Saturday, December 17, 2022

12/17 Links: The Palestinian issue is about supremacy, not justice; Discrimination, demonization and delegitimization has no place at the UN; Peace Between Jordan and Israel Unraveling, Report Says

From Ian:

The Palestinian issue is about supremacy, not justice
Palestinian apologists try to explain it away as budding nationalism and anger at the demographic changes, but this happened all over the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)—it was far from confined to the Holy Land. In Iraq, the notorious Farhud in 1941 saw Iraqis kill at least 180 Jews, wound over 2,000 and ransack the homes and properties of thousands. In Egypt, attacks on Jews in Cairo occurred in 1938 and 1945. The racist treatment intensified to a crescendo of violence against Jews as Israel was established—attacks on Jews were the norm, their properties were confiscated, and many were arrested or detained in camps. Around nine hundred thousand Jews were thus forced to migrate and leave most of their property behind. Second-class residents indeed.

Why is this about racism and privilege and not mere discord between nations? First, it was widespread and commonplace throughout the MENA region; there was not a single Arab or Middle Eastern country that didn’t see its Jewish community decimated and abused—in the same way that no state in the American Confederacy treated blacks as nothing but slaves, and less than whites, after the civil war.

Second, the rejection of the right of Jews to self-determination in their ancient homeland is pervasive. The notion of Zionism, the national movement of the Jewish people, is described in the most derogatory terms—colonialism, racism, Apartheid, crimes against humanity. The rejection of the right to be an Israeli or a Zionist is evident in academia, sports (including harassing Israeli journalists in the “safe environment” of the soccer World Cup in Qatar), culture and literature, just for the crime of supporting Jewish self-determination in the Holy Land.

Third, the Palestinians and their supporters are out to redefine history as part of denying Jewish claims to the Holy Land. In the Palestinian version of reality (which was adopted by UNESCO, in a controversy that led the U.S. to exit the agency), only Muslims have a sacred connection to the Temple Mount (known to Muslims as the Haram al-Sharif). Make no mistake about it, this is racist to the core.

Fourth, when the Palestinians rose against the British, they did so after rejecting the idea of a pluralist country with a common parliament for Jews and Arabs. They were not fighting to get more rights—their rights were never compromised—but to return to the “good old system” where Jews “knew their place” and were kept nicely under the boot of the Arabs. Even if one accepts the notion of a local nationalist awakening, one must reject its racist elements against the Jewish minority.

Fifth, the utter rejection of the notion of Jewish indigenousness. Not only were the ties between Jews and their homeland denied, Palestinians and their supporters also deny Jews of Arab descent their hard-earned heritage. They harass Jews for cooking their traditional Middle Eastern foods or singing in Arabic and accuse them of cultural appropriation from the Palestinians, even though these are part of their centuries-old Middle Eastern heritage.

Sixth, Palestinians maintained their privilege through the decades. They are the only refugees that have their own agency, which has received tens of billions of dollars over the years, and their refugee status is permanent and passed on to their descendants. They also have two other dedicated U.N. agencies.

If you do not believe me, you can just look at the signs the Palestinian supporters carry. They do not hide their racist agenda and they yearn openly for the “good old days”—just look at the sign with several maps depicting the shrinking of Palestine, and you will see a pristine map showing 100% ownership of land by Palestinians prior to 1917 (though many signs now remove that map and only show the situation during 1917).
Discrimination, demonization and delegitimization has no place at the UN
The October report speaks of Palestinian property rights, but not Jews’ property rights.

It innocuously references Hamas only as “the de facto authorities in Gaza” – excoriating, simplistically, Israeli armed acquisition of land, but not Hamas’s.

It speaks of land as “integral to the Palestinian identity” – but not to Israelis’ identity.

It reserves suggestion even of possible “war crimes” and “crimes against humanity” only for Israel. It speaks of the “mental and physical health,” the “right to… life, liberty and security,” and the “anxiety, fear and humiliation” only of Palestinians, never Jews.

It only speaks of “impunity” over attacks – including supposedly systemic “racist and sexist language” – against Palestinians, never Jews.

It refers only to Israeli, never Palestinian, actions as “collective punishment.” It highlights a series of individual Palestinians expressing grievance against Israel – but never so humanizes any Israelis victimized by Palestinian violence and incitement.

It identifies only Israel as responsible for inhibiting a two-state solution – despite regional jihadists’ doctrinal commitment to Israel’s destruction. And the commission already declared in its very first report that “perpetual occupation” is “the one common issue” underlying the conflict.

Not to be outdone, the October follow-up report prognosticates that “Israel intends the occupation to be permanent.” It fails to mention that Israel had previously withdrawn every single Israeli settlement and soldier from the Gaza Strip, that Israel had offered Palestinians a state on nearly the entirety of the West Bank and Gaza, and that Arabs had forcibly removed prior Jewish inhabitants from eastern Jerusalem and the historic Judea and Samaria some 75 years ago.

One need not endorse every Israeli policy to recognize that this record by the commission does not amount to a serious examination of the Middle East’s realities – and that the three commission members have thoroughly failed to demonstrate equal concern for the basic human rights of Israeli Jews.

Such discrimination, demonization and delegitimization should have no place at the UN. Navi Pillay and her colleagues deserve not sympathy but dismissal.
Peace Between Jordan and Israel Unraveling, Report Says
Israel’s decades-long peace with Jordan is unraveling, a development that threatens to upset a fragile regional stability that is being challenged by countries like Iran, Russia, and China, a think tank report warns.

"Since 2020, if not before then, the Jordanian peace has turned decidedly cold," according to Jonathan Schanzer, a former terrorism finance analyst at the Treasury Department who now works at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. While the relationship has been breaking down behind the scenes for some time, Jordan also began to publicly war with Israel in recent years, by refusing to sign the Abraham Accords peace agreements, attacking incoming prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and threatening to fully abrogate the peace deal it signed with Israel in 1994.

Schanzer’s findings, published in a report last week, indicate the United States could be faced with a looming crisis in the Middle East that threatens to upset nearly 30 years of stability between the two former enemies. The fracture between Israel and Jordan could also empower American enemies like Russia, China, and Iran, which are all working in tandem to erode U.S. influence in the region.

"All of this should come as unwelcome news to the United States and to America’s Middle East allies. In anticipation of intensifying great power competition with China, and perhaps to a lesser extent Russia, it is crucial for Washington to project unity among allies in the Middle East," the report says. "This is especially the case amidst the continued havoc that the Islamic Republic of Iran is exporting across the region."

Other Middle East analysts agree that Jordan’s ties with Israel have become increasingly strained in recent years, particularly due to the stagnant peace process with the Palestinians.

"Israel perceives the creation of a Palestinian state to be a security threat, while King Abdullah [Jordan’s leader] sees frustrated Palestinians dismayed by lack of progress toward a Palestinian state as an even bigger security threat to his own hold on power," said Jim Phillips, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation. "The king seeks to appease Palestinians, who make up roughly half of Jordan’s population, because he faces additional challenges from Islamists who also demonize Israel."

Schanzer’s findings are likely to distress Jordanian officials, who have cultivated deep ties in Washington, D.C., since the Arab nation announced its peace with Israel in 1994. In many ways, Schanzer told the Washington Free Beacon, this latest analysis shatters long-standing taboos about Jordan’s fracturing peace with Israel that many in the U.S. foreign policy community have tried to ignore.

"I have observed a real reticence in this town to criticize Jordan in recent years," Schanzer said. "Many believe Amman is both too valuable and too weak to challenge. I refuse to be bound by those constraints. I support Jordan. But I think it can do better."


Seth Mandel: From Son and Brother to Leader
For his part, Donald Trump receives expected praise for his willingness to cross the foreign-policy establishment and keep his promises—chiefly to leave the Iran deal and move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem. Trump also recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights and bucked the “Palestine-first” approach of a generation of American negotiators who had insisted that wider Israel–Arab peace would have to wait for the attainment of a two-state solution. The Abraham Accords that resulted represent a sea change in Arab normalization with Israel.

This earns Trump the benefit of the doubt from Netanyahu when he gets something wrong. Trump’s early enthusiasm for Israeli–Palestinian negotiations is blamed on bad advice from Jared Kushner. And Trump’s perception that Netanyahu was the obstacle to peace is attributed to “a Jewish mutual friend of Trump and mine with whom I had severed my personal ties [who] had bad-mouthed me in front of the president”—a thinly veiled allusion to World Jewish Congress President Ronald Lauder.

Just as carefully calibrated are the (admittedly rare) targets of Netanyahu’s ire, most prominently Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, who each took a turn as prime minister after briefly forming a coalition without Bibi. These men, Netanyahu knows, remain in his life and in his way. “This ‘Brotherly Alliance’ between Bennett’s supposedly hard-right party and Lapid’s party on the center left was peculiar,” he writes. “Their platforms shared few goals, if any. The only thing that united them was a desire for power, and a willingness to shed their commitments to their voters to achieve it.”

All of which is a reminder that Bibi remains in the arena. While he continues to win elections, the number of potential coalition allies is dwindling, and his adversaries smell blood.

And yet, if his confidence is flagging, Bibi doesn’t show it. This book was written in the year between Netanyahu’s ouster from the prime minister’s office and the November election victory that has all but secured his return to power. Netanyahu acknowledges writing parts of the book “in the Knesset plenary during impossibly long budget debates.” He knew he had a limited window until he was back in the big chair. He never intended the end of Bibi: My Story to be the end of his story. Its existence is just another part of that story, and it’s a far better book than we had any reason to think it would be.
NY Times editorial: Netanyahu government a ‘significant threat to future of Israel’
The New York Times published an editorial on Saturday warning that Benjamin Netanyahu’s presumed incoming hard-right, ultra-religious government represents a danger to Israel’s democracy.

The piece, titled “The Ideal of Democracy in a Jewish State Is in Jeopardy,” argued that while Netanyahu won the election fairly, the far-reaching powers he is offering his far-right and ultra-Orthodox partners creates a real threat to democratic values.

The Times board said it has been a “strong supporter of Israel and a two-state solution” and would remain so, but Netanyahu’s incoming government “is a significant threat to the future of Israel — its direction, its security and even the idea of a Jewish homeland.”

It argues that the new government “marks a qualitative and alarming break with all the other governments in Israel’s 75-year history,” and rejects assertion that the Netanyahu bloc’s narrow election victory gives it a “broad mandate to make concessions to ultrareligious and ultranationalist parties.”

Saying the incoming government’s positions “could make it militarily and politically impossible for a two-state solution to ever emerge,” the newspaper called on the Biden administration to “do everything it can to express its support for a society governed by equal rights and the rule of law in Israel.

“That would be an act of friendship, consistent with the deep bond between the two nations,” the NYT said.

The piece warned of Netanyahu’s partners, notably far-right MK Itamar Ben Gvir.

“The new cabinet [Netanyahu] is forming includes radical far-right parties that have called for, among other things, expanding and legalizing settlements in a way that would effectively render a Palestinian state in the West Bank impossible; changing the status quo on the Temple Mount, an action that risks provoking a new round of Arab-Israeli violence; and undermining the authority of the Israeli Supreme Court, thus freeing the Knesset, the Israeli legislature, to do whatever it wants, with little judicial restraint,” the paper warned.


Trump Makes No Mention of Dinner with West, Fuentes in Speech to Jews
Speaking at a conference of Orthodox Jews, Donald Trump avoided addressing a widely criticized private meal he shared last month with Kanye West, a rapper spewing antisemitic conspiracies, and a Holocaust-denying white supremacist from the star’s entourage.

The former president instead heaped praise on the Jewish people and highlighted his support for Israel as he addressed the annual President’s Conference of Torah Umesorah at his National Doral club in Miami, repeatedly telling the audience he was “the best ally you’ve ever had.” He alleged Congress was “almost anti-Israel” and insisted that some Democrats in Washington “hate Israel with a passion.”

The 76-year-old Republican faced pointed criticism from across the political spectrum after hosting last month Holocaust-denying white supremacist Nick Fuentes and West at his Florida resort home. Shortly after the meeting, West, who now goes by the moniker Ye, said, “I love Jewish people, but I also love Nazis.“

Trump, who earlier this month lashed out angrily against criticism of his meeting with the controversial figures, also quoted his own 2019 State of the Union address in which he highlighted the importance of speaking out against antisemitism.

“We must never ignore the vile poison of antisemitism or those who spread its venomous creed,” Trump said, reading from his own remarks. “With one voice we must confront this hatred; we must confront it everywhere; we must confront it very, very strongly.”
Trump Denounces Fuentes: ‘Nobody’ That Embraces Antisemitism Has a Place in America First Movement or GOP
Former President Donald Trump unequivocally denounced Nick Fuentes and other antisemites in an exclusive interview with Breitbart News here on Friday, saying “nobody” who has “the wrong and ill will about people” has a place in the America First movement or the Republican Party.

Trump, who had just given remarks to the annual Orthodox Jewish gathering of the Torah Umesorah President’s Conference here at his Doral golf resort, sat for an exclusive interview with Breitbart News after the speech.

At the start of the interview, Breitbart News asked him, as the leader of the party and the movement, whether the views of Fuentes have any place in the GOP or the America First movement.

“No, they don’t,” Trump replied plainly.

Trump had come under fire late last month for, in the days before Thanksgiving, dining with Fuentes and rapper Kanye West at his Mar-a-Lago a couple hours north of here in West Palm Beach. West brought the openly white nationalist Holocaust denier Fuentes as well as Milo Yiannopoulos and former Trump aide Karen Giorno to the dinner. Trump later issued a statement making clear he did not know who Fuentes was when West brought him to the dinner, and made it clear he was meeting with West at West’s request because the rapper has run into some serious problems as of late business-wise with major companies dropping deals with him.

Trump’s initial statements in the immediate aftermath of the dinner lacking a clear condemnation of the antisemitism, racism, and Holocaust denialism of people such as Fuentes drew the ire of many of his critics inside the party, including his former Vice President Mike Pence, who called on him to be more explicit, as did others including House and Senate GOP leaders Kevin McCarthy and Mitch McConnell.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Meets with Israeli, UAE Ambassadors
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis met with Israeli Ambassador Michael Herzog and United Arab Emirates Ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba on Thursday to discuss the relationship between the countries following the normalization of ties between the UAE and Israel.

“I had a productive meeting with [Governor DeSantis] together with UAE Ambassador Al Otaiba,” Herzog said on twitter. “We gave an overview of the Abraham Accords & the strategic significance & opportunities that they present to our region, the world & to Florida.”

“I also thanked Governor DeSantis for his strong support of Israel & for the significant steps he has taken to combat antisemitism.” Herzog added. “We look forward to continuing to work with him to deepen Israel-Florida relations & to connect Florida to the exciting new dynamic in our region.”

Herzog also said that the two ambassadors had invited DeSantis to visit the UAE and Israel in the new year.


11 years after ‘disastrous’ revolution, many Tunisians see Arab Spring as a failure
To the outside world, Saturday’s elections in Tunisia raise several red flags: Many opposition parties are boycotting them, foreign media are banned from talking to candidates and critics say the new electoral law makes it harder for women to compete.

But many Tunisians believe their country’s decade-old democratic revolution has failed, and are exasperated with its political elites. They welcome their increasingly autocratic president’s political reforms and see the vote for a new parliament as a chance to solve their financial crisis.

“The last 10 years have been disastrous for all Tunisians,” said 41-year-old Aymen Yaakoubi, who works as a chef. “It was not a revolution, but a quagmire, because the state disintegrated.”

The North African country was the only nation to emerge from the 2011 Arab Spring protests with a democratic government, which replaced longtime autocrat Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. But there’s been much backsliding since.

Parliament last met in July 2021. President Kais Saied then froze the legislature and dismissed his government after years of political deadlock and economic stagnation. He dissolved parliament in March. Since then, Saied, who was elected in 2019 and still enjoys the backing of more than half of the electorate, also curbed the independence of the judiciary and weakened parliament’s powers.

In a referendum in July, Tunisians approved a constitution that hands broad executive powers to the president. Saied, who spearheaded the project and wrote the text himself, made full use of the mandate in September, changing the electoral law to diminish the role of political parties.
Netanyahu Condemns ‘Ultra-Orthodox Extremists’ After Jerusalem Riot
Hundreds of ultra-Orthodox extremists rioted in the Israeli capital of Jerusalem overnight Friday, resulting in serious wounds to a passerby.

It is understood that the protest in the Mea Shearim neighborhood was triggered by the arrest of a man who set fire to a cellphone store, a frequent target of vandalism in the ultra-Orthodox community, where they are often identified with a secular lifestyle.

A 40-year-old woman passing by the riot was hit by a rolling trash bin propelled forth by the protesters. Police launched a probe into the incident. According to reports in the Israeli media, the woman is a mother of eight.

Israel’s prime minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement condemning the “ultra-Orthodox extremists,” urging the authorities to apprehend those responsible for the violent incident and prosecute them “to the fullest extent of the law.”
IDF soldiers shot at Israelis after mistaking them for Palestinian rioters
IDF soldiers shot at security officials from the West Bank settlement of Ofra earlier this week after mistaking them for Palestinian rock throwers, the Israeli military confirmed following a KAN News report on Friday night.

The soldiers reportedly received a report of Palestinians hurling stones at oncoming Israeli vehicles on Highway 60. After arriving at the scene, one soldier located two individuals standing on the side of the road.

The soldier, who assumed the two were Palestinian rioters, asked permission to open fire but received no response, according to the report, and opened fire after a number of minutes. The soldier's commander also approached the two and fired a number of shots into the air.

After clarification, it was revealed that the two people were in fact security officials from the West Bank settlement.
Israeli journalist suggests kidnapping Hamas' children for hostage deal
Channel 13's Arab affairs correspondent Zvi Yehezkeli suggested that Israel should kidnap Hamas officials' children in order to reach a deal to return Israeli hostages in Gaza in a 103FM interview on Friday.

At an event to celebrate 35 years after the forming of Hamas, the terror organization presented a Tavor rifle it claimed belonged to Hadar Goldin whose body was taken hostage in 2014. Yehezkeli opened the interview by discussing this move.

"It's psychological warfare," he said. "Changing the mentality is all Hamas has at hand when it's trapped in the Gaza Strip. Even though it exported terrorism to the West Bank, it's actually trapped."

When asked if Hamas believes it can get Israel to agree to another deal in which thousands of terrorists are released like the Gilad Shalit deal, Yehezkeli responded that "the Israeli population, the defense system and the leadership sobered up from that story. We see all the terrorism that has happened as a result of all those released terrorists, and we understand that it cannot happen again."

He claimed that the negotiations are stuck because Israel will not release thousands of terrorists for the hostages in Gaza. "The claims from the Goldin family that Israel hasn't done enough are correct. There are still many more things Israel can do. Israel hasn't tried to kidnap sons of Hamas officials."
Nablus residents worried about minors joining clashes with IDF
Some Palestinians in Nablus have expressed concern over the recruitment of minors by armed groups in the city and the nearby Balata Refugee Camp.

Some of them have been tasked by the Lions’ Den and Balata Battalion with preparing explosive devices that are being used against soldiers, Palestinian sources said. Others have been armed with rifles.

The recruitment of minors by Palestinian armed groups is not a new phenomenon, but has been ongoing for decades.

In recent weeks, however, some Nablus residents have criticized the armed groups for allowing boys aged 15-17 to take part in clashes with the IDF. The residents also attacked the groups for using the boys to prepare explosive devices and monitor the movements of IDF troops.

“This is very bad and worrying,” said a prominent businessman from Nablus. “I appeal to the armed groups to stop using children.”

A school headmaster from the city said he received complaints from many parents about the “exploitation” of their children by the armed groups. “We are working closely with the families and the Palestinian security services to solve this problem,” he said. “We don’t want to endanger the lives of our children.”

A 15-year-old boy, who identified himself as Nasser, told The Jerusalem Post that he “works for” the Balata Battalion, which consists of dozens of gunmen from the refugee camp.

Interviewed in the Old City of Nablus last week, Nasser said he and one of his friends, 16-year-old Mohammed, were involved in preparing improvised explosive devices for the group.

He said he and other children have quit school to join the Balata Battalion.


UNIFIL urges swift probe into killing of Irish peacekeeper in Lebanese village
The United Nations peacekeeping force in south Lebanon urged Beirut on Friday to ensure a “speedy” investigation into the fatal shooting of an Irish soldier this week.

The convoy of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) came under fire near the village of al-Aqbiya late Wednesday, also wounding three other peacekeepers, the Irish military said.

UNIFIL acts as a buffer between Lebanon and Israel, neighbors which remain technically at war. The force operates in the south near the border, a stronghold of the Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group.

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and army chief Joseph Aoun visited the UNIFIL headquarters in the border town of Naqura, denouncing the attack that claimed Private Sean Rooney’s life.

Force spokesman Andrea Tenenti called it “a very serious incident” and told reporters it was “important” for the Lebanese authorities to bring the perpetrators to justice.

“It is a crime against the international community, against peacekeepers who are here… to maintain stability,” he added.


The West Needs To Fully Cut Ties with Iran's Ruling Mullahs
Where, also, are the women's movements of the West?

The sister of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Badri Hosseini Khamenei, came out criticizing the whole establishment and calling for the overthrow of her brother's "despotic caliphate".

"The regime of the Islamic Republic of Khomeini and Ali Khamenei has brought nothing but suffering and oppression to Iran and Iranians. I hope to see the victory of the people and the overthrow of this tyranny ruling Iran soon." — Badri Hosseini Khamenei, in an open letter.

Even though a large number of high level public figures, celebrities, athletes are supporting the protesters and turning against the regime, calls for international support by many Iranians are being totally ignored

"O free people, be with us and help us, and tell your governments to stop supporting this murderous and child-killing regime. This regime is not even loyal to any of its own religious principles, and does not know any laws or rules except force and maintaining power in any way possible. " — Farideh Moradkhani, niece of Ayatollah Khamenei.

It is shocking and reveals worlds about the rank hypocrisy of Western governments -- both in Europe and the United States -- that, in spite of all the human rights violations committed by Iran's regime, not a single Western country, except for Ukraine, has -- at the very least -- recalled its representatives from Iran, closed its embassies and cut diplomatic ties with Iran's murderous and child-killing regime.
Iranian atomic official says uranium enrichment capacity hits record highs
Iran said Saturday that its uranium enrichment capacity has increased to record levels, a day before UN nuclear monitors are set to visit the country.

“Currently, the enrichment capacity of the country has reached more than twice the entire history of this industry,” Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, was quoted as saying by state news agency IRNA.

“Nuclear energy and atomic power production have great economic savings for the country and are effective in reducing fossil and non-renewable fuel consumption and environmental problems,” he added.

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

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

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

The Vienna-based IAEA said it was unable to verify the exact size of Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium due to limitations that Tehran imposed on UN inspectors last year and the removal of the agency’s monitoring and surveillance equipment in June at sites in Iran.
UNGA condemns Iran's crack-down on protestors, with Israel's support
The United Nations General Assembly condemned Iran’s violence against protesters, as part of a wide-ranging text against human rights violations by the Islamic Republic, including its executions and acts of antisemitism.

The text was approved in New York late Thursday with the support of only 80 out of the UNGA’s 193 member states.

Israel and Western countries, including Canada and the United States, voted for the annual text highlighting Iranian human rights abuses. The Jewish state also joined over 40 countries in sponsoring the resolution.

Only 29 nations opposed the resolution, while 65 others abstained, including many in the Middle East, such as the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Bahrain was absent from the vote.

The resolution comes amid a groundswell of protest against the regime, particularly for its treatment of women and after the public execution of two protesters and the killing of others.

The General Assembly “condemned the wide use of force against violent protesters” and urged the Iranian regime “to consider rescinding unduly harsh sentences, including the death penalty” imposed upon those who have rallied against it.

The resolution expressed its supporters’ serious concern about the actions of Iran’s morality police and the law requiring women to wear a hijab.
Compassionate Doctor Sentenced To Death In Iran
The following is the first in series of articles recounting the stories of the people on death row in Iran since the beginning of the uprising against the Islamic Republic. According to media reports, two have been executed so far in connection with the protests: Mohsen Shakeri,[1] 23, hanged December 8, and Majid Reza Rahnavard,[2] also 23, hanged December 12.[3] Both were charged with the crime of moharebeh – "war against God."

It is worth noting that a December 9, 2022 op-ed titled "The Terrorists' Commotion About Lawful Punishment" in the online daily Javan, which is affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), stated that Shekari was not the first person to be executed in connection with the protests, and that dozens more would face the same fate. It said: "Shekari is not the first to be sentenced to hang during the recent rioting, nor will he be the last... Furthermore, in the recent events, over 60 security forces members were murdered, and for each murder one or more murderers were responsible... The law obligates the judiciary to sentence each of these perpetrators of murder to death."[4]

Below is the story of Dr. Hamid Ghare-Hassanlou and his wife Farzaneh Ghare-Hassanlou, who were arrested at their home in early November.

The Arrest Of Dr. Hamid And Farzaneh Ghare-Hassanlou
Dr. Hamid Ghare-Hassanlou and his wife Farzaneh Ghare-Hassanlou were arrested at their home in the Alborz province capital, Karaj, which is effectively a satellite city of Tehran, on November 4 at 2 a.m. in front of their 10-year-old daughter. The couple has two children, but their son is at university.

According to reports, on November 3, the couple was on the way home from an event marking the 40th day of mourning for Hadith Najafi, the young woman killed at a peaceful protest in Karaj who has become a symbol of the anti-regime unrest in the country.[5] According to the Iran Human Rights Society, on their way home they became stuck in traffic, and their detour brought them near the Karaj-Qazvin road in the Behesht Sakineh area of Karaj, where, according to the regime, an anti-regime demonstration had turned on Basij and other regime security forces, stabbing Basij member Ruhollah Ajamian to death[6] and attacking others.

Death Sentence For Dr. Ghare-Hassanlou
In early December, the Chief Justice of Alborz Province (Karaj Revolutionary Court) charged Dr. Ghare-Hassanlou with Ifsad fi Al-Arth – "corruption on earth" – a capital crime in Iran, and sentenced him to death by hanging for alleged involvement in the killing of Basij member Ajamian.

Fifteen people were tried for Ajamian's death, though the Shargh daily reported 16. Dr. Ghare-Hassanlou was sentenced to death along with four others. His wife and three minors – Mehdi Shokrollahi, Arian Farzamnia, and Amir-Mehdi Jafari – received lengthy prison terms.[7]

Dr. Ghare-Hassanlou's brother Hassan stated that the doctor had examined Ajamian as he lay on the ground, told people nearby that he was still alive, and urged that he be taken to the hospital.[8]


Famous Nazi-fighting duo speak about a documentary about their lives
The famous husband-and-wife Nazi hunting duo, Beate and Serge Klarsfeld, who will be the guests of honor at the 24th Jerusalem Jewish Film Festival, still have important work to do. They will talk about this work at a screening of a new documentary about them at the Jerusalem Cinematheque on December 19 at 8:00 p.m. The film festival opens on December 17 and runs until December 22.

The documentary, Klarsfeld: A love story by Mike Lerner and Martin Herring, which will also be aired on the Yes Docu Channel, looks at their extraordinary careers and presents a touching, personal portrait of their partnership. It also focuses on their primary concern, the future. What is their story?

The Klarsfelds, who married nearly 60 years ago, have made headlines for decades for their relentless pursuit of Nazis, many of whom were brought to justice due to their dogged work. Serge, 87, was born in Romania and moved to France as a child, where his father sacrificed his own life in 1943, by allowing the SS to arrest him so that his wife and children could survive in their hiding place. This formative experience, coupled with his love and admiration for his father, fueled his ambition never to forget the Holocaust – and to fight for justice.

Beate, 83, is a non-Jewish German who was so outraged when she learned about the Holocaust, that she chose to spend her entire life battling to put Nazis behind bars. The couple have two children, one of whom, Arno, is also a human-rights activist and lawyer.

As the film details, among their most celebrated victories was the arrest and conviction of Klaus Barbie, the head of the Gestapo in Lyon, France during World War II. Barbie, also known as the Butcher of Lyon, was tracked down by the Klarsfelds in Latin America.

In addition to hunting down high-ranking Nazis all over the world, the Klarsfelds also protested against the appointments of former Nazis to government posts in Germany. Beate went to jail for slapping German Chancellor, Kurt Georg Kiesinger, at a political convention and calling him a Nazi in 1968. This was just one of the many times she or Serge (or both) were arrested.
Antisemitic group Goyim TV relocated to Florida, an emerging hotspot for extremists
Minadeo hopes Florida will be more hospitable to him and his worldview, and he may have reason to believe that to be true. A recent report from the ADL described an upward trend of extremist and antisemitic activity in the Sunshine State, driven in part by emerging white supremacist groups including White Lives Matter, Sunshine State Nationalists, NatSoc Florida and Florida Nationalists.

Minadeo and Goyim TV have partnered with neo-Nazi elements in Florida on antisemitic stunts in the past, and the Goyim Defense League has been extremely active in the state. Last May, Minadeo and his followers held a “protest” outside a Holocaust memorial center in Maitland, an Orlando suburb, carrying bullhorns and holding up signs denying the Holocaust and saying “Jews promote homosexuality.” In October, he and others describing themselves as “laser Nazis” used a light projection to superimpose the “Kanye is right about the Jews” message at the Jacksonville football game, which was attended by 75,000 people.

Minadeo has pledged to continue Goyim TV’s propaganda efforts and daily livestreams from Florida, where at least one other prominent member of the hate group already lives: Dominic Di Giorgio, a tech-savvy GDL operative known as “Ned Flanders.”

In its video announcing the move, Goyim TV showed images of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in Jerusalem signing an antisemitism bill and praying at the Western Wall. “Keep the pressure on,” a message on the video said. “This has to end.”

Parts of Florida have large Jewish populations, including Tampa and the Miami-Fort Lauderdale metropolitan area, which has one of the largest Jewish populations of any metro area in the United States.

The Secure Community Network, which monitors threats to Jewish communities across North America, did not address Goyim TV specifically in a statement but said it monitors threats to Jewish communities closely, and over the last six months it had addressed “risk events” affecting over 4,000 Jewish institutions and referred “over 225 individuals to law enforcement for follow-up.”

“As the official safety and security organization for the Jewish community in North America, the Secure Community Network works closely with local Jewish Federations, community leaders, and law enforcement partners to keep the Jewish community safe and secure,” said the group’s leader, Michael Masters.
New York Jewish School Battles Community Antisemitism in Clarkstown
What happens when a town supervisor brazenly announces his intention to thwart a religious school’s zoning application? What happens when, inevitably, this reaches the court system?

Ateres Bais Yaakov Academy of Rockland is facing this situation, with the upstate New York town of Clarkstown deliberately blocking its 2018 contract for purchase of facilities from a local church to build an Orthodox Jewish school.

The town was aided and abetted in its efforts by a group called ‘Citizens United to Protect Our Neighborhoods of Greater Nanuet (CUPON)’.

In response, the New York-based Agudath Israel recently filed an amicus brief (“friend of the court”) in support of Ateres Bais Yaakov Academy of Rockland’s lawsuit against the Town of Clarkstown and Citizens United to Protect Our Neighborhoods of Greater Nanuet (CUPON).

Ateres faced organized opposition from town officials, Town Supervisor George Hoehmann, and members of the CUPON group.

At a public board meeting held shortly after Ateres entered into the agreement to buy the land, Town Supervisor George Hoehmann announced that “the Town would deploy every weapon in its arsenal to tank the transaction.”

Hoehmann followed through by organizing a public pressure campaign that resulted in Ateres’s public bond agency canceling their bond hearing, and by manufacturing regulatory delays that caused the bank to revoke their letter of commitment for funding the purchase. This caused the church to terminate the sale agreement before the Town of Clarkstown’s zoning ruling was ever issued. Following the deal falling apart, the Town of Clarkstown acquired the land, thereby permanently blocking the establishment of an Orthodox Jewish school at the site.

Following these events in 2020, Ateres filed a lawsuit against the Town of Clarkstown, George Hoehmann, and CUPON alleging religious discrimination.

The case was dismissed by the court because Ateres never received zoning approval before the deal was terminated.

Ateres is now appealing that ruling to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, arguing that the actions of Hoehmann and the town clearly caused the deal to be terminated.


Emily Schrader: Small but proud: Meet Taiwan’s growing Jewish community
When you think of a thriving Jewish community, the first location that comes to mind probably isn’t the tiny enclave of Taiwan. But, that’s the reality for Taiwan’s small yet proud Jewish community of approximately 700 people.

The island is home to the Jeffrey D. Schwartz Jewish Community Center of Taiwan. It was opened in 2021 after five years of construction, and today serves both - the local community and tourists.

While many Jewish communities around the world have a long and rich history, Taiwan’s Jewish story goes back only as far as the 20th century, largely thanks to the presence of the U.S. military.

As the community grew in the years that followed, Rabbi Ephraim Einhorn formally established the Taiwan Jewish Community in 1977, becoming the first rabbi to serve in Taiwan. He continued serving the community, holding services at the Landis Hotel until the community was able to open their own center. Sadly, Rabbi Einhorn passed away in 2021, but his legacy lives on.

In the heart of Taipei today sits the Jeffrey D. Schwartz Jewish Community Center of Taiwan, fully funded by the Jeffrey D. Schwartz & NaTang Jewish Taiwan Cultural Association (JTCA).

The structure is home to the only mikveh in all of Taiwan, a kosher culinary lab and kitchen, a 300-person ballroom, classroom, library, and a museum of Judaica and Jewish art containing over 400 rare items from Jewish communities around the world.

Additionally, there is a stunning synagogue above the museum and restaurant, which holds regular Shabbat services led by the Chabad rabbi, and attendance peaks during high holidays.

Its founder, Jeffrey Schwartz, said the inspiration for the center was rooted in a desire to not only provide a home for the Jewish community in Taiwan, but also to educate the non-Jews about Judaism, and build bridges throughout the country.


How Hanukkah was saved from oblivion and became a holiday
Festa delle Luci, the Festival of Lights, is what the Italians call Hanukkah. Other nations use similar names for the holiday that translates from Hebrew as "consecration." The Maharal (Rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel) of Prague (16th Century) teaches us that the candles we light on Hanukkah are testimony to a far greater miracle, the miracle of the victory of the Hasmonean Revolt, seeking independence for our people.

Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the ruler of the Seleucid Empire, which ruled the Land of Israel at the beginning of the second century BCE, wanted to unify the empire under one (Hellenistic) culture and religion. Jerusalem was desecrated, swine were sacrificed in the temple before a sculpture of Zeus, and the Jewish religious tradition was banned. The revolt erupted in 167 BCE led by Mattathias the Hasmonean, and his five sons, priests from Modiin. The primary goal of the revolt was religious freedom. Mattathias' son, Judah Maccabee (or Makabi from Makebet the Biblical Hebrew word for hammer) achieved that freedom through a series of stunning victories. Some three years after the outbreak of the revolt, Jerusalem was freed almost entirely and the temple was purified. The Hasmoneans celebrated the consecration of the temple for eight days.

However, the empire was not defeated; the threat remained. Judah Maccabee looked for allies. He had heard worm of Rome, then a rising Republic. He sent a delegation of diplomats to the Senate in Rome and in 161BCE, the Roman-Jewish Treaty, a mutual defense alliance, was signed. Judah allowed most of the army on leave to rebuild their homes after seven years of bitter struggle.

His enemies however did not rest. They feared his alliance with Rome. This time they sent General Bachiddes to suppress the revolt. Judah Maccabee who relied primarily on a reserve army was left to face Bachiddes and his legions, numbering over 25,000 men, with just 800 fighters. His army was destroyed and he was killed at the Battle of Elasa in the hills of Beit El. The Hasmonean Revolt was extinguished and its achievements lost. Now the Seleucids were out for revenge and the situation became worse than it had been before the revolt. The Hellenists returned to the temple, hunted down their enemies, and the religious decrees were renewed. Many sought sanctuary in the desert.

Had history continued that way, then it is unlikely that we would still be celebrating Hanukkah. Just as with Bar Kochba about 300 years later, Judah Maccabee was a great worrier and a brilliant general but the revolt failed. There is no reason for celebration.
King Charles does hora at Hanukkah party for Holocaust survivors
King Charles celebrated in a pre-Hanukkah event in London with Holocaust survivors on Friday, according to a statement from the royal family.

"As the Jewish community prepares to celebrate Hanukkah, the King today joined Holocaust survivors for a reception at JW3 London - a community center that acts as a hub for arts, culture, social action and learning in North London," was written in a tweet by the official royal family Twitter account. A video attached to the tweet showed the king dancing with Holocaust survivors and other attendees.

What did the king do during his visit?

At the beginning of his visit to the community center, the king joined students from a nearby school as they wrapped donated gifts for Hanukkah and Christmas.

After the gift-wrapping session, he met with volunteers in JW3's kitchen who prepare food packages for those in need throughout the year. The royal family's statement explained that JW3 distributes 200 food packages and over 2,000 meals to locals in need every week.

"This quantity is increased around special times of the year such as Hanukkah and Christmas to ensure that no families go without food," the statement said.

He then joined the pre-Hanukkah reception which is held annually in the runup to the holiday for Holocaust survivors who attend social activities in the community center regularly.

Before he left, the king was gifted a Hanukkah menorah by JW3's founder Dame Vivien Duffield.

The king has always had a good relationship with the UK's Jewish communities. He was good friends with the late Lord Rabbi Jonathan Sacks and continues to have a good relationship with the UK's current chief rabbi Ephraim Mirvis.


Proof of biblical kings of Israel, Judah deciphered on Jerusalem rock inscriptions
The original ancient Siloam inscription was discovered in 1880 inside Hezekiah’s tunnel, marking the completion of the project mentioned in the Bible. The inscription was later removed and then transferred to Istanbul by Ottoman authorities in control of the Holy Land at the time.

Inscription 3 has the names and deeds of the biblical King Hezekiah of Judah in ancient Israel. (credit: Eli Shukrun) Inscription 3 has the names and deeds of the biblical King Hezekiah of Judah in ancient Israel. (credit: Eli Shukrun)

One of the inscriptions recently discovered was carved into the rock to the right of the entrance to tunnel #4 in the round room of the Canaanite pool next to the Gihon Spring. Exactly 48 centimeters wide and 38 cm. long, it is located 140 cm. above the floor, the academic explained.

The frame of the inscription was discovered in 1909 by Louis-Hugues Vincent, but he believed that there was no inscription there, but only the frame and a leveled surface prepared for writing an unwritten text, said Galil.

“This is what all the other researchers have claimed for the past 113 years. But recently it turned out that there is an extremely impressive inscription there. Though eroded by time, the vast majority of the letters are legible,” he explained.

What does the ancient biblical inscription say?

This is a verbatim quote of the inscription that includes 11 lines, 64 words, and 243 letters:
Hezekiah, the son of Ahaz, king of Judah,
made the pool and the conduit.
In the seventeenth year, in the second (day), in the fourth (month),
of king Hezekiah, the king brought
the water into the city by a tunnel, the king led
the water into the pool. He smote the Philistines
from Ekron to Gaza and placed there the OREB unit of
the army of Judah. He braked the images and braked in ˹pieces˺ the Nehu˹sh˺tan
and he removed the high ˹places and˺ cut down the Asherah. Hezek˹ia˺h, the king,
accumulated in all his treasure houses and in the house of YHWH
a lot of silver and gold, perfumes and good ointment.

This “summary inscription,” Galil continued, “is arranged in literary order, not chronologically, and is divided into five components: title, the water project, the wars against Philistia, the reform and the accumulation of property.




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