Lee Ardis

UNPRECEDENTED: Iran’s crown prince meets Netanyahu, quotes the Bible, extols Cyrus the Great & future ‘Cyrus Accords’

Did you ever imagine a major Iranian political leader coming to visit Israel, not to threaten the Jewish people with genocide, but to offer his hand of peace, cooperation and mutual respect?

It may sound like fiction – like one of my novels – but it’s actually happening this week.

In an historic development, Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi – the son of Iran’s late king, or shah, Mohammed Reza Pahlavi – arrived at Ben-Gurion International Airport yesterday, accompanied by his wife, Yasmine.

“Yasmine and I just arrived here in Israel,” Pahlavi immediately tweeted to his 1.2 million followers. “We are very happy to be here and are dedicated to working toward the peaceful and prosperous future that the people of our region deserve. From the children of Cyrus, to the children of Israel, we will build this future together, in friendship.”

The reference was to Cyrus the Great, described both in Persian history and in the Bible as one of the most powerful and influential leaders in the history of the ancient Persian empire, and the man who gave the Jewish people their freedom, sent them back to Israel to resettle their homeland, and gave them both the permission and the money to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem.

Biden Administration Dictates Religious Policy to Israel at Jewish Holy Site

The Biden administration is dictating religious policy to Israel over the delicate question of mixed-gender prayer at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, the holiest site in Judaism.

U.S. Ambassador for International Religious Freedom Rashad Hussain, who happens to be Muslim, tweeted on behalf of the administration Sunday that the U.S. supports the implementation of an expansion of the space for egalitarian — i.e. mixed — prayer at the Wall.

In traditional, or “Orthodox,” Judaism, men and women pray separately, and men lead the services. Since only men are religiously obligated to pray, the space allocated to men is larger than the women’s section at the Wall.

In other Jewish denominations, such as “Reform,” men and women pray together, and women often lead services. Reform is the largest Jewish denomination in the U.S., but is smaller in other parts of the world.

(In Islam, men and women also pray separately, except at the Kaaba in Mecca. There is no egalitarian prayer at other Muslim holy sites, including at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, which sits above the Western Wall.)

The Western (or Wailing) Wall is the surviving remnant of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, destroyed by the Romans in the year 70. Many Jews avoid praying on the Temple Mount itself — which is a Muslim holy site today — for fear of accidentally stepping on the Holy of Holies, the spot where the presence of God is believed to have dwelt, and which was entered only by the High Priest on the annual Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur).

Read more at: www.breitbart.com

UN-backed report suggests minors may be able to consent to sex – critics accuse org of attempting to normalize pedophilia

A March report by international legal professionals and backed by the United Nations suggested that minors may be able to consent to sex.

The report, titled “The 8 March Principles for a Human Rights-Based Approach to Criminal Law Proscribing Conduct Associated with Sex, Reproduction, Drug Use, HIV, Homelessness and Poverty,” was drafted by the 60 members of the International Commission of Jurists and meant to serve as legal guidance.

“Composed of 60 eminent judges and lawyers from all regions of the world, the International Commission of Jurists promotes and protects human rights through the Rule of Law, by using its unique legal expertise to develop and strengthen national and international justice systems,” the report stated.

It lists several principles intended to provide a “clear, accessible and operational legal framework and practical legal guidance” on human rights concerns, including “consensual sexual activities, including in such contexts as sex outside marriage, same-sex sexual relations, adolescent sexual activity and sex work.”

The report claims that while determining human rights law, certain factors should be considered, including “adolescents’ evolving capacity to consent in certain contexts, in fact, even if not in law, when they are below the prescribed minimum age of consent in domestic law.”

Humans Are on Track to Achieve Immortality in 7 Years, Futurist Says

A new video from the YouTube channel Adagio revisits futurist Ray Kurzweil’s ideas about how for humans, both singularity and immortality are shockingly imminent—as in, potentially just seven years away.

Both concepts may take a stretch of reality to attain, but Kurzweil and his supporters are quite limber. The idea of singularity is the moment AI exceeds beyond human control and rapidly transforms society. Predicting this timing is tricky, to say the least.

But Kurzweil says one crucial step on the way to a potential 2045 singularity is the concept of immortality, possibly reached as soon as 2030. And the rapid rise of artificial intelligence is what will make it happen. Kurzweil believes that our technological and medical progress will grow to the point that robotics—he dubs them “nanobots”—will work to repair our bodies at the cellular level, as reported by Lifeboat, turning disease and aging around thanks to the continual work of robotic know-how. And then, voilà: immortality.

NYC will target food choices in its battle against climate change

The Adams administration has announced a plan to begin tracking the carbon footprint created by household food consumption as well as a new target for New York City agencies to reduce their food-based emissions by 33% by the year 2023.

Mayor Eric Adams announced the plan on Monday along with the Mayor’s Office of Climate & Environmental Justice as part of the city’s ongoing pledge to reduce the impact of climate change. At the same event, the Mayor’s Office of Climate & Environmental Justice published a new chart in the city’s annual greenhouse gas inventory that publicly tracks the carbon footprint created by household food consumption — primarily generated by meat and dairy products.

The new analysis is a spin on the emissions data that comes standard with the annual inventory. It was made through a partnership with American Express, C40 Cities and EcoData lab.

Adams, an ardent evangelist of plant-based diets, announced the new tracker and policy at a Brooklyn culinary center run by Health + Hospitals, the city’s public health care system.

Gujarat couple beheads themselves using guillotine-like device as ‘sacrificial ritual’: Report

The family members of the couple said the duo had been offering prayers in the hut every day since the last one year.

A man and his wife allegedly committed suicide by decapitating themselves using a guillotine-like device, which they created at home, so that they could offer their heads for a sacrificial ritual in Gujarat’s Rajkot district, police said on Sunday.

Hemubhai Makwana (38) and his wife Hansaben (35) killed themselves by getting their heads severed by the blade of the device in a hut at their farm in Vinchhiya village, sub-inspector Indrajeetsinh Jadeja of Vinchhiya police station said.

The husband-wife duo executed the plan in such a manner that their heads rolled into the fire altar after getting severed, he said, adding that a suicide note was found at the spot.

“The couple first prepared a fire altar before putting their heads under a guillotine-like mechanism held by a rope. As soon as they released the rope, an iron blade fell on them, severing their heads, which rolled into the fire,” Jadeja said.

Actress Patti LuPone Smears American Christians as No Different from the Taliban

Actress and Broadway star Patti LuPone said during her Tuesday appearance on The View that she has “no idea what the difference is” between “our Christian right and the Taliban.”

After being asked what she thought about “DeSantis and the LGBTQ,” LuPone said, “That is extremely upsetting. These are human beings. And I could cry. They’re not harming anybody.”

“I don’t know why he’s doing this,” LuPone said of Florida Gov. Ron (R). “And I said this before, and I’m going to get in trouble, but I have said this before, and it’s been in print: I don’t know what the difference between our Christian right and the Taliban is. I have no idea what the difference is.”

“I just don’t know what the difference is. What’s happening in this country right now in the name of religion is so dangerous,” the Heist star continued. “And it’s not this country. It’s not America.”

Read more at: www.breitbart.com

Food Prices Hit Highest Level in Nearly Half a Century Amid Double Digit Inflation

Food prices in Britain have hit their highest level in nearly a half-century amid continued double-digit inflation, while wages fell yet again in real terms.

According to research conducted by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the consumer prices index (CPI) remained in double digits at 10.1 per cent in March. The inflation rate — the highest in Western Europe — was slightly down from 10.4 per cent from the previous month, however, food prices remained high, hitting levels not seen in 45 years.

According to the government statistician agency, the prices of bread and cereals were up 19.4 per cent in the year to March, the highest rate recorded on record since the government began tracking such figures in 1989. Meanwhile, the sharpest price increases were recorded among food items produced with olive oil which were up by 49 per cent on the year, followed by milk products at 38 per cent, and ready-made meals, which were up 21 per cent over last year, the BBC reported.

The annual rates for chocolate, confectionery, and hot beverages also all hit their highest levels on record.

Read more at: www.breitbart.com

‘Non-Binary’ Sam Smith Performs Sexualized, Satanic-Themed Songs in World Tour with No Audience Age Restrictions

Gender “non-binary” pop star Sam Smith is at it again, performing highly sexualized and Satanic-themed numbers in his current “Gloria” world tour, which doesn’t have audience age restrictions for upcoming U.S. performances.

Social media videos of the tour show Sam Smith — who uses “they/them” pronouns — dressed in a series of racy outfits. including one get-up where the noticeably overweight singer wears a bikini brief, fishnet stockings, and nipple pasties.

In another number, the British performer wears a Satan-themed costume reminiscent the one he wore at this year’s Grammy Awards to perform his single “Unholy.”

Read more at: www.breitbart.com

Senator Graham Warns About War With China: U.S. Must Boost Military Now Or Face War

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) warned over the weekend that the United States must increase its overall military preparedness or face an almost certain war with communist China in the near future.

Graham made the remarks during an interview on Fox News’ “Fox News Sunday” on Easter while talking about U.S. national security.

Graham’s remarks come as China has conducted aggressive military drills in recent days aimed at intimidating the free nation of Taiwan. The military exercises came after Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-Wen met with top U.S. leaders on U.S. soil last week.

“Taiwan’s not the problem,” Graham told host Shannon Bream. “Lindsey Graham’s not the problem. It’s Putin and it’s Xi.”

Graham said that deterrence was the best possible option and that it could only be achieved by having a superior military and technology.

“I would increase training and get the F-16s they need in Taiwan. There’s a backlog. I would solve that backlog. I would move more forces to South Korea and Japan,” Graham said. “I would up our game. If you don’t up your game now, you are going to have a war.”