Tuesday, August 10, 2021

08/10 Links Pt1: Hope and Optimism: A Reflection on the Abraham Accords Anniversary; 20th Anniversary of Sbarro Terror Attacks Commemorated, Along With Demands for Extradition of Mastermind From Jordan

From Ian:

Arsen Ostrovsky: Hope and Optimism: A Reflection on the Abraham Accords Anniversary
These are truly historic times, bringing a paradigm shift in the Middle East and the Jewish state's acceptance in the region. Gone are the days of the infamous "3 Nos" of Khartoum, instead replaced with "3 Yeses"—yes to peace, yes to negotiations and yes to recognition.

There is a tremendous, palpable sense of excitement and optimism not only amongst Israelis, who yearn for peace and normalization with our Arab neighbors, but also amongst our newfound friends from the Gulf. The feeling is reciprocal.

One would imagine that, after not having formal diplomatic relations for decades, these countries would proceed to embrace each other at a steady, incremental pace. But that couldn't have been more wrong. Instead, they have moved with remarkable speed. From direct flights and the opening of embassies to the signing of new agreements, bilateral trade and cooperation on COVID-19 responses, health and education, the sky is truly the limit.

In May of this year, I found myself rushing to the bomb shelter in Tel Aviv with my family after a wave of rocket attacks from Hamas in Gaza. The first people to message me to ask "are you ok?" were my friends from the UAE. This would have been unthinkable barely a year ago, but moved me so deeply beyond words.

As the first anniversary of the Abraham Accords approaches next week, I have never been more hopeful, inspired or optimistic about the future of Israel's relations with the Arab world. This is a real friendship based on shared values and a mutual commitment to create more prosperous, peaceful and tolerant societies, both today and for future generations.

Peace is very much like a flower. Politicians and diplomats plant the seeds of peace, but ultimately, civil society, young leaders, educators and the business community are the ones who allow it to grow. That is what differentiates the Abraham Accords from past agreements—this peace is being led not by the politicians, but by the people on the ground.
Israel-Morocco Ties Deepen as Lapid Prepares for Rabat Trip
In the wake of the signing of the Abraham Accords last year, Israel’s renewed diplomatic relationship with Morocco appears to be bearing fruit, as a raft of cooperation agreements between the two countries are reportedly in the pipeline.

In July, Israel and Morocco signed a cybersecurity cooperation agreement, which was the first time the two countries had reached a deal on anything since the renewal of ties, according to Israeli outlet Globes.

The foundations for that signing were laid after Foreign Affairs Ministry director-general Alon Ushpiz’s recent trip, which mapped out the required steps to promote economic and trade cooperation.

Economy Minister Orna Barbivay is also expected to visit Morocco in the coming weeks at the head of a delegation of businesspeople and industrialists, reported Globes.

The cybersecurity deal is not thought to relate to the recent furor over Morocco’s alleged use of Israeli company NSO’s Pegasus spyware, in which the government supposedly spied on political opponents and surveilled one of French President Emmanuel Macron’s cell phones.

Despite Israel and Morocco signing last years’ accord, Prime Minister Saad-Eddine El Othmani, head of the Islamic Justice and Development Party and a supporter of the Palestinian cause, said that he would not be meeting with Foreign Minister Yair Lapid during his visit to Morocco.
20th Anniversary of Sbarro Terror Attacks Commemorated, Along With Demands for Extradition of Mastermind From Jordan
Jewish groups and Israeli and US officials marked the 20th anniversary on Monday of the infamous Palestinian terrorist bombing of the popular Sbarro pizza eatery in Jerusalem, with some calling on the US to demand extradition of one of its masterminds to face charges for the deaths of Americans killed in the attack.

The Hamas-orchestrated bombing, which took place in 2001 at the height of the Second Intifada, killed 15 innocent people and wounded over a hundred.

The World Jewish Congress marked the occasion with a video featuring testimonies from the survivors and a tribute to the victims.

Several commentators pointed out that one of the masterminds of the bombing, Ahlam Tamimi, remains at large under Jordanian protection, even though she is under indictment in the US on terror charges.

Arnold Roth, whose daughter Malki was among those murdered by Tamimi, tweeted a video from 2017 on the unsealing of Tamimi’s indictment, saying, “The tweet below is from March 14 2017, four years to the day that US terror charges against the @Sbarro bomber were finally unsealed.”

“Please honor the Sbarro victims today on the massacre’s 20th anniversary by viewing the clip,” he said. “Please help us get justice done.”




US pressuring Israel to open consulate for Palestinians in Jerusalem
The Biden administration is working behind the scenes to persuade Israel to reopen the United States' Jerusalem consulate for the Palestinians. It is believed that the matter will be raised during a meeting between Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and US President Joe Biden planned to take place in late August. Both sides, however, were interested in downplaying their disagreements on the issue.

Israel Hayom has learned that administration officials have worked to delay a bill proposed by MK Nir Barkat (Likud), which if passed into law would essentially prevent the move from materializing.

The legislation proposed by Barkat, a former mayor of Jerusalem, would ban any country from establishing a diplomatic mission in Jerusalem that is not a mission to Israel. The bill further specifies that any mission established to provide consular services specifically to Jerusalem residents will require special permission from the Israeli government.

The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961, meanwhile, which defines a framework for diplomatic relations between independent countries, stipulates that the "guest state [in the case the US] may not, without the prior express consent of the receiving State [Israel], establish offices forming part of the mission in localities other than those in which the mission itself is established."

Barkat, who in July met with several Republican and Democratic congressmen and senators in Washington to explain the dangers of such a move, told Israel Hayom: "The act of establishing a Palestinian consulate in Jerusalem means recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine. The administration's consent on this matter is disastrous. I intend to aggressively fight this dangerous decision. It is a red line that cannot be crossed. Jerusalem will remain the capital of unified Jerusalem for all eternity."

As reported by Israel Hayom in late July, the Biden administration wants the current Israeli coalition to remain intact and, as a result, isn't likely to challenge it or pose firm demands, such as reopening a Palestinian consulate in Jerusalem, until it passes the national budget in the Knesset.
CIA director visit aims to strengthen PA, Palestinian official says
The Palestinian Authority welcomes the decision of the Biden administration to dispatch CIA director William Burns to Israel and the West Bank, a Palestinian official in Ramallah told The Jerusalem Post.

“The visit shows that the Biden administration is serious about restoring Washington’s relations with the Palestinians and strengthening the Palestinian leadership under President Mahmoud Abbas,” the official said.

“The Biden administration’s policy toward the Palestinians is very good,” the official added, noting that Burns was expected to meet in Ramallah with Abbas and Majed Faraj, head of the PA General Intelligence Service.

Faraj and senior Palestinian official Hussein al-Sheikh, head of the General Authority of Civil Affairs, are seen by many Palestinians as the de facto rulers of the PA. The two are said to have huge influence on the 85-year-old Abbas.

The official told the Post that the Palestinians are “very satisfied” with the Biden administration’s policy of “strengthening” the PA.

“The Palestinian Authority is facing a sharp financial crisis and we need urgent aid,” he said. “Failure to support the Palestinian Authority means that Hamas will come to power in the West Bank.”

An unconfirmed report in the Arab media outlet Arabi 21 claimed that the PA, Israel and the Biden administration recently reached a “secret agreement” that allows the US to increase its intervention in the internal affairs of the Palestinians.
Leftist Democrats target Jerusalem
The Democratic Party left won’t relent in their anti-Israel bigotry. Seven radical Democrats recently demanded Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen revoke the tax-exempt status of American charities that support Israeli communities in Judea, Samaria, and East Jerusalem.

In a letter overflowing with misinformation, Reps. Cori Bush, Andre Carson, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, André Carson, Betty McCollum, Mark Pocan, Ayanna Pressley, and Rashida Tlaib expressed their “extreme concern that US charities are funding and providing direct support to Israeli organizations that are working to expand and perpetuate Israel’s illegal settlement enterprise in violation of international law, including supporting the dispossession and forced displacement of Palestinians from occupied East Jerusalem neighborhoods.”

The vicious screed focused on the Central Fund of Israel, a nonprofit that funds hundreds of important projects in Israel that help the world. CFI Director Jay Marcus called the effort “outrageous and pure Antisemitism” and “their goal is clearly not just to shut down the Central Fund, but all organizations that we fund.”

The left-wing bigots also called on Yellen, who is Jewish, to institute draconian policies toward the nonprofit status of charities that donate to Israeli causes in Judea, Samaria, and Jerusalem.

“The ‘dispossession’ of which Ocasio-Cortez and Tlaib write in their letter does not exist. Israeli settlements have been built either on state or wasteland or on land that Jewish organizations and individuals have bought from Palestinian Arabs. ” Hugh Fitzgerald wrote at Jihad Watch, no Arabs were dispossessed of land to which they hold clear title,”

Fitzgerald added, “Tlaib and Ocasio-Cortez will continue to repeat their claims about “occupied territory” and an “illegal settlement enterprise” and “violations of international law” no matter how often they are corrected. And we can only sweep back the tide of their falsehood by referring to the provisions of the Mandate for Palestine, which support the “settlement enterprise” that they claim is illegal. They will keep lying, and others, including you and me, will keep insisting on the truth. There is no end to this.”
PreOccupiedTerritory: International Community Insists They Definitely Would Have Tsked Loudly If Arabs Had Genocided Jews In ’48 (satire)
Representatives of global organizations and of nations touting themselves as defenders of the global order fired back today at Israeli and Jewish advocates, arguing that, contrary to the latter’s claim that those groups would have stood by and done nothing as Jews suffered another extermination attempt, they would in fact have clucked noticeably and perhaps even shaken their heads.

British, French, Russian, and other diplomats, as well as leaders of organizations such as Human Rights Watch and various United Nations agencies, sought to deflect criticism from their governments and institutions Tuesday by arguing that, contrary to the accusations of Zionists, the Jews of 1948 should not have tried to defend themselves as they did against five invading armies plus numerous local Arab irregulars, and should have relied on the international community to police the situation with voluble iterations of “tsk,” instead of taking matters into their own hands and getting involved in a fight that resulted in the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Arabs from their pre-Israel homes.

“It is inaccurate, bordering on slanderous, to accuse Britain of indifference toward the potential slaughter of hundreds of thousands of Jews,” intoned UK Minister of Foreign Affairs Dominic Raab. “My predecessor Anthony Eden would most certainly, in the case of a genocide by the Arabs of the land’s Jewish population, as was their leadership’s declared intent, have issued an uncompromising sigh of acceptance, and perhaps even an outright utterance of, ‘terrible, just terrible.'”
US House Speaker Pelosi Calls on Polish Counterpart to ‘Use Every Possible Tool’ to Block New Law Closing Off Holocaust Restitution Claims
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has urged her Polish counterpart to block legislation that would effectively cut off the property restitution claims of survivors of the Nazi Holocaust.

In a letter sent on Friday to Elzbieta Witek, the Speaker of Poland’s parliament, the Sejm, Pelosi expressed her “strong concern” at the legislation, which passed through the Sejm’s upper house in July. It is scheduled for debate again in the lower house on Wednesday, after which, if successful, it will be sent on to President Andrzej Duda for his signature.

“Holocaust survivors, and other rightful owners, who fled Poland to escape antisemitism or Communist rule have waited for decades for justice resulting from the confiscation or nationalization of their property by the Communist government,” Pelosi wrote.

“I hope you will use every possible tool to ensure that this bill is not enacted into law and that no new barriers are imposed for Holocaust survivors and others seeking to recover their property or to receive just compensation,” the House Speaker added.

Other US lawmakers and official representatives have also voiced objections to the Polish legislation, which amends the country’s Code of Administrative Procedure.

Last month, the State Department’s special envoy for Holocaust issues, Cherrie Daniels, warned that the legislation would “cause irreparable harm to both Jews and non-Jews by effectively extinguishing claims for restitution and compensation of property taken during the Holocaust that was subsequently nationalized during the communist period.”

That followed a July 20 letter from a bipartisan group of US Senators urging President Duda to “press for the withdrawal of this bill from the Polish Senate, but, if the bill is passed, veto it.”


Amid relative calm, Sderot still struggles with the scars of Gaza’s rocket fire
Just three months after the latest war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the border town of Sderot appears to be on the road to recovery.

The streets are bustling, and the town is filled with well-kept parks and playgrounds. The local real estate market is booming.

But underneath the veneer of normalcy, the scars of years of rocket fire run deep.

Metal rocket fragments are on display outside the main police station, as a museum of sorts. Next to every park and bus stop is a small concrete bomb shelter — often decked out with colorful murals and street art. An Iron Dome rocket defense battery sits on the eastern edge of town, a few hundred meters (yards) from a new apartment complex.

Some Sderot residents say they jump at the smallest noise. Parents report children still wetting their beds or being too scared to sleep alone.

Noam Biton says she has enjoyed a normal childhood in Sderot. But the 16-year-old high school student says it hasn’t always been easy. One of her strongest memories was an air-raid siren that sounded while she was attending a bar mitzvah celebration on what had been a quiet day.

“We lay on the ground, three of us,” she said. “The only thing protecting us was a car.” The rocket landed nearby, spraying shrapnel in the area.

Outgoing and active in her local scout troop, Biton says she is always careful to sit next to the door when she rides the bus — just in case there is an air-raid siren and she needs to evacuate quickly.

Her mother Dvora, a lifelong resident, says uncertainty is a constant companion. “It saddens you that at any moment someone controls your life,” she said. “We can’t escape.”
Birthright cancels 42 remaining Israel tours of summer season
Birthright has canceled 42 trips to Israel due to the tightening of COVID-19 quarantine restrictions for travelers entering the country, making the 10-day tours impossible.

The canceled trips were scheduled to start arriving on August 11, the date on which the seven-day quarantine requirement for travelers entering Israel from the US goes into effect.

As a result, there would be no more trips during the summer season, Birthright said. Groups will not be coming in September due to the High Holy Days, while no decision has yet been made regarding tours scheduled for October.

“We anticipate that the seven-day quarantine rule will be temporary, and we look forward to resuming trips as soon as possible,” Birthright said in a press release. “Since the resumption of Birthright Israel trips in May 2021, we accommodated thousands of participants on an extremely safe and meaningful experience.”

In total, 3,900 participants have taken part in Birthright tours since the trips were resumed this May following tight government restrictions on foreign nationals entering the country.
Ukraine to Allow Jewish Worshipers Into Uman for Rosh Hashanah
Ukraine’s deputy health minister, Dr. Ihor Kuzin, said on Monday that his country would work to ease restrictions on the annual Rosh Hashanah pilgrimage to the grave of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov in the city of Uman, Russian news agency Interfax reported.

According to Kuzin, a special directive allowing religious pilgrims to enter the country under certain pandemic-related restrictions has been approved and will also apply to Chassidic Jews visiting Uman.

“The directive consists of basic steps for the prevention of pandemics, such as the requirement to wear protective masks, checking body temperature, and oversight of the public transportation used by pilgrims. Additionally, border crossing protocols are well-defined now and the instructions are clear and unequivocal,” said Kuzin.

Informational pamphlets were ready for distribution at the country’s airports and volunteers from Ukraine and Israel have been recruited to facilitate expeditious testing of Chassidic visitors, he added.


MEMRI: Palestinian Politicians, Journalists Slam Fatah: It Has Transformed From A Liberation Movement Into A Militia Suppressing All Legitimate Criticism Of Palestinian Authority
The recent weeks have seen ongoing protests in the West Bank against the Palestinian Authority (PA) over the killing of opposition activist Nizar Banat by the PA's security apparatuses.[1] The PA has faced intense criticism, both for the killing of the activist and for the harsh suppression of the public protests that erupted in its wake, measures which were in flagrant violation of freedom of expression and of the press.[2] The protests also expressed the intense dissatisfaction of the Palestinian public over systemic problems afflicting the PA, such as the absence of democracy and the rampant corruption, especially in light of Palestinian President Mahmoud 'Abbas' April 2021 decision to once again postpone the PA elections until further notice.

In response to these protests, the PA's ruling party, Fatah, organized counter-demonstrations with the support of the PA leadership, which overlaps with Farah's leadership. Fatah members called to oppose what they called "a coup attempt led by Hamas," especially after some of the anti-PA protesters began calling to overthrow the PA regime. Fatah officials also threatened the opposition. For example, the movement's deputy chairman, Mahmoud Al-'Aloul, said at a Ramallah rally: "Don't provoke Fatah, for we will not show mercy to anyone,"[3] and Fatah Central Committee member Jibril Rajoub warned all those who had called to overthrow the PA "not to put Fatah to the test." [4] In addition, Fatah spokespeople largely ignored the protesters' main demands, for a fair investigation into Nizar Banat's death and for democratic reforms in the PA, and Fatah activists even participated in the security apparatuses' brutal suppression of the anti-PA protests and in beating up protesters.

Against this backdrop, the Palestinian press published articles expressing sharp criticism of Fatah's handling of the Nizar Banat affair and condemning the movement's officials. The articles came out against the blurring of the boundaries between Fatah and the PA, a phenomenon that gained momentum due to the long period without elections to the PA institutions. During this period the Fatah ruling party became synonymous with the PA itself, used the PA's security apparatuses to consolidate its control, and started to treat any criticism of the PA as a threat that must be forcefully suppressed.

The authors of the articles, including renowned intellectuals and current and former politicians, expressed sorrow that Fatah, originally founded as a national liberation movement, has over the years departed from the program of liberation and from its national goals, and transformed into a ruling party and even an armed apparatus of the regime, whose members blindly defend the PA and its institutions, even against legitimate criticism. The authors stressed the need to draw a distinction between Fatah, a political movement, and the PA, and the need to hold democratic elections to the PA institutions. They also emphasized that Fatah must examine itself and resume its original goals, namely the struggle against the occupation, not against fellow Palestinians.


PMW: Palestinian heroes: Murderers of mother and her 2 young children; suicide bomber who murdered 30
Murderers of the past continue to be hailed as “heroes” in today’s Palestinian Authority.

One of the most lethal terror attacks in Israel's history was when Palestinian terrorist Abd Al-Basset Odeh carried out a suicide bombing at a Passover dinner at the Park Hotel in Netanya on March 27, 2002. 30 Israeli civilians were murdered and 140 were wounded.

This attack, which happened at the height of the 5-year PA terror campaign – the second Intifada – is still being celebrated today in the PA as a landmark event, undertaken by a true “hero.” Still today, almost 20 years later, while praising the terrorists of the Jenin refugee camp who “wrote a heroic epic in blood” during the PA terror campaign, the official PA daily also singled out for praise suicide bomber Odeh from Tulkarem in the West Bank:
“Each year in April the blood of the Martyrs sprouts flowers. All the words are silenced, but not the memories of the refugee camp whose residents wrote a heroic epic in blood… The location: The Jenin refugee camp in the northern West Bank. The time: The beginning of April 2002. The heroes of the story are hundreds of resistance members and all the residents of the refugee camp who stand firm… They tell the story of the blood that flowed in the alleys of the camp, which wrote an epic of resolve. Despite the siege, it achieved a great victory… After Martyrdom-seeker Abd Al-Basset Odeh (i.e., suicide bomber, murdered 30) from Tulkarem in the northwest of the occupied West Bank carried out a self-sacrificing operation (i.e., suicide bombing) on March 27, 2002, in which 30 Israelis were killed at the Park Hotel in occupied Umm Khaled – which the occupation changed its name to ‘Netanya.’”

[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, April 5, 2021]

Similarly Abbas’ Fatah Movement recently celebrated another lethal terror attack, which took place decades before the Park Hotel bombing. On June 25, 1974, three Palestinian terrorists broke into an apartment building in Nahariya, where they murdered 30-year-old Irena Zarankin, her 10-year-old daughter Ronit, and her 5-year-old son Gilad. Zarankin’s husband Mordechai had made a rope out of sheets for them to escape out the window and blockaded the door, but one of the terrorists was waiting below and shot Irena and the children as they climbed down; Mordechai survived the attack.
Saudi Arabia Acts Against Hamas Terrorism
Saudi Arabia’s complete disregard for Hamas’ requests to release its detained operatives in their prisons testifies to its cooperation with the United States and Israel on the issue of fighting terrorism. Saudi Arabia needs the help of both countries to protect itself from the dangers of Iran and does not want to assist the Hamas movement, which is an ally of the Ayatollah regime in Tehran.

On September 10, 2019, the United States took a further step and imposed sanctions on senior Hamas figures and institutions abroad that dealt with money transfers to the organization in the Gaza Strip, including Marwan Mahdi Salah Al-Rawi, owner of Redin Exchange in Turkey, his deputy Ismael Tash, and his company, SMART, for imports and exports in Istanbul.

Effort to Obtain Clemency
Hamas is now trying to act in the Arab and Islamic world to pressure the Saudi royal court to grant clemency to dozens of its operatives who are imprisoned.

The mission was assigned to Hamas leader Khaled Mashal, who has good relations with the Gulf States and is not considered close to Iran.

The first move will be an effort by Hamas to release Muhammad al- Khoudary, who, Hamas officials claim, has cancer.

Khoudary also has Kuwaiti citizenship and previously worked as the chief executive of Kuwait’s military hospital and held the rank of colonel in the Kuwaiti army.

Hamas sources claim that Mohammed al- Khoudary collected donations for the Hamas movement in Saudi Arabia with the knowledge of the Saudi authorities and did not act against the Saudi royal house.

They said al-Khoudary’s arrest was intended to improve the image of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who the Biden administration blamed for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and to portray bin Salman as fighting terrorism.


Khaled Abu Toameh: Arabs Celebrate Downfall of Tunisia's Islamists
Tunisia is the third Arab country after Egypt and Sudan to say that it is fed up with the rule of the Islamists. With the exception of Qatar, most of the Arab countries have long regarded the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist groups as a major threat to security, stability and peace.

The Palestinians... seem to be the only Arabs who continue to believe in the Muslim Brotherhood and its affiliates, particularly Hamas, the terrorist group that has been ruling the Gaza Strip since July 2007.

Sawsan Al-Sha'er, one of Bahrain's most influential journalists and intellectuals, expressed relief over the ouster of the Islamists of Tunisia and said that this should serve as a reminder to all Arabs that Islamist parties – Shiite and Sunni alike – care about nothing else but reaching power.

"The Arabs have discovered that these parties do not have a ... development program, or a future vision; the only project they have is to reach a position of decision-making and seize power. The religious parties do not recognize sovereign borders, the state's constitution, laws, and regulations. In all the Arab countries in which these parties have reached decision-making positions, they bypassed all constitutional and political frameworks, and they do not see anything wrong with that...." — Sawsan Al-Sha'er, Al-Ain, August 1, 2021.

According to Al-Sha'er, the Islamists want to... make them subject to foreign powers, especially Iran.

"What happened in Tunisia is similar to what happened in Egypt in 2013, when the Egyptian people rose up against the rule of the Muslim Brotherhood and overthrew them after discovering their subversive project, confirming once again the failure of the Islamists in managing the affairs of the state.... it confirms that the Arabs can no longer tolerate this group and its policies." — Amal Abdullah Al-Haddabi, Al-Ain, August 3, 2021.

Al-Haddabi pointed out that during the past decade, successive Tunisian governments that were dominated by the Islamists failed to score any achievements for the people.

Another reason the Tunisian Islamists failed, was because they "failed to believe in democracy in its true meaning, including freedom of the media, the independence of the judiciary and economic and social rights." — Abdel Aziz Khamis Khamis, Saudi journalist, Sky News Arabia, August 2, 2021.

The jubilation in the Arab countries over the toppling of the Ennahdah Party sends a clear message to the rest of the world against embracing or appeasing the Islamists. Sadly, this is a message that continues to be ignored by the many Palestinians and leaders in the West who continue to support Hamas and other Iranian-backed Islamist groups that seek to eliminate Israel and keep the Palestinians mired in misery.
MEMRI: Lebanese Journalist: Without A U.S.–Iranian Understanding, The Crisis There Will Only Grow Worse
In an article in the Al-Quds Al-Arabi daily, Gilbert Achcar, a Lebanese journalist and a professor of international relations at SOAS University of London, wrote that, while the Olympics are happening in Tokyo, Lebanon is scoring up negative records in terms of its economic situation. Lebanon, he said, is just another theatre of the struggle between the U.S. and Iran, and as long as these two countries do not reach an understanding, the crisis there will only grow deeper. He added that the wealthy businessmen of Lebanon's ruling elite earn their capital outside the country, and therefore are hardly interested in extricating it from the economic crisis it is experiencing.

The following are translated excerpts from his article:[1]
"As the Olympic games take place in Tokyo, Lebanon has unfortunately won the gold and the bronze in two categories that nobody wants his country to [even] compete in. It won the gold for the explosion that occurred in it exactly one year ago, which is the greatest non-nuclear explosion of the 21st century… and the sixth greatest non-nuclear explosion in history. It won bronze for experiencing the third worst economic crisis to occur in the world since the advent of the capitalist economic model in the mid-19th century. This is according to the latest report of the World Bank's 'Lebanon Economic Monitor.'[2]

"These two records are actually closely linked to another achievement, which is difficult to measure, but Lebanon is [surely] a serious contender for the gold in this category as well, [namely] the indifference of the 'officials' to the suffering of the people. History has seldom seen a ruling elite like the one that controls Lebanon's fate, which insists on wasting time in Sisyphean efforts while the country is sinking and its people are groaning. This is closely related to the socio-economic status of Lebanon's ruling elite, for there is hardly a single key figure among them who relies on the local economy and is therefore truly interested in extricating the country from its crisis. This is true not only of the political forces that are officially funded from abroad, such as Hizbullah, but also of [various] 'businesspeople' – for a unique feature of Lebanon is that its greatest tycoons do not regard it as an [ordinary] economic arena, but, at best, as an economic hub which, thanks to the jungle laws that control it, allow [them] to avoid tax restrictions that could be imposed on them in other [economic] hubs.

"Looking at the wealthiest tycoons in Lebanese politics, we find that the richest of them is the designated prime minister, Najib Mikati. He is a senior partner in the Arabian Construction Company, one of the biggest contractors in the Arab world, which operates globally…Another wealthy businessman in Lebanese politics is of course Sa'd Al-Hariri. He entered politics following the death of his father on behalf of his family, which appointed him to this task while ensuring his share in the family fortune.

"Lebanon's current ruling elite is bereft of roots in the homeland, and is permanently sponsored by foreign [forces] which share their influence over it. The latest of these sponsors are the U.S. and Iran. The American sponsorship was behind the Saudi sponsorship [of Lebanon] after the Taif Agreement (of 1989, which put an end to the civil war in the country), until three years ago, when Saudi Arabia decided to renounce any responsibility for what is happening in Lebanon. The Iranian sponsorship was behind the Syrian sponsorship [of Lebanon] until [Iran] replaced Syria, after the latter itself fell under the sponsorship of Tehran due to the war and uprising that broke out in it a decade ago.
The Tyranny of Low Expectations
Alongside these environmental, health and economic disasters, Iran remains a country where human rights violations are the norm rather than the exception. Such stories rarely command attention in Western media, even the attempted kidnapping of an Iranian national from New York City was a fleeting story. Few journalists even noted the continued detention of the executed champion wrestler Navid Afkari's brothers by the regime. Still, the situation is dire and worsening. In recent weeks, we have seen the arrest of Fatemeh Sepehri, a female dissident and mass arrests of the grieving mothers of protesters who were killed by government forces. And yet this is just the tip of the iceberg. This is happening against a backdrop of ongoing oppression including the ruthless repression of dissidents, the repression and imprisonment of Baha'is, Christians and religious minorities alongside disproportionate executions of ethnic minorities.

The circumstances inherited by Raisi are so dire that, in his first 100 days, he is bound to have some successes, or at least present a path to progress. Analysts anticipate that Raisi may attempt to tap into trade with Russia and China as a dual strategy to stimulate the economy. However negligible, even the pretense of progress likely will be touted by hardliners as success and used to gain leverage against the West's interest in re-entering a nuclear agreement.

Considering the grim situation and knowing Raisi's reprehensible human rights record, it seems reasonable to anticipate that we will see an escalation of violence against civilians and dissidents. Like other autocrats, Raisi likely will use fear as a tool for suppression. And yet, in Raisi's case, he actually may stand down in his earliest days on the job, employing a kind of reverse psychology; any act of moderation and mercy on his part cynically could allow him and his hardliners to position their policies as a new brand of "compassionate conservatism."

The U.S. and other Western powers should not be duped. The international community should remain vigilant, and even in the absence of viable alternatives, hold Iranian leaders accountable for their actions rather than be impressed by empty gestures or meaningless maneuvers. Keeping up the pressure on the regime not only is a statement of principle about the U.S.' interests and values in the region, it also can inspire hope for the people of Iran who for decades have suffered from the tyranny of low expectations. Let it end now.
Biden’s Iran Nuclear Deal Ambitions Shrink as Tensions Flare
Working in the U.S.’s favor: The stiff sanctions regime that was reimposed under Trump has brought unprecedented pressure on Iran’s leaders as it keeps their nation’s economy in a straitjacket. Iran’s exports of crude and condensate have fallen from a high of more than 3 million barrels a day in October 2016 to 150,000 barrels a day currently, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Yet Iran endures its constrained circumstances under the anti-American bravado of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

“It’s not a replacement for real sanctions relief, and they would be making a very significant miscalculation to think things are just fine,” Henry Rome, a senior analyst at Eurasia Group, said of Iran’s leaders. “I’m not at the panic stage some others are getting closer to. The goal is still full compliance for full compliance.”

Groups that supported Trump’s decision to quit the Iran deal -- including the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and Republican Senators Ted Cruz and Tom Cotton -- have made clear that they would press a future Republican president to reimpose any sanctions that Biden agreed to lift.

That was precisely the strategy of those in the Trump administration who sought to complicate any return to the deal they renounced, in part by loading on a raft of sanctions -- billed as responding to human rights abuses and the funding of terrorists -- that would be politically difficult to remove and popular to reimpose.

Now Iran is demanding relief from all sanctions and a U.S. promise, which Biden can’t make, that his successor won’t reimpose them.

Yet despite rising tensions and tough talk, some diplomats and analysts say Iran may still provide an opening for a deal.

“The door for diplomacy and dialogue remains open,” Barbara Woodward, the U.K.’s ambassador to the United Nations, told reporters even as she condemned Iran for the tanker attack.

“If both Washington and Tehran stick with ‘the ball is in the other side’s court’ approach, it’s hard to imagine making any progress,” said Suzanne Dimaggio, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. “Restoring the deal before the escalatory trend we’re on becomes entrenched is in both countries’ interests.”


MEMRI: Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Presents His Misgivings About Negotiations With The U.S. In Public Addresses Over The Years, Claims Rafsanjani Admitted He Was Right; The Americans Cannot Be Trusted – They Are Liars, Violators Of Promises
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei posted a video compilation comprised of various occasions where he expressed his reservations regarding negotiations with the U.S. in recent years. The video was posted on Khamenei's official website Khamenei.ir on August 1, 2021, which spans a time period from April 2012 to as recent as his last meeting with the 12th government on July 28, 2021. In the Video Khamenei is heard saying that the Americans cannot be trusted, and that they are liars and violators of promises. He said that the Iranians should not be deceived by the American's smiles and should not trust them, "because once they get what they want, they will make a mockery out of you." On another occasion, Khamenei said that the Americans make promises, and they use sweet-talk but what they really want to do "is to conspire, sabotage, and prevent progress." Khamenei also said that former President Hashemi Rafsanjani had voiced a dissenting opinion regarding relations with the U.S., however he then admitted that Khamenei was right, and he had no arguments to counter Khamenei. In the most recent speech from July 28, 2021, Khamenei concluded that the term of the previous president, Rouhani, proved that the Americans cannot be relied on.

July 2, 2016: "Why Do I Insist So Much That There Must Be No Contact With The U.S.? [The] Reason Was Confirmed... Even By The Statesmen Who Support Relations With America"

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, July 28, 2021: "Others should use your experience. I had an experience of which I took special note. I have often talked about this with you and with the public, and I shall reiterate it now."

Khamenei, July 2, 2016: "Why do I insist so much that there must be no contact with the U.S.? This is true even for negotiations, with the exception of specific subjects that stem from our interests."

Khamenei, November 3, 2013: "I said at the beginning of the [Persian] year, in my speech in the sacred [city of] Mashhad, that there is no problem to conduct negotiations on specific subjects, but I said that I did not trust the Americans and that I was not optimistic about negotiations with them. However, if they want to conduct negotiations, they can go and do that."

Khamenei, July 2, 2016: "What is the reason for this? After all, there is a reason. This reason was confirmed in certain places even by the statesmen who support relations with America. At one point, one of [our former] presidents discussed this with me in different forums. Then he said in the National Security Council that so-and-so [Khamenei] has arguments to which I have no answer."
Biden Nominee Claims Iran Not Pursuing Nuclear Weapons, Contrary to Evidence
Joe Biden’s pick to counter nuclear weapons proliferation claimed Iran does not intend to develop nuclear weapons, countering the plans of the Islamic Republic's radical clerical leaders and the latest intelligence from the government of Israel.

Biden last week nominated Corey Hinderstein for assistant secretary for defense nuclear proliferation at the Department of Energy, a vital position in curbing the spread of nuclear weapons to hostile countries. Hinderstein has asserted that the country is not actively pursuing nuclear weapons, even as evidence mounts to the contrary.

Hinderstein said all steps involved in Iran's nuclear development including enriching uranium levels and building up centrifuge facilities are "reversible" in an April interview, though Israeli intelligence warns Iran is just two years away from the ability to build a nuclear weapon. Hinderstein offered a similar claim in January 2020, well after the International Atomic Energy Agency found Iranian scientists engaging in covert nuclear work. "I see no indication that Iran is rushing toward a nuclear weapon," Hinderstein, the vice president of Nuclear Threat Initiative, told CNBC News in July 2019.

Republicans in the Senate are already signaling stiff opposition to the nomination. Without their support, Hinderstein would need the support of every Democrat in the upper chamber. Hinderstein’s nomination reflects the broader tone of the Biden administration's efforts to appease Iran as it engages in talks to rejoin the Iran nuclear deal, which President Trump left in 2018. Earlier this year, Republicans waged an extended campaign to block Biden Pentagon nominee Colin Kahl due to his deferential views on engaging Tehran and support for a new Iran deal. Kahl was approved by just four votes after months of delays.

The Biden nominee’s comments conflict with the latest information regarding the Iranian nuclear program. Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz told reporters on Wednesday that Iran is only 10 weeks away from acquiring all of the military-grade materials it needs to build a nuclear weapon and called for Israel to "take military action" against Iran for its aggressive behavior. Iran itself insists that it can enrich uranium to 90 percent purity, the threshold needed to build nuclear weapons.
How Iran helped the European Union lose its credibility - opinion
Even more absurd, when it comes to Israel’s policies regarding Jewish communities in Area C, the EU reacted in a harsh tone and suggested legal action with the ominous statement: “steps towards annexation, if implemented, could not pass unchallenged.”

Furthermore, the EU does not hesitate to use the terms “humanitarian law”, “international law,” “illegal” and accuses Israel of fueling tensions on the ground. In reality, the EU has been systematically misusing these legal terms to falsely accuse Israel of violating international law in order to pressure Israel into political concessions.

To top it off, the EU takes a softer approach when it comes to Hamas’ human rights violations and indiscriminate rocket attacks against civilians. The terror organization that, contrarily to Israel, actually violates human rights on a daily basis. Mora sitting next to Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh shouldn’t shock any of us after all.

One would think that threatening a state with “legal action” is a reaction that could better fit Iran’s constant threat in the region and its gross human rights violations. Yet, everyone understood that the EU does not wish to undermine any of its interests with Iran and so Iran’s violations were repeatedly met with silence. Israel, on the other hand, is a safe partner in the background and a safe foe at the forefront in order to secure the left and center-left votes in Europe. Therefore pointing fingers at Israel is a much needed exercise.

Silence is one thing, and remains mostly tolerated. Yet what we have encountered with Raisi’s inauguration winds up to be a totally different ballgame. Staying silent on the fraudulent election of a man that was personally responsible for the killings of more than 1,500 political prisoners is unfortunate, to put it mildly, but sending an envoy to celebrate Raisi’s election, constitutes outright complicity.

By legitimizing this man’s election under the guise of diplomacy, the EU has now lost its credibility not only as a human rights defender but as a reliable partner in all respects.
European Parliament Members Blast EU for Sending Diplomat to ‘Honor’ Inauguration of New Iranian President
A group of members of the European Parliament (MEP) have sent a letter to European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell to express their strong disapproval over the decision to send a top EU representative to Tehran to last week’s inauguration of hardline Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi.

MEP David Lega and the eight other parliamentarians signing Monday’s letter raised concerns that the attendance of EU senior diplomat Enrique Mora could be regarded as the body “ignoring Iran’s violent and destabilizing regional policies.”

“Sending such senior representation to the inauguration of a president with such a dark record, at this sensitive time, contradicts European commitments to uphold and stand up for human rights,” the MEPs wrote.

The letter comes after Israeli officials and human rights activists criticized Mora’s presence, who was seated immediately behind senior leaders of the Hamas and Hezbollah terror groups at Thursday’s inauguration ceremony.

The MEPs described Raisi’s win as a “sham election” unsupported by millions of Iranian citizens, pointing to his “appalling record of personal responsibility for the most heinous of human rights abuses.”

“Raisi earned his reputation as the ‘Hangman of Tehran’ for his role in the execution of thousands of political prisoners and opponents in the late 1980s. He is personally sanctioned by the US government for his actions,” they lamented. “Honoring the inauguration of the ‘Hangman of Tehran’ only serves to encourage such behavior.”
Explosion reported at Syria’s Latakia port on ship that may be Iranian
A major explosion occurred on a commercial ship docked at Syria’s Latakia port on Tuesday afternoon, according to Arabic-language media and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

According to SOHR — a pro-Syrian opposition organization of uncertain funding based in the UK — the explosion “left casualties and caused considerable material damage.” Some reports said the targeted ship was Iranian.

Syrian state media reported a fire broke out on the ship that has since been brought under control and that two people were injured.

The cause of the blast was not immediately known.

The incident came amid rising tensions in the region. On July 29, armed UAVs in the Gulf of Oman struck the Mercer Street, a ship operated by an Israeli-owned company in the UK. Two sailors — from Britain and Romania — died in the attack.

Analysts have described the operation as part of a shadow war between Iran and Israel, which includes strikes on Tehran-linked sites in Syria.
Fire breaks out in Iranian petrochemical factory - report
A fire broke out in an Iranian petrochemical factory on Khark Island in the Persian Gulf on Tuesday morning, according to Iranian news agency Irib.

According to the report, the factory was emptied of all oil and petrochemical products, and the fire is contained.

The extent of the possible damage caused to the factory is still unknown.

Khark Island, some 750 miles (1200 kilometers) south of Tehran, hosts Iran's biggest oil terminal in the Persian Gulf.
Iran’s pre-emption doctrine against Israel, UK, US - analysis
Iran is putting in place a new doctrine designed to preempt any response to its attack on a ship off the coast of Oman. In the week and a half since the Mercer Street tanker was first attacked on July 29, and two of its crew members were killed on July 30, Iran has been singled out as a culprit.

The US and UK have accused Iran, and there has been tough talk. Then, suddenly, rockets were fired at Israel last week. This was Iran’s preemption. Heat up northern Israel to show it can strike anywhere it wants if it is pressed about the tanker attack.

It’s important to listen to Iran’s logic and narrative here. Iran has laid that out through media messaging and speeches by its proxies, as well as in meetings with key Hamas, Hezbollah and other terrorist leaders during the inauguration of President Ebrahim Raisi. IRGC head Hossein Salami and key official Ali Shamkhani attended various meetings, and it appears the messaging was put out at the same time.

What was the message? The strike off the coast of Oman was retaliation for previous Israeli attacks, Iran said via Al-Alam TV and Press TV. That means Iran felt it had evened the score. Tough talk from the US, UK and Israel had put Iran on edge. It has warned the UK and Israel. It may have warned the US via other channels.

It appears that the US pressured Israel not to alter the rules of engagement against Hezbollah ahead of another round of Iran nuclear talks next month” the London-based Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper reported, citing a senior diplomatic source.
Why was a British security guard on the ship Iran attacked? - analysis
Contractors were far from the sole reason for the decline in piracy. “The navies of Europe and the US, mostly, have had several warships in critical areas, especially off the Horn of Africa.”

While piracy has declined, maritime security contractors continued to ensure pirates did not hijack vessels.

Now, commercial vessels and security contractors face a new threat. Underwood was killed by an alleged Iranian drone. And on August 4, the tanker Asphalt Princess was hijacked by armed Iranians.

“If there is a state actor or state-actor equivalent... that's a completely different ballgame.” Osburg said. “Your handful of guys with M-16s are not going to be able to do much against that.”

Osburg explained that there were legal and “potential political and diplomatic challenges that may arise from a ship defending itself against a country like Iran,” which “would say was a... lawful boarding attempt,” As a result, contractors would likely not be allowed to engage.

“The maritime security industry needs to be vigilant, ready to do everything they can in order to safeguard the safety, the security and freedom of navigation,” Yusuf said. “They need to be prepared... to tackle the Iranian threat.”
Iran Devastated by 5th Corona Surge: 1 Dead Patient Every 2 Minutes
The daily death toll from the coronavirus in Iran broke a new record for the second day in a row on Monday with 588 fatalities, the official Tasnim agency reported. The total death toll from COVID-19 in Iran has exceeded 94,600.

Iran, state TV said on Monday that one person is now dying from COVID-19 every two minutes in Iran. “Every two seconds one person gets infected in Iran and almost every two minutes one person dies from the coronavirus,” state TV said.

The number of people who tested positive for COVID-19 in Iran has surpassed 4,199,500 following the detection of 40,808 new cases since Sunday, more than 5,080 of whom have been admitted to the hospital. Among those undergoing treatment in medical centers at present, 6,561 coronavirus patients have critical health conditions because of more severe infection.

According to official state media, hospitals in many cities have run out of beds. Most of Iran’s 31 provinces are “red.” Iranians speak openly about the failures of the Ayatollah regime to fight the pandemic, as only 3.3% of the country’s 83 million people have been fully inoculated.

Iran’s new President Ebrahim Raisi received his first dose of the COVIran Barakat vaccine, developed by Iranian state-owned Shifa Pharmed Industrial Group. According to the production project manager of the “CovIran Barekat vaccine”, this vaccine—in the second phase—had an immunization efficacy of over 93%. The vaccine was authorized for emergency use by the Iranian authorities, making it the first locally-developed Corona vaccine in the Middle East. However, there are claims of some issues with the vaccine’s scientific documentation. As of July, about 5 million doses of the Iran Barakat vaccine have been produced in the Shafa-farmad factory. President Raisi on Sunday urged officials to speed up vaccinations and to use “all necessary means” for curbing the pandemic, state media reported.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei last week ordered a total national lockdown, officials are hesitating to enforce it because of the damage to Iran’s already flailing economy.


US vows Taliban will become global pariah if it takes Afghanistan by force (not satire)
A United States peace envoy brought a warning to the Taliban on Tuesday that any government that comes to power through force in Afghanistan won’t be recognized internationally, after a series of cities fell to the insurgent group in stunningly quick succession.

Zalmay Khalilzad, the US envoy, traveled to Doha, Qatar, where the Taliban maintain a political office, to tell the group that there was no point in pursuing victory on the battlefield because a military takeover of the capital of Kabul would guarantee they will be global pariahs. He and others hope to persuade Taliban leaders to return to peace talks with the Afghan government as American and NATO forces finish their pullout from the country.

The insurgents have captured seven out of 34 provincial capitals in the country in less than a week. They are now battling the Western-backed government for control of several others, including Lashkar Gah in Helmand, and Kandahar in a province of the same name.

After a 20-year Western military mission and billions of dollars spent training and shoring up Afghan forces, many are at odds to explain why the regular forces have collapsed, fleeing the battle sometimes by the hundreds. The fighting has fallen largely to small groups of elite forces and the Afghan air force.

The success of the Taliban blitz has added urgency to the need to restart the long-stalled talks that could end the fighting and move Afghanistan toward an inclusive interim administration.









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