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Thursday, December 29, 2022

12/29 Links Pt1: Why Does the EU Disproportionately Fixate on Israel?; The forgotten speech of Yasser Arafat; Why Israel Cannot Send Its Iron Dome to Ukraine

From Ian:

Amb. Alan Baker: Why Does the EU Disproportionately Fixate on Israel?
As part of its "Joint Strategy in support of Palestine," the European Union recently circulated a confidential document that proposes various measures to finance and advance monitoring, undercutting and undermining Israel's policies in Area C of the West Bank, including providing support and legal assistance to Palestinian residents prosecuting land claims in Israeli courts.

Under the 1993-1995 Oslo Accords, signed and witnessed by the EU, Israel and the Palestinian leadership (PLO) agreed to divide the West Bank areas of Judea and Samaria into three distinct areas of control and administration, pending the completion of negotiation on the permanent status of the territories. It was agreed that Area C would remain under Israel's full control, jurisdiction and administration.

In attempting to undermine and to intervene in Israel's legitimate and agreed-upon jurisdiction and governance in Area C, and in supporting Palestinian attempts to violate the Oslo Accords, the EU is in fact violating the terms of the very agreement to which it attached its signature as witness.

The EU claim that Area C is "to be preserved as part of a future Palestinian state in line with the Oslo Accords" is simply a mistaken and misleading interpretation of the Oslo Accords. They made no reference whatsoever to any "future Palestinian state" or "two-state solution." On the contrary, the Palestinian leadership and Israel agreed that the ultimate fate of the territories will be agreed upon in permanent status negotiations. No determination was made as to the outcome of such negotiations.

The EU document notes the EU's commitment to "contribute to building a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders." However, the Oslo Accords made no mention whatsoever of the 1967 borders. On the contrary, there has never been any 1967 border but an Armistice Demarcation Line established in the 1949 Armistice Agreements. These agreements stated specifically that the Armistice Demarcation line was not intended to constitute a border but rather a temporary line separating the forces pending negotiation of peace agreements.

It is high time that Israel's government take a far more assertive role in clarifying to the EU and its member states that the anti-Israel fixation of its staff and its actions in undermining Israel's legitimate authority and jurisdiction in Area C will no longer be tolerated.
Face it, the United Nations Is Antisemitic
The UN General Assembly passed 15 resolutions critical of Israel in 2022, compared to 13 resolutions for all other countries. Since 2015, the UN General Assembly has passed 136 resolutions critical of Israel, compared to 58 against all other nations combined. Selectively holding Israel to a higher moral standard than all other nations is classic antisemitism because its real purpose is to delegitimize the world's only Jewish state.

Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch, said, "The UN's automatic majority has no interest in truly helping the Palestinians, nor in protecting anyone's human rights. The goal of these ritual, one-sided resolutions is to scapegoat Israel."


How the EU Is Undermining International Law in the West Bank
The 1995 agreement known as Oslo II divided the West Bank into three parts: Area A, to be administered directly by the Palestinian Authority (PA); Area B, to be administered jointly by the PA and Israel; and Area C, to be controlled directly by Israel pending further negotiations. In July, the European Union’s mission in eastern Jerusalem produced a document, recently leaked to the press, stating the EU’s commitment “to contribute to building a Palestinian State within 1967 borders,” and outlining a program to build Palestinian settlements in Area C even where not authorized to do so by Israeli law. Jenny Aharon writes:

The EU . . . insists that its positions are based on meticulous compliance with international law, its own laws and charter, and also the Oslo Accords. This claim is surely [belied] by the leaked document in which we can see an activist EU striving to help the Palestinians take over Area C, the very area that is designated to Israel’s control per the Oslo Accords preliminary agreement which the EU claims to uphold.

The claim [made by the EU] is that the construction is meant for humanitarian ends and is not politically motivated. Yet the EU construction takes place in locations that are highly sensitive, precisely for the purpose of creating new facts on the ground and preparing the area for a Palestinian takeover without any final peace agreement.

Oftentimes the political motivation [of EU-funded construction projects] is obvious, as it is conducted without permits and in such places where Israel has no choice but to demolish it—for example, a school adjacent to a dangerous highway or in places where there are no facilities and thus are not considered habitable environments. The political motivation becomes even more obvious as the document explicitly states the EU’s plan to curb Israel’s archeological activities in order to minimize the Jewish connection to the land.

Moreover, the EU does not seem to consider building in Area A and Area B where all they would need is a permit from the Palestinian Authority. Apparently, in those areas, there is no need for humanitarian aid at all.
Palestinian Authority Paved Illegal Highway in Gush Etzion with Foreign Funding
The Gush Etzion Regional Council and local residents recently discovered the construction of a highway starting at Za’atara village, 11 km southeast of Bethlehem in Gush Etzion, north of the Herodion site, and reaching into the Judean Desert. At the start of the new road stands a sign in Arabic saying it was paved with foreign funding and assistance from the Palestinian Authority.

Mind you, the new highway is built in an agreed upon safeguarded reserve area, where roads and buildings are not allowed to be constructed per the Oslo Accords.

According to the Gush Etzion Regional Council, the road is another part of the ongoing effort to damage the contiguous Jewish territory in Gush Etzion. It provides access to new, illegal Arab neighborhoods in the Gush Etzion area, facilitating faster development.

Back in 2009, Salam Fayyad, then prime minister of the Palestinian Authority and its finance minister, issued the “Fayyad Plan,” aimed at creating facts on the ground, especially in Area C, with major international support, to transform international recognition of a de facto Palestinian state into a de jure state should Israel fail to deliver on its Oslo promises. Over the past 13 years, with increasing speed, the PA has been pursuing Fayyad’s policy, often with the tacit approval of the IDF civil administration and most defense ministers in Netanyahu’s and Lapid’s governments.

The Gush Etzion Regional Council says the paved road was built on preserved territories which the Palestinian Authority undertook in the Oslo Accords not to build homes or roads. Naturally, they had no intention of keeping their commitment, and Area C, especially near the robust Gush Etzion Jewish community, is flooded with illegally built PA homes and roads.


The forgotten speech of Yasser Arafat
After Yasser Arafat signed the Oslo Accords on the White House lawn in 1993, he committed himself to another peace agreement, the Gaza-Jericho Agreement with Israel, which he signed.

On his way to be readmitted into Judea and Samaria (aka 'West Bank') by Israel he spoke at a mosque in Johannesburg South Africa in May 1994, after signing this second agreement and just days before Israel withdrew from Jericho as a further peace gesture.

This speech was secretly recorded by a South African journalist and was subsequently broadcast on Israeli radio.

This is part of what he said…

“This has to be understood by everybody. The permanent state of Israel? No! The permanent state of Palestine! (Applause).

“Yes, it is the permanent state of Palestine.

“I have to speak frankly. I cannot do it on my own without the support of the Islamic nation. You have to come and to fight and to start the jihad to liberate Jerusalem, your first shrine.

“What they are saying is that Jerusalem is their capital. No, it is not their capital. It is our capital. It is the first shrine of Islam and the Muslims.”

Referring to the Oslo Accords he had signed, Arafat said,

“This agreement. I am not considering it more than the agreement which had been signed between our Prophet Mohammad and Quraish.”

For those unfamiliar with the Quraish event, here is the story: The Jews of Mecca defeated the army of Mohammad, and reached an agreement with him. He later returned in greater strength and slaughtered them after they had left themselves defenseless by believing that Mohammad was a man of his word.

“You remember the Caliph Omar had refused this agreement and considered it a despicable truce. But Mohammad accepted it and we are accepting this peace offer but to continue our way to Jerusalem, to first shrine together and not alone.

We are in need of you as Muslims. As warriors of Jihad. “

And this legacy continued when Arafat was replaced by Mahmoud Abbas. Abbas said, “Every martyr will reach paradise, and every wounded will be rewarded by Allah!”
Netanyahu launches new government: ‘I promise to stop Iran, expand circle of peace’
ncoming Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took the podium at the Knesset on Thursday to launch his new government, announcing it would focus on three main goals.

First, he said, it would prevent Iran from “developing an arsenal of atomic weapons that will threaten us and the whole world.” Second, it would develop Israel’s infrastructure and deliver “a flourishing economy to every part of Israel.” Third, it would expand “the circle of peace with Arab states with the goal of ending the Arab-Israeli conflict.”

Netanyahu also said that his government would restore personal security to Israel’s citizens and “sovereignty” to the State of Israel, addressing fears that Israeli authority has eroded in areas where there are large minority populations, including the Negev and Galilee.

He said his government would address the rising cost of living and improve the education system “for the good of all Israeli citizens.”

Occasionally interrupted by catcalls from the opposition benches, Netanyahu said, “I hear the opposition’s eulogies about the end of the state, the end of democracy—members of the opposition, to lose an election isn’t the end of democracy, it’s the essence of democracy. … And I ask that you cease to rebel against the elected government.”
Why bilateralism is key to any Saudi-Israeli agreement
Ahead of his victory in Israel’s election in November, Benjamin Netanyahu had been telegraphing loudly that his top priority is to pursue a peace accord with Saudi Arabia. As he put the finishing touches on his coalition to return as prime minister, he was given the opportunity to make his case in a historic interview with the Saudi Al Arabiya English language website, which was covered extensively by Arabic-language media, Reuters, AP, and the global press. At the heart of the conversation was Netanyahu’s view of the future of Israeli-Saudi relations, which he depicted as a “quantum” game-changer for the entire region and the key to unlocking Israel’s impasse with the Palestinians.

Netanyahu firmly presented the possibility of peace with Saudi Arabia, which he has described as “the big prize,” as a bilateral Saudi-Israel discussion. The Israeli Prime Minister-elect seemed at pains to emphasize that Israel has acted and would continue to act independently of the United States, especially when foundational issues of the country’s security—such as the threat posed by Iran to Israel and to the region—are at stake.

With the exception of the Abraham Accords, which were promoted by Donald Trump, Netanyahu’s position was true to the prior history of prior successful Israeli peacemaking efforts. Israel’s 1977 agreement with Egypt was, if anything, a bilateral maneuver to bypass a larger US framework promoted by Jimmy Carter that sought to emphasize the centrality of an Israeli deal with the Palestinians. Similarly, the Jordanians wanted nothing to do with America’s “comprehensive” peace framework, which would have put them at the mercy of the maximalism of radical regimes like Syria, and sought a bilateral track with Israel instead.

By contrast, successive US administrations from both parties have for decades not only focused obsessively on elevating the Palestinians, but also pursued frameworks and tracks that empowered radical actors in the Iranian axis, like the Assad regime, and turned them into regional centers of gravity under the apparent theory that the spoilers should get the spoils. Barack Obama took that approach and multiplied it tenfold with his Iran Realignment doctrine, which elevated Iran while downgrading US ties to Israel and Saudi Arabia, depicting them as undesirable irritants, if not outright hostiles.

The shared dilemma that has brought Israel and Saudi Arabia unexpectedly closer over the past decade has been how to handle their relationship with an erratic Washington bent on elevating their mutual foes. This problem is one of the interesting aspects of the interview. In fact, Netanyahu decided to lead with it:

“There is a need for a reaffirmation of America’s commitment to its traditional allies in the Middle East. Israel, of course, is there and we’ve had a solid, unbreakable relationship. But I think that the alliance, the traditional alliance with Saudi Arabia and other countries, has to be reaffirmed. There should not be periodic swings, or even wild swings in this relationship, because I think that the alliance between America’s allies and with America is the anchor of stability in our region.”
Netanyahu names Eli Cohen as foreign minister; Dermer gets strategic affairs post
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Thursday that Likud MK Eli Cohen would be Israel’s next foreign minister, ending weeks of intrigue around the high-profile role.

He will be replacing Yair Lapid, who has also served as prime minister since last June.

In his speech to the Knesset ahead of the swearing-in of his government, Netanyahu also announced that longtime confidant Ron Dermer — seen as a top candidate for the job — would instead be strategic affairs minister within the Prime Minister’s Office.

It remains to be seen what responsibilities will be given to Dermer, but he has shown interest in being Netanyahu’s main adviser on ties with Washington.

Cohen, 50, headed the economy and intelligence ministries in previous Netanyahu governments.

In his military service, Cohen served in the air force, reaching the rank of major. He then embarked on a successful business career before joining the Knesset with the Kulanu party in 2015.

Senior Likud lawmakers had been gunning for the role of Israel’s top diplomat, one of Israel’s most prominent and influential ministerial positions.
Will Israel's New Government Cause a Rift with the U.S.?
Is Israel on a collision course with the U.S. as a result of expected policy changes by Prime Minister Netanyahu's new government? Dan Diker, president of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, said, "Prime Minister Netanyahu has...said that he would be responsible for decisions made by his coalition government and I think that President Biden is very familiar with Mr. Netanyahu. They've been personal and professional friends for four decades."

"My expectation is that Mr. Netanyahu - who is not only the most seasoned politician in Israel but the only prime minister in the democratic world to come back from a political graveyard twice in order to lead a democratic country - will be very sure about maintaining the strongest possible alliance with the United States."

One issue is the incoming government's plans to pass a mechanism for lawmakers to override Supreme Court decisions and put some judicial appointments under political control. Diker said the issues surrounding the Supreme Court had been widely distorted in international discourse and there is a need to find a balance between a "very activist Supreme Court" and the democratically-elected Knesset.
Palestinians vow to confront 'fascist' new government
The Palestinians are not afraid of the new Israeli right-wing government and are ready to confront it, Palestinian officials said on Thursday as Prime Minister-designate Netanyahu presented his cabinet ministers to the Knesset.

The officials also called for stepping up the “popular resistance” against Israel, especially in the West Bank and east Jerusalem. Calls for popular resistance

As Netanyahu was addressing the Knesset, hundreds of Palestinians gathered in Ramallah to celebrate the 58th anniversary of the launch of the first attack against Israel by the ruling Fatah faction headed by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

“The threats of the occupation and its new extreme right-wing government will not frighten us,” PA Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said at the rally. “We affirm that we will remain steadfast until the Palestinian state is established and until victory.”

Shtayyeh said Fatah will remain “loyal to the martyrs and prisoners, its founders and our people.” He urged Palestinians to pursue the “popular resistance” against Israel.

Deputy Fatah Chairman Mahmoud Aloul said the Palestinians were ready to confront “the most right-wing Zionist government” in Israel.


Why Israel Cannot Send Its Iron Dome to Ukraine
Israel has refused to provide Ukraine with its Iron Dome air defense system for several reasons. First, Israel harbors legitimate fears that its systems could be captured by Russia on the battlefield and would be sent to Iran. This could enable the Iranian regime to find ways to counter these systems, which would benefit Hizbullah, Hamas, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in future confrontations with Israel.

Second, the Israel Defense Forces have already assessed an urgent need to acquire more systems and interceptors for its own protection, as Hizbullah and Hamas weapons arsenals continue to grow. The production of the necessary numbers of systems and interceptors will take some time, and the timetable could be set back by exports to Ukraine.

Third, the amount of time required to train Ukrainian forces to operate the Iron Dome would not help Ukraine in the short term.

Finally, Israel does not wish to trigger a harsh response from Russia, which maintains a significant presence in Syria, where Israel is engaged in regular activity to neutralize efforts by the Iranian regime to smuggle advanced weapons to Hizbullah in Lebanon. Whether Israel likes it or not, the Russian military presence in Syria is a long-term issue with which Israel must contend.


Jordan warns Israel against crossing Jerusalem 'red lines'
Jordanian King Abdullah II on Wednesday said he was ready for a conflict should Israel's incoming government violate "red lines" by changing the status quo governing relations at Jerusalem's holy sites.

"If people want to get into a conflict with us, we're quite prepared," Abdullah said in an interview with CNN. "I always like to believe that let's look at the glass half full, but we have certain red lines… And if people want to push those red lines, then we will deal with that," he added.

Jordan has since 1967 been the custodian of holy sites in the Israeli capital's Old City, including the Al Aqsa Mosque that sits atop the Temple Mount, Judaism's most sacred place.

While Muslims are allowed to freely visit and worship at the mosque, Jews are severely restricted from accessing the site where two biblical temples stood and are banned from praying there, although the latter stringency has been relaxed in recent years.

Abdullah also warned that the Palestinians could launch another terror war.

"We have to be concerned about a next intifada," he said, adding: "If that happens, that's a complete breakdown of law and order and one that neither the Israelis nor the Palestinians will benefit from. I think there is a lot of concern from all of us in the region, including those in Israel that are on our side on this issue, to make sure that doesn't happen."


Major spike in Judea and Samaria shooting attacks, IDF stats reveal
As 2022 draws to a close, the Israel Defense Forces has summarized its operational activities for the past year, which included dozens of reported strikes on Iranian targets in Syria and dozens of special operations.

The Lebanese arena remained quiet this year, despite Hezbollah’s attempt to send unarmed drones towards Israeli offshore gas rigs in July, which were shot down by the Israel Navy and Air Force.

Judea and Samaria saw one of its most violent years in the last 15, with 285 terrorist shooting attacks in 2022, compared to 61 in 2021. There was, however, a decrease in stabbing incidents, with 14 compared to 18 last year, according to the IDF report.

The defense establishment is deeply disturbed by the Palestinian Authority’s lack of sovereignty in northern areas such as Jenin and Nablus, which became centers of terrorism this year, the document continued.

Thirty-one Israelis—24 of them civilians—were murdered by terrorists this year, compared to four in 2021.
MEMRI: After Israel Arrests Perpetrator Of Jerusalem Double Bombing, ISIS Supporters Highlight Bomber's Ties To Organization, Al-Qaeda Supporters Accuse Pro-Iran Media Of Falsely Taking Credit
On December 27, 2022, Israel's Shin Bet security agency and police announced that the perpetrator of a November 23 double bombing in Jerusalem which killed two Israeli civilians and injured more than twenty[1] had been arrested on November 29, and named him as Eslam Froukh, a 26-year-old mechanical engineer from the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Kafr 'Aqab. The Shin Bet added that Froukh acted alone, "out of Salafi-jihadi ideology identified with the Islamic State (ISIS) terror organization" and used guides obtained on the internet to learn to make the bombs used in the attack.

In the days following the attack, security forces found several items near the town of Ma'ale Adumim which were apparently used in the attack, including a motorized scooter, five pipe bombs, spare clothes, and a helmet. They also located the site near Ramallah where Froukh tested his explosive devices and seized explosives, a makeshift submachine gun and a primed bomb similar to the ones used in the Jerusalem attack from there. Security forces suspect Froukh intended to use these items to perpetrate an additional attack.[2]

Following the revelation of the bomber's identity, jihadis on Telegram commented. Supporters of ISIS highlighted the attacker's affiliation with the organization and noted the deadliness of the operation, claiming that only ISIS, and not rival Palestinian and Iran-backed groups, perpetrates such lethal attacks against Israel. A pro-Al-Qaeda channel similarly accused Iran-backed Palestinian groups of having falsely appropriated the attack, while refraining from mentioning Froukh's support for ISIS.

Pro-ISIS Channels Praise Bomber, Claim Only ISIS Perpetrates Such Lethal Attacks Against Israelis

On December 27, a pro-ISIS Telegram channel posted a photo of the attacker, describing him as "a fierce lion who caused one of the most effective strikes against the Jews" and asking Allah to "accept" his deed. Noting that "the politicians of the Rafidite [a pejorative term for Shi'ite] groups – Palestinian, Iranian, and Lebanese ones – celebrated the strike, its excellent planning, and exactness of its implementation," the channel added that it has now been revealed that the perpetrator is "one of the supporters of the Muslims' group [i.e. ISIS]," "and who other than them does [attacks] like this?" The pro-ISIS channel praised the attacker, asserting that although "the people of the Earth" had been unaware of his identity, "the inhabitants of Heaven" know him well, adding that now that his actions in support of ISIS have been publicized, "the [rival] organizations' tongues have become mute and the pens of their analysts and journalists have dried up."[3]

Another pro-ISIS channel also reported that Israeli authorities had announced the capture of the bomber and that he "belongs to the terrorizers [i.e. ISIS]." The channel posted a link to a new Telegram channel, where photos of the perpetrator and attack, along with additional details, were published.[4]


Unpacked: Should The IDF Be Held To A Higher Moral Standard?
Today’s armies are subject to international humanitarian law, national pressure and public scrutiny. Yet they must also uphold themselves to their own specific ethical and moral codes.

For decades, Israel’s military, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), has fought for the state’s very existence. Over time, many of Israel’s enemies have moved beyond the traditional battlefield and brokered for peace…or political warfare.

Enemies like Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah have tested the IDF’s morality by using unethical tactics beyond the accepted principles of warfare, putting innocent human lives at risk. Until Israel’s enemies hold themselves to a higher moral code, the IDF will remain prepared and armed to defend Israel from constant threat while striving to maintain its own ethical code.




The Israel Guys: TECH GIANT Google Changes the Definition for the Word ‘Jew’
The terrorist who was responsible for the two bombings in Jerusalem last month has been identified, Google changed their definition of a Jew, and the IDF is busy with counter-terror operations.


PMW: Mother of dead 16-year-old: My son wanted to die as a Martyr. He constantly thought about Martyrdom
Mother of terrorist Diya Al-Rimawi: “[Diya Al-Rimawi] wanted to die as a Martyr. He constantly thought about Martyrdom. Two days before he died as a Martyr he filmed a video, him and his friends, in which he wore a [Palestinian] flag and his friends bid him farewell.” [Official PA TV News, Dec. 9, 2022]

Diya Al-Rimawi – 16-year-old Palestinian terrorist who threw rocks at Israeli cars driving northwest of Ramallah on Dec. 8, 2022. Israeli soldiers shot and killed Al-Rimawi, thereby stopping his attack.




MEMRI: Hizbullah Officials: The U.S. Is A Plague That Afflicts Lebanon, Spreads Chaos There And Is Responsible For All The Injustice In The Region
Hizbullah has recently renewed its anti-American rhetoric that blames the U.S. for all of Lebanon's problems.[1] One reason for the escalation was remarks made by U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf in which she called Hizbullah a "plague."[2] These remarks drew furious responses from Hizbullah officials, chief of them the organization's secretary-general, Hassan Nasrallah, who stated that America, rather than Hizbullah, is the plague and curse afflicting Lebanon, "whose effects are felt even today and are evident in the economic situation, the living conditions and the economic collapse" in the country.

The second trigger for the escalation in Hizbullah's rhetoric was a November 9, 2022 report in the pro-Hizbullah Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar that the U.S. had refused to grant Lebanon a sanctions waiver to import free fuel from Iran.[3] Iran made an offer in September to provide Lebanon with 600,000 tons of fuel, free of charge, to operate its power stations.[4] In light of America's alleged refusal to allow this, Hizbullah held it responsible for Lebanon's severe energy crisis.

This report presents some of Hizbullah's recent statements attacking the U.S. in this context.

Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah: America Is The Plague That Afflicted Our Country; Hizbullah Is The One That Removed This Plague

Responding to Barbara Leaf, who referred to Hizbullah as a plague, Nasrallah stated, in a November 11 speech on the occasion of Martyrs Day, that the U.S. itself is the plague that afflicted Lebanon and is responsible for its current economic crisis. He said: "Let me address the remarks made several days ago by the official in charge of Lebanon and the region in the U.S. state department,[Barbara Leaf]. She outlined [several] tragic and severe scenarios for Lebanon's future… Describing scenarios that could lead to the elimination of Hizbullah, she used the English word 'plague,' and the [Arabic] translators were divided on how to translate it. Some said it should be translated as 'curse,' namely a curse named Hizbullah, while others translated it as 'plague' or 'epidemic.' [But] who is the curse, plague or epidemic?... We all remember the Israeli invasion in 1982 and what it did in Lebanon when it entered Beirut and most parts of the country. [Everyone remembers] what it has done to the Lebanese, the Palestinians, the Syrians and everyone else. It has perpetrated war crimes, destroyed, bombed and massacred. Is that not the case? And who was it that sponsored, protected, supported and financed [Israel as it did this]? It was the U.S. The Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982 was a curse and a plague, and we managed to overcome it. This curse and plague was, first and foremost, an American product… Made in USA…

"You, the U.S. administration, are the curse and the plague that arrived in our country, whereas we [Hizbullah] – who constitute the main branch of the resistance alongside our brethren, the other resistance movements and factions – we are the ones who lifted this curse and removed this American plague. [But] you kick it out the door and it comes back in through the window…




MEMRI: Iranian Dissident Abolfazl Ghadyani: Reform Is Impossible – Iran’s Islamic Regime Must Go
Iranian dissident Abolfazl Ghadyani said in a December 26, 2022 interview with BBC Persian (U.K.) that Iran’s Islamic regime cannot be reformed, that it “has to go,” and that taking to the streets is the only way to achieve this. He said that the Iranian people have realized that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is the “source” of their problems and their “greatest enemy.” He argued that the anti-regime protestors in Iran are acting in self-defense, and not out of corruption or rebellion against God, and he predicted that the regime’s attempts to intimidate the protestors will only make them more determined to overthrow Khamenei’s regime. Adding that President Raisi is a “murderer,” Ghadyani also claimed that the Iranian regime had deliberately shot down Ukrainian Airlines flight 752 in early 2020. Abolfazl Ghadyani is a prominent member of the Mujahedin of the Islamic Revolution, an Iranian anti-regime political movement, and he has served multiple prison sentences for his pursuits.


Iranian Majlis National Security And Foreign Policy Committee Member Karimi-Ghodousi Claims: There Is Agreement In Principle With U.S. And IAEA To 'Close [Iran's] PMD Dossier' And To Guarantee The [Foreign] Investments In Iran'; The Americans 'Told Us Not To Announce This Officially'; Now All We Need Is To Finalize The Details In The Upcoming Talks
In an interview with the Iranian news outlet Asr-e Iran that was published December 26, 2022, Iranian Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee member Javad Karimi-Ghodousi revealed what he claimed were behind-the-scenes understandings at the Baghdad II summit, held earlier this month in Amman, Jordan. Among those attending the summit were French President Emmanuel Macron and Josep Borrell, European Union High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, both of whom met with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and his deputy Ali Bagheri, who heads the Iranian negotiating team in the nuclear talks, both of whom also attended the summit.

Amir-Abdollahian said at a press conference following the summit that "an opportunity was created to discuss additional issues connected to the nuclear talks, in a two-hour meeting," together with his deputy Ali Bagheri and European External Action Service (EEAS) deputy secretary general Enrique Mora, who is also coordinator of the nuclear talks in Vienna, and Borrell. Amir-Abdollahian added: "We informed them that if they respect our red lines, we are willing to take the final steps in order to arrive at an agreement." [1]

Apparently, according to Karimi-Ghodousi, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the U.S. have agreed in principle to close Iran's Potential Military Dimensions (PMD) dossier and to guarantee the foreign investments that will be made in Iran after the nuclear agreement is signed, such that if the agreement fails again, these investments will not be harmed. These, he said, are the two main issues that remain unresolved in the nuclear negotiations.

It should be emphasized that the "PMD dossier" is the IAEA investigation of the matter of the particles of enriched uranium found at undeclared facilities in Iran for which Iran has to date not given a reasonable explanation.

About the U.S. and Europe, Karimi-Ghodousi said, "They also accept our conditions [in the negotiations]." He added that the Americans had "told us not to announce this officially," and also assessed that "according to what was said in Jordan, the Europeans and the Americans will return to the JCPOA. Within the next few days, a dialogue between Iran and the 4+1 [countries] will start, and if it is not completed, the Americans will participate in the re-signing [of the agreement]."


IRGC Qods Force Commander: 50 Operations Conducted Against Israel Each Day
Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Qods Force Commander Brig.-Gen. Esmayeel Qaani said Tuesday that 40-50 operations are carried out against Israel in the West Bank every day. He stated that it won't be long before the Palestinians expel the Israelis from their land.

In August, IRGC Commander Maj.-Gen. Hossein Salami said, "The Zionists have no safe haven in occupied Palestine and all parts of the land are within the reach of Palestinian resistance movements' firepower. When Lebanese resistance movement Hizbullah is added to this equation, the conclusion is the deployment of hundreds of thousands of missiles that are pointed at the Zionist regime."


Islamic extremist groups who support the Taliban and host hate preachers have been funded by the taxpayer, government's Prevent review finds
Draft extracts of the long-delayed review into the Government's counter-terrorism strategy have reportedly revealed that taxpayers' money was handed to organisations that 'had promoted extremist narratives'.

According to extracts in The Telegraph, key figures in organisations that receive funds from the Prevent programme are alleged to have supported the Taliban and even defended militant Islamist bodies banned in the UK.

The scheme's aim is to safeguard vulnerable people from being drawn into terrorism.

The independent review by Sir William Shawcross, a former chairman of the Charity Commission, was delivered to the Home Office in late April but is still undergoing fact and legal checks. A draft report by William Shawcross, former head of the Charity Commission, has criticised the government's Prevent programme which is designed to tackle extremism

A draft report by William Shawcross, former head of the Charity Commission, has criticised the government's Prevent programme which is designed to tackle extremism

One of the examples in the report is on Ali Harbi Ali who had been sent to the Prevent programme but later went on to murder Conservative MP Sir David Amess while holding a constituency surgery

One of the examples in the report is on Ali Harbi Ali who had been sent to the Prevent programme but later went on to murder Conservative MP Sir David Amess while holding a constituency surgery

The newspaper claims the review is expected to say that the 'unacceptable' cases undermined Prevent's ability to 'effectively undertake counter-radicalisation' work and that 'these findings raise serious questions about whether Prevent is knowingly taking this approach and, if not, whether it operates robust due diligence procedures and has an acceptable level of understanding of Islamist extremism'.

In the draft report, Sir William reportedly said he had examined the funding distributed by Prevent, finding that in some cases it went to organisations that had 'promoted extremist narratives'.

The report reportedly cites four examples.

It also goes on to criticise the scheme for focusing too much on far-right extremism at the expense of the Islamist threat and for straying from its 'core mission' of stopping people from becoming terrorists by putting too much emphasis on treating them as victims.

A Downing Street spokesman said: 'The review will be published in due course. It remains right that we take the time to prepare and deliver a considered response.'




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