Thursday, November 10, 2022

11/10 Links Pt1: Melanie Phillips: Dragons and dragon-slayers in Israel and America; Palestinian Authority to End Push for ICJ Ruling on ‘Occupation’"

From Ian:

Melanie Phillips: Dragons and dragon-slayers in Israel and America
Israel is indeed a state for the Jewish nation. However, membership in a nation confers obligations on its people to behave as a nation.

After all, the Torah itself tells us that when the tribes of Reuben, Gad and half of Manasseh said they wanted to settle east of the Jordan because the pastures there were more fertile, they were told they could do so only on condition that they first fought alongside the other tribes to conquer the land of Israel.

But American Jews such as those in Mercaz Olami don’t feel bound by any such obligation. They not only choose not to live in Israel but also choose not to fight in its defense.

Instead, ensconced in a faraway land they prefer, they lob verbal missiles at the tribe from which they have separated themselves when it defends its Jewish identity in ways of which American Jews disapprove.

Their statement said Netanyahu’s coalition would include politicians “whose positions regarding basic elements of democracy and diversity … significantly differ from the values which have guided Zionism since its inception.” As a result, it threatened, Israel would lose the support of American Jews.

But that support is being lost anyway. Indeed, America’s Jewish community is losing its own members at an alarming rate.

The Conservative-Masorti movement’s pick-and-choose approach to Jewish laws, and their emptying out of Judaism by claiming as Jewish values ideologies that actually negate them, are causing the American Jewish community to hemorrhage.

The core reason is that such Jews have lost any sense of themselves as a nation. Instead, they have chosen to endorse a “progressive” view of the world that views the nation as illegitimate and therefore to be superseded by kumbaya universalism.

This is why most American Jews are on the wrong side of the titanic struggle in the U.S. over whether it still wants to be the nation it has always understood itself to be—or whether, given the divisions over uncontrolled immigration, it wants to be a nation at all.

The one thing all Israeli Jews understand is that Israel is their nation state. Therefore, their overwhelming concern when electing a government is that it should defend that state against the dragons that breathe fire against it.

That’s why, regardless of the undoubted unease within Israel over its new government and the internal battles that are unquestionably to come, its people are in a far better situation than those in America and the West—both Jews and non-Jews—who are now reloading their fraying slingshots to attack it.
With Europe at War, Israel’s Position Has Grown Stronger
Since Russia greatly expanded its war on Ukraine in February, much has changed in international relations. Eran Lerman examines how these changes have affected the Jewish state:
Israelis are sensitive to the tragic aspects of the crisis, and sentiments of support have been aroused by the Ukrainians’ resolute stance and by the unique figure of Zelensky. . . . At the same time, in almost all aspects, the war has enhanced Israel’s national security equation—and bolstered its position in world affairs.

An element of immense importance, from a national and Zionist perspective, is the dramatic rise in the number of people making aliyah, in the face of danger and deprivation in both warring nations. Over 13,000 olim from Ukraine have arrived in Israel since February, and almost alone among the millions of war refugees, it has been the Jews (including those who may be non-Jews but are entitled to aliyah because they have one Jewish grandparent) who had a home to go to. A steadily growing flow is coming from Russia, as socioeconomic conditions keep deteriorating and the partial mobilization of reserves has been declared.

Meanwhile, . . . Israel’s defense industries, which provide an indispensable contribution both to the IDF’s qualitative edge and to the national economy, have been on the unimaginable brink of really taking off ever since the war broke out. During Prime Minister Lapid’s visit to Berlin, the option of a contract with Germany for the sale of Israel’s Arrow 3 missile defense system for more than $2 billion was put on the table.

Moreover, Lerman notes, the war has made the West more sensitive in general to the sorts of military threats Jerusalem faces every day, and in particular to the dangers posed by Iran, which has remained loyal to Moscow.
"Palestinian Authority to End Push for International Court Ruling on ‘Occupation’"
A senior Palestinian Authority (PA) official close to PA President Mahmoud Abbas confirmed to the Tazpit Press Service that Ramallah has acceded to a request by the U.S. and Israel to end efforts to refer Israel’s “occupation” to the International Court of Justice.

The International Court of Justice, based in The Hague, offers legal opinions on questions referred by either the United Nations Security Council or General Assembly. Jerusalem regards the court as biased and fears that a ruling would give a legal imprimatur to the Boycott, Divestment Sanctions campaign against Israel.

Although the US has veto power in the Security Council, the PA has wider support in the General Assembly.

The source also confirmed that PA leadership is sticking to its positions for the end of “attacks by the Israeli occupation,” settlement activity, Israel’s so-called “assault” on the Al Aqsa Mosque, and the return of tax money Jerusalem is withholding from Ramallah over the PA’s controversial stipends for PA terrorists and the families of “martyrs.”

He also said the PA particularly wants Israel to end to Operation Breaking the Wave. Near-nightly arrest raids, mostly in the areas of Shechem (Nablus) and Jenin, have foiled hundreds of Arab terror attacks. The operation was launched following a spate of deadly Arab terror attacks in the spring.

The source stressed that while US President Joe Biden has previously opposed unilateral PA measures, Jerusalem and Washington refuse to respond to Ramallah’s demands.


Navi Pillay stunned as majority in UN debate blast her inquiry for antisemitism, Israel bias
For the first time in decades, a majority of UN member states taking the floor during a debate on Israel, on October 27, 2002, opposed the anti-Israel prejudice and antisemitism of a UN body.

Out of 35 speakers taking the floor, including 33 UN member states as well as the European Union and the Palestinian delegate, at least 18 called out Navi Pillay’s commission of inquiry for its bias against Israel, and the overtly antisemitic statements of her colleague, Miloon Kothari, which Pillay had defended.

In August, top United Nations officials and member states condemned Mr. Kothari’s remarks about “the Jewish lobby,” and questioning Israel’s membership in the UN.

Following are selections from the debate held in the human rights committee of the UN General Assembly, after Navi Pillay presented the latest report of her commission of inquiry.

Netherlands: No one is above scrutiny. However, as expressed previously, the Netherlands is worried about the wide scope of the mandate and the unlimited time period of investigation of this Commission of Inquiry. As a consequence, the mandate of this particular commission contributes to the disproportionate attention given to Israel in the UN system, whereas the UN should address all country situations of concern in a balanced manner.

Guatemala: Guatemala takes note of the statement on the report this morning and rejects any antisemitic statements or any prejudice against the people of Israel. We call for decorum and respect and to avoid accusations against the State of Israel. My delegation reiterates that the independent Commission of Inquiry should be objective and impartial. We regret the antisemitic parts of this report. It is concerning that the mandate of the Commission has an unprecedented scope, it has no limit. Guatemala recognizes the Human Rights Council and its resolutions, but considers that several of the statements against Israel are out of context against a democratic state which guarantees and respects the human rights of its inhabitants.

Hungary: Allow me to express our serious concerns regarding the establishment and the work of the COI. We continue to believe that the long-standing disproportionate scrutiny to Israel should end, and the Human Rights Council and other relevant human human rights bodies and mechanisms should address all human rights concerns regardless of country in an even-handed manner.

In this context, we believe that the nature of the COI established last May is further demonstration of the long-standing disproportionate attention given to Israel in the UN system. We believe that the impartiality of a UN investigative mechanism should be a cornerstone of the UN Human Rights system.

We are also outraged by the recent antisemitic and anti-Israel comments made by a member of the COI. These unacceptable remarks sadly only deepen our concerns about the open-ended nature and overly broad scope of the Commission. We are convinced that such blatantly biased, antisemitic comments are completely unworthy of the UN and the UN human rights bodies.


US midterm exit poll: Increased number of Jews vote for Republican Party
The Republican party increased its share of the national Jewish vote to a new high not seen in a generation, according to results of a midterm election exit poll conducted Tuesday by Fox News.

According to the data, 33% of Jewish voters polled voted Republican in the 2022 midterm election, up from 30% in 2020 and 24% in 2016.

Still, a majority of Jewish Americans gave their vote to other parties, with 65% of the Jewish electorate polled voting Democrat, and 2% identifying as "other."

Republican Jewish Coalition national director Sam Markstein told The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday that more Jewish voters are moving toward the GOP because "candidates are offering concrete solutions to the issues that matter to Jewish voters."

Markstein noted that those issues include: "reducing the skyrocketing costs of living, combating rising hate crime, championing school choice, putting America first on the world stage again by supporting our allies in Israel, and standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the Jewish community in the fight against antisemitism."

Where did Jews contribute to a 'red wave'?
Markstein said Tuesday's election saw "a record-smashing level of support in Florida, at 45% of the Jewish vote."

In New York's hotly contested gubernatorial race, Republican candidate Rep. Lee Zeldin won between 85-95% in Hasidic Brooklyn neighborhoods in Borough Park and Williamsburg where voter turnout averaged 50%, according to New York city polls, despite being ultimately defeated by Democratic incumbent challenger Gov. Kathy Hochul.

The majority of American Jews skew heavily Democratic and liberal, both in New York and nationwide.
Eugene Kontorovich: Alarm over Israel's New Government Is Mistaken
In the wake of the Israeli elections, one would think Itamar Ben-Gvir was the future prime minister, rather than the head of a second-tier party with 7 of 120 seats in the Knesset. Those saying Ben-Gvir's inclusion in the government is unacceptable were untroubled by the departing government, which included Ra'am, a party affiliated with Israel's Islamic Movement, which was founded by a convicted terrorist; or Meretz, with roots in an actual Stalinist party.

Another theme in the dire forecasts for Israeli democracy are legal-system reforms that the new government may pursue. The measures would actually reinforce democracy and introduce checks and balances to a political system in which the Supreme Court has far more power than its American counterpart. The potential legal reforms would bring Israel closer to the American model.

On the Palestinian issue, the departing government was the first to include an Arab party. Yet the Palestinians still refused to negotiate. After decades of rejections of statehood by the Palestinian Authority, it shouldn't be surprising if Israel stops holding its breath and applies its civil law to the areas within its jurisdiction under the Oslo Accords.
The Caroline Glick Show: The Left turned Rabin into a ‘John Lennon esque’ figure to use him
In the new episode of the “Caroline Glick Show,” Caroline Glick warns that the Left has been distorting the legacy of Yitzhak Rabin, by turning him into a “John Lennon-esque” figure.

Glick and her guest Dan Diker also discuss the international demonization of Israel and the Left’s demonization of the Right.


Tom Gross: Haviv Gur & Tom Gross discuss Israeli democracy. Does Tom Friedman know what he’s talking about?
The Times of Israel’s senior analyst Haviv Rettig Gur & international commentator Tom Gross discuss to what extent the far right is a threat following last week’s Israeli elections.


US envoy says White House ‘will fight’ any Israeli West Bank annexation efforts
US Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides warned in interviews that the White House would push back against any attempts by the expected incoming Israeli government to annex all or parts of the West Bank.

“Our position is quite clear: We do not support annexation. We will fight any attempt to do so,” Nides told the Kan public broadcaster’s diplomatic correspondent Gili Cohen in an interview aired Thursday, adding that “most of the Arab countries” feel the same way.

Nides’s comments came after senior Likud MK Yariv Levin said following his meeting with President Isaac Herzog during party consultations on Wednesday that West Bank annexation was high on the government’s agenda.

“We brought the State of Israel closer than ever before to applying sovereignty [over the West Bank],” Levin said at the President’s Residence. “We were just a step away on that issue in the past, and I hope that we’ll be able to continue in that direction.”

Just ahead of the Abraham Accords in 2020, then-prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced an intention to move ahead with annexing portions of the West Bank with the support of then-president Donald Trump.

But the plan was shelved as part of the burgeoning peace deal with the United Arab Emirates, which strongly opposed any annexation efforts.

In an interview with the Ynet news site on Wednesday, Nides said that he was not worried by the prospect of annexation, and did not expect Israel to try to go through with it.

The US envoy told Kan that he intends to work closely with the expected future right-wing government.


Bret Stephens: Israeli Elections Reflect Strength of Its Democracy
Israel has had five elections since 2019, a function of an evenly split electorate and unstable coalition politics. It has returned Benjamin Netanyahu for his third turn as prime minister. Israelis are tired of going to the polls, though 71% of the electorate still turned up to vote last week. And unlike in the U.S., pretty much everyone accepts the official results. None of this suggests a fading democracy.

Netanyahu's views on the Palestinians reflect a resigned Israeli consensus: Peace will come when a future generation of Palestinian leaders - not the theocrats of Hamas or the kleptocrats of Fatah - abandon their dreams of destroying the Jewish state. Until then, Israel will accept an unhappy status quo as the best of bad alternatives.
Aaron David Miller: Confrontation between Biden and New Israeli Government Seems Unlikely
Will the new Israeli coalition lead to a train wreck in the U.S.-Israel relationship? Biden's view of Israel as an embattled democracy and his concern about Israel's security stretches back to his first visit to Israel in 1973. Biden feels very much part of Israel's story and struggles. That long-standing commitment has generated a certain familiarity and even affection for Netanyahu that comes from decades of interaction.

Biden's default position with Netanyahu isn't inherently or inexorably adversarial. And Netanyahu knows that fighting with a U.S. president, especially one that's perceived to be pro-Israel, makes little sense. Fortunately for Netanyahu, the two major issues that have roiled U.S.-Israeli relations in recent years - the Iran nuclear accord and Palestinian statehood - are now neither ready for prime time nor top priorities for the Biden administration.
Ben-Gvir booed after saying he doesn't want to deport all Arabs at Kahane memorial
Otzma Yehudit chairman and Religious Zionist Party MK Itamar-Ben Gvir was booed after he said that he does not want to deport all Arabs from Israel and disagrees with some of the actions and statements of Jewish extremist and convicted terrorist rabbi Meir Kahane, during a ceremony commemorating 32 years since Kahane's death on Thursday.

"Like most of us, rabbi Kahane went through a lot. There were years in his history and various actions and things that today I less agree with them," said Ben-Gvir, sparking boos from the crowd. "There were periods when he wanted to enter politics, and periods when he was less [interested]. There were periods when he spoke about most of the Arabs, and there were periods when he spoke about just some of them. There was rabbi Kahane in yeshiva, in classes and in study and there was the rabbi Kahane in public, in speeches and in the squares."

"It's not a secret that today I am not rabbi Kahane and I do not support the deportation of all the Arabs," added Ben-Gvir, sparking more booing from the crowd. "But I will of course work for the deportation terrorists from Israel, for the Jewish character of the state, for the settlements and the Jewish identity."

"From the age of 16 I have attended the memorial to honor and recognize those who were murdered for sanctifying God," wrote Ben-Gvir in a now-deleted post earlier in the day. "Those who worked for the Jews of the Soviet Union and saw to the opening of the Iron Curtain, those who fought antisemitism against Jews in the United States and worked to enact a death penalty law for terrorists."
PA planning diplomatic blitz to sound the alarm on Smotrich, Ben-Gvir
The Palestinian Authority is planning a worldwide diplomatic blitz in the coming days to explain the “dangers” of the far-right Religious Zionism Party and its leaders, Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir.

As part of the campaign, senior PA officials will meet with Western diplomats and officials based in east Jerusalem and the West Bank and share with them the Palestinians’ deep concern over the inclusion of Smotrich and Ben-Gvir in the new government headed by Benjamin Netanyahu, said a Palestinian official in Ramallah.

The PA officials will include Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh, Deputy Prime Minister Ziad Abu Amr, Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki, PLO Executive Committee Secretary-General Hussein al-Sheikh, Fatah Deputy Chairman Mahmoud al-Aloul and Palestinian National Council Speaker Rawhi Fattouh, the official said.

Some of the officials have already begun holding meetings in Ramallah with diplomats to present their views on the composition of the new right-wing coalition and the return of Netanyahu to power.

Palestinian embassies and diplomatic missions around the world will also join the effort to raise awareness about the “dangerous repercussions” of the appointment of Smotrich and Ben-Gvir to key positions in the government in particular and the formation of an “extremist and racist” coalition in Israel, the official told The Jerusalem Post, noting that the Palestinians have diplomats in more than 100 countries.


8 Indians allegedly spying for Israel arrested in Qatar - report
Eight former officers in the Indian Navy were arrested in Qatar on suspicion of spying for Israel, although Qatari officials have refused to state the charges against the suspects despite their being in custody for over 70 days, Iranian media reported on Thursday.

People familiar with the case rejected the claims that the arrests were connected to espionage, claiming that the reports were sparked by Pakistani social media users in "an attempt to muddy the waters," according to The Hindustan Times.

"Some of these social media posts even claimed the Indians were held following a tip-off from the Pakistani side, so one can clearly infer who is behind the mischief," said one of the sources to The Hindustan Times.

According to the Indian Express, the eight were working for a company called Dahra Global Technologies and Consultancy Services, which describes itself as a "local business partner" of Qatar's defense and other government agencies.

The eight were arrested on August 30 and are being held in solitary confinement, which is usually only used for security-related offenses, according to the Indian Express. The Dahra company's website and LinkedIn page have been deleted and the website has been replaced with a page reading "under maintenance."

According to the report, a high-ranking official from India was sent to Doha last month amid efforts to release the eight former officers.

Indian social media users have taken to Twitter to beg the government to intensify its efforts to have the eight officers released.
Israel captures suspect wanted in connection with the killing of Israeli officer in Jenin
Israeli forces on Thursday apprehended in Jenin a suspect in the May 13 shooting death of Sgt. Maj. Noam Raz, 47, a member of Israel’s elite National Counterterrorism Unit (Yamam).

The suspect, identified as Tzdaki Ahmed Ali Marai, 23, a resident of the city, is a high-level terror operative and was involved in a number of shooting attacks on Israeli Defense Forces soldiers, the IDF said in a statement.

An M-16 rifle and two handguns were found in his vehicle and seized.

During the operation, an explosive device was thrown at IDF soldiers, who responded with live fire, according to the military.

No IDF casualties were reported.
10,000-Strong Jewish Community Starts Building in the Negev after 2 Decades of Bedouin Lawsuits
After more than 20 years since the Israeli government decided to establish Dror, a Jewish settlement of 2,500 families or 10,000 residents, and the defeat of countless Bedouin lawsuits against the plan, work has begun this week to finally turn the plan into reality.

In the area where the settlement was planned stood the illegal Bedouin village of Umm al-Khiran, which the state wanted to evacuate. In 2004, representatives of Umm Al-Khiran appealed to the Magistrate’s Court in Be’er Sheva against the decision to establish the settlement, claiming that the state was the one that established their village in the 1950s.

In June 2007, the state destroyed 30 homes in the Bedouin village.

In 2009, the Magistrate’s Court ruled that the petitioners did not prove the acquisition of rights to the land and rejected their petition.

They appealed the verdict in the District Court, and in 2011 the District Court adopted the conclusions of the Magistrate’s Court.

The petitioners appealed to the Supreme Court.

In 2010, the National Council for Planning and Construction decided to recognize the settlement of Dror, but following the intervention of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Office, the Council reversed its decision the next day.

During the 2014 hearing at the Supreme Court, the question arose as to why not legalize the village of Umm Al Hiran, which previous rulings had already determined that its residents were not trespassers, having been settled there by the state. Why not, instead of evicting them and establishing a new settlement on their land, establish a joint settlement for Bedouins and Jews instead?


The Israel Guys: TERRORISTS OPEN FIRE On Israeli Politicians at Joseph’s Tomb in NABLUS
Terrorists opened fire on eight Members of Knesset this morning as they went into the city of Shechem to visit Joseph’s tomb. The establishment of a right-wing government is moving forward today at the house of the President of Israel. Arab MK Ahmed Tibi says that the Arabs own the land of Israel, while at the same time, calling the new proposed government of Israel FACIST.




Strike on weapons convoy on Iraq-Syria border kills 14

Khaled Abu Toameh: What the Palestinians Need Now
Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip live under two regimes that crack down on critics, and imprison and intimidate journalists, human rights activists and political opponents. Those who dare to criticize the Palestinian Authority or Hamas often face various forms of punishment, including torture and incarceration.

The situation under the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank is not any better. There, Palestinian security forces continue to arrest, harass and intimidate political activists, university students and academics.

In the past week, the Palestinian Authority security forces arrested and threatened a number of Palestinian political activists who called for reforms.

There are two reasons why, under the current circumstances, the Palestinians cannot hold elections.

First, the split between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip due to the ongoing dispute between the Palestinian Authority and Hamas. The PA fears that Hamas will not allow a free election in the Gaza Strip, especially in light of Hamas' crackdown on its opponents there. Similarly, Hamas fears that the PA will not allow a free election in the West Bank, especially in light of the continued security crackdown on Hamas members there.

Second, the high probability that Hamas would win.

While one can understand why it is not a good idea to hold elections that would help Hamas extend its control to the West Bank, there is no reason why Palestinians should be arrested and intimidated for demanding freedom of expression and an end to corruption.

Unsurprisingly, violations committed by Palestinians against Palestinians are virtually always ignored by the Western media and the international community. Such abuses are of no interest to Westerners because they cannot be blamed on Israel. By turning a blind eye to the violations, the international community and media effectively incentivize the Palestinian Authority and Hamas to continue their repressive measures against their own people.

Sadly, it does not look as if the Palestinians are coming any closer to freedom of speech or freedom of assembly -- unless it is to denounce Israel. Rather, as their corrupt and incompetent leaders clearly do not care about their well-being, it looks as if they are going in exactly the opposite direction.

While, literally across the street, the Israelis have free debate in newspapers, quarrelsome programs on television and protests, the Palestinians continue to find themselves arrested, silenced and terrorized for daring to demand the freedoms they see every day next door.
Why is Hamas arresting fighters firing rockets at Israel?
Hamas recently arrested two men for firing rockets at Israel, demonstrating the terror group’s pragmatism but not moderation.

Hamas, a Muslim Brotherhood offshoot, does have ideological red lines, but it also tries to find practical solutions to its predicament when dealing with a far more powerful Israeli military.

“It is clear that Hamas is not now interested in conflict with Israel,” Ido Zelkovitz, head of the Middle East Studies program at Max Stern Yezreel Valley College, told JNS.

He added that one of the top priorities for Hamas is a deal that would see its prisoners released by Israel.

“Such a deal would be a political victory and give it a boost in its competition with the Palestinian Authority,” said Zelkovitz, who is also a research fellow at the Chaikin Chair for Geostrategy at the University of Haifa.

Hamas security forces arrested two Palestinians on Sunday after they fired four rockets at Israeli on Thursday, violating the ceasefire and prompting a retaliatory attack by Israel, a source in Gaza told AFP.

“The Palestinian factions have nothing to do with these rockets, which are aimed at giving the occupation [Israel] an excuse for continuing the aggression,” the source said.
Malaysia Asks Where Is the $1 Million Sent to the PA to Restore Gaza Medical Clinic?
The Palestinian Authority embassy in Malaysia has attempted to evade responsibility for failing to rebuild the Al-Remal clinic in Gaza nearly a year after receiving funds to do so from Malaysia.

The Malaysian Consultative Council for Islamic Organizations demanded clarifications on the fate of the $1.12 million transferred last October by Malaysia to the PA Finance Ministry to restore the clinic, after a Palestinian newspaper revealed that the PA in Ramallah had cancelled the project.
PA rewrites history (again!): Car rammer who attacked injured victim with ax portrayed as victim Car ramming injurer IDF soldier
Terrorist Habes Rayyan ran over and wounded an Israeli army officer with his car near Jerusalem earlier this month. Rayyan then got out of his car with an ax to attack the officer as he lay wounded on the ground, but the officer managed to shoot and kill Rayyan. Even though the attack was caught on security cameras, the PA is portraying terrorist Habes Rayyan as an innocent victim, not mentioning his terror attack:
[EladHumi twitter account, Nov. 02, 2022]

Although the terrorist is seen attacking, the PA has described him as “a civilian” who was killed by “gun-toting Israeli soldiers” and “shot by the Israeli occupation forces.” He therefore “died as a Martyr” and “ascended to Heaven.” Neither the official PA daily nor the official PA news agency bothered to mention his attack.

Contrary to the PA’s reports, the terrorist’s brother openly spoke of his brother’s attack, saying that “the value of the homeland and of Jihad” is what motivated his ax-wielding car rammer terrorist brother:
Brother of terrorist Habes Rayyan: “Today we brought to his wedding (i.e., a Martyr's funeral is considered his wedding to the 72 Virgins in Paradise in Islam) our brother [Habes Rayyan], who ascended to Heaven as a Martyr following the crime that the occupation committed against him…

He received a national and religious education at home. He grew up in a religious family that knows the value of the homeland, the value of the land, the value of Ribat, and the value of Jihad… He had great honor and pride. He did not agree to accepting humiliation. In my estimation, this background in which my brother grew up is one of the main reasons that led to what he did (i.e., terror attack) – his love for the homeland and the land, his pride, his honor, his fortitude.”

[Official PA TV, Good Morning Jerusalem, Nov. 4, 2022]


Pro-Palestinian Rally in Brussels: Rise Up, Throw Stones – The Palestinians Will Redeem Themselves!

PA proclaims dead "children as a sacrifice for Jerusalem and the [Palestinian] cause"

PLO’s female role models on Palestinian Women’s Day: 2 murderers, 2 hijackers, and a bomber

Fatah boasts of equal opportunities for women, names as proof three terrorists

Innocent Teen or Armed Terrorist? New York Post Can’t Tell the Difference
The Associated Press, however, ran its initial story under the headline “Palestinian teen, man killed by Israeli forces in West Bank” before updating to the more neutral “Palestinians say 2 killed by Israeli forces in West Bank.”

Unfortunately, it appears that the New York Post didn’t get the memo.

Simply stating that a “Palestinian teen” was killed by Israeli forces is not only misleading but also frames the story as one where an Israeli aggressor has killed an innocent Palestinian youth. At worst, it falsely accuses Israel of being a child killer.

It’s reasonable to ask questions as to how a 15-year-old becomes an armed terrorist, including addressing incitement in the Palestinian media and education system. But it should in no way present Mahdhi Hashash as an innocent teen.

HonestReporting has requested the New York Post update its headline to reflect the reality of the story.


Midterm elections: a Republican House could pressure Biden on Ukraine and Iran
Iran deal and protests
Republicans in the House are also likely to increase pressure on the White House when it comes to Iran, whether by objecting to a return to the nuclear deal of 2015 or pushing for more action on the current protests.

Richard Goldberg, a former Iran analyst on the US National Security Council and a senior adviser at the Foundation for Defence of Democracies, said a Republican House will complicate Mr Biden’s Iran policy.

“The new majority will be able to hold hearings, conduct investigations, pass legislation and — perhaps most importantly — schedule an up-or-down vote to reject any future nuclear deal,” Mr Goldberg told The National.

He said the US Special Envoy to Iran Robert Malley could personally find himself a target of those hearings.

Iranians protest in Tehran after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini after she was detained by the morality police in September. AP Photo

“If you're Rob Malley, facing the likelihood of congressional investigations into things like his communications with Russia or his [alleged] offers to pay billions of dollars for hostages … you have to think long and hard about staying on as Iran envoy,” the expert said.

And as protests continue in Iran over the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody, Mr Goldberg argued that a new Congress will increase the support and the pressure on the White House to act decisively.

Elsewhere in the Middle East, with the likelihood of Democrats retaining the Senate, a continuity in policy is expected when it comes to confirming ambassadors, supporting the Lebanese Armed Forces, working with the Palestinian Authority and supporting US partners in the region.
Michael Doran [WSJ]: Iran's Ballistic Missiles and the Folly of Appeasement
The news that Iran's contribution to Russia's war effort in Ukraine will soon include ballistic missiles as well as kamikaze drones has alerted the world to the surprising advances the Islamic Republic has made in disruptive weapons technologies. To the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, these technologies are as important as its nuclear-weapons program.

Recently-retired commander of U.S. Central Command, Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie, said on Oct. 6: "Over the past five to seven years, Iranian capabilities...have risen to such a degree that now they possess what I would call effective 'overmatch' against their neighbors. 'Overmatch' is a military term that means you have the ability to attack, and the defender won't be able to mount a successful defense."

The IRGC combines ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones in strike packages, each with different flight characteristics, radar signatures and homing angles. When launched simultaneously, they tax the sensors of missile-defense systems. Even the most sophisticated systems operating at peak performance can't prevent at least some of Iran's weapons, when launched in significant quantities, from hitting their targets.

Solely defensive weapons can't reverse an offense-dominant regime. A shield alone can't fend off a powerful sword. A shield is most effective when wielded together with a sword. Only the U.S. has the power to persuade Khamenei that his aggressions will result in unbearable pain for him. But the Biden administration has systematically taught him the opposite, that it much prefers to cover up acts of Iranian aggression rather than to punish them.
UN atomic watchdog: Iran further increasing stockpile of highly enriched uranium
The UN atomic watchdog said Thursday it believes that Iran has further increased its stockpile of highly enriched uranium and criticized Tehran for continuing to bar the agency’s officials from accessing or monitoring Iranian nuclear sites.

In its quarterly report, the International Atomic Energy Agency said that according to its assessment, as of October 22, Iran has an estimated 62.3 kilograms (137.3 pounds) of uranium enriched to up to 60% fissile purity. That amounts to an increase of 6.7 kilograms since the IAEA’s last report in September.

That enrichment to 60% purity is one short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%. Nonproliferation experts have warned in recent months that Iran now has enough 60%-enriched uranium to reprocess into fuel for at least one nuclear bomb.

The IAEA report, which was seen by The Associated Press, also estimated that as of October 22, Iran’s stockpile of all enriched uranium was at 3673.7 kilograms — a decrease of 267.2 kilograms since the last quarterly report in September.

The Vienna-based IAEA said it was unable to verify the exact size of Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium due to limitations that Tehran imposed on UN inspectors last year and the removal of the agency’s monitoring and surveillance equipment in June at sites in Iran.

It has been nearly two years since IAEA officials have had full access to monitor Iran’s nuclear sites, and five months since the surveillance equipment was removed.
IAEA chief: Iran ‘didn’t bring anything new’ in latest meeting on nuke program
Iranian officials offered no new information or concessions in their most recent meeting with representatives of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N. organization’s chief, Rafael Grossi, told Reuters on Wednesday.

“So, they didn’t bring anything new. We are going to meet again at a technical level in Iran in a couple of weeks,” he said, adding: “It is no secret that we haven’t been able to register some tangible elements.”

There would be another opportunity to “re-engage” with Iran, he noted, but only after the release of the IAEA’s quarterly report on Iran next week.

Tehran is reportedly insisting that the U.N. nuclear watchdog close all investigations into its atomic activities as a precondition to reviving the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

Indirect talks between the Islamic Republic and the Biden administration remain stalled.

U.S. special envoy for Iran Robert Malley on Oct. 31 made “no apology” for pursuing a revised nuclear deal, even as he conceded that forging a new agreement was “really not our focus now.”

Malley said Washington currently was not “wasting time” on negotiations, citing the ongoing mass protests in the Islamic Republic and the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.

“I think people have to understand that [we] were not tying our hands because of … this hope that someday maybe there’ll be a deal,” said Malley. “We are not going to focus on something that is inert when other things are happening,” he continued, referencing the demonstrations in Iran and Tehran’s decision “to get involved in a war in Europe” by transferring weapons to Russia.




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