"Next week, Mahmoud Abbas will enter the 92nd month of his 48-month term, and now has Yasser Arafat’s record in sight. Arafat was elected president of the Palestinian Authority in 1996, running essentially unopposed (his opponent was a 72-year old woman with no political party). In 2004, in the ninth year of his four-year term, he left office on account of death. His second-in-command was elected president less than two months later, running essentially unopposed (Hamas boycotted the election). Abbas is now midway through the eighth year of his own four-year term, almost certain to break Arafat’s record if he can just stay healthy."
Iran pledges support as Syria battles rebels
“Iran will continue to back the Syrian government, which acts as a pillar of an Iran-led regional alliance, a high-level Iranian diplomat has told President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus.”
Turkey's nightmares coming true in Syria
US expert says most troubling scenario for Turkey may also be the most likely one: protracted chaos and sectarian conflict, leaving a security vacuum across the border
New US intelligence report shows Iran moving closer to nuclear weapon
Haaretz reports that official estimate, which pulls back 2007 claim that Iran had halted weaponization program, brings Washington in line with Israel
“The report is a 180 degree turn from the last NIE on Iran, in 2007, which reported that Iran had given up on its nuclear weapons program in 2003 and had not returned to it.”
Saudi Arabia says it would ‘intercept Israeli planes en route to Iran’
Message reportedly received via Washington seen as warning against unilateral strike
“Defense Minister Ehud Barak said later Thursday he had received no such message.”
Desert Reconnaissance Battalion commander: “We were prepared in advance”
“This is the decorated IDF hero that led the battalion that successfully protected Israel against the massive attack launched from Egypt on Sunday. And yeh he’s a black muslim. He Doesn’t sound like the product of an “apartheid regime”, spoils the BDS narrative.”IDF article about him here.
Cairo Tightens Egypt’s Blockade of Gaza After Sinai Terrorist Attack
“The Boycott, Divestment and Sanction movement (BDS) has been conspicuously silent about the ramped up Egyptian blockade of Gaza. In the past, the BDS movement’s well-oiled social media and petition campaign has pretended that the Gaza blockade existed only on the Israeli side when, in fact, Egypt, Gaza’s main partner, has enforced its own air-sea-land blockade for the past half-decade. In fact, Egypt maintains an embassy in Gaza. The Muslim Brotherhood, which won big in recent Egyptian elections, considers Hamas to be its Palestinian chapter. However, on the ground, Egypt has long blockaded Gaza out of dire security concerns. Those concerns were ignited as never before by the brazen assault on Egyptian soldiers.”
Jewish radicals and anti-Semitism
“Robert Wistrich, Hebrew University professor of European and Jewish history and director of the Vidal Sassoon International Center for the Study of anti-Semitism, has just published his 29th book,"From Ambivalence to Betrayal: The Left, the Jews and Israel."
Groups Blast Carter’s Role at Convention
“When it comes to Israel and the Middle East, President Carter has unfortunately embarrassed himself — as his analysis and commentary has been stubbornly wrong, harmful to the peace process, and getting worse all the time,” said Harris. “I’m confident that he won’t be speaking to the Party about Middle East policy.”
MEMRI: Hizbullah MP Ret. General Walid Sakariya: Iranian Nuclear Weapon "to Finish Off the Zionist Entity"
From Ian:
Tourism to Israel continues record-breaking pace in July
Last month saw nearly 700,000 visitors, 10% of whom came from America; more than 2 million tourists have arrived this year
Golden Raisman honors slain Israelis
US Jewish gymnast says she would have supported moment of silence for Munich 1972 victims
"Jewish American Olympian Aly Raisman honored the memory of slain Israeli athletes after she took gold in the women’s floor exercise Tuesday. Raisman, whose routine was set to the music of Hava Nagilah, said she would have supported a decision to observe a moment of silence in honor of the Israeli athletes murdered by Palestinian terrorists during the 1972 Munich games."
Study: Different Jews Are Genetically Alike
“While it’s easy to be flip about studies on the similarities of Jews in far-flung places, a study recently released by a consortium of colleges in the United States, Israel, France, and Spain, did yield some interesting results:”
Israel confronts world hunger with a solar-powered desert oasis
"The best of Israel’s agri-tech and clean-tech innovation is combined in a new oasis system that could help feed millions of desert-dwellers."
Also...
I published a wrap-up of the Emirates Photo Competition and FIAP at The Algemeiner
Jewish Ideas Daily on two opposing viewpoints about The Levy Report. I like the second one better...
Time for the EU to ban Hezbollah (TheJC)
IDF begins draft of haredim without problems (JTA)
The Atlantic on Orthodox Jewish migration to the suburbs, and why it is unlikely that they will return to live in cities.
(h/t Zach N.)