Wednesday, November 23, 2022

11/23 Links Pt1: Israeli-Canadian teen killed as terror bombings target 2 Jerusalem bus stops; Palestinian gunmen steal body of Israeli from hospital; U.S. creates special representative for Palestinian affairs

From Ian:

Israeli teen killed as terror bombings target 2 bus stops at entrances to Jerusalem
Two explosions at two bus stops near entrances to Jerusalem on Wednesday morning killed one person and left another 22 people injured, police and medics said.

Police described the explosions as a terror bombing attack.

The first explosion occurred close to the main entrance of Jerusalem in Givat Shaul, shortly after 7 a.m., peak commuter hour.

Eighteen people at the bus stop were injured in the blast, including two critically and two seriously, medical officials said. The victims were taken to two hospitals in Jerusalem.

One of the victims injured in the first blast later died at Shaare Zedek Medical Center, hospital officials said. He was named as 16-year-old Aryeh Schupak, a yeshiva student from Jerusalem’s Har Nof neighborhood, and a dual Israeli-Canadian national.

A second blast occurred shortly after 7:30 a.m., at Ramot junction, another entrance to Jerusalem.

Five people lightly hurt by shrapnel or suffered from anxiety in the second explosion were taken to the Hadassah Mount Scopus Medical Center, hospital officials said.

A bus at the station was damaged by the explosion. It was unclear if the victims were at the station or on the bus itself.
Deadly ‘high quality’ Jerusalem bombs planted by organized terror cell, police say
A senior officer said police were hunting for an organized terror cell that detonated two “high quality” explosive devices at two bus stops near entrances to Jerusalem on Wednesday morning, killing one and wounding more than 20 others.

Speaking to reporters, the head of the police operations division said the “two high-quality, powerful explosive devices with a high level of damage” were hidden behind the bus stop and in a bush.

The first explosion occurred close to the main entrance of Jerusalem in Givat Shaul, shortly after 7 a.m., peak commuter hour. The second blast occurred shortly after 7:30 a.m., at Ramot junction, another entrance to Jerusalem.

A 16-year-old yeshiva student, Aryeh Schupak, was killed and 22 people were hurt in the two attacks, including one listed as critical and another three in serious-moderate condition, according to medical officials.

Schupak, who was killed in the first bombing, was a Canadian national as well as an Israeli citizen, according to Canada’s ambassador to Israel.

The remotely detonated devices were packed with nails to maximize casualties, according to police officials.

Due to the nature of the attack with two near-identical bombs exploding within half an hour of each other at two bus stops, Deputy Commissioner Sigal Bar Zvi said police suspected an organized cell was behind it, rather than just one person.

“I believe we will capture the terror cell,” she said.
‘We saw people running, children crying’: Witnesses describe J’lem attack aftermath
Victims and witnesses described the terrifying moment they were caught up in the twin bomb attacks at Jerusalem bus stops on Wednesday morning.

Aryeh Schupak, 16, was killed, and at least 20 injured in the two blasts at entrances to the city.

Many of those caught up in the terror were children and teens on their way to school.

The first explosion hit a bus stop at the entrance to the city at around 7:05 a.m., and barely half an hour later another bomb went off at another stop near the Ramot neighborhood in the northwest of the capital.

Shahar Sorkis and Neta Varshavski, both 14-year-olds who attend a school in Ramot, saw the second explosion as they traveled with other schoolkids on a nearby bus.

“We saw loads of shrapnel flying off the bus… it was a mess,” Varshavski told the Ynet news site. “We heard a noise and then we saw a lot of people running, a lot of children crying.”

“When we saw the explosion a lot of the girls began to cry. There was a lot of stress,” Sorkis added. Police and security personnel at the scene of a terror attack in Jerusalem, on November 23, 2022. (Olivier Fitoussil/Flash90)

The explosion damaged a No. 67 bus that was passing at the time. The driver, Motti Gabay, told Ynet that he quickly realized it was a terror attack.

“There was panic,” he said.

Gabay, who has been a bus driver for 23 years, including the period of the Second Intifada in the early 2000s when Palestinian terrorists frequently targeted buses with bombs, said he had expected that such attacks would one day return.

“First of all, I opened the doors and people got off,” he said, noting that Israelis “are used to this already.”


International community condemns Jerusalem bombings, US offers to aid terror probe
The US, Canada and others condemned twin bombings that rocked Jerusalem Wednesday morning, killing a teen and wounding nearly two dozen others, as some expressed worries that the attack would spark an intensified round of conflict.

Aryeh Schupak, a 16-year-old yeshiva student from the capital’s Har Nof neighborhood and a Canadian citizen, was killed in a bombing attack at a bus stop near the main entrance to Jerusalem early Wednesday morning. At least 22 others were wounded in that attack and a separate coordinated bombing shortly after at the busy Ramot Junction in the capital, including several in critical or serious condition.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted that he was “incredibly saddened” to hear of Schupak’s death. “I’m sending his family and friends my deepest condolences,” Trudeau added, stating that “Canada condemns this violence in the strongest possible terms.”

In a statement, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the US condemns “unequivocally the acts of terror overnight in Jerusalem.”

Jean-Pierre added that the US “has offered all appropriate assistance to the Government of Israel as it investigates the attack and works to bring the perpetrators to justice.”

US Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides said two of the wounded in the Jerusalem bombings were American citizens, but indicated that they were expected to recover.

Nides said he was “appalled by the cowardly terrorist attacks in Jerusalem today that targeted innocent civilians, including children.” 16-year-old Aryeh Schupak, killed in a bombing attack at the entrance of Jerusalem, November 23, 2022. (Courtesy)

Canadian Ambassador to Israel Lisa Stadelbauer called the attack “reprehensible” and confirmed that Schupak was a dual Israeli-Canadian citizen. Condemning “all forms of terror,” the envoy sent condolences to Schupak’s loved ones and to those injured in the twin bombings.

UK Ambassador to Israel Neil Wigan said he was “shocked by the terrorist attacks” in Jerusalem on Wednesday.

“Our deepest sympathies to those affected and their families and friends,” he tweeted from his personal account in both English and Hebrew. “The UK stands with Israel against terrorism.”

In a statement, the European Union’s diplomatic arm said it “condemns in the strongest possible terms” the terror attack.

“We express our deepest condolences to the families of the victims and wish a speedy recovery to all the injured,” the European External Action Service (EEAS) said in a statement. The EU added that it was “worried about the dangerous escalation of violence in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory,” and stressed that it is firmly committed to the fight against terrorism.

Tor Wennesland, the UN special coordinator for the Mideast peace process, also condemned the “horrific terrorist attacks in Jerusalem,” and sent his “deepest condolences to the family of the victim.” Wennesland added that “terrorism [and] violence against civilians can never be justified.”

While Ukrainian-Israel ties have been fraught in recent months, Ukraine’s Embassy in Israel said it was “deeply saddened by the deadly attacks in Jerusalem.”

“Terror has no justification,” the embassy wrote in English and Ukrainian in a Facebook post. “Every human deserves peace.”

Turkey, another nation with bumpy relations with Israel, said it “condemned the terrorist attack targeting civilians” and wished a speedy recovery to those injured and condolences to the family of the teenager who was killed.

Ankara added that it was “deeply concerned about the recent escalating tension in Jerusalem and the West Bank” and the ongoing loss of life.
Seth Frantzman: On the scene of the Jerusalem bombings in a city used to Palestinian terrorism
The sirens began just after seven in the morning.

Police and security forces across the city were responding to a bombing at the entrance to the city. I was in traffic.

Jerusalem has a certain feel every time there are terror attacks or incidents like this. Sirens can be heard across the city and because the city is set amid hills, so the echoes and sound can be heard in a cacophony. One siren. Then two. Then police cars. Then police on motorcycles. Then ambulances.

This is the routine of a city that has known terror attacks for decades.

The entrance to Jerusalem is set on the top of a steep hill, and beneath it are highways that circle and enter the city. The blast this morning occurred at a major hitchhiking spot and bus stop at the entrance to the city. This area is crowded with people in the mornings. Traffic here is always endless at rush hour, with the cars and buses snaking their way down the hill, passing the hitchhiking spot, and then making their way beneath the Bridge of Strings that welcomes people to the capital.

The site of the attack was the entrance to a religious neighborhood with a playground just across the street. An hour after the explosion, the debris from the bombing was still strewn around the road. There was a damaged scooter, a car left abandoned with all its doors open, as if the occupants had fled suddenly. There was shattered glass, green and shimmering in the morning light. Police had blocked both directions of Route 1, cutting off the city to some extent. A second incident in the valley between Jerusalem and the suburb of Ramot had also occurred.

Police and security forces surrounded the area of the attack, parking their cars and motorbikes around.
1 dead, 18 wounded in two Jerusalem terrorist attacks

LIVE from the scene of the first blast in Jerusalem terror attack

Rabbi shares horror of learning his daughter was wounded in terror attack

Hundreds attend funeral of Aryeh Shechopek, victim of Jerusalem attack
Hundreds of people attended the funeral on Wednesday afternoon of 16-year-old Israeli Aryeh Shechopek, who was killed earlier in the day in the first of twin terror bombings in Jerusalem.

The teenager was killed at a crowded bus stop near the entrance to the capital while on his way to study at his religious school in Moshav Beit Meir.

Authorities believe that blast and another at the Ramot junction were caused by two remotely detonated bombs packed with nails to cause maximum damage.

“I am sending condolences on behalf of all citizens of Israel to the family of Aryeh Shechopek…who was killed today in the terrible terrorist attack. May his memory be for a blessing,” Israeli Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu tweeted.

Prime Minister Yair Lapid convened a security meeting on Wednesday attended by, among others, Defense Minister Gantz, Israel Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai, Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) chief Ronen Bar and Public Security Minister Omer Bar-Lev.

“I would first like to send my condolences and the condolences of the government of Israel to the family of Aryeh Shechopek, of blessed memory. He was a boy who never wronged anyone in the world, and he was murdered simply because he was Jewish. I also wish a speedy and full recovery to the wounded,” said Lapid following the meeting.

“This event is different from what we have seen in recent years. An extensive intelligence effort is now underway that will lead us to find these heinous terrorists, those behind them, and those who provided them with weapons,” he continued. “I want to say to the citizens of Israel: We will find them. They can run, they can hide—it won’t help them; the security forces will reach them. If they resist, they will be eliminated. If not, we will punish them to the fullest extent of the law.”

Canadian Ambassador to Israel Lisa Stadelbauer confirmed that Shechopek also held Canadian citizenship.


MK Ofer Cassif: Teen killed in Jerusalem bombing is a 'victim of the occupation'
Hadash-Ta'al MK Ofer Cassif has come under fire in the Knesset on Wednesday afternoon after calling 16-year-old Aryeh Shechopek, who was killed in the Jerusalem bombings, a "victim of the occupation."

Speaking about the terror attack, Cassif said he wanted to "express my sorrow for the incessant bloodshed, and offer my condolences to all the victims of the occupation - Jews and Palestinians alike."

Following the deadly bombings at two locations in Jerusalem on Wednesday morning, Israeli politicians and diplomats have begun issuing statements and responding to the attacks.

First to arrive on the scene of the explosion was Otzma Yehudit faction leader MK Itamar Ben-Gvir, who is expected to receive the portfolio of public security minister in the incoming government coalition.

"It is a hard morning. We are experiencing a chain of events that did not start this morning," he said at the scene.
Palestinian terror groups praise Jerusalem bombings
The two bombing attacks in Jerusalem are not related to the results of the Israeli elections, but came in response to the ongoing Israeli security crackdown in the West Bank and visits by Jews to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound (Temple Mount), Palestinian sources said on Wednesday.

The sources predicted that the latest wave of terrorism would increase, if and when the new right-wing government in Israel chooses to escalate its security measures or attempts to change the status quo on the Temple Mount.

According to the sources, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad have taken a decision to step up their terror attacks not only to inflict pain on Israel, but also to undermine the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank.

Several Palestinian radical groups have welcomed the twin bombings in Jerusalem in which an Israeli teenager was killed and 26 injured.

The groups said the attacks came in response to visits by Jews to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and the killing and injury of a number of Palestinians by the Israeli security forces.

Hamas said the Palestinians have the right to “resist the occupation, which bears full responsibility for the repercussions of the crimes of its army and the terror of its settlers against the Palestinian people, their land and their sanctities.”

The PA did not comment on the Jerusalem attacks. However, a statement issued hours before the attacks by the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned Israel for the “heinous extra-judicial killing” of Ahmad Shehadeh, 16, in Nablus.

The ministry held Israel fully responsible for the recent deterioration of the security situation.

Palestinians said Shehadeh was shot dead during clashes with IDF troops accompanying Jewish worshippers who entered Nablus to pray at Joseph’s Tomb.


Army Radio Suspends Reporter Who Blamed Ben Gvir for Jerusalem Terror Attacks
Hadas Shtaif, Army radio’s police correspondent, was pulled out of Wednesday’s coverage of the Jerusalem bombings after tweeting: “We started the morning with two terrorist attacks in Jerusalem. Explosives seem to be coming back into the scene in addition to knives, stones, and shooting. Escalation. The forecast? Chain attacks. The presumed internal security minister, regarding your announcement this morning? The police officers and Border Guard fighters who will be harmed will be on you…”

And she added a white-on-black text meme saying: “Itamar Ben Gvir has informed the Likud that he intends to continue ascending to the Temple Mount even after being appointed minister of internal security.”

Earlier, Shtaif cited anonymous police sources who blame Ben Gvir for Arab terrorism: “Police sources also said that currently due to the negotiations and the reports coming out of the negotiations regarding one or another personality who is about to assume the management of one or another position in the government, there is a very, very serious tension in the area and it is impossible to separate between these factors.”

The nasty tweets came under a torrent of angry responses, including one by Avichai Cohen, a Jerusalem resident who noted: “It should be noted that you are a criminal who received immunity, who hacked into a person’s phone without a warrant. In a normal country, you’d be in prison, in the country of [expletive involving hygiene] you are broadcasting on Army radio, a despicable journalist and despicable human being.”

In his January 2019 decision not to prosecute then President of the Lawyers’ Guild Efi Nave on an indictment that resulted from Shtaif’s reporting, deputy state attorney Shlomo Lemberger wrote that Shtaif hacked Nave’s cell phone illegally, allegedly violating the law. Nave sued Army radio and Shtaif for NIS 141,000 ($41,000) for defamation and the case went to arbitration.
Terror Bombings in Jerusalem: Media Mess Ups
Within seconds, Jerusalemites were thrown back to the dark days of the Second Intifada, the wave of Palestinian suicide attacks that killed over 1,000 Israelis in the early 2000s.

Just after 7 AM, as rush hour got underway in the capital, a bomb went off at a bus stop near Jerusalem’s western entrance. Soon after, another explosion rocked the neighborhood of Ramot.

Hospital officials told local media that there are at least 23 victims, including one person who was killed. The fatality was identified as 16-year-old Aryeh Shechopek, an Israeli-Canadian student studying at a Jewish religious school in the Jerusalem hills. Several others remain in critical or serious condition.

Authorities believe the two terror attacks were carried out with near-identical, “high quality” explosive devices that were detonated remotely. The bombs were reportedly packed with nails, ball bearings, and other shrapnel to cause maximum damage.

The Hamas terrorist organization praised the perpetrators, calling the bombing a “heroic operation” while threatening more bloodshed. Iranian proxy Islamic Jihad likewise issued a statement in support of “the strikes of our people’s resistance.” Both groups stopped short of claiming responsibility, leading Israel to suspect an independent cell planned the attack.

In response, Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank distributed candies in celebration of what they called “Jerusalem’s World Cup.”

For months, Israel has been coping with a wave of deadly Palestinian violence: since the March 22 attack in Beersheba, 28 Israelis have been murdered in shooting and stabbing attacks throughout the country. Yet Wednesday’s attacks marked the first bombing in Jerusalem since April 2016, security sources cited by AFP said, raising fears of further escalation.

How the Media Covered the Attacks
Reuters claimed that the terror attacks were somehow linked to “unauthorized Jewish worshippers at the Al Aqsa mosque complex.” Notably, the outlet’s take on events echoed Hamas’ statement, which blamed Israeli “crimes and aggression against our people and the Al Aqsa Mosque.”
(UPDATE: Reuter has responded to our tweet by removing the offending paragraph.)

Associated Press consistently spoke of “suspected attacks by Palestinians” and referred to the “apparent attacks,” blatantly ignoring the fact that the Israeli Police had already confirmed, before the publication of the AP story, that both explosions were, in fact, set off by terrorists. In the same story, the AP falsely asserted that the northern Jerusalem community of Ramot is a “settlement.”


Palestinian gunmen ‘seize body’ of Israeli teen from Jenin hospital
Palestinian gunmen stormed a hospital in Jenin on Tuesday and seized the body of an Israeli teenager, the Israel Defense Forces said on Wednesday.

The twelfth-grader, a member of Israel’s Druze community, had entered Jenin from Israel via the Gilboa Crossing, together with a second civilian, the IDF said in a statement.

“The two were involved in a car accident and were evacuated to the local hospital for medical treatment. One of the civilians was confirmed dead. The body was taken from the hospital in Jenin and is expected to be returned to Israel shortly, as a required humanitarian act. The second injured civilian was severely injured and evacuated to receive further medical attention in Israel,” according to the statement.

However, Mowafaq Tarif, the spiritual head of the Druze Israeli community, contradicted the IDF’s version of events, stating that the youth had still been alive when he was taken.

Speaking with Kan Reshet Bet on Wednesday, Tarif said that according to the teen’s father, who was at the hospital in Jenin, “After the accident he saw that his son was breathing. He was disconnected from the equipment and kidnapped while still alive. They took him while firing shots in the air. It was a very difficult scene.”
Palestinian gunmen steal body of Israeli from hospital



Scoop: U.S. creates special representative post focused solely on Palestinian affairs
The Biden administration notified congress on Tuesday that it has appointed Hady Amr as a new special representative for Palestinian affairs, a senior State Department official said.

Why it matters: The move is an upgrade in U.S.-Palestinian relations. It is the first time the U.S. has created a Washington-based position at the State Department that is solely responsible for Palestinian Affairs.
It's also a promotion for Amr, who served in the last two years as deputy assistant secretary of state for Israeli-Palestinian affairs.

Driving the news: The senior State Department official said Amr will work under the authority of the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs.
The U.S. diplomats at the Jerusalem-based Office of Palestinian Affairs will work closely with the special representative.
“The Washington-based Special Representative for Palestinian Affairs will engage closely with the Palestinians and their leadership and, together with Ambassador [Thomas] Nides and his team, continue to engage with Israel on Palestinian-related issues," the State Department official said.

Behind the scenes: Two U.S. and Palestinian officials said this move was several months in the making.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had reservations about it at first, but in recent weeks made it clear that the Palestinian Authority agreed with the decision and will work with Amr, according to the Palestinian source.
The State Department notified the outgoing Israeli government about the move and also updated incoming Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his advisers in advance, the U.S. official said.

Between the lines: The creation of the new post is also meant to upgrade the U.S.-Palestinian relationship and diplomatic representation as much as possible given the U.S. consulate in Jerusalem, which served as the U.S. diplomatic mission to the Palestinians, has yet to reopen, according to a U.S. official.


Caroline Glick Show: Iran and Russia are getting closer. What does it mean for Israel?
In this week's “Caroline Glick Show," Caroline Glick and David Wurmser discuss Iran’s rising strategic ties with Russia and the Iranian revolution as it enters a new, more violent phase.

Glick and Wurmser talk about what Russian strategic dependence on Iran means for Israel and how Israel needs to respond to the new challenge.




Jihadis issue vague threats against World Cup
In online statements, both al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and al Qaeda’s general command issued vague threats against the FIFA World Cup and its host Qatar. Islamic State supporters have additionally published their own call to arms against the small Arab state.

In all cases, however, the warnings serve as general rallying cries for supporters rather than any explicit threat against the football tournament.

Over the weekend, AQAP became the first jihadist group to issue a statement condemning the Qatari state for hosting the World Cup. In a brief communique, the al Qaeda branch chastised the Qatari state for “spreading obscenity and homosexuality” and promoting “infidels of all races” by hosting the games.

It goes on to say that “Qatar has panted for more than ten years to win this immoral and frivolous occasion, diverting efforts that could have been in the service of Islam, the issues of Muslims, or in service of its nation’s issues and problems.”

Instead, AQAP states, Qatar has “wasted billions of dollars, which were sufficient for millions of Muslims” in its efforts to “shelter infidels, Crusaders, and polytheists” and to “promote degenerates, homosexuals, and atheists.”

According to AQAP, Qatar and its Western allies are attempting to divide the Ummah [worldwide Islamic community] to create “fanaticism, strive, and division to make the loyalty [of the Ummah] be towards something not of Islam but of loyalty to the infidels.”

The regional al Qaeda branch thus warns Muslims to not attend the games and to suppress and shun them online. It also calls for Islamic scholars to issue fatwas against the World Cup.

This message was soon followed by a similar release by al Qaeda’s general command. Using similar language, AQAP’s parent organization also states that in allowing “the scum of the people of the Earth” to enter its borders, Qatar is desecrating the holiness of the Arab Peninsula.
Berlin shuts down investigation into Abbas Holocaust remarks
The Berlin public prosecutor’s office has decided not to pursue a case against Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas for his Aug. 16 remarks downplaying the Holocaust, German newspaper Bild reported on Tuesday.

In a two-page letter made available to the German daily, the public prosecutor’s office said it would not investigate Abbas despite a complaint from Berlin’s Mike Delberg, himself a grandson of Holocaust survivors.

According to the public prosecutor, “There are ‘insufficient indications’ for criminal liability under Section 130 (approval, denial and trivialization of Nazi crimes).”

Abbas’s sole aim was “to highlight what he believed to be the crimes committed by the Israeli army and to point out their injustice, while attempting a historically extremely inappropriate comparison,” it continued.

Trivializing the Holocaust is a punishable offense in Germany.
PMW: A tale of two terrors
This morning, two bombs exploded in Jerusalem. 16-year-old Canadian Aryeh Shechopek, was murdered, while another 23 were injured, some seriously. Among the injured was at least one American citizen.

While the attacks were widely condemned, two condemnations were significantly absent: The condemnation of Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and the organizations he heads - the Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organization; and the condemnation of the UN Children’s Agency - UNICEF

When Abbas wants to condemn terror he knows exactly how to do it. Responding to the Nov. 13, 2022 terror attack in Istanbul, Abbas was quick to announce:
“Yesterday [Nov. 13, 2022, PA] President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the terror bombing that took place in Taksim Square in the center of Istanbul, which left 6 dead and 58 wounded (refers to bombing on Nov. 13, 2022, at least 6 dead and 81 wounded, which was reportedly committed by the Kurdistan Workers Party -Ed.).

In a condolences telegram to his Turkish counterpart [President] Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the president said: ‘We received the news about the dead and wounded as a result of the bombing in Taksim Square in the center of Istanbul with great sorrow. We condemn this despicable terror attack and those who stand behind it, whose goal that has no chance of success was to destabilize the security and stability of sister Turkey.’

[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Nov. 14, 2022]

While Abbas has occasionally issued statements ostensibly condemning Palestinian attacks against Israelis, he has done so only when the nature of the attack or its circumstances forced him into a corner. Even then, the condemnations were never unequivocal, and always equated the Palestinian terror with Israeli actions to prevent terror. After issuing the ostensible condemnations, Abbas, the PA and the PLO, all continued their incitement of terror and their “Pay-for-Slay” policy, paying cash rewards to the same terrorists whose actions they had ostensibly condemned.

While Abbas remained silent regarding the double attack in Jerusalem, he did find time to send condolences to Chinese President Xi Jinping, for the deaths caused by a fire in China:
Jews were influential and “hated by the masses,” Britain “had to get rid of them”
Spokesperson for PLO General Union of Palestinian Women (GUPW) Wisam Al-Rais: “The Jews’ influence increased both in Britain and in the rest of Europe, and they were generally hated by the masses. There was a need to get rid of them, but in a manner that would suit Britain’s interests. They [wanted to] plant a foreign body in the Arab homeland. This body would serve their interests and carry out their plans, and it would be a knife in the heart of the Arab world.” [Official PA TV, Palestine This Morning, Nov. 7, 2022]

Genetic research has conclusively proven modern Jews share a common origin in Israel and are not a “foreign body” in the area.

This was broadcast on the occasion of the 105th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration.

The Balfour Declaration of Nov. 2, 1917 was a letter from British Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour to Baron Rothschild stating that “His Majesty's government views with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people.” In 1922, the League of Nations adopted this and made the British Mandate “responsible for putting into effect the declaration,” which led to the UN vote in favor of partitioning Mandatory Palestine into a Jewish state and an Arab state in 1947. In response, Britain ended its mandate on May 15, 1948, and the Palestinian Jews, who accepted the Partition Plan, declared the independent State of Israel. The Palestinian Arabs rejected the plan and together with 7 Arab states attacked Israel, in what is now known as Israel’s War of Independence.




UK, France, Germany: ‘No Credible Civilian Justification’ For Iranian 60% Uranium Enrichment
Iranian state media on Tuesday announced that the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran has begun enriching uranium at the underground Fordow enrichment facility to 60% purity for the first time. Iran’s SNN media outlet also said that 60% enrichment would continue at Iran’s Natanz nuclear site and that it was upgrading its centrifuges at both sites to increase production capacity. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Tuesday confirmed that Iran had begun enriching to 60% at Fordow.

The UK, France, and Germany (the E3) issued a statement condemning the move.

“By increasing its production capabilities at Fordow and Natanz, well beyond Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) limits, and by accelerating its production of enriched uranium, Iran has taken further significant steps in hollowing out the JCPOA,” they said, referring to the limits placed on Iranian enrichment by the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Under the provisions of the JCPOA, Iran was limited to 3.67% enrichment, with enrichment to be carried out exclusively at Natanz.

“This step, which carries significant proliferation-related risks, has no credible civilian justification,” the E3 said.

Uranium enriched to 3-5% is the level typically used for civilian nuclear reactors. 60% pure uranium is considered to be “highly enriched”, but remains short of the approximately 90% purity required for weapons grade uranium used in nuclear weapons.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday that while he could not confirm Iran’s enrichment activities, the US was monitoring the situation closely. “Even as we’ve been engaged in diplomacy to try to see if we can get a mutual return to compliance with the JCPOA, we continue to exert pressure on Iran for steps that it’s taken to strengthen its nuclear program in contravention of the JCPOA itself, as well as the steps that it’s taking in other areas that pose significant challenges, concerns to people around the world,” he said.

US officials have previously said that diplomatic efforts to return to the deal have been stalled since August.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei: All U.S. Presidents Have Fought Iran; Some Have Dropped Dead
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said in a November 19, 2022 address that aired on Channel 1 (Iran) that the fact that Iran is advancing and flourishing is “intolerable and unbearable” for the West and for the “arrogant” United States. He said that all the pressure Iran is facing is because it has been advancing and because it has stood up to the West’s “bullying”, and he criticized all the American presidents since Jimmy Carter for opposing Iran. He also referred to U.S. President Joe Biden as a “demented guy”, and he told the audience to “turn” all their shouts against America. The audience chanted: “Death to America!”




IRGC officer killed in Syria blast; Iran blames Israel
Israel was responsible for the death of a senior Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps officer in a roadside bomb blast in Syria on Tuesday, the IRGC said in a statement on Wednesday.

The statement included messages of condolences to the officer’s family, and a vow to retaliate, according to a report by Ynet.

The Alma Center, an Israeli defense research organization, said the officer was at the rank of colonel, adding that he has been identified as Daoud Jaafari.

Jaafari’s was “one of the senior members of the air force of the Revolutionary Guards,” Alma stated in a tweet. “At this stage, it is not clear what his exact position is.”

“It is known that the Iranians have ballistic missiles, UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles] and air defense arrays deployed and operating in Syria. It is possible that he was involved in the maintenance and operation of one of these arrays. Based on his position, he may have been professionally involved in supervising the transportation of these kinds of weapons to Syria, within Syria, and to Lebanon,” said Alma.
Iran accuses Israel of killing an IRGC commander in Syria



Iran anti-hijab protests evolving into revolution





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