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Wednesday, April 13, 2022

04/13 Links Pt1: UN General Assembly majority greenlights Russia’s rape of Ukraine; Ukraine Learns the Israel Lesson; Israel's Arabs don't have to wave Israeli flag, as long as they don't wave Palestinian one

From Ian:

Amb. Alan Baker: How the Russia-Ukraine War and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Differ
Attempts to compare or equate the Russian mode of operation and massive violations of international law in Ukraine with Israel’s actions to defend its population from Palestinian terror attacks are patently lacking bona fides and the most basic sense of fairness and proportion.

The motivation behind such attempts is insincere, superficial, false, and deceitful. Those who attempt to manipulate international awareness by equating Russian aggression and war crimes with Israel’s actions to defend its population are driven by an overriding and irresponsible penchant to vilify, defame, and delegitimize Israel.

Russia is conducting an open, high-level war of aggression, with an indiscriminate and massive bombardment of civilian population centers, schools, hospitals, and railway stations, as well as religious and cultural centers and monuments, in violation of the basic and widely accepted norms and principles of international humanitarian law.

The Palestinian mode of operation includes using civilian facilities – schools, hospitals, clinics, mosques, and private homes – as weapons storage facilities and rocket emplacements. The Palestinian terror organizations have constructed a vast web of tactical tunnels underneath Palestinian towns, civilian roads, and significant facilities.

Israel does not conduct any high-level war of aggression against its Palestinian and other neighbors, nor does it employ prohibited and inhumane weaponry. Furthermore, Israel does not willfully and deliberately target civilians or civilian concentrations or attack religious, cultural, educational, and medical sites.

Self-respecting national parliamentary institutions and leaders and responsible media organizations are urged to reject out of hand such fake attempts to delegitimize Israel.
Lahav Harkov: Ukraine Learns the Israel Lesson
Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky declared Tuesday that, when the war is finally over, Ukraine would emerge from the rubble a “big Israel.”

He meant that the war would never really be over, that Ukraine would be on a permanent war footing, just as the Jewish state is. He meant that it would view its neighbors the way Israel has long viewed its own: As enemies waiting to pounce. Most importantly, he meant that Ukraine would never again rely on anyone else for its security: not the West, not the international community, not the so-called liberal order. It would be, like Israel, a nation apart, answering to no one but its people, in control of its own destiny.

It said something heroic about Ukraine, which has gone from pleading with NATO to save it from imminent destruction to fighting—forcing—the Russians into peace talks in a matter of weeks.

It said something not so heroic about the West, which had failed to admit Ukraine to NATO and, more recently, to wean itself off Russian oil and gas.

But mostly it said something profound about Israel—a country whose behavior over the past seven weeks has confused and confounded. How did the Israelis—scrappy, abrasive—become the convener of presidents and nations?

Zelensky has repeatedly suggested that the Russians and Ukrainians could meet in Jerusalem to hash out a peace agreement. It’s an amazing suggestion, even if he’s just floated it. Not Washington, not London, not Brussels or Paris. Jerusalem. The Israeli capital, which, until just a few years ago, the United States did not even recognize as the Israeli capital.

It wasn’t Joe Biden who was shuttling to meet with Putin, but Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, an observant Jew who jetted to Moscow on Shabbat to meet with Vladimir Putin in the early days of the war. (He is the only Western leader to have done so.) Since then, Bennett has had countless separate phone calls with Putin and Zelensky, who repeatedly asked Bennett to mediate in the first place, and he has sought to remain as diplomatic as possible—the better to keep the Russians and Ukrainians talking to the Israelis.

All this has raised the increasingly burning question: whose side was Israel on?
David Singer: UN General Assembly majority greenlights Russia’s rape of Ukraine
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and his bloated massive bureaucracy attempted to cover up this shameful day of infamy in the UN’s history.

The UN Meetings Coverage and Press Releases deceptively reported:
“The Assembly adopted the draft resolution by a recorded vote of 93 in favour to 24 against, with 58 abstentions, signaling [sic] the international community’s strong censure of Moscow’s aggressive actions towards a neighbouring State.”

“Strong censure of Moscow’s aggressive actions?”- When only 93 of the 193 member states voted to do so?

UN News published an even more misleading report:
“The resolution received a two-thirds majority of those voting, minus abstentions, in the 193-member Assembly, with 93 nations voting in favour and 24 against.

Fifty-eight abstained from the process.

Russia, China, Cuba, North Korea, Iran, Syria, Vietnam, were among those who voted against.

Those abstaining, included India, Brazil, South Africa, Mexico, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq, Pakistan, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Cambodia.”

Who in the UN Secretariat decided to:
Name and shame just 7 nations that voted against Russia’s removal – but failed to name the other 17?
Out 17 nations that abstained – but not the other 41 nations that joined them?
Not name any of the 18 nations that failed to vote or abstain: Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Benin, Burkina Faso, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea, Lebanon, Mauritania, Morocco, Rwanda, San-Tomé-Principe, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Turkmenistan, Venezuela and Zambia?
Not point out that 6 of the 15-member UN Human Rights Council – Bolivia, China, Cuba, Malawi, Russia, and Uzbekistan - voted against Russia’s suspension – whilst another 4 – Mexico, Nepal, Pakistan and Senegal – abstained?

No amount of window dressing by Guterres and his Secretariat can alter the fact that 100 of the 193 members of the UN General Assembly have depressingly voted to greenlight Russia’s continuing invasion and rape of Ukraine.

The General Assembly is disunited, fractured and irrelevant - having totally capitulated on trying to end the murder, suffering and dispersion of Ukraine’s civilian population.




Ruth R. Wisse: Zelensky the Jewish Hero
Michael Walzer, who literally wrote the book on “just and unjust wars,” is surely right that “Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is illegal under international law. And it is unjust according to every version of just war theory.” In fighting tenaciously, Ukraine has greatly advanced the cause of liberty, reminding what free nations owe one another and how they ought to be paying greater attention to the protection of their own. President Zelensky has personally delivered that message to the United States, Great Britain, the European Union, the United Nations, recalling to each the unprovoked attacks it faced, Americans at Pearl Harbor, the British in the London blitz.

Zelensky also addressed the Israeli Knesset, bringing history full circle from where I began. Ukraine now seeks help from the Jewish people in fighting for its freedom, and Israel is a nation of Zelenskys. Would that this reversal could be celebrated as a tribute to these two small countries that soldier bravely at such great cost. Israel has sent Ukraine a fully staffed field hospital with other humanitarian aid and is absorbing tens of thousands of its refugees. When aggressors threaten smaller entities, as they always have and doubtless always will, other free people must help in their defense.

Nonetheless, Zelensky’s speech to the Jews of Israel also reminds us that distinctions matter, even under fire. He said: I don’t need to convince you how intertwined our stories are. Stories of Ukrainians and Jews. In the past, and now, in this terrible time. We are in different countries and in completely different conditions. But the threat is the same: for both us and you—the total destruction of the people, state, culture. And even of the names: Ukraine, Israel. That is why I have the right to this parallel and to this comparison. Our history and your history. Our war for our survival and World War II. [my emphasis]

This effort to analogize the threat to Ukraine with the attempted genocide of the Jewish people is one of the few political missteps Zelensky has made. While his error in no way diminishes his right to call on the support of all freedom-loving people—or our duty to provide it—Israel is not Ukraine, and Ukraine is not Israel.

The Jewish state remains under attack from a larger, different, and more diverse set of enemies than Ukraine or any other country does. It has a tricky relationship with Russia, with whom it has had to be in constant quiet communication to prevent a larger conflict between the two countries from erupting in the skies over Syria. If Jewish connections with both Ukraine and Russia have encouraged Israel’s leaders to offer Israel’s help in mediation, they also remind us of the precarious role of Jews among the nations—and the ease with which yesterday’s neighbors can become willing executioners when it suits their purpose.

When Zelensky appealed to the Jewish conscience in his speech to the Knesset, his moral duty was to save his country. Period. He wanted as much as he could get from Israel and used whatever arguments were at hand to convince the Jewish state to come to his country’s aid. That makes sense. The first responsibility of a government is to its own citizens. Fighting for his life and the life of countrymen, the Jewish president may incidentally be upholding the universal cause of freedom, but at this moment, he is doing so solely by protecting Ukraine.

The same goes for Israel. Zelensky can make any appeal he likes and use whatever moral suasion he can to secure his aim, but Israel is also at risk—perpetually at risk—and its citizens are not just Jews with a special connection to the Jewish president of Ukraine. They are sovereign Israelis, and just as Zelensky is a citizen president with responsibilities to his fellow citizens, so too are sovereign Israelis responsible to their fellow citizens when it comes to their security. Israel has been the fighting front line of democracy from the day of its founding. Its citizens can, should, and will continue to supply whatever aid they can in Zelensky’s noble fight, with particular pride in his Jewish fellowship, without endangering themselves and their hard-won homeland.
Jewish approval of Biden drops to 63% from 80% last year - poll
The good news for Joe Biden is that a majority of US Jews approve of the job he is doing. The bad news is that the number in a new poll, 63%, is a sharp double-digit drop from where he was last year.

A poll released Wednesday by the Jewish Electorate Institute, a group led by prominent Jewish Democrats, showed Biden’s approval rating down from 80% in a poll by the same organization last July. His disapproval rating this year is at 37%, up from 20 percent last July.

Both polls were carried out by GBAO Strategies. The Jewish Electorate Institute put a positive spin on the numbers. “Jewish Americans continue to support President Biden and the Democratic Party at levels higher than the general American voting population, a trend that appears on track to continue in this year’s midterm elections and in the future,” said the group’s chairman, Martin Frost, a former Jewish Democratic congressman from Texas.

Biden’s approval numbers generally have dropped precipitously in the last year, a result of a botched exit from Afghanistan, a persistent pandemic and inflation that his government can’t stem. His approval rating generally is hovering at 42%, the lowest of his presidency. Jewish voters generally favor Democrats.

One area Biden scores well among Jews is in his handling of Russia’s war against Ukraine, with 72% approving.
IS supporter who murdered British lawmaker sentenced to life in prison
An Islamic State supporter was given a whole-life sentence Wednesday for stabbing a British lawmaker to death in revenge for his voting in support for airstrikes on Syria.

Ali Harbi Ali, 26, was convicted Monday of murdering Conservative lawmaker David Amess and preparing terrorist acts. A jury deliberated for just 18 minutes before finding him guilty.

“The defendant has no remorse or shame for what he has done — quite the reverse,” Justice Nigel Sweeney told the court. “This is a murder that struck at the heart of democracy.”

Ali stabbed Amess with a carving knife multiple times on Oct.15 while he was meeting with voters at a church hall in the town of Leigh-on-Sea in eastern England. Ali, a London man with Somali heritage, said he targeted Amess because he backed voting for airstrikes on Syria in 2014 and 2015.

The whole-life sentence means Ali will never be eligible for parole, and will likely spend the rest of his days in prison.

Amess’s family said “there is no elation” following the sentencing and described the crime as “beyond evil.”


20 years since 30 were murdered in the Seder slaughter - opinion
Twenty years ago, I was anticipating a lovely Pesach visiting my brothers in Maryland. The first Seder was Wednesday evening. I finished teaching at McGill University and rushed to Montreal’s airport. Back then, our cellphones didn’t keep updating us with news. I arrived at my brother’s house feeling festive – until I heard about the Seder slaughter.

A Palestinian terrorist disguised as a woman detonated an explosive-filled suitcase at a communal seder at Netanya’s Park Hotel. The thirty dead, including Holocaust survivors, catapulted the death toll from Palestinian terrorism that murderous March to 130.

Further fouling my mood, we prayed in caravans because my brother’s synagogue was undergoing a $10-million-plus renovation. I knew such renovations take years of planning and often sustain a community. But, I also knew that much of the money was going into a catering hall and that no one would consider moderating the opulence to redirect some funds or energy to supporting Israel as it bled.

That Shabbat, I read a New York Times op-ed by Yossi Beilin, “More War is Not the Route to Israeli Security.” Although I often disagreed with Beilin, I admired his thought-provoking book His Brother’s Keeper on modern Zionism. But in this essay, Beilin blamed Israel, the target of terrorism, far more than the Palestinians, who had chosen terrorism over negotiations. Beilin also made absurd, self-defeating predictions, claiming that a “war against the terrorist infrastructure will give birth to more terrorists.” It infuriated me that, amid Israel’s anguish, a leading Israeli politician tried influencing Israeli politics via The New York Times.

Fortunately, former prime minister Ariel Sharon understood that, with terrorists swaggering around their cities, terrorizing Palestinians not just Israelis, Israel had to strike back. So did former president George W. Bush. That January, former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat had lied to Bush, denying that the weapon-filled Karine-A ship, which Israel intercepted, was headed for the Palestinian Authority. As Arafat sweet-talked the president, Bush was reading documents proving the links that the Israelis seized and shared with the Americans, but had cleverly “forgotten” to publicize.
Israel's Arabs don't have to wave Israeli flag, as long as they don't wave Palestinian one
The recent terror wave, much like the riots in mixed cities last May, has made one thing very clear. If Israelis had thought that violence and crime prevalent in the Arab communities are the problems only of the areas adjacent to their population sectors, they have been proven painfully wrong in recent weeks.

Israel should not have expected that years of neglect and lack of enforcement - including illegal construction, and arms and drugs trade - in the Negev, some areas of the Galilee, and the mixed cities were not going to explode in our faces.

But these kinds of events also make another thing clear.

For example, the Second Intifada in the 2000s proved to Israelis there is no partner for peace on the Palestinian side. In addition, after Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip to the very last inch, instead of prosperity for the Palestinians, the enclave has turned into a launching pad for barrages of rockets. So, perhaps it is time to clarify to the Israeli Arabs and the Bedouins (Arabic-speaking nomadic tribe) where we stand.

We can no longer tolerate Israeli Arab municipalities expressing condolences to the families of terrorists who carried out deadly attacks against Israelis.

Israel can also no longer agree to remain silent when a parliamentary assistant from the Arab Joint List praises terrorists on social media, while not having his entry permit to the Knesset revoked.

Shortly after that same assistant was forced to come up with lame excuses, such as his Facebook account being hacked, to justify this behavior.

But, perhaps all the recent events occurred to remind us and the Israeli Arabs, that in order to live in co-existence within the borders of this country, one must adhere to minimal rules of civility.

Many of Israel's Arabs and Bedouins have chosen this option, which I think is the most rational one. Those who understand and embrace it, can integrate and lead the way in the high-tech sector, scientific research, and even join the police. I don't object to any of that.

What I object to are those who have chosen to "have the best of both worlds". During the day, they enjoy a convenient living as Israeli citizens, but during the night they either praise terror or directly participate in it, harming innocent people just because they are Jewish.
Israel’s Top Cop Condemns Call by Joint List Chief for Arab Israelis to Quit Security Forces
Israel Police Commissioner Yaakov Shabtai on Tuesday condemned Joint List chief Ayman Odeh’s call the previous day for Arab Israelis to quit the country’s security forces.

Speaking during a ceremony for outstanding units in the Israel Police at the National Police Academy in Beit Shemesh, Shabtai paid tribute to the 2,120 Druze officers, 1,232 Muslim officers and 745 Christian officers in the Israel Police, praising their decision “to take part in safeguarding the security of the state.”

His comments were made available by the police spokesperson’s office.

“I as commissioner and we as police do not tend to respond to statements by public officials, but I will not allow for the defamation of Arab police officers, our brothers in arms,” said Shabtai.

“The police under my command will be like a fortified wall against anyone who seeks to harm them or undermine their Israeli identity, and the duty they took on themselves with great bravery,” he stated.

“Not only do these comments not deter us, and they have no place in the discussion, but they also strengthen the process we seek to advance, which is the enlargement of the number of Arabs serving in the police, particularly Muslims,” said Shabtai.
MK Odeh, you won't destroy what we're building
MK Ayman Odeh and other lawmakers from the Joint Arab List boast of being the emissaries of the Arab public. Odeh's call on Arab members of the IDF, Border Police, and Israel Police to "throw down their weapons" doesn't hurt those institutions or the state – these are strong enough to contend with incitement of this sort – it mostly hurts his constituents. I only wish he would apply such passion to the burning issues truly afflicting the Arab public: violence in the villages, infrastructure, resources, and the education of the younger generation.

Those serving in the security forces will continue to serve, but the Arab public is the main casualty: The doctor or hospital nurse in Tel Aviv, the software engineer at Intel, the tour guide in Nazareth, the building contractor, the mechanic, the restaurant owner – they are all watching from the side and asking themselves, "Does he not see us? What is he doing?"

And Jewish citizens, who meet these Arabs in their day-to-day lives, are struggling to distinguish between the miserable declarations of their elected officials and an entire public that just wants to live in peace and take part in building coexistence here. There are enough challenges and there's enough inequality that requires fixing, such as the nation-state law, the Kaminitz Law, national construction plans, education and sport, and quality of life. There's no need for another horror show whose entire purpose is a tired political game at the expense of the common citizen. Whether part of the coalition or not, MK Odeh was elected to make decisions, not incite and instigate a mutiny.

For many years, ever since I completed my military service as commander of the Haruv Battalion, I have taken part in running the "Ofakim La'atid" (New Horizons) inter-agency task force on Israeli Arab issues, which promotes volunteerism, education, and culture among Druze youth. Some were "at-risk" teenagers who are becoming youth group leaders, who instead of wandering the streets are undergoing a shared process of personal empowerment, learning about solidarity and active civics, all while upholding tradition. But then along comes an elected official like Odeh, who in one fell swoop can destroy what we've been working to build for years. I, first and foremost as an active citizen and then as a security person – cannot stand idly by and allow this to happen.
JPost Editorial: Odeh should retract his outrageous comments
In television interviews this week, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett made it clear that the Joint List would not be invited to join the ranks of the coalition and he accused Odeh of forging “an alliance of trolls” with the Likud and Religious Zionist Party aimed at toppling the government.

“Odeh’s way is not the right way,” Bennett said, saying he prefers Mansour Abbas, “who recognizes Israel as Jewish, who is moderate and who wants to build connections and lower crime in Arab society.”

Bennett’s direct message to Arab Israelis serving in the police and the IDF was salient and correct. “The people of Israel are proud of you,” he declared. “Don’t give in to this bullying.”

Odeh later clarified that he was not referring to Arab Israelis serving within Israel, but only in what he considers “occupied territory,” which for him includes Jerusalem and the West Bank.

The Jerusalem Post’s Herb Keinon put it best when he wrote: “Odeh, who likes to fashion himself as an Israeli Palestinian Martin Luther King, had a message not of harmony but rather of division, of perpetual conflict – anything but conciliation, anything but Arabs and Jews living side by side this country – sharing the space equitably and shouldering part of the responsibility for keeping that space safe.”

Odeh once said that his service on the Haifa City Council made it clear to him that Arabs and Jews must work together. His latest rant is a textbook example of how to destroy the chances of coexistence rather than help build it up. We urge him to recant.


PA making terror payments to hundreds of Israeli citizens
Ramallah's perverse terror payments mechanism is being employed in Israel on a wide scale: The Palestinian Authority pays out stipends worth thousands of shekels to hundreds of relatives of Israeli citizens involved in terrorist operations. According to an investigation conducted by the defense establishment at the request of Israel Hayom, the Israeli citizens receiving the benefits are either serving prison terms for conducting terrorist operations, assisting such operations, or acting against Israel in other ways. In the event that the terrorists were eliminated while conducting terrorist operations, the payments are transferred to their relatives.

Payments range from 1,400 shekels ($436) to 12,000 shekels ($3,742) depending on the type of operation, the number of people murdered in the operation, and the length of the sentence handed down to the terrorist perpetrator. Beyond the stipend itself, there are other benefits that the prisoner and his family receive. We should note here that according to Palestinian Authority law anyone who has murdered a Jew − or the perpetrator's family − will receive a salary for life.

Payments are made according to a set tariff published by the Palestinian Authority for terrorists resident in Judea and Samaria. Under PA law, the payments continue even after the terrorist has released been released from jail. The defense establishment has confirmed that the Palestinian Authority pays these terror stipends to all terrorists, without any connection to organizational affiliation. In other words, the Palestinian Authority, which is controlled by the PLO, also makes payments to terrorists who are members of Hamas or the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

The defense establishment is aware that receipt of an economic stipend for terrorist activities from a foreign entity is problematic from a legal standing and constitutes a catalyst for terrorist operations. However, the law also provides economic privacy for Israeli citizens, and therefore the Shin Bet security agency and other defense organizations rely on intelligence tools to find out who the Israelis are who benefit from terrorist stipends from the Palestinians.

"Unfortunately, we cannot provide a precise figure for the number of Israeli citizens and residents who receive payments from the Palestinian Authority," the Defense Ministry said.
Large IDF Force Enters Shechem to Protect Renovation of Joseph’s Tomb Damaged by Arabs
IDF forces entered Shechem morning (Wednesday) to secure the restoration of the Yosef Tomb complex, which was damaged twice by Arabs earlier this week. Unlike its regular operations in PA cities––under cover of night, this time the IDF deliberately entered Shechem in broad daylight with large and visible forces, something it hasn’t done for many years.

The commander of the Samaria Brigade, Col. Roi Zweig-Lavi, issued the following order to his soldiers at the start of the operation: “Today we are embarking on an operation to repair the destruction of Joseph’s tomb. In this place, the land was promised to our forefather Abraham, as it is said, ‘To your seed I shall give this land.’ And we are operating today “with an outstretched arm,’ like our forefathers, about whose exodus from Egypt on Passover–which we’ll celebrate in three days–the scripture says ‘On this very day!’ Not like thieves in the night, but as sons of kings! And so, we merit to restore the honor of the land and the people of Israel. Combat posts start traffic to the city of Shechem.”

Chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, MK Ram Ben Barak (Yesh Atid) told Reshet Bet radio Wednesday morning: “Joseph’s tomb is our responsibility. If damage is done there it needs to be repaired. This was done in coordination with the Palestinian Authority. I hope the forces will leave in peace and return in peace.”

Head of Samaria Regional Council Yossi Dagan said in a statement: “This is a historic day. We arrived here at dawn, and in broad daylight, just before the Holiday of Freedom, to restore the national honor of the people of Israel and the desecrated honor of Joseph. The barbarian rioters schooled by the Palestinian Authority knew very well why they were burning and destroying the tomb of Joseph the righteous. They know that as long as the people of Israel living in Israel and abroad––led by the settlements in Samaria––continue to visit their holy places and national heritage sites, they can’t defeat us.”
Palestinian Killed in Clashes During Operation to Repair Joseph’s Tomb
One Palestinian was reportedly killed during clashes that broke out near Nablus (Shechem) on Wednesday after repair teams from the Samaria Regional Council entered Joseph’s Tomb to fix the damage caused to the site by Palestinian rioters on Saturday.

The repair work lasted three hours, according to Ynet.

“Earlier this week, Palestinians vandalized the Joseph’s Tomb religious site in the city of Nablus. This morning, IDF soldiers secured the area of Joseph’s Tomb while repairs were made to the site. During the activity, hundreds of Palestinians instigated a violent riot, burned tires and hurled rocks and firebombs at the soldiers in the area. The soldiers responded with riot dispersal means and live ammunition,” the Israeli military said in a statement,

On Sunday night, two Israelis were shot while attempting to approach the tomb.

The victims, both haredi men, were taken to Rabin Medical Center in Petah Tikva for treatment, and were in moderate condition.

The men had “arrived at an unmanned checkpoint at one of the entrances to Shechem, broke through it, and entered the city,” the IDF said in a statement. A short time later, they arrived at another checkpoint with gunshot wounds, the statement continued.

The men claimed they had been trying to reach the tomb to repair the damage caused by Palestinian rioters.


Joe Truzman: Analysis: Palestinian Factions Respond to IDF Operations, Exploit Terror Wave
Israeli forces have killed approximately 31 Palestinians belonging to various militant organizations in the West Bank since the beginning of last year, according to reports. This is a substantial increase in the number of deaths of militants compared to previous years.

A terrorist attack has the potential to significantly boost the image and credibility of a militant organization, much like the attacks in Be’ersheba, Hadera, Benei Berak and Tel Aviv.

After the shooting attack in Tel Aviv on April 7, Ra’ad Hazem, a Palestinian from Jenin that was claimed as a member by al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, was able to flee the scene undetected by security service personnel. This led to a large manhunt involving Israeli police, the IDF and special units trained in counterterrorism.

The images that played out on live television of hundreds of security personnel looking for a single attacker for more than eight hours in one of Israel’s largest cities was a significant victory for militant factions. By following security personnel door-to-door throughout Israeli neighborhoods, the Israeli media unwittingly boosted the propaganda value of the attack.

Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and other Palestinian militant organizations have significantly contributed to the deteriorating security situation in Israel without having fired a single rocket from Gaza. Although, PIJ chief Ziyad Nakhalah’s recent speech may end up changing that.

It’s likely Palestinian militant groups saw an opportunity to respond to the deaths of many of its militants in the West Bank by launching a campaign of terrorism in the wake of the first two high-profile attacks committed by Islamic State-linked militants in late March. Coupled with a campaign of incitement, Palestinian factions created an environment conducive to further acts of terrorism by so-called lone-wolves and its own operatives.
MEMRI: Fatah Officials Pay Condolence Calls To Families Of Terrorists From Jenin Who Carried Out Bnei Brak, Tel Aviv Attacks
The Fatah movement continues to express support for the terror attacks against Israeli civilians in Bnei Brak on March 29, 2022 and Tel Aviv on April 7, that were carried out by activists from the movement's military wing, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades.[1] Fatah officials paid a condolence visit to the homes of terrorists Diaa Hamarsha, perpetrator of the Bnei Brak attack who killed five Israelis; Ra'ad Hazem, perpetrator of the Tel Aviv attack who killed three, and Ahmad Al-Sa'adi, of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, who was killed in an exchange of fire with Israeli forces. The Fatah officials called the three, who were all from Jenin, "heroic martyrs" defending their homeland "with honor and courage."

The following are examples of Fatah officials' statements praising the recent attacks in Israel and their perpetrators, during condolence calls to the families of the perpetrators:

Governor Of Jenin District Visits Family Of Ra'ad Hazem, Perpetrator Of Tel Aviv Attack
On April 9, the PA's Jenin district governor, Akram Al-Rajoub, who is a member of the Fatah Revolutionary Council, paid a condolence call to the family of Ra'ad Hazem, who carried out the Tel Aviv attack, and to the family of Ahmad Al-Sa'adi, the PIJ activist who was killed in an exchange of fire with Israeli forces. Several days previously, on March 30, Al-Rajoub had praised the terrorist Diaa Hamarsheh, perpetrator of the Bnei Brak attack, saying that he had been killed "as he was defending the homeland."[2]

According to the Palestinian Wafa news agency, Fatah Revolutionary Council members Taysir Nasrallah and Jamal Al-Dik, as well as Fatah Jenin branch secretary Ata Abu Rmeila,[3] paid condolence calls to the homes of the families of the "Jenin martyrs" on April 12, during which they condemned "the aggression and organized terror [attacks] carried out recently by [the Israeli occupation] against sons of our people, particularly in Jenin and its [refugee] camp."[4]

Fatah Central Committee Member Abbas Zaki During Condolence Call: We Are Entitled To Resist The Occupation
Fatah Central Committee member Abbas Zaki paid an April 10 condolence call on the families of, in his words, "the martyrs of the homeland in Jenin district [Hazem and Al-Sa'adi] who were martyred by the hands of the treacherous occupation."[5]

On his Facebook page, Zaki posted excerpts from his April 10 statements during the visit: "There must be implementation of the recent decisions of the [PLO] Central Council, that met for its regular session in Ramallah: The security coordination with the Israeli occupation must stop, and [the PLO] recognition of it [Israel] must be withdrawn, in light of the policy of murder and criminal executions that it carries out against the sons of the Palestinian people...


MEMRI: Egyptian Politician And Journalist Accuses U.S., Europe Of Applying Double Standards By Sympathizing With Ukrainians And Not With The Palestinians, Describes The Number Of Palestinian Factions As 'Main Weak Point' In The Conflict With Israel
In an article titled "Has The Palestinian Issue died?" that was publish by the Egyptian daily Al-Ahram on April 4, 2022, Egyptian politician and journalist Osama Al-Ghazali Harb argued that the Negev Summit did not mark the end of the Palestinian issue and accused the U.S. and Western European countries of applying double standards by sympathizing with the people of Ukraine while addressing the issue of the Palestinian people with a "racist-like approach." Harb also blamed the Palestinian factions for the current situation of the Palestinian issue and wondered if they survived while the Palestinian issue died or is about to die, asking who should be held accountable.

The following are translated excerpts from Harb's column:
"The latest summit which took place in Negev, Israel which brought together the foreign ministers of the U.S., Israel, Egypt, UAE, Bahrain and Morocco and where Israel foreign minister Yair Lapid announced that it would become a permanent forum [a point] which the Palestinian authorities expressed its reservation about. Does that meeting mean the end of the Palestinian issue? Absolutely not.

War In Ukraine Exposes The Double Standard Of The U.S., Europe

"The sympathy and enthusiasm expressed by the U.S. and Western European countries for the people of Ukraine clearly expose the double standards and even the racist-like approach in dealing with the issue of the Palestinian people who are victims of the Israeli occupation of their land.

The Number Of Palestinian Factions Is The "Main Weak Point"

The main point of weakness in the Palestinian side, and I am speaking honestly here, is from the Palestinian themselves, not any other part, which makes the Israelis rest assured that they are safe from any serious pressure from the Palestinians. Gentlemen, do you know how many Palestinian factions there are? Let me mention the names of the ones I can remember: Fatah movement, Hamas movement, the Islamic jihad movement, the Palestinian National Initiative, Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Palestinian People's Party, Palestinian Popular Struggle Front, Palestinian Liberation Front, Palestinian Arab Front, Lightning Forces, Arab Liberation Front, The Palestinian Democratic Union (FIDA), Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command, Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades — the military wing of Hamas, Al-Quds Brigades — the military wing for the Islamic Jihad movement, Al-Nasser Salah al-Deen Brigades — the military wing of the Popular Resistance Committees, Abu Ali Mustapha Brigades — the military wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the National Resistance Brigades — the military wing of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades of Fath Movement, Liwa' Al-Nidal Al-Amoudi, Ayman Jawda Squads, Abdel Qader al-Husseini Brigades, Al-'Asifah ["storm"] army, Al-Mujahideen brigades, Jihad Jibril Brigades the military wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the General Command, and so on.

"Each one of these has its sponsors, leaders, and apparatus. What do you think? Have the factions survived while the [Palestinian] issue died or is about to die? If so, who is responsible?"[1]
Hezbollah leader praises Palestinian violence against Israel

How Russia Could Earn Billions From Biden’s Revival of the Nuclear Deal With Iran
When the Trump administration announced in 2019 that Russian entities would face sanctions for continued Iran nuclear work, those entities reportedly halted their efforts. Yet in February 2022, as part of its Iran deal diplomacy, the Biden administration unilaterally restored the sanctions waivers.

The situation now begs for a course correction. There is no need for Russian firms to engage in uranium transactions with Iran. Under a restored accord, the Islamic Republic could comply with the deal’s limits on enriched uranium by simply blending it down to natural uranium. The administration should announce that it will rescind sanctions waivers for all projects carried out by Russian entities and should threaten new penalties.

Washington should also urge its allies and partners that conduct business with Rosatom to unwind or pause their contracts. For example, Rosatom is currently spearheading at least eight foreign reactor projects, including ones with NATO members Hungary and Turkey and NATO partner Finland. More broadly, Washington must explain how it will prevent Moscow from using Iran’s financial system as a sanctions-evasion hub under a reported quid pro quo arrangement between Russia and Iran.

Governments must make increasingly difficult choices about cutting off Russia’s economy. But as Sullivan acknowledged, the Iran deal can at least proceed without Russia’s input — even if the wiser option would be not to proceed at all with what appears to be a deeply flawed agreement.
Iran Guards Commander Says Death of All US Leaders Would Not Avenge Soleimani Killing
The killing of all American leaders would not be enough to avenge the US assassination of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards’ top commander Qassem Soleimani two years ago, a senior Iranian Guards commander said on Wednesday.

The United States and Iran came close to full-blown conflict in 2020 after Soleimani’s killing in a US drone attack at Baghdad airport and Tehran’s retaliation by attacking US bases in Iraq.

“Martyr Soleimani was such a great character that if all American leaders are killed, this will still not avenge his assassination,” senior commander of the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) Mohammad Pakpour was quoted as saying by Iranian state media.

“We should avenge him by following Soleimani’s path and through other methods.”

Then-US President Donald Trump’s administration said Soleimani was targeted for plotting future attacks on US interests and that he had helped coordinate strikes on American forces in Iraq in the past through militia proxies.

Pakpour’s comments came days after US Army General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that he does not support removing Iran’s Quds Force, an arm of its Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), from a list of foreign terrorist organizations, as demanded by Tehran for the revival of a 2015 nuclear deal.
Iranian ‘Ghost Armada’ Ferries $22 Billion Worth of Illicit Oil to China
Iran's fleet of "ghost ships" has ferried at least $22 billion worth of illicit oil to China since 2021, providing the hardline regime with a major source of revenue and raising questions about the Biden administration's lax enforcement of sanctions.

In the first three months of 2022 alone, Iran shipped an average of 829,260 barrels of oil per day to China, according to new figures published by United Against a Nuclear Iran (UANI), an advocacy group that closely tracks Tehran's fleet of illegal tankers. A total of 337,882,520 illegal barrels—worth approximately $22 billion—have made their way to Beijing since President Joe Biden took office.

Iran's fleet, comprised of 182 foreign-owned and -flagged ships, operates with little interference from the United States, according to UANI. It is known as Tehran's "ghost armada" because these ships often obfuscate their position at sea and turn off their trackers—a violation of maritime law—so that they can evade detection.

Iran's black market oil trade has thrived under the Biden administration, fueling accusations the United States is turning a blind eye to sanctions enforcement in order to generate goodwill with Tehran as part of a diplomatic effort to ink a revamped nuclear deal.

UANI is outing the companies that own these ships as part of an effort to push the Biden administration into taking action. Four of the most active ships in Iran's fleet—VIGOR, VIRGO, HORNET, and BERG 1—are known to be operated by Atlantic Navigation, an India-based company that is linked to entities the United States has sanctioned for supporting Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), the country's paramilitary fighting force, which is responsible for killing hundreds of Americans.
Senior IRGC General: Western Culture Is a Path to Racial Extinction, Loss of National Identity
Deputy IRGC Commander-in-Chief for Coordination General Mohammad-Reza Naghdi said in a March 31, 2022 interview on Ofogh TV (Iran) that Europeans are losing their national identity and are headed for extinction due to the negative population growth in Europe. He said that Western countries preach to other societies how they should conduct themselves, yet Westerners are not getting married or having children. As a result, he said, the West is headed towards extinction and is forced to "import" populations from Africa and other parts of the world. Naghdi gave the example of France's national soccer and basketball teams, which he said comprise mostly of Africans. He predicted that in a few years the European race will exist only in museums, and that if the African immigrants to Europe embrace the Western lifestyle, they too will be headed for extinction.




 

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