Thursday, December 15, 2022

12/15 Links Pt1: Europe is waking up and seeing NGO corruption; Francesca Albanese: Special Rapporteur to Demonize Israel; Irish UNIFIL peacekeeper killed by gunfire in Lebanon

From Ian:

Seth Frantzman: Why Qatar’s involvement in EU scandal may impact Middle East
This kind of bargaining, using money to get influence, appears to have now brought Qatar into scandal in Europe. But Doha has seen this happen before with controversy over the World Cup and also other controversies in the US, and it has generally sailed on without much effect on its overall relations.

The EU scandal seems to reveal that Qatar targeted members of the European Parliament from southern Europe and also people who are involved in human-rights and other left-leaning causes. This means that someone decided that the best people to target in influence peddling were left-leaning voices, those connected to socialist or other similar parties.

But why would these voices be open to dealing with Qatar, a state that openly suppresses gay rights and is authoritarian? This is one of the perplexing aspects of how Doha has portrayed itself over the last two decades, via media such as Al Jazeera, as being different than it is.

Even though Qatar is an authoritarian monarchy that not only backs far-right extremists in the Middle East, but also theocracy and suppresses workers’ rights, it is able to sell itself to left-leaning voices in the West through a complex blend of preying on Orientalist ideas and pretending that its suppression of rights is merely its “culture.”

Once Doha has pretended that its authoritarianism and support for extremists is “culture,” then it claims that any critique of its policies is “Islamophobia.” This tends to buy quiet from critics and also enables its influence to continue.

On the one hand, accusations that Qatar was involved in another corruption scandal are not unique. Many countries try to exploit Western democracy through media influence-peddling and corruption. For instance, for many years, countries sought to influence Washington’s foreign policy by plowing money into think tanks in and around DC. Then those countries would get the think tanks to hire former government officials and get the officials to help lobby for them. This would be passed off as merely “policy” discussions, but the discussions would always have an agenda.

For instance, when it came to Qatar, the goal would be to get think tanks to critique other Gulf states but never critique Qatar. This kind of lobbying isn’t always corruption, because sometimes it can be done openly. A country can plow money into a think tank, or it can have its supporters do this for it. It can also register its lobbyists.
NGO Monitor: Europe is waking up and seeing NGO corruption
What would've happened if they checked?

Had the EU officials checked (i.e., NGO due diligence), the officials and Brussels-based journalists, who also completely missed this story, would have found that the Sekunjalo Development Foundation (SDF) is based in South Africa, and has considerable baggage, including reports of Qatari funding. SDF is the “philanthropic division” of the powerful Sekunjalo Group’s investments and business deals, and related involvement should have raised numerous red flags in Brussels.

Among other entanglements, the group has worked with the Gupta family, which has been deeply implicated in the corruption cases against former South African president Jacob Zuma. And as the owner of Independent Newspapers & Media SA, Sekunjalo was accused of agreeing to Chinese censorship demands on reporting the mass internment of ethnic Uighurs. China is reportedly involved in numerous business arrangements with the South African firm.

ALL OF this information was readily available to the European officials involved with the NGO Fight Impunity, had they bothered to examine the details.

In contrast, as long as NGOs and their funder-enablers view “civil society” as a religion, complete with a halo effect protecting these groups and the funding process from critical analysis, the doors to corruption and abuse will continue to be wide open.

Perhaps this high-level scandal in the EU will finally result in a fundamental and overdue policy change, including regarding the wholesale funding of the small network of Palestinian and Israeli political NGOs, some of which are linked to terror groups. This change should begin with opening up the documents and meeting protocols in which NGO funding is decided, allowing for analysis of possible insider influence and corruption in the grant-making process involving tens of millions of euros.

In parallel, Europe needs to create mechanisms for NGO oversight, ending the free pass that allows these groups to exert political influence without accountability.

Like other major crises, the EU’s corruption scandal linking Qatar funding and the NGO facade is also an opportunity for repairing broken and dysfunctional mechanisms. The “weaponization of NGOs” is not limited to autocratic regimes far from Europe.
German ambassador to Israel praises anti-Israel NGO
In a series of tweets, Germany’s ambassador to Israel, Steffen Seibert, and its envoy to Ramallah, Oliver Owcza, lauded the anti-Israel NGO Ir Amim in comments regarding their tour with the group on Tuesday.

According to a 2021 report by the Jerusalem-based NGO Monitor, Ir Amim slammed Israel’s security barrier while “omit[ing] the context of Palestinian terror attacks and Israeli national security concerns.”

NGO Monitor noted that Ir Amim argues that the security barrier “extracts neighborhoods from the city [Jerusalem] with the goal of reducing the portion of Palestinians” and that the “barrier’s demographic rationale therefore outweighs its security rationale.”

“Ir Amim frequently accuses Israel of attempting to ‘Judaize’ Jerusalem and promotes the Palestinian narrative on the city, including claims that ‘government powers are being handed over to the settler organizations’ and archeological digs have become an important ‘tool in the fight for control’ over Jerusalem,” NGO Monitor said.

Berlin’s ambassador wrote on Twitter on Tuesday: “Accompanying @GerRepRamallah Oliver Owcza on an insightful tour with @IrArmin’s Judith Oppenheimer to focal points like [the eastern Jerusalem neighborhoods of] Silwan & Givat Hamatos.”


NGO Monitor: Francesca Albanese: Special Rapporteur to Demonize Israel
Albanese’s Extreme Bias
Francesca Albanese has a record of anti-Israel partisanship, and does not appear to fulfill the requirements of impartiality and objectivity as required by the HRC in Resolutions 5/1 and 5/2 and the UN OHCHR Code of Conduct. In fact, in a 2021 lecture, Albanese admitted questioning her ability to be impartial: “I feared [that] embarking on a matter [on] which I had deeply held personal views could compromise my objectivity.”

Albanese has accused Israel of “advance[ing] its ‘colonization’ plans — committing serious human rights violations and keeping captive millions of civilians.” She has organized and participated in events focused on demonizing Israel, including a November 2022 conference on “Ethnic Cleansing.”

In a report prepared for the 77th Session of the General Assembly (A/77/356), Albanese called for the UN General Assembly to “develop[] a plan to end the Israeli settler-colonial occupation and apartheid regime.” However, Albanese appears to believe that “apartheid” isn’t strong enough to describe the situation on the ground and “the apartheid framework presents some limitations.”

Albanese has also attacked Israel’s very existence, based on false historical claims, saying that Israel is “in long-standing breach of the basic principles of international law, which started 70 years ago with the forced depopulation of two-thirds of the indigenous Arab population in what became the State of Israel in British Mandate Palestine.” She further asserted that Israel was created “IN Palestine” and tweets under the hashtag “#NoMoreNakbas.”

In November 2022, Albanese negated Israel’s right to self-defense, stating in a conference that “The occupation can’t say it is protecting itself when it is occupying a land that doesn’t belong to it.”

Invented History
In January 2021, Albanese posted a link to the movie “Jenin, Jenin,” writing “Jenin, Jenin in Italian. Don’t miss this one.” Mohammed Bakri’s “Jenin, Jenin” suggests that Israel committed a massacre in Jenin during Israel’s 2002 invasion of Jenin, but known to be full of false claims. According to Human Rights Watch, it “found no evidence to sustain claims of massacres or large-scale extrajudicial executions by the IDF in Jenin refugee camp.” Multiple Israeli courts stated that the movie is “not based on any factual basis, not even a minimal one,” “misleading,” and “contains libels.”

In a report prepared for the 77th Session of the General Assembly (A/77/356), Albanese fabricated a “millenia” long history of a “native Palestinian Arab population” and Palestinian “indegineity”, while erasing the Jewish origins in and connection to the region, and falsely claiming that Jewish presence consisted of “largely European Jewish settlers and refugees from Europe.”


Conditional Support of Israel Is Not Support at All
Some American Jews don't like the results of the Israeli election. But that's how the election turned out. It's democratic by definition. Is there another American group - ethnic, national, religious or racial - that is so intimately involved in the workings of another country, the way Jews are with Israel? Do descendants of Chinese immigrants demonstrate over Chinese abuses of human rights? Do Japanese Americans pore over the inner workings of the Japanese government? Of course not.

Israel has its problems, to be sure. But getting in the way of solving them is the security issue. The Palestinians have sabotaged all efforts to solve the problem, turning down viable offers to create a Palestinian state. The reality is that much of the Middle East has moved on from the Palestinians. In contrast, antisemites have taken on the Palestinian issue as a way of bashing Israel and Jews in general. BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israel), for example, really has little to do with Palestinians and everything to do with Jew-hatred.
The U.S. Relationship with Israel's New Government - Interview with Amb. Dore Gold
In November 2022, Amb. Dore Gold was interviewed by Dr. Robert J. Shillman for the "Life Lessons with Dr. Bob" podcast.

Q: Now that Netanyahu is likely to be the prime minister, what will be the impact on Israel's relationship with the United States?
Gold: If Israel stands strong for what it believes, I think that means the U.S. will have an honest partner and the two countries can work together.

Going forward, we have to do more than ever to defend our vital interests. We have to protect the unity of Jerusalem. We have to protect defensible borders for Israel, above all, in the Jordan Valley. As Iran builds up its military presence in Syria and perhaps eventually in Jordan, having a defensible border becomes all the more urgent. So I'm hoping the new Netanyahu government will do exactly that, leave us with strong borders that allow us to protect ourselves.

One of the major issues that Netanyahu will be focusing on is going to be the security of Israelis all around the country and in particular in the Negev and in the Galilee. This is where we had Arab riots over the last couple of years.

Q: Why are they rioting?
Gold: I don't think it has to do with the distribution of resources in the country. I think it has to do with incitement of their population.

Right now, the fear factor that existed in the past in parts of the Israeli Arab sector has dissipated. And that means there are individuals who will attack cars on the highway. That has to stop. We have a strong country. But you have to defend democracy to keep democracy alive.


Irish UNIFIL peacekeeper killed by gunfire in Lebanon
An Irish soldier belonging to the United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) was shot dead when his patrol came under small arms fire on Wednesday, Ireland’s military said in a statement on Thursday.

The Irish Times said two armored vehicles carrying eight Irish military personnel came under attack as they drove from their base in southern Lebanon to the capital of Beirut.

“It is with deep regret that Óglaigh na hÉireann [Ireland’s Defense Forces] can confirm the death of one of our peacekeepers in a serious incident in Lebanon last night,” the Irish military said.

A second Irish soldier is in serious condition and required surgery following the attack, while two other soldiers are in light condition, the statement said.

According to a statement by UNIFIL, the international force has begun coordinating contacts with the Lebanese Armed Forces ahead of an investigation into the shooting.

“At the moment, details are sparse and conflicting,” UNIFIL said in a statement, according to the Saudi Al Arabiya news site.
Senior Hezbollah official says 'unintentional incident' led to Irish soldier death
The United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) appeared to effectively turn a blind eye on Thursday to any real consequences for an incident in which some of its troops were killed and injured in Lebanon, though it expressed disdain and sorrow.

A senior Hezbollah official on Thursday said an "unintentional incident" had led to the death of an Irish soldier on a UN peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon the previous evening, saying the armed group was not involved.

Wafiq Safa told Reuters his party offered its condolences "after the unintentional incident that took place between the residents of al-Aqbieh and individuals from the Irish unit," and urged the party not to be "inserted" into the incident.

Despite the Hezbollah official’s pleas to keep the group out of the incident, the group has an iron grip on the use of force in large swaths of Lebanon, including the southern border with Israel where the incident occurred, and is recognized as by far the strongest fighting force.

Further, IDF Chief-of-Staff Lt. Gen. Kohavi echoed past top IDF officials on Wednesday noting that Hezbollah and Hamas have systematically concealed their rockets and weapons among the civilian population.

There have been many past incidents, though not recently, where Hezbollah fired on UNIFIL troops who tried to remove their hidden weapons or even accidentally came near a concealed Hezbollah weapons position.

Also, Hezbollah has a history of trying to cover up unpopular military actions or mistakes that its forces take, including an August 2020 explosion in Beirut that killed over 200 people and left around 300,000 homeless. Strong evidence suggested the explosion was caused by the accidental setting off of some of its concealed explosives in a civilian area, but Hezbollah managed to ward off an investigation into the incident from having any direct consequences for its personnel.
MEMRI: Hizbullah Escalates Its Threats To UNIFIL Following UN Resolution To Extend Its Mandate For Another Year And Expand Its Authority
Hizbullah: Resolution 2650 Turns UNIFIL Into An Occupying Force
As stated, Hizbullah harshly criticized the UNSC resolution. Its officials and supporters stated that the changes made to UNIFIL's mandate were significant and turned it into an occupying force. The officials also sharply criticized the Lebanese government for not preventing the introduction of these changes.

Hizbullah Cleric: 'This Resolution Is A Plot Against Lebanon And Its Sovereignty"
In a sermon he delivered in Baalbek, senior cleric Muhammad Yazbek, one of the founders of Hizbullah and the representative of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Lebanon, stated that Resolution 2650 constitutes "a violation of prior agreements," and added: "This is a grave development that transforms [UNIFIL] into an occupying force whose function is to protect the Israeli enemy and monitor the locals and the resistance. UNIFIL never spoke out against the hundreds of Israeli violations. So what will it be like when we grant it freedom of action?"

Slamming the Lebanese government, Yazbek said: "If the resolution was approved because the government and foreign ministry were not paying attention, that is a problem. But if it was approved with their knowledge, that is a bigger problem, because this resolution is a plot against Lebanon and its sovereignty."[11]
JPost Editorial: UN Calling Palestinian Teen's Death "Shocking" Shows They Don't Have a Clue
A spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the death of Jana Zakarneh, 16, on a Jenin rooftop during armed clashes between Palestinian gunmen and Israeli forces, "shocking." However, barely a day goes by without a Palestinian attempting a terror attack against Israelis. More than 20 Israelis have been killed in Palestinian terror attacks this year.

Zakarneh's death was indeed tragic. But it's obscene to create a moral equivalency between the death of a teenager caught in the crossfire with a death caused by a deliberate action aimed at murdering and maiming innocent civilians. Israel's security forces must continue to be relentless in hunting down those who are planning terrorist activity. By calling Zakarneh's death "shocking" and urging an investigation, the UN is demonstrating that it doesn't have a clue.
Palestinian Teen Standing Next to Gunman Killed in Firefight in Jenin
A Palestinian teenager killed during a firefight in Jenin on Sunday was likely shot by a Border Police officer, according to the initial findings of an Israeli military investigation.

Jana Zakarneh, whose age has been variously reported as 15 or 16, was standing next to a Palestinian gunman on a rooftop, Channel 22 reported on Monday.

During the clash, Israeli forces identified two suspicious figures, one of whom was armed, on a nearby roof, according to the Israel Defense Forces. A Border Police officer fired nine rounds at the pair, striking Zakarneh.

The report noted that Palestinian gunmen often fire from rooftops during Israeli security operations, and also film Israeli movements from rooftops, later posting the videos to social media networks.

The IDF Spokesperson’s unit said in a statement that the Israeli military regrets all harm to non-combatants, “including those who are in a combat environment during exchanges of fire, in close proximity to armed terrorists. Security forces will continue to work to thwart terrorism anywhere that is needed, while attempting to prevent harm to non-combatants.”

Israeli forces arrested the three wanted suspects during Sunday’s operation, and transferred them to the Israel Security Agency for questioning.
Unpacked: Why Did Saddam Hussein Attack Israel?
Back in the first Gulf War, Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein attacked Iran, resulting in thirty-four countries entering an alliance against him. Hussein’s response? Threatening to start a war with Israel if anyone attacked Iraq.

Rather than striking Iraq in defense, the Israeli government issued gas masks to all citizens and instructed them to keep them on hand at all times in case of chemical attack.

When the US-led coalition attacked Iraq in 1991, Iraqi missiles rained down on Israel. While the Israeli death toll was low during the second Gulf War, the experience had a lasting impact on the country. The weaknesses that had been revealed during the experience inspired the invention of the Iron Dome, the installation of bomb shelters in all new homes and a massive overhaul of Israeli security.


Learning to rob: a new and illegal Palestinian school in Mt. Hebron.
A few weeks ago we were here and there was nothing, and today there is a dandesh structure with a flag flying proudly. Watch the video from the field>

When everyone talks about the future of the Civil Administration and throws claims into the air, remember what the situation is on the ground and who has not been doing its job for years.


Palestinians in Mass Street Brawl, French Flag Burned as Morocco Crashes Out of World Cup… Media Miss Story
Morocco surprised soccer fans around the world with its historic run during this year’s FIFA World Cup, which has included spectacular wins over Belgium, Spain and Portugal.

On Wednesday night, the North African team’s run of sporting glory ground to a halt when the team was brought down by the mighty French in a 2-0 loss at Qatar’s al-Bayt stadium.

The win for France — a former colonial power in Morocco — brought jubilant scenes in the streets of Paris and other cities as the team’s supporters came out in force to sing, dance and drink.

However, the night quickly took a turn when large numbers of Moroccan and Arab fans caused unrest in several European cities, including Montpellier where a 14-year-old boy died after being run over when a group of men spooked a car driver by attempting to rip off a French flag that adorned the vehicle.

But the riots were not just limited to Western Europe. In Israel, frustration was vented at Morocco’s elimination from the tournament with clashes occurring in Baqa al-Gharbiyye, a city just east of Hadera, where a French flag was set alight.

In Shu’afat, in eastern Jerusalem, a large fight among young men erupted in the streets, while in the West Bank city of Ramallah fans used chairs as weapons during violent skirmishes. The unpleasant scenes were, sadly, expected. Ahead of the game, Israeli police were placed on high alert following similar ugly incidents when Arab citizens rioted in the Negev towns of Rahat, Lakia and Tel Sheva during what should have been joyous celebrations when Morroco knocked Portugal out of the competition.

Morocco’s success has been seized upon by Palestinians, who have used the team’s progress to highlight the “cause.”
Family of activist who died in Palestinian Authority custody files suit with ICC
The family of activist Nizar Banat, who died in Palestinian police custody in June 2021, filed suit at the International Criminal Court on Thursday, holding top Palestinian officials responsible for his death.

“We demand justice for a man who was doing nothing but speaking the truth to power,” said Hakan Camuz, the family’s lawyer, according to AFP.

Banat’s family decided to take the matter to the ICC after 14 members of the Palestinian security forces arrested in connection with the case were set free on bail, pending a military trial, according to the report.

Banat, a prominent critic of the Mahmoud Abbas-led Palestinian Authority, died shortly after being arrested by Palestinian security forces in his home in Hebron on June 24, 2021.

According to family members, security forces entered his home with a warrant at around 3:30 a.m., and began beating him while he was still in bed. He was then dragged away, bleeding heavily.
This Palestinian Authority Fugitive Trying to Calm Jenin is No Longer Wanted by Israel
Fathi Hazem, a former colonel in the Palestinian Authority security services who was wanted by Israel for inspiring terror groups, is now actively helping the PA disarm those terror groups with Israel’s blessings, the Tazpit Press Service has learned.

He has been lauded on the PA Arab street as a hero after two of his sons were killed as “martyrs.” One son, Raad, opened fire on a crowded restaurant on Tel Aviv’s downtown Dizengoff Street in April, killing three Israelis and injuring another three. After an overnight manhunt, Raad was killed in a shootout with Israeli police in Jaffa.

The other son, Abed Al-Rahman, was killed in a shootout with Israeli soldiers in Jenin during an arrest raid in September.

Since November, however, Hazem has been working to convince terror groups in Jenin to disarm and integrate into the Palestinian Authority security services.

Hazem also played a key role in mediating the release of Tinan Fero, an 18-year-old Israeli Druze student who was abducted from a Jenin hospital by Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Fero was hospitalized in the Ibn Sina Hospital after being critically injured in a car crash. The gunmen apparently believed he was an undercover soldier. Fero was murdered when the gunmen disconnected him from life support.

A senior member of the PA confirmed to TPS that Fathi Hazem was a major negotiator for armed groups and pressure on Fatah’s armed Fatah and Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ groups to act in front of Islamic Jihad to bring back the body.”

The source stressed, “Without him, we would not be able to bring Tiran Fero’s body back to his family.”

Immediately after Fero’s body was returned, Israeli security forces stopped chasing Hazem.


Iran Occupies Lebanon via Proxy, But the Lebanese Still Have Agency
For the past few years, Lebanon has been spiraling into fiscal, political, and economic crisis, while such basic institutions as the national electrical company and the civil service are crumbling. Hanin Ghaddar explains that, while rampant corruption and political deadlock are part of the problem, ultimate responsible lies with the Islamic Republic and its local proxy, Hizballah:

Corruption and a weak state apparatus are the core of Hizballah’s policy. Reforming certain sectors, electing a president, or forming another government that looks a little better than the last are all important steps; . . . nevertheless, the clash is not between two Lebanese political parties. It is a clash between a kidnapper and a hostage.

It is as a hostage that Iran views Lebanon—there’s no need to have a socioeconomic policy for Lebanon, or for Iraq or Syria for that matter. On the contrary, a prosperous Lebanon means a stronger state, and that’s not in the interest of Iran or Hizballah—a hostage needs to stay weak and frightened. What matters is how to maintain and strengthen Iran’s grip on these countries, whether their citizens stay, leave, or die trying. In this context, the institutional tools that Lebanon is using to show the world that it is still functioning as a democracy have been rendered worthless by Hizballah’s arms, or threat of armed force.

The West—and France and the U.S. in particular—have expressed a willingness to help the country get back on its feet, but, Ghaddar stresses, any successful plan must involve enforcing strict sanctions on Hizballah and its local allies. And then there is the problem posed by Hizballah’s massive stockpiles of weapons themselves:

No one can really target this arsenal without a war. Israel has been taking care of Iran’s weapons factories and facilities in Syria, but the ones in Lebanon have been stored underground since 2006. Some expired, but many still constitute a serious risk in the next war with Israel. There are two ways of dealing with these: either targeted attacks by Israel that would destroy weapons without killing civilians, or exposing the weapons facilities built under civilian infrastructure, such as schools and hospitals. The Lebanese people have no idea what’s under their homes and land, and they certainly do not want to risk anything anymore.
Iran Strengthens Political, Economic Hold over Iraq
Pro-Iran parties now dominate Iraq's parliament, and in October they named a new prime minister. Iraq has become an "economic lifeline" for Iran, said Ihsan al-Shammari, a political scientist at the University of Baghdad. This is "even more so with sharpening Western economic sanctions and nuclear negotiations that do not seem to be leading to a favorable deal for Iran."

Iran provides one-third of Iraq's gas and electricity needs. Iraq is the number one importer of Iranian goods. "With a pro-Iranian figure at the head of the government, Iran will be able to further take advantage of the Iraqi economy," said Fabrice Balanche, from France's Lumiere Lyon 2 university.

Iran's influence can also be seen through its links with Iraq's Hashed al-Shaabi, a former paramilitary force made up mainly of pro-Iran militias that have since been integrated into Iraq's regular forces.
WSJ($): Why Iran's Protests Could Topple the Regime
It is the Central Intelligence Agency's view that the current wave of unrest in Iran poses no threat to the regime. But that view is too pessimistic. The Islamic Republic's rulers surely know that these demonstrations aim to foment revolution, not reform. And they have reason to worry that the demonstrators will be successful.

Iranians are more than aware of the serious nature of self-government. They are unlikely to fall victim again to the allure of a secular strongman or militant mullah, having seen the damage such leaders cause. Iranians have come far in placing the blame for their own predicament on themselves. Democracy can't ignite, or last, if the citizenry doesn't assume responsibility for its own destiny. Iran seems ready.

Most telling, Iranian women are no longer fazed by accusations of being "Western-struck." They appear eager to make Western ideas about natural rights, especially individual liberty, their own. This is an essential step toward making democracy work in non-Western lands.
Bowing to Russian pressure, UN chief won’t say Iran drones used in Ukraine – report
An upcoming report to the UN Security Council reportedly will not accuse Iran of supplying Russia with attack drones for use in Ukraine, amid pressure from Moscow on UN Secretary-General António Guterres to refrain from ordering an investigation of the matter.

Citing two diplomats from Western Security Council member nations, Axios reported Wednesday that Russia has strongly pressed Guterres and his advisers not to order a probe, and has even threatened to end cooperation on other issues regarding Ukraine, including ensuring that vital global grain supplies continue.

“The Secretariat is examining the available information,” Guterres writes in the UN report, as leaked to Axios. “Any findings will be reported to the Security Council, as appropriate, in due course.”

One unnamed Western official was quoted as saying that Guterres must “not give in to pressure from Russia” and should immediately order an investigation of the drones.

The US and European powers accuse Iran of supplying Russia with drones and are demanding a UN investigation. Russia says that Guterres can only order a probe if the Security Council decides to do so, but, as a permanent member, it would likely veto any such move. However, the two diplomats said the UN’s legal adviser and undersecretary of political affairs are in agreement that Guterres can send experts to Ukraine, saying similar actions have been taken in the past in the Middle East.

The leaked report addresses Iran’s compliance with its 2015 nuclear agreement with world powers, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Part of the JCPOA was laid out in UN Resolution 2231, which bans Iran from supplying ballistic missiles and drones with a range of over 300 kilometers and a payload of more than 500 kilograms until October 2023.

Western officials believe Iran has supplied Russia with its Shahed 136 drone, which is thought to have a range greater than 300 kilometers, but a warhead of up to just 50 kilograms.

According to Axios, Guterres says in the report that he has received letters from representatives of the US, UK, France, Germany, and Ukraine claiming that Iran provided drones to Russia “in a manner inconsistent with” Resolution 2231. However, he also notes that he received documents from Iran and Russia denying the claims and stressing that any drones Iran may have provided do not violate the terms of the resolution.
Israeli Intelligence Sees Genuine, Lasting Changes in Iran
Israel's intelligence agencies, monitoring developments in Iran, are mostly united in their assessment that the nationwide protests of the past three months are not a fleeting phenomenon, unlike previous waves of anti-government protests over the past 40 years. "What is going on there now is deeper, broader and irreversible," a senior Israeli security source said. "The deep change Iran is undergoing will not necessarily result in a revolution and regime change....The regime still has many tools with which to defend itself and it has not exhausted most of them....On the other hand, what was will no longer be. The change in Iran is real."

The source noted that even if the regime scrapped the mandatory wearing of the hijab, the protests would continue. "There may be a lull, but the people of Iran have overcome the barrier of fear and protesters are talking about rights, freedom, in opposition to the Islamic state."

Israeli experts point to three elements still lacking for the protest to overturn the regime: prominent, charismatic leadership that authorities cannot silence; organized funding; and the backing of respected clerics.
Dr. Colin Rubenstein: We're Playing Catch-Up on Our Response to Iran
Recently, a consensus has finally been developing among Western governments about the hostile intentions and rogue behavior of the Iranian regime. Thanks to both the bravery of Iranian anti-regime protesters and Iran's blatant complicity in Russian crimes in Ukraine, Western advocates of appeasement with respect to Iran have now mostly been silenced or sidelined.

Iran is not only blatantly sprinting toward nuclear weapons capabilities, it is now effectively blocking most International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) scrutiny of its nuclear facilities and flagrantly stonewalling urgent IAEA questions about man-made uranium particles found near three undeclared sites. Virtually the whole Western world today understands the danger to global stability from a nuclear-armed, revisionist, rogue Iran.
Seth Frantzman: Removing Iran from UN Women’s Commission is important step
Authoritarian states using the UN to get away with things
What is interesting is that Iran’s regime also was able to get on the Commission on the Status of Women at the UN. This is an old practice of many dictatorships. They view the UN as a kind of “old boys club” where in order to dominate the UN, it’s important to make sure that all the most abusive and authoritarian regimes get on any committee that might examine their abuses. This is kind of like the bank robbers running the police or stock fraudsters running the commissions that deal with insider trading.

Because the UN is run by member states, and because there are many authoritarian member states, these states work together to promote each other’s interests. They also work within regions, such as the Middle East, Africa, South America or Asia, to make sure they elect their own members to these committees and commissions. That often involves horse-trading backroom deals, where one abusive regime will support another on different issues, so that both protect each other like a mafia.

That is why all the authoritarians voted to keep Iran – because they know Iran will protect them in other forums. Sometimes countries that are not particularly authoritarian will end up backing countries, such as Russia or Iran, because they also want something in return.

This bad process led to years of failure at the UN, where “human rights” and “women’s rights” became the opposite of what was intended. Another side of this story is that Israel was always singled out at the UN because bashing Israel was one thing most of these countries could agree on. They knew the more they talked about Israel, the less focus would be put on their own abuses.

Israeli Ambassador to Azerbaijan George Deek tweeted: “Iran was finally expelled from the UN Women Rights Commission – A big win to the women of Iran! May this be the end of the absurd legitimacy given to the Islamic Republic of Iran at the UN.”

UN Watch head Hillel Neuer also celebrated the victory.

“By a vote of 29 to 8, with 16 abstentions, the Islamic Republic of Iran was just expelled from the UN Women’s Rights Commission,” he said in a statement. “First time in United Nations history that any member state was removed from this body. Bravo to all who helped to make this happen.”

The vote against Iran follows another vote to suspend Russia from the UN Human Rights Council in April. But only 93 countries voted in favor of that suspension. Similar to the vote on Iran, many countries abstained, enabling the expulsion, but showing that many countries will still not stand up to Iran and Russia.

The votes on Iran and Russia appear to show an unprecedented recognition by the world’s democracies that something finally needs to be done to stop the authoritarians from exploiting the UN.
Israel praises decision to remove Iran from UN women's commission
Prime Minister Yair Lapid praised a United Nations decision on Wednesday to remove Iran from a women's commission over policies it deemed contrary to the rights of women and girls.

The move was proposed by the United States after Tehran's brutal crackdown on protests sparked by the death of a young woman, Mahsa Amini, in custody.

"Iran's killing of Mahsa Amini and its blatant violations of women's rights disqualify it from being a member of a committee that deals with women's rights," Lapid said in a statement.

The vote to remove Iran from the Commission on the Status of Women for the remainder of its 2022-2026 term was 29-8 with 16 abstentions in the 54-member council.

Russia opposed the resolution and said before the vote that it wants an opinion from U.N. legal experts on whether the Economic and Social Council was legally able to oust Iran.

The resolution expresses "serious concern" over Iran's actions since September "to continuously undermine and increasingly suppress the human rights of women and girls, including the right to freedom of expression and opinion, often with the use of excessive force, by administering policies flagrantly contrary to the human rights of women and girls and to the mandate of the Commission on the Status of Women, as well as through the use of lethal force resulting in the deaths of peaceful protesters, including women and girls."




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