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Wednesday, June 10, 2020

06/10 Links Pt1: Mark Regev: Pre-1967 Lines Brought Israel Neither Peace Nor Security; The Gaza They Do Not Want You to See

From Ian:
Israeli Ambassador Mark Regev: Pre-1967 Lines Brought Israel Neither Peace Nor Security
Israeli Ambassador to the UK Mark Regev responded on June 8 to a letter by prominent members of the British Jewish community expressing concern at the prospect of extending Israeli law to parts of the West Bank. Regev said: "The policy of consecutive Israeli governments has in fact always been that Israeli law must be extended to parts of the West Bank as part of any final status reality."

"The pre-1967 lines brought Israel neither peace nor security, and it was for this reason that, in the immediate aftermath of the Six-Day War, the Labor governments of Levi Eshkol and Golda Meir rejected returning to those frontiers. Eshkol extended Israeli law into formerly Jordanian-controlled territory, and under Meir's government, the Allon Plan was developed, which recognized the particular strategic significance of the Jordan Valley and Golan Heights. Menachem Begin applied Israeli sovereignty to the latter some three decades ago."

"Yitzhak Rabin, who...as prime minister signed the Oslo Accords with the Palestinians, firmly believed that any sustainable peace would have to be built on robust security arrangements. In his final speech before the Knesset...Rabin outlined his vision of a final status peace, which he said would demand Israeli control over the Jordan Valley 'in the broadest meaning of that term'."

"Israel's friends in the international community have long understood secure borders to be a cornerstone of any durable peace." Regev said the U.S. peace plan builds on the "core principles" of Israel's security being protected by "control over the Jordan Valley."

It was "regrettable but unsurprising that this plan was immediately rejected outright by the Palestinian leadership, who dogmatically cling to one-sided UN and EU 'peace plans' that consistently ignore Israel's vital concerns."

Rejecting suggestions that Israel's "international standing" will be undermined, Regev said, "In moving forward, Israel's new unity government will remain cognizant of our steadily improving relations across the Arab and Muslim world, and our critically important partnership with Jordan."

"We will continue to engage with Washington about how best to seize the historic opportunities inherent in the American initiative, which offers the hope of a more peaceful and secure future. It is high time for the Palestinians to come to the table and constructively do the same."
Palestinian threats aren't the real danger
That same year, the United Nations passed a resolution to upgrade the PA's status from non-state "observer" to non-member state. Something along those lines. Many countries around the world circuitously recognize the PA as a state in such a way that it isn't always clear what they mean when they say "recognition." It appears the only development of substance and of potential concern to Israel – in the future – is American recognition of a Palestinian state.

The fact that the leaders of the Yamina party, Yesha Council Director David Elhayani, and former Transportation Minister Bezalel Smotrich are rushing to recognize a Palestinian state by declaring it a foregone conclusion of Israel's sovereignty initiative doesn't mean they are the deciding factor. The PA prime minister said what he said. So what? Why is Shtayyeh, and not PA President Mahmoud Abbas, speaking out? Regardless, we cannot ignore that he views the future Israeli measure as a serious blow to the Palestinians.

The purpose of Shtayyeh's comment to foreign journalists on Tuesday was to deter Israel from following through with the sovereignty initiative, which has become a burning issue both locally and internationally. Hence the Palestinians have joined various elements inside Israel that oppose the move – each for their own reasons – while the media is doing its best to present the dilemma through an apocalyptic lens.

The right thing, however, is to view the Israeli move more simply: a unilateral step to significantly expand Israel's sovereignty in the country's west. A unilateral step by the Palestinians to declare an independent state already puts them in a position of violating US President Donald Trump's peace plan. This will certainly absolve Israel of the more problematic aspects of the plan, such as transferring lands in the Negev to the Palestinian Authority. The Palestinians and their helpers already view Israel as an invader of Judea and Samaria lands. "Taking steps" to establish a Palestinian state will do little to bolster opposition to the Israeli presence.

The only danger from Israel's perspective in this context, as stated, is the rise of a Democratic administration that will recognize a Palestinian state. And even then, Israel's answer will be: We're ready to negotiate peace with the Palestinians – and the Americans will accept it.



Europeans Pushing to Boycott Israel Over Annexation Should Think Twice
If a company is found to be engaged in boycotting Israel, these states’ pension systems are required to divest its shares and warn fund managers against including the company in indirect investments, including index and private equity funds.

The laws don’t just affect companies found to be boycotting Israel directly. Any company that uses socially responsible investing criteria for its own portfolio investments or corporate pension fund is also at risk of U.S. state blacklisting if these criteria contribute to anti-Israel boycotts.

Several European firms can already attest to the risks of these laws. Major European companies such as Denmark’s Danske Bank and the Dutch pension fund PGGM were blacklisted by the state of Illinois as Israel boycotters based on publicly available information. (Both companies denied the accusation; Danske Bank said its own blacklisting of several Israeli companies was due to investment criteria barring certain investments in areas on conflict that aren’t specifically aimed at Israel.) To be removed from the blacklist, the firms were required to sign legal affidavits affirming that they do not engage in boycotts of Israel. These companies expended considerable time and resources to restore their reputations and avoid divestments.

Airbnb, the online home rental service, had its own lamentable experience with U.S. state laws relating to Israel boycotts.

In 2018, the company decided to boycott listings in Israeli settlements in the West Bank, but it had little choice but to reverse its decision after Illinois, Texas, and Florida took steps to blacklist Airbnb from future investment. Had Airbnb remained on these blacklists, fund managers and private equity firms with state pension business would have been required to steer clear of the company’s most recent funding rounds and any future initial public offering. Airbnb was also forced to settle multiple lawsuits filed in the United States alleging that the company was engaging in discriminatory practices, given that it did not apply its policy to all disputed territories such as Western Sahara and Northern Cyprus.

The United States has federal laws, too, that were adopted in response to the Arab League’s boycott of Israel in order to deter state-sponsored boycotts of Israel. The Trump administration could raise the ante by issuing an executive order threatening a menu of sanctions against foreign firms that boycott Israel—as an economic security umbrella to defend one of the closest U.S. allies.

As European governments, companies, and nongovernmental organizations consider gearing up to challenge a possible decision by Jerusalem to extend Israeli sovereignty over parts of the West Bank, they may wish to think twice before playing hardball. With companies throughout Europe reeling from the economic effects of the novel coronavirus, now is not the time for additional financial risks. Intense diplomacy is certainly expected, but sanctions on Israel should be off the table for more reasons than one.
The European Union and those “annexing” Judeans
While not a British citizen nor subject, I can’t help hearing the upbeat music of Rule Britannia without sensing pomp and glory. At times, the song has taken on different meanings, but it has certainly epitomized the heyday of British global imperial power.

Meanwhile, across the Channel, other European hypocrites have been in full bloom as well, adding to the Brit’s own audacity...

“…European Union foreign-policy chief Josip Borrell put forward a surprise resolution on Israel’s new government that included the following: 'The E.U. does not recognize Israeli sovereignty over the occupied West Bank. The E.U. reiterates that any annexation would constitute a serious violation of international law'”...

Indeed, much of the world is now having a conniption over the thought of Judeans--Jews--once again residing and ruling in parts of Judea and Samaria.

Along with those thoughts, I recently had an opportunity to view 'The Iron Lady' again, a movie about Great Britain’s Margaret Thatcher. Especially relevant was her decision to go to war to “reclaim” the Falkland Islands (aka, Las Malvinas)--some 8,300 miles away off the Argentine Coast. I couldn’t help but ponder Argentina staking claim over the Isle of Wight…

So, while other nations have indulged in such duplicitous policies, it’s the Brits that I will again focus upon.

John Campbell’s biography of former Prime Minister Thatcher (1979 to 1990) hit the big screen in 2012. Meryl Streep took home another Best Actress academy award for her portrayal of the Iron Lady.

Like her nation’s overwhelming, centuries’ old imperial past, there are multiple ways of viewing Thatcher’s own actions as well.

Ask people which empire, in all history, was the largest, and see if they know.
In Israel, German FM Voices Concern Over West Bank Annexation, but Withholds Sanctions Threat
Germany’s foreign minister on Wednesday expressed serious concern to Israel about its plans to annex parts of the West Bank, but he stopped short of threatening sanctions.

Minister Heiko Maas was speaking on a visit to Israel one month before Berlin assumes the European Union presidency, a role which gives it great influence in guiding EU policy.

Israel’s new unity government next month intends to begin discussing extending sovereignty to West Bank settlements and the Jordan Valley.

The plan has been criticized by Arab and European powers as likely to finish off long-moribund efforts to make peace between Israel and the Palestinians. Israel says annexation would be in keeping with a diplomatic initiative announced by US President Donald Trump in January.

“I repeated here today the German position as well as our serious concerns as a special friend of Israel of the possible consequences of such a step,” Maas told reporters alongside his Israeli counterpart Gabi Ashkenazi.

Last September, Germany was one of five European nations to say that if the annexation plan was implemented, it would constitute a serious breach of international law. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in February that such a move would not go unchallenged.

Asked on Wednesday about possible sanctions against Israel by the EU, Maas said: “I did not set any price tags.”

Maas is the first senior foreign official to visit Israel since its new coalition government was sworn-in on May 17.

Israeli-Palestinian talks aimed at agreeing on a two-state solution broke down in 2014 and Palestinian leaders have boycotted the Trump administration over its perceived pro-Israel bias.

They say their statehood goal is irreconcilable with Israeli territorial moves which would take chunks of land and leave fragmented, diminished areas for the Palestinians.

Washington’s proposal envisages a Palestinian state in up to 70% of the West Bank, but with overall Israeli security control.


Court voids law aimed at legalizing settler homes built on Palestinian land
The High Court of Justice on Tuesday struck down on constitutional grounds divisive legislation passed by the Knesset in 2017 that would have allowed the state to expropriate private Palestinian land where thousands of illegal settler homes have been built.

In an 8-1 decision, the top legal body ruled that the Regulation Law “was unconstitutional and ordered it nullified,” saying it “violates the property rights and equality of Palestinians, and gives clear priority to the interests of Israeli settlers over Palestinian residents [of the West Bank],” a statement from the court said.

The judges ruled that the law also did not “provide sufficient weight” to the status of “Palestinians as protected residents in an area under military occupation.”

The legislation has been frozen since it was passed and even Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit refused to defend it before the High Court. It would have allowed the state to expropriate private Palestinian land where experts say some 4,000 illegal settler homes have been built, provided that they were established “in good faith” or had government support, and that the Palestinian owners receive 125 percent financial compensation for the land.

Writing on behalf of the majority, Chief Justice Esther Hayut argued that while the state’s desire to legalize wildcat construction its own authorities had contributed to is “understandable,” and while preventing the demolition of those homes is an important goal, this “does not justify such significant violation of property rights and the rights to dignity and equality that the Palestinian population [deserves].”

In the minority opinion, Justice Noam Solberg argued that while the legislation did indeed violate the property rights of Palestinians, it did not have to be struck down entirely, and claimed that the court instead could have asked the Knesset to limit its scope.

Reactions to Tuesday’s ruling fell along party lines, with right-wingers lambasting the court, while others to their left agreed with the judges’ decision and called for the court to be respected.

The Likud party characterized as “unfortunate” the High Court’s intervention in a law “that’s important to the settlement enterprise and its future.”





MEMRI: Saudi Journalists Ahead Of Third Anniversary Of Qatar Boycott: Qatar Has Ties To Terrorist Organizations, Boycott Is Justified
Ahead of the third anniversary of the boycott imposed on Qatar by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain,[1] and in light of reports that the U.S. has renewed its efforts to mediate a reconciliation between the sides,[2]Saudi journalists have written that the boycott is justified and should remain in place. These writers, including senior journalist 'Abd Al-Rahman Al-Rashed and journalist 'Abd Al-Rahman Al-Turiri, stressed that the main reason for the boycott is Qatar's support of multiple terror organizations – such as Al-Qaeda, the Nusra Front in Syria, the Houthis in Yemen, Boko Haram in Nigeria, Al-Shabab Al-Mujahideen in Somalia, and the Taliban in Afghanistan – some of which target the Gulf states themselves. Qatar, they said, finances these organizations and shelters their leaders. Al-Turiri also stated that, in the 2000s, Qatar's Al-Jazeera network served as a "mouthpiece" for Al-Qaeda, broadcasting videos of the organization’s top leaders, and that recently it has been doing the same for the Nusra Front. He stated further that Qatar uses its ties with terrorist organizations to position itself as a mediator between these organizations and the West, a role that earns it prestige and influence in the West and enables it to maintain its ties with the organizations without fear of sanctions.

Al-Turiri directed criticism also at Turkey, noting that it has close ties with Qatar and claiming that it too maintains links with terrorist organizations to further its interests, albeit less openly and directly than Qatar. Both writers noted that Qatar's support of terror and its efforts to destabilize its neighbors has been ongoing for years, and therefore any attempt to mediate a reconciliation between the sides is pointless.

The following are translated excerpts from Al-Rashed's and Al-Turiri's articles:
"Qatar's funding" of terror brings death to "the Middle East" (Al-Arab, London, February 20, 2020)

'Abd Al-Rahman Al-Rashed: Qatar Will Never Stop Supporting Terror And Trying To Undermine Its Neighbors; The Boycott Must Continue

Saudi journalist 'Abd Al-Rahman Al-Rashed wrote on June 6, 2020 in the London-based daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat: "The Qatari government used every means at its disposal to try to tempt the Iranian regime to release an American prisoner [in return for] America’s release of an Iranian prisoner and to open up a channel of communication between Washington and Tehran.[3] [Qatar did this because it] wants to help Iran out of its crisis. It also provided hundreds of Taliban [operatives] and their children with regular salaries and other services, to persuade this movement [to sign] an agreement with the Americans on Afghanistan.

"Why? Because Doha is trying to draw close to the U.S. administration and is trying to persuade it to broker, for the third time, a renewal of its relations with Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain. [But] the truth is that these countries understand that rapprochement with Qatar will not last long and that the disputes with it will resurface, and therefore prefer not to restore the relations.
Israeli Health Minister: Country Nearing 200 New COVID-19 Cases a Day
The rise in coronavirus cases in Israel is becoming dramatic and cause for concern, Israeli Health Minister Yuli Edelstein said on Tuesday.

“At this rate, we are heading toward 200 new cases per day. Just so we’re clear, the situation is not good. If we don’t wake up, we’ll find ourselves in a very problematic situation. Ignoring the [Health Ministry] instructions and brushing them off is causing a change in the [downward] trend of cases,” said Edelstein.

A total of 148 new cases were confirmed on Tuesday, compared to 176 on Monday and 140 on Sunday. The number of confirmed cases in Israel now stands at 2,722, with 111 hospitalized. A total of 31 COVID-19 patients are listed in serious condition, 24 of whom are on ventilators.

Thus far, 299 Israelis have succumbed to coronavirus, while 15,159 have recovered.

Tel Aviv leads the list with regard to new cases, with 81 residents testing positive since Sunday. A total of 30 new cases have been identified in Jerusalem; 25 in Bnei Brak; 15 in Netanya; 14 in Rishon Lezion; and 13 in Sderot.

Given the rise in confirmed cases, enforcement of Health Ministry guidelines will be stepped up. In a meeting on Tuesday evening, Edelstein, Interior Minister Arye Deri, police and National Security Council officials agreed that local authorities would train inspectors who will help issue fines for violations.
Nearly 24,000 students and staff quarantined with 139 schools, daycares shut
The Education Ministry said Wednesday that dozens more students and teachers have been diagnosed with the coronavirus, taking the number of cases in the school system to 428.

Additionally, 1,909 children and staff at educational facilities have gone into isolation since Tuesday evening, taking the total number to 23,786 currently in quarantine, Hebrew media reported.

Several more educational institutions have been closed, the ministry said, taking the total to 139.

Health officials have attributed much of the recent nationwide rise in new cases to schools, which reopened in May after a two-month closure.

The government last week decided against closing all schools, but said it could use targeted closures anywhere a coronavirus case is found. Students and teachers are mostly required to wear face masks and are supposed to keep to strict hygiene practices.

The figures came after a further 88 coronavirus cases were diagnosed overnight, the Health Ministry announced Wednesday morning, indicating a continuing trend of mounting infections after the country decided to roll back most restrictions last month.

The number of active virus cases has surged to 2,761, according to Health Ministry figures, after having dipped below 2,000 last month.
Israeli researchers on road to new COVID-19 passive vaccine
A team of researchers at Bar-Ilan University have identified immunodominant epitopes that could contribute to developing a peptide vaccine against the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, that they believe could stop the next COVID-19 outbreak and any future pandemics of coronaviruses.

“Our study has identified a set of potential immunodominant epitopes from the SARS-CoV-2 proteome, such that these epitopes are capable of generating both antibody and cell-mediated immune responses,” Dr. Malina Frenkel-Morgenstern, head of the Cancer Genomics and BioComputing of Complex Diseases Lab at Bar-Ilan University’s Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, explained.

Epitopes, known also as antigenic determinants, are the part of the antigen that binds to a specific antigen receptor on the surface of a B cell. They are capable of stimulating an immune response.

Immune responses that are based on specific immunodominant epitopes involve the generation of both antibody- and cell-mediated immunity against pathogens presenting such epitopes. Such immunity can facilitate fast and effective elimination of the pathogen.

The result: A passive (as opposed to an active) vaccine, capable of activating both cellular and humoral immune responses in humans.

In the past, Frenkel-Morgenstern said, the team mapped coronavirus epitopes with influenza virus epitopes available in the Immune Epitope Database (IEDB) and found that few influenza virus epitopes share more than 85% sequence identity with severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus (SARS-CoV) experimentally detected epitopes.

“Therefore, we looked for other known viruses that may have experimentally confirmed epitopes,” the researcher explained. “In the present research, we used an immunoinformatics-based extensive computational approach to mine the proteome of SARS-CoV-2 and subsequently identify immunodominant epitopes of SARS-CoV-2. Detecting immune responses that are based on specific immunodominant epitopes enables generating both antibody-mediated and cell-mediated immunity against a certain pathogen. This can facilitate the fast and effective elimination of the pathogen.”
IDF honors South Lebanon Army with ceremony marking 20 years since withdrawal
The Israel Defense Forces marked its extended, contentious cooperation with the South Lebanon Army on Tuesday night, inviting members of the Maronite Christian militia to the Lebanese border in honor of the 20th anniversary of Israel’s withdrawal from its northern neighbor.

The event, “Appreciation and Honor for Former SLA Commanders,” was held at an army post along the Lebanese border and was presided over by IDF Northern Command head Maj. Gen. Amir Baram; commander of the Galilee Division Brig. Gen. Shlomi Binder; the former deputy commander of the Lebanon Liaison Unit Col. (res.) Shaul Kamisa Raz; and other senior IDF officers, along with some 20 former SLA officers.

From the mid-1980s until the summer of 2000, Israel maintained a series of outposts in southern Lebanon, dubbed collectively the Security Zone, which were there to both assist the SLA to maintain control over the region and prevent terror groups in Lebanon from attacking northern Israel. This remains a hotly debated period in Israel’s history in which hundreds of IDF soldiers were killed for vague and largely unachieved goals.

The SLA, generally commanded by Lebanese Maronite Christians, was formed during the country’s bloody civil war with training and support from Israel, which hoped to see the formation of a Lebanese government with which it could make peace. Israel and Lebanon have formally remained at war with one another since Israel’s creation in 1948.

“Twenty years after the end of the fighting in the Security Zone, [IDF] commanders gathered in order to mark the cooperation and loyalty between the IDF and the SLA and to express appreciation for the actions of the SLA commanders and fighters,” the military said.
Police crack down on Bedouin town at center of military base theft altercation
Two residents of the southern Bedouin town of Bir Hadaj were arrested in connection with the recent assault of IDF soldiers who were trying to prevent theft from a military base, Israel Police said Wednesday, as a top official promised a harsh crackdown.

In an incident last month partially caught on film, two officers attempted to chase thieves who had stolen equipment from a southern army base but they were then ambushed by others, who forced them to retreat. The incident shone a harsh light on what some officials describe as lawlessness in areas of southern Israel, where theft and smuggling flourish.

The Beersheba Magistrate’s Court ordered one of the suspects to be held until Friday and the other to be held under house arrest, police said in a statement.

On Tuesday, three residents of the town turned themselves in to police, the force said. Two were arrested and one was released.

Hours later police descended on the town in the Negev desert and carried out a series of arrests.

Police later said that 17 people were arrested for “various offenses and many items suspected of being stolen” were discovered. The searches also “identified items that are believed to belong to the IDF.”

Public Security Minister Amir Ohana, whose portfolio includes the police, tweeted that the raid was the beginning of “a widespread enforcement operation.”
Palestinian with knife arrested outside West Bank settlement
The IDF arrested a Palestinian carrying a knife just outside a settlement in the northern West Bank on Tuesday, foiling what a settler leader said could have been a terror attack.

Israeli troops were dispatched to the area after the suspect was identified outside Itamar, the army said, adding that soldiers fired into the air in order to carry out the arrest.

The suspect, who was found to be carrying a knife, was transferred for interrogation, the army said, adding that it was still probing the circumstances and motive of the incident.

However, according to a statement from the Samaria Regional Council, Itamar’s civilian security squad had already detained the man by the time the IDF arrived.

The security team been carrying out a routine drill when they spotted the suspect trying to cut the fence.

“The members of the civilian security squad ran after him, and the terrorist tried to attack them after being threatened. Upon realizing that he had been caught, the suspect threw his knife on the ground,” the statement said, adding that the settlers apprehended the suspect until the army arrived.
State seeks 3 life terms for Israeli murderer of Palestinian couple and child
State prosecutors asked the Lod District Court on Tuesday to hand down three life sentences and 40 additional years behind bars to the perpetrator of the 2015 terrorist firebombing of a Palestinian home that resulted in the deaths of three family members sleeping inside.

The request was made during the sentencing hearing for Amiram Ben-Uliel, a 26-year-old religious extremist from an outpost outside the Shiloh settlement in the central West Bank. The father of one was convicted last month on three counts of murder, two counts of attempted murder and two counts of arson, but acquitted on the charge of membership in a terror organization.

On July 12, the court will hand down its sentence for Ben-Uliel, who hurled the firebomb into the Dawabsha home in the central West Bank village of Duma that burned to death 18-month-old Ali and his parents, Riham and Saad, and seriously injured four-year-old Ahmad.

Ahmad’s grandfather Hussein and uncle Nasr, who have been caring for him since the incident, testified at Tuesday’s hearing regarding the attack’s impact on their family.

Hussein characterized as “torture” the year following the firebombing, half of which he spent in the hospital where Ahmad was recovering from severe burns.
PMW: Fatah camp for youth named after murderer
This is another tragic illustration of the PA and Fatah’s role modeling to youth. The camp for high school boys, which was held earlier this year, was named after the 19-year-old terrorist murderer Omar Abu Laila who killed 2 Israelis, and the session was named after another 19-year-old Palestinian who was killed when he participated in violent clashes with the Israeli army. These two 19-year-olds serve the PA and Fatah in emphasizing to the young boys at the camp that a terrorist murderer is their hero, and that it is heroic to die for “Palestine”:
Posted text: “Concluding ceremony of the Martyr Omar Abu Laila Camp (Martyr Yazan Abu Tubeikh session), which included members of the [Fatah] Shabiba High School [Movement]/Salfit Branch – Martyr Abu Jihad organizational region, Rafat [neighborhood] and Martyr Muhammad Ghaleb organizational region, Al-Zawiya [neighborhood]”
[Official Fatah Facebook page, Feb. 9, 2020]

Palestinian Media Watch has documented that immediately after terrorist Abu Laila was killed by Israeli soldiers, the PA started glorifying him as a hero, turning him into a role model. In two weeks, murderer Abu Laila went from being an unknown teenager to Palestinian symbol.

Fatah posted photos from the camp ceremony showing the high school boys dressed in military uniforms. In one image, the boys are seen carrying a casket in a symbolic funeral. The casket has a Palestinian flag on it and the picture of the teenage “Martyr.”

Another photo shows one of the camp participants giving a speech. In the background is a poster, and on its upper right is a picture of terrorist Omar Abu Laila. In the upper center are two logos: On the left is the Fatah Shabiba High School Movement logo that includes the PA map of “Palestine” that presents all of Israel as “Palestine” in the colors of the Palestinian flag; and on the right is the Fatah logo that includes a grenade, crossed rifles, and the PA map of “Palestine.”


Khaled Abu Toameh: Palestinian official in hot water for saying PA would prevent violence
Hussein al-Sheikh, head of the Palestinian Authority General Authority of Civil Affairs and member of the Fatah Central Committee, is facing sharp criticism from Palestinians for hinting that security coordination has not been suspended.

In an interview with The New York Times, al-Sheikh said that the Palestinian security services would continue to maintain law and order and fight terrorism, but acting on their own. “We will prevent violence and chaos,” he said. “We will not allow bloodshed. That is a strategic decision.”

Asked how the PA security forces would respond if they learned of a Palestinian’s intent to attack Israelis, al-Sheikh said that they would arrest him if he were still on the West Bank. But if the attacker were already inside Israel, he hinted that the Palestinians might warn Israel through an intermediary. “I will find a way to stop him,” he said.

Al-Sheikh was also quoted as saying that PA would slash the $105 million it sends to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip each month in salaries and to cover utility fees and medical expenses.

Al-Sheikh’s statements sparked a wave of condemnations among Palestinians, including several factions and political activists, some of whom accused him of “treason.”

Critics pointed out that his statements contradicted Palestinian leaders’ recent claims that the Palestinians have halted security coordination with Israel to protest Israel’s intention to extend its sovereignty to parts of the West Bank.
Report: PA Hiding Sensitive Documents in Case of Outbreak of Violence
The Palestinian Authority has begun to hide sensitive documents as it braces for possible violence if Israel applies sovereignty over the Jordan Valley and parts of Judea and Samaria, according to Israeli media reports on Tuesday.

The Palestinian leadership directed its security forces, the Muhabarat, to hide documents in at least two cities, according to Channel 12.

The last time such a directive was given was in September 2000, the beginning of the Second Intifada, a violent Palestinian uprising that lasted from 2000 until 2005.

Palestinian sources say the move is preparation by the PA for a deterioration in the security situation following the application of Israeli law in Judea and Samaria and the Jordan Valley under the aegis of the US “Peace to Prosperity” plan.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he will begin to implement the plan to apply Israeli law to Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria starting on July 1.
The Gaza They Do Not Want You to See
How can Hamas and its supporters around the world continue to complain about poverty and misery when new shopping malls and supermarkets filled with clothes, and various types of luxury goods are being opened every few weeks in the Gaza Strip?

These images are also an embarrassment to anti-Israel propagandists seeking to portray a completely different reality of life in the Gaza Strip as part of their campaign to delegitimize Israel and demonize Jews by holding them fully responsible for the "suffering" of Palestinians.

Why are foreign correspondents and Palestinian journalists covering the Israeli-Palestinian conflict dumping photographic documentation of these sunny, positive developments in the Gaza Strip into the dustbin? Is it because such images do not fit their anti-Israel narrative and agenda?
PreOccupiedTerritory: Palestinians Refuse Emirati Shipment Of Inhabiting Reality (satire)
An Etihad Airlines commercial jet landed at Israel’s main international airport Tuesday carrying medical equipment intended for use by Palestinian public health facilities, along with consignment of living the actual, real world, both of which Palestinian leaders declined to accept.

A United Arab Emirates shipment of ventilators and other goods for use in combating COVID-19 touched down at Ben-Gurion yesterday, the second such landing in as many weeks, and both times, officials of the Palestinian Authority declined to accept the supplies via Israel, because taking them would condone the improving commercial and diplomatic ties that Israel has developed with a growing number of Arab and Muslim countries in the last fifteen years. Tuesday’s flight also carried several tons of we live in the twenty-first century goddammit, stop trying to undo 1948; Palestinians declined to accept that as well.

Emirati officials said they had hoped to assist their Palestinian brethren cope both with the coronavirus pandemic and with their leadership’s inability to accept that the Arabs lost in 1948 and only harm can result from continued attempts to reverse that. “We sent a sizable reality check on this last shipment, but we cannot control their decision whether to accept it,” stated a representative of the Emir of Dubai, part of the UAE. “Ultimately you can lead a Palestinian leader to accountability, but you cannot make him take it on.”




Expert: Iran Has Shortened Nuclear Breakout Time Quite Dramatically
David Albright, founder and president of the Institute for Science and International Security, told a conference call hosted by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies on Monday that in its new report, "The IAEA's clearly decided to sound an alarm that Iran is not allowing access to two sites to see if there's a presence of 'undeclared uranium' or 'undeclared nuclear-related activities'."

"What you have is the IAEA pretty much telling the world that there is a huge problem here, and that it's time for the world to get involved, to try to solve this problem."

"We're finding that Iran has accumulated so much low-enriched uranium...it's enough material in order so that you can shorten the breakout times quite dramatically...down to as low as three months."
Removing the UN Arms Embargo on Iran Will Reward Tehran's Malign Actions
Israeli policymakers unequivocally support the U.S. demand to extend the UN arms embargo on Iran that will expire in October. Removing the embargo will amount to a capitulation to Iran, which for years has repeatedly disobeyed UN Security Council resolutions forbidding it to export weapons to other countries, non-state actors, and terror organizations.

In violation of UNSCR 1701, Iran has supplied Lebanese Hizbullah with advanced weapon systems and military technology. Iran is arming the murderous regime of Bashar al-Assad. Iran is transferring missiles and weapon systems to the Houthis in Yemen. In Iraq, Iran is deploying missiles and arming the Shia militias. The expectation that Iran would scale down its malign activity in the region following the 2015 nuclear deal failed the test of reality.

Should a Russian veto block the U.S. effort to extend the embargo, Israel will actively support any American-led initiative to form a like-minded coalition of willing states that will apply a rigid arms embargo on Iran. Such an embargo would aim to increase the pressure on Russia to avoid selling problematic and balance-shifting weapon systems to Iran.
Russia, China Seek to Protect Iran from U.S. Sanctions Threat at UN
Russia and China have written to the Security Council and UN chief Antonio Guterres opposing U.S. threats to trigger a return of UN sanctions on Iran if the council does not extend an arms embargo due to expire in October. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov wrote on May 27 that the U.S. was being "ridiculous and irresponsible," calling the U.S. move "absolutely unacceptable."

China's top diplomat, Wang Yi, wrote on June 7, "The United States, no longer a participant to the JCPOA (nuclear deal) after walking away from it, has no right to demand the Security Council invoke a snapback." The U.S. argues it can still trigger the sanctions snapback because the 2015 UN resolution still names it as a participant.
Iran's Massive Drone Force
Iran has undergone a drone revolution and now possesses the largest fleet of combat drones in the Middle East, it’s media reported on Sunday. The exclusive report takes a deep look into Iran’s drone history and provides insight into Iran’s emerging use of drones as a strategic weapon, one that it would like to use more against Israel, the US and other enemies. In recent years, Iran has attacked Saudi Arabia last year, harassed US ships and flown a drone into Israeli airspace in 2018.

Iran claims its drone fleet dates back to the era of the “revolution,” in includes technology from the pre-1979 Iranian air force. It mentioned the Beechcraft MQM-107 Streaker which was a target drone built in the 1970s by the US and which looks like a small plane mounted on a rocket engine. Iran built its HESA Karrar drone based on this in 2010. Why it took Iran decades to construct something based on a US model that was supposedly lying around is unclear. It is believed that the MQM-107 was sold to Iran in the 1970s. Iran also had BQM-74 Chukar target drones. It was also exported to Iran in the 1970s apparently.

Iran’s Fars News says that after the 1979 revolution the war with Iraq forced Iran to innovate in drone technology. Iran had acquired US F-4s and the surveillance model of the same aircraft the RF-4 but apparently it didn’t want to use them too frequently because they would be shot down. So the IRGC decided in 1983 to start using model airplanes from a civilian club that had a stock of them. The article says that a “Thunder [Raad] Battalion” was built within the IRGC for use of the drones. It is believed that these units were based in Ahwaz and included areas of Khuzestan province on the border with Iraq. It was here that Qasem Soleimani, later to be the IRGC Quds Force head, was involved in some of the bloodiest battles of the Iran-Iraq war, crossing the Shat-Al-Arab waterway to try to take Basra in Iraq. The drones may have been used in these battles, such as Karbala-5, a massive battle that took place in this area. Fars News only specifies that the battalion was stationed in the “fish farming canal” area, which was this area. The Mahi Canal was crossed in January 1986 during this costly battle.
MEMRI: Sabaheddin Torkilmaz, Head Of A Berlin Shi'ite Center On Iranian TV: Khomeini's Revolution Has No Borders; The Rule Of The Jurisprudent Stands In Opposition To Liberal Democracy
Sabaheddin Torkilmaz, the head of the Imam Reza Islamic Center in Berlin, said in a June 3, 2020 interview on Ofogh TV (Iran) that Imam Khomeini and the Islamic Revolution have inspired Iraq, Syria, Palestine, Yemen, Lebanon, and other countries in Africa and Latin America. He elaborated that the Islamic Revolution has no borders and that the Rule of the Jurisprudent stands in opposition to liberal democracy and American democracy.

"Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, And Palestine... Yemen And Countries In Africa And In Latin America - Have Been Inspired Directly By Imam [Khomeini]"

Sabaheddin Torkilmaz: "Since the Revolution [in 1979], Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine - and now Yemen and countries in Africa and in Latin America - have been inspired directly by Imam [Khomeini].
[...]
"We need to examine what was the purpose of the Revolution. When Imam [Khomeini] said, 'We will export the Revolution,' what was it that he wanted to export? Iranian culture? Iranian-ness?
[...]
"The Message Of The [Islamic] Revolution - And Of Exporting It... [Is] The Struggle Against Arrogance And Oppression"

"When we understand this, it becomes apparent that the Revolution has no borders. In the political dimension, when the monarchy was overthrown and the Islamic regime came to power, it was only in Iran. The message of the Revolution - and of exporting it - is something else: The struggle against arrogance and oppression.


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