Melanie Phillips: The Chief Rabbi's intervention in Britain's general election
Anti-Zionism has exactly the same characteristics directed agains the collective Jew in Israel: an obsessional and unhinged narrative about Israel based entirely on lies; accusing Israel of crimes of which it’s not only innocent but the victim; holding Israel to standards expected of no other country; depicting Israel as a global conspiracy of unique malice and power.Douglas Murray: Holly Rigby and the ignorance of the Corbynistas
The Palestinian cause, meanwhile, is based on an attempt to wipe out another people’s country, a campaign consisting entirely of lies about the present and the past in an attempt to write the Jews out of their own history in the land, accompanied by virulent antisemitic bigotry.
Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian Authority regularly present the Jews as the source of all evil in the world and a conspiracy against all humanity. They claim that the Jews were behind 9/11 and that they control the world’s media, finance and US foreign policy.
So why should anyone be surprised when Labour party supporters and other so-called “progressives” come out with their claims that the Jews were behind 9/11 and that they control the world’s media, finance and US foreign policy in a conspiracy against all humanity?
Alas, experience tells us that the Chief Rabbi’s intervention is likely to make antisemitism in Britain even worse. Yet he was right to have spoken up; indeed, he had no moral alternative but to do so.
Because decent people need to be in absolutely no doubt about the nature of the Labour party which is campaigning to become the government of the country.
And because Jews have a duty to bear witness to the truth, however painful.
But even if the Labour party is defeated at this general election, even if Jeremy Corbyn is removed as the party’s leader, that will not eradicate the terrible scourge of antisemitism which now courses through Britain.
After all, the Labour party is a racist political party. The most successful racist party in Britain since the BNP – though wildly more successful than Nick Griffin’s gang ever managed to be. So if I were a paid or unpaid activist for the Labour party these days I’d be wary about throwing around accusations of racism. As for ‘transphobia’ – this is just the accusation made against anyone who won’t automatically nod through medical experimentation on children. So while I’m not happy about it, I’m content to roll with it for now.Isabel Hardman: Jeremy Corbyn flounders on anti-Semitism, Brexit, tax and spending
And that was that. I thought that Holly’s smilingly ignorant face would never bother my mind again. But fanatics are extraordinary things, and this morning – after the chief rabbi issued an unprecedented denunciation of the Labour party’s high-command for its anti-Semitism – Holly was one of those who attempted to mount a retaliatory strike.
For Holly, it matters enormously that ‘racism’ remain a tool that their ilk can wield, but one that can never be used against them. And so Holly – in her infinite wisdom – chose to retaliate to the chief rabbi’s criticism of the Corbyn-ite Labour party for anti-Semitism by attacking the chief rabbi.
Once again, Holly showed herself to be deeply untroubled by facts. Nobody who knows anything about rabbi Mirvis could describe him as any kind of unalloyed ‘supporter’ of Boris Johnson. Nobody who knows anything about the chief rabbi could describe him as ‘an uncritical supporter of Netanyahu.’ These are claims so laced with presumption and ignorance that it is hard to know how Holly can embarrass herself so publicly. Or rather, it would be hard to imagine, if I hadn’t experienced Holly’s weapons-grade ignorance myself only days earlier.
Jeremy Corbyn’s interview with Andrew Neil was one of the most uncomfortable half hours of the Labour leader’s tenure. In contrast to the ITV debate, where he appeared confident and quick-witted, Corbyn struggled to answer questions on a number of different issues, complaining all the while that Neil wouldn’t let him finish. By the end, he might have wished that he’d had more interruptions as this was a very poor interview.
His refusal to apologise for the Labour party’s handling of anti-Semitism has naturally attracted the most attention. He point blank disagreed with the Chief Rabbi, saying he was ‘not right’ to say it was ‘mendacious fiction’ that Labour had investigated every single case of anti-Semitism, and once again saying he was ‘looking forward to having a discussion with him because I want to hear why he would say such a thing’. He expressed clear irritation at having his anti-racist credentials questioned, insisting that opposing racism is ‘what my life is about’ and that he felt ‘very passionately’ about this, as though making the sort of statements you’d see in a university application immediately inoculates you against ever being wrong. Taken together, these two responses to Neil’s questions suggest that Corbyn still blames those who accuse him, rather than wondering whether there might be a different way of approaching the racism in his own party. He could quite easily have said that he too was appalled that his party had given Jews the impression they wouldn’t feel safe if he were in government, and that he would do everything in his power to change things in Labour to win back trust. Instead, he wants to do everything in his power to persuade those Jews that they are wrong.
Full transcript: Jeremy Corbyn grilled by Andrew Neil
The Andrew Neil Interviews - Jeremy Corbyn 26.11.19 (unofficial video, may get deleted)
Jeremy Corbyn Destroys Himself
You ever wondered how it was that Romans actually enjoyed watching people torn to shreds by wild animals in the Colosseum? Watch BBC interviewer Andrew Neil’s merciless inquisition of Jeremy Corbyn, which aired this evening in the UK. You can’t watch it on the BBC Player in the US, but the full thing is embedded in the Daily Mail story, or, the Conservative Party is airing it on its Facebook page. Once you see it, you’ll understand why. It’s like Corbyn sat down with Neil as leader of the Labour Party, about two weeks before the election, and proceeded to commit slow-motion political suicide.Six of the worst bits from Jeremy Corbyn’s Andrew Neil interview
The Guardian doesn’t have a review up at this writing, but earlier in the day it published an editorial saying Labour hasn’t done enough to deal with Jew-hatred in its ranks. Here is its straight news report on the Neil interview, which focuses on how Corbyn refused multiple times to apologize to British Jews for grotesque anti-Semitism within the Labour Party — this, on a day when the Chief Rabbi of the country called Labour out for it, and the Archbishop of Canterbury stood with his Jewish counterpart in solidarity. I kept watching Andrew Neil put the question to Corbyn, thinking, “Why can’t this man say that he’s sorry? Why is he dodging?”
The anti-Semitism thing took up the first 10 minutes of the 30-minute interview, though it could have been dispatched with quickly had Corbyn handled it differently. But the whole thing was just staggering. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a senior politician destroy himself quite like that in an interview. (h/t MtTB)
Jeremy Corbyn’s interview with Andrew Neil is likely to be a defining moment in the Labour leader’s election campaign. Corbyn struggled to spell out his position on Brexit, refused to apologise over allegations of anti-Semitism and also failed to do his homework when it came to saying how his government would fund its multi-billion pound plans to revolutionise Britain. It’s a hard choice but here are the six worst bits from Corbyn’s clash with Andrew Neil:
Corbyn refuses to apologise over anti-Semitism:
The Labour leader was pressed repeatedly to apologise over accusations of anti-Semitism. Four times, he refused to do so:
Corbyn chief rabbi is wrong:
The chief rabbi said it was a ‘mendacious fiction’ that Labour had thoroughly investigated anti-Semitism within its ranks. Not so, said Corbyn:
EXPOSED: The vile antisemitic conspiracy theory Jeremy Corbyn refused to condemn
During a car crash interview with the BBC's Andrew Neil, Mr Corbyn refused four times to apologise to British Jews after Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis brought the Chakrabarti Inquiry into antisemitism back under fire yesterday. Among several examples given, Mr Neil pressed Mr Corbyn on comments made by Labour member and former Liverpool Council candidate Liam Moore, asking: "Is it antisemitic to say Rothschild’s Zionists run Israel and world governments?” The Rothschild family is a wealthy Jewish family descending from German Maya Amschel Rothschild in the 18th century, who established a banking business that became international thanks to his five sons establishing themselves in London, Paris, Frankfurt, Vienna and Naples.
Over the last two centuries, the Rothschild family have been at the centre of vile conspiracies claiming their wealth has allowed them to dictate world politics and conflict.
In the Forties, they were the centre of a Nazi film ordered by Joseph Goebbels portraying the family as central to the Napoleonic Wars and in the modern era they have been tied to a New World Order conspiracy claiming they have a globalist agenda to rule the world.
Dave Rich, Director of Policy at the Jewish Community Security Trust and author of “The Left’s Jewish Problem” revealed to Express.co.uk why such conspiracies are so damaging.
He said: “Antisemitism is often found in conspiracy theories alleging that rich Jews use their money to control and manipulate governments.
“It’s a racist stereotype and one of the most common versions involves the Rothschild’s, a Jewish-owned bank that used to be very influential 200 years ago but nowadays is relatively small.
“In the past few years there has been a surge in this kind of conspiracy theory in Labour-supporting circles, often linked to 'Zionism', and the fact that the leader of the Labour Party couldn’t immediately and unequivocally identify it as antisemitic will just confirm the widespread belief amongst British Jews that he is incapable of dealing with the anti-Jewish racism that has spread in his party.”
Instead of immediately apologising for the comments made by Mr Moore, Mr Corbyn shifted the spotlight onto Shami Chakrabarti, who headed up the investigation into allegations of antisemitism in the Labour Party in 2016.
...
Speaking to Express.co.uk, a spokesman said: “Any genuine anti-racist would be able to spot the antisemitism in the Rothschild Zionists examples put to Jeremy Corbyn last night.
Should Corbyn become PM, Israel-UK security relationship likely to end
Following UK Labour’s election promise to ban weapon sales to Israel, a suggestion asserted by caretaker Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to shut down intelligence cooperation with Britain surfaced in a report by The Telegraph.Labour gets support from Bernie Sanders campaigners in US
On a visit to London in September, Netanyahu was asked by the British publication whether security cooperation between the two nations would continue if Jeremy Corbyn halted the sale of weapons to the Jewish state and recognized a Palestinian one.
Without going into further details, “What do you think?” was Netanyahu’s response.
The relationship between the two intelligence communities is a close and wide ranging one. The cooperation between Israel’s Mossad spy agency and the United Kingdom’s MI6 and MI5 "has saved many lives - many Israeli lives and many, many British lives,” Netanyahu said in a 2017 BBC interview.
Campaigners for US presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders have been lending their support to the Labour party, running phone-banking sessions from New York ahead of the general election.Leader of Britain’s Sephardi Jewish community backs Chief Rabbi over Jeremy Corbyn
The city’s branch of Labour International has been working with the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), who have been calling British campaigners with tips on how to encourage people to register to vote and cast a ballot for Labour at the December poll.
The DSA endorses and campaigns for Sanders, who is running to be the Democratic presidential candidate for a second time after losing out to Hillary Clinton in 2016.
A spokesperson for Momentum, the grassroots Labour campaign group, said: “This is part of a growing relationship between Bernie, DSA activists and Momentum and Labour members abroad that has included exchanges between the nurses’ unions of the US and the UK to campaign on public health in the US.
“Many Labour International and Momentum members have been volunteers on Sanders’ campaign and so the favour’s being returned.”
Canvassing sessions run by the US volunteers for Momentum campaigners in the UK on Saturdays are an attempt to support grassroots activism and turn out the vote for Labour.
The Senior Rabbi of Britain’s Sephardi Jewish community has issued a statement fulsomely backing the Chief Rabbi over his unprecedented intervention, in which he warned that Jeremy Corbyn was “unfit for office” and that “the very soul of our nation is at stake.”Corbyn shares platform with Labour candidates with troubling records on anti-Jewish racism as Labour launches race manifesto
Rabbi Joseph Dweck wrote: “As a rule we as rabbis are careful to keep out of national politics. But as Chief Rabbi Mirvis said, this comes to an issue of racism and a large portion of the Jewish community does not look at the potential election of Corbyn as a question between liberal and conservative politics, but rather, the difference between the safety and peace of Jewish life in this country, and G-d forbid, the alternative.
“My community is the oldest in this country, dating back to 1656. We have over the last 364 years contributed greatly to every sector of British society, and in turn, Britain has been very good to our people. Given the history of antisemitism in Europe, the hateful spectre that casts a shadow over the rhetoric and ideas of Mr Corbyn and his party gives us significant reason for concern and so the Chief Rabbi has raised his voice in concern and caution. I stand with him and his message.”
Rabbi Dweck is one of the most respected voices in the British Jewish community, representing the Spanish and Portuguese Sephardi Jewish community which was the first to return to Britain following the expulsion of all Jews in 1290.
Earlier today the Archbishop of Canterbury also backed the Chief Rabbi.
The launch of Labour’s controversial Race and Faith manifesto today was mired with controversy, as Mr Corbyn shared a platform with Labour candidates with troubling records on anti-Jewish racism.Washington Post Whitewashes British Labour Party’s Anti-Semitism
The event was delayed and already overshadowed by the Chief Rabbi’s unprecedented intervention criticising the Labour Party over its institutional antisemitism and the manifesto’s sinister pledge to reform the Equality and Human Rights Commission, which is currently investigating the Labour Party following a complaint from Campaign Against Antisemitism.
Those sharing the platform with Mr Corbyn today included Afzal Khan, an MP who reportedly compared Israeli policy to that of the Nazis; candidate Aspana Begum, who accused Tony Blair of spreading ‘Zionist propaganda’ and who claimed that the leaders of Saudia Arabia were ‘inspired by Zionist masters’; and Claudia Webbe, who defended Ken Livingstone’s comparison of a Jewish journalist to a concentration camp guard and who also heads up Labour’s disputes panel, which decides how to deal with members embroiled in antisemitic controversy.
Gideon Falter, Chief Executive of Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Another day, another example of the institutional antisemitism of the Labour Party. Jeremy Corbyn today announced his Party’s race relations manifesto, which makes a sinister call for reforming the Equality and Human Rights Commission, the very body that is investigating the Labour Party over antisemitic racism following a complaint by Campaign Against Antisemitism.
The Washington Post is under fire for saying Britain's Labour Party is unfairly criticized as anti-Semitic, despite numerous examples of the party and its leaders demonizing Jews and denying the Holocaust.
A tweet from the paper's account said that Labour "has been hit by claims of anti-Seminism [sic] because of strong statements on Palestinian rights." Twitter users were quick to point out the absurdity of the tweet.
The Post later updated its tweet to note the misspelling of anti-Semitism. Shortly thereafter, the account deleted the offending tweet altogether.
David Rutz breaks down the most important news about the enemies of freedom, here and around the world, in this comprehensive morning newsletter.
"We've deleted a tweet that was not accurate and incorrectly summarized Post reporting," the Post‘s account tweeted. "Labour members have been accused of making anti-Jewish statements, which should not have been conflated with statements on Palestinian rights."
The Post made the claim about the Labour Party despite the fact that the article linked in the tweet listed multiple instances of Labour Party members, including its leader Jeremy Corbyn, employing anti-Semitic canards and even going so far as to deny the Holocaust.
CAMERA Prompts Washington Post Correction On Tweet Conflating U.K. Labour Party Antisemitism With ‘Palestinian Rights’
The Post’s tweet accompanied a Nov. 26, 2019 report entitled “”Britain’s chief rabbi blasts Labour Party for anti-Semitic content.” Among other things, the dispatch on antisemitism in the U.K. Labour Party noted:
“Last year, Corbyn [Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the Labour Party] revealed that a review of online posts among Labour members uncovered ‘examples of Holocaust denial, crude stereotypes of Jewish bankers, conspiracy theories blaming 9/11 on Israel, and even one individual who appeared to believe that Hitler had been misunderstood.'”
However, the Post’s tweet asserted that the British Labour Party has “been hit by claims of antisemitism because of strong statements on Palestinian rights.”
Following contact from CAMERA, The Washington Post commendably deleted the original tweet and tweeted a correction stating: “We’ve deleted a tweet that was not accurate and incorrectly summarized Post reporting. Labour members have been accused of making anti-Jewish statements, which should not have been conflated with statements on Palestinian rights.”
"Corbyn probably doesn't see himself as racist. I seem him as a deep anti-Semite."
— Sun Politics (@SunPolitics) November 26, 2019
Respected Jewish historian delivers devastating verdict on Jeremy Corbyn. And she saves her most damning comment for last... #GE2019 pic.twitter.com/0VqS5oSSU2
British Jews no longer feel safe here with the threat of a Corbyn government, says Joseph Cohen #GE2019 pic.twitter.com/JOnTOzu6Vh
— Sun Politics (@SunPolitics) November 26, 2019
Barry Gardiner Loses Cool over Anti-Semitism Question
Barry Gardiner lost his cool this morning at the Labour Party’s event designed to move on the conversation to UK-US trade, when some reporters asked about Anti-Semitism. It’s not going to be brushed under the carpet that easily…
Momentum activists handed reissued book on left-wing antisemitism to avoid falling into same trap
A classic study of left-wing antisemitism written 35 years ago by a Jewish Marxist named Steve Cohen has been reissued — partly as an attempt to educate activists associated with Jeremy Corbyn’s party on how to avoid falling into the same trap.Rabbi Says He's No Longer Welcome at Abbott's Hackney CLP
Steve Cohen’s book, That’s Funny, You Don’t Look Antisemitic, was first published in 1984 and has become a collectors’ item among political obsessives ever since.
The author had originally set out to write a critique of the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982 — but ended up stumbling across clear-cut examples antisemitism by self-described “anti-racists” within the left time and time again.
Mr Cohen, who died in 2009 and was a socialist activist primarily based in Manchester, wrote: “It is intolerable that the socialist movement has never been prepared to look at its antisemitism in a self-critical way.”
In the book he expresses his complex and contradictory feelings towards Israel and the idea of a Jewish nation.
Now, in an attempt to stem the rising tide of antisemitic tropes and conduct on the left, the book’s publishers, No Pasaran Media, have sent 500 copies free of charge to members of the Momentum movement.
In recognition that the book held many valuable lessons for modern-day left-wingers, Momentum issued a statement telling supporters that Mr Cohen’s book was “well worth a read.” (h/t Zvi)
In an interview this week, Diane Abbott – responding to the Chief Rabbi’s comments – said:
“My response to him is we’re in Tottenham. Historically a strongly Jewish area. I represent Hackney – again, historically a strongly Jewish area and I’ve not found people anxious and frightened”
Guido suggests Diane hasn’t listened very carefully, as not only do 80% of British Jews fear a Corbyn premiership, Diane’s own local Labour branch has a less than glowing record on antisemitism.
In April, Rabbi Pinter said he was “shocked” by “Diane’s failure to intervene over a motion in her Hackney North Constituency Labour Party (CLP) dismissing claims that Labour was “institutionally antisemitic”. Ms Abbott sat silent throughout the debate as Jewish members cried.” The JC reported that “Rabbi Pinter said he “no longer feels welcome” at CLP meetings and that “the atmosphere is absolutely toxic these days”.” That’s at least one Jew in Hackney who is anxious and frightened, Diane…
🎙️"Jeremy Corbyn has not spoken to a member of the Jewish community leadership since 24 April 2018?"
— BBC Radio 5 Live (@bbc5live) November 26, 2019
🗣️ "No"
Jewish Leadership Council Chair @JonnysGoldstein tells @EmmaBarnett there’s been no meeting between mainstream Jewish leaders and Labour leadership since April 2018 pic.twitter.com/l4O9McPXVH
PreOccupiedTerritory: Study Finds Real Jews Are The Ones Who Agree With Your Politics (satire)
Groundbreaking new research into the nature of authentic Judaism has confirmed what many have long suspected: that a person’s status as a true member of the Jewish faith hinges on whether the subject’s Jewishness advances or hinders your political agenda.UN General Assembly Adopts Israeli Agricultural Development Resolution, Despite Abstention of Arab League States
Scientists at the Institute for the Study of Authenticity of Yiddish Status of Opinions (ISAYSO) published the results of a study today in which they claim to have proved that the strength of a person’s claim to membership in the Jewish people or faith is directly proportional to the extent to which they agree with you on matters of public policy, diplomacy, economics, and the military.
Lead scientist Sol Lipsizt provided details of the study at an ISAYSO press conference Wednesday morning. “Our research demonstrates for the first time what numerous thinkers believe to be true, but until now have no empirical confirmation,” he explained. In particular, the ISAYSO study establishes a direct correlation between the alignment a Jew’s political beliefs with yours and that Jew’s legitimacy as a representative of The Jews on a given issue.
The UN General Assembly adopted on Tuesday a resolution proposed by Israel meant to improve access in developing countries to agricultural technologies.Journalists from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iraq tour Israel
The resolution will help fulfill Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ goal of promoting sustainable development, the Israeli UN Mission said.
“It speaks to Israel’s strong capabilities in agriculture, irrigation and water management practices and youth job creation in agriculture, and is consistent with Israel’s longstanding cooperation with other countries, especially in Africa,” the Israeli UN Mission noted.
A total of 147 nations voted in favor of resolution, while Arab League member states abstained.
Israeli UN Ambassador Danny Danon stated, “Israeli technologies have made the State of Israel a global power of knowledge and innovation that contributes to the global development effort. The countries that chose not to support us are the very ones that need to implement this resolution the most. Their decision to stick to their political biases only ends up harming their citizens, who are thirsty for the technology and advancement opportunities outlined in the resolution.”
The Foreign Ministry hosted a delegation of Arab journalists last week – including from countries with which Israel has no diplomatic relations – in an attempt to chip away at Israel-hatred in the Middle East.Two Rockets Launched From Gaza, Israel Hits Hamas Targets in Response
“My goal is to bring people here to get to know the real Israel, to see it first hand, and not through television or social media, and see how Israel is unjustly slandered,” said Hassan Kaabia, the Foreign Ministry’s spokesman for the Arabic media who organized and accompanied the group.
This is the second such delegation in four months.
The delegation, which toured the country for five days, included senior journalists from Saud Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq and Egypt, as well as two musicians from Iraq.
Israel has no ties with Saudi Arabia, Kuwait or Iraq, and Kaabia said he did not know whether the governments of those countries knew about the visits.
“I deal with people, not governments,” he said, adding that he knows the members of the delegation from interactions he has had with them on social media. The Foreign Ministry has an active Arabic Facebook and Twitter pages.
Israel launched air strikes against Hamas targets in the southern Gaza Strip late Tuesday night and early Wednesday after two rockets were fired at Israel from the coastal territory, according to the Israeli army.Israel may completely halt return of Palestinian terrorists’ bodies for burial
According to the Israel Defense Forces a weapons manufacturing facility was among the targets hit in the strikes, and one of the rockets from Gaza was shot down by Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system.
“Hamas will bear the consequences for actions against Israeli civilians,” the IDF said in a statement.
A security source in Gaza said that at least two Hamas sites and one Islamic Jihad site were hit in the Israeli strikes, according to an AFP report. There were no immediate reports of any casualties.
Tuesday’s attacks threaten a fragile ceasefire brokered by Egypt and the United Nations earlier this month following a flare-up between Israel and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) in Gaza. The flare-up was triggered when Israel killed a senior PIJ commander in Gaza, with the terrorist group launching hundreds of rockets at Israel in response.
Newly installed Defense Minister Naftali Bennett has ordered all bodies of Palestinian attackers to be withheld and not returned to their families as a new deterrent against terrorism, his office said Wednesday.Palestinians slam ‘terrorist’ Israel for saying it will withhold bodies
Israeli security forces regularly take custody of terrorists’ bodies. Sometimes the bodies are later returned to the assailants’ families for burial. At other times they are withheld — to prevent celebratory funerals in attackers’ hometowns, or with a view to using using them in negotiations to retrieve the bodies of Israeli soldiers held by terror groups.
Announcing the proposed change, a statement by the defense minister’s office said bodies will now not be released in all cases, regardless of the organization the assailant was part of, and regardless of the type of attack they committed or attempted to commit.
A Defense Ministry source said the move by Bennett could help with the return of Israelis held captive in future swap deal, indicating that the remains may be used as bargaining chips. Army Radio said IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi supported the change.
The Palestinian Authority on Wednesday called Israel a “terrorist entity” after an announcement by the office of newly installed Defense Minister Naftali Bennett that he had ordered that all bodies of Palestinian attackers be withheld and not returned to their families as a new deterrent against terrorism. Arab Israeli leaders also decried the decision, while centrist leader Benny Gantz praised it.Jordanian, Iranian kickboxers skip matches against Israeli at world championship
Israeli security forces regularly take custody of terrorists’ bodies. Sometimes the bodies are later returned to the assailants’ families for burial. At other times they are withheld — to prevent celebratory funerals in attackers’ hometowns, or with a view to using them in negotiations to retrieve the bodies of Israeli soldiers held by terror groups.
Announcing the proposed change, a statement by the defense minister’s office said bodies will now not be released in all cases, regardless of the organization the assailant was part of, and regardless of the type of attack they committed or attempted to commit.
Jordanian and Iranian athletes skipped Wednesday matches against their Israeli counterpart in the Kickboxing World Championship, in the latest example of Arab and Muslim countries’ boycott of the Jewish state in sports.Abbas threatens to cut all ties with Israel if Jordan Valley annexed
Wednesday’s incident was a rare case of a Jordanian athlete boycotting an Israeli opponent, a further indication of worsening bilateral ties between the countries, 25 years after they signed a peace agreement. Jordan’s King Abdullah II recently said relations were at an “all-time low.”
Ameer Asad, a 22-year-old kickboxer from the Arab Israeli town of Jatt, is currently competing at the World Association of Kickboxing Organizations (WAKO) championship in Turkey in the under-74 kilogram (163-pound) weight class.
The 2018 European champion was due to square off against an opponent from Jordan on Wednesday, but the athlete never showed up for the bout.
In his next match, the quarterfinal, Asad was supposed to meet Iran’s Morteza Godarzi, who similarly was a no-show.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday threatened to cut all ties with Israel if it annexes the Jordan Valley, and said the PA was also considering breaking off all its relations with the United States over its recent move saying West Bank settlement were “not inconsistent with international law.”Banks begin handing out Qatari $100 bills to needy Gazans
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly promised to quickly apply Israeli sovereignty over the Jordan Valley — a quarter of the West Bank — if he is able to put together a new government amid ongoing political gridlock.
“We are closely monitoring” Netanyahu’s actions regarding the potential annexation of the territory, Abbas was quoted by Russian website Sputnik as telling Russian journalists. “If the Israeli premier really does something like this, we will turn to the UN, the International Criminal Court (ICC), and we’ll finally and irrevocably sever all relations with Israel.”
Last week, Abbas made a similar statement to the government-run news site Wafa, but only referred to signed agreements rather than all ties with Israel.
Postal banks in the Gaza Strip started to distribute $7 million in small grants from Qatar on Wednesday to impoverished Palestinian families in the territory, according to an official in Doha’s Gaza Reconstruction Committee.Iran’s FM Zarif encourages 'resistance' to Israel in phone call to PIJ
In the past year, the banks have distributed Qatari grants to tens of thousands of needy families in the coastal enclave several times.
The Gulf nation agreed to provide the grants to poor families in Gaza as part of ceasefire understandings between Israel and terror groups in the Strip.
“The distribution has been underway as of this morning,” the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said in a phone call.
Mohammed al-Emadi, the head of the Reconstruction Committee, said in a statement on Monday that 70,000 needy families would receive the payouts in the form of a $100 bill.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif phoned Islamic Jihad leader Ziyad al-Nakhalah to express support for the group’s “valiant resistance in confronting the Zionist aggression against the Gaza Strip,” according to Palestinian and Iranian reports.Hamas Feels Betrayed as Israel Cheats with Islamic Jihad (satire)
Zarif, who has been relatively inactive lately, meeting the new Hungarian envoy in Tehran on Sunday but doing little else, called the leader of Islamic Jihad this week to offer support. On November 12 Israel killed a senior PIJ commander in Gaza, and the group fired over 400 missiles at Israel in response. According to Palestine Today TV the Iranian called the Palestinian group’s leader to praise “heroism and steadfastness of the Palestinian people against the Zionist enemy.” Islamic Jihad is the third or fourth largest Palestinian movement but it has obtained advanced rockets and cash through Iranian support over the years. This means even though it is a small movement it has been able to threaten Israel from Gaza over the last years, with the support or knowledge of Hamas, which runs Gaza.
PIJ has rockets that can travel more than 100 km. and it showcased a new rocket with a 300 kg. warhead recently. It has received increasing support from Iran since 2012. Zarif also called Nakhalah on November 17 to express support. Islamic Jihad has been behind rocket fire last fall and also in August and November. It has threatened to fire thousands of rockets in a day and claimed it showed restraint in the recent battle. Zarif met Nakhalah in February in Beirut. They also met in Tehran in late December 2018.
ollowing the recent targeted killing of a high-ranking leader of Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad, violence erupted as the terrorist organization and the IDF traded blows. While the media portrayed both sides as being victims of violence and extremism, it seems as if the true victim in this conflict has somehow been passed over: a heartbroken Hamas.MEMRI: Jordanian Army Conducts Maneuvers Simulating Military Battle With Israel
Late last night the Islamist group-quasi government in control of Gaza took to the internet to express its sorrows, “It’s not like we weren’t expecting it,” explained a sobbing Hamas spokesperson over a tub of Allah Mode Double Fudge ice cream. “We just never thought that Israel would cheat on us with our best friend.”
According to Israel, Hamas – who has a tendency of being clingy and acting out when it doesn’t get what it wants – repeatedly called Israel out on not being able to maintain a long-term relationship. However, Israel has continuously responded by mentioning all the gifts it sends into the Gaza Strip.
“When will Israel understand that money isn’t everything,” the spokesperson said through a mouthful of the already-melted ice cream. “You can’t fix all of your problems with shipments of concrete and food. That’s sooo 2003, Israel.”
Yesterday, November 25, 2019, the Jordanian Army conducted military maneuvers named "Swords of Karama," named for Israel's 1968 military operation against Fatah that took place near the village of Karama, and in which the Jordanian Army fought alongside Fatah. The maneuvers took place in the presence of King Abdullah II and appear to be a message addressed to Israel. The official Jordanian news agency Petra and the Jordanian press reported that the maneuvers simulated a defensive battle aimed at stopping an invasion of the country, and that they involved the use of many tanks, planes, and helicopters and a great number of weapons with the aim of "destroying the vanguard of the enemy and the bridges that can be used as crossing points" into Jordanian territory.Tactical Exercise Performed by Jordanian Armed Forces Includes Bombing of Bridges, Use of Artillery
It should be noted that the official Jordanian reports did not explicitly state that the maneuvers simulated a battle with Israel. However, this can be understood from their name, which hints at the Battle of Karama, and because the maneuvers simulated an enemy army invasion via bridges – that is, bridges over the Jordan River that forms the border between the two countries. Additionally, the division that carried out the maneuvers is part of Jordan's Central Command.
Furthermore, one photo of the maneuvers published in the Jordanian media showed King Abdullah standing with army commanders in front of a model of Jordan's western border and the Dead Sea area. Also, an article published by a local Jordanian website stated explicitly that the maneuvers simulated a battle with "the occupying entity across the river" – that is, Israel.
This report will present details and photos of the November 25, 2019 Swords of Honor military maneuvers in Jordan:
Defensive Maneuvers Simulating An Invasion Of Jordan
UN Chief Calls on Lebanon to Disarm Hezbollah
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Tuesday called on Lebanon’s government to disarm Hezbollah, saying it posed a threat to the UN peacekeeping mission stationed on the Israel-Lebanon border.Iran’s Resumption of Its Atomic-Weapons Program Shows the Wisdom of the U.S. Withdrawal from the Nuclear Agreement
Established in 1978 to man a buffer zone between Israel and Lebanon, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has long suffered at the hands of the Iran-backed terrorist group. Hezbollah has clashed with UNIFIL troops several times over the years and has restricted their movements throughout southern Lebanon, grossly undermining UNIFIL’s mandate.
The Shi’ite organization has been designated as a terrorist group by several Western countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Argentina, Paraguay and Israel, as well as Arab League member Bahrain. Some countries, such as Australia, France and Germany, only classify Hezbollah’s military wing as a terrorist organization.
On Tuesday, Guterres issued a new report confirming Israeli claims that UNIFIL forces in southern Lebanon are unable to carry out their mission in Hezbollah-controlled areas.
The report further expressed concern over a Hezbollah attack on an Israel Defense Forces vehicle in northern Israel in September.
In May, the Islamic Republic reversed course in its response to the renewal of American sanctions on its nuclear program and began to break the terms of the 2015 nuclear deal openly, but in piecemeal fashion—announcing a new violation every 60 days. Emily Landau examines these violations, and the motivation behind them:IRGC Commander-in-Chief: America, England, Israel... If You Cross Red Lines, We Will Annihilate You
Tehran is consistently directing its message to the Europeans, whom the Iranians accuse of not fulfilling their promise to protect Iran’s interests under the deal. Indeed, Iran is not communicating that it wants to leave the deal or that it wants the deal to collapse; rather, [its goal] is to have sanctions lifted by pressuring the Europeans to do more to help. . . . While Iran seems not to want to rock the boat—and emphasizes that all of its breaches are immediately reversible—the implications of its violations are becoming more and more serious.
In fact, experts have revised downward their estimate of the Islamic Republic’s “breakout time”—the time it would take to develop a functioning nuclear weapon—from eight-to-twelve months to six-to-eight months. Supporters of the nuclear deal have cited this as proof that Washington’s decision to withdraw from it was a mistake. Not so, says Landau:
[T]he specific violations that Iran has chosen to commit expose dangerous flaws in the agreement that were apparent from the start—most importantly its unconditional sunset clauses, [to which] Iran’s breaches would come at some point down the line. [Thus] it is preferable to confront Iran’s violations now, when it is relatively weak, than in five or ten years when the country could have become much stronger, while doing what it could to prepare the way for a quick breakout when the deal expired.
For the maximum-pressure campaign to be truly effective, there is a need for political clout to back up the economic hardship Iran is experiencing. This requires that the U.S. and Europe project that they are on the same page regarding sanctions and that they share the commitment to keep up the pressure on Iran.
IRGC Commander-in-Chief General Hossein Salami said in a November 25, 2019 speech at a rally that aired on IRINN TV (Iran) that the recent demonstrations in Iran have been an attempt on the part of Iran’s enemies, namely America, Israel, England, and Saudi Arabia, to defeat the Iranian people. He claimed that the increase in fuel prices was only an excuse for the demonstrations and that Iran is monitoring the actions of its enemies and of U.S. President Donald Trump. General Salami warned that America would not be able to help Israel before it is annihilated, that Iran always settles the score with everybody, that Iran will annihilate its enemies if they cross its red lines, and that anybody who transgresses against the Iranian people will be severely punished in a way that will serve as a lesson to the whole world. He added: “There is a limit to our patience… If this accumulated energy is released, no enemy, anywhere in the world, will be safe.” The crowd chanted: “Allah Akbar! Khamenei is the Leader! Death to those who oppose to Rule of the Jurisprudent! Death to America! Death to England! Death to the hypocrites and infidels! Death to Israel!”
Trump Admin Vows Continued Support for Iranian Anti-Regime Protesters
The Trump administration will continue to expose and sanction Iranian leaders found guilty of human rights abuses, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Tuesday as protesters across Iran take to the streets to oppose the regime.
The Islamic Republic has taken violent action to quell the protests, even going so far as to shut down the country's internet to prevent news of the protests from spreading across the globe. This measure, however, has not stopped images and videos from emerging, according to the State Department, which says it is in possession of nearly 20,000 messages and video clips showing the regime engage in mass human rights abuses.
Pompeo delivered a message of solidarity to those protesting the Iranian regime, telling them the United States stands with them and will work to expose those Iranian leaders complicit in suppressing the demonstrators.
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That message stands in stark contrast to that of the Obama administration when it faced a similar diplomatic crisis. During 2009 country-wide protests in Iran, known as the Green Revolution, the administration avoided siding with anti-regime voices as it sought to ink the landmark nuclear pact with Tehran.
This shocking video from #Iran state TV (channel one) addresses the suppression of #IranProtesters by #Quran: The man suggested to torture the #IranianProtesters till death, hang, crucify, cut their right hand, left foot, and do it exactly in the place that they protested. pic.twitter.com/vvyokDrIah
— Ahmad Batebi (@radiojibi) November 27, 2019