor’s policy, expanding the US’s military footprint in the country under their Mutual Defense Treaty of 1951 and a pact called the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA). He has now authorised the Pentagon to pre-position equipment and rotate forces through a total of nine sites in the Philippines. Some are in Palawan, near the disputed Spratlys, and some face north towards Taiwan, the self-governed island that Beijing claims as its own territory. Marcos has also extracted a promise from US President Joe Biden that American troops will come to the Philippines’ defence in the event of an attack on the Southeast Asian nation’s armed forces in the South China Sea, something Washington had been reluctant to commit to earlier. “It is only natural for the Philippines to look to its sole treaty partner in the world to strengthen and to redefine the relationship that we have and the roles that we play in the face of those rising tensions that we see now around the South China, Asia Pacific and Indo-Pacific region,” Marcos told Biden during a summit in Washington, DC, in May. While Marcos Jr’s decisions have largely been driven by the South China Sea territorial dispute, he has also shared concerns about the impact of a possible Chinese invasion of Taiwan, saying that “it’s very hard to imagine a scenario where the Philippines will not somehow get involved”. Beijing, however, has hit back at the expansion of EDCA, saying the move will “seriously harm Philippine national interests and endanger regional peace and stability”. The decision would “drag the Philippines into the abyss of geopolitical strife”, it claimed. China’s ambassador to Manila, Huang Xilian, also advised the Philippines in April to “unequivocally oppose ‘Taiwan independence’ rather than stoking the fire by offering the US access to the military bases near the Taiwan Strait”. Analysts say the Philippines is a prime example of how China’s actions have driven its neighbours closer to Washington, which has been strengthening an arc of alliances in the Asia Pacific to deter China. These include allies such as Japan, which has protested over Chinese incursions near the disputed Senkaku or Diaoyu islands, and non-aligned India, which fought a bloody border battle with Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley in the Himalayas in 2020. These territorial disputes “alienate other regional countries with whom [China] often has very close economic ties” said Joshua Kurlantzick, senior fellow for Southeast Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations, a US-based think tank. “And so in some ways it hurts China’s image in the region and its soft power and perhaps in some ways its influence,” he said. ‘Problems remain’ Marcos’s pushback against China in the South China Sea marks a reversal from the policy of his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte. Duterte took office in 2016, shortly before a United Nations-backed tribunal ruled that China’s “Nine Dash Line” claims to the South China Sea – which overlap with the Exclusive Economic Zone claims of the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, Brunei and Malaysia – had no legal basis. But Duterte downplayed the ruling, shelving talks on the issue after declaring a “separation” from the US and pivoting towards China. He then threatened to terminate the US-Philippine Visiting Forces Agreement, which serves as the legal foundation for Washington’s bilateral military cooperation in the Philippines, suspended joint military exercises and froze US access to Philippine bases under the EDCA. Instead, he turned to China, seeking financing for infrastructure projects throughout the country as part of his “Build Build Build” programme. That year, China pledged $6bn in official development assistance, $3bn in loans, and $24bn in investments
Trump team drops new nickname for GOP contender Nikki Haley: ‘Nikki New Taxes’
Former President Trump’s campaign team released a new nickname for fellow Republican presidential contender Nikki Haley on Friday, calling her “Nikki New Taxes.” In the missive entitled “KISS OF DEATH: Nikki New Taxes”, Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung blasted the former South Carolina governor for allegedly having a “troublesome record.” “The truth is finally coming out about Nikki Haley’s troublesome record showing her total disdain for the working-class and a willingness to sellout to lobbyist parasites,” the letter read. “She pushed for a WHOPPING 60% increase in the state gas tax in South Carolina after promising voters she would never do so.” “She also voted for an unconscionable 20% increase in the state sales tax, making her the enemy of the working-class and an ally of lobbyist cronies taking advantage of impressionable politicians looking for their approval,” Cheung added. MAINE GOP STATE LAWMAKER MOVES TO IMPEACH STATE SECRETARY OVER TRUMP BALLOT REMOVAL Haley and Trump have often been at odds on the campaign trail, despite Haley serving as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations under his watch. During a sit-down interview on ABC’s “This Week” earlier in December, Haley criticized American media for being “obsessed” with Trump. “The thing is, normal people aren’t obsessed with Trump like you guys are,” Haley said to ABC News’ Jonathan Karl. “The normal people care about the fact that they can’t afford things. They feel like their freedoms are being taken away. They think government is too big. I know you all want to talk about every single word he says and every single tweet he does.” COLORADO TO INCLUDE TRUMP ON 2024 BALLOT AS STATE GOP APPEALS TO SUPREME COURT Haley added that she and the former president have their disagreements, but said that she had “a good working relationship” with him. “Anti-Trumpers want me to hate him, pro-Trumpers want me to love him, but this is where I stand. There are things I agree with the president on…I don’t agree with the fact that, yes, we had a good economy while he was there, but he put us $8 trillion in debt that our kids are never going to forgive us for,” she explained. “I don’t agree with how he handles national security,” Haley added. “He focused on trade with China, but he did nothing about the fentanyl flow. He did nothing about the fact that fentanyl has killed so many of our Americans.” Fox News Digital reached out to Haley’s campaign team for a response, but has not heard back. Fox News Digital’s Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.
Maine secretary of state’s house ‘swatted’ day after Trump ballot disqualification decision
The home of Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows was “swatted” Friday evening, police confirmed Saturday. Maine State Police responded after an unidentified man lied about having broken into the house. Bellows and her family were away at the time of the hoax call. The incident comes after Bellows disqualified former President Trump from the state’s 2024 Republican presidential primary ballot late Thursday, citing Section 3 of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which bans from office those who “engaged in insurrection” over his alleged incitement of the Jan. 6 riot. MAINE GOP STATE LAWMAKER MOVES TO IMPEACH STATE SECRETARY OVER TRUMP BALLOT REMOVAL Bellows made the ruling after some state residents, including a bipartisan group of former lawmakers, challenged Trump’s position on the ballot. “Swatting” is when someone calls the police under dangerous false pretenses to trigger a law enforcement response, especially a SWAT team to a location. Some swatting calls in the past have ended in the victim being killed. An Ohio man was sentenced to prison in 2019 after a Kansas man he swatted was accidentally killed by police. On Saturday, Bellows called the swatting call “unacceptable” in a lengthy statement on Facebook. HOW RECENT ‘SWATTING’ CALLS TARGETING OFFICIALS MAY PROMPT HEAVIER PENALTIES FOR HOAX POLICE CALLS “Thank you for the messages of love and support,” she wrote. “I’ve been moved by every one and especially by those from friends and loved ones who disagree with my decision but have reached out to express love and respect.” Bellows added that her staff had faced “unacceptable” and “non-stop threatening communications” on Friday after her decision. “It’s designed to scare not only me but also others into silence, to send a message. I am so grateful to have such an amazing team of employees at the Department of Secretary of State. [Her husband] Brandon and I are grateful for incredible, dedicated support from law enforcement in this time.” Maine State Police said officers investigated Bellows’ home at her request and nothing suspicious was found. The investigation is ongoing. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP On Christmas Day, Republican U.S. Reps. Brandon Wiliams of New York and Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia were also the targets of swatting calls. Then on Tuesday, Republican state Rep. Kevin D. Miller of Ohio reported that he was swatted.
Israeli air raids target Syrian city of Aleppo as regional tensions rise
Syrian defence ministry says the ‘aerial aggression’ came from the Mediterranean and hit a number of places. Israel has targeted Iranian military positions in Syria’s Aleppo with an air raid, causing some material damage, according to the Syrian Ministry of Defence. “Israel carried out an aerial aggression from the direction of the Mediterranean Sea, west of Latakia, targeting a number of points south of the city of Aleppo,” the statement said on Saturday. The Syrian state media, citing a military source, said “the Israeli enemy carried out an air attack… targeting a number of points south of the city of Aleppo” at about 5:20pm (14:20 GMT) on Saturday. Pro-government radio station Sham FM said the attacks were near Aleppo’s airport, but did not damage it. “It seems these attacks in Aleppo were conducted from the sea,” Al Jazeera’s Ali Hashem reported from Naqoura in southern Lebanon. “Warplanes were situated over the Mediterranean when they launched the missiles towards several targets in the city of Aleppo.” During more than a decade of war in Syria, Israel has launched hundreds of air raids on its territory, primarily targeting Iran-backed forces including Lebanese Hezbollah fighters, as well as Syrian army positions. But Israel intensified its attacks since its military operation in Gaza began on October 7, causing tensions across the Middle East. Hashem said the Aleppo attack was “not unprecedented”. “On several occasions, there were attacks on Aleppo, on Damascus, and yesterday [Friday] there was an attack on Albu Kamal, an area on the border between Syria and Iraq,” he said. “It seems this is part of a pattern, because the group that was linked to Albu Kamal was linked to the Iranian IRGC commander who was killed in Damascus just days ago,” he added. On Monday, an Israeli air raid outside the Syrian capital Damascus killed a senior adviser in Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Sayyed Razi Mousavi was responsible for coordinating the military alliance between Syria and Iran. Tit-for-tat on Israel-Lebanon border The attack on Aleppo came after another Israeli air raid on a border town in southern Lebanon earlier on Saturday. The attack followed Iran-backed group Hezbollah claiming responsibility for three attacks on Israeli military bases on the border, Al Jazeera’s Hashem reported. “There were several Israeli air raids mainly on the town of Bint Jbeil … According to reports, there are no casualties,” he said. “Another town closer to the border of Israel was also hit by an Israeli attack in a residential area. This raises the risk of civilian casualties on a daily basis,” he said. Israel and Hezbollah, along with a handful of smaller armed groups that operate in southern Lebanon, have settled into a steady rhythm of tit-for-tat exchanges since the Gaza assault began. At least 21,672 Palestinians, most of them women and children, have been killed in Gaza in nearly three months of Israeli operation, which has also displaced nearly the strip’s entire 2.3 million population. The attacks in Syria and Lebanon also come amid fears that Israel’s war in Gaza could expand into a wider regional conflict. Adblock test (Why?)
Jack Smith disputes Trump’s presidential immunity claim in appeals court
U.S. Department of Justice Special Counsel Jack Smith has filed an argument disputing President Trump’s claim to presidential immunity amid his 2020 election interference case. The brief was filed Saturday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The intent of the filing was to ask for the “review of the order of the district court (Chutkan, J.) denying his motions to dismiss based on Presidential immunity and principles of double jeopardy.” “Immunity from criminal prosecution would be particularly dangerous where, as here, the former President is alleged to have engaged in criminal conduct aimed at overturning the results of [an] election,” Smith wrote in the filing. SPECIAL COUNSEL IN TRUMP CASE UNCONSTITUTIONAL, FORMER REAGAN AG SAYS “A President who unlawfully seeks to retain power through criminal means unchecked by potential criminal prosecution could jeopardize both the Presidency itself and the very foundations of our democratic system of governance,” the special counsel added. The document also accused Trump of “conspir[ing] to use knowingly false claims of election fraud with the goal of overturning the legitimate results of that election and disenfranchising millions of voters.” “For the foregoing reasons, the Court should affirm the district court’s order denying the defendant’s motions to dismiss on Presidential immunity and double-jeopardy grounds,” the conclusion read. “For the reasons given in the Government’s motion to expedite appellate review, including the imperative public importance of a prompt resolution of this case, the Government respectfully requests the Court to issue the mandate five days after the entry of judgment.” TRUMP CALLS CLAIMS HE’S A THREAT TO DEMOCRACY A ‘HOAX,’ SAYS BIDEN IS THE REAL THREAT: ‘I WILL SAVE DEMOCRACY’ “Such an approach would appropriately require any party seeking further review to do so promptly,” the conclusion added. The U.S. Supreme Court recently rejected Smith’s appeal to expedite their assessment of the immunity claim before it went fully through a federal appeals court. Trump’s legal team asked the court to deny Smith’s request. “This appeal presents momentous, historic questions,” the brief said. “An erroneous denial of a claim of presidential immunity from criminal prosecution unquestionably warrants this Court’s review. The Special Counsel contends that ‘[i]t is of imperative public importance that respondent’s claims of immunity be resolved by this Court.’” “That does not entail, however, that the Court should take the case before the lower courts complete their review,” the filing added. “Every jurisdictional and prudential consideration calls for this Court to allow the appeal to proceed first in the D.C. Court.” Fox News Digital’s Lillian Le Croy and Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.
DOJ torched after prosecutors announce Sam Bankman-Fried will not face trial on illegal political donations
The decision to avoid a second trial charging Sam Bankman-Fried with a conspiracy to make unlawful political donations and bribery of foreign officials has many conservatives up in arms. Federal prosecutors said Friday that they do not plan to proceed with a second trial against Sam Bankman-Fried, citing public interest in a speedy resolution of the case that has seemingly irritated those who were hoping to see the disgraced FTX founder prosecuted to the fullest extent. In a Friday letter filed in federal court in Manhattan, prosecutors said they do “not plan to proceed with a second trial” as “much of the evidence that would be offered in a second trial was already offered in the first trial and can be considered by the Court at the defendant’s March 2024 sentencing.” “Given that practical reality, and the strong public interest in a prompt resolution of this matter, the Government intends to proceed to sentencing on the counts for which the defendant was convicted at trial,” the prosecutors added. SAM BANKMAN-FRIED WILL NOT FACE A SECOND TRIAL, U.S. PROSECUTORS DECIDE The decision by prosecutors not to hold a second trial against Bankman-Fried quickly drew backlash from those who had followed the case. “So we won’t know which politicians he bribed or who’s campaigns he influenced? That collective sigh of relief you are hearing is from the DEEP STATE,” Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., wrote in a Friday night post to X. Conservative commentator John Cardillo also weighed in on the announcement from prosecutors, accusing the Department of Justice of shielding Democrats from being named as recipients of Bankman-Fried donations. “Sam Bankman-Fried will not face second trial,” Cardillo wrote in an X post. “DOJ is protecting his Dem donation recipients.” CryptoLaw founder John Deaton, who has consistently commented on Bankman-Fried’s case, slammed the decision by prosecutors as a “disgrace.” “The DOJ has shown again, that it is NOT an independent agency,” Deaton said on X. “Who is the Attorney General protecting?” SAM BANKMAN-FRIED REPORTEDLY USED POUCHES OF FISH AS PAYMENT FOR HAIRCUT IN JAIL Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk also commented on the prosecutors’ move to not hold a second trial for Bankman-Fried, insisting that the case has “became too high-profile for the DOJ to completely ignore.” “The SBF case became too high-profile for the DOJ to completely ignore, but they made sure laundering $100 million of customers’ money to Schumer, Biden, and McConnell and other dark money groups would never blow back on the ‘elite.’ Trump faces 700 years in federal prison, but America’s uniparty cabal just gave themselves a get out of jail free card. You’re witnessing DC corruption in realtime,” Kirk wrote in a social media post. Weighing in on the matter, Trending Politics co-owner Collin Rugg said, “Making bribes with stolen money is fine as long as that money is going to U.S. politicians.” “SBF donated $100 million during the 2022 midterms, pouring tens of millions into dark money groups with customers’ funds,” Rugg wrote on X. “Some of these groups were linked to Senate leaders including Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer.” FTX FOUNDER SAM BANKMAN-FRIED’S BIGGEST FEAR IN JAIL REVEALED BY AUTHOR Rugg’s post to social media also included a clip that appeared to show Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., blowing Bankman-Fried a kiss during one of their encounters. In 2021 and 2022, Bankman-Fried donated nearly $38 million to various candidates and PACs, mainly giving his cash to Democratic candidates and left-wing groups, according to Federal Election Commission filings (FEC). The majority of his political givings went to the Protect Our Future PAC, a group founded in January 2022 that is dedicated to boosting candidates who are committed to preventing future pandemics. Bankman-Fried, who was accused of stealing from customers of his now-bankrupt FTX cryptocurrency exchange, has been incarcerated since August when a judge revoked his bail for alleged witness tampering. He was found guilty earlier this month on seven federal charges, and his sentencing is slated for March 28. Bankman-Fried made headlines at the beginning of the trial when he appeared in court with a cleaned-up look, sporting a trimmed-up coif and a suit after ditching the longer hairstyle and casual clothes he had become known for as CEO at FTX. Prosecutors accused Bankman-Fried, who founded and controlled both FTX and sister hedge fund Alameda Research, of misappropriating and embezzling billions of dollars in FTX customer deposits, scheming to mislead investors and instructing other executives at his businesses to do the same. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP In the trial, he faced two counts of wire fraud and five conspiracy counts. The charges combined amount to a maximum sentence of 110 years behind bars, but sentencing guidelines may call for far less than that. Prosecutors said in their letter Friday that much of the evidence presented during the first trial would have been repeated at a second. They noted that since they “proved that the defendant engaged in a scheme to make unlawful campaign contributions, the Court may consider this scheme as relevant conduct at the defendant’s sentencing.” Prosecutors also said they were prevented from including the unlawful campaign contributions charge because the extradition agreement with the Bahamas to arrest Bankman-Fried did not include that count. FOX Business’ Breck Dumas, Suzanne O’Hallora, and Timothy Nerozzi contributed to this report.
Photos: Romania’s annual Dancing Bears Festival to ‘ward off evil spirits’
Centuries ago, people in what is now northeastern Romania donned bear skins and danced to fend off evil spirits. That custom is today known as the Dancing Bears Festival, drawing crowds of tourists every December. Hundreds of people of all ages, clad in bear costumes, dance every year around Christmas to the deafening beat of drums and roam villages and towns. The highlight of this year’s festival was on Saturday, with bear-clad dancers descending on the town of Comanesti in eastern Romania for the finale. Visitors come from as far as Japan to see the spectacle, featuring lines of people in costumes with gaping bear jaws and claws marching and dancing. Giant red pompom decorations are usually added to the furs. Some of the “bears” jokingly growl or pretend to attack the spectators. Locals say the custom dates back to the pre-Christianity era when people believed that wild animals staved off misfortune or danger. Dancing “bears” visited people’s homes and knocked on their doors to wish them good luck and a Happy New Year. “The bear runs through our veins, it is the spirit animal for those in our area,” said Costel Dascalu, who started taking part in the festival when he was eight. At the time, Romania was still under communist rule and the festival was relatively low-key. “I want to keep the tradition alive,” the 46-year-old added. When the holiday season approaches, he joked, “our breath smells like bears, and we get goosebumps when we hear the sound of drums”. Residents are happy the tradition has lived on after many Romanians left the region in the 1990s to look for better jobs in Western Europe. Brown bears are widely present in Romania’s traditions and culture, and the animals can often be seen by mountain roads and in forests. Excessive bear hunting prompted the authorities to issue a ban in 2016. Participants in the festival say most of the bear skins they use as costumes have been preserved for generations and treated with great care. Wearing a full-sized bear fur is not easy: including the head and claws, the costume could weigh up to 50kg (110 pounds). The most expensive bear skins can cost some 2,000 euros ($2,200), according to local media. Adblock test (Why?)
How do Palestinians factor into Israel’s vision for the Middle East?
David Frum, writer for The Atlantic magazine and pro-Israel commentator, says Palestinian statehood is not the solution. David Frum, staff writer for The Atlantic magazine and a pro-Israel supporter, tells host Steve Clemons that Israel and the United States should “avoid solution-ism” for the Palestinians and focus on day-to-day necessities, like food and water. The way Israel has responded to the Hamas attack of October 7 was “inevitable”, Frum says, adding that “Israel has never been allowed this much scope to act”, by the US, United Kingdom and European Union. Join this wide-ranging conversation on the internal debates within Israeli society, and how Israel envisions the future of the region, including rapprochement with Saudi Arabia. Adblock test (Why?)