Monday, April 01, 2019
Amb. Dore Gold: Why Israeli Sovereignty Over the Golan Heights Matters
Critics of the U.S. decision to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights misread the legal significance of the preamble to UN Security Council Resolution 242, from November 1967, which contains a reference to the principle of the “inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by war.”
Legal scholars have drawn a distinction between the seizure of territory in wars of aggression, which is illegal, and the seizure of territory by a state exercising its lawful right of self-defense.
Writing in the American Journal of International Law in 1970, Stephen Schwebel, who became the legal adviser to the U.S. Department of State and then President of the International Court of Justice in The Hague, wrote about the legal significance of this difference. He also cited the great British scholar Elihu Lauterpacht, who argued that “territorial change cannot properly take place as a result of the unlawful use of force.”
What about cases of the lawful use of force? In the aftermath of the Second World War, significant territorial changes were implemented in Europe. For example, Germany lost considerable land to Poland and to the Soviet Union. It was clear that the UN Charter recognized the right of states to use force in self-defense, which is the case of Israel’s entry into the Golan Heights.
In 1967, when the Soviet Union undertook to obtain condemnation of Israel in the UN Security Council as the aggressor in the Six-Day War, it failed, losing the vote by 11 to 4. The Soviets then went to the General Assembly and failed yet again. It was clear for the member states of both UN bodies that Israel had acted in self-defense.
It is also not true that the Golan decision represents a major shift in U.S. policy. In 1975, President Gerald Ford wrote to Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin that the U.S. “will give great weight to Israel’s position that any peace agreement be predicated on Israel’s remaining on the Golan Heights.”
Arab Leaders to Seek UN Security Council Resolution on Golan
Arab leaders said on Sunday they would seek a UN Security Council resolution against the US decision to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights and promised to support Palestinians in their bid for statehood.
Arab leaders, long divided by regional rivalries, also ended their annual summit in Tunisia calling for cooperation with non-Arab Iran based on non-interference in each others’ affairs.
Arab leaders who have been grappling with a bitter Gulf Arab dispute, splits over Iran’s regional influence, the war in Yemen and unrest in Algeria and Sudan sought common ground after Washington recognized Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan.
But the abrupt departure from the summit shortly after it began by Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, who is locked in a row with Saudi Arabia and other Arab states, suggested rivalries were not easily buried. No reason was given for his departure.
“We, the leaders of the Arab countries gathered in Tunisia … express our rejection and condemnation of the United States decision to recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan,” Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit said.
Jpost Editorial: Good job, Grenell
German exports to Iran dropped 9% last year, Benjamin Weinthal reported in Sunday’s Jerusalem Post.
Large German banks like Commerzbank and Deutsche Bank stopped doing business with Iran. German engineering companies have stopped exporting engineering equipment to Tehran. Well-known companies like Volkswagen, BMW, Siemens and Daimler are withdrawing from Iran’s volatile market.
The reason? US sanctions on Iran – and the unyielding efforts of America’s Ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell.
In fact, in the German state of Lower Saxony, Weinthal reported, trade with Iran rose in the first half of 2018, but then dropped drastically in the second half of the year, due to US sanctions on Iran and Grenell’s arrival in May.
Grenell has made sure that the American position is amply clear. On his first day on the job, he tweeted: “US sanctions will target critical sectors of Iran’s economy. German companies doing business in Iran should wind down operations immediately.”
How Egypt Uses Israel’s Desire for Normalization as a Bargaining Chip
Last Tuesday marked the 40th anniversary of the peace treaty concluded by Anwar Sadat and Menachem Begin. To commemorate that event, Israel hosted a series of public events at universities and think tanks, to which it invited Egyptian private citizens and officials, including Hebrew-speaking diplomats stationed in Tel Aviv—not one of whom attended. Nor was there an Egyptian parallel to the attention or the celebratory tone that Israeli media lavished on the anniversary. Haisam Hassanein finds this divergence emblematic of the two countries’ attitudes:Israel and Egypt: A Closer Look at This 40 Year Long Friendship
Egyptian authorities have used the difference [between their goals and Israel’s] to further their own interests, often wielding it as a tool of punishment or reward. Cairo is well aware that many Israelis are so eager for recognition, warmth, and normal relations that they will often seize on whatever diplomatic door is opened—and willingly pay a price to keep it open if the other side threatens to close it.
This is why Egypt will occasionally exchange delegations with Israel, send a group of tourists there, cooperate in certain technical fields, moderate attacks in the Egyptian media, ameliorate the security situation around the Israeli embassy, grant permission to hold bilateral cultural activities, marginally improve trade relations, allow meetings between Israeli and Egyptian notables, accept Israeli invitations to high-profile dinners, and participate in trade shows or cultural fairs with Israelis.
At the same time, the government allows local media to maintain a very hostile tone toward Israel. During last year’s Ramadan observances, for example, Egyptian television aired a show in which an al-Qaeda member operating in the country turns out to be an Israeli Mossad agent bent on compromising Egypt’s national security. The government publicly praised the program, and its tacit endorsement of such warped views seems clear given the degree to which President Sisi has controlled the media since he rose to power. Most media depictions of Israel-related issues [should] be thought of as approved by government officials, reflecting a widespread desire to ostracize Israelis and Jews, foment fear and hatred toward them, and glorify the Arab struggle against them.
Abbas: U.S. to allow Israel to annex parts of West Bank, give Hamas Gaza
The Trump administration will allow Israel to annex portions of the West Bank and split the Gaza Strip from the West Bank so that it can be a state of its own, said Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday.PA recalls envoy to Brazil after J'lem 'diplomatic office' announcement
Speaking at the Arab League summit in Tunisia, “What is coming from the US is more dangerous and serious,” he said. “The US will tell Israel, annex part of the Palestinian lands and grant self-rule to what’s left of the land, and give the Gaza Strip a state so that Hamas can play there.
“The US administration’s decision is to destroy the Arab Peace Plan and constitutes a dramatic change from the positions of previous US administrations,” Abbas continued.
The Palestinian leader spoke in advance of the anticipated roll out of what US President Donald Trump is calling the “Plan of the Century” to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
His comments, however, also came one week after the historic decision by Trump to officially recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. Israel annexed the area from Syria in 1981, after capturing the territory during the defensive Six Day War in 1967.
The Palestinian Authority condemned “in the strongest terms" Brazil's decision to open a diplomatic office in Jerusalem, and said that it will recall the Palestinian ambassador to Brazil for consultations to study the PA’s response to the move.Lapid to 'Post': World leaders want Netanyahu to go
Brazilian Foreign Minister Ernesto Araujo, who is accompanying Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on his visit to Israel, spoke with acting Foreign Minister Israel Katz about the opening of a Brazilian diplomatic office in Jerusalem.
The PA Foreign Ministry said on Sunday that Brazil’s decision was a “flagrant violation of international legitimacy and its resolutions, and a direct assault on our people and their rights.”
The ministry claimed that the decision to open the diplomatic office came in response to American and Israeli “pressure aimed at perpetuating the occupation, settlements and Judaization in occupied Jerusalem.”
The PA said that it was consulting with Arab countries to determine a unified and shared Arab position towards the Brazilian decision.
The international community is sick of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and wants the Blue and White Party to form the next government, the party’s No. 2 candidate, Yair Lapid, told The Jerusalem Post in an interview in Tel Aviv on Sunday.Trump to Host Egypt’s Sisi at White House on April 9
Lapid has traveled the world and built up strong ties with a variety of world leaders. If Blue and White wins the April 9 general election, he would be foreign minister under Benny Gantz for the first two-and-a-half years and prime minister for the following year and a half as part of the power-sharing agreement they reached when they formed the party.
“Many of the world leaders I am in touch with desperately want Netanyahu to go,” Lapid said. “Bibi has a problem with the Democratic Party, the more moderate Republicans, the majority of US Jews and the European Union – except [for] some Eastern European countries, especially Poland to whom he shamelessly surrendered the memory of the Jews who died there in WWII. He is doing well in some parts of Africa, Latin America and [with] the American president.”
Lapid said that as foreign minister and then prime minister, he would restore Israel’s bipartisan stature and recognize the Reform and Conservative movements. He said Israel has been insulting the majority of North American Jews for too long. He would also try to repair Israel’s ties with the European Union, which is the Jewish state’s largest trading partner.
President Donald Trump will host Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi at the White House on April 9 for talks on strengthening their strategic partnership and working on shared priorities in the Middle East, the White House said on Friday.MEMRI: Reformist Kuwaiti Journalist 'Abdallah Al-Hadlaq, Who is Critical Of Iran and Hamas And Has Expressed Positive Views Of Israel, Is Sentenced To Three Years In Prison – For Two 2018 Tweets That, According To Kuwaiti Officials, Offended Shi'ites
The White House said in a statement the two leaders would discuss “building on our robust military, economic and counterterrorism cooperation” as well as regional economic integration and “Egypt’s longstanding role as a lynchpin of regional stability.”
The visit by Sisi comes at a time of renewed tensions between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza after a rocket fired from the coastal enclave wounded seven Israelis near Tel Aviv.
Israel responded with air strikes and warnings from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel was prepared to wage a broad military campaign in Gaza if needed.
On March 19, 2019, a Kuwaiti court sentenced reformist journalist 'Abdallah Al-Hadlaq to three years in prison for offending the Shi'ites and "fanning controversies among the sectors of society," i.e., between Sunnis and Shi'ites in Kuwait. Al-Hadlaq was prosecuted for two tweets he posted in August 2018, in which he wrote that Imam 'Ali bin Abi Talib – considered by Shi'ites to be the rightful heir of the Prophet Muhammad – and his sons had caused the Sunni-Shi'ite divide in Islam and that 'Ali bin Abi Talib had deliberately delayed swearing loyalty to the first caliph, Abu Bakr.[1]Envoy recalled, official fired as Somalia uniquely abstains on anti-Israel vote
'Abdallah Al-Hadlaq is known for his harsh criticism of the Palestinians, especially Hamas, and of Iran, and for his positive opinions on Israel. Many of his articles have appeared in the Kuwaiti daily Al-Watan, which has occasionally removed them from its website after they sparked outrage. Due to his positions, he was included in a list of Arab writers who were called "traitors" and "Israel's ambassadors in the Arab world," which was published in 2009 on Arab websites that support the resistance axis. The list was published after, during the Israel-Gaza war in December 2008-January 2009, the Israeli Foreign Ministry published articles by these writers criticizing Hamas and the resistance axis, without the writers' knowledge or consent.[2]
This report presents excerpts from articles and statements by 'Abdallah Al-Hadlaq that were published by MEMRI over the years.
The Real Enemy Of The Gulf States Is Not Israel But Iran
In an August 1, 2015 article in Kuwait's Al-Watan daily, Al-Hadlaq wrote that the real enemy of the Gulf states is not Israel, whom he called "a friendly country," but rather Iran. He argued that Iran's Rule of the Jurisprudent regime is fascist, and that if it attains nuclear weapons it will not hesitate to use it against the Gulf states – whereas Israel, which has possessed such weapons for years, has never used them in its wars against the Arabs. Al-Hadlaq even called upon the Gulf states to sever their ties with Iran and form an alliance with Israel by strengthening their ties with it on the political, commercial and even military levels. He wrote: "To all those who think the Persian state (Iran), and the regime of the Rule of the Imprudent,[4] [namely] the dictatorial fascist Persian regime which controls it, is a friendly country, whereas Israel is an enemy country, I say that a prudent enemy is better than an imprudent one. The state of Israel and its various governments have waged more than five wars with the Arabs, yet never in the course of these wars did Israel think to use its nuclear weapons against its Arab enemies. Conversely, if the Persian state, with its stupid, rash and fascist regime that hides behind a religious guise, ever develops nuclear weapons, it will not hesitate to use nuclear bombs against the Arab Gulf states in the first conflict that arises.
"Israel is a friendly state that does not endanger us in the Arab Gulf region and we have nothing to fear from it. The one who threatens us, carries out acts of terror and destruction against us, and aspires to occupy us is the arrogant Persian enemy, represented by the regime of the Persian state (Iran), which is the incubator and supportive environment for global terror.
"Hence, I repeat my call to form an Israel-Gulf friendship society, as a first step towards developing and strengthening [our] ties with the friendly state of Israel in the domains of politics, diplomacy, trade, education and military and civilian cooperation. The rapprochement between Israel and the Gulf should be accompanied by a gradual distancing and severance of all ties with the Persian state (Iran) and its fascist Persian regime, now that it has been proven beyond all doubt that the Persian Iranians are involved in acts of terror, destruction and bombing in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Yemen, Kuwait and the UAE, and after it has been proven that they incite and support the Shi'ite Houthi rebels in Yemen, and that the Shi'ite Persian Iranian militias are involved in all the hotspots of terror and conflict in the Arab Gulf and the Middle East, such as in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon and throughout the world.
"I do not rule out - in fact I anticipate - that the servants and agents of Iran in the region, who have Persian blood running in their veins,... will accuse me of 'Zionism, collaborating with Israel, harboring hatred for Islam and Arabism, betraying the Palestinian cause and being hostile towards the Arab ummah.' [But now that] the world has become a village thanks to communications [technology], the scales have dropped from the eyes of the Arab and Muslims peoples, and they have realized... that their only bitter enemies are the Persian Iranians, not the friendly state of Israel..."[5]
On March 22, Somalia abstained on a UN Human Rights Council vote condemning Israel.Boosting diplomatic drive to Africa, Israel opens embassy in Rwanda
Though it passed mostly unnoticed, the Muslim nation’s abstention on a resolution about Israel’s occupation of the Golan Heights made history: It is believed to have been the first time a member state of the Arab League missed an opportunity to condemn the Jewish state in a major international forum.
Somalia’s unprecedented abstention on draft resolution A/HRC/40/L.4, entitled “Human rights in the occupied Syrian Golan,” was clearly an anomaly, because Mogadishu on the same day voted in favor of three other anti-Israel resolutions, and later reiterated its rejection of Israeli claims over the strategic high plateau.
But the move brought into the open an ongoing debate that has been playing out in the East African country over the question of potential future ties with the Jewish state.
Further highlighting what had been a secret tug of war within the government, a senior Somali diplomat who has publicly called for warming relations with Jerusalem was fired on Sunday. Unfazed, this official, Abdullahi Dool, told The Times of Israel on Monday that he still strongly favors Somalia-Israel ties.
Somalia, which has been a member of the Arab League since 1974, has never had formal relations with Israel.
In a bid to strengthen its diplomatic foothold in Africa, Israel on Monday opened a new embassy in the Rwandan capital of Kigali.Bahraini MPs seethe as Israelis set to speak at April conference
The new office, headed by veteran diplomat Ambassador Ron Adam, is the Jewish state’s eleventh embassy on the continent. The last Israeli embassy opened in Africa was in Ghana in 2011.
“Over the years, Rwanda has proven to be a steady, true friend to Israel. Like Israel, Rwanda is small in area but large in capabilities and aspirations,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“The opening of the embassy reflects the ongoing strengthening of relations between the two states and will enable expansion of the cooperation between them in many areas, such as education, academia, women empowerment, science and technology, innovation and agriculture.”
In Kigali, Rwandan Foreign Minister Richard Sezibera and the director of Israel’s foreign ministry, Yuval Rotem, cut the ribbon and unveiled a plaque in front of the new mission.
“I am confident that the opening of the Israeli embassy in Rwanda will within a few years bring our relations with Rwanda and with the African continent to a whole new level,” said Rotem, who also met with President Paul Kagame during his current trip to the country.
Several Israeli speakers are to appear at a business conference in Bahrain next month, a move condemned by MPs in the tiny Gulf state Sunday.Jewish comedian wins first round in Ukraine's presidential election
At least three Israeli speakers, including the Israel Innovation Authority’s deputy chief, Anya Eldan, are scheduled to speak at the Global Entrepreneurship Congress in Manama, according to the forum’s website.
Members of parliament said Sunday they were against hosting Israeli speakers in Bahrain, which — like most Arab states — does not recognize the Jewish state.
“Parliament stresses its support for the just cause of the brotherly Palestinian people, and it will remain a priority for the Bahraini and Arab people,” it said in a statement published on its official Facebook page.
“The end of the Israeli occupation and the withdrawal from all Arab land is an absolute necessity for the stability and security of the region and for a fair and comprehensive peace.”
Officially, Israel only has diplomatic relations with two Arab states, neighboring Egypt and Jordan.
A Jewish comedian with no political experience raced ahead in Ukraine's presidential election on Sunday, offering a fresh face to voters fed up with entrenched corruption in a country on the frontline of the West's standoff with Russia.Bedouin-Israeli convicted in murder of IDF soldier at mall in Arad
Exit polls and early counting put 41-year-old Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who plays a fictional president in a popular TV series, comfortably ahead of incumbent President Petro Poroshenko in the first round, though short of a majority.
Though criticized for being an unknown quantity and light on policy detail, Zelenskiy's emergence is a powerful challenge to the veteran politician Poroshenko and former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who trailed in third place.
No candidate is expected to receive more than half the votes, meaning the election would go to a runoff on April 21. Out of a crowded field of 39 candidates, none of the likely winners wants to move Ukraine back into Russia's orbit.
"I would like to say 'thank you' to all the Ukrainians who did not vote just for fun," Zelenskiy told cheering supporters on Sunday evening. "It is only the beginning, we will not relax."
Zelenskiy told journalists after the polls closed that "this is only the first step toward a great victory."
A Bedouin-Israeli man was sentenced to life in prison plus 20 years by the Beersheba District Court on Monday for murdering IDF soldier Sgt. Ron Yitzhak Kokia in November 2017 outside an Arad shopping mall.UN Reports on IDF response to Hamas are misguided and pose serious concerns
The court also fined Khaled Abu Jouda NIS 258,000 regarding the March conviction, and the additional 20 years was for terrorism-related offenses.
In a statement, the state prosecution praised the court for recognizing that Israel is in a day-in day-out battle with terror.
Kokia’s family renewed their call for the death penalty for Khaled Abu Jouda though Israel has not carried out the death penalty in decades.
Khaled’s half-brother, Zahi, has been indicted for attempted murder and other offenses.
Kokia, 19, a sergeant in the IDF’s Nahal Brigade, was stabbed several times in the neck to death by Abu Jouda, who also stole his Tavor assault rifle.
Third, Hamas won in the court of public opinion despite it, not Israel, setting the conditions for increased civilian casualties. Hamas effectively exploited the IDF’s compliance with international law and shifted the narrative from the Gazans’ grievances (including against Hamas) that initially spawned the protests, to blaming the IDF for these casualties.NGO Monitor: Palestinian NGO Medic Killed in Bethlehem Clashes Had Ties to PFLP Terror Group
Hamas did so by manipulating misunderstandings about international law, chiefly the common but incorrect belief that legal responsibility for civilian casualties automatically lies with those using force. Unfortunately, such misunderstandings are widespread, not only among the media and the watching world but also many civilian legal experts as well. We are skeptical of judgments about international law – including the law of armed conflict – from a U.N. commission whose principal members appear to lack expertise in military law or these types of security operations.
Finally, the U.N.’s findings are dangerous because they incentivize further bad acts by Hamas and others who would seek to similarly weaponize the law.
Indeed, like much of the reporting on the March of Return or the 2014 Gaza conflict, the commission’s findings reflect the effectiveness of Hamas’ strategic misinformation campaigns. As such, they reinforce Hamas’ incentive to continue violating international law and exposing Palestinian civilians to harm. Hezbollah likely will pursue a similar strategy in its next conflict with the IDF.
We also appreciate how this challenge confronting Israel strongly resembles what the United States faces in its conflicts against Islamic State, the Taliban and others. Adversaries emboldened by the lack of censure for Hamas’ illegal tactics are now more likely to employ similar strategies against U.S. forces.
On March 27, 2019, Sajed Mizher, a 17-year-old Palestinian was killed by the Israeli security forces “during confrontations in Dheisheh refugee camp in the southern West Bank district of Bethlehem.”
According to Palestinian Medical Relief Society (PMRS), “a grassroots community-based Palestinian health organization,” Mizher was a “first aid volunteer” with the NGO and was shot “as he was performing his duty, in his first aid uniform, during a raid by Israeli force on the camp” (emphasis added). For PMRS, this was part of a wider context of “attacks on medical personnel and other protected persons.”
In sharp contrast, the IDF released a video of the violent incident, in which “dozens of rioters hurled blocks and firebombs at the troops.” In the video, you can see an individual removing an orange reflective vest, of the sort usually worn by emergency medical personnel, and then hurling stones at soldiers.
PMRS was not the only Palestinian group to claim Mizher as one of their own. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP terrorist organization –designated as such by the EU, US, Canada, and Israel) declared that it “informs the public of the pride and honor of the death of our comrade the medic Sajed Abd Al-Hakim Mizher (17 years old) from Dheisheh who was martyred of his wounds caused during his attempts to help those wounded in the clashes, ignited in the camp by the occupation soldiers who invaded the camp.”
"Israel says Hamas is a terrorist group." It's also listed as a terrorist org by states including US, Canada & EU while those listing its "military wing" include UK, Australia & New Zealand. But for @BBCWorld @BBCBreaking it's only "Israel says." https://t.co/tupCANVUSX pic.twitter.com/BjsOm9xNw4
— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) April 1, 2019
Otzma Yehudit and URP activists block the Kerem Shalom crossing to Gaza
Otzma Yehudit and Union of Right-Wing Parties activists blocked the passage of trucks to Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing on Monday.Khaled Abu Toameh: Why Palestinians are Fleeing Lebanon
During the blockage, one of the truck drivers attempted to attack the activists with a knife. The driver on the other hand claims that the activists in response beat him with clubs.
The Israeli police received a call of a protest causing a dispute at the Kerem Shalom crossing.
Police forces arrived at the scene and detained three suspects.
"The opening of the Kerem Shalom crossing is a disgrace to the Israeli government, and in the next Knesset we will demand that there if citizens of the Gaza border communities will not have a normal life, there will be no normal life in Gaza either," Otzma Yehudit candidate Itamar Ben-Gvir spoke at the scene.
Palestinians appear finally fed up with the apartheid and discriminatory laws they have been subjected to in Lebanon in the past few decades. They appear fed up with the ongoing apathy towards their plight in the international community and media. They also appear fed up with the international media's obsession with Israel and the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The only Palestinians the international media reports about are those whose "problems" are directly linked to Israel.MEMRI: Qatari Press Praises Armed Palestinian Resistance, Self-Sacrifice For Palestine
For the past year, dozens of international journalists based in the Middle East have been covering the weekly protests along the Gaza-Israel border. These journalists, however, seem to care precious little about the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in Lebanon, who, for several decades now, have been protesting the apartheid and discrimination practiced by an Arab country.
In an attempt to draw the international community to their grievances, the Palestinians of Lebanon have launched a campaign called "Hakki" ("My Right") to demand equality and an end to discrimination. The campaign was launched on the 18th anniversary of a law prohibiting non-Lebanese nationals, including Palestinians, from owning property in Lebanon.
Palestinians say that this law and similar ones passed by the Lebanese parliament in the past few decades deny them basic rights and the ability to live in dignity. As a result of these laws, they say, the conditions of Palestinians in Lebanon have worsened to a point where 65% of them live below the poverty line.
Following the March 17, 2019 terror attack near the town of Salfit in the West Bank, in which two Israelis were killed, the Qatari press lavished praise on the attacker, 'Omar Abu Laila, who was later killed in a shootout with Israeli forces that came to arrest him. Calling him "a legendary hero" and "a teacher for the future generations," the articles expressed support for terror and armed operations as means of struggle against Israel. They also praised Abu Laila's willingness to sacrifice his life, stressing that martyrdom for the sake of Palestine is a commendable act.PreOccupiedTerritory: I Like Sunsets, Walks On The Beach, And Sending Children To Get Shot At Violent Riots By Yasmin al-Yamani, Gaza Strip Resident (satire)
Qatari Journalist: Self-Sacrifice For The Sake Of Palestine Is A Noble Act
In a March 25 article in the Qatari Al-Sharq daily, titled "Abu Laila Is an Emblem of Martyrdom," journalist Ahmad Al-Maghawri wrote that Palestine and Jerusalem are not to be bargained over or bartered as part of the "Deal of the Century," and that self-sacrifice for the sake of Palestine is a commendable measure that the Palestinians are willing to take. He wrote: "Palestine is not just a homeland, but a belief that lives in the hearts of its [people], men like 'Omar Abu Laila who have never and will never abandon it as the cowardly agents [i.e., Arab countries that are normalizing relations with Israel] have done.
"Allah said [in Quran 6:89]: '[Those are the ones to whom We gave the Scripture and authority and prophethood], if the disbelievers deny it, then We have entrusted it to a people who are not therein disbelievers.' The sacrifice of life and wealth for the sake of justice is a small [price to pay], for justice requires [even] more than that. [Palestine] – the land of the prophets, the gate of heaven and the place of [Muhammad's] Night Journey – is Muslim waqf land, not a single grain of which can be relinquished... The land of Palestine is planted in the heart of the [Muslim] nation... and Jerusalem, like all of Palestine, is not to be sold, bargained over or bartered as part of some degrading deal, the Deal of the Century. If it is put up for sale, the men of the nation will be willing to pay with their lives and their blood [to prevent this]. Therefore we have scheduled a meeting with a different deal, a dear and noble one, a meeting with Allah, who said [in Quran 9:111]: 'Allah has purchased from the believers their lives and their properties [in exchange] for that they will have Paradise.' This is the meeting called 'martyrdom, courage and self-sacrifice.' The young man Abu Laila... who carried out the stabbing and shooting attack near the town of Salfit south of Nablus, and who has been dubbed 'the Rambo of Palestine,' is the hero of the Salfit operation... He won the highest badge of honor, because he met martyrdom...
Thank you for checking out my profile at GazaDate and choosing to get in touch! I’m sure we’ll have lots to talk about once we get past the preliminaries, but since you’ve expressed interest, here are a few more tidbits about me to help you decide whether to pursue this potential match an further: I love to watch the day become twilight; I love to stroll along the Mediterranean shore; and I love to place children in mortal danger by using them as human shields or, better yet, exploiting their deaths at the hands of the IDF for propaganda purposes.MEMRI: Editor Of 'Mashregh News' Website, Which Is Close To Iran's Intelligence Ministry: My Tweet Hoping For Death Of All Israelis Did Not Violate Twitter's Rules
What about you? I look forward to hearing about your interests and how they mesh with mine, especially taking children to violent attempts at invasion – we can call them “protests” or “demonstrations” for foreign news media. How young do you prefer your human shields? I’m most inclined toward the preschooler and early elementary-school-age group, but I appreciate the appeal of other age ranges.
When it comes to giving knives to children and sending them through breaches in the Zionist security fence to attack Jews – or, preferably, be killed themselves – that obviously requires a slightly older child, at least seven or eight years of age, but to each his own. If your interests lie more in a preteen human shield direction, please tell me all about it! I’ve always enjoyed spending time with people whose interests don’t match mine exactly.
Ideally, the guys who click on my profile will match in more than one area of interest, so if you like walking on the beach at sunset as you take a young child to a violent protest, I’m more than interested. That’s my sweet spot right there. If that describes you, go ahead and get in touch – I’ll definitely be contacting you back before anyone else.
A tweet posted in March by Hassan Soleimani, the editor-in-chief of the Mashregh News website, which is close to Iran's Intelligence Ministry, said: "In anticipation of the day when the organs of all Israelis will be implanted in the bodies of people who need them throughout the world, and humanity will be saved... #Israelis' dogs' lives."Trump’s Exit From the Bad Iran Deal Has Succeeded Where the Deal Itself Failed
After the tweet, which has since been removed from the account, evoked angry responses and was apparently reported by users, Soleimani posted Twitter's response to the complaint as proof that his tweet did not violate the company's rules. Twitter's response said: "We have investigated the reported content and could not identify any violations of the Twitter Rules or applicable law. Accordingly, we have not taken any action at this time."
Soleimani added: "[You] zombies of the Israeli cyber army who report [Twitter content], as you can see, [my] tweet complies with Twitter's rules and with international law, and with any other nonsense you can think of...:)). God give you strength. Do not overwork your hearts and kidneys!" [1]
Then-president Obama’s Iran Nuclear Deal was widely condemned on the right and by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who referred to the deal as a “bad” and “very bad deal.” One of then-candidate Trump’s campaign promises was to extract the the U.S. from this very bad deal, and he did so in the second year of his presidency.Iranian Satire Depicts Trump, Netanyahu, Theresa May As Doctors Operating on ISIS Leader to Save Him
Much to the chagrin of Democrats, the DNC, and the former Obama administration, this withdrawal from the Iran deal has been far more successful in stopping Iran from obtaining nuclear capabilities and from sponsoring worldwide terrorism than the original, bad deal was sold to accomplish.
In his post, I’ve Read the Nuclear Deal, Mr. President, and It’s Awful, David Gerstman noted in 2015:
Iran has maintained its enrichment program, and will be allowed to continued it under the terms of the JCPOA. It still has not come clean about its past nuclear work, and for the sanctions relief to take hold, Iran apparently only has to commit to admitting its past nuclear work to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The JCPOA, in effect, legalizes Iran’s years of violations and rewards them for limiting their level of violations in the future.
The best analogy I could think of would be a corporation having been found in violation of emission standards for years agreeing to a deal that would absolve them of all fines accumulated over the years, have the violations expunged from government records and allowing the corporation to continue polluting at 50% over the standards instead of 100%.
On March 23, 2019, IRINN TV (Iran) aired a satirical show called "The Gangsters Network," in which the costumed "host" said that some say ISIS leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi is undergoing a training course in Guantanamo, or that he is injured and recovering. The show then cuts to an operating room with "Doctors" Donald Trump, Theresa May, and Benjamin Netanyahu performing a "tough operation" on Al-Baghdadi in order to save his life. "Doctor" Trump said that all their plans will be undermined if Al-Baghdadi dies, and the three "doctors" congratulate one another after saving his life.
Egyptian Islamist Wagdi Ghoneim: TheReal Holocaust was When Coalition Forces Captured Last ISIS Stronghold of Al-Baghuz pic.twitter.com/48QGCkI9pI
— MEMRI (@MEMRIReports) April 1, 2019
Israel-Bashing Season Re-Opens in Turkey
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's political and social engineering has changed the way the average Turk identifies himself: Most Turks used to identify themselves as "Turks first." Now they identify themselves as "Muslims first" -- the way Erdoğan seemingly wanted them to.Turkey: Want to Win an Election? Bash the Jews!
Most recently, Erdoğan threatened his own citizens -- citizens who practice a different faith, of course -- Turkey's already dwindling Jewish community, now at around 16,000. "Do not provoke [us]," he said, before noting that he had not yet taken any action against Turkish Jews or their houses of worship.
If Erdoğan is curious to know on what course he is taking Turkey, he might check the official statistics on Turkey's huge brain drain.
The Turkish president repeated a long-standing lie, claiming, "We have never persecuted any Jew here in this country. We have never done to the synagogues the things you do [to mosques]. Do not provoke us."Turkey Mourns Christchurch Massacre, Ignores Attacks on Non-Muslims
Contrary to Erdogan's assertions, anti-Semitism in Turkey is actually widespread -- not surprising, given the open anti-Semitism expressed in Turkey by Erdogan, members of parliament, journalists and political activists.
Then there is the anti-Semitism expressed by Erdogan supporters, claiming that Fethullah Gülen -- the self-exiled, U.S.-based Turkish Muslim cleric whom Erdogan blames for the failed 2016 coup attempt -- is actually a Jew.
Erdogan's implied threat to the Jews of his country, that they might suffer negative consequences as a result of the actions of Israel, should be viewed with deep concern.
The more critical problem is the discrepancy between the way the government and the people of Turkey have been treating the Christchurch attacks, as opposed to the way they have been responding to the murder of non-Muslims in their own country.BREAKING
While Muslim worshippers were being murdered in New Zealand -- and Turkey was among the nations condemning the anti-Muslim slaughter and voicing outrage over "Islamophobia" -- they were paying little or no attention to the Christians in Nigeria, Congo, Ethiopia, Uganda, Pakistan and elsewhere who were being violated, abducted or massacred by extremist Muslim perpetrators. Where is the reciprocity?
Until Turks and others are as vocal in their condemnation of religious-based violence and hate crimes against non-Muslims as they are about those against Muslims, it is hard to take what Ataklı referred to as their "talk of tolerance" seriously.
Erdogan Calls Turkish Public ‘Zionist Agents’ After Party’s Election Loss (satire)
After seeing his AKP party beaten in local elections in Ankara and Istanbul, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared that his country’s electorate is in fact made up entirely of Zionist agents and Nazi remnants.
“It is now more important than ever that we stand up to the enemies of Turkey, which it now turns out includes the Turkish people themselves,” Erdogan said after election results came in. “I guess all Turks are just Zionists or PKK after all.”
While the loss came as a surprise for Erdogan, the Turkish leader said he is already preparing for the next wave of crackdowns.
“It seems that putting all the country’s journalists, activists, academics and opposition leaders in jail was not enough,” he told The Mideast Beast. “I guess we will have to lock up all the voters too.”
We got 99 problems but 1 million followers on @Twitter ain’t one 🎊 🎉 pic.twitter.com/yzR84dm2oT
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) March 31, 2019
