SD Gov. Kristi Noem Signs ‘Strongest’ Hate Crime Bill in America to ‘Stop Antisemitism’
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem (R) on Thursday boasted that she signed the “strongest” hate crime bill in America into law to “stop antisemitism” and “ensure the security of God’s chosen people.”
South Dakota has passed legislation to stop antisemitism. This will be model legislation that other states can implement to stand with our Jewish brothers and sisters and stand with our ally Israel. pic.twitter.com/DnQJNvls56
— Kristi Noem (@KristiNoem) March 8, 2024
Noem said in a press release after signing the bill that South Dakota is giving Jews additional special privileges under their anti-discrimination laws because they are “God’s chosen people.”
Noem’s full statement:
Ensuring the Security of God’s Chosen People
By: Governor Kristi Noem
March 8, 2024
When I was growing up, my dad would always gather our family together and we would pray for Israel. It was instilled in me from a very young age that the Jews were Gods [sic] chosen people, that Israel was the Holy Land, and that we should always pray for them.
I brought those fundamental ideals with me when I was in the State Legislature, when I served in Congress, and now as Governor of South Dakota. Supporting the State of Israel and our Jewish community has always been extremely important to me. It’s important to support Israel for spiritual, historical, and national security reasons. I am continuing to stand with the Jewish people by signing historic legislation to protect them from antisemitism.
I was shocked and devastated to see the horrific terrorist attacks on the State of Israel on October 7th, 2023. And I have continued to be heartbroken to see radical individuals in the United States of America standing with Hamas – standing with terrorists. Ever since October 7th, we have seen a shocking spike in antisemitic acts of hatred around the world. We have even seen isolated incidents right here in South Dakota.
No one should ever feel concerned for their safety when going to school, when going to work, when they are just trying to live their normal lives. But that is the reality for so many Jewish people across America right now. We see antisemitism on college campuses, among high school students, and even as young as middle and elementary school students. That is unacceptable.
I was very proud to sign HB 1076, a very important bill to combat antisemitism. This bill defines antisemitism and makes it easier to prove when discriminatory conduct is motivated by antisemitism. It is an impactful piece of legislation that will ensure the safety of Jewish people and strengthen South Dakota’s anti-discrimination laws.
We held a beautiful, moving signing ceremony for this bill in the Rotunda of our State Capitol in Pierre. Many prominent Jewish leaders attended, including Elan Carr, the CEO of the Israeli-American Council for Action, nationally renowned Jewish leader and founder of the Jacobson Society Dan Rosen, Rabbi and Director of the National Jewish Advocacy Center Dr. Mark Goldfeder, Rabbi Mendel Alperowitz of the Chabad Jewish Center of South Dakota, Renie Schreiber on behalf of Yinam Cohen, Consul General of Israel to the Midwest, and Jordan Cope from Stand With Us. A few of our special guests said some words about the impact this legislation will have for the Jewish people. You can view footage of the full bill signing ceremony here.
There are a few other people to thank for their efforts in getting this bill passed and signed into law, including Representative Mike Stevens, Representative Rebecca Reimer, Dan Lederman, and Stephen Rosenthal.
The prime sponsors of this bill, Representative Deutsch and Senator Mehlhaff, put in a lot of hard work with my office and with members of the Jewish community to make sure this is the best bill possible to stop antisemitism and hate. This bill puts the gold standard International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism into state law.
I hope that more states across our great nation will follow this example that we are setting here in South Dakota. It is more important now than ever for our nation’s leaders to stand up and fight against antisemitism. We must always work to ensure the security of God’s chosen people.
No doubt the Anti-Defamation League, who sued the city of Bladensburg, Maryland a few years ago to have a 100-year-old memorial cross for WWI veterans torn down in the name of “separation of church and state,” will also be suing to stop this law that was passed only to protect “God’s chosen people!”
No doubt that lawsuit will be coming any day now (*crickets*)!
The IHRA’s definition of anti-Semitism is completely antithetical to the First Amendment.
The IHRA defines anti-Semitism as:
– Making mendacious, dehumanizing, demonizing, or stereotypical allegations about Jews as such or the power of Jews as collective — such as, especially but not exclusively, the myth about a world Jewish conspiracy or of Jews controlling the media, economy, government or other societal institutions.
– Accusing Jews as a people of being responsible for real or imagined wrongdoing committed by a single Jewish person or group, or even for acts committed by non-Jews.
– Denying the fact, scope, mechanisms (e.g. gas chambers) or intentionality of the genocide of the Jewish people at the hands of National Socialist Germany and its supporters and accomplices during World War II (the Holocaust).
– Accusing the Jews as a people, or Israel as a state, of inventing or exaggerating the Holocaust.
– Accusing Jewish citizens of being more loyal to Israel, or to the alleged priorities of Jews worldwide, than to the interests of their own nations.
– Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor.
– Applying double standards by requiring of it a behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation.
– Using the symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism (e.g., claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel) to characterize Israel or Israelis.
– Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis.
– Holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the state of Israel.
No other ethnic or religious group in America is afforded any such privileges.
The GOP and Kristi Noem have been running on fighting “wokeness” and “safe spaces” but they’ve all transformed into woke SJWs demanding safe spaces and passing hate speech laws in the name of protecting “God’s chosen people” and Israel.
As I reported last week, the Jerusalem Post ran a column calling for “antisemitism” to be “criminalized” worldwide in order to stop criticism of Israel amid their genocidal ethnic cleansing campaign in Gaza.
“Given the large-scale resurgence of international antisemitism today, it is now essential to universally criminalize antisemitism,” said the head of the international law program at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, Alan Baker. “This must be done despite anticipated negative reactions by Muslim groups and despite the apathetic and misplaced sense of political correctness that is most prevalent in Europe and North America.”
As I noted last week, this global push to outlaw antisemitism makes it abundantly clear that all those laws states like Georgia, Florida, South Dakota and others are passing to “define antisemitism” are in fact aimed at making it illegal to criticize Jewish people and Israel — First Amendment be damned.
Leaked documents from the Anti-Defamation League obtained by the Jewish Daily Forward in 2018 revealed that even the ADL recognized that “anti-BDS” laws making it illegal to boycott Israel were clearly unconstitutional.
They warned that such laws (as Noem passed in South Dakota) would be “harmful to the Jewish community” as they would give “the appearance that the Jewish community exercises undue influence in government.”
Though the ADL had privately warned against said anti-BDS laws, other Jewish groups forged ahead with them and the ADL not only got on board with the anti-BDS effort but became an enthusiastic supporter.
Anti-BDS laws have since been passed in 38 states.
Hungarian PM Orban Visits Former US President Trump at His Florida Estate
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban held a meeting with former US President Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida Friday. According to Bertalan Havasi, spokesman for the head of government, they spoke for an hour.
They were accompanied by their closest staff members, the spokesman said. Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, among others, also accompanied the Prime Minister to Florida.
? A true gentleman, the Hungarian Prime Minister presented a bouquet of flowers to Melania Trump.
— Sputnik (@SputnikInt) March 9, 2024
Trump expressed great appreciation to the Hungarian Prime Minister. “There’s nobody that’s better, smarter or a better leader than Viktor Orban. He’s fantastic…He’s a… pic.twitter.com/aD922LlufP
“After the meeting, the program continued with a joint dinner and concert,” Havasi was quoted as saying by the MTI news agency.
Donald and Melania Trump together greeted Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban at a Mar-A-Lago dinner reception. pic.twitter.com/XHHDGy3ER7
— Sputnik (@SputnikInt) March 9, 2024
The spokesman did not disclose which topics Orban and Trump discussed, but before the trip to the US Hungarian officials said they would discuss the situation in Ukraine and the relations between the US and Hungary.
Donald Trump with Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán at Mar-a-Lago tonight.
— ALX ?? (@alx) March 9, 2024
Orbán is not planning to meet with Joe Biden on his visit to the United States. pic.twitter.com/cMDkSdH6Dp
The Hungarian government has made no secret of its desire for Trump to win the November election and return to the White House. It associates with the former US president hopes for the resolution of the Ukrainian conflict and the improvement of bilateral relations.
President Trump ? Prime Minister Orbán pic.twitter.com/RPnDgd1HyR
— Team Trump (Text TRUMP to 88022) (@TeamTrump) March 9, 2024
During this trip to the United States Orban visited Washington, D.C. on March 7, where he delivered a speech at conservative think tank the Heritage Foundation. A meeting with US President Joe Biden was not on his program; Orban came to the US not at Biden’s invitation but to meet his political opponent and likely rival in the November elections once again. Experts consider the situation almost unprecedented for a NATO ally.
This was Orban’s third meeting with Trump, who once hosted the Hungarian prime minister at the White House. The Hungarian PM has never met Biden in person since he took office in January 2021, and relations between the two are considered strained. The Biden Administration disapproves of the Hungarian government’s stance on some international issues, including the Ukraine crisis. Orban, in turn, chose to discuss politics with Biden’s harshest critic and political opponent.
Nearly 50 Drones Intercepted Over Russia – MOD
The Russian military intercepted 47 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones overnight, the Defense Ministry said on Saturday morning. No fatalities were caused, according to local officials.
The ministry said one UAV was shot down over Belgorod Region, two over Kursk Region, three over Volgograd Region, and 41 over Rostov Region.
Vassily Golubev, governor of Rostov Region, wrote on Telegram that local air defense units had repelled a large-scale assault. Several UAVs were destroyed while approaching the city of Morozovsk. He added that there were no deaths resulting from a bombardment of the city of Taganrog, according to preliminary reports. One Emergencies Ministry employee who was clearing debris on the ground was injured and hospitalized, but his life is not in danger.
The governor of Kursk Region, Roman Starovoyt, used social media to report that debris from a downed Ukrainian drone had damaged the roof of a hospital in the main city of the province, Kursk. No casualties were reported. Starovoyt said that due to an explosion risk, patients from the intensive care unit of a neighboring building were evacuated to other medical institutions in the city.
Voronezh Region Governor Aleksander Gusev has also confirmed that three UAVs were destroyed over his region, with no casualties reported so far. He said the threat of further attacks remains.
All of the regions, except for Volgograd, border Ukraine and have regularly been targeted by Kiev’s forces.
On Thursday the Defense Ministry reported that the Russian military had thwarted an attack by six Ukrainian fixed-wing drones, including in the Tula Region. It is located deeper inside Russia, some 200km from the Ukrainian border and adjacent to Moscow Region, which surrounds the Russian capital.
On Wednesday, a Ukrainian drone hit a fuel depot in Kursk Region some 100km from the border, causing a fire, the governor reported. Another crashed into a fuel and lubricant storage facility used by an ore refinery.
‘We Got To Reign Her In’: Behind The Scenes Of Nuland’s Early Retirement
Former CIA analyst Ray McGovern in a new interview has speculated over the reasons behind Victoria Nuland stepping down from her high-ranking position as Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, the number three top official in the State Department.
Her retirement was announced by her boss Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday. But the question is why now when the administration is attempting to stay the course and present a strong continued stance on Ukraine, also as Biden is still seeking to get tens of billions in defense aid through Republicans in the House.
While there have been rumors that maybe she could be in poor or declining health, McGovern has told Russia’s Sputnik that the notoriously hawkish Nuland was a liability at a moment NATO and Russia are inching closer to direct nuclear-armed confrontation.
“My best guess here is that the CIA and the Defense Department and the NSA got this message around saying, ‘look, Victoria’s got her own agenda here,’” said McGovern.
The former CIA official continued to speculate: “‘The president doesn’t really want to strike these ammo depots in Russia or knock down the [Crimean] Bridge. So we got to rein her in, I guess it’s time for her to go to early retirement.’”
Another theory, though not necessarily contradictory to the above, has been advanced by professor of national security at Bowie State University Dr. Matthew Crosston.
He laid out what “a staunch anti-Putinist Nuland was and how fervently she wanted to continue to utilize Ukraine as a platform in which to continue to weaken and/or slight Russia on the global stage — and perhaps even up the ante in that conflict with her support of sending ballistic missiles into Ukraine.” But she also knows the Ukrainian side is losing.
She may have seen the writing on the wall as Ukraine forces are in retreat, and wanted to bail before potential total defeat:
“She undoubtedly understood that if American support lessons or wanes, Ukraine loses, period,” Crosston pointed out. “Perhaps she did not want to be in the Administration that would be responsible for that outcome.”
But both McGovern and Crosston would agree that with Nuland as Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (in this capacity she basically ran all of US foreign policy in Europe), ceasefire talks between Kiev and Moscow remained an extremely distant prospect or even an impossibility.
“One thing is certain: as long as Nuland remained in that chair, there was literally no chance such talk could even be theorized. Now it can,” Crosston concluded.
Journalist Glenn Greenwald also weighed in on Nuland stepping down in an interview with The Hill. Greenwald describes the “singular monstrousness of Victoria Nuland and her bipartisan, blood-stained, ghoulish career“…
Nuland’s temporary replacement for under secretary upon her retirement has been announced as career diplomat John Bass, a former ambassador to Afghanistan. He is currently in the position of the undersecretary of state for management. He oversaw Biden’s botched withdrawal from Afghanistan, and so it is somewhat ironic that he’ll also oversee Ukraine policy at this critical juncture where Kiev is clearly against the ropes.
Biden Tries to Blame Republicans for Coming Loss of Ukraine — Ex-State Dept Official
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – President Joe Biden used his State of the Union speech to blame the Republicans if Russia wins the war in Ukraine by claiming Kiev could have won or survived if the latest $61 billion arms package had not been blocked in Congress, former State Department official and consultant on US-Russia relations James Carden said.
“The way I heard the speech was Biden setting the ground to blame the Republicans for losing the war should they block further tranches of funding,” Carden told Sputnik.
But Biden was still committed to his confrontational and warmaking policies in Ukraine, the Middle East and elsewhere around the world and showed no sign of wanting to change them, he emphasized.
“I think he’s a true believer and actually believes that his status as Warlord-in-Chief helps him politically,” Carden explained.
Biden’s indirect admission that the planned next enormous military aid package for President Volodymyr Zelensky’s increasingly discredited regime in Kiev was blocked on Capitol Hill did not stem from any fundamental reassessment of US policy on backing Ukraine’s war against Russia, he said.
Instead, Biden’s comments reflected his always primary concern with domestic politics and his obsession with getting reelected to a second term in November even though he is already 81 years old, Carden clarified.
“The results coming out of Michigan, however, disprove his thesis,” Carden said.
Uncommitted voters in the US state of Michigan on Super Tuesday this week registered a protest against Biden and his policies, especially on foreign affairs, security and the invasion of Gaza. Some 100,000 voters, or 20% of those who participated in the Democratic primary alone, cast their ballots as “Uncommitted,” expressing a massive lack of support for the president in his own party with no other serious candidate to choose from.
The $61 billion package is being blocked by Republicans in the House of Representatives until Biden changes his policies on illegal immigration and agrees to crack down on it. But because the president is determined not to change course on that, he will not get more aid approved for Kiev, his opponents have said.
Cartels Are Now In Control Of Both Sides Of The Mexican Border
BorderHawk brings you a powerful report from the border exposing the cartels’ sophisticated operational control of the border as human and drug trafficking continues unabated in thanks to Biden’s open-border and soft-on-crime policies.