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Thursday, February 24, 2022

02/24 Links Pt1: BHL: The Rape of Ukraine; Ukraine war reminds Israelis we can only rely on ourselves; Israel's New Strategy in a Post-American Middle East

From Ian:

Bernard-Henri Lévy: The Rape of Ukraine
No. 4: We hear this one a lot: The diplomats will have to be back on the scene to help Putin calm down, to stop him, to help him save face. Maybe. I don’t know. But one thing is sure. We should not reverse the roles and lose sight of the fact that it was Putin, and he alone, who broke the taboo over war in Europe. We must remember that it’s Ukraine, and Ukraine alone, that honor commands us to save from an atrocious and announced offensive. And, even if things end there and we can breathe a sigh of shameful relief, it behooves us to never forget how, well before today’s troubles, from last December and January, the Kremlin described Europe as a wide-ranging “theater of military conflict” (Alexander Grushko, deputy minister of foreign affairs); brandished the threat of a “preventive” nuclear strike of the kind Israel wields against Iran (Andrey Kartapolov, chair of the Duma’s Defense Committee); and let partisan and friendly media (Svobodnaya Pressa) announce that, in the case of an enlarged NATO, Russia would vitrify “all of Europe and two-thirds of the United States in thirty minutes.” No peace agreement could erase these staggering declarations, without precedent, which I assembled in a piece from Jan. 18. Or else, it would be a Munich-style peace.

No. 5: Does all this mean that we should not take into account Russia’s feeling of being surrounded, mistreated, humiliated? I think that this humiliation is a myth. I remember how NATO, since 1994, proposed to Russia a “partnership for peace.” How Russia was invited to join the Council of Europe and the G7. I remember the 2002 NATO-Russia summit in Rome. And Barack Obama’s July 2009 visit to Moscow, offering a reset of all nonconventional weaponry. And the self-imposed limits, up to and including Donald Trump and Joe Biden, on the number and reach of American weapons deployed in Europe (even while Russia violated its agreements). I can see no other example of a fallen empire that benefited from such sweet consideration from its adversaries. And I believe that the legend of Russian humiliation is the last trap that must be avoided.

This is what the next red lines should be, after the disaster in Donbass.

Beyond that would reign a diplomacy that, true to the etymology of the word, would consist of bowing obsequiously before force.

The same causes producing the same effects, it would be the return of the terrible 20th century.
Ukraine war reminds Israelis we can only rely on ourselves - analysis
Zelensky suggested active steps that the West could have taken to try to prevent an attack, instead of punishing Russia after the fact, such as more sanctions, sending more advanced weapons to Ukraine, greater financial support, and others.

A Russian invasion is not just an attack on Ukraine, but on the world, he said.

“We will defend our land with or without the support of partners,” Zelensky stated. “These are not noble gestures for which Ukraine should bow low. This is your contribution to the security of Europe and the world, where Ukraine has been a reliable shield for eight years.”

Just change the name Zelensky to Bennett, and the countries to Israel and Iran, and the messages are very similar, from the demands for more sanctions and better weapons, down to the World War II appeasement comparisons and being a vanguard against a broader threat – Islamic extremist terrorism in the Middle East and an expansionist Russia in Europe.

The comparison is not one-to-one, of course. Most importantly, the US-Israel relationship, including its military and intelligence cooperation, is very strong.

Russia already invaded Ukraine, while there is still time to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon – though Iran is already attacking Israel through its proxies. Israel and Iran are better matched militarily, while Russia overpowers Ukraine. And Israel has access to and develop its own advanced weaponry – though the US refusal to sell bunker bombers that could have helped stop the nuclear threat years ago still smarts.

Israel also seems to generally have more success than Ukraine at getting the world’s attention, for better or for worse, though it seems likely that the “shorter, weaker” Iran deal, as Bennett called it, will be completed under the radar while the focus is on Ukraine.

Regardless of the differences, it’s very clear that the West’s appetite for taking preemptive steps to stop existential threats to its allies is lacking. That is true even if they say all the right things, like that they won’t let Iran obtain a nuclear weapon.

Russian warplanes flying over Kyiv are a reminder: Israel must always be prepared to defend itself, by itself.
The Ukrainians Are Learning a Lesson that Israel Has Already Learned
The founders of Israel made the strategic choice to build and maintain a defense force capable of dealing independently with even the most dangerous threats. The Ukrainians are learning today what the Czechs learned in 1938, and what the Jews vowed never to forget: Western democracies cannot be relied upon in the face of a threat from an authoritarian regime willing to turn to military measures to enforce its will. A country that cannot defend itself will be left to its own devices at a time it needs support the most.

Israel's War of Independence victory was achieved only thanks to the mobilization of full human potential and the massive arms smuggling that took place despite the U.S. embargo. Amid the pan-Arab threat, shaped under Egyptian President Nasser's leadership, Israel was left to its fate for almost 20 years.

In the 1950s, Israel faced a critical threat when the USSR supplied Egypt (and later other Arab countries) with massive quantities of frontline weapons, while Washington refused to supply Jerusalem with defensive weapons. France, which had helped Israel deal with these dangers, betrayed Jerusalem after the Six-Day War and supported its enemies.

When Arab countries declared war on Israel again in 1973, the rest of Europe turned its back on Jerusalem by refusing to allow American planes that carried supplies for the IDF to refuel in its territories. Europe continues to support efforts to delegitimize the Jewish state in international organizations, and generously funds groups that undermine it.

Israel became a success story not only because of its freedom and innovation, but also because it chose to base its national security on self-defense. Its survival, progress, and prosperity were made possible by its strong military and determination to defend itself on its own. Israel receives assistance due to its determination to survive without it. It prevents war through deterrence, for it has learned that what triggers the aggression of authoritarian regimes is democracies' hesitance to use their power even if the avenues of diplomacy and economic means have been exhausted.


Impact of the Ukraine Crisis on Israel
An American response to a Russian attack on Ukraine, which would isolate Russia and deepen the sanctions imposed on it, is expected to have negative consequences for Israel. As part of the Russian response, it is possible that Moscow would cut off the Russian-Israeli operational coordination and try to thwart Israeli strikes in Syria using Russian air defense systems and interception aircraft.

Simultaneously, it is possible that Russia would refrain from restraining Iran and even encourage it to use its proxies, not only against the American forces in Syria, but also against Israel.

However, Israel's special relations with the U.S., which are an essential political-diplomatic shield for it, do not leave Israel a choice - even if it were to prefer to sit on the fence - other than to side with Washington's position fully and without any signs of hesitation. At this stage, Israel should continue to maintain channels of dialogue with Moscow - including regarding the essential ongoing need to avoid military friction in the northern arena, but should also prepare for a scenario in which the connection and the operational coordination between Israel and Russia is cut off.
Bennett refrains from condemning Russia in first remarks since invasion of Ukraine
rime Minister Naftali Bennett on Thursday avoided condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine — or even mentioning Russia by name — in his first remarks since the incursion began.

“The world order as we know it is changing,” he said, speaking at an IDF officer graduation ceremony in southern Israel. “The world is much less stable, and our region too is changing every day.”

“These are difficult, tragic times,” said the prime minister. “Our hearts are with the civilians of eastern Ukraine who were caught up in this situation.”

The remarks were a stark contrast from Foreign Minister Yair Lapid’s condemnation of Russia only hours before.

Lapid called the invasion “a grave violation of the international order,” in Jerusalem’s harshest and most direct condemnation of Moscow since the crisis in Eastern Europe began.

A diplomatic official said Bennett’s decision to avoid mentioning Russia in his remarks was deliberate and coordinated with Lapid.

“They have spoken multiple times today and are working together,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The softer tone of Bennett’s speech was meant to be complementary to Lapid’s more bellicose one, according to the official.
Israel’s Lapid Condemns ‘Russian Attack on Ukraine’
Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid on Thursday condemned “the Russian attack on Ukraine,” the first time that Israel has publicly criticized Moscow since the start of the crisis between the two neighboring countries.

While the Foreign Ministry issued a moderate statement on Wednesday, in which it avoided stigmatizing Moscow, Lapid said on Thursday that “the Russian attack on Ukraine is a serious violation of the international order. Israel condemns this attack, and is ready and willing to offer humanitarian aid to Ukrainian citizens.”

The government’s number two also called again on all Israelis to leave Ukraine, stressing that there is already a movement of refugees westward into Ukraine.

He said that Israeli representatives are at land crossings with the five countries that border Ukraine to the west.

The border crossings that the Foreign Ministry has identified through which Israelis can leave Ukraine by land are Medyka in Poland, Vysne Nemescke in Slovakia, Zahony in Hungary, Siret in Romania and Palanca in Moldova.
Seth Frantzman: Russia’s new way of war unveiled and tested in Ukraine - analysis
INTO THE declining US global hegemony has come a resurgent Russia, whose modern units include a large number of forces that have been modernized and professionalized, as well as those that have seen service in places like Syria. Russian Special Forces, for instance, have been deployed to Syria. Russian naval, air defense and air force units have been there. Russian Airborne forces have also been training frequently, including with Belarus.

Among the forces arrayed against Ukraine are the units of the Taman and Kantemirovskaya Divisions, which were reportedly recently in Dolbino, some 30 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. These are reputed to be good units that will be sent in as part of an armored push into Ukraine. There are a variety of other forces among the 150,000 troops that Russia has concentrated. The overall context is that Putin has improved Russia’s armed forces over the last two decades.

The war in Syria was seen as a test bed for new Russian technology and for Russia to improve its air forces and rocket and missile forces. It has also been observing recent conflicts such as how Azerbaijan defeated Armenia using drones and air power. Moscow has paid close attention to this.

Putin’s goal is to unveil a whole new way of war for Russia. This will lean on Russian historic expertise in artillery and other types of forces, but it will also rely on caution and methods learned from successes in Chechnya, Georgia, Syria and elsewhere.

It will also learn from the failures of the 1990s and by how the US and NATO were both successful and unsuccessful in various recent conflicts. Putin wants to show that his investment in the military has paid off. He has often said that the investment is necessary.

Now the world will wait and see if this Russian military can neutralize the Ukrainian defenses or if it will run into challenges.
Seth Frantzman: Russia Ukraine war: How the deterrence of sanctions failed - analysis
However, all these statements are meaningless in the face of real conflict. The sanctions the US threats likely have no real strength behind them. This is because the US has already sanctioned many countries and those countries have become stronger. Iran, for instance, under “maximum pressure, was able to increase its influence in Yemen, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. There was no real reduction of Iran’s role. Iran is supposedly under sanctions but exports missiles and drones, chaos and terror, all over the Middle East.

The message of Russia’s invasion is that there is impunity for these kinds of attacks. Turkey also invaded Syria in 2018 and 2019, ethnically cleansing Kurdish areas and there were no consequences. Unlike in the 1990s when there was a fiction of an international community that would stand up to attacks and aggression, the last few years have shown that authoritarian regimes can do whatever they want and there will be no real pushback. The US retreat from Afghanistan and US signaling that it wants to focus on domestic issues and withdraw from regions around the world has likely fed this view that countries like Russia can do as they please.

Most western countries called for citizens to leave Ukraine and moved diplomats out of Kiev. This was a message that targeting Kiev was basically going to happen without any presence of western diplomats to challenge the attacks. The presence of diplomats of course would not stop attacks on Kiev, but having them so visibly depart showed that Kiev was being quietly abandoned. The movement of embassies out of Kiev to Lviv is part of this process of abandonment even before the first shot was fired. NATO also relocated staff out of Ukraine and a dozen airlines cancelled flights. Russia understood that when it launched attacks on Ukraine that the air was open and the capital open to these attacks because the international presence had already signaled with its feet that even though it objected to war, it wouldn’t do much to get in the way of war. This is a dangerous precedent. It means any country wanting to invade another can openly build up its forces, create a fictional reason for the conflict, recognize parts of the other country as new countries and then launch unprovoked attacks. The international community will respond by withdrawing even before the attack begins.

Now the international community has one more chance to actually do something. Sanctions are not doing something. Sanctions are how western countries respond when they don’t want to actually stop a bad activity. The small amounts of military hardware sent to Ukraine over the last years has not enabled Ukraine to really have the defenses it needs. There was no real discussion about how Ukraine would defend itself. Ukraine also didn’t seem to believe the war was really coming, despite warnings. This is because an unprovoked attacked on a peaceful state like Ukraine is not an everyday event. However the increasing attacks by Iranian-backed groups such as the Houthis, using drones, to attack peaceful places like the UAE, shows that there is impunity. No one punished the Houthis and in general no one stands up to Iran. The world now knows that nothing will be done anywhere to stop these kinds of unprovoked wars.
Seth Frantzman: How war in Ukraine increases Iran’s threat to Israel - analysis
Reports on Thursday morning showed Russian attacks across Ukraine, including against key airports and military sites. Air raid sirens were heard in western Ukraine and in Lviv where some countries - including Israel - have relocated their embassies.

The message that Russia’s unprovoked attack has for the world is clear: Other countries can do the same.

In the Middle East, Iran understands that the Russian operation gives it a blank check to continue attacking countries throughout the region. This has repercussions potentially for Israel. Jerusalem has always behaved as if it will have to face Iran alone, but the conflict in Ukraine is yet another message for the Middle East.

Ukraine-Russia War
* Russia attacks Ukraine, explosions sound across the country

* Israelis in Ukraine told to evacuate, Israeli diplomats to help

* Rabbis stay in Ukraine to support Jewish community

* Guterres to Putin: 'In the name of humanity stop this war against Ukraine'

While Israel-Iran tensions have gone on for decades, the question is whether the Russian war in Ukraine will open a Pandora’s Box of similar invasions and wars.

There is a chance that the war in and the US focus on Ukraine could lead Iran to believe it can exploit this chaotic time to encourage its proxies to attack Israel. Hezbollah has been threatening Israel and increasingly stockpiling missiles and drones. Tehran could benefit from the Ukraine crisis by either getting a reduction in nuclear sanctions or empowering its proxies.

To understand Iran’s current posture is to understand that in many ways, Iran’s attacks on countries in the region foreshadowed Russia’s aggression. Iran has encouraged its proxies and allies in the region to attack countries such as the United Arab Emirates, as well as US forces in Iraq and Israel.

Iran openly moves drones and ballistic missiles across borders in the Middle East. This week, Israel alleged that the Islamic Republic was providing drone technology to Venezuela. Iran has armed the Houthis in Yemen and sent advisors to encourage their war against Saudi Arabia. It has also empowered Iraqi militias such as Kataib Hezbollah, which has carried out attacks against Saudi Arabia and the UAE alongside its militia partners in Iraq.
Seth Frantzman: Three big trends and ramifications of Russia’s war on Ukraine - analysis
THE UKRAINE crisis is a major test for Western powers. There are questions about how this may reverberate across the West and whether NATO will stand strong and show that it is ready to do what is necessary to stand up for partners and friends. Butif there are major divisions in Europe and countries do not agree to stand up to Russia, then the Ukraine crisis could be a symbol of the further decline of Western democratic unity.

The Ukraine invasion is a major incident because Russia openly built up forces and attacked. It recognized two parts of Ukraine as independent countries and then sent “peacekeepers” into those new states. A day later, Russia began the bombing of Ukraine. It didn’t have any pretense of why it began to attack and did so in an unprovoked manner.

This is a big test for Europe. Will the US try to put in place a “no fly zone?” Will any air defense or weapons be sent? Or will western countries do nothing?

The war in Ukraine will not only bring with it rising global economic chaos, but also potential for more wars and increasing decline of the world’s remaining democracies. This hinges on Western and US-led responses. But if America just pushes sanctions on Russia and Russia is able to weather those sanctions or shrug them off – and if the West is not united on the Ukraine issue – the message will be sent that more of these kinds of invasions and redrawing of borders could occur.
Seth Frantzman: Ukrainians wake up to war on all fronts
THE RUSSIAN use of cruise missiles was designed to neutralize Ukrainian air defenses. I asked Skyba why Ukraine appears to have been surprised by this scenario. “it’s an issue of technology, and they have said many times that anti-aircraft is the weakest point.” Ukraine did close airports hours before the attacks and put out notifications that appeared to foreshadow what was coming next, warning that aircraft or missiles could be intercepted.

The whole of Ukraine’s northern border appears to be threatened and reports have indicated possible Russian strikes from Crimea as well as airstrikes as far west as Lviv. While previous conflict was concentrated in the Donbass, this is unprecedented. Skyba says that Ukraine is striking back, but the issue is that in the first twenty-four hours, many places feel disconnected from one another. “I believe a lot of people don’t have illusions. If they were illusioned, this is the time to wake up.”

Ukraine has support from Western countries. But the question is whether the West will actually do more than just put out statements. “If they stand for Ukraine, it should be a hard response; if they won’t send soldiers they should send resources,” Skyba said.

“I believe there should be no limits, Putin has crossed the line, beyond the borders. He is not pretending anymore; it’s open war in the heart of Europe, not using proxies,” he said. This is a reference to the fact that the Russians previously pretended in Donbass that it was only “separatists” in Ukraine fighting against the Ukrainian army. But now Russia is openly on Ukrainian soil. “It’s not like 2014. West, East and even the native town of the president were attacked; it is multiple targets.”

Ukrainians I spoke to often compared this invasion to Hitler’s invasions of the last century. One noted that Operation Barbarossa began at four o’clock in the morning and that Russia planned its attack for the same time. Another said that Putin is the “Hitler of the 21st century.” But Putin has also claimed that he is fighting “Nazis” in Ukraine, an illustration of how both sides recall World War II in this current war.
Israelis in Ukraine told to evacuate, Israeli diplomats to help
Israeli diplomats were stationed at crossings on Ukraine’s western border to help Israelis evacuate by land on Thursday, following Russia’s attack on the country and the closure of its airspace. An estimated 7,000-8,000 Israelis remain in Ukraine, and the Israeli embassy asked that those who have not yet done so register on its website to receive updates.

Israeli Ambassador to Ukraine Michael Brodsky said that Israel “is asking Israelis to reach the border crossing with Poland independently.

“We are prepared, on the Polish side, to accept Israelis and help them fly to Israel,” Brodsky told KAN.

Israeli embassies sent representatives to the Medyka crossing with Poland, the Vysne Nemescke crossing with Slovakia, the Zahony crossing with Hungary, the Siret crossing with Romania and the Planca crossing with Moldova.
Ukraine begins evacuating Uman, site of annual Hasidic pilgrimage
As fighting raged across Ukraine following Russia’s invasion, Ukrainian authorities ordered the evacuation of civilians from the city of Uman, an official at an Israeli first responder organization said Thursday.

“The Uman municipality has begun evacuating hundreds of families from the city, the danger is very great — there are many weapons depots in the area and the explosions are intense,” Shlomi Elisha, the deputy chief of the Ukraine division of United Hatzalah, told Army Radio.

Uman normally sees some 30,000 visitors, most of them from Israel, visit the gravesite of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov for the Rosh Hashanah holiday.

On Thursday, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid repeated his call for Israelis to leave Ukraine by land.

The Foreign Ministry estimates that there are around 8,000 Israeli citizens still in the country, including 200 families in Uman. A number of Arab Israeli students also returned to Ukraine this week in order to take exams at their university in Kharkiv.

Israel has called on citizens to evacuate through western border crossings. It has stationed representatives at border crossings into Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania in order to assist Israelis leaving Ukraine. Representatives are also being sent to a Moldova crossing.

“Our representatives are ready to receive you,” Prime Minister Naftali Bennett added on Thursday afternoon.


After Israel supports Ukraine, Russia refuses to recognize Golan Heights as Israeli
Russia was quick to respond to Israel's statement of support for Ukraine, and on Wednesday night the Russian UN delegation issued a statement condemning Israel's plans for construction in the Golan Heights.

The Russian statement expressed "concern" about plans by "Tel Aviv" (Jerusalem is the capital of Israel) to expand "settlement activity in the Golan Heights," which the Russian delegation said violated the Geneva Convention of 1949.

"Russia does not recognize Israeli sovereignty on the Golan Heights, which are part of Syria," the Russian statement read.

On Thursday, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid made the first explicit condemnation of Russia's actions in Ukraine.


Israel and the Emerging New Global Order: An Arab Perspective
Israel has become a major military power with a formidable reputation in the world of intelligence, and a large number of countries in the Middle East and beyond seek its expertise and buy its products. It has succeeded to upgrade its cooperation with important world powers with influence in the region, including Russia and China.

These new relationships have not lessened Israel's special relationship with the U.S. Israel remains America's most trusted and closest ally in the region.

Israel is also benefitting from the gradual disengagement of the U.S. from the Middle East, where Israel has emerged as an attractive partner for regional powers in need of new security arrangements, especially in the Gulf.

Iran's successes have brought it to the Eastern Mediterranean armed with a conviction that it has established a balance of deterrence with Israel through force of arms and particularly through the arsenal of the Lebanese Shia group Hizbullah.

Iran has succeeded in establishing a semi-circle around Israel, with Hizbullah in the north, Syria in the east, and the Palestinian group Hamas in the south. This means that in any serious military confrontation with Iran, Israel must take into consideration the possibility of engaging in three different theaters of war at the same time.
Israel's New Strategy in a Post-American Middle East
Waning U.S. engagement in the Middle East has emboldened Iran, which is posing a growing threat to Israel and other nations throughout the region. Governments in the region have begun to doubt the resolve of the U.S. as a security guarantor. Even as it continues to benefit from U.S. assistance and backing, Israel has sought new regional partnerships to buttress its security.

Iran continues to provide drones, rockets, missiles, military training and support to a growing number of proxy militias in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and the Palestinian theaters. Tehran has also stepped up its proxy attacks on Saudi and Emirati targets, U.S. forces in the region, and, occasionally, maritime targets, such as Emirati vessels and merchant ships belonging to Israelis.

In addition to the potentially existential threat posed by an Iranian nuclear bomb, Tehran's support for Hizbullah has created a lethal military threat on Israel's borders, with the Shiite militia now equipped with a formidable arsenal of precision-guided missiles, attack drones, and air defense systems.

In short, the perceived retreat of the U.S. from the Middle East has unleashed a chain reaction of nuclear proliferation and increased military aggression by Iran and its proxies. The failure to stop Iran's nuclear program could accelerate a regional nuclear arms race.

Israel's security alliance with the U.S. was further advanced last year with the inclusion of Israel in U.S. Central Command's area of responsibility. Israel can increasingly share the burden of some U.S. security missions with its intelligence, air, and cyber defenses. For years, Israel has shared intelligence and cyber-capabilities with the Gulf states. Over the past decade, Israel has also supported Jordan's border security and Egypt's counterterrorism efforts in Sinai, while its Iron Dome missile defense system has intercepted incoming rockets targeting both Eilat in Israel and neighboring Aqaba in Jordan.

Israel prepares its own military options against Iran to serve as a backstop should all other efforts to contain Iran's nuclear program fail. Concurrently, Israel will likely continue its covert campaign against Tehran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs in order to disrupt and impede its progress toward making a bomb.
Israel Poised to Lift Pandemic-Induced State of Emergency for First Time in Two Years
Israel’s government voted on Wednesday in favor of rolling back the national state of emergency instated due to the pandemic and replacing it with a provisional “special national public health situation” designation, to remain in effect until June.

The move was proposed by Chairman of the Knesset’s Constitution, Law and Justice Committee MK Gilad Kariv (Labor).

The state of emergency was declared shortly before Israel imposed its first lockdown in March 2020. The designation, usually reserved for wartime, allowed authorities to place limitations on public gatherings and personal freedom of movement while affording additional enforcement authority to the Israeli military’s Home Front Command and municipalities, as well as appropriating special budgets to the Health Ministry. It also allowed the government to take special measures, some highly controversial, like involving the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) in tracing the phones of infected patients during the first and second waves of the pandemic.

“Ending the state of emergency is an important message for the public and for Israeli democracy,” said Kariv, adding that the Constitution Committee is slated to debate the bill next week.

“The distinction between a ‘state of emergency and a special ‘public health situation’ has been the focus of the Constitution Committee’s discussions. The transition between the two situations will restore parliamentary oversight of government work, and return Israeli democracy to the required course of action,” he said.
The Israel Guys: We Predicted the ANTI-ISRAEL Headlines for the Week
On today’s program, we predict two headlines that you are likely to see in the international news this week. Comment below headlines you see that match our predictions!

Wondering what the big deal is with Iran? Find out on today’s video, as well as what Israel’s response should and might be very soon.

Last but not least, the world is still talking about “settler violence”. You might be shocked by a few numbers listing violent attacks that happened in the West Bank just during the month of January 2022.




PMW: PA: “The history is written in blood… Palestine will return to its people”
Two songs recently broadcast by the Palestinian Authority on its Live TV channel both promoted terror and martyrdom-death for “Palestine.” One song talks about “revolution” and vows to “wake the sleeping rifle.” It refers to death romantically, stating that “the blood of the Martyrs is in the anemones.” The song implies that more Palestinians are to die for “Palestine” as they “will water your plains and hills” – i.e., with their blood when they die:
Lyrics: ”We will fill the world with revolution
The Martyrs are a people of their own…
In one place – take a million
We will fill the Arab cities
With revolutions, sun, and freedom
We will wake the sleeping rifle…
We are the revolution on every path…
The blood of the Martyrs is in the anemones…
We will water your plains and your hills
With freedom we will light your fire”


[Official PA TV Live, Feb. 8, 2022]

The other song also romanticizes death and anticipates the end of Israel.

“The history is written in blood” and “the blood of the Martyr” is “in the land, in the tree branches,” while Palestinian children are portrayed with stones in their hands struggling against Israel with its tanks and guns – “the iron.” The song doesn't reflect that many “Martyrs” have been suicide terrorists, bomb makers, stabbers, car rammers etc. The expression “Palestine will return to its people,” is a PA euphemism for the end of Israel.
Lyrics: “In the land, in the tree branches is the blood of the Martyr
The stone in the children’s hands resists the iron (i.e., Israel)…
And the history is written in blood…
Palestine will return to its people…
This small child of [Palestine] will make it proud”
“Palestine Will Return” sung by Jordanian-Palestinian singer Toni Qattan

[Official PA TV Live, Feb. 8, 2022]


Lebanon's former justice minister compares Hezbollah to Vichy government
Ex-Lebanese Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi told Lebanon's MTV in recent days that the Iranian-backed Hezbollah is like the Vichy regime of France during World War II, and that Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah should stand trial for betraying Lebanon, according to the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI).

"I won't be tagged [as an enemy] by an Iranian agent. I don't need an integrity certificate from him. He needs to stand trial for his crimes against Lebanon," said Rifi, in an interview recorded and translated by MEMRI.

"We need people who are 100% Lebanese, and not agents of Iran. Who receive weapons from Iran, training from Iran, and who work for the Iranian project," he said.

"These are historical delusions that the Iranian regime lives in. It wants to restore the great Persian empire. This is a historical illusion that ended 1,400 years ago and will not ever return," he added.

"Take for example France during the Second Lebanon War. There were people who cooperated with the Nazi regime with the excuse that they were being realists. And there were other people, free people with principles, who refused to cooperate with the Nazi occupation. They extended a hand to the Allies and freed their country. I want to go in this process, more or less," said the former minister.

"We as Lebanese cannot do this by ourselves, but we cannot in any way give legitimacy to Hezbollah and its illegal weapons. Until the right moment comes from a regional and global perspective in which we can liberate the homeland as France did in the Second World War.
Video Provides Rare Glimpse Into Hezbollah’s Entrenchment in Southern Syria
arly on Wednesday, the Syrian Arab Army reported that the Israel Defense Forces fired a number of surface-to-surface missiles from the Golan Heights at military positions in Syria’s Quneitra region.

There were no reports of injuries, but damage reports surfaced following the attack, which reportedly occurred at around 12:30 am. The incident looks like the latest reminder of Hezbollah’s ongoing program to entrench itself in southern Syria and prepare attacks against Israel from there.

A video that was recently obtained by an Israeli security watchdog provides a rare glimpse into that same program.

Earlier this month, the Alma Research and Education Center published a report on the video, which was recorded in 2017 by a Sunni Syrian opposition group named Jaysh al-Ababil after capturing a Hezbollah operative who commanded a terror cell.

In the video, the Syrian captive—Marwan Awad Al Jaber—goes into extraordinary detail in describing Hezbollah’s activities in southern Syria.

“The video recording is a rare and live testimony, shedding additional light on the activities of Hezbollah’s Golan File Unit against Israel from southern Syria,” said the report, referring to the name of the Iranian-backed organization’s ongoing attempts to recruit operatives in southern Syria and assign them missions to spy on Israel and prepare cross-border attacks.

“Even now, Hezbollah’s Golan File Unit gathers intelligence and waits for an operational opportunity to generate terrorist activity against Israel under Hezbollah’s order,” the report cautioned.

Tal Beeri, head of Alma’s Research Department, told JNS that southern Syria is crowded with multiple attempts by the radical Shi’ite axis to entrench itself—efforts that include the Golan File Unit and Iran’s own efforts to set up a terrorist infrastructure in the Syrian Golan.
Soleimani U
For decades, Iran has patiently sought to export its Islamic Revolution to Latin America. Alongside Iranian embassies, one academic institution stands out as a bastion of Iran’s influence operations in the region: Al Mustafa International University, which has branches in over 50 countries, and which the U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctioned in 2020 for its role in Iran’s propaganda efforts, including the provision of material support for the training and indoctrination of Shiite militias. With an $80 million annual budget, Al Mustafa is one of Iran’s leading propaganda outlets. Its robust budget enables it to spread Iran’s revolutionary message far beyond the walls of its campus.

The university’s latest achievement is the establishment of the Cátedra Libre Qassem Soleimani, or the Qassem Soleimani Chair for Sociocultural and Geopolitical Studies in Latin America and the Middle East, a center that was inaugurated in November 2020 at the Universidad Bolivariana de Venezuela in Caracas. The late Qassem Soleimani was the commander of the Quds Force, the elite unit of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards’ Corps in charge of overseas operations. As such, Soleimani was chiefly responsible, during his tenure, for the establishment of regional, pro-Iran Shiite militias, multiple attacks on U.S. troops in Iraq, and, more recently, Iran’s deployment in Syria to save the Assad regime from collapsing. Soleimani bears responsibility for the murder of hundreds of thousands of Syrians and the forcible displacement of millions of refugees, leading to the ethnic cleansing of large swaths of Syria’s Sunni areas.

Soleimani was assassinated in a targeted U.S. drone strike in January 2020 in Baghdad, but the Biden administration now has different priorities. Its Iran policy is laser-focused on the country’s nuclear program. Countering Iran’s international propaganda, by contrast, has never been a high priority for this or even previous administrations. The White House should reconsider. related

As the scholars Kasra Aarabi and Saeid Golkar wrote in February 2021, “Al-Mustafa’s objective is to enrol [sic] and train non-Iranian students interested in Iran’s revolutionary Shia Islamist ideology, or in becoming Shia clerics, to disseminate and advance the ideological goals of Iran’s Islamic Revolution.” Founded in 2007 in Iran’s holy city of Qom from the merger of previous religious seminars that catered to foreign students, Al Mustafa carries the torch of Iran’s Islamic Revolution through hundreds of blogs, online materials, journals, and other publications, with classes in dozens of languages that train tens of thousands of students, including foreign converts. The university also maintains a global network of affiliated seminars and centers. Many of its graduates have since returned home as ordained Shiite clerics, assuming leadership of local Al Mustafa-affiliated and Iranian-funded cultural centers and NGOs and serving as force multipliers for their alma mater.

What began in the early 1980s as a subtle effort to propagate revolutionary Iran’s worldview through mosques and cultural centers is increasingly loud and visible, thanks to Iran’s transnational alliances with hard-left movements and regimes in Latin America, which help facilitate Al Mustafa’s proselytizing and propaganda work. Thanks to the zeal of its acolytes and Iran’s funding, a vast regional network is now in place. Revolutionary fellow travelers from communist Cuba to the Castro-Chavista regimes in Bolivia, Nicaragua, and Venezuela have given Iran greater access, freedom of action, and resources to consolidate its outreach and leverage local anti-American sentiment to serve its own interests.






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