Greetings and welcome to the pre-New Year's edition of Laura's Links. It also happens to be my and Mr. C's anniversary today, (it's a big one)! Mr. C asked me what I was planning to get him for our anniversary and I told him that I'd be getting him the same thing that he would be getting me. Wait for it.... aaaand it's nothing.

Now, before you get too harsh on either of us, he did actually ask me today just in case there is something that I really do want (there isn't). And I should further qualify my disclosure by saying that it is completely impossible to buy gifts for me. Things are not so important to me and I'm really not a jewelry gal, I only wear my wedding ring and an engagement ring that I inherited from my late Bubbie that I had re-set to match my wedding band (a beautiful Yemenite Jewish design). I'm also not into designer clothes with the exception of Hermes scarves – and believe it or not, after pining for one for a number of years, a reader of mine actually sent me one, and I do love it.

So the truth of the matter is that I'm not really into things. The things that I love the most in the whole world – G-d, my family and the Jewish people – have no monetary value and money cannot buy some of the only things in the universe that I want but can't have. If only money could buy the gift of speech for my special needs son. If only I could buy him the small fragment of the chromosomal protein that he is missing so that he would not have a rare deletion syndrome. Where does one go to buy one's miscarried baby? If only, if only, if only one could.

The list of what money can't buy goes on and on and I'm sure each of you out there has your own items that you could add to the list of the un-buyables and the unpurchasables. And overall of course, your health is your wealth. Now, I'm not an ascetic by any means. There are lots of little things and bigger things that I very much like. And of course, having money means having certain freedoms, more choices and also the great responsibility to help others. Anyway, given the grossly and unfortunately materialistic nature of the "holiday season", I thought maybe this could harsh the consumer mellow a bit right here up front.

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A little bird suggested to me that I should consider making my intros a little longer, so I'll do that this week because I wanted to give a little Laura's Life Lesson on what is really the reason for the the Jihadi/Hamasshole disruptions and protests all over the (just barely) civilized world. First of all: Jew-hatred. Yes. D'UH. They hate the Jews. But guess what? They hate all of you non-Jews as well. They hate our civilization. They want to undo it.

There are a lot of seemingly intelligent people all over the internet commenting on these stories saying some kind of variation of this: "hey, you know this kind of thing doesn't exactly help your cause". That is such BUMPKIN SIMPLETON CRAP. Get your thinking caps on, people. Gosh at times like this I miss Rush Limbaugh. He would have been the first one to figure this all out.

They are doing this because they hate you, and because they are taking over the public square.

They are highly motivated, young and enthusiastic. They want you to feel intimidated and frustrated. They scream at you to make you feel like there is no recourse available to you. Islam is a conquering religion. It takes over public spaces, and in the most provocative and vulgar ways possible, by screaming Intifada, and shrieking the Takbir. And just a reminder: they are not screaming "G-d is Great". They are screaming that Allah is the Greatest. There's a big difference, my infidel friends, whether you acknowledge it or not.

And seriously, as for the theme of egregious provocations, has everyone really already forgotten about the Ground Zero Mosque? (Uchh, on second thought please don't answer that, I'm not sure if I can take the answer.) But fellow infidels: you don't need Waze to know that it is a very short drive from the Ground Zero Mosque to protesting the "Gaza genocide" at your local Holocaust Museum. Are you paying attention yet?

And please remember that in addition the Western nihilists cheering on the Islamic jihadist rapists, murders, kidnappers, baby-burnering, Official Nazi Hamas savages of Gaza, a large majority in Gaza, the "innocent civilians" of the area, are the Unofficial Nazi Savages of Hamas. You don't have to take my word for it. Take their word for it. They proudly "identify" as Hamas lovers. Plus, they are the Bradford of the Mediterranean. I mean really, what's not to love about this culture and their Western cheerleaders? Let's all really root for this "culture" and this movement.

Lastly, a reminder to please continue to pray for the peace of Jerusalem where the pain and heartache is unfathomable. The human price of having a Jewish homeland is higher than any human should ever have to pay. And if you are inclined to pray, please include Maor ben Chagit (Maor, son of Chagit) specifically in your prayers. He's the son of one of Mr. C's oldest and best childhood friends who miraculously survived an attack on his tank in Gaza in which five other soldiers were killed.

Let me now wish all of our readers a very Happy New Year in advance of the festivities and celebrations.

Here's hoping 2024 will be good to us.

~

North America:

The Wretched of the University

Another church fire in Canada. Who sets fire to churches? I think we can eliminate the Saturday people and the Sunday people as suspects, that's for sure. Who else could it be?

Ronna McDaniel reminds me of Mel Brooks in History of the World.

Ahh, the glories of socialized medicine. This guy went from wrong diagnosis to "would you like government murder" in two weeks. If the "medical assistance in dying" program was not a Liberal government plan to cull the population in favour of third-world, non-skilled immigrants and refugees, what exactly would they be doing differently?

HISTORY GEEK OUT: Codebreaker edition.

Stop electing Democrats.

"Why Obama stepped in to save Harvard President Claudine Gay." Obama's third-term is his most dangerous and consequential one.

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The Great Walkbackening, Reckoning and Accounting:

OH OK nothing to see here. Absolutely NOTHING to be concerned about, move along and shut up, peasants.

OOOOH I see OK.

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Jews and Israel:

Melanie Phillips: The Revival of an Ancient Calumny

BBBUT ISRAEL APARTHEID!?!?! AYIIIEEEEEEE. Please page me when the Palestinian Authority gives out free menorahs in Judea and Samaria.

History Geek Out: Following in Jesus' footsteps, biblical discoveries in the Holy Land.

This is amazing. I am so glad I spotted this on "X": If you are in tech, and want to volunteer for Israel for startups who are struggling with manpower while employees and owners are doing reserve duty, please visit Start Up Reserves. The minimum commitment is 10 hours a week.

GOOD STUFF.

A history of feminist antisemitism.

OH I SEE. GREAT JOB.

This is so good. Natan Sharansky explains about "Our False Partners" sloooowly and clearly. Do read the whole thing.

Eve Barlow: "A little bit about me."

"Under the rules set by great powers to govern the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, anything is possible. Losing is winning. Crime is justice. Rape is love. Death is life. These are the slogans of the new spirit of the age, the dawning of the Empire of Palestine." This is an excellent essay from Lee Smith at Tablet.

The year "Israelophobia" took over.

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Jewish Wisdom:

Joseph and true leadership.

American Jews: STOP BEING STUPID (really good).

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On Christianity:

Finding Jesus and Christianity (this is spectacular, READ THE WHOLE THING).

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The Formerly Great Britain:

"Britain has fallen."

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Europe:

Bye Bye, Poland.

BYE BYE FRANCE, you cheese eating infidel suckers.

BASED SWEDEN

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Russia:

Putin doesn't mess around. RELATED.

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Down Under:

Mazel Tov.

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Kooks:

The Violent Femmes (really good).

Parents who still mask their kids.

THIS IS THE WAY.

This is a good start. How much longer will President Gay last? How much more will it cost Harvard to go all in on their DEI President?

~

Human Grace:

"Our friend, Yagil Yaakov is here. He just came back from Gaza. Can he light the menorah?"

Not Offended By Christmas. AMEN.

"I did my sister's nails!"

Shawarma! (Honestly these guys are just cutie patooties to the nth degree.)

The righteous rower, RIP.

"When the music started, she came to life."

She got 20 toddlers to the bomb shelter in 20 seconds.

In the spirit of giving...

"Thank G-d I am Jewish."

It's open thread time! Log into SteynOnline and let Laura know what you think of these stories or other happenings from week that was. Commenting privileges are among the many perks of membership in The Mark Steyn Club. While going off topic is permitted on Laura's Links, do stick to the other rules as you engage: no URLs, no profanity, and no ad hominem attacks.