Friday, October 21, 2022

10/21 Links Pt1: Lapid: UN's CIO report is antisemitic and written by antisemites; Iran testing drones on Ukrainian civilians for future use on Israel

From Ian:

Caroline Glick: Yair Lapid, Authoritarian and Unafraid
Under Israel’s constitutional law Basic Law – Referendums, to come into force all international agreements that involve the concession of sovereign territory require the approval of two-thirds of the Knesset or must pass in a public referendum. Since Lapid’s deal involves the concession of Israel’s territorial waters, under both the spirit and letter of the law, Lapid is supposed to submit the deal to the Knesset for two-thirds approval. In the event, Lapid tried to avoid even presenting the agreement to the Knesset for review. Although Attorney General Gali Miara Baharav issued an opinion that the agreement doesn’t need to be considered under the Basic Law – Referendums (for reasons that aren’t clear), she still insisted that the Knesset must approve the deal by a simple majority.

Lapid, for his part, doesn’t care what his attorney general thinks or what the law says. In response to a reporter’s question at the press conference, Lapid explained how he justifies his decision to act in clear contempt of the law and his attorney general and suffice with government approval of his radical deal with Hezbollah’s stand-in government in Beirut.

As he put it, “In light of the opposition’s unrestrained behavior, we have decided not to bring the agreement before the Knesset for a vote.”

That is, given that his political opponents oppose a gas deal that cedes Israeli territory and natural resources to its sworn enemy, under the gun, and just weeks before a national election, Lapid has decided that the Knesset is unworthy of the honor of approving his deal.

Several commentators have noted that Lapid’s statement demonstrated a contempt for his opposition. But the real problem with his statement, and the sentiment it expressed, is that it demonstrated an utter contempt for the most basic institution in Israel’s parliamentary democracy—the parliament, and for democratic norms.

Probably the worst thing about Lapid’s anti-democratic behavior is that his supportive press is letting him get away with it. While the CEC made Yesh Atid pay Channel 14’s legal costs, it didn’t require Lapid’s party to reimburse the television station for the fortune it paid to run a public campaign against Lapid’s efforts to shutter it. Channel 14 felt compelled to launch its campaign because for the most part, it received no support from its counterparts in the progressive, Lapid-supporting media. Israel Hayom, which changed its editorial line to support the Bennett-Lapid government was the only newspaper to express opposition to Lapid’s campaign against Channel 14. And it did it in a house ad, on page 20 of the paper. With the exception of two or three journalists on the right that broadcast for the other stations, Channel 14’s competitors either said nothing, or expressed support for Lapid’s effort to shut it down.

As for the deal with Hezbollah-controlled Lebanon, most of the media coverage has played down Lapid’s apparent breach of a Basic Law to ram his deal through on the eve of elections. Opposition to the deal has been painted in partisan colors, effecting the sense that the controversy over an agreement which requires Israel to make massive concessions in response to Hezbollah threats is nothing but electioneering.

It is impossible to know how the elections will pan out. There are always last-minute surprises. Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc is consistently polling between 59-62 seats, which makes it far from certain that Netanyahu will be able to form a coalition without making a deal with members of Lapid’s left-Arab bloc. But Lapid’s behavior since taking over the caretaker government makes one thing clear. If he forms the next government, the foundations of Israel’s democratic system and the basic freedoms that citizens of a free society expect, including freedom of the press and representative government, will be imperiled.
David Singer: Roth confounds UN, USA & Australia: Two-State solution “is gone” Kenneth Roth – recently retired Executive Director of Human Rights Watch – has undermined the continuation of the policy espoused by the UN, USA and Australia for the last 20 years supporting the the creation of a new Palestinian Arab State between Israel and Jordan for the first time in recorded history (two-state solution).

Addressing a recent discussion hosted by the Washington-based think-tank - Arab Center - Roth declared:
“The two-state solution is great but it's gone”

Roth’s bombshell admission was followed by this statement made by Hady Amr - US deputy assistant secretary for Israeli and Palestinian affairs:

"We remain committed to rebuilding our bilateral relationship with the Palestinian people, with the US president's goal of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict along the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps,"

In reversing Australia’s decision to recognise western Jerusalem, later revoked, as the capital of Israel – Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong said:
“Australia is committed to a two-state solution in which Israel and a future Palestinian state coexist, in peace and security, within internationally recognised borders. We will not support an approach that undermines this prospect.”

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has been repeating a similar mantra since 2017:

“A two-state solution that will end the occupation and, with the creation of conditions, also the suffering even to the Palestinian people, is in my opinion the only way to guarantee that peace is established and, at the same time, that two states can live together in security and in mutual recognition,”

This blinkered approach by the UN, USA and Australia has seen each of them refusing to acknowledge – let alone discuss – the merits of a new alternative solution emanating from Saudi Arabia in June : Shredding the failed two-state solution and calling for the merger of Jordan, Gaza and part of the 'West Bank' into one territorial entity to be called The Hashemite Kingdom of Palestine whose capital will be Amman – not Jerusalem (Saudi Solution).


Lapid: UN's CIO report is antisemitic and written by antisemites
A UN report which makes the case that Israel's "occupation" of land over the pre-1967 lines is illegal is antisemitic and written by antisemites, Prime Minister Yair Lapid charged on Friday morning.

This report is "biased, false, inciting and blatantly unbalanced," Lapid said.

'Not all criticism of Israel is anti-Semitism, but this report was written by anti-Semites … and is a distinctly anti-Semitic report," Lapid tweeted.

He spoke up one day after the UN Commission of Inquiry on Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel issued a 28-report to the UN General Assembly's Third Committee.

The Commission of Inquiry's lasting impact
Israel opposed the creation of the COI, claiming it showed bias against Israel.

Most COI that investigate human rights situations are temporary with a limited time frame, this one is open-ended.

Questions have also been raised about the three-person commission, particularly after one of its members Miloon Kothari made a comment that social media was largely controlled by the Jewish lobby. He later apologized for that remark.

Israel has feared that the COI will perpetuate the charge that the Jewish state is guilty of the crime of apartheid, an accusation Lapid has rejected as false.

The COI has not tackled the issue of apartheid, but it did issue a report which argued that Israel's occupation is illegal and called for the International Court of Justice to issue an advisory opinion on the matter.

In June the COI issued a different report to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Headed by South African human rights expert Navi Pillay, the COI was formed in the aftermath of the 2021 Gaza war.

Israel's Mission to the UN in Geneva recalled that the COI "was formed when Israel was under attack from thousands of rockets fired from the terrorist organization Hamas. Yet in their first report to the United Nations General Assembly, the Commission chose to make no reference to the conflict in May 2021, no reference to the Hamas, and no reference to acts of terrorism.


Ben Cohen: Israel must arm Ukraine
With that enhanced status comes responsibility. As a growing power in the world, Israel needs to adjust its foreign policy accordingly, looking beyond its own corner of the world and paying greater attention to the balance of power between the Western democracies and authoritarian states like Russia and China. Over the last 20 years, Israel has enjoyed improved diplomatic and commercial ties with both, yet the present situation faces the country’s leaders with a stark choice. Israel has always seen itself as part of the democratic world, but it is no longer confined to the chorus line, where its opinions on an issue outside of its region don’t matter. It has become a player—and Ukraine is the place where that can be proven beyond doubt.

Gantz’s offer last week to provide Ukraine with an early warning system to defend against Russian missile attacks was given short shrift by Kyiv’s envoy in Tel Aviv, Yevhen Kornichuk, who dismissed as “not relevant anymore” and repeated his country’s request for Iron Beam, Barak-8, Patriot, Iron Dome, David’s Sling and Arrow interceptors. Ukrainian leaders have also flocked to social media to tell Israelis that they will be the main beneficiaries of any military assistance, since the enemy there, as in the Middle East, is the Iranian regime and its drones. Finally, the Ukrainians are pointing out that the U.S. and its NATO allies have already provided air defense systems and are providing more, meaning that Israel would be in good company if it was to change its policy.

How would Russia respond if Israel was to arm Ukraine? Former president and Putin lackey Dimitri Medvedev has warned that such a move “would be a very reckless step” that would “destroy” relations between Moscow and Jerusalem. Practically, that would mean increased Israeli anxiety over Russian activity in neighboring Syria, where Iran would likely be given a freer rein, and very real concerns that the approximately 100,000 Jews who remain in Russia would face a renewed bout of state-sponsored persecution after three decades of relative relief.

Make no mistake: The Russians are brutal enough to make Israel’s hypothetical distress a searing reality. However, that doesn’t mean that Israeli leaders should bury their heads in the sand. The future for everyone in Russia is bleak: conscription, economic decay and a steady diet of state propaganda is the order of the day there. Israel should be clear, as Sharansky has been, that there is no future for Jews in Russia and that the goal is to bring the remainder of the community to Israel as quickly as possible. Israel should also recognize that the historic protests currently raging in Iran have exposed the fundamental weakness of the ruling mullahs, who now have to rely on sheer force to impose their will. Ordinary Iranians have made it clear they don’t want their government meddling in Lebanon, Kurdistan, Syria, Yemen and Gaza, especially when the situation at home is so dire. That reality presents Israel with a significant advantage.

None of this is risk free; few strategies are. What matters, though, is the moment. Israel has an opportunity to prove itself as a defender of democracy and steadfast opponent of the crimes against humanity being inflicted by Russian forces. It is a moment that must be seized.
Iran testing drones on Ukrainian civilians for future use on Israel -Ukraine
Iran is using Ukraine as a testing ground for its drones to prepare for future drone attacks on Israel, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry claimed on Thursday.

"Today hundreds of Iranian drones are undergoing 'test runs' on our land, killing civilians," The Defense Ministry wrote on Twitter. "These drones were not intended for use against Ukraine. To have a strategic advantage over its enemy, Israel should conduct a 'test run' of its air defenses Ukraine is the best testing ground."

The comment was made the same day that Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid and Ukrainian Minister Dmytro Kuleba spoke about cooperation between Iran and Russia, and the day that it was confirmed by the US not only that Iran was selling drones and missiles to Russia, but that Iranian military personnel were overseeing the launch of the suicide drones against Ukraine.

Ukraine seeks Israeli air defenses
"I spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid and informed him on unspeakable suffering, loss of life, and destruction caused by Russian missiles and Iranian-made drones," said Kuleba. "We discussed in detail Ukraine’s request for Israel to provide air and missile defense systems and technology."

Lapid's office said that he emphasized Israel's support of Ukraine, and in an interview with the independent Russian-language news channel RTVI, Lapid said “The relations between Iran and Russia are a serious problem not only for Israel but for Ukraine, Europe and the rest of the world. The fact that Russia is using Iranian UAVs to kill Ukrainian civilians is unacceptable.” Israeli prime minister Yair Lapid, Minister of Defense Benny Gantz and Israeli Minister of Energy Karin Elharar hold a press conference on the maritime border deal with Lebanon, at the Prime Minister's office in Jerusalem, on October 12, 2022. (credit: OLIVIER FITOUSSI/FLASH90) Israeli prime minister Yair Lapid, Minister of Defense Benny Gantz and Israeli Minister of Energy Karin Elharar hold a press conference on the maritime border deal with Lebanon, at the Prime Minister's office in Jerusalem, on October 12, 2022. (credit: OLIVIER FITOUSSI/FLASH90)

Lapid and other Israeli officials have refused to provide weapons to Ukraine.

In a letter from the Ukrainian embassy in Israel to the Israeli Foreign Ministry published by Axios on Wednesday, Ukraine laid out that it requested the air defense platforms "Iron Beam, Barak-8, Patriot, Iron Dome, David's Sling, Arrow Interceptors and Israeli support in training for Ukrainian operators." Some of these platforms, such as Iron Beam, are not currently in service.

“Israel will not deliver weapon systems to Ukraine due to a variety of operational considerations," Defense Minister Benny Gantz said on Wednesday. "We will continue to support Ukraine within our limitations as we have done in the past.”

However, Gantz did say "We have asked the Ukrainians to share information regarding their needs and have offered to assist in developing a life-saving, early-warning system.”
US: We reject blanket comparisons between Israel and Russia on annexation
There is no comparison between Russia's actions in Ukraine and Israel's treatment of the Palestinians, State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters in Washington as he rejected an attempt by UN human right expert Navi Pillay to make such a linkage.

"I think it is important to take a step back and to recognize the profound differences between those two situations," Price stated.

He spoke after the UN's Commission of Inquiry (COI) on Israel concluded that the IDF's "occupation" of Palestinian territory over the pre-1967 lines was illegal because it had become akin to de facto annexation, in a report it released Thursday.

Israel annexed east Jerusalem in the immediate aftermath of the Six-Day War in 1967, a move the International community has never recognized and has widely condemned.

It has maintained military rule over the West Bank since that war but withdrew from Gaza in 2005. The international community has held that Israel still occupies Gaza because it continues to control its borders.

Rising comparisons between Russian annexation and Israeli territories
In a statement to the media on Thursday COI Chair Navi Pillay recalled that earlier this month the UN General Assembly had condemned as illegal Russia's attempt to annex four regions in Ukraine. Some 143 nations out of 193 member states had approved that resolution including the US and Israel.

“Recent statements by the Secretary-General and numerous member States have clearly indicated that any attempt at unilateral annexation of a State’s territory by another State is a violation of international law and is null and void," Pillay said.

She added that "unless universally applied, including to the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, this core principle of the United Nations Charter will become meaningless."


Seven Myths about the “Historic” Israel-Lebanon Maritime Border Agreement
Myth 1: “The agreement will make Lebanon less dependent on Iran.”

Reality: Lebanon is famously corrupt and controlled by Hezbollah, which in turn is controlled by Iran.

The usual cronies will divide the money among themselves, and Hezbollah will get its share. Enriching the fictitiously independent state of Lebanon without enriching Hezbollah and Iran is impossible. So the agreement will not reduce Hezbollah’s grip on the government in any way.

Myth 2: “Israel needs this agreement to proceed with the exploitation of the Karish field.”

Reality: Energean, the company that Israel contracted to develop the Karish gas field, began its work when it looked as if there would never be a deal with Lebanon, and it continued to work when Hezbollah threatened war.

From a commercial point of view, the agreement was irrelevant. The world is replete with examples of companies that exploit gas fields within undelimited or even highly disputed EEZs. When deciding where to work, the companies rely on the security and financial assurances of their host countries, not on international agreements. Lawyers from the United Nations never saved workers on a gas rig caught in the crossfire of hostile militaries.

But even from a strictly legal point of view, Israeli ownership of Karish was never the issue. The Lebanese always staked their claim, officially, on Line 23. The Karish gas field, lying well south of that line, was therefore clearly in Israel’s EEZ.

As for Nasrallah, he did not threaten to attack because he considered the exploitation of Karish to be an especially provocative or hostile act. Nasrallah has made clear that he sees the existence of Israel as a gross and ongoing injustice, an affront to all Muslims, and a threat to Lebanon. “Where is our sea?” he asked in a speech on October 11, after the maritime border agreement was completed. “To us, our sea extends to Gaza,” he answered. From Nasrallah’s point of view, the oil refinery in Haifa and the power plant in Hadera are as much an affront as the Karish rig.
Hudson Institute: Israel-Lebanon Maritime Border Agreement: A Historic Deal or Another Mistake?
The Israel-Lebanon maritime border agreement has been depicted by the Lapid government as a historical agreement, often compared to the Abraham Accords, bringing two parties together, and as a significant step to normalizing relations between Israel and Lebanon. But Hezbollah, an Iranian proxy entity dedicated to working against American and Israeli interests, is the one in charge of running Lebanon. The Biden administration positioned itself as a mediator between Israel and Hezbollah and forced Jerusalem to make concessions that would weaken its deterrence against the activities of Iranian-backed operatives. Why did the United States encourage Israel to concede to Hezbollah’s demands? Does the agreement advance Israeli-Arab peace? Is the Israel-Lebanon deal just another step to appease Iran?


JPost Editorial: Settler lawlessness in Israel's West Bank must be stopped
An attack on Israeli soldiers by Jewish settlers overnight is a sign of growing lawlessness in the West Bank and must be treated seriously.

This is not the first time that extremists within the Jewish community have felt impunity to attack other Jews, soldiers, Palestinians and basically whoever they want. The fact that Israeli authorities have refused to arrest and prosecute the suspects over the years shows that they have pretty much been given an implicit green light.

As we all know, appeasement doesn’t work, whether it comes to dealing with criminals or extremists. For too long, Israel has permitted lawlessness in parts of the West Bank, hoping – foolishly perhaps – that ignoring the situation will bring calm. Authorities must take this seriously and politicians across the political spectrum, as well as settler leaders, must call out the extremists and stop appeasing them.

Overnight Wednesday, the commander of the IDF’s 202nd Paratroopers Battalion and a soldier were injured by settlers, who pepper-sprayed and stoned them in the Palestinian town of Huwara in the Samaria region of the West Bank.

Prime Minister Yair Lapid called the attackers “dangerous criminals who must be denounced and brought to justice without hesitation and with all severity.” He said, “They endanger the lives of our soldiers and they harm the State of Israel.”

Increasing attacks on Palestinians
The attacks followed weeks of increasing attacks on Palestinians and left-wing activists by extremists in the West Bank. Reports say that one of the settlers involved is himself a soldier, painting a worrying picture of how the army has come to the point where soldiers don’t even fear attacking other soldiers. Another incident in which settlers also attacked two additional soldiers with pepper spray later in the night at the Tapuah junction, south of Huwara, shows that there is a whole culture of lawlessness that has grown up in this region.

Of course, this is not taking place in a vacuum. The settler violence is happening as Israel faces a growing spate of Palestinian terrorist attacks. On Wednesday night, just before the violence in Huwara, the terrorist who killed 18-year-old Military Police soldier Noa Lazar at the entrance to the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Shuafat on October 8 tried to murder more Israelis in Ma’aleh Adumim. Thankfully, he was stopped by brave security guards.
Israel unveils new S-80 corvette missile ship to withstand future threats
Israel Shipyards unveiled its new generation SAAR S-80 Corvette class with increased weapon suite capacity and a longer range designed to withstand future threats.

Based on the S-72 platform, the S-80 Corvette features greater versatility and a higher payload capacity with increased weapon suite capacity and a wider spread of Electronic Warfare (EW) systems as part of the platform's offensive advantages.

The vessel is 80 meters in length and is powered by four diesel engines for a top speed of more than 28 knots. The S-80 will be equipped with a state-of-the-art control system, a health management system and advanced surface-to-air capabilities, as well as various combat systems according to the requirements of the customer.

By minimizing radar cross section (RCS), the S-80 allocates larger deck space for additional weapons systems.

According to the company, the vessel “can be adjusted to accommodate Corvette or as an OPV [Offshore Patrol Vessels] version, depending on the operational requirements.”

The S-80 allows for a longer range of 3,500 nautical miles and endurance for extended periods with reduced detection risks, making it ideal for diverse applications and missions. The vessel can also support the possibility of deploying Special Forces units.

Israel Shipyards intends to make the new S-80 its flagship vessel for the next decade, serving the needs of the Israeli and foreign navies.
3 months after US package for Palestinians unveiled, most moves still facing hurdles
The Palestinian Authority hoped for more from Joe Biden when he visited the region last July, but the US president did not come empty-handed.

While Ramallah had pushed for strong US diplomatic engagement on efforts toward a negotiated two-state solution, Biden instead announced a series of more interim measures aimed at improving Palestinian lives.

The package of steps announced by the White House included a donation to the East Jerusalem Hospital Network, the roll-out of 4G digital connectivity for the West Bank and Gaza, relaunching the Israeli-Palestinian Joint Economic Committee, and expanding the operation of the Allenby crossing between the West Bank and Jordan to 24 hours a day.

The package fell short of fulfilling Biden’s pledge to reopen diplomatic missions for the Palestinians in Washington and Jerusalem, but one PA official acknowledged at the time that the steps were more than what Ramallah had expected.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, nonetheless expressed skepticism that the US would be able to follow through, given that most of the measures required cooperation from Israel, which had avoided endorsing the White House’s July announcement.

That skepticism was at least partially warranted. Three months later, most of the measures announced are still waiting to come to fruition, though hopes remain high they will overcome bureaucratic hurdles and other hiccups that have kept the promises from full implementation.
MEMRI: Palestinian Authority Responds To Violence Wave In Two Conflicting Ways: Tries To Restrain West Bank Gunmen, While Also Encouraging Them And Inciting Terror
With the growing wave of terror attacks in Israel in the recent weeks, and the escalating violence on the ground, the Palestinian Authority (PA) has nearly lost control over the armed groups active in the Jenin and Nablus areas, and particularly in the refugee camps. Especially conspicuous in these areas in the last few months has been the activity of armed groups comprising dozens of gunmen, like the Lions' Den in Nablus and the Jenin Brigade in Jenin. These groups have carried out many attacks against Israelis and have effectively transformed the Jenin and Nablus refugee camps into hubs of terror against Israel. At the same time, there is also a growing phenomenon of terror carried out by operatives in Fatah's military wing, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, and even by members of the PA security apparatuses.[1]

Amid these developments, the PA is taking two different approaches in dealing with its loss of control over the operatives in the field and with the involvement of its members in terror activity. One the one hand the PA, which is in charge of maintaining order in its territories and regards the escalating violence as reflecting a loss of its control on the ground, is trying to enforce order and restrain the operatives by means of its security apparatuses, and even to absorb the fighters into the security apparatuses themselves. At the same time the PA and the Fatah movement – the ruling party in the PA, headed by PA President Mahmoud 'Abbas – are aware of the growing popular support for the escalation in the West Bank, and are therefore praising the terrorists and presenting them as national heroes, and in fact inciting further terror activity. According to Nablus Governor Ibrahim Ramadan, 'Abbas "wants popular resistance" but "cannot not declare this openly" because "he is still committed to diplomatic agreements."[2]

Reports about the PA's efforts to restrain the operatives on the ground have appeared mostly in media outside the PA, whereas the PA's and Fatah's encouragement of terror and armed struggle and are part of their open rhetoric. Fatah officials and Facebook pages, for example, have praised the recent attacks and their perpetrators, and articles in the PA press have extolled "lone wolf" attacks as a method of struggle against Israel and praised the activity of the gunmen in the refugee camps.[3]

It should be noted that the official narrative of the Palestinian leadership blames Israel for the escalation in the recent months and describes it as part of Israel's deliberate policy of "executing" young Palestinians. This is said every time Palestinians are killed by the Israeli military, even when they are killed during, after or on their way to carry out terror attacks.[4]

This report reviews the PA's dual approach to dealing with its weakening control over the operatives in the northern West Bank.
MEMRI: Qatari, Al-Jazeera Journalists Praise Palestinian Terrorist Uday Al-Tamimi, Perpetrator Of Two Shooting Attacks And Killer Of Female Israeli Soldier: He Is A Hero And Will Be 'Forever Immortalized In History'
On October 19, 2022, Palestinian terrorist Uday Al-Tamimi carried out a shooting attack at a roadblock at the entrance to the Israeli city of Ma'ale Adumim, and was subsequently killed by Israeli security forces. Ten days previously, he had carried out a shooting attack at the Shuafat roadblock in northern Jerusalem, during which he shot to death female Israeli soldier Noa Lazar.

Following the second attack during which he was killed, journalists from Qatar and Al-Jazeera praised him on Twitter, calling him a hero who would be "forever immortalized in history."

This report will present the journalists' praise for Uday Al-Tamimi:
Qatari Journalist: The Hero Al-Tamimi Died "A Martyr With The Utmost Pride And Heroism"

Qatari journalist Jaber Al-Harmi, former editor of the Qatari daily Al-Sharq, tweeted: "[Uday Al-Tamimi] confronted the occupation the first time [i.e. in his first attack] at point blank, inflicting deaths and casualties – yet the occupation, for all its forces and units, could not capture him. Ten days later, he set out against them, to confront the occupation with a handgun, attacking and not fleeing. This is the hero Uday Al-Tamimi, son of Shuafat, son of Palestine, who died a martyr with the utmost pride and heroism."[1]

Al-Jazeera Presenter: Al-Tamimi's Heroism Will Be "Forever Immortalized In History"

Ahmad Mansour, an Al-Jazeera presenter, similarly praised the terrorist, tweeting: "After 10 days in which the occupation army, with all its capabilities, could not capture him, the lion Uday Al-Tamimi emerged from his den,[2] confronting the occupation with the utmost heroism. He continued to fight, attacking without fleeing, [demonstrating] rare heroism. The Israelis released [video of this] to prove that they had killed him, but this only underlined and lionized his heroism, which will be forever immortalized in history."[3]

Former Al-Jazeera CEO Yasser Abu Hilalah also tweeted praise of Al-Tamimi: "The enemy released the video to intimidate the Palestinians, but [this clip] is a qasida [Arabic poetic form] which presents the highest form of heroism. Uday Al-Tamimi became a symbol by facing the bursts of gunfire as if they were rain irrigating the olive tree..."[4]

Ghada Oueiss, another Al-Jazeera presenter, tweeted a photo of Al-Tamimi, writing: "This is a people that will never be defeated."[5]


Mother of dead 19-year-old terrorist “Martyr”: He told me he wanted to die as a Martyr

PA Shari'ah Judge lauds Martyrdom: Martyrs are chosen by Allah

39 Years after Marine Barracks Bombing in Beirut
This Sunday is the 39th anniversary of the Iranian attack on the US Marines barracks in Beirut, which took the life of 241 US Marines. It was the single largest loss of life in the history of the US Marine Corps since the battle of Iwo Jima.

Every year on this date families gather for memorial services around the country to commemorate the lives of these first American victims of Islamic Iran’s vicious, relentless, and still unending war on America.

The attack on the US Marines followed on the heels of the April 18, 1983, attack on the US Embassy in Beirut. In my new book, And the Rest is History: Tales of Hostages, Arms Dealers, Dirty Tricks, and Spies, I call these attacks the “first blood” in Iran’s unending war on America.

For years we have known the names of the main perpetrators. Until now, only one has been brought to justice: Imad Fayez Mughniyeh.

Prior to 9/11, he was the terrorist with the most U.S. blood on his hands. A Lebanese-born Shiite Muslim who worked in Yasser Arafat’s elite Force 17, he was hired by Iran as their chief overseas terrorist once Arafat was forced out of Beirut in September 1982.

Mughniyeh was quick to prove his worth to his new masters with a series of massive car bombs in Lebanon. The first, on Nov. 11, 1982, took down the seven-story Israeli military headquarters in Tyre, Lebanon, killing 67 IDF personnel and Border Guards.

Next was the April 18, 1983, bombing of the U.S. embassy on the Beirut corniche, which I witnessed first-hand. Sixty-three people perished in that blast, including seventeen Americans. Among them were Kenneth Haas and Robert Ames, the CIA’s top spies in the Middle East. Indeed. Mugniyeh’s target was a top secret meeting of CIA station chiefs from around the region. In a single blow, Iran decapitated the Agency’s intelligence apparatus in the region.

Emboldened by these successes, Mughniyeh’s Iranian masters next instructed him to strike against Western peace-keeping troops, with the goal of driving them out of Lebanon. Shortly after 6 AM on October 23, 1983, an Iranian terrorist drove a red Dodge water truck past unarmed sentries at the U.S. Marine barracks near the Beirut airport, killing 241 Marines. Less than ten minutes later, a second explosive-laden truck smashed into the Drakkar building several miles away, killing 63 French Marines. Mughniyeh watched both attacks with binoculars from a nearby hill while his underlings captured them on videotape.
Biden juggles Iran nuke talks as Iranian repression grows
The deal already was teetering toward collapse despite Biden’s efforts to revive it. But the administration has not given up all hope for a turnaround via indirect talks with the Iranian leadership. The pact, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA, would provide Tehran with billions in sanctions relief in exchange for the country agreeing to roll back its nuclear program to the limits set by the 2015 deal. The deal includes caps on enrichment and how much material it can stockpile and limits the operation of advanced centrifuges needed to enrich.

Chances for a return to the deal have come tantalizingly close since the beginning of this year, but have been derailed by Iranian demands that the U.S. maintains are outside the scope of the original agreement. And now, prospects for a resumption in negotiations are bleak at least until later this fall.

Critics of the nuclear deal argue that the administration should break off all consideration of a renewed deal. They say the sanctions relief windfall that Iran would enjoy would be used to further repress its own people and fund proxies that would exacerbate broader threats in the region.

“The White House faces an internal strategic contradiction: How can you claim to be holding the regime accountable for internal repression while offering that same regime sanctions relief in Vienna?” said Richard Goldberg, an analyst at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, a policy institute focusing on foreign affairs and national security.

But the administration has so far held to Biden’s initial campaign position: A deal with Iran will make the world safer. That strongly held viewpoint creates an unusual split-screen dynamic for Biden, who speaks frequently about the need to stand firm in the battle of democracies vs. autocracies.
As long as there is an US President willing to court Iran, danger will bask in the wings.
American leaders and diplomats have the obligation to learn from the past 2015 deal as to relevant areas of prior and current concern:
1) proxy based terrorism;
2) human rights abuses;
3) destabilizing militia and proxie sponsorships;
4) intercontinental ballistic missile development and launches;
5) sophisticated missiles stationed throughout Lebanon to Israel’s North; replenished rockets housed within Gaza to Israel’s South; and suspected military drone sites within Judea/Samari to Israel’s East;
6) oil and gas swap and other arrangements with Russia;
7) observation satellite launch, and 9) self-serving impediments to I.A.E.A. camera eyes on Iran’s nuclear sites, both acknowledged and surmised, as well as its enrichment nuclear materials as it gets closer to weapon quality.

All of this while operating within a Geo-political environment prone to radical destabilization.

It has been made crystal clear as to where Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi stands: no willingness to meet with President Biden; no openness to negotiate: Tehran’s ballistic missile programs, or its support for its regional proxies Hezbollah, Hamas, or its militias in Iraq, Syria; or suspected infrastructure development within Judea, Samaria, etc.


At least 10 Iranians said killed by Ukraine as Moscow-Iran arms ties seem to deepen
Ukrainian strikes in the past week against Russia’s ongoing invasion killed at least 10 Iranians, a Ukrainian official told Hebrew media on Friday.

The official told the Kan public broadcaster that the deaths occurred in two separate strikes in areas where Iranians were.

There were no further details about the circumstances of the strikes.

On Tuesday, The New York Times reported that Iran sent military trainers from the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps to Russian-occupied Crimea to help Moscow’s troops use Iranian drones against Ukraine.

Ukraine and its Western allies have accused Russia of deploying Iranian-made drones in attacks against Ukraine in recent weeks as Moscow and Tehran appear to be growing closer.

Russia has denied using Iranian drones in Ukraine and Iran has denied sending Russia weaponry.

Russia has been bombarding Ukraine with drones and other weapons in attacks against Ukrainian energy and infrastructure sites. Ukraine believes Russia has used dozens of Iranian suicide drones in attacks on civilian targets, including in Kyiv.

The drones are the Shahed-136 model aircraft used for air-to-surface attacks. The so-called kamikaze drones carry a small warhead and crash into their targets, exploding on impact. They have a range of about 1,000 kilometers (621 miles).

Iranian trainers from the IRGC, a branch of the military the US lists as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, are assisting Russia in the campaign out of a military base in Crimea, the report said, citing current and former US officials who had been briefed on classified intelligence.




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