Tuesday, December 13, 2022

12/13 Links Pt1: Jonathan Tobin: The Triumph of Trump’s Amateurs; Ruthie Blum: The making of a Palestinian martyr; Would Iran give a nuclear bomb to al-Qaeda?

From Ian:

Jonathan Tobin: The Triumph of Trump’s Amateurs
And yet the conflict served an unexpectedly creative purpose. It provided the leverage the United Arab Emirates needed to justify its decision to normalize relations with Israel. In the Israeli newspaper Yediot Ahronot, Yousef al-Otaiba, the UAE ambassador to the United Nations, published an op-ed blasting the annexation idea. But while ostensibly critical of Israel, the column offered the possibility that the Arab world would open its arms to the Jewish state—because putting off annexation indefinitely would provide a rationale for normalization by Arab nations that were eager for an excuse to ditch the Palestinians.

Kushner and his chief aide, Avi Berkowitz, with the enthusiastic support of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (who had replaced Tillerson in 2018), went to work securing what would become the Abraham Accords. The UAE went first, but the Kushner-Berkowitz team also got Bahrain and then Morocco (at the cost of American recognition for its occupation of the former Spanish Sahara) to join in.

The establishment of Israeli diplomatic relations with these countries was by any objective standard a historic achievement. It added to the total of Arab nations that recognized Israel after more than seven decades of the Jewish state’s existence; only Egypt and Jordan, both former direct combatants in the wars against Israel, had normalized relations before this point. Even more important, as Kushner’s book makes clear, the normalization was also done with the acquiescence of Saudi Arabia. The accords demolished the claims that peace with the Arab world could only follow a resolution of the conflict with the Palestinians.

Trump’s amateurs proved that John Kerry’s notorious 2015 answer of “no, no, no, no,” when he was asked about the possibility of a wider peace, had been a function of the foreign-policy establishment’s tunnel vision and not a reflection of diplomatic reality. It provided the template for future peace agreements along the same lines with other Arab nations and could, in theory, prod a new generation of Palestinian leaders to seek an agreement with Israel and the United States that would be similar to the Peace Through Prosperity formula.

That the amateurs had arrived at this point by an indirect route, and only after years of struggle both inside the U.S. government and in futile attempts to engage the Palestinians, doesn’t detract from their achievement. But so deep is the contempt for Trump and Netanyahu within the ranks of the Washington establishment, and so entrenched are their preconceived notions about the Middle East, that not even the reality of the Abraham Accords and their significance are enough to change minds.

With the same cast of characters who so conspicuously failed in the Middle East under Bill Clinton and especially Barack Obama now back in control of American foreign policy, the familiar refrains about Israel needing to make concessions to encourage the Palestinians are once again in vogue. Though the Palestinian reputation for intransigence has made it difficult for even President Joe Biden’s team to find any meaningful way to appease Abbas and Company, Trump’s successor has failed to follow up on the Abraham Accords, thus squandering the opportunity for more peace deals and a united front against Iranian aggression and nuclear threats.

That is why the four books by Trump’s amateurs deserve to be read—and, despite their pedestrian renderings of everyday diplomacy (and Kushner’s deeply unattractive efforts at revenge and score-settling), understood as a useful guide to how Washington can break its addiction to policies that have been tried and proven to fail. Their authors may suffer from the opprobrium that the educated classes attach to anyone connected to Trump. But their successes deserve to be remembered and honored, and they stand as a lesson to all who will follow in their footsteps.
Ruthie Blum: The making of a Palestinian martyr
Her grieving uncle’s contradictory accounts of the night in question were just as big a giveaway, albeit unintentional. He told one outlet that his niece had been at home minding her own business when the sound of gunshots overhead spurred her to race to the roof. He was quoted on Twitter as claiming that she had gone to the roof to find her missing cat.

Both stories are revealing; most young girls would have responded to the noise of gunfire, all-too-familiar in Jenin, by cowering under their beds, not rushing to get in on the action. It’s puzzling that no adult blocked her exit from the apartment under the circumstances.

As Israeli soldiers and Border Police were in pursuit of terrorists, three of whom were known to be plotting imminent attacks, residents of the area hurled rocks, Molotov cocktails and explosives at them. Experience has taught both the murderers and those seeking to arrest them that rooftops are the best perch for this. IDF snipers were thus appropriately positioned.

The one who ended up shooting Zakarneh was simply doing his extremely difficult, dangerous job—in pitch darkness, no less. Had the young woman not been next to the targeted terrorist, filming the exchange to post on social media for propaganda purposes, she would still be alive and well.

But, then, mobs of hate-filled Palestinians would have been robbed of the ritual of carrying her flag-draped body through the streets of the West Bank (Judea and Samaria) city that has become a key base for arms-hoarding and terrorist activity against the “Zionists.” It’s par for the making of a martyr, whose family will be rewarded with a generous monthly stipend from the P.A.

That’s a given, as is the vile way in which the whole scenario will be depicted in Gamba’s report.
Amb. Alan Baker: The Annual UN General Assembly Resolution Calling on Israel to Give Up Nuclear Weapons – “Much Ado about Nothing”
As part of the annual three-month “Israel-bashing” festival at the United Nations General Assembly, an automatic majority of 146 states adopted, on 7 December 2022, one of its annual resolutions calling upon Israel to renounce possession of nuclear weapons and to place its nuclear facilities under international supervision. Only six states voted against the resolution – Canada, the U.S., Palau, Micronesia, Liberia and Israel.

Anyone familiar with the annual ruminations and musings of the UN General Assembly should not be surprised or even bothered by the automatic repetition of old, archaic resolutions, year after year, singling out Israel for all the various ills of the world.

Apart from elements within Israeli media seeking to sensationalize and dramatize such resolutions, as well as some politicians and officials unfamiliar with the machinations of the UN, no one gets excited or bothered by such resolutions.

Even within the UN itself, the annual festival in the General Assembly of “Israel-bashing” resolutions based on an automatic, politically driven majority has for decades become a routine and unavoidable annoyance and irritant for all except the Arab and African states that sponsor them. Such resolutions certainly do not and are not intended to advance the cause of Middle East peace. Nor do they achieve anything other than stain the reputation of the organization.

They are endured by most states that, out of political correctness and fear of Muslim backlash, simply go along with them and even support them, knowing that they are meaningless.

Substantively and legally speaking, such resolutions, like all General Assembly resolutions, have no binding legal authority and represent nothing more than the collective, partisan political viewpoint of the automatic majority of states that regularly vote against Israel, no matter what the subject.


Netanyahu: This will be a ‘liberal-nationalist’ government
Israeli Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday rejected criticism that his coalition will pursue a right-wing extremist agenda.

During a Knesset plenum, Netanyahu said, “Everyone will live in accordance with their own faith. This will not become a nation of religious law. It will be a country in which we tend to all citizens of Israel, without exception.”

“We were elected to lead in our way, the way of the nationalist-right and the way of the liberal-right, and that’s what we’ll do,” he added.

Netanyahu’s coalition, which includes ultra-Orthodox religious parties, came under fire when a list of demands by United Torah Judaism (UTJ) came to light on Monday. They urged enforcing government restrictions on the Sabbath, including halting electricity production.

Lod Mayor Yair Revivo defended the idea. “I’ll give you the scoop: There isn’t enough electricity in the country, especially on the Sabbath and religious holidays,” he said. “It’s a shame that those people who usually champion ‘green’ causes are instead fighting the haredim on this one.”

UTJ also asked for more gender-segregated beaches and other concessions that would largely benefit the ultra-Orthodox population.
Caroline Glick: Bibi's Return and the Future of U.S. - Israel Relations
Israel just held a historic election – the fifth in four years, resulting in the return to power of Israel’s longest serving Prime Minister, Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu. Bibi Returns to an Israel and a Middle East in a time of transition, with new progress through the Abraham Accords but also new challenges, including a rising threat from Iran and new waves of terrorist violence in Israel.

To help understand this new chapter of U.S.-Israel relations, the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) is proud to host a discussion featuring Caroline Glick, the senior contributing editor at Jewish News Syndicate (JNS) and host of JNS’s The Caroline Glick Show, as well as diplomatic commentator for Israel’s Channel 14 television and columnist at Newsweek; and Dan Pollak, Director of Government Relations for the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA). The conversation will be moderated by Dr. Jacob Olidort, Director of AFPI’s Center for American Security and the Center’s Middle East Peace Project.


The Evolution of AIPAC’s Political Operation in Washington over 50 Years – An Eyewitness Perspective
The 2022 U.S. mid-term elections funding saw a new player on the field: a political action committee (PAC) formed by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). AIPAC had never contributed to a political candidate in the 60 years of its existence. This year, AIPAC donated $17 million to 365 candidates of both parties, adhering to its commitment to bipartisanship and reflecting Congress’ bipartisan support for Israel.

Founded by I.L. “Si” Kenen, AIPAC faced many challenges over the 50 years witnessed by the author. Funding was often meager; since AIPAC was a lobby, contributions were not tax-deductible. The Arab and oil lobbies were well-funded, aggressive, and purveyors of anti-Israel propaganda. Kenen published a newsletter, Near East Report, and a counter-propaganda handbook, Myths & Facts, printed with hundreds of thousands of copies and in several languages.

The end of the congressional seniority system was an important democratizing step and challenge; it required AIPAC to expand its lobbying staff to “cover” Capitol Hill. Campaign financing reforms instituted after the Nixon presidency meant that political contributors were no longer the “fat cats” and corporations. As the funding system was decentralized, AIPAC established regional offices to meet and work with “key contacts” across the United States. All contacts, messaging, and recruitment of AIPAC members was strictly bipartisan.

Occasionally, AIPAC opposed U.S. Government policies, such as arms sales to Arab states hostile to Israel or threats to cut aid to Israel over policy differences. High-profile events such as the delay of emergency aid to Israel during the 1973 war or the sale of AWACS to Saudi Arabia translated to AIPAC mobilizing bipartisan support of Israel in the Senate and House of Representatives. Friends of Israel – Jews and Christians – also mobilized and increased AIPAC’s membership and enhanced its reputation.

AIPAC’s cardinal rule that support for Israel was bipartisan was challenged in recent years, with progressive political organizations, claiming to be “pro-Israel,” organizing to defeat pro-Israel members of Congress. AIPAC’s 2022 entry into the arena of campaign financing now helps protect the bipartisan support for Israel among the American people and their representatives.
Delegation of UN Ambassadors visit Hezbollah tunnel in Israel

Chris Murphy Snubs Israel, Calls Qatar the ‘Best Partner in Region’
In a snub to Israel, Democratic senator Chris Murphy (Conn.) described Qatar—the small oil-rich country allied with Iran—as the United States’ "best partner in the region."

Qatar, Murphy said in a recent interview, is "an imperfect partner. There's a lot not to like about Qatari policy. But in many ways, they are our best partner in the region."

Murphy’s remarks came after he traveled to Doha to attend the 2022 World Cup, which was hosted by Qatar after it bribed the FIFA soccer association and built its sports infrastructure using slave labor. Qatar is a well-documented human rights abuser and enjoys close relations with Iran, the world’s foremost state sponsor of terrorism. Qatar itself is also a major hub for terrorism financing, money that empowers regional militant groups that target U.S. assets and allies in the region.

Murphy’s remarks raised eyebrows with regional observers who questioned why a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee would go out of his way to diminish the United States’ historically close ties with Israel, which is widely viewed as the country’s closest and most reliable regional partner.

"Why the congressman omitted Israel from his statement is anyone’s guess," said Jonathan Schanzer, a former terrorism finance analyst at the Treasury Department and veteran Middle East analyst with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies think tank.

"We don’t need a partner in the region that finances terrorism, bribes World Cup officials, and violates human rights on a scale rarely seen," Schanzer said. "As it turns out, we already have a reliable partner in the region that is a democracy. It’s a highly competent military power with cyber and intelligence capabilities that rival many Western nations."
UAE Jewish community opens first kosher supermarket in Gulf
More than 100 people gathered in Dubai on Monday evening as the United Arab Emirates’ Jewish community opened the first-ever kosher supermarket in the Gulf.

The supermarket, named “Rimon,” will meet growing demand for kosher products due to the significant increase in the number of Jews traveling and relocating to the UAE in the wake of the 2020 Abraham Accords.

The agreements, brokered by the Trump administration, normalized relations between Israel and several Arab countries, including the UAE.

“Our wonderful community, which keeps growing and prospering here in the UAE, most gratefully continues to benefit from the extraordinary embrace we have received from the Emirates government and local authorities, for over a decade now,” said UAE-based Rabbi Levi Duchman.

“In order to enable residents and visitors full Jewish life here, we have established Jewish institutions and communities, openly celebrate Shabbat, holidays and simchas [religious celebrations]—and enjoy quality kosher food, any day and everywhere, across the Emirates,” he continued.

“The unique Jewish supermarket, spanning over 130 square meters in the center of Dubai, offers quality kosher produce imported especially from Israel, Europe and the United States, including quality meat and chicken products under the highest Jewish quality standard with Kosher Mehudar certification,” Duchman added.
Israel, UAE ratify free trade agreement

Former Iraqi parliamentarian, supporter of peace with Israel, faces prison, execution
Former Iraqi parliamentarian Mithal al-Alusi, a longtime supporter of peace with Israel and a recipient of the American Jewish Committee’s (AJC) Moral Courage Award, was sentenced last week by an Iraqi federal court to seven years’ imprisonment for “insulting the judiciary.”

Article 226 of Iraq’s penal code, which dates back to Saddam Hussein’s rule, stipulates that anyone who openly “insults” the Iraqi government or its institutions, including the armed forces or courts, can be prosecuted and imprisoned for up to seven years.

Al-Alusi is not the only Iraqi activist to face such charges at present.

He has criticized members of Iraq’s judiciary for what he characterizes as complicity between them and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Some Iraqi politicians have openly acknowledged their loyalty to Tehran’s radical regime, and he criticized them based on their public statements.

“There are many politicians in government, in the [Iraqi] justice [system], in the courts [who] belong to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps,” al-Alusi told JNS. “Many are members, leaders of militias that belong to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, and they say so, very proudly.”


Taiwan's FM urges closer ties with Israel
Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said he hopes Israel and Taiwan will develop closer relations since the two countries share similar values.

In an exclusive interview with Ynet, Wu also urged Israel to show support for Taiwan as a democratic nation with a key role in the international economy.

“We hope that Israel can talk more about Taiwan and Taiwan's role in the international economy and international politics, or the situation [of how] Taiwan is under the threat by China," said Wu.

China ended formal high-level communication with Taiwan's government in 2016 after the island's voters elected Tsai Ing-wen, whom Beijing considers a separatist, as president. But, with Chinese jet fighters mounting almost daily maneuvers around Taiwan, local officials fear their former rulers might initiate an invasion to reclaim the territory.

Wu also said that one of China’s tactics has been to intimidate and diplomatically threaten democratic nations who cooperate with Taiwan in retaliation, including Israel.

“The greatest threat is that China wants to cut off Taiwan's international network….So whenever the Israelis say something about Taiwan, or Israeli newspapers or journalists comment on Taiwan or interview me, the Chinese come down very hard on the Israelis. The purpose or objective of the Chinese diplomatic action is try to cut off Taiwan from international support or connections with other countries.”

“Israel happens to be a fully functioning democracy, a mature democracy, and a country that shares the same values as Taiwan…therefore, China will try to cut Israel off of Taiwan's list of supporters on the international stage,” he added.
Report on Jenin Girl’s Death ‘Rushed’: Border Police
The findings from an initial Israeli army investigation into the death of a 16-year-old girl in Jenin on Monday were released prematurely, a Border Police source tells i24NEWS.

The source expressed anger about the report, saying that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) should have waited for more concrete evidence before stating that Jana Zakharna was “likely” hit in the head by sniper fire “accidentally” while on the roof of her home.

According to the Border Police source, the experienced sniper saw only one armed individual on the roof of the building and did not see anyone else around him during an exchange of gunfire with Palestinian militants following a raid in the West Bank city.

Israeli media also quoted senior officers at the Border Police as saying that the report “is hasty and lacks evidence.”


Phew: US Concedes Arab Girl Was Killed by Mistake
State Dept. Spokesman Ned Price told reporters on Monday that Israel’s killing of Jana Zakarneh, 16, in Jenin, was a tragic incident.

Zakarneh stood on a rooftop Sunday night, next to armed terrorists who were attacking Border Police fighters in the street below, opened massive fire on the soldiers, and threw explosive devices and Molotov cocktails at them. The girl was killed by Border Police return fire. The IDF Spokesman reported the killing was not intentional.

Arab media also released a photo the girl had just publicized of IDF troops entering Jenin, potentially implicating the girl as a spotter for the terrorists. Her uncle denied the teenage girl had a phone with her.

The big difference between Sunday’s unfortunate incident and the similarly unintentional killing of Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh last May was the fact that the IDF immediately accepted responsibility and was able to report on the circumstances that made it inevitable––instead of getting mixed up in denial and speculations that steered the debate away from the facts of the incident, adding a needless air of suspicion and coverup.

Spokesman Price said: “We do express our profound condolences to the family of Jana Zakarneh, the young teenage girl who was killed. It is a tragic incident. It’s a heartbreaking incident any time you hear of a civilian being killed in these types of operations. We understand the IDF is undertaking an investigation into what happened. We hope to see accountability in this case. I did note that outgoing Prime Minister Lapid did offer his condolences to the family of Jana Zakarneh, and we note that that her tragic death comes in the context of the escalating violence in the West Bank that we’ve noted and lamented for some time now.”

Price then commented: “It is this alarming increase in Palestinian and Israeli deaths and injuries, including injuries to numerous children and now the death of a young Palestinian teenager – we reiterate the need for all parties to take steps to de-escalate the situation. It’s vital that the parties themselves take urgent action to prevent even greater loss of life.”
What if Al Jazeera Was Put On Trial?
On December 6, Al Jazeera filed a complaint against Israel with the International Criminal Court (ICC) over the death of Shireen Abu Akleh, the Palestinian-American reporter who was tragically shot on May 11 during a counter-terrorism operation in the Islamic Jihad hotbed of Jenin.

A thorough IDF probe previously concluded that she was likely mistakenly shot by a soldier who failed to identify her as a journalist. In July, a report by the American State Department also said that there was no indication Israelis intentionally killed Abu Akleh.

Nevertheless, Al Jazeera contacted ICC prosecutor Karim Khan in the wake of alleged new evidence that it uncovered based on what it called “eyewitness accounts.” Without presenting any solid proof to the public, the Qatar-run broadcaster argued that their correspondent was targeted by IDF soldiers.

Therefore, we are putting Al Jazeera on trial and charging them with three counts of dishonest reporting.


PA: Visiting UN official must blacklist Israel for Palestinian teen death
United Nations visiting official Virginia Gamba must place the IDF on the blacklist of countries with armies that commit grave violations against children in situations of armed conflict in the aftermath of the shooting of Jana Zakarneh, 16, Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh said on Monday.

He spoke out in a statement published by the Palestine news agency WAFA, just as Gamba, the UN's Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict was visiting Israel and the Palestinian territories to investigate the situation of children caught in Israeli-Palestinian violence.

Her visit coincided with Zakarneh's death on a Jenin rooftop during a gun battle between armed Palestinians and IDF soldiers. Israel said it was likely that she had accidentally been killed by one of its soldiers.

Interviews with the UN Secretary-General
Reporters in New York quizzed UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres's deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq about Gamba's visit and Zakarneh's death.

Gamba "has not made a statement on this right now, but of course, she is going about her work, and we expect that she'll have more to say as she goes through her travels," he said.
Hamas’s shoulder-fired missiles and the far bigger threat to Israeli aircraft from Lebanon
In what would have been a fairly ordinary pre-dawn raid on Dec. 4, the Israel Air Force struck a Hamas military post in Gaza in retaliation for a rocket fired (likely by Palestinian Islamic Jihad) earlier that evening. Hamas, keen to avoid being dragged into an escalation at this time, did not fire a single rocket at Israeli communities, but it did make sure to release footage of its operatives firing what appears to be Strela-2 man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS) at the jets.

The shoulder-fired missiles did not hit their targets and the Israeli jets came back to strike the area from where Hamas targeted them, to send a clear message: Attempts to harm the IAF will be met with retaliation.

Many of Hamas’s Strela-2 missiles, as well as Kornet missiles and other types of shoulder-fired missiles, were smuggled into Gaza years ago from Libya, via tunnels connecting Egypt’s Sinai to the Strip. Most of those tunnels have since been destroyed by the Egyptian military, though a few might remain active.

The Strella missile’s design stretches all the way back to the Soviet Union of 1964, but it has undergone many upgrades since then.

Speaking to JNS, a Western security source said that a review of the Russian-Ukrainian war reveals that low-flying Russian helicopters and planes are in fact vulnerable to Ukrainian MANPADS fire, and that Russia’s air force suffered a high shoot-down rate until its aircraft stuck to high altitude sorties, out of the MANPADS range. Israeli aircraft rarely fly low over Gaza. Subscribe to The JNS Daily Syndicate by email and neve
WATCH: The ‘Iron Fist’ completes anti-tank interception tests
The Defense Ministry Tank and Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) Directorate, the IDF and the Elbit Systems Land Division on Monday jointly announced the completion of a successful series of "Iron Fist" Active Protection System tests.

The defense system deployed to "Eitan" APCs intercepted anti-tank threats in various challenging scenarios.

Recent conflicts with Hamas and Hezbollah have shown expanding anti-tank capabilities and the absence of such defensive systems in some cases led to ambushes and the deaths of a number of IDF soldiers.

In January 2020, the Defense Ministry selected Elbit’s Iron Fist system to be built into the Eitan APC.

The terms of the contract released at the time valued the deal at approximately $31 million (NIS 109 million).

The contract was due to be for a five-year period and the latest successful exercise appears to show substantial progress, though the ministry said it still had no concrete timeline for when the system will actually be deployed in the field.

How does the Iron Fist work?
The "Iron Fist" system developed by Elbit Systems is an advanced active protection system that provides 360-degree coverage against multi-range threats in open and urban environments.

The urban environment part is especially critical as Hamas and Hezbollah’s abilities to fight IDF soldiers to more of a draw using asymmetric guerilla warfare increases in densely populated areas.

In addition to its defensive capabilities, the ”Iron Fist” provides APC teams with fire source location to close the fire circle in multi-threat combat arenas.


The Israel Guys: Israel Conducts HUGE MILITARY Training Exercise With 13,000 Troops
Netanyahu has officially asked for an extension of time to form a majority coalition. There is a report that the former ambassador to the United States Ron Dermer will be appointed a minister in the next government. The IDF is conducting a massive exercise in the north of Israel with 13,000 troops. A special young man from South Africa who was killed in a terror attack last year was honored in Jerusalem yesterday, and more and more Jews are interested in making Aliyah, that is immigrating to Israel.


PMW: While the world remains silent, the PA continues to spew antisemitism
Let there be no mistake. The silence of the international community provides support for and reinforces the Antisemitism of the Palestinian Authority. When American celebrities make antisemitic comments, the international community rightly vilifies them. But when the PA and its representatives make much worse comments and promulgate antisemitic imagery, suddenly the international community - including politicians and journalists - are silent.

The silence of the international community is translated by the PA into a carte blanche to further entrench its deep-seated Antisemitism and continue attacking and dehumanizing Israelis.

So when Jews exercise their elementary right to visit Judaism’s holiest site, the Temple Mount, or the burial site of the patriarchs and matriarchs of Judaism in the Cave of Patriarchs in Hebron, the PA allows itself to let loose with vitriolic hatred. For the PA, Jews exercising their basic right to freedom of religion and worship is not seen as an innocent act guaranteed to all religions, but rather an act of “defilement” by “criminal infidels.” For the PA all Jews are criminals, who “defile” the Muslim holy sites:
PA Minister of Religious Affairs Hatem Al-Bakri: “Allah, purify the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque and the mosque of Abraham (i.e., Cave of the Patriarchs) from the defilement of the criminal infidels, O Master of the Universe.”

[Official PA TV, Nov. 4, 2022]

Embellishing and expanding on the antisemitism and dehumanization of Jews, Fatah Revolutionary Council member and regular columnist for the official PA daily Muwaffaq Matar claims that Israeli soldiers - “whose brains are filled with orders and instructions to spill blood and murder” - and all Israeli civilians – to whom he refers to as “invading settlers” – are nothing but “human robots.” According to Matar, even though Jews may have the external appearance of being “normal humans” in reality they have been stripped of human traits:
“What is happening on the land of Palestine is a crime against humanity in the full sense of the word. The victim is the Palestinian people, while the criminal is the settler and racist colonialist Zionist system. The soldiers in its army, whose brains are filled with orders and instructions to spill blood and murder, and also the invading settlers, are nothing but human robots… even if they appear to our eyes like normal humans, and this is the reality, but they have been stripped of the traits, nature, feelings, and desires of normal humans.”

[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Dec. 1, 2022]

Inverting reality, the PA and Matar claim that the Jews dehumanized themselves through a process of “brainwashing” and the mixing of “the blood cells of racist tendency… with their red and white blood cells”. These processes, according to the PA and Matar, have brought Jews “to the point that their desire to kill becomes more lethal than what we see in documentary films on predatory animals in nature – and specifically those who rush to bite into the flesh of the victim and suck its blood”:
“This is due to processes of brainwashing, and after the blood cells of racist tendency were mixed with their red and white blood cells, to the point that their desire to kill becomes more lethal than what we see in documentary films on predatory animals in nature – and specifically those who rush to bite into the flesh of the victim and suck its blood, while it is still standing, breathing, and fighting to be saved from the claws and fangs of a flock or group of wild animals.”

[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Dec. 1, 2022]


Children Visit Hamas' Gaza Strip Arms Exhibition Showcasing Rockets, Drones, IEDs, And Mortars – And 'Preparedness For Future Decisive Campaign' Against Israel
Among events marking the 35th anniversary of its founding, Hamas held an arms exhibition on December 9, 2022 showcasing locally manufactured weapons. The exhibition, at the Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip, presents the various weapons used by the movement's military wing, the 'Izz Al-Din Al-Qassam Brigades. The opening ceremony was attended by senior Hamas officials Muhammad Abu 'Askar and Suheil Al-Hindi, armed and masked Hamas commanders and operatives, and members of the Hamas military wing, in addition to many Palestinian civilians, including children.

Hamas spokesman 'Abd Al-Latif Al-Qanou' explained that the exhibition "presents the story of the development of the means of resistance during the 35 years of the movement's existence, starting with knives, pistols, and old rifles, and including rockets and drones."[1]

The exhibition reviews the historical development of Hamas's weapons manufacturing, from IEDs and mortars to the range of models of rockets and drones, including S50 and M75 rockets and Shehab and Ababeel drones.

According to senior Hamas official Muhammad Abu 'Askar, the exhibition's aim was "to present to the Palestinian generations the military industry created by the Al-Qassam Brigades, and the stages of its development from the Al-Aqsa Intifada in 2000 to the present day." He added: "What you see today was created with the blood of the martyrs and the sweat of the fighters. This accumulation of power, in all its forms, constitutes preparedness for a future decisive campaign against the Israeli occupation."[2]
“Daddy gave me a present, a machine gun and a rifle”

Father and friends of “Martyr”: “He kept saying: ‘I want to be a Martyr’’”



Turkey’s leader warns Greece that ballistic missiles can hit Athens
Turkey’s ballistic missile test has scared Athens, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Sunday, adding that Ankara will not sit by idly if Greece continues to arm its islands in the Aegean.

Turkey test-fired a locally made, short-range ballistic missile, dubbed Tayfun, which means “typhoon” in Turkish, over the Black Sea in October. The missile can hit targets at a distance of 561 kilometres in 456 seconds, according to Turkey.

“You say ‘Tayfun’ and they’re scared, they say it’ll hit Athens,” Erdoğan said. “Yeah, of course it’ll hit it. If you don’t stay calm — if you try to send weapons you got from the US to the islands — a country like Turkey certainly won’t go around picking pears. It has to do something.”

Turkey is increasingly frustrated by what it sees as a growing Greek military build-up on islands close to its coastline and Western military support to fellow Nato member Greece, with which Ankara has long-running territorial conflicts. These frictions have escalated in recent years as Turkey mobilised its navy to claim rights over potential hydrocarbon resources in the eastern Mediterranean.

Greece has repeatedly called on Turkey to stop questioning its sovereignty over the Dodecanese — a group of islands off the Turkish coast including Rhodes and Kos — that were ceded to Greece by Italy following World War 2.
Seth Frantzman: Druze protests in southern Syria challenge regime
Protesters in the Druze city of Suwayda in southern Syria have posed a rare challenge to the Syrian regime over the last week and a half. The protests have been documented online in several videos since early December. While it is difficult to judge their scope or size, the fact that there are open protests outside a Ba’ath regime headquarters is significant.

According to Suwayda24 and other media channels, protesters stormed the governor’s office on or around December 4 and took down images representing the regime, including photos of Syrian President Bashar Assad. A report at Middle East Eye noted, “Sweida [Suwayda] enjoys semi-autonomous rule where Druze militiamen known as Rijal al-Karameh (Men of Dignity) are largely responsible for its security.”

The protests have been prompted by widespread economic hardship. According to one report, dozens of protesters gathered in a main square of the city and condemned the government’s inability to provide better living conditions. Demonstrators also called on Syrians throughout the country to strike.

Russian and Iranian presence in the area
The protesters complained about the Russian and Iranian presence in the area, according to one report. The grassroots journalism site Popular Front noted on December 5, “Security forces responded to the protests by opening fire on protesters with live rounds, killing a local man.”

The protests come at a complex time for Syria. On Sunday night, there were reports of an airstrike in Tel Khalib, southeast of Suwayda, according to the Alma Research and Education Center.
Qatar's World Cup: What Visitors Were Not Shown
Qatar claims that 37 workers died during the construction phase of its World Cup infrastructure projects. The organization Amnesty International asserts that authorities in Qatar failed to investigate the deaths of thousands of migrant workers who lost their lives working on construction projects associated with the World Cup. One UK press report puts the total number of victims at 6,750.

The workers often arrive in debt, due to extortionate fees charged by recruiters who facilitate the employment process. Qatar's kafala (sponsorship) system is so fraught with abuse that it approaches the level of human trafficking.

Working conditions are medieval. Laborers have little to no access to health care: they cannot afford health insurance and there are no on-site clinics. They are also forced to work long hours, often seven days a week. Many migrants die from the extreme heat during Qatar's summer: temperatures sometimes reach above 44 degrees Celsius (112 degrees Fahrenheit).

Despite the presence of a large US military base, Qatar's ruling Al-Thani family is a huge financial supporter of various terrorist groups, including Hamas. This wealthy, conservative Sunni mini-state is also a sanctuary for several terrorist operatives.
MEMRI: British Imam on World Cup: Real Men Don’t Watch Other Men with Their Privates Exposed Kick a Ball
In a Friday, December 2, 2022 sermon at the Al-Rahma Faith Center in Leeds, UK, British imam Abu Usamah At-Thahabi warned his listeners against a Zionist plot purportedly described in the Protocols of the Elders of Zion to keep people distracted with sports and games. He said that watching “a few men running around and kicking a ball [with] their private parts showing” in the World Cup causes Muslims to disregard prayer times and to dishonor their parents. At-Tahahabi also said: “[Real] men do not sit around and watch people kick a ball.” At-Thahabi's sermon was posted to the Al-Rahma Faith Center's YouTube channel.




Would Iran give a nuclear bomb to al-Qaeda? - analysis
On Monday, citing unnamed sources, Maariv reported that al-Qaeda had intercepted uranium that Iran was trying to send to its proxy in Yemen, the Houthis.

There has been no public comment by Israel, the US or Iran and while Maariv, The Jerusalem Post’s sister publication in Hebrew, is a serious newspaper, it is always possible that an interested party “leaks intelligence,” which is actually disinformation, to the media to achieve some more complex agenda.

Former intelligence officials who the Post consulted with view the story as smoke and mirrors.

Presuming disinformation is what is going on here, why would someone leak such a story and how real is the threat of al-Qaeda getting nuclear material or a “dirty bomb” style nuclear bomb from Iran, even if it did not happen this time?

The why seems obvious.

Why leak a story about al-Qaeda getting nuclear material from Iran?

There are many Israeli, Arab and American parties who want Jerusalem, Washington, the EU and the UN to take a harder line with the Islamic Republic.

Some would like the Jewish state to attack Tehran’s nuclear facilities, and even would have been happier if the attack had happened some time ago.

Tossing out a story about the ayatollahs handing over nuclear material to al-Qaeda, even if it was “by accident” on the way to giving the material to the Houthis, is a good way to freak out the world that time is of the essence.

In contrast, right now the nuclear standoff between Iran and the world powers has been essentially on pause since August with no signs that either side is budging or anxious to escalate.

A rogue nuclear weapon could turn the tide.
FDD: Biden Administration Refuses to Rule Out Sanctions Relief for Iran
Expert Analysis
“The Biden administration is hedging against the Iranians taking to the streets in favor of an anti-American, terror-sponsoring regime that’s helping Russia attack Ukraine. President Biden should work with allies to restore international sanctions on Iran at the UN Security Council and articulate a clear U.S. policy in support of the Iranian people’s desire to bring down the regime that has oppressed them for 40 years.” – Richard Goldberg, FDD Senior Advisor

Nuclear Deal Would Subsidize Russian Attacks on Ukraine, Violence against Women
The Biden administration has yet to formally withdraw its offer of sanctions relief for the Islamic Republic. The deal on the table would provide the regime with $274 billion of relief in its first year and $1 trillion by 2030. The agreement would also lift U.S. sanctions on the top financiers of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) — the U.S.-designated terrorist organization responsible for cracking down on Iranian protesters and supplying Russia with drones to attack Ukraine. These financiers include the Central Bank of Iran and the National Iranian Oil Company, both of which funnel billions of dollars to the IRGC.

UN Snapback Would Help Iranian Protesters and Ukraine
Pursuant to UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which endorsed the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, the international arms embargo on Iran expired in 2020, and a missile embargo will expire next October. The resolution, however, came with a provision to restore all UN sanctions if Iran exceeded the nuclear limits set by the deal. Iran’s continued nuclear escalation makes this “snapback” mechanism available at any time. If the United States worked with Britain, France, or Germany to trigger this “snapback,” which neither Russia nor China could prevent, the regime in Tehran would find itself further politically isolated, while its financial sector could enter freefall as the market rules out the possibility of U.S. sanctions relief.
Antisemitic cartoon circulates on Iranian social media
An antisemitic cartoon depicting Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev with a huge nose and sidelocks, wearing a yarmulke is circulating on Iranian social media. This cartoon is part of a larger campaign of Iranian anti-Azerbaijan content; the two predominantly Shiite countries have been at odds for decades, although they maintain embassies in each other's capital cities.

The campaign has also included propaganda anti-Israel videos circulated by Iran in Azerbaijani.

Azerbaijan has classically aligned its interests with the West - particularly the United States and Israel - providing Iranian propagandists with ample reason to give their work an antisemitic twist.

Azerbaijan-Israel relations
Recently, Azerbaijan declared intent to become the first Shi’ite-majority state to open an embassy in Israel. And Israel has had an embassy in Baku since 1993. The two nations have close relationships in the realms of defense, diplomacy and trade.

Leaders of the Islamic Republic have repeatedly expressed their loathing for all things Western, particularly the state of Israel and its leaders.
UN Watch: Expelling Iran's Ayatollah from U.N. Women's Rights Commission - Q&A with Hillel Neuer



Iran releases 'sham' trial footage of executed protester





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