Thursday, October 27, 2022

10/27 Links Pt1: How Americans, Europeans Embolden Palestinian Terrorism; Republicans must defund the UN and stop appeasement of Iran; Russian official: Chabad Lubavitch is a neo-pagan cult

From Ian:

Bassam Tawil: How Americans, Europeans Embolden Palestinian Terrorism
Instead of assuming its responsibility for halting terrorist attacks from areas under its control, the Palestinians continue to violate the agreements they signed with Israel.

In the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian Authority did not take real measures to stop Hamas from building a massive terrorism infrastructure. Hamas later used its weapons arsenal not only to attack Israel, but also to overthrow the PA regime and seize full control of the Gaza Strip.

The same scenario is now being repeated in the West Bank, specifically in areas controlled by Mahmoud Abbas's security forces.

This is the twisted logic of the Palestinian leadership: Instead of denouncing the terrorists for targeting Israelis, as they have officially and repeatedly committed to doing, they lash out at Israel for defending itself against the current wave of terrorism.

When a senior Palestinian official such as Habbash says that the terrorists are entitled to carry out "resistance" attacks, he is actually telling them to continue targeting Israelis. Such statements are not only a violation of the agreements the Palestinians signed with Israel, but also incitement to launch more terrorist attacks against Israelis.

The Palestinian leadership, in a policy is known as "pay-for-slay," already provides monthly stipends to Palestinian terrorists..... The families of the Nablus terrorists will also presumably benefit from these payments.

The Palestinian leadership's endorsement and glorification of terrorism comes as no surprise. What is surprising – and intensely disturbing – is that those foreign governments that are providing financial and political aid to the Palestinian Authority, especially the Americans and the Europeans, are not calling out Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian leadership for their public support of terrorism and their ongoing breach of the agreements they voluntarily signed with Israel.

"We will not resort to weapons, we will not resort to violence," Abbas declared in his last speech before the United Nations General Assembly, "we will not resort to terrorism, we will fight terrorism." His words were directed to the international community, not to his own people.

The silence of the Americans and Europeans toward the actions and rhetoric of the Palestinian leaders is tantamount to a green light to the Lions' Den and other terrorists to continue their terrorist attacks.

If the Biden administration and the Europeans believe that Abbas or any other Palestinian leader is going to stop a terrorist from murdering Jews, they are engaging in staggering self-deception.


Jonathan Tobin: Republicans must defund the UN and stop appeasement of Iran
While the U.N. as a whole is an ongoing disgrace, last week’s report of the HRC’s Commission of Inquiry on Israel has highlighted the issue of the world body’s anti-Semitism. The HRC can’t be reformed. The only proper response is to do everything possible to shut it down and to punish those of its officials who are responsible for its trafficking in blatant Jew-hatred and its efforts to isolate and destroy the one Jewish state on the planet.

While some find it hard to work up much indignation against the U.N., or regard efforts to rein it as tilting against windmills, the Commission of Inquiry’s effort to aid the destruction of Israel illustrates how dangerous it can be. Indeed, documents like this report are useful tools for the spread of anti-Semitism via the BDS movement and to those wishing to aid the likes of Iran and its terrorist allies, which seek Israel’s extinction. While the administration opposed the Commission’s report, it isn’t prepared to hold those responsible for this outrage by withdrawing from or defunding the HRC.

It’s up to Republicans to pass legislation defunding the HRC and the Commission of Inquiry. More than that, the House, with the backing of Senate Republicans, must use its leverage over the funding of the State Department to ensure that the administration doesn’t find a way to evade restrictions in this realm.

That will require a degree of intestinal fortitude that past GOP congressional leaders have lacked. But what must be understood about this is that by refusing to use its fiscal power, the DC establishment has stood by while this administration uses taxpayer dollars to enable the U.N. to spread anti-Semitism.

If the GOP is serious about stopping Biden’s toxic policies, it can’t waste precious time on rhetorical exercises. 2023 must be the year this comes to an end.


Tortured logic: Analysts dismiss Ukraine’s attempt to blame Israel for Russia-Iran alliance
For Wurmser, it’s clear that Israel is being unfairly singled out.

“You don’t see a similar attitude toward other Western countries or developed countries like Japan, and—unlike Israel—many of these countries would not face any severe consequences from Russia if they assisted Ukraine,” he noted.

He offered two reasons why Ukraine is, in his view, obsessively focusing on Israel. One is that Zelenskyy is Jewish, along with other members of Ukraine’s defense establishment, and thus might feel an emotional connection to Israel and expect its support.

“Also, I believe internally that they probably face a fairly complex circumstance being Jewish leaders in a European country. In other words, they need from Israel whatever support they can [get], to validate their position,” he said.

Secondly, Wurmser posits that earlier in the war, the Biden administration may have pushed Ukraine to pressure Israel as a way to put Jerusalem on the defensive, making it less able to resist efforts to revamp the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran. In that scenario, Ukraine could simply be continuing on a path that’s been set for it by the United States, he said.

He also noted that often overlooked in the discussion about whether Israel should provide Iron Dome to Ukraine is whether it’s actually feasible to do so.

“Israel right now faces a very dangerous circumstance with Hezbollah, Iran and Hamas, and it frankly needs to preserve its military assets in-country. It doesn’t have anything it can just send over to Ukraine. That missile that goes to Ukraine could potentially leave one missile hitting an Israeli city,” he said.

Finally, Wurmser said, a review of Ukraine-Israel relations shows that “Israel owes Ukraine nothing.” He pointed to Ukraine’s hostile-to-Israel voting record at the United Nations and failure to move its embassy to Jerusalem. “Ukraine has never done anything to signal any affinity or friendship with Israel,” he said.

At the same time, he continued, an argument can reasonably be made that it’s in Israel’s interests to send some military equipment to Ukraine. Israel has been too sensitive to Russia’s presence in Syria, and as a result appears weak to Russia and its enemies in the region, he said.

Russia is more concerned about escalation in Syria than Israel is, and would maintain the status quo even if Israel supplies weapons to Ukraine, he continued. Offering surplus weapons to Ukraine, perhaps small arms, would send the right message to Russia that Jerusalem is not afraid, he said.

“It’s precisely because of Russia’s presence in Syria that Israel needs to show that it is not deterred, that it is strong and that Russia needs Israel more than Israel needs Russia,” he concluded.
Israeli President: Israel Providing Serious Humanitarian Assistance to Ukraine
Israel has always been on Ukraine's side by providing serious humanitarian assistance, but in other areas the country's support is limited due to national security reasons, Israeli President Isaac Herzog told the Atlantic Council in Washington on Wednesday.

"Let's put the record straight. First of all, Israel is aligned with the international community and the United States at all the international forums. Secondly, of course, we made it clear that we object to any violation of Ukraine's territorial integrity. But the big thing is, of course, Israel is assisting quite substantially in an array of issues, most predominantly humanitarian issues. If you walk around the various volunteer organizations and NGOs in Ukraine, Hebrew is the predominant language."

"We've set up hospitals, we are making a huge effort on psychological and post-traumatic treatment...we've supplied medical equipment, Ukrainian soldiers are being treated in Israeli hospitals, we've offered a lot of equipment that has to do with civilian needs. We've also offered Ukraine...civilian systems for early detection of missile attacks - something that Israel has huge experience in."

"But there are things that we cannot supply, due to our national security interests of utmost importance, and that is by the way the rule in many other countries....Israel is doing what it can in light of its strategic and security considerations."
Russian envoy to Lebanon: We have significant military coordination with Iran
Russia has been cooperating militarily with Iran to prevent “takfiri ideology from spreading in Syria.” Alexander Rudakov, Moscow’s ambassador to Lebanon, said on LuaLua TV (Bahrain) on Oct. 18.

By takfiri, he means a Muslim who wrongly excommunicated a fellow Muslim, which is punishable by death according to Islamic law.

According to a report by MEMRI, he also stated that he has no issue with Russia employing Iranian-made drones or armaments and that these drones are not used against innocent targets.

“We have significant coordination with Iran in these military operations. I don’t see any problem, for example, in using drones, or any weapons [manufactured by Iran],” said the Russian ambassador.

Earlier this month, The New York Times reported that Israel has been providing Ukraine with “basic intelligence about Iranian drones” that Russia is deploying in its war against Ukraine.
Russia is worried the UN will affirm its use of Iranian drones
Moscow invaded its beleaguered neighbor earlier this year and has increasingly used Iranian-style drones to wreak havoc, terrorizing Ukrainian civilians and attacking energy infrastructure on the eve of winter. Last week, the UK, France and Germany called for a United Nations probe of accusations that Russia has used drones from Iran to attack Ukraine.

If such evidence is found by the world body, it would apparently be a violation of a UN Security Council Resolution, Reuters noted. “In a letter signed by their UN envoys and seen by Reuters, the three backed Ukraine's call on Monday for such a probe, arguing the drone use breached UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2231 endorsing the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.”

Russia is worried
Moscow has said that the call for a probe would “create a dangerous precedent,” Russian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya said on Wednesday.

"The actions of Western delegations, who demand the secretariat organize a probe into the use of drones, create a very dangerous precedent for the United Nations’ work. From the legal point of view, they want an artificial expansion of the secretariat’s competencies and endowing it with extra functions by means of infringing upon the Security Council’s prerogatives," he said, according to Russian state media TASS.

"We call on the Security Council members to defend the UN Charter, to condemn the Western delegation’s actions that are undermining it, and to speak up clearly for the Secretariat’s sticking to Article 101 of the Charter and its mandate," the Russians said.
Senior Russian official: Chabad Lubavitch is a neo-pagan cult
Alexei Pavlov, the assistant secretary of the Security Council of Russia, has written in an op-ed that he believes “Neo-pagan cults [have] gained strength in Ukraine,” naming one of them as the Chabad-Lubavitch hassidic movement.

Chabad is the most dominant Jewish group in Russia and Ukraine, and the accusation has shocked rabbis and emissaries.

“The main life principle of the Lubavitcher followers is the supremacy of the sect’s supporters over all nations and peoples,” Pavlov said.

He offered an example and said that Jewish-Ukrainian oligarch Igor Kolomoisky “is a Lubavitcher hassid, an adherent of the ultra-Orthodox religious movement.”

He added that “a number of other Ukrainian oligarchs belong to this movement, in particular Victor Pinchuk who is the son-in-law of the second president of Ukraine Leonid Kuchma.”

Russian chief rabbi condemns "vulgar antisemitism"
Russia’s Chief Rabbi, Berel Lazar, strongly condemned Pavlov’s statements and condemned them as “vulgar antisemitism.”

Lazar wrote to Pavlov in response to his remarks saying: “Unfortunately, the article contains a position that is difficult to grasp, other than an insult to millions of Jewish believers, including the vast majority of Jews in Russia.”

“Pavlov’s logic can be called nonsense, vulgar and antisemitism, but this is a new type of old blood libel, and if they are uttered by a member of the Russian Security Council, this poses huge danger [for Jews],” Lazar stressed.
Ex-Moscow chief rabbi calls on Russia Jews to flee after top official attacks Chabad
Former chief rabbi of Moscow Pinchas Goldschmidt on Thursday called on Russian Jews to flee the country after a top Russian defense official assailed the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic movement as a supremacist cult.

In an article for the government-owned Argumenty i Fakty weekly newspaper calling for the “desatanization” of Ukraine, assistant secretary of the Russian Security Council Aleksey Pavlov had claimed that the country was home to hundreds of neo-pagan cults, including the Chabad-Lubavitch sect.

“The main principle of the Lubavitch Hasidim is the superiority of the supporters of the sect over all nations and peoples,” Pavlov wrote.

In a tweet, Goldschmidt, who also serves as the president of the Conference of European Rabbis, decried the security official’s remarks, along with other recent measures by Russian authorities, as antisemitic.

“An attack by the Russian government against Chabad, as well as the attacks against the Jewish Agency for Israel, are antisemitic acts against all of us,” said Goldschmidt, who fled Russia earlier this year after working in the country for decades.

Goldschmidt was referring to an ongoing legal battle that Russian authorities launched against the Jewish Agency, a group that encourages Jewish immigration to Israel and also organizes Jewish cultural and educational activities in Russia.
Israel to show off defense tech at Bahrain International Airshow for first time
A delegation of Israeli defense contractors will participate in the Bahrain International Airshow next month, in a sign of the growing military ties between Israel and the Gulf nation after the two countries normalized relations over two years ago.

The weapons show, celebrating its tenth year, primarily focuses on the aerospace industry, both civilian and military.

Bahrain’s Ambassador to Israel hailed the Jewish state’s participation in a letter to the delegation’s organizers, ISDEF — an Avnon Group company that holds an annual defense show in Israel — saying it is “an important milestone in strengthening the relationship between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the State of Israel.”

Among the Israeli companies heading to the exhibition between November 9 and 11, the state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries said it would showcase “a variety of its state-of-the-art aviation products,” including radars, air defense systems, drones defense, and other products.

IAI doard of directors chairman Amir Peretz said the Abraham Accords, the 2020 agreements mediated by the United States between Israel and a number of Arab countries, “have opened the door for us to participate for the first time in this exhibition and to work collaboratively with our neighbors to deal with the common threats we face in the region.”

“IAI’s capabilities, alongside the impressive relationships that we developed over the last two years with our colleagues in the Gulf States, will allow us to continue to expand the company’s contribution to both technology and defense in the region, whereby our proven capabilities can help ensure a higher degree of regional stability,” he added.
Israeli, US and Arab paratroopers dive to mark Abraham Accords anniversary
Paratroopers from the IDF, the Bahraini military, the Emirati Armed Forces and the US Army completed a joint dive on Wednesday to mark the second anniversary of the Abraham Accords.

The dive, which took place in Bahrain, was the first carried out by Israeli paratroopers in the Gulf.

Intended to symbolize the expanding military cooperation between the US, Bahrain, the UAE and Israel, the dive was initiated by Israeli Ambassador to Bahrain Eitan Na'eh along with his American counterpart in the Gulf state.

The dive was carried out from a US Air Force Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft.

Increased military cooperation in the Middle East
Earlier in the week, a delegation of 25 IDF soldiers and officers headed by the IDF's OC Depth Corps Maj.-Gen. Itai Veruv arrived at Manama for undisclosed talks on further military cooperation.

Military cooperation between Israel and Gulf countries comes amid talks of establishing a defense alliance in the Middle East which would include Israel, the US and Arab states that are part of the Abraham Accords.

Bahraini Ambassador to the US Shaikh Abdullah bin Rashid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa told The Jerusalem Post Annual Conference last month that "like-minded Middle East states" must "work together to defend their national security interests from Iran."
Biden: Israel-Lebanon deal sets stage for more stable, prosperous region
The Israel-Lebanon maritime border agreement sets the stage for a more stable Middle East, U.S. President Joe Biden said on Thursday.

“As I said when this historic agreement was announced, it will secure the interests of both Israel and Lebanon, and it sets the stage for a more stable and prosperous region,” he said. “The United States will continue to serve as a facilitator as the parties work to uphold their commitments and implement this agreement.”

Biden said that he was “proud” to congratulate Jerusalem and Beirut on officially resolving their longstanding maritime boundary dispute centered on gas-rich waters.

“Energy—particularly in the Eastern Mediterranean—should not be a cause for conflict, but a tool for cooperation, stability, security and prosperity,” he continued. “This agreement takes us one step closer to realizing a vision for a Middle East that is more secure, integrated and prosperous, delivering benefits for all the people of the region.”

Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid on Thursday signed the deal, following its approval by the Cabinet earlier in the day.
Lebanese president: Israel border deal has no ‘political dimensions’
Lebanese President Michel Aoun clarified on Thursday that the maritime border deal forged with Israel does not constitute recognition by Beirut of Israel, after Prime Minister Yair Lapid suggested as much.

In a statement issued after he signed a letter approving the terms of the agreement, Aoun said it would have “no political dimensions or impacts that contradict Lebanon’s foreign policy.”

Lapid signed the U.S.-mediated accord on Thursday, following its approval by the Cabinet earlier in the day.

“This agreement strengthens Israel’s security and our freedom of action against Hezbollah and the threats to our north,” he said, adding that “everyone has signed off on this agreement and its contribution to Israel’s security and our operational needs.”

Lapid also suggested that by agreeing to the deal, Lebanon, an “enemy country,” was effectively recognizing Israel.
Israel's government officially approves maritime border deal with Lebanon

Israeli and Lebanese officials arrive to sign maritime border agreement

Historic Israel, Lebanon maritime border deal delivered



'I do not hate Arabs. I hate terrorists'
The rise of Itamar Ben Gvir is one of the major storylines of the fifth election cycle in little more than three years. The political firebrand from the right flank of the political spectrum is soaring in popularity, with polls showing his Religious Zionist bloc garnering as many as 14 of the Knesset's 120 seats.

That would likely make the Religious Zionist Party the third-largest in the Knesset (behind Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud and Yair Lapid's Yesh Atid) and larger than the State Party by Defense Minister and former Netanyahu challenger Benny Gantz. At 14 seats, the Religious Zionist Party would be twice as large as the former Yamina faction was when its leader, Naftali Bennett, emerged as prime minister in an unlikely alignment after the previous election last year.

The bloc is a combination of three relatively small right-wing parties. They banded together to run in a technical bloc, to ensure that none of the three would fall below the 3.25% vote threshold for entering the parliament. The Religious Zionist bloc is led by former Transportation Minister and longtime parliamentarian Bezalel Smotrich. Several other well-respected MKs including Simcha Rothman and Orit Strock sit high on the candidates list. The list has four women in its top 20 positions.

Israel's staunchly nationalist right-wing parties rarely surge to such high parliamentary numbers. But Ben Gvir, No. 2 on the Religious Zionist list and head of the small Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Strength) faction, is capturing the populist wave in the current election campaign, in large part because Israel's left-wing media have turned him into the top story. Ben Gvir has become a regular guest on Israel's political news programming.

At the same time as they invite him to air his views on live television, much of Israel's left-leaning mainstream media – along with anti-Netanyahu politicians – have branded Ben Gvir a "racist."

Speaking to JNS, Ben Gvir said, "Our Tanach [Bible] teaches us that we are from here, we have come back to our land. I am not a racist, I do not hate Arabs, I hate terrorists."
Arab MKs' statements supporting terror influence Jewish Israelis too - analysis
Sometimes it seems that MKs from Arab parties in this country think that what they say or tweet in Arabic is not heard by Israelis who don’t understand the language.

Tuesday was one of those times.

Hours after the IDF killed five members of the Lions’ Den terrorist group, including those considered the group’s leaders, Hadash-Ta’al MK Aida Touma-Suleiman took to Facebook to bewail their deaths.

“Nablus bids farewell to its martyrs today,” she wrote in Arabic. “Today our Palestinian people bid farewell to their martyrs. The more the occupation increases its crimes, the more resistance escalates. A basic lesson in the history of nations.”

And then, some people wonder why so many Israelis oppose incorporating Touma-Suleiman’s party into a future coalition or even relying on its support to form a government.

It is not, as some argue here and around the world because the country is full of Jewish racists who don’t want to give Arabs full rights or let them sit around the government table to get an equitable piece of the budgetary pie. Rather, it’s because of attitudes such as these: praising terrorists who want to kill Israelis.
Tel Aviv University students demonstrate on behalf of slain terrorists
Students at Tel Aviv University held a demonstration Thursday morning in support of the members of the Lions' Den terrorist cell who were killed in Israel Police raids on Monday night.

The demonstration was held at the entrance to the university.

Protest leaders identified themselves as being affiliated with the Hadash party. They were heard chanting, "Shahid, rest, we will continue the struggle...unity with Palestine with the return of all refugees, unity with Palestine in the removal of the occupiers."

"The fact that at the entrance to Tel Aviv University chants of martyrs and intifada are heard, and the president of the university does not even bother to leave his office and remove the protesters is a sign of disdain and a shameful surrender, said Shai Rosengarten, national activist coordinator of Zionist organization Im Tirzu. "If someone dirties the entrance to your house do you say you are not responsible for it? The storefront of Tel Aviv University turned into a terrorist demonstration in the middle of Jenin."
Alleged Israeli Strikes Hit Syria Overnight, Killing Four
Alleged Israeli strikes hit several positions near Damascus in the early hours of Thursday, the Syrian defense ministry said, in the third such attack in less than a week.

The strikes targeted weapons and ammunition depots, and resulted in the deaths of four people – one of whom was a local national – the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Explosions were heard in the Syrian capital in the night of Wednesday to Thursday, an AFP correspondent reported.

“At around 00:30 AM, the Israeli enemy carried out an aerial aggression from the direction of the occupied Palestinian territories targeting several positions in the vicinity of Damascus,” the Syrian defense ministry said in a statement.

Syria’s air defense intercepted several missiles, the ministry added.
IDF's new strategy on terror: targeted raids over extensive operations
The IDF's daring raid in Nablus, in which the Lion's Den terror group's leader was eliminated and its explosives lab destroyed, shows that the military has a new strategy. Or to be more precise, it has returned to a strategy that has not been used in Judea and Samaria for some time: targeted raids. With the rising Palestinian terrorism, the IDF is expected to increase such activities in Jenin and Nablus.

So far, Israel has operated in the Palestinian territories either through countermeasure operations or arrests, the latter of which got complicated sometimes and led to the killing of the wanted. The majority of the IDF's operations were of the second kind, mainly to arrest suspects for interrogation and intelligence gathering about perpetrated or planned attacks. But some were assassination operations, such as Sunday's elimination of Lion's Den member Tamer Kilani in an explosion attributed to the Shin Bet security agency.

Israel has now decided to go back to targeted raids. Tuesday's raid on the Lion's Den infrastructure in Nablus, in which its leader Wadie Houh was killed, was carried out with utmost determination and means. It included fighters from the Yamam counter-terrorism unit, the elite Sayeret Matkal special forces unit, and the Givati Brigade, who were armed with missiles and sniper rifles and also had armed drones at the ready in case things got complicated (which were not needed in the end).

Another significant element of the raid was the technology: a combination of cyber and electronic warfare helped the military not only obtain intelligence and track the terrorists, but make them oblivious to the fact that the Israeli military was approaching.

The terror group has, of course, vowed revenge, and the assumption in Israel is that the surviving members will try to carry out an attack in Israel in the near future. There were also threats from the Gaza Strip, but security officials say Hamas has no interest in an escalation and might only launch a rocket for the sake of appearances.


Lions’ Den Chief and 5 Members Surrender to PA Security to Escape IDF Elimination
Four days after the assassination in Shechem of Tamer al-Khilani and two days after the Israeli operation in the Shechem Kasbah in which one of the group’s leaders, Wadih Al-Houh, was killed alongside four others (IDF Raids Shechem Lions’ Den Safe House, 5 Terrorists Killed), on Wednesday night, five Lions’ Den terrorists, along with their “mastermind,” Muhammad al-Banna, turned themselves in to the security forces of the Palestinian Authority.

Another 15 terrorists are in negotiations with the PA to join them in sanctuary.

Al-Bana, who was involved in shooting attacks against IDF forces and against settlers at Joseph’s Tomb, recently escaped an Israeli assassination attempt. Al-Bana was once a member of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades––the military arm of Fatah––and is also wanted by the PA security apparatus. His brother was arrested and allegedly tortured to death by PA interrogators.

The surrender and de facto capitulation of the Lions’ Den happened only hours before Haaretz ran a story by its Arab affairs correspondent Jackie Khoury, suggesting support in Shechem for the Lions’ Den terrorists is increasing.

Well, not if there are no lions left in the den…

Khoury’s report is essentially a press release for the PA, citing Ramallah officials and Shechem businessmen who warn that the Lions’ Den is more than just terrorists, they represent Arab exasperation with the occupation, you know the drill. But, again, seeing as the Lions’ Den boys are currently less than terrorists––they’re either dead or connected to car batteries in a dungeon in Ramallah–– the Haaretz warning comes across as more wishful thinking than thinking.

But wait, there’s more, even funnier: Al Quds ran a special announcement by the remnants of the Lions’ Den (probably from deep in their mom’s basement), that explained the five lions’ surrender:
“After midnight, the ‘Lions’ Den’ group confirmed that a group of fighters surrendered to the Palestinian security services, as a decision and an option for them. The group indicated in a statement that it did not request any official or security authority to receive any of its fighters. They asked the citizens to stop circulating rumors and not to offend any fighter who surrendered, stressing that ‘the den is a thousand percent well.’”
PMW: Abbas deputy admits that the PA security forces are working together with terrorists
In the morning of Oct. 25, 2022, Israeli Security Forces carried out an anti-terror mission against the “Lion’s Den” terror cell. The cell had carried out a number of terror attacks. The goal of the mission was to neutralize one of its senior members Wadi’ Al-Houh and disrupt the cell’s terror activities. During the mission, Al-Houh and other members of the cell were killed. The apartment they were killed in, also served as a bomb making laboratory.

Responding to the killing of the terrorists and the exposure of the bomb making factory, Fatah Deputy Chairman Mahmoud Al-Aloul admitted that the PA Security Forces were fighting together with terrorists – the Tanzim - against Israel (in his words, “the occupation”). He added that Israel soldiers were wounded " as a result of the brave position of the Palestinian Security Forces" and that all Palestinians are “one unit” including the PA security forces and Fatah’s terror faction:
Fatah Deputy Chairman Mahmoud Al-Aloul: “A confrontation took place between Israeli special forces and the Palestinian [PA] Security Forces (i.e., Israeli raid on terror cell). There are a number of wounded on our side from among the Palestinian Security [Forces] members who fought with the occupation. There are also wounded from among the occupation soldiers as a result of the brave position of the Palestinian Security Forces in this affair. We speak about all the Palestinians. All the Palestinians are one unit. The Security Forces members, the Tanzim (i.e., Fatah terror faction), the public, and everyone – one unit in dealing with this occupation.”

[Facebook page of the Fatah Commission of Information and Culture, Oct. 25, 2022]

Palestinian Media Watch has exposed many recent admissions that the PA Security Forces are taking an active role in terror and that Fatah, the party of PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, has returned to terror.

Al-Aloul’s statement is of considerable significance for at least two reasons.

Firstly, Al-Aloul is the deputy head of Fatah. He was appointed by Abbas himself, who created the new position specifically for Al-Aloul. Accordingly, this is the first statement of someone in such a senior Fatah position, admitting that the PA Security Forces are fighting against Israeli soldiers while simultaneously protecting wanted, armed terrorists held up in a bomb making laboratory.

Secondly, when Al-Aloul says that the PA Security Forces and Fatah’s terror faction The Tanzim “are one unit” he is essentially admitting that there is no separation between the US and EU trained and funded PA Security Forces, who are meant to be combatting terror and arresting terrorists, and the Palestinian terrorists themselves.


MEMRI: Fatah Officials At Events In Honor Of Terrorist 'Uday Al-Tamimi: Fatah Follows The Path Of Struggle; The Martyr Al-Tamimi Carried Out Heroic Actions
The Fatah movement, headed by Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud 'Abbas, continues to express support for terrorists who carried out operations against Israelis and to describe them as patriotic heroes.[1] Among these terrorists are 'Uday Al-Tamimi, the perpetrator of two recent attacks: an October 9, 2022 shooting at a checkpoint in Shu'afat in East Jerusalem, in which an Israeli female soldier, Noa Lazar, was killed, and another shooting ten days later at the entrance to the Israeli town of Ma'ale Adumim, in the course of which he himself was killed.[2] Following his death Fatah officials and senior members of the PA security apparatuses visited mourning tents erected for Al-Tamimi in several locations in the West Bank, and Fatah produced posters eulogizing him as "a martyred hero."

The following are several examples of these statements and posters.

Fatah Official Muhammad Al-Madani And His Deputy On Visit To Al-Tamimi's Family In 'Anata: Fatah Follows The Path Of Struggle

Muhammad Al-Madani, a member of Fatah's Central Committee and the head of its Recruitment and Organization Commission, visited Al-Tamimi's family in the town of 'Anata along with other Fatah officials. Al-Madani's deputy in the Recruitment and Organization Commission, 'Abd Al-Mun'im Hamdan, said during this visit that "Fatah follows the path of struggle alongside the [political] forces and freedom-loving [fighters] of our people until [we achieve] victory, liberation and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital."[3]

Fatah Official 'Abbas Zaki: "Al-Tamimi Died A Martyr Attacking The Enemy"
Fatah Central Committee member 'Abbas Zaki also made a condolence call to 'Uday Al-Tamimi's family. After the visit he posted on Facebook that "Al-Tamimi died a martyr attacking the enemy and not fleeing." One day earlier he visited a mourning tent erected in Al-Tamimi's honor in the Hebron area.[4]

Fatah Official 'Azzam Al-Ahmad: Fatah Was Founded To Liberate Palestine
Fatah Central Committee and PLO Executive Committee member 'Azzam Al-Ahmad attended an event at a mourning tent for Al-Tamimi erected at Fatah's headquarters in Jenin. At this event, attended also by the local Fatah leadership, including branch secretary 'Ata Abu Rumeileh, Al-Ahmad said: "With its victims and struggle, which will continue until the establishment of its independent state, our people proves its love of freedom." He added: "Fatah was established to liberate Palestine and to express the people's desire for freedom, independence, the emptying of the prisons and the attainment of all our legitimate rights."[5]


Abbas’ advisor justifies Palestinian terror

PA vows more terrorists

Uncle of terrorist “Martyr”: “The Master of the Universe chose him from among all the people”

PA TV song in honor of murderer: “This is our hero… Be blessed, man of heroic acts”

Fatah spokesman endorses murder of Israeli soldier as “a brave operation, an act of heroism”

The TikTok generation of Palestinian resistance
The late-night raid in Nablus on Monday, was part of the concerted efforts of Israeli security services to eliminate terrorists responsible for a slew of attacks in recent months.

The raid targeted the home of a leader of the newly emerged Lion's Den terror group, and killed the militant chief himself as well as four of his associates.

Aftermath of an Israeli raid on the Nablus home of Lion's Den leader (Photo: Reuters) The young militants have grown in power in the eyes of Palestinians through their social media presence, posing a new kind of challenge to the forces in their pursuit.

The militant group numbers dozens of men, in their 20s for the most part, who are not affiliated with Hamas or the Islamic Jihad terror groups.

They had previously gone by the name "the Nablus Battalion," acting in a semi-organized fashion and not as a terror squad or militia.

The militants had first gone unnoticed by Israeli security, while they armed themselves with the help of existing terror cells, carried out attacks and urged others to join them.
Hamas Supports West Bank Terrorism with Money, but Not with Rockets
In the past few days, the IDF and Shin Bet have conducted a series of successful raids in Nablus against the terrorist group known as the Lions’ Den, killing one of its leaders and destroying a bomb factory. A relatively new organization, based in Samaria and opposed to the Palestinian Authority, the Lions’ Den is responsible for numerous attacks in recent weeks. Residents of Nablus are now reportedly frustrated that leaders of Hamas and Islamic Jihad haven’t intervened on their behalf, as Yoni Ben Menachem writes:

It is Hamas that in recent months has pushed the residents of the West Bank and east Jerusalem towards a new armed intifada against Israel while promising that it would actually support such an intifada and assist it by firing rockets from the Gaza Strip. Hamas also leads a large support campaign for Lions’ Den via social media and even transferred more than a million dollars to finance its activities. However, despite this support, no rockets were fired from the Strip towards Israel.

Senior Hamas and Islamic Jihad officials threatened yesterday that the Gaza Strip “will join the conflict in the event of an imminent escalation in the West Bank,” as if there had been no escalation until now. Why has the Gaza Strip remained silent so far?

There are several reasons: a) pragmatism on the part of the Hamas that wants to keep receiving monthly Qatari financial aid to the Gaza Strip, the continued entry of thousands of workers from the Gaza Strip to work in Israel, and the humanitarian relief and rehabilitation of the Gaza Strip from the damage done in recent wars; b) Hamas has still not restored the tunnel system and rocket production that was severely damaged in the war of May 2021; c) Israel learned the lessons from its military operation in May 2021 and formulated a new strategy of . . . severing the connection between the Gaza Strip, on the one hand, and east Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Israeli Arabs, on the other.

The big question is whether the deterrence of Hamas and Islamic Jihad will continue even if Israel conducts a large military operation in Nablus and Jenin to eliminate the terrorist infrastructure.


Washington can’t find a path forward in Iran nuclear talks, says a senior Israeli official
The Biden administration’s attitude toward Iran has turned “very negative” in the wake of stalled negotiations for a revamped nuclear accord, a senior Israeli official familiar with Washington’s position on the matter said on Wednesday.

The official said that the White House still believes it should continue discussions with Tehran, but has come more in line with Jerusalem’s opinion that the Islamic Republic cannot be trusted. Iran’s violent crackdown on protesters and its involvement in supplying armed drones to Russia for use against Ukrainians has further complicated Washington’s attempts to keep the nuclear issue separate from other tracks, according to the official, who briefed reporters shortly after Israeli President Isaac Herzog met with U.S. President Joe Biden.

Negotiations with Iran over rejoining the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action collapsed last month after the Biden administration said Iran had added demands that could not be met and that fell outside the scope of the talks. Previously, it had appeared that the two sides were heading toward an agreement.


Iranian protesters surround government offices in Mahabad amid heavy clashes
Heavy clashes broke out between protesters and government forces in Mahabad in northern Iran on Thursday, as an anti-regime protester Ismail Moloudi, who was killed by security forces, was buried in the city.

Videos from Moloudi's funeral showed family and friends chanting "the Shahid (martyr) will not die," according to the Hengaw Human Rights Organization. After the funeral, crowds of protesters marched toward and surrounded the governor's office in Mahabad, with intense clashes breaking out throughout the city.

Heavy gunfire was heard in videos of Mahabad and, according to Hengaw, at least three protesters were shot dead by Iranian forces during the protests in Mahabad, named as Shaho Khazri, Zanyar Abubakri and Kubra Sheikh Saqa.

Internet access in Mahabad was seriously disrupted on Thursday evening amid the clashes, according to Internet watchdog NetBlocks.

The family of Nika Shakarami also held a ceremony in Lorestan marking 40 days since her killing by Iranian police on Thursday, according to Radio Farda. Roads leading to the cemetery where she is buried were blocked by security forces and participants in the ceremony clashed with security forces and chanted "death to Khamenei."

In Baneh, heavy clashes were reported between protesters and security forces, with heavy gunfire heard in video reportedly from the scene. At least two protesters were shot and killed in the city of Baneh as well, according to Hengaw.




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