Wednesday, December 16, 2020
Sohrab Ahmari: Trump’s peace deals mean the anti-Israel boycott movement is dead
The BDSers achieved a measure of success, in Europe especially. Performing artists would often cancel concerts in Israel under BDS pressure — and sometimes lead the charge, as in the case of the likes of Tilda Swinton, Roger Waters and Coldplay’s Chris Martin. European theaters would refuse to host Jewish (not even Israeli) film festivals, even as BDSers preposterously insisted that their movement isn’t anti-Semitic. Western universities or individual departments would mount academic boycotts of Israel. Then, last year, in perhaps the most alarming move, the European Court of Justice ruled that EU states must label West Bank products as “made in settlements.”Sudan revokes citizenship of Hamas leader, Khaled Meshaal, dealing blow to terror groups
Was Israel’s economy ever in serious peril? Probably not. Europe remains the Jewish state’s biggest trade partner, though boycotts and labeling could bite if widened to include firms that operate in Israel or Palestinian territories. The real danger, however, was moral-cum-political. If BDS succeeded, it would make permanent Israel’s status as an abnormal country, rather than a normal fixture of the Mideast map. That would demoralize the Israeli people and compound the hostility they already face in global forums like the United Nations.
Well, so much for all that. Today, a little more than a year since the EU labeling decision, you can find Israeli products — prominently displayed, sometimes with Israeli flags to promote them — on the shelves of grocery stores in the United Arab Emirates.
How far can BDS go in a world where once-sworn enemies of the Jewish state enjoy Israeli citrus products and myriad cultural exchanges? Who exactly do Western champions of the Arabs represent, when the Arabs themselves want to live peacefully alongside Israel and accept the Jewish state’s fundamental legitimacy? Isn’t it more than a bit condescending for, say, Roger Waters — place of birth: Great Bookham, Surrey, England — to tell Arabs whom they can do business with?
To be clear, I’m not suggesting BDS will disappear tomorrow. The wider Arab world is making peace with Israel, but Palestinian leaders aren’t about to give up what is admittedly a very nice grift: billions of dollars in international aid in exchange for refusing to accept reality. BDS helps lend a veneer of global credibility to their rejectionism. And fanatic college professors and students can always use “anti-Zionism” to mask old-fashioned hatred, singling out one state and one state only — the one that happens to be Jewish — for opprobrium.
But the fact remains that the Abraham Accords have revealed a silly side to the BDS movement: For God’s sake, when Sudan, once one of the world’s most virulently anti-Israel states, has made its peace with Jerusalem, BDS looks like a boutique cause for gentry leftists, the kind who put their pronouns in their Twitter bios. The real world — and the Middle East — have just moved on.
In a blow to the Islamic movement in Gaza and other terror organizations, Sudan is revoking the citizenship of former Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal along with 3,000 other citizenships that were granted to foreigners, according to several reports in Arab media.Gulf normalization isn’t about fearing Iran, it’s about embracing Israel
The Sudanese government made this change as part of its being removed from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, in a clear indication that it will fight terrorism rather than support it. The news was widely reported in Sudan and other Arabic media.
Earlier, Meshaal had expressed his dissatisfaction with the normalization of relations between Sudan and Israel.
After the demise of the previous Sudanese regime, which was supportive of Islamist and terrorist movements including Hamas, the new government has been attempting to change Sudan’s image as a shelter and conduit for terrorists. The revoking of citizenship from foreigners with links to Islamic and terrorist movements is a step in that direction.
Sudan is also now requiring a visa for Syrians before entering the country in order to prevent the flow of terrorists into Sudan.
In recent decades, Sudan was designated a state sponsor of terrorism by the United States for hosting Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and other wanted terrorists. Hamas used the country as a funnel for smuggling Iranian weapons to Palestinians in Gaza between 2009-2012.
Sudan was removed from the list of state sponsors of terror after the new regime has made efforts in combating terrorism in cooperation with the American administration under the supervision of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
“You think you have chutzpah? We have chutzpah.”
It was an unexpected line from a senior Emirati official, delivered recently in an off-the-record video conference call between current and former Israeli and Emirati officials.
The conversation had turned to business ties, innovation and the cultural differences between the two countries. The official wanted to explain something important about the new Israeli-Arab normalization agreements that Abu Dhabi had helped start: not only why they are happening, but why they seem so inexplicably warm and genuine.
The United Arab Emirates is most visible in this regard, but it isn’t the only one. Bahrain, too, is investing in a warm peace. And Sudan, while agonizing over the step itself — a breach of decades of ideological commitments vis-à-vis the Palestinians — has shown signs of wanting the normalization to reap more benefits than mere diplomatic contact or its removal from the US terror sponsors list.
There is no shortage of benefits that have accrued to the countries that normalized relations with Israel in the waning days of the Trump administration. The Emiratis asked for F-35s, the Moroccans recognition of their claim over Western Sahara, the Sudanese an end to their 27-year stay on the terror list and protection from lawsuits linked to the previous regime.
Ileana Ros Lehtinen: Abraham Accords reveals the real US allies in the Middle East - opinion
The Senate vote last week allowing the president to proceed with a $23 billion arms package to the United Arab Emirates firmly establishes new lines in the Middle East, making clear who America’s best allies in the region are, and creating conditions for peace not seen since the Camp David Accords in 1978.Clifford D May: Reading foreign policy tea leaves
Through this investment, the UAE ties its security and future to partnering with the United States. Its military now depends on US equipment and know-how. Its foreign policy goals in the region are consistent with ours: deterring and preventing Iran from obtain nuclear weapons, seeking a broader peace for Israelis and Palestinians, and promoting moderation and tolerance while combating terrorism and extremism.
This new order is best exemplified in the first Abraham Accord, a groundbreaking peace agreement that normalizes relations between Israel and the UAE. The months since have borne tangible and meaningful advances in a region where progress is usually measured over decades. In the short time since the Abraham Accord was signed on September 15, the UAE and Israel have announced more areas of dialogue and cooperation, including bilateral trade, direct airline flights, and cooperation on health, technology and other areas.
In addition, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco followed the UAE’s lead in recognizing Israel; and more may do the same. Just this month, news broke that Israel’s prime minister met with the US secretary of state and Saudi crown prince in Riyadh. In my almost 30 years in Congress and as a former chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, I never saw this kind of progress in the Middle East and had sadly become resigned to the idea that I would not see it in my lifetime.
President Barack Obama gave Ben Rhodes, a young man with a master's degree in creative writing, the curious title of Deputy National Security Adviser for Strategic Communications and Speechwriting. Rhodes's "rivalry was not with an individual but with a mindset," Troy writes. President Obama supported his deputy's assault on the "blob" – Rhodes moniker for established foreign policy experts.The road to happiness: How we established ties with Bhutan
The policies Rhode promoted led to more than 500,000 killed in Syria, the rise of the Islamic State, a failed "reset" with Russia, concessions to Cuba's rulers with nothing in return, and no apparent cognizance of the fact that Chinese Communists were eating our lunch.
At least regarding Syria, Antony Blinken, whom Joe Biden plans to nominate as his secretary of state, has been clear-eyed and candid. "I believe anyone who had any responsibility for our Syria policy has to look themselves in the mirror and say we failed – period," he told The Atlantic's Mike Giglio.
That failed policy, like virtually all the Obama administration's policies in the Middle East, was intended to appease Iran's Islamist rulers. With this in mind, it would be logical for Blinken to advise Biden against jumping back into Obama's Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with both feet.
Should he do so, however, he might clash with John Kerry who headed the negotiations that led to the JCPOA. Biden plans to name Kerry as his special envoy for climate, a very different portfolio. However, as Troy noted in an op-ed, Kerry's position will have cabinet-level status, with an office in the White House, thereby giving him access which can translate into influence.
One also might wonder: How much advice will Biden receive from his former boss who, unlike most former presidents, never left Washington?
Biden's disdain for President Trump is clearly profound. Still, he must know that President Trump and his advisers – who were numerous and frequently at daggers drawn as well – achieved some signal successes.
Certainly, Biden would be well-advised to build on the progress made toward ending the Arab-Israeli conflict. Also, Israel and the pragmatic Arab states are now singing from the same hymnal (so to speak) regarding Tehran's neo-imperialist ambitions.
This signing represents the culmination of a process led by us at the Foreign Ministry in cooperation with Mashav, the ministry’s Agency for International Development Cooperation, to nurture relations with Bhutan and provide assistance in the areas of agriculture, health, and water sector management. Bhutan’s senior leaders greatly value Israel’s capabilities and want to learn from the knowledge and technology that Israeli companies have to offer.Seth Frantzman: Rabbi hopes Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman, others will normalize with Israel
By establishing relations, we will be able to institutionalize political connections that had remained clandestine until now, sign additional agreements, and create a dialogue on improving voting patterns in the UN; Bhutan has been a member of the Non-Aligned Movement since 1973, and has voted as part of its bloc against us. We will be able to advance Israeli exports in the areas of agrotechnology, water and health, and promote outbound Israeli tourism to the beautiful and magical destination that is Bhutan.
Our two countries share many similarities. We are both small, interested in progress and development that still preserves the traditional values that make us unique, and also share a mutual curiosity. On the happiness index, given to the world by the Kingdom of Bhutan, we both occupy high positions.
The Abraham Accords fostered a warm and positive atmosphere not only across the Middle East, but also among the Muslim-majority countries of Southeast Asia and those yet to normalize relations with Israel. We hope that the King of Bhutan will travel to Jerusalem in the upcoming year for a royal visit and that the ambassadors of each country will present their diplomatic credentials soon. We at the Foreign Ministry will continue to work towards ensuring that more countries in Asia follow Bhutan’s lead and establish full diplomatic relations with Israel. The time has come, for all of us, and for future generations.
Rabbi Marc Schneier, an adviser to leaders in the Gulf, believes there will be more peace deals. In an interview last week in Dubai, he spoke about what the future could look like.Seth Frantzman: Israel Should Heed Its New Arab Friends on Palestine
Schneier, who has worked for peace and coexistence in the region for many years, is the president of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding. We met at the Fairmont at the Palm, an exquisite area of Dubai.
“For 12 years I’ve been working on this,” he said. “As someone who paved the way, I see this as two down and four to go in the Gulf. I won’t be content until I see Qataris, Saudis, Omanis and Kuwaitis join as well. Then you will see a transformation.”
Qatar is preparing for the World Cup, and Schneier thinks it is a natural fit for Israel.
“Qataris are very excited about welcoming Israelis for the World Cup,” he said.
Schneier has worked on addressing the needs of kosher cuisine in Doha.
“In regard to the question about Israeli guests coming to watch the games, the Qataris have already said that they will be allowed to do so,” he said. “But I believe that by November 2022 [the start of the World Cup], we will already see relations between them and Israel.”
“At the same time, I think people who analyze the Gulf don’t listen and choose not to listen, and that there is a pronouncement coming from Saudi Arabia and Qatar that until the Palestinian issue is addressed, not necessarily resolved, they will not recognize Israel,” he added.
Extraordinary opportunities are developing between Israel and the United Arab Emirates in the wake of the normalization deal the countries signed in September. At a recent technology conference in Dubai, more than 130 Israeli companies and a delegation of four hundred Israelis were able to explore trade opportunities. This, along with new interfaith initiatives, showcases rapidly developing relations between the two countries.
But Israel needs to listen to its new Arab peace partners and show that it is also serious about progress on talks with the Palestinians in the future.
The partnership between Israel and the UAE, underpinned by trade and travel initially, comes with assumptions from Abu Dhabi. The UAE said that it embraced the deal to “stop annexation and the potential of violence escalation.” It is also keen to maintain the viability of a two-state solution and increase stability in the region, especially in countries like Jordan that are very sensitive about changes to the status quo in Israel.
The Emirati Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said in a recent interview that the normalization agreement is not transactional but a strategic national choice. The deal, he said, is an important opportunity to show that prosperity and peace can be achieved for the region: “It should be bigger than the UAE and Israel.”
That means providing for a political solution between the Palestinians and Israelis.
The carefully worded statements from the Emiratis amount to a message that doesn’t always seem to get through to Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is heading toward his fourth election campaign in two years, hoping to extend a long tenure in office in which he has made lack of progress on the Palestinian issue a core value.
According to my Israeli Intel sources, in the last week of November 2020, the establishment of Pakistan along with the PM Imran khan decided to send official message to Israel in order to start political and diplomatic talks with the state of Israel....
— Noor Dahri (@dahrinoor2) December 15, 2020
The Secret Meeting Between Senior Advisor to Imran Khan and Israeli Officials in TLV
Israel Signals Openness to Future Joint Missile Defense With Gulf Partners
Israel could be open to future cooperation on missile defense with Gulf Arab states that share its concerns about Iran, a senior Israeli official said on Tuesday.New Saudi Textbooks Show Improvement in Depiction of Jews and Israel, Study Finds
But Moshe Patel, who heads the Israeli Missile Defense Organization that is part of the Defense Ministry, said it was still premature to pursue any such deals. He said Washington’s approval would be needed if Israeli systems developed with US technology were involved.
“Things can be done, maybe in the future,” Patel told reporters when asked whether any of the systems might be offered to Israel‘s new partners in the Gulf, or synchronized with comparable systems there.
“From an engineering point of view, of course there is a lot of advantage. That information can be shared, like sensors that can be deployed in both countries because we have the same enemies.”
Jitters about Iran were a driver of a US-brokered pact on Sept. 15 formalizing relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain for the first time. Saudi Arabia has encouraged the rapprochement, while holding off on having its own bilateral ties with Israel for now.
Prior to those deals, a senior Israeli official had told Reuters there would be no coordination on missile defense with Gulf countries.
New editions of Saudi Arabian textbooks show a significant improvement in their references to Jews and Israel, according to a new report published by a major research institute on Tuesday.UAE-Israel Business Leaders Summit: COVID-19 spin-off created more investment opportunities between UAE and Israel
IMPACT-se — which monitors textbooks across the Middle East in regard to what they teach about Jews, Israel and non-Muslims — called the new Saudi educational materials “encouraging,” much of the hate speech and incitement included in previous editions had been removed.
Citations of a Muslim hadith — or saying of the Prophet Muhammad — that calls for genocidal war against the Jews, antisemitic conspiracy theories of Jewish world domination and calls for jihad and martyrdom had all been deleted, the group said.
Furthermore, Israel is being depicted in a manner that is “more balanced and tolerant.”
A chapter on the “Zionist danger” is no longer present, thus removing passages claiming Israel has no right to exist and that it wants to conquer most of the Middle East.
However, IMPACT-se pointed out, “anti-Israel content does still remain in the curriculum.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has had the positive spillover effect of greater investment opportunities between the UAE and Israel, especially in the digital health and agri-tech sectors, panellists said during the second day of the virtual ‘UAE-Israel Business Leaders Summit’ on Tuesday.On 6th night of Hanukkah, Bahrain launches new initiative to invite American Jewish tourists to visit
Hanan Harhara Al Yafei, CEO of Abu Dhabi-based Hub71, told the summit (held on uae-israel-summit.com, on which registration is open) that the pandemic has led to “fast digitalisation” in the way governments are working. “We feel there could be huge opportunities for start-ups from all over the world, including Israel, to tap into this market in the UAE, but also for the start-ups here to tap into the sophisticated technology ecosystem in Israel,” she said.
The summit, co-hosted by Gulf News and TheMarker, heard how both countries are seeking mutual investment opportunities following the normalisation of bilateral ties after the Abraham Accord in August. The UAE has a multibillion-dollar accelerator programme for start-ups, with Hub 71 as its flagship project. Over two-thirds of start-ups in the Middle East and North Africa are based in the UAE. Israel meanwhile has had a record breaking year for its tech companies, seeing investments of $10 billion, said Uri Gabai, co–general manager and vice president of strategy at Start-Up Nation Central, Israel.
The Kingdom of Bahrain tonight launched an initiative on the sixth night of Hanukkah to invite — and welcome — American Jewish tourists to Bahrain in 2021.
The initiative was announced at an event in the capital, Manama, attended by key Bahraini and American tourism officials, tour agencies and Jewish leaders.
The event was hosted by Bahrain’s Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism Zayed bin Rashid Alzayani. Alzayani was recently in Jerusalem to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and signed a series of agreements that will open up, for the first time, tourism between Israel and Bahrain.
He told me that direct flights are expected to begin between Tel Aviv and Manama on or about Jan. 7.
Also speaking at the event was Jehad Amin, the CEO of an organization called Best of Bahrain, which encourages tourism and cultural events, as well as Dr. Nasser Ali Qaedi, the CEO of Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority.
A key player in the initiative is Ambassador Houda Nonoo, who not only served as the first female ambassador from Bahrain ever sent to the United States (serving from 2008 to 2013), but the first Jewish person to serve as an ambassador from the Arab world.
Nonoo — who joined Minister Alzayani’s recent delegation to Israel, marking her first trip to Israel, a dream of hers since childhood — recently joined the Advisory Board of ALL ARAB NEWS.
What a tremendous honour & responsibility to host new friends & partners from #UAE, #Bahrain & #Egypt, part of the @sharakango delegation, in the Knesset today!
— מיכל קוטלר-וונש | Michal Cotler-Wunsh (@CotlerWunsh) December 16, 2020
YES to recognition. YES to negotiation. YES to #peace!
🇮🇱🇦🇪🇧🇭🇪🇬🕊@Fatemaal7rbi @Ammaralhash @SamooyHarib @amjadt25 pic.twitter.com/4Vf0sAx45F
🕎Yesterday, I joined Ambassadors @MansoorAbulhoul🇦🇪, @Fawaz_AlKhalifa🇧🇭 & Minister @JamesCleverly🇬🇧 to make history with our first ever #Hanukkah candle lighting together.
— Tzipi Hotovely (@TzipiHotovely) December 16, 2020
Many thanks @BoDPres & @JewishNewsUK for such a special evening. Watch the moment it happened👇 pic.twitter.com/z2xyeWLaS2
"We're telling you, you should all come and visit #TelAviv" - @DrAlsarrah
— Sharaka - شراكة (@sharakango) December 15, 2020
ندعوكم لزيارة تل ابيب pic.twitter.com/LJGauRjJrb
Ken Roth (@KenRoth) of @hrw is just so engulfed with unhinged Jew hatred, he simply can’t stand #Israel seeing peace! https://t.co/MzQlxYGQNz
— Arsen Ostrovsky (@Ostrov_A) December 16, 2020
Big announcement! 🙂 We’ve launched a podcast at @jinsadc called The National Security Digest, and the host is yours truly. First episode with the incomparable @LahavHarkov is live. Download & subscribe. Covers all things Middle East & natsec. https://t.co/UpYzfg5U2Y
— Erielle Davidson (@politicalelle) December 15, 2020
Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman illuminates Dubai's Burj Khalifa
Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, participated in the launch of Wonder Woman 1984 by illuminating some footage from the movie across the structure.
On Tuesday, the official Twitter account of the building shared a video in which it is lit up with images and clips from the "Wonder Woman" trailer, days before the movie release in the United Arab Emirates.
"Burj Khalifa lights up in celebration of the release of Wonder Woman 1984 in cinemas on December 17. Book your tickets now! #WW84," the caption said.
The UAE is one of the few places that will see the highly-anticipated movie release this weekend. The UK is the second nation to release the DC film a week before the US premiere.
Gal Gadot, who plays the main character of the movie, shared the video on her official Instagram and said she is grateful for such a great honor.
The National Security Digest Podcast: After the Abraham Accords: What to Expect under a Biden Administration
President Trump’s relationship with Israel has been remarkably warm and has helped to fuel a new approach to Middle East policy, one that culminated in the recent Abraham Accords. But with the incoming Biden administration, questions loom as to how much continuity we might expect. Will President-elect Biden enter another nuclear deal with Iran? How will the new administration impact the pace of normalization between Israel and its Arab neighbors? Will Biden’s foreign policy represent a renaissance of the Obama years? Lahav Harkov, Senior Contributing Editor at The Jerusalem Post, joins JINSA Senior Policy Analyst Erielle Davidson to discuss all of these topics and more.
The @FDD_CMPP report with Leon Panetta @LTGHRMcMaster + 27 other experts is direct challenge to Posen, Mearsheimer @stephenWalt, @QuincyInst & gaggle of other isolationists whose views resemble Lindbergh’s 1930s America First movement https://t.co/b94Udxl30P
— Mark Dubowitz (@mdubowitz) December 16, 2020
Excusing China's Uighur ethnocide, International Criminal Court prosecutor forgets her own precedent
Bensouda extends kinder privilege to Beijing. In her simultaneous release of a report on possible new investigations, Bensouda gave China a pass. She rejected an evidence docket evincing the forced expulsion of Uighur Muslims from Cambodia and Tajikistan to China. That evidence would have allowed Bensouda to start an investigation against China for its ethnocidal conduct toward the Uighur people even though China is not a court member. The precedent is clear. As the Lawfare blog noted in July, "The court may exercise jurisdiction over international crimes when part of the criminal conduct takes place on the territory of a signatory." Ironically, it was Bensouda herself who has set precedent here!French Court Finds Accomplices to Charlie Hebdo Attackers Guilty
Lawfare explains. "In 2018, the prosecutor of the ICC, Fatou Bensouda, submitted a request to exercise jurisdiction over the alleged deportation of the Rohingya people from Myanmar to Bangladesh. She argued that although the coercion to deport members of the Rohingya people occurred in Myanmar (which is not a party to the [court governing] Statute), the action of the crossing the border technically occurred in Bangladesh (which is a party to the Statute). Because the border-crossing was an element of the forcible transfer and deportation crime, [the court] agreed with Bensouda and decided that the case would fall within [its] jurisdiction."
Bensouda, absurdly, has now abandoned one of her own legacy actions. In a ridiculous opinion, Bensouda used case law from Bosnia to claim that the evidence of forced deportations to China was not sufficiently indicative of forced deportations. Put another way, Bensouda said that she doesn't care too much about a few million Muslims living under tyranny.
The chief prosecutor says she's open to receiving more evidence in the future, but it's obvious what's going on here. Bensouda is happy to attack America, but she's not so willing to upset China. And some on the Left wonder why conservatives are so skeptical of international organizations?
A French court found guilty on Wednesday 14 accomplices of the French Islamist terrorists behind the January 2015 attacks on the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine and a Jewish supermarket in Paris.New elections seen as a virtual certainty as Knesset dispersal deadline looms
Among the 14 was Hayat Boumeddiene, former partner of Amedy Coulibaly who killed a policewoman and then four people in a Jewish supermarket.
One of three suspects to be tried in absentia, Boumeddiene was found guilty of financing terrorism and belonging to a criminal terrorist network. She is thought to be alive and on the run from an international arrest warrant in Syria, where she joined Islamic State.
Coulibaly was himself an associate of the gunmen behind the deadly attack at the Paris offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in January 2015.
The accomplices were found guilty on different charges, ranging from membership of a criminal network to complicity in the attacks. Terrorism-related charges were dropped for several of the defendants who were found guilty of lesser crimes.
Knesset legal officials clarified Wednesday that parliament will automatically dissolve if a state budget isn’t passed by next Tuesday night — 24 hours earlier than the deadline previously assumed — as the unity government appeared set to crumble, sending Israel to its fourth round of elections within two years.INSS: "The Day After" Abu Mazen is Already Here
Meanwhile unnamed political sources told Channel 12 news that there were currently no contacts between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud and Defense Minister Benny Gantz’s Blue and White parties on the budget issue, with the sources assessing that the chances of preventing an election are “zero.”
The government had failed to enact the 2020 budget by an August deadline and instead passed last-minute legislation that granted another 120 days for the sparring parties to reach an agreement. Previously, December 23 — next Wednesday — was given as the final date to approve a budget. The general understanding was that the deadline would expire at midnight of that day, meaning parliament would be disbanded on Thursday.
However, Knesset legal officials clarified that the language of the extension specifies that December 23 was “defined as the determining day for the date of dispersal.”
“To avoid any doubt, it is more correct to interpret the expression regarding the date of dispersal at the beginning of December 23 and therefore the date is at midnight between Tuesday and Wednesday,” a spokesperson said.
Israel must find an informed balance between a "position of careful observation" and caution regarding any involvement in the internal Palestinian arena, and a "coronation of kings" – a step that burned Israel in the past, as in the case of Bashir Ghummayel in Lebanon. The right path for Israel is based on a combination of contributing to the stabilization of the Palestinian system, mainly through civilian moves, and closely monitoring developments in the Palestinian system that would likely affect Israel adversely; in turn, it must not shy away from cutting off elements that pose a serious threat, for example, an extremist takeover of the West Bank, first and foremost by Hamas.Ashrawi paves the way for Palestinian leaders to acknowledge defeat
It is important for Israel to coordinate its actions with the key forces in the region that show interest and involvement in "the day after" issue, including Egypt, Jordan, and the Gulf states, while trying to mobilize their political and economic power to stabilize the Palestinian system. In this context as well it is important not to get caught up in the adventures of "running" candidates on behalf of the regional forces.
Biden's tenure may likewise help stabilize the Palestinian system in the context of "the day after." The upheaval in Washington has already inspired calm and cautious optimism in Ramallah: Abu Mazen ended the prolonged crisis with Israel; is preparing to renew ties with the US administration; and has begun to hope for the renewal of US economic aid as well as for the start of political negotiations, while Washington returns to play the role of what to the Palestinians is a fair mediator. Such a reality is likely to include tensions between Israel and the Palestinians (and possibly between Israel and the new US administration), but may at the same time establish a framework for direct dialogue between the parties, which will contribute to stability in the Palestinian Authority even after Abu Mazen's departure.
The future will of course also depend on the decisions that the Palestinians must take. Will the leaders of the Palestinian Authority and Fatah prefer to unite, rather than launch a violent struggle for power (such as what occurred in the Soviet Union after Stalin's death, which subsequently allowed the rise of one dominant leader)? Will the leader or leaders understand that that an agenda of confrontation with Israel likely means a short tenure, and their survival requires a close connection to Israel? And perhaps a young generation will rise to power – a generation free of the rhetoric of the past that will prioritize the goal of a state "here and now," even if modest in size and status, over the continued adherence to a fading and receding vision. If so, this will also obligate Israel to take a historic national decision on the question of the separation between the two peoples.
Hanan Ashrawi finally accepted defeat.PMW: Betraying the vision and betraying the children: DCI-Palestine promotes kids participation in terror and endorses PA brainwashing
For many decades, the most seemingly palatable face of the Palestine Liberation Organization, the female Christian academic’s dulcet tones attempted to assuage the fears of many in the West about the PLO’s true intentions.
Frequently appearing on Western broadcasts, Ashrawi would come across as an ostensible voice of reason, leading a cause against Israeli “oppression” and “occupation.”
Her appearances and writings in Arabic, however, belied her silver tongue in English. Indeed, in her native tongue, she lambasted compromise with Israel, argued against any Israeli claims to Jerusalem and even blasted former U.S. President Barack Obama for his mention of Jewish history in the land of Israel. She said that talk of the Jews returning to their land was “Obama’s adoption of the discourse of extremist Zionist ideology.”
She has also demanded an end to the return of Jews to Israel through aliyah, a cornerstone of Zionism.
In other words, Ashrawi is a maximalist—an extremist who cannot countenance Jewish peoplehood, history or national aspirations.
She is just another less obvious version of the violent Palestinian rejectionism that has ensured the continuation of the more than 100-year-old conflict that has seen so much bloodshed in the region.
Defense for Children International (DCI) is an internationally recognized, non-governmental organization (NGO) that engages in child advocacy. According to its website, the vision of the organization is “that children, as human beings, are able to pursue a life in which they can enjoy their human rights with dignity, in a just and responsible society.”UAE sends aid to Gaza, where 45% of virus tests return positive in past day
The “Palestine” section of DCI (DCI-P) is not only betraying the vision of its international umbrella organization, but more outrageously, it is betraying the children on whose behalf they are meant to be advocating.
Promoting participation in violence While it is clearly not in the best interest of any child to participate in the commission of criminal offences, it is certainly not in the best interest of any child to participate in acts of terror.
But for DCI-P, this universal reality seems to be irrelevant. Instead of advocating that the Palestinian children be removed entirely from the equation of participating in acts of terror, DCI-P’s Accountability Program Director, Ayed Abu Qteish, condoned and romanticized Palestinian children’s involvement in terror. According to Abu Qteish, it is the “children’s right” to participate in a “non-violent march” even if the child throws rocks at Israeli security officials or Israeli civilians.
“All the cases of Palestinian children being killed – It is the children’s right to participate in non-violent marches, and it is their right to articulate and express their opinion… When the Palestinian children participate in a march or demonstration or throw a rock, the most important aspect is the symbolic aspect of this issue. The symbolism in that we are rejecting and resisting this occupation.”
[Official PA TV, Palestine This Morning, Nov. 21, 2020]
The United Arab Emirates announced on Wednesday that it had sent a shipment of coronavirus aid to the Gaza Strip in collaboration with an organization run by its preferred Palestinian proxy, Mohammad Dahlan, the former leader of the Fatah movement, which is a rival of the Hamas rulers of Gaza.
“The United Arab Emirates today sent a third aid plane carrying 14.4 metric tons of medical supplies and testing kits to the Gaza Strip,” the Emirati ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
Relations between Palestinian factions and the UAE have grown tense in recent months due to Abu Dhabi’s decision in mid-August to fully normalize ties with Israel, which both the Hamas terror group and the Palestinian Authority deemed “a stab in the back” to the Palestinian cause.
Two previous Emirati aid shipments were rejected by the Palestinian Authority, which governs the West Bank, in May and June prior to the announcement of normalization, as Ramallah saw the planes landing at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport as a sign of Abu Dhabi’s move toward legitimizing Israel.
A senior Hamas health official dismissed the notion of ideological differences trumping the needs of Gaza’s civilian population, however.
“In the face of a health disaster, it would be inconceivable to reject aid that we need,” the official told The Times of Israel in a phone call on Wednesday.
Hamas Political Bureau Member Fathi Hamad: The Annihilation of Monstrous State of Israel Would Heal the World of All Corruption, Warmongering, Theft pic.twitter.com/8uNjNXnJL4
— MEMRI (@MEMRIReports) December 16, 2020
PreOccupiedTerritory: Palestinian Scholars: Fried Hanukkah Foods An Insult To Oil-Based Arab Economies (satire)
Anti-Israel propagandists hoping to attenuate the recent wave of normalization between Israel and various Muslim states in the region seized on a new idea this week to try to drive a wedge between the Jewish State and surrounding countries, namely that the widespread Israeli custom of consuming treats prepared in oil during the Festival of Lights stems not from a two-thousand-year-old commemoration of a miracle involving a candelabrum in the Holy Temple, but from an ongoing effort to mock the crude-oil-producing states of the region.JCPA: Lebanon’s Economy Is in Tatters, and Financial Aid Is Not Forthcoming without Reform
Bir Zeit University academics published several articles in the institution’s in-house journal Hara this month, with the issue focused on the myriad ways in which Israeli or general Jewish practices or sensibilities represent hateful intolerance of non-Jews in general and of Muslims or Arabs in particular. The occurrence of Hanukkah this month gave rise to a treatment of that holiday’s cultural side, with specific attention to the age-old Jewish custom of eating foods fried in oil in remembrance of a day’s worth of olive oil for the Holy Temple’s menorah that lasted a full eight.
“Whereas various sources attribute the fried food custom to that mythical ancient event,” one article read, “we cannot dismiss the real and painful reality of Zionist usurpation and blasphemy of all things sacred to Muslims. We take as axiomatic that all aspects of Zionist behavior, whether or not shared by non-Zionist, or ‘acceptable’ Jews, have at their roots a toxicity and prejudice that undermines any positive impact those behaviors, or Zionism at large, may produce.”
Lebanon finds itself in economic quicksand. The implications of such a situation on the Lebanese scene are clear: all parties must come to their senses and stop bickering and promoting sectarianism and tribalism. The Lebanese body politic must stabilize the political system, allow structural reforms to be introduced and implemented; self-destruction by corruption must be halted, even though it has been eating away at Lebanon since the beginning of the 21st century.MEMRI: Online Conferences Sponsored By Turkey Call To Consolidate The Turkish Presence In Jerusalem And The Turkish People's "Rights" There, Encourage Jihad Against Israel
Lebanon’s other option could lead to a state of hunger and despair, which could provoke the resurgence of sectarian conflagration and the spiraling into an open civil war between the haves-a-little and the have-nots over basic resources.
In the event of civil disorder, Hizbullah would most likely be the dominant party and strongest militia – enjoying as it does Iranian military and financial support. A more dominating presence of the Iranian Shiite party in the Lebanese political system would go a long way to turning Lebanon into an Islamic Republic, part of the Iranian Empire.
In early November 2020, two online conferences sponsored by Turkey were held on the topic of Jerusalem and Palestine. The conferences were attended by Muslim clerics and politicians, many of them Palestinian and Turkish members of the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) and of Hamas. While stressing the importance of the Palestinians' jihad and armed struggle against Israel, the participants also highlighted Turkey's support for the Palestinian cause and emphasized that the Turkish people, no less than the Palestinians, have a claim to the holy places in Jerusalem.
One conference was held on November 7 by the Forum of Turkish Muslim Scholars for Jerusalem and attended by clerics and politicians from Turkey and the Muslim world. This conference conspicuously highlighted what was described as Turkey's important historic role in Jerusalem and Palestine and the need to enhance its presence there. These points were also stressed in the conference's closing statement, which declared that Palestine is "Ottoman" and that the Turkish people have a "right" in Jerusalem, just like the Palestinians. The statement called to bolster the Turkish presence in Jerusalem in various ways, such as renovating Ottoman waqf property in the city and promoting twin-city and twin-mosque programs. It also condemned the countries that have normalized relations with Israel and expressed hope that Al-Aqsa will soon be purged of their "defiling" presence.
The conference was acknowledged by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who sent a message to its participants stressing his support for the "glorious resistance waged by our Palestinian brothers" and noting that Turkey had served Jerusalem for 400 years. The former head of Hamas's political bureau, Khaled Mash'al, who spoke at the conference, praised Turkey under Erdogan's leadership, calling it a "fundamental partner" of the Palestinians, and congratulated it for regaining the regional status it had held in the days of the Ottoman Caliphate.
Mash'al's remarks and the conference's closing statement clearly seek to legitimize Turkey's growing influence and presence in the region and especially in Jerusalem, in return for Turkey's support for the Palestinian resistance movements, such as Hamas. Turkey's efforts to increase its influence in Jerusalem, which are part of its regional expansion, may also be an attempt to counter the influence of the UAE and Bahrain, whose recent normalization agreement with Israel will enable them to promote various projects in Jerusalem. It should be mentioned that among the conference participants was also Al-Aqsa preacher Ikrima Sabri, who later met with Erdogan in his palace in Ankara; [1] this too may be part of Turkey's efforts to consolidate its presence in Jerusalem.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in A Parade in Baku, Azerbaijan: We Are Two States, But One Nation; We Must Hold Accountable Those Who Violated the Honor of Humanity in the Nagorno-Karabakh War pic.twitter.com/yfIIu8Wfcn
— MEMRI (@MEMRIReports) December 16, 2020
Iranian Majles Member Mahmoud-Ahmadi Bighash Responds to Erdogan’s Azerbaijan Speech
Seth Frantzman: Turkish media vows to take over Tel Aviv, calls opposition ‘terrorists’
Turkey has in the last few weeks sought to use media connections abroad to push narratives about how it wants reconciliation with Israel, even as its own media pushes extremist anti-Israel comments. One commentator, according to T24 Turkish media, said that Turkey could “enter Tel Aviv in 48 hours.” He claimed, “we are not like the Arabs,” an apparent reference to the inability of Arab armies to defeat Israel in 1948 and 1967.Seth Frantzman: Trump administration took 4 years to tire of Turkey’s anti-Americanism
The commentary on Turkish television was not abnormal. Hatred of Israel and vows to destroy Israel, invade Jerusalem, “liberate Al-Aqsa” and spread extreme nationalist, anti-Zionist or antisemitic comments have become increasingly normal in Turkey. Most journalists who are critical of the ruling party in Turkey have been silenced, forced to flee the country or imprisoned. Turkey is considered the largest jailor of journalists in the world under the AK Party.
In March 2018, a Turkish daily also suggested that Turkey should form an Islamist army to destroy Israel. In 2019, according to MEMRI, a retired Turkish general named Adnan Tanriverdi who heads the SADAT consulting firm also spoke about the need to liberate Jerusalem from Israel. “The Islamic world should prepare an army for Palestine from outside Palestine. Israel should know that if it bombs [Palestine] a bomb will fall on Tel Aviv as well."
It appears these views have become mainstream in Turkey’s ruling party. Israel is seen as the main enemy of Turkey. Abroad, Turkey works with a few lobbyists in Washington to try to get media to present the country in a more favorable image and even tries to influence some Israeli media with false stories of “reconciliation.” However, Turkey’s new envoy to Israel has said that Zionism is racism and accused Israel of displacing millions and committing “many massacres.” Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s office has vowed to “liberate Al-Aqsa” and declared that “Jerusalem is ours.”
The US actively worked against itself in Syria. While some at the US State department admired Erdogan as a “great power thinking” and someone who was “moving” into vacuums, a euphemism for ethnic cleansing, the US military was working with partners on the ground. Some in policy circles in the US wanted to defeat the US military and its counter-terrorism approach by using Turkey against the US military in Syria. The idea was to use Turkish-trained Syrian proxies against US-trained Syrian proxies and see who would win, the US State Department and its Turkish friends, or the US military. After several years of this bizarre set-up, the Trump administration and its mini-war between its own envoys and soldiers, is wrapping up its time in office.Austrian man jailed in Iran over alleged Israel spying may have COVID — family
The final days of the administration appear to have ended the appeasement. But much as been lost on the ground. Half a million people have been ethnically-cleansed or forced to flee Turkey’s invasions of northern Syria. Russia and Iran and Turkey have worked against the US in Syria. Turkey wove a myth to US envoys about confronting Iran, when it was working with Iran. Turkey hosted Hamas terrorists and became increasingly hostile to Israel during the last four years. The myth spun by pro-Turkey members of the State Department and policy circles was that Turkey is a bulwark against Iran, when in fact it is not. This Cold War-era reading of the map of the Middle East sacrificed US policy and lives on the ground.
Now in its final dénouement there are some in the US, that cheer the destruction of Armenian villages in Nagorno-Karabakh and want to see Turkey attack Greece as well. They sell this as Turkey being “against Iran,” even though the only people being threatened are Greeks, Armenians, Kurds and also in the long-term Israel. In the name of empowering Turkey to confront Iran everyone except Iran was threatened. Turkey has also become fundamentally a one-party authoritarian state opposed to the US and US interests and values. Much of this empowered by a US administration that was bullied, threatened, misled and intimidated by Ankara. It took four years for the administration to tire of the late night calls from Ankara demanding the US do this or that, while Ankara hosted Iranian and Russian officials and laughed about how it could get the White House to do its bidding.
The daughter of a 74-year-old Austrian citizen imprisoned in Iran has told of her fears for her father’s health after he started displaying coronavirus symptoms.
“He started suffering from fever last Thursday, but he doesn’t get the medical attention he needs, and he was denied a Covid test,” Fanak Mani, daughter of Massud Mossaheb, told AFP Tuesday of her father’s treatment in Tehran’s notorious Evin prison.
Mossaheb was detained while traveling in Iran with a delegation from an Austrian research center in January 2019 and in August it was announced that he had been jailed for 10 years on charges of spying for Israel and Germany.
“Every time we speak to him we are afraid it’s the last time — he’s 74 and a very sick man, so he might not survive this,” Mani told AFP Tuesday, a day after her latest call to her father.
Mossaheb had already been suffering from a series of health complaints, including severe heart problems and diabetes.
When US officials talk this way about the region, about being against their own military at Pentagon...about admiring the "great" authoritarian leaders abroad...and seeing civilians in Kashmir/Nagorna as just some geopolitical tool...fear them:https://t.co/mOqNV6OxvC pic.twitter.com/23XunB66mk
— Seth Frantzman (@sfrantzman) December 16, 2020
How Biden and Europe Can Confront Iran
There is broad international agreement that Iran poses a grave threat to regional and global security. This is unfortunately where the consensus ends. The U.S. and its European and Middle Eastern allies have been bitterly divided over how to contain Tehran's nuclear and regional aggression. The incoming Biden administration now has a unique chance to finally build a domestically and internationally united front against the Islamic Republic. It ought to seize it.'Biden will be forced to rejoin the JCPOA,' Iranian FM says
When President Obama negotiated the Iran nuclear deal—known as the JCPOA—he had Europe on his side, but not the countries most directly threatened by Tehran, especially Israel and the Sunni Gulf states. He also failed to convince a majority in the U.S. Congress.
When President Trump withdrew from the JCPOA and reinstated sanctions against the world's number one state sponsor of terrorism, he won applause from America's allies in the region, but received harsh criticism from both European partners and Democrats in Congress.
Now the stars are aligning. Having criticized the U.S.'s withdrawal from the deal for the past two years, the German government suddenly toughened its message following the recent U.S. election. Asked about the incoming administration's plans to re-enter the deal, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told Der Spiegel on December 4: "A return to the previous agreement will not suffice anyway. There will have to be a kind of 'nuclear agreement plus.' ...We have clear expectations of Iran: no nuclear weapons, but also no ballistic missile program that threatens the entire region. Iran also needs to play a different role in the region. We need this agreement precisely because we distrust Iran. I have already coordinated with my French and British counterparts on this."
The following day, German State Secretary Miguel Berger even threatened sanctions to counter Iran's aggression and ballistic missile program.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Zarif said last week that by exiting the nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action in 2018, the United States gave up its rights but not its obligations.State Department designates Iranian-backed Bahraini militia
In an interview with Iranian journalist Mehdi Nasiri posted to the Arman Media YouTube channel on Dec. 9, Zarif said, "America is still obligated to lift its sanctions and to refrain from creating obstacles because it has remained a member of the United Nations since leaving the JCPOA."
"Of course," he added, "it had the option to leave [the United Nations], like it left UNESCO [the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and other organizations. Allah willing, it will also leave planet Earth."
Because of this, he continued, US President-elect Joe Biden's administration would be "obligated" to rejoin the JCPOA "unless it chooses to break the law and mounts an insurgency."
He explained that Western powers had tried to include Iran's missile program and its regional activity in the JCPOA but had failed. Hence, he said, they did not have the option to demand the inclusion of these issues now.
The US State Department has added the Bahraini Shia militia Saraya al Mokhtar to the US government’s list of designated terrorist organizations. Saraya al Mokhtar is one of many Iranian-backed groups operating within the island kingdom.
In its designation, State noted that Saraya al Mokhtar “is an Iran-backed terrorist organization based in Bahrain, reportedly receiving financial and logistic support from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps [IRGC].”
Saraya al Mokhtar has been open about its ties to the IRGC and its vast international network in the past. For instance, it has had a significant relationship with the Iranian-backed Kata’ib Imam Ali in Iraq. Kata’ib Imam Ali is led by Shibl al Zaydi, who was designated as a terrorist by the United States in 2018 for his ties to the IRGC.
Following his death in 2015, Saraya al Mokhtar noted its ties to Ala’ Hilel, a commander within Kata’ib Imam Ali. At the ceremony for the one year anniversary of Hilel’s death, supporters spoke of how Hilel helped train a contingent of Saraya al Mokhtar fighters who went to Iraq.
Saraya al Mokhtar’s former flag was periodically seen flying inside Iraq by members of Kata’ib Imam Ali. While in 2016, Saraya al Mokhtar openly boasted about its representatives visiting Kata’ib Imam Ali sites inside Iraq.
That year, it also spoke highly of Saraya al Khorasani, another IRGC-backed militia inside Iraq.
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