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Monday, April 04, 2022

04/04 Links Pt1: David Singer: Jordan and Israel can end the 100 years old Jewish-Arab conflict; Caroline Glick: Why Israel is in a do or die moment

From Ian:

David Singer: Jordan and Israel can end the 100 years old Jewish-Arab conflict
It took Jordan’s King Abdullah II just 10 minutes to fly by helicopter from Jordan to Ramallah on 26 March to meet Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) leader Mahmud Abbas in Ramallah – which is only 15 minutes’ drive from Jerusalem – Abdullah’s first trip to Judea and Samaria (West Bank) since 2017.

The Arab Weekly reported on Abdullah’s visit:
“Well-informed Jordanian sources have linked the previously unannounced visit of the Jordanian king to Ramallah, the seat of the Palestinian Authority, to the Negev Summit. They said that Jordan was uncomfortable with the new “Abrahamic” peace process between Israel and Arab countries. It particularly resents being marginalised and losing control over its most important card, the Palestinian issue.”

Abdullah has only himself to blame for Jordan’s growing marginalisation – abandoning the policy pursued by his great-grandfather King Abdullah 1, and his father King Hussein in unifying the two banks of the Jordan River between 1950 and 1967.

Abdullah instead has been supporting the PLO in calling for the creation of an independent Arab state west of the Jordan River – in addition to Jordan east of the Jordan River: two Arab states within the territory comprised in the 1922 League of Nations Mandate for Palestine (Mandate).

Abdullah needs to rethink this policy position if he wishes to regain control of the decisions to be made in Judea and Samaria (West Bank) and Gaza between Arabs and Jews – the remaining 5% of former Palestine where sovereignty still remains unallocated between Jordan and Israel after 100 years of conflict.

Abdullah’s marginalisation also risks Jordan losing its role as the custodian of the Muslim Holy Shrines in Jerusalem conferred on Jordan by the Washington Declaration and the 1994 Israel-Jordan Peace Treaty.

Between 1950 and 1967:
All of Judea and Samaria (West Bank) – which included Ramallah – was part of Jordan – and all its residents were Jordanian citizens – electing their own representatives to the Jordanian Parliament.
The PLO did not claim regional sovereignty “over the West Bank in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan” or the “Gaza Strip” since its founding in 1964 – claiming only that “Palestine with its boundaries at the time of the British Mandate is a regional indivisible unit”
Abdullah’s father King Hussein – at page 118 of his published memoirs Uneasy Lies the Head (1962) – had justified continuing Jordanian rule both east and west of the Jordan River against international condemnation:
“Palestine and Jordan were both under British Mandate, but as my grandfather pointed out in his memoirs, they were hardly separate countries. Transjordan being to the east of the River Jordan, it formed in a sense, the interior of Palestine”


Amid rise in terror, Arab Israeli minister says Abraham Accords can spark peace with Palestinians
As Israel grapples with a surge of terror attacks, one of the government’s more left-leaning ministers told Jewish Insider last week that the way to combat extremist violence is to bring the Palestinians into the wave of regional normalization deals sparked by the Abraham Accords.

Issawi Frej, an Israeli Arab and member of the Meretz party who currently serves as minister of regional cooperation in what is considered politically the broadest coalition government in the country’s history, said that a way must be found to include the Palestinians in the process, which began in September 2020 with Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain signing the Accords. Morocco and Sudan inked their own agreements in the following months.

“The Middle East is like a picture, with Israel and other countries, the Emirates, Bahrain, Egypt, Morocco and Jordanian in the frame, but the picture is not complete without the Palestinians,” said Frej, who was in West Palm Beach, Fla., last week to attend the Jewish Funders Network Conference.

His comments came as foreign ministers from five regional countries and the U.S. held a first-of-its-kind summit in Israel’s Negev desert exploring ways to increase cooperation and boost stability in the Middle East.

In Secretary of State Tony Blinken’s closing remarks at what was called the “Negev Summit,” he said that such cooperation between Israel, the UAE and the U.S. would serve to “widen the circle of friendship to include other countries interested in securing greater peace and prosperity for their own people.

But, he also cautioned, “We have to be clear that these regional peace agreements are not a substitute for progress between Palestinians and Israelis.”

The other participating foreign ministers also mentioned the Palestinians in their closing remarks. Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid emphasized, “We are today opening a door before all the peoples of the region, including the Palestinians, and offering them to replace the way of terror and destruction with [a] shared future of progress and success.”
The Current Terror Wave in Israel: Characteristics and Implications
The recent terror wave of shootings and stabbings in the large Israeli cities of Be'er Sheva, Hadera, and Bnei Brak shows several significant characteristics that distinguish it from previous terror surges such as the one in 2015-16 (known as the "Knives Intifada"). The attacks were all perpetrated within pre-1967 Israel, undermining the sense of security of many Israelis who wanted to believe they were not targets of terror.

Three of the four terrorists were Israeli Arab citizens, one from the Bedouin village of Hura and the other two from the town of Umm al-Fahm. Israelis, including the security services, did not expect Israeli Arabs to go that far.

The affiliation of the two Israeli Arab terrorists from Umm al-Fahm with Islamic State was a surprise, since terror against Israel is not high on its order of priorities, and it has no organized structure among the Palestinians and the Israeli Arabs.

The Israeli government and the security services wanted to believe that by improving the economic situation in the Palestinian Authority and Gaza, they could gain at least temporary quiet. Pouring money into Israeli Arab society was also considered a way of bolstering their interest in integrating into Israeli society and keeping them away from violent and criminal activities.

The PA and Hamas, as well as elements of the pragmatic leadership of the Israeli Arabs, may take advantage of the economic gestures and deliver what is expected of them, but they are not in control of the terror threats. In addition, the PA and Hamas continue to stoke terror and hatred, and Hamas calls for terror from the areas not under its control, including by Arabs in Judea and Samaria and within Israel.

Most of the Palestinian people, including many Israeli Arabs who consider themselves Palestinians, are committed to the Palestinian narrative of an ongoing struggle against Zionism.
The Caroline Glick show Ep46 – Why Israel is in a do or die moment
Caroline is joined by Dr. David Wurmser to discuss why Israel has no choice but to replace the U.S. as the strong horse in the Middle East and lead an anti-Iranian coalition of Sunni Arab states. Caroline and David discussed how the Arabs view the Biden administration’s betrayal, and why Israel’s current government, which fails to understand the implacable nature of the administration’s hostility, is endangering Israel’s ties with its Abraham Accords partners and its very future.


UN's new Palestine rapporteur Francesca Albanese is “opposite of impartial” — Hillel Neuer on i24
Hillel Neuer tells i24 News about Francesca Albanese, a pro-Palestinian advocate who compares Israel to Nazi Germany, and the UN's new Special Rapporteur on “Israel's violations.” April 3, 2022.


Horowitz blasts ‘war crimes’ on visit to Israeli field hospital in Ukraine
Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz on Monday visited the Israeli field hospital in western Ukraine, becoming the first cabinet member to enter the war-torn country since the start of the Russian invasion.

Horowitz thanked medical staff at the Kochav Meir hospital in Mostyska, about 50 kilometers (30 miles) west of Lviv, for their “holy work” treating more than 2,000 women and children thus far, according to a statement from his office.

“Israel is the only country that has established such a facility within Ukraine. This is the real face of the Israeli health system,” he said.

He added that his visit sends a message of Israel’s “solidarity with Ukraine in the face of a brutal Russian invasion and in the face of the massacres and war crimes that are being uncovered these days across the country.”

Horowitz was apparently referring to the scenes that came out of Bucha over the weekend, after Russian forces retreated and Ukrainian authorities and journalists say they found scores of bodies in streets and evidence of mass graves, leading to charges of genocide.

The comment from Horowitz, head of the dovish Meretz party, was among the sharpest issued by Israeli officials regarding the killing of civilians in the suburbs of Kyiv, denting the government’s attempts to maintain positive ties with Moscow.

Foreign Minister Yair Lapid similarly called it a war crime but didn’t explicitly say that it had been perpetrated by Russian troops. Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman said Monday that there were “mutual accusations” regarding what had taken place and that Israel must uphold both its values and its own interests amid the ongoing war.

“Israel stands with the Ukrainian people, and we will continue to extend help as part of our moral duty, and as part of the family of democratic nations,” Horowitz said.
UN Watch: New push to oust Russia from U.N. rights council
The draft resolution would need to be formally submitted by a UN member state, and to receive two-thirds of General Assembly members present and voting.

Estonia has officially called for Russia to be removed, while U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken hinted at it.

Draft Resolution for the General Assembly

76/xxx. Suspension of the rights of membership of the Russian Federation in the Human Rights Council

The General Assembly,

Recalling its resolution 60/251 of 15 March 2006, which states that members elected to the Human Rights Council shall uphold the highest standards in the promotion and protection of human rights, and that the General Assembly may suspend the membership rights of a member of the Council that commits gross and systematic violations of human rights,

Reiterating the need for the full implementation of resolution ES-11/1 of 2 March 2022, entitled “Aggression against Ukraine,” and ES-11/2 of 24 March 2022, entitled “Humanitarian consequences of the aggression against Ukraine”;

Condemning in the strongest terms the ongoing systematic, widespread and gross violations of human rights by the Russian Federation, including those that may amount to crimes against humanity, resulting from the hostilities by the Russian Federation against Ukraine, including the besiegement of and shelling and air strikes in densely populated cities of Ukraine, in particular Mariupol, as well as attacks striking civilians, including journalists, and civilian objects, in particular schools and other educational institutions, water and sanitation systems, medical facilities and their means of transport and equipment, and the abduction of local officials, as well as attacks striking diplomatic premises and cultural sites,

Decides to suspend the rights of membership in the Human Rights Council of the Russian Federation.
UN Watch presents draft resolution to expel Russia from UN Human Rights Council
Testifying before the United Nations Human Rights Council, UN Watch's Hillel Neuer presented a draft resolution for the UN General Assembly to remove Russia from the Human Rights Council.


Ukraine War: Most Israelis Blame Putin, Most Palestinians Don't
Recent surveys about the war in Ukraine show that Israelis overwhelmingly blame Russia.

Tel Aviv University's Peace Index survey in March found that 78% of Israelis said Russia was unjustified in using force, including 73% of immigrants from the former Soviet Union.

A survey by the Israel Democracy Institute in March found that 70% of immigrants from Ukraine, and 2/3 of those from Russia, blamed Russia.

By contrast, 55% of Israeli Arabs in the Peace Index thought the Russian use of force was unjustified.

The Israel Democracy Institute found that just 27% of Arab citizens of Israel blamed Putin, while nearly 1/4 agreed that "NATO countries and the U.S." were responsible for the war.
PreOccupiedTerritory: ‘Racist Israel Is Focusing Only On Jewish Ukraine Refugees!’ Charge Countries Taking No Ukraine Refugees (satire)
Governments in the region and beyond are accusing the Jewish State of discriminatory behavior in offering escape and safety to Jews fleeing warfare in Eastern Europe, and not welcoming anyone in regardless of ethnicity, in contrast to the Jewish country’s neighbors and critics on the matter, who show no such discrimination because they let in no one at all fleeing Putin’s invasion.

Israel faces a stream of criticism from Arab and Muslim states in the region, plus several other countries in Europe and elsewhere, because it prioritizes the rescue of members of the Jewish people, in keeping with its purpose as a refuge and homeland for the Jewish people, and does not simply throw open its gates for anyone of any background driven from Ukraine by the Russian armed forces. The countries leveling the criticism, for their part – such as Egypt, the Palestinian Authority, Jordan, Tunisia, and Libya, plus Belgium, Ireland, and Venezuela, among others – manifestly do not display said bias in their Ukraine refugee policy, having absorbed zero refugees of any race, creed, color, gender, or other identity group.

“Once again we see Israel practicing Jewish supremacy,” declared Jordan Minister of Foreign Affairs Pasha Milhama. “This represents but the latest in more than a hundred years of Zionist discrimination against ‘lesser’ groups, an attitude that has, time and again, brought only unrest, persecution, displacement, pillage, rape, mass killing, and other atrocities, which are how we Arabs express our objections to Jewish sovereignty and safety. If the Jews wouldn’t be so uppity, all that violence wouldn’t happen. All that violence that followed Jewish migration to Ottoman and British-Mandate Palestine? We Arabs wouldn’t have raised an eyebrow, let alone a sword, if Zionism weren’t so specifically Jewish. It’s that Jewish supremacy and exclusiveness that’s the problem here.” Jordan has so far exhibited none of the aforementioned discrimination against Ukraine refugees; the percentage of Jews among the 0 refugees to whom the kingdom has granted asylum hews closely to the global Jewish population, which, on a scale of thirty million, rounds down to zero as well.
Bnei Brak city council to discuss naming street after Christian Arab police hero
The Bnei Brak city council is slated to discuss a proposal to name a street after 1st Sgt. Amir Khoury, who was killed responding to last week’s deadly terrorist attack in the city.

Khoury, a motorcycle patrolman, was the first person on the scene of the terrorist shooting on the evening of March 29. He and his partner engaged the shooter, and Khoury was wounded in the ensuing gun battle. He was evacuated to Petach Tikvah’s Beilinson Medical Center in critical condition, where he died of his wounds soon afterwards.

Khoury’s partner shot and killed the terrorist.

If the council adopts the proposal, made by councilman Yaakov Wieder, it will be the first time that the predominantly haredi Jewish city names a street after a non-Jew. Khoury, 32 at the time of his death, was a Christian Arab who lived in Nof HaGalil.

“We have an obligation to commemorate his courage and memory, and express all the city’s residents’ deep appreciation for his heroism,” said Wieder.


"55 Years Later, IDF Temple Mount Liberator Returns to the Hallowed Grounds, Settles Historic Dispute"
Shimon Yitzhak (Schitz) who served in the Jerusalem Brigade in June 1967, and who, according to recent studies, was the first IDF soldier to enter the Temple Mount compound during the Six-Day War, last week ascended the mountain for the first time in 55 years. He was accompanied by guides from the Beyadenu group, which is named after the immortal words of Mordechai “Motta” Gur: Har HaBayit BeYadeinu (The Temple Mount is in our hands).

Here’s the thing, though: for decades, the veterans of the Jerusalem Brigade have complained that they were jilted by Motta Gur, who commanded the Paratroopers Brigade. They argued that they had a much better knowledge of Jerusalem and had they not been skipped in favor of the paratroopers, fewer soldiers would have died. Now the group that named itself after the unforgettable battle cry of the legendary paratrooper, Gur, is giving the credit to the guy from the other brigade.

During the visit, Yitzhak told his side of the story: “At one point of that day, I don’t remember exactly when, I was running to the Kotel and I missed a small doorway that led down to the Western Wall. This was a narrow alleyway with a door and stairs, and what I saw in front of me was the open Mughrabi Gate. I ran and went in, I passed the Mughrabi Gate, I was on the Temple Mount.

“There was no living soul around. First thing, I ran to the Dome of the Rock. I made a mistake and entered both the dome and the cave under the Foundation Stone, and I was all alone. Without a single living soul, didn’t see any Arab, didn’t see anyone. I ran back, paused to look at Al-Aqsa, and went down to the Kotel which was already full of soldiers.”

Yitzhak also noted that for many years he thought that the paratroopers’ brigade had broken into the Temple Mount before him, but in recent years, following new photographs, he realized that he had probably been one of the first to enter the Temple Mount, if not the first: “There’s a picture of three guys that ran off to take pictures, to show the battles in Jerusalem, and they took pictures of the soldiers by the Kotel. On the 50th anniversary, the photographer took the pictures out of the attic and gave them to a close relative to reveal the identity of the soldiers photographed. We see clearly that they were not paratroopers, but rather belonged to Company B in the 163rd Battalion of the Jerusalem Brigade, and this was posted on Facebook.”


Hamas: Israel to ‘Bear Consequences’ of Lapid’s Damascus Gate Visit
Gaza’s ruling Hamas terror organization warned on Sunday that Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid’s “storming” of the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem’s Old City earlier in the day was a “dangerous escalation.”

Lapid had visited security forces near Damascus Gate to thank them for their service and express the country’s appreciation, amid a spike of violence and unrest coinciding with the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan on April 1. The country is also in the midst of a deadly terror wave, which has claimed 11 innocent lives within a one week span.

“The storming of the Damascus Gate by the foreign minister of the Zionist enemy, Yair Lapid, is a dangerous escalation, and the occupation will be responsible for its consequences. We and our people pledge to protect Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque,” said Hamas in a statement.

A few hours after Lapid’s visit, riots broke out in the area for the second consecutive night, with rioters hurling bottles, rocks and other objects at police. One officer was wounded, according to police. An officer was also wounded during Saturday’s riots, having been struck in the head by a bottle.

“This is a tense time, but we have a police force that can be trusted,” Lapid said in a statement on Sunday evening. “The security forces have our full backing. They work professionally in impossible conditions. We are committed to them and will give them all necessary resources,” he added.


PMW: “Strong red blood” will achieve victory – PA Mother’s Day message
Celebrating Palestinian Mother’s Day on March 21, the PA stressed its Martyrdom worship ideology that Palestinian Media Watch has documented. The PA reiterated that dying for “Palestine” – offering the “strong red blood… of its sons,” is good, desired, and even expected of Palestinians.

Greeting all Palestinian mothers, using one of its TV hosts as messenger, the PA highlighted specifically the mothers of “Martyrs.” “Martyr” (Shahid) is the exalted Islamic status the PA ascribes to any terrorist who died while attacking Israelis, and therefore the mothers of such terrorists are special to the PA. In fact, these mothers are “the most beautiful” and “the most exalted”!

Why?
- Because “they taught their children that victory is not achieved through words and slogans but through strong red blood”

and
- Because “they taught their children that the land will not be liberated until it is saturated with the blood of its sons” Official PA TV host: “Good evening. The most sacred mothers are the Martyrs’ mothers. They are the most beautiful mothers because they taught their children that victory is not achieved through words and slogans but through strong red blood. They are the most exalted mothers because they taught their children that the land will not be liberated until it is saturated with the blood of its sons. If mothers are a school for preparing the generations, then the Martyrs’ mothers are a special school that brings up heroes who honor their nation and their homeland… Mother’s Day greetings to all the mothers and to the Martyrs’ mothers. Wishing you all the best.”

[Official PA TV, Special Interview, March 21, 2022]


MEMRI: Egyptian Writer Following Killing Of ISIS Operative Who Was Nephew Of Hamas Leader Yahya Al-Sinwar: There Is No Difference Between ISIS, Hamas And Muslim Brotherhood
On March 26, 2022, the Saudi Al-Arabiya television channel reported, citing Egyptian sources, that the Egyptian armed forces and the Sinai Tribes Union had thwarted an attempt by several ISIS operatives to infiltrate Sinai from Gaza, killing three of the operatives and capturing three others. One of the operatives who was killed was identified as Mus'ab Mutawa', aka Abu Jamil Al-Ghazzawi. He is the son of Jamil Mutawa', who is in charge of Hamas' charity foundations in Khan Younis, and Jamila Al-Sinwar, sister of Yahya Al-Sinwar, the head of Hamas' political bureau in Gaza.[1] Mus'ab Mutawa' was formerly a commander in Hamas' military wing, but two years ago it was reported that he had joined ISIS in Sinai. [2]

Following the report of his killing, Egyptian journalist Amira Khawasek published an article in the daily Al-Yawm Al-Sabi', in which she mentioned other terrorist attacks against Egypt that some Egyptian elements had attributed to Hamas. She stated that Mus'ab Mutawa's ties to both Hamas and ISIS prove that "ISIS, Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) are equal in their depravity and crimes, and do not differ in any way."

The following are translated excerpts from her article:[3]
"Last Friday [March 25, 2022], while the Egyptians rallied around their national [soccer] team to root for it in the match between Egypt and Senegal, an ISIS operative penetrated the Egyptian border into Sinai. He was counting on the obsolete belief [which claims] that there are occasions on which everyone is preoccupied and distracted, for example during the iftar [the meal breaking the daily fast] on Ramadan or when our [soccer] team has an important match… But, to [his] surprise, the heroic Egyptian army was watchful and alert… and, although most Egyptians were [indeed] busy watching the important match, the terrorist did not manage to infiltrate [Sinai] and was killed.

"We probably all remember the despicable and treacherous terrorist crimes in which Egyptian officers and soldiers fell, including the first Rafah massacre on August 5, 2012, in which 16 officers and soldiers were killed during the Ramadan call for prayer,[4] and the second Rafah massacre on August 15, 2013, in which 25 people were martyred.[5] But these two incidents were not the only ones. Until 2017, there were over 45 attacks on the Egyptian army, and it is still being targeted…

"As mentioned, the [recent] terrorist plot was thwarted and the dangerous operative, Mus'ab Mutawa', was killed trying to join other operatives who were hiding like mice in their holes.
The prospects of the Iran deal remain uncertain
Up until a month ago, the revival of the 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was seen in Washington as a done deal.

The sides have made “significant progress,” and they were “close to a possible deal,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a press briefing. The Vienna negotiations “could amount to something close to the finish line,” he said in another briefing.

The reports of a possible deal sparked concern on Capitol Hill. A bipartisan group of 21 House members sent a letter to US President Joe Biden, expressing concern over the revival of the deal.

“Since the beginning of this administration, we have hoped that renewed negotiations with Iran would achieve a longer and stronger agreement than the JCPOA with clear nuclear restrictions and provisions addressing Iran’s international terror and missile programs,” they wrote.

“Among other issues, we are highly concerned about reports indicating the potential lifting of the Foreign Terrorist Organization designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and of the sanctions placed on members of the office of the supreme leader,” they added.

And indeed, the issue of delisting the IRGC remained at the heart of the disagreement between the countries. One month later, the fate of the agreement remains uncertain.

“We’ll see whether a deal can be achieved or not,” Senator Bob Menendez (D-New Jersey), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told The Jerusalem Post last week. “I’m not quite sure that it can, but lifting the designation of the IRGC is something that I would find really problematic.”
Iran Blames US for Halt to Vienna Nuclear Talks
The United States is responsible for the pause in talks between Tehran and world powers in Vienna aimed at reviving their 2015 nuclear deal, an Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday.

“America is responsible for the halt of these talks … a deal is very much within reach,” Saeed Khatibzadeh told a weekly news conference.

“Washington should make political decision for the deal’s revival,” he said, adding that Tehran would “not wait forever.”

The US State Department said on Thursday that a small number of outstanding issues remain in the nuclear talks, adding that the onus was on Tehran to make those decisions.

Iran has said that there are still outstanding issues, including Washington removing a foreign terrorist organization (FTO) designation against Iran‘s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Also Tehran has been pushing for guarantees that any future US president would not withdraw from the agreement. The extent to which sanctions would be rolled back is another unresolved issue.
Iran violates 2nd consecutive IAEA deadline in 2 weeks - analysis
A second deadline was missed on Sunday regarding a deal the International Atomic Energy Agency and Iran had said they agreed to in early March but that Tehran is now stonewalling.

According to a deal announced by both sides on March 5, Iran had been required to provide new answers to the IAEA by March 20 to try to talk its way out of evidence the Mossad had obtained in 2018 of the nuclear dimensions of its program.

However, the ayatollahs did not turn over their new answers on March 20 or since then, which led to missing the second deadline on Sunday.

Had Tehran sent its new answers, the IAEA was due on Sunday to already be demanding clarifications regarding them.

Moreover, the sides had agreed that they would start a series of physical meetings on April 10 to iron out any remaining differences after the first two rounds of exchange.

Yet, given that the exchange has not even started, there are no indications from the IAEA that the meetings, which had been scheduled for April 10, will take place.

This will leave the entire schedule agreed to on March 5 to be up to a month or more off track. It potentially leaves the entire process and the future of IAEA oversight of Iran’s nuclear program in jeopardy.
The Iran Nuclear Deal Is a Bridge to Nowhere
In the 2015 nuclear agreement, the JCPOA, Iran promised to defer its nuclear program for a time but accepted no constraints on missiles, arms proliferation, or destabilizing our friends in the region. The hope, incredibly, was that one day a newly responsible Iran would drop its nuclear plans and help to manage the Middle East, allowing America to back out. Needless to say, wise Western foreign ministers and diplomats thought this was a tremendously good deal. Now the people who brought you the JCPOA are back in Washington. Iran is busily enriching uranium and firing missiles at our friends.

This whole process has been based on a fallacy: that Iran could simply be talked out of something it saw as in its national interest. In fact, only sanctions and the threat of force have given Iran pause. We have failed to read the realities of international power. We have now seen from Russia where signaling weakness gets us. The same is true of Iran.

In the great film "Bridge on the River Kwai," the British colonel who was ordered to build a bridge for the Japanese war effort becomes determined to finish the job come what may and tries to stop a commando team from destroying it. The Iran deal has become our Bridge on the River Kwai. We have become obsessed with completing it, but have forgotten why. Let's blow it up and face down our enemies properly instead.
Republicans Want To Bar Biden Admin From Lifting Sanctions on Iran-Sponsored Terrorists
Congressional Republicans are spearheading a legislative effort to bar the Biden administration from lifting terrorism sanctions on Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) as part of a new nuclear agreement with Tehran, according to a copy of a new bill obtained exclusively by the Washington Free Beacon.

Reps. Brian Mast (R., Fla.) and Scott Perry (R., Pa.) introduced on Monday the Preventing Terror Sympathizers from Appeasing Terrorists Act, a bill that would block the White House from delisting the IRGC from the Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO) list without congressional approval.

The bill was designed to stop the Biden administration from delisting the IRGC as part of a package of concessions to Iran written into the new nuclear accord, which is nearing completion and likely to include a provision that waives key sanctions on the IRGC, potentially allowing Iranian terrorists to more easily enter the United States, as the Free Beacon first reported on Friday.

Sanctions on the IRGC—which were first imposed by the Trump administration as part of its "maximum pressure" campaign on Iran—remain one of the final sticking points in talks. Iran is pressing the Biden administration to nix this designation, even as the IRGC actively plots the assassination of top Trump administration officials and wages attacks on U.S. forces in the region. The administration's bid to remove these sanctions is fueling opposition to the deal from both Democratic and Republican foreign policy leaders, who worry such a concession will embolden Iran's global terrorism and spy operations. Carveouts in the deal that provide Russia with billions-of-dollars in revenue have also generated outrage among lawmakers.

The Mast-Perry bill is one of several pieces of legislation meant to force the Biden administration into consulting with Congress on the deal. While the White House is required under a 2015 law to present any deal with Iran to Congress for approval, it has becoming increasingly clear the administration will bypass this law. A separate piece of bipartisan legislation introduced in the House last week and first reported by the Free Beacon would require the Biden administration to disclose how sanctions relief for Iran will boost the IRGC's capabilities.




 

 

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