Tuesday, January 03, 2023

01/03 Links Pt1: Israel should put an end to Palestinian diplomatic terror; The UN for Empowering Terrorists; Ismail Haniyeh’s Son Draws Scorn for Life of Luxury

From Ian:

Israel should put an end to Palestinian diplomatic terror
Palestinian Authority leaders should start to feel overwhelming pressure at every turn. They have become used to a limp response by Israel to its attacks in the international arena and have become further emboldened.

There is no better time than a brand-new Israeli government to state unequivocally that the rules of the game have changed, and there will be a strong and paralyzing response by Israel to the continued Palestinian attacks.

Israeli leaders shouldn’t just send threats behind closed doors but announce very publicly a series of steps it will take in response to the passing of the United Nations General Assembly resolution, with a further set of steps should they continue.

These steps should be designed with one singular goal in mind, to break the will of the Palestinian Arabs to continue fighting this war.

This is not just good for Israel; it will also be good for the Palestinians.

If their leaders end their obsessive war against Israel on all its fronts, legal, economic, diplomatic and of course, through violence, it will free up energy and resources for building Palestinian Arab society in all arenas, social, education and infrastructure.

The Palestinian Arab war against Israel is also a war against a decent future for the Palestinian Arabs.

Nevertheless, a more peaceful, prosperous and secure future for both peoples can only be attained once the Palestinian leaders have given up.

This can only happen when Israel forces them to do so.

It will take a change of direction by our security and political establishment, but all other paths have failed.

It is time for more drastic action.

It is time for an Israel victory against Palestinian Arab rejectionism on the front, which is crucial to ending the conflict.
The United Nations for Empowering Terrorists
Hammouri's affiliation with the PFLP and his involvement in planning terror attacks against Israelis, does not, however, seem to concern the UN Human Rights Office. Instead of condemning the convicted terrorist, the UN Human Rights Office chose to condemn Israel for daring to take measures to protect its citizens against terrorism.

This is also the same UN whose representatives have failed to condemn Hamas for building tunnels beneath schools run by its United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in the Gaza Strip.

Take note: here is a senior UN official sitting with representatives of a terror group whose charter calls for the elimination of Israel and who is expressing "concern" over the rise of right-wing parties in Israel.

The UN official appears unaware that many Israelis voted for right-wing parties because of the increased terror attacks by Hamas and other terrorist groups.

It is ironic that a UN official, whose title is "Special Coordinator of the Middle East Peace Process", sits with a Palestinian group that is entirely dedicated to sabotaging peace.

As Article 13 of the Hamas charter states: "There is no solution for the Palestinian question except through jihad. Initiatives, proposals and international conferences are all a waste of time and vain endeavors."

This is hardly how to "prevent and remove threats to peace," as the UN claims in its charter. In fact, the actions of the UN clearly demonstrate that the organization is actually cozying up to terrorists while denouncing those who combat terrorism.

In its defense of, and engagement with, terrorists, the UN is boosting the ability of Hamas and the PFLP to continue their slaughter and genocide.
Ismail Haniyeh’s Son Draws Scorn for Life of Luxury As Gazans Scrape By
One of the sons of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh is living in luxury in Turkey and even received a Turkish passport to continue his expensive lifestyle, according to an Arab media report.

Elaph, a Saudi website based in Britain reported from its sources that Maaz Haniyeh recently received a Turkish passport enabling to travel the world with his family while enjoying a rich life in Turkey.

A source in Gaza commenting on the Elaph report told the Tazpit Press Service, “The Hamas apparatus follows Gaza residents who go out for medical or commercial needs and collect sums of money from them and part of the profits, and on the other hand, Maaz was awarded a Turkish passport for free, due to his father’s status.”

The article, titled “Maaz Haniyeh: A Life of Extravagance, Alcohol and Women,” reports that Maaz is known in Gaza as Abu Al Aqarat, or “The Father of Real Estate” for his ownership of several apartments, villas and buildings in different areas of the Strip. Its sources said that outside of Gaza, Haniyeh’s sons drink alcohol — which is prohibited for Muslims — and hang out prestigious clubs accompanied by women.

A journalist who lives in Gaza told TPS, “Maaz Haniyeh was forced to leave the comfortable life in the Gaza Strip and embark on the difficult and arduous resistance missions in the streets of Turkey and in its hotels.”

Two years ago, Maaz was photographed next to his father, Ismail, when he was showing off a new luxury car on the streets of Gaza.

Maaz, one of Ismail Haniyeh’s 13 children, is not the only family member drawing scorn.


Ruthie Blum: The false prophets of an impending Israeli apocalypse
Within minutes of the swearing-in of Israel’s 37th government, the self-proclaimed “forces of light” who were defeated by it began a campaign to prove that the voters were already suffering from buyer’s remorse—and that the public was in for an Armageddon of Prime Minister Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu’s making.

As part of the effort, Channel 13 on Sunday broadcast a survey, conducted on its behalf by leading pollster Camil Fuchs, showing that if Knesset elections were held today, Bibi’s bloc would garner eight seats fewer than the 64 it gained at the ballot box on Nov. 1 . Leaving aside the consistent inaccuracy of Fuchs’s forecasts in the lead-up to that date, the local media’s inability to accept that the “most right-wing coalition in the country’s history” was neither a fluke nor a mark of Cain has been almost comical.

In the first place, the very commissioning of an electoral poll at such an early stage—some five minutes into the changing of the guard—was as ridiculous as it was transparent. Secondly, the only company that proved worth its salt was Direct Polls. Nevertheless, its research is still viewed as biased for two reasons.

One is that its CEO, Shlomo Filber, the former Communications Ministry director-general who turned state witness against Netanyahu in Case 4000 (the Bezeq-Walla affair), yet wound up giving evidence in support of the defense. The other is that it was hired by the politically conservative Channel 14 to present what would emerge as the best predictor of the results of the actual election.

Then there’s doom-and-gloom purveyor Yair Lapid, the opposition leader whose thankfully short premiership was nipped in the bud by his nemesis, Netanyahu. In a speech to parliamentarians in the plenum on Monday, he outdid himself in leftist hyperbole.

“In the 75 years of the State of Israel’s existence, there was never doubt about the question of whether it would be democratic. Now there is; more than doubt,” he bellowed, after presenting a picture of the abyss of nationalism and religious coercion into which the nation is supposedly sinking. “In the 21st century, democracies don’t fall; they are eroded, bit by bit, and then quickly and by a lot. We’re in the quickly-and-by-a-lot phase. The only thing that will stop this is resistance.”

Perhaps advised that his repeated incitement to civil insurrection may not be playing so well, he hurriedly added, “I’m not calling, of course, to break the law. But this doesn’t mean we have to obey, like automatons, a government that’s dismantling the foundations of our shared lives.”

While Lapid’s mantra is the inevitable death of Israel’s democracy at the hands of “fanatics,” now-former Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman—replaced in the role by (gasp!) Religious Zionism Party chairman Bezalel Smotrich—envisions their bringing about the demise of its raison d’être.


UN Watch: Israel criticized the most by UN in 2022
The United Nations General Assembly in New York concluded its yearly proceedings by adopting 15 resolutions condemning Israel. 13 resolutions were adopted on the rest of the world.

Dina Rovner, UN Watch's Legal Advisor, was interviewed on i24 News about Israel's demonization at the UN and discussed the UN's latest resolutions requesting that the International Court of Justice intervene and render an opinion on the state of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.


Netanyahu: We’re committed to status quo on Temple Mount
“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is committed to strictly maintaining the status quo, without changes, on the Temple Mount,” according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office on Tuesday.

The prime minister denied assertions that National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir‘s Tuesday morning visit to the holy site in Jerusalem’s Old City constituted a change in the understandings governing activities there.

“Under the status quo, ministers have gone up to the Temple Mount in recent years, including [then-]Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan; therefore, the claim that a change has been made in the status quo is without foundation,” noted Netanyahu.

“We will not be dictated to by Hamas,” the prime minister added, referring to threats of violence by the Gaza-based terror group, which had vowed to “ignite the region” if the minister visited Judaism’s holiest site.

Ben-Gvir’s visit to the Temple Mount was his first since assuming his post last week.

“The Temple Mount is the most important place for the people of Israel,” he said during his visit, adding, “We maintain the freedom of movement for Muslims and Christians, but Jews also go up to the site, and those who make threats must be dealt with with an iron fist.”

Ben-Gvir met on Monday night with Netanyahu, following which reports surfaced that the prospective Temple Mount visit would be delayed, if not nixed.

Netanyahu’s Likud Party denied that the prime minister had intervened or requested that Ben-Gvir postpone his visit.
Ben-Gvir visits Temple Mount: 'Israel will not give in to Hamas threats'
Israel's new government "will not give in to threats from Hamas," National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said as he arrived at the Temple Mount on Tuesday morning for his planned pilgrimage to the Jerusalem holy site.

"The Temple Mount is the most important place for the Jewish people," the minister said in a statement made following his visit to the religious site. "We [will] maintain freedom of movement for Muslims and Christians," Ben-Gvir stressed, adding that "Jews will climb the mountain."

"Those who make threats will be dealt with an iron fist," the minister further warned.

Opposition head and former prime minister Yair Lapid had previously warned that such a visit by Ben-Gvir would spark tensions in Jerusalem and the West Bank, saying that “as weak as Bibi is, he must this time stand up and tell [Ben-Gvir] not to visit the Temple Mount, since people will die,” Lapid said.

On Sunday, Ben-Gvir said he would visit the contentious site in the near future.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with Ben-Gvir on Monday to discuss Ben-Gvir's intention to visit the site. The Likud confirmed that, following consultations with security establishment officials, Netanyahu did not object to Ben-Gvir's pilgrimage.


Netanyahu’s UAE visit said postponed after Abu Dhabi slams Temple Mount visit
A visit by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the United Arab Emirates slated for next week has been postponed until February, Hebrew media reported Tuesday.

Reports of the postponement came shortly after the Gulf state condemned Israel over a Tuesday morning visit by new National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir to the Temple Mount holy site in Jerusalem.

Associates of Netanyahu denied any connection between the incidents, however, saying the visit had been postponed due to logistical considerations, according to the Ynet news site.

Netanyahu’s planned visit to Abu Dhabi, which his office confirmed on Monday, would be his first official visit to the Gulf state. In the years leading to the 2020 Abraham Accords, Netanyahu held several covert visits to the UAE as premier, but never a public one.

Netanyahu had tried to arrange a visit to Abu Dhabi in early 2021, but the visit was postponed several times and eventually canceled due to Jordan delaying the approval of his flight path over the Hashemite kingdom and proximity to Israeli elections.

In a recent interview with US journalist Bari Weiss for her “Common Sense” podcast, Netanyahu said his first official visit as premier after returning to power would be to the UAE.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, hours after Ben Gvir visited the flashpoint Temple Mount site, the UAE denounced his “storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque courtyard” and called for an end to “serious and provocative violations.”
Why are PA, Jordan so worried about what happens on Temple Mount? - analysis
The Palestinian Authority and Jordan were quick to condemn National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s 15-minute visit to al-Aqsa Mosque compound (the Temple Mount) on Tuesday morning.

Both the PA and Jordan seek to be known among the Arabs and Muslims as “defenders” of the Islamic holy sites in Jerusalem, including the Aqsa Mosque compound. So do other parties, such as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

According to the PA, Ben-Gvir’s visit was part of Israel’s policy to change the “historical status quo” at the site by allowing Jews to pray there on a regular basis.

The PA is convinced that Israel is working to divide the Temple Mount in time and space between Muslim and Jewish worshipers.

The PA believes that Israeli plans concerning al-Aqsa Mosque compound are within the context of a larger scheme to “Judaize” the site and the entire city of Jerusalem.

Although the PA has no official status at the site, it has been acting behind the scenes over the past few years to establish a foothold there.

The PA’s efforts intensified in the aftermath of recurring attempts by Hamas and Islamic Jihad to present themselves as the main “defenders” of Aqsa Mosque against alleged Jewish schemes and conspiracies.
PA accuses Israel of trying to build a new temple on Temple Mount
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh accused Israel of trying to turn the Al Aqsa Mosque on Temple Mount into the site of a new Jewish temple following Itamar Ben-Gvir's visit to the Jerusalem holy site on Tuesday morning.

Addressing his cabinet, Shtayyeh also called on Palestinians to "confront the raids into al-Aqsa Mosque" after Ben-Gvir toured the periphery of the mosque compound. However, Ben-Gvir did not approach the mosque itself.

Although Ben-Gvir had said on Sunday that he would visit the contentious site in the near future although at the time he did not confirm when this would take place.

Following his visit, it was confirmed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had spoken with Ben-Gvir on Monday to discuss his intention to visit the site. The Likud confirmed that, following consultations with security establishment officials, Netanyahu did not object to Ben-Gvir's pilgrimage.

This is Ben-Gvir's first trip to the Temple Mount since the November election.

The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Jordan also issued condemnations against the National Security Minister, with Saudi Arabia calling his visit "provocative."


What does Lula's presidency mean for Brazil's relationship with Israel?
Despite having pro Palestinian views and warm relations with Iran in the past, i24NEWS Senior Correspondent Bianca Zanini says she does not expect for relations with Israel to crumble with Lula back in power


In rare move, IDF to list former intel officer who died in jail as fallen soldier
The Israel Defense Forces on Monday said it was recognizing as a fallen soldier a Military Intelligence officer who died under mysterious circumstances while in jail facing security charges, though he was longer enlisted at the time of his death in 2021.

The officer — known as Senior Academic Officer “Tav,” the first initial of his Hebrew name and his rank (the equivalent of captain) — was jailed under accusations of grave security offenses.

He was found dead in his cell in May 2021, but there was no clear sign of the cause of his death. An autopsy in Israel, as well as a blood test at a specialized forensic laboratory in the United States, were inconclusive. A lengthy police review of the military’s first probe later determined that he was not killed by “a deliberate act” committed by another person.

A new external probe was launched in November into the incidents surrounding the mysterious death, and to potentially recognize him as a fallen soldier, as his family has urged. Tav did not receive a military burial, as he was released from service while under arrest.

The panel, headed by Maj. Gen. (res.) Nitzan Alon, the former head of IDF Operations, recommended that, even though Tav’s military service ended several months before he died and that he had “committed serious acts,” he should be recognized as if he had been enlisted until his death.

“The panel gave great weight to the fact that the officer died in a military prison and was under military custody, and in fact, from the day of his enlistment until his death, he was in a military setting. In accord with the fact that this is a unique and unusual case, the committee believed that there is room for compassionate considerations, and giving weight to his family’s request regarding his memorialization,” the IDF said.

Military chief Aviv Kohavi said he accepted the panel’s recommendation, and Tav would be recognized as a fallen soldier.
44 IDF soldiers fell in 2022, mostly not in action
Forty-four soldiers died in 2022, most of them not in combat situations, the IDF reported Tuesday.

Three of the soldiers fell in action, while 17 lost their lives in accidents, 14 died in suspected suicides, and 10 succumbed to illnesses.

The figure marks an increase of 13 deaths, compared with 2021. Two more soldiers were killed in action than in 2021, but four fewer were seriously wounded in action.

There was also an increase in soldiers killed in training accidents, aviation accidents, operational accidents and drowning incidents, compared with 2021.

Four fewer soldiers were killed in traffic accidents, compared with 2021, but 20 more were seriously injured. The funeral of Major Bar Falah at the military cemetery in Netanya on September 14, 2022. (credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI/FLASH90) The funeral of Major Bar Falah at the military cemetery in Netanya on September 14, 2022. (credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI/FLASH90) Number of suicides in the IDF increased for second year in 2022

Three more soldiers committed suicide than in 2021, and three more were hospitalized in serious condition in suicide attempts. It was the second year in a row which there was an increase in suicides in the IDF.

The IDF has restricted access to firearms, increased the number of mental-health officers, mental-health visits, training for officers about mental-health issues and its focus on at-risk populations, among other steps, the report said.

Four more soldiers died due to illness than in 2021. Sixty-two more soldiers were in serious condition due to illness, compared with 2021, although the data comes in light of a decision by the Medical Corps to recognize anyone hospitalized in an ICU as in serious condition.

Cpl. Baruch Kabrata, 19, from Petah Tikva was killed in an incident of suspected gun negligence Monday night at the Anatot army base.
IDF soldier killed by accidental discharge at base in Israel
An Israeli soldier was killed at a military base in central Israel on Monday night by an accidental discharge, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

The soldier was identified as Cpl. Baruch Kabarta, 19, from Petah Tikvah. He served in the Military Police’s Erez Battalion, in the same company as Sgt. Noa Lazar, who was shot dead in a Palestinian terrorist attack in October.

Kabarta’s family has been notified, and Military Police have launched an investigation into the incident, the IDF said in a statement.

The findings will be transferred to the Military Advocate General’s Corps.


Israeli Army Maps For Demolition Homes of Jerusalem Bomber
Israeli forces overnight mapped for demolition the homes of the terrorist who carried out November’s double bombing attack in Jerusalem that killed two and wounded at least 22 others.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement that the homes of Eslam Froukh in Ramallah and Kafr ‘Aqab were examined for possible destruction. The Shin Bet domestic intelligence service and Israel Police last month announced that the 26-year-old Israeli Arab was arrested in November. The mechanical engineer is affiliated with the Islamic State group.

During Monday night’s operation, IDF troops encountered violent rioters who threw stones and Molotov cocktails at them before they deployed disbursement measures. No casualties to Israeli forces were reported.

The Jerusalem attacks on November 23 left two Israelis dead – Arye Schepoek, 16, and Tadasa Tashume Ben Ma’ada, 50.
Israeli military clarifies rules of engagement
i24NEWS Correspondent Matthias Inbar has the latest on the clarification of the guidelines from the IDF's Central Command


The Israel Guys: Israeli Air Force STRIKES Military Targets Near Damascus
Israel’s new government was sworn in on Thursday, meaning that all the new ministers are taking over their respective ministries.

Itamar Ben Gvir has declared that he will ascend the Temple Mount during his first week in office, which would make him the first sitting Israeli Minister to visit the Holy site in 5 years.

Is it true that Israel launched airstrikes at targets near Damascus last night?

Why is the US State Department quick to condemn Israel for statements made by her government officials but remains silent when the PA leadership openly praises terrorism.




PMW: PA campaign: 40,000 students’ letters to honor terrorist murderer upon his release after 40 years in prison
PMW: As long as terrorist murderers are the PA’s superheroes, Israel has no peace partner and there will be no peace. Inasmuch, as the PA is educating its children to see terrorist murderers as their personal superheroes Israel will have no one to talk to and there will be no possibility of peace for at least another generation.

The Palestinian Authority preparations for the upcoming release of terrorist murderer Karim Younes from Israeli prison on January 5th expose several fundamental aspects of PA ideology. The Ministry of Education is coordinating the writing of 40,000 letters from students, corresponding to the 40 years he was in prison, to welcome the terrorist the day he is released from prison.

For the PA, Karim Younes is no ordinary terrorist. For the PA, Younes is a symbol of everything the PA is trying to promote and a means to recruit the Arabs youth behind an integrated narrative. For this reason January 5th, 2023, will be a day of great celebrations for the Arabs Palestinian leadership.

Who is Karim Younes and why does the PA hold him in such high regard?

Karim Younes was born in 1957 in the Israeli-Arab city of Ara and holds Israeli citizenship. On Nov. 26, 1980, Karim Younes and his cousin Maher Younes, acting on the instructions of another relative, Sami Younes, attacked and murdered Israeli soldier Avraham Bromberg who was going home on leave.

The three terrorists Karim Younes, Maher Younes, and Sami Younes were arrested in January 1983, tried and convicted for murder, and sentenced to death. On appeal, their sentences were reduced to life in prison.

In 2011, Sami Younes was released from prison as part of the deal to free Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who had been held captive by Hamas since 2006.

In 2012, Israeli President Shimon Peres decided to commute the sentences of Karim Younes and Maher Younes to 40 years in prison each, apparently as a goodwill gesture to the PA.

Karim Younes is the Palestinian terrorist who has spent the most consecutive time in Israeli prison.


Palestinian students praise terrorist murderer as “role model” and “shining star”
Palestinian students praise terrorist murderer as “role model” and “shining star” in PA Ministry of Education campaign

Students’ voices: “For us, Allah willing [soon to be] released prisoner [Karim Younes] (i.e., terrorist, murdered 1) is a role model of firmness, defiance, and achieving freedom. [He is] the hero of the cause, the most veteran prisoner of Ribat (i.e., religious conflict), a shining star in the occupation’s prisons. I send you my greetings, our heroic prisoners, full of the spirit of the great Martyrs, the sunset, and the height of darkness. Karim Younes, we are with you, the entire Palestinian people is with you.” [PA Ministry of Education, Facebook page, Dec. 15, 2022]

This was part of a campaign by the PA Ministry of Education on the occasion of the upcoming release of terrorist murderer Karim Younes scheduled for Jan. 5, 2023. The ministry had Palestinian students write 40,000 letters of praise to the murderer.

Karim Younes - Israeli Arab terrorist who kidnapped and murdered Israeli soldier Avraham Bromberg in 1980 together with his cousin Maher Younes. Younes was originally sentenced to life in prison, but Israeli President Shimon Peres reduced his sentence in 2012. Younes is serving a 40-year sentence. In May 2017 Younes was appointed by PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas to the Fatah Central Committee.


PA Ministry of Education Spokesman on students and teachers honoring terrorist murderer Karim Younes
PA Ministry of Education Spokesman on students and teachers honoring terrorist murderer Karim Younes with 40.000 letters

Official PA TV host: Tell us the details of the campaign of 40,000 letters to prisoner leader Karim Younes (i.e., terrorist, murdered 1 together with an accomplice).”

PA Ministry of Education Spokesman Sadeq Al-Khadour: “On Palestinian Teacher’s Day in particular, being as it symbolizes loyalty, we [in the Ministry of Education] are launching a special campaign in cooperation with the Prisoners’ Club to write letters and [draw] drawings for a leader and prisoner who will be released… Letters will be [written] until reaching 40,000 letters, which will be given to prisoner Karim Younes immediately upon his release. We in the Ministry of Education are proud that our Palestinian teachers… are continuing with values and lead the students to peaks… Karim Younes deserves all of this loyalty."
[Official PA TV, Palestine This Morning, Dec. 14, 2022]

The campaign by the PA Ministry of Education was launched on the occasion of the upcoming release of terrorist murderer Karim Younes scheduled for Jan. 5, 2023. The ministry had Palestinian students write 40,000 letters of praise to the murderer.

Karim Younes - Israeli Arab terrorist who kidnapped and murdered Israeli soldier Avraham Bromberg in 1980 together with his cousin Maher Younes. Younes was originally sentenced to life in prison, but Israeli President Shimon Peres reduced his sentence in 2012. Younes is serving a 40-year sentence. In May 2017 Younes was appointed by PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas to the Fatah Central Committee.




PreOccupiedTerritory: Mooning Shrine Not Enough; Palestinian Also Reverently Throws Chair In Al Aqsa (satire)
A local worshiper has taken the next logical step in his behavior toward sites sacred to his faith, observers reported today, moving beyond pointing his backside toward what his tradition claims as its third-holiest location to include the chucking of furniture around the interior of a mosque atop the holy plateau.

Mashteen Beqqir, 25, featured in a short video clip making the rounds on social media last Sunday in which he hurled a folding chair within Al-Aqsa Mosque. Mr. Beqqir’s unique devotional ritual and display of awed decorum took place between Islamic prayer services at the site, which Muslims call the Haram al-Sharif (“the Noble Sanctuary) and Jews revere as the Temple Mount, the site of two ancient temples and still the faith’s holiest place where observant Jews tread carefully. Five times daily, Muslims gather in Al-Aqsa at the compound’s southern end, and, when attendance swells, throughout the Mount, to pray toward Mecca in present-day Saudi Arabia. The prostrations during the prayers cause the south-facing worshipers to point their derrières northward toward the site of the Dome of the Rock, which marks the site of both Jewish temples and which houses the rock that Islamic legend identifies as a spot that Muhammad visited during a miraculous night journey and which granted the location its sanctity in Islam. For a brief period, Islamic devotional rites there had worshipers facing the site of the rock, until later sensibilities emphasized the primacy of Mecca and prompted a pointed rejection of the Jewish site as central. Beqqir, however, evidently finds the backside-pointing an insufficient demonstration of reverence for the site of Muhammad’s epic feat, and has settled on the throwing of the chair as the proper way to show the requisite additional devotion.
Amid Protests In Jordan That Include Calls Against The King And Support For Prince Hamzah, Journalists And Former Ministers Warn: The Sense Of Resentment Is Unprecedented; The Authorities Must Adopt A New Approach
In early December 2022, a wave of protests broke out in Jordan, following a government decision to raise the price of fuel, which aggravated the already serious economic crisis in the country. The protests took the form of demonstrations, a truck drivers' strike, general strikes and riots, especially in the southern parts of the country.[1] This protest wave differed from previous ones[2] by crossing an important line: on December 15, during riots in the city of Ma'an in southern Jordan, shots were fired at the security forces, killing the district's deputy police chief, 'Abd Al-Razzaq Al-Dalabih.[3] Several days later, on December 19, three more police officers were killed while arresting suspects in Al-Dalabih's shooting. The suspects, one of whom was also killed during the raid, were caught with extensive weapons and ammunition. The regime referred to them as "a takfiri[4] terrorist cell,"[5] although their militancy was probably motivated by the economic crisis.

Alongside criticism against the government for the rise in prices, the protests also included criticism against King 'Abdullah himself, and claims that he was responsible for the severe crisis in the country. Although criticism of the king and calls to limit his powers were heard in previous protest waves as well, they are still regarded as the breaking of a taboo and the crossing of a red line, and may therefore indicate a real threat to the stability of his regime. Another significant development in the current wave of protests is that the criticism against him was accompanied by suggestions for an alternative ruler: his half-brother Prince Hamzah, who has been under house arrest since being accused of an attempted coup against the king in April 2021.[6] Expressions of support for Hamzah were heard in protests across the country and also on social media, with some presenting him as an alternative to the king, as stated, and calling on him to intervene in the Jordanian crisis.

Like in some of the previous protest waves, a conspicuous feature of the current one is that the criticism is being voiced, inter alia, by the Jordanian tribes, which have always been considered the main support base of the Hashemite regime. In recent years there has been a growing sense of resentment and frustration among the tribes, in light of their exclusion from the country's power centers and due to shifts in Jordan's social makeup. Jordanian officials visiting one of the mourning tents for the police officers killed in the riots were met with angry statements by local sheikhs complaining about the dire economic situation and the regime's conduct.[7]

At the same time, it is notable that the Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood has so far refrained from joining the protests or fanning them, and has sufficed with urging the regime to heed the citizens' suffering and address the economic crisis.

Another prominent expression of the dissatisfaction in the country and the king's deteriorating position is a letter sent by Jordanian MP Muhammad 'Inad Al-Fayez, Jordan's former intelligence minister, to Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, urging him to suspend the economic aid to Jordan, since it ends up only "in the pockets of the corrupt gang of decision-makers" and is not used to help the Jordanian citizens.[8]

The letter, posted on Al-Fayez's Facebook page, caused an uproar since it was perceived as a challenge to the regime and an expression of no-confidence in the king. Subsequently, presumably in response to the harsh criticism he incurred, Al-Fayez declared his loyalty to the king and announced his intention to resign from parliament.[9]
MEMRI: In Nighttime Exercise, Hizbullah Fighters Simulate Breaching Fence Along Israel-Lebanon Border
On January 1, 2023, Hizbullah's public relations department released a video of Hizbullah fighters performing a nighttime live-fire exercise in which they simulated infiltrating Israeli territory and ambushing Israeli forces. The fighters, equipped with night-vision goggles and high-quality combat gear, approached a large concrete wall resembling the security fence between Israel and Lebanon and shot a nearby security camera. They then detonated an explosive device alongside the wall, entered the hole, and fired RPGs, machine guns, and suppressed rifles and handguns at steel targets with a Star of David on them and at dummies wearing Israel Defense Forces uniforms. The video ends with the fighters standing on the beach and with a quote from the Quran in Arabic, Hebrew, and English that reads: "And leave the sea in stillness, for they are certainly an army bound to drown.”




Netanyahu: Israel will counter Iran nuclear deal openly, from a position of strength
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday vowed to thwart Iran’s nuclear ambitions, saying during the weekly Cabinet meeting that his new government was united in achieving that aim.

“We will work openly, from a position of strength, in the international arena against a return to the [2015] nuclear agreement, not only in talks with leaders behind closed doors but strongly and openly in the sphere of global opinion, which is now aware of the true dangers posed by Iran—the Iranian regime that is killing innocent citizens in and beyond Iran,” said Netanyahu.

“We will do everything to prevent the return to this bad agreement, which is leading to a nuclear Iran under international auspices. We will also take vigorous action to prevent the Iranian military entrenchment in Syria and elsewhere and we will not wait,” he added.

Netanyahu also vowed to restore public security for Jews and Arabs alike, as well as take steps to reduce the skyrocketing cost of living.

“We are united in expanding the circle of peace, which I am certain also unites every Israeli citizen,” Netanyahu continued. “After achieving four historic peace agreements in four months [as part of the Trump administration-brokered Abraham Accords], we are also determined to deepen the existing peace agreements with six Arab countries and add to them historic breakthroughs with additional Arab countries in the region.”

Israel has over the past two-plus years forged ties with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco under the auspices of the Abraham Accords, in addition to having made peace with Jordan and Egypt in 1994 and 1979, respectively.
Iran marks third year since US assassination of Soleimani
The Islamic Republic of Iran on Tuesday marked three years since the United States drone strike that killed the commander of its overseas shadow unit, Lt. Gen. Qassem Soleimani.

The late Quds Force commander, who was killed in a vehicle leaving Baghdad Airport, was close to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei and played a strategic role in Iran’s entrenchment efforts throughout the Middle East. Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, an Iraqi paramilitary commander backed by Tehran, was also killed in the 2020 strike in Baghdad.

Soleimani has been replaced by his deputy, Brig. Gen. Esmail Qaani, who has attempted to continue to implement his strategy of arming Tehran-backed terror proxies and using them to spread Iranian influence.

“We will continue the path of Soleimani. We will remove the U.S. from the region in several steps. The supreme leader backs this. God has promised to revenge Soleimani’s assassination. There will be definitely some actions,” Qaani said, according to a report by i24.

Iran retaliated two days later by firing 12 ballistic missiles at Ain al Asad Air Base in Iraq’s Anbar Province, which housed U.S. troops, wounding at least 110 service members in the largest ballistic missile attack ever against American forces.

The IRGC has vowed that it will continue to seek vengeance for the death of the Revolutionary Guard general.
Iran marks 3 years since death of Iran's Guards Corps commander Qasem Soleimani
Soleimani was killed by the U.S. strike near Baghdad Airport in 2020.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah is expected to make a speech to mark the date.




Exclusive: US likely to ratchet up pressure on Iran in wake of talks' failure
The Biden administration is poised to ratchet up the pressure on Iran under the working assumption that the talks to restore the nuclear deal are no longer of any viability, Israel Hayom has exclusively learned following a conversation between US Secretary of State Atony Blinken and Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen.

During the conversation, during which Blinken congratulated his newly minted counterpart, the former confirmed President Joe Biden's assessment that the 2015 pact with Iran could not be revived, echoing Biden's leaked remarks from November in which he told activists that the "deal is dead."

Blinken added that the administration was likely to seek the EU to join the effort to up the sanctions on Iran. Cohen welcomed this and reiterated Israel's view that the pressure on Iran should be increased and that the US should not re-enter the accord, from which President Donald Trump withdrew in 2018. Although Iran stayed in the deal, as have other participants, it has all but ceased to exist and Iran has breached many of its provisions, reaching ever-closer to the necessary amount of highly enriched uranium for a bomb.

The secretary also reiterated the Biden administration's commitment to the two-state solution, although there was no agreement on this matter with Cohen. Blinken and Cohen discussed various issues without going into detail, and the US chief diplomat did not mention settlement construction in Judea and Samaria. They also discussed the Abraham Accords and the potential addition of another state that currently doesn't have relations with Israel to the peace pact, which has so far included four Arab nations. The two agreed that the Negev Forum of the Abraham Accords' foreign ministers should reconvene in Morocco in March.

The two, who conversed for about 40 minutes, agreed that it was doubtful Saudi Arabia would join the forum at this point, and therefore the focus would be on having African states with no official ties to Israel join the Morocco meeting. The conversation lasted for 40 minutes, and the two agreed to meet in the near future.

Blinken will likely visit Israel toward the end of January. On Twitter, Blinken said he "Congratulated FM @elicoh1 on his appointment. Based on our strong commitment to Israel's security and long-held values, together we can advance shared interests and confront mutual challenges. We strongly support a two-state solution and oppose anything endangering its viability."
U.S. says it will ramp up pressure on Iran
In their first phone call, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Israel's new Foreign Minister Eli Cohen that Washington doesn't plan to resume nuclear talks with Iran and will step up 'pressure' on Tehran.

Ariel Kahana, diplomatic correspondent with Israel Hayom, shares his insights on the issue with i24NEWS and gives his view on how the new minister is planning to expand the Abraham Accords and build diplomatic ties with Russia amid the Ukraine war.


UK media: Iran’s Revolutionary Guard to be named terror organization ‘within weeks’
The United Kingdom is expected to officially designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization, following several alleged plots to kidnap or murder UK citizens, according to a Monday report.

The case against the IRGC in the UK has been in the works since last year, following 10 attempts to target people on British soil, the Telegraph said.

The placement of the group on the UK’s terror list will be officially announced within weeks, the report stated, citing political and security sources.

The move would effectively ban the IRGC in the UK, meaning that attending the group’s meetings or carrying its flag and logo in public would be a criminal offense. The Telegraph noted that shows of support for the IRGC on UK streets have become more common in recent years.

The report said the UK’s Security Minister Tom Tugendhat and Home Secretary Suella Braverman both support the move.

In November, MI5 Director General Ken McCallum said in a public speech that “Iran projects threat to the UK directly, through its aggressive intelligence services. At its sharpest, this includes ambitions to kidnap or even kill British or UK-based individuals perceived as enemies of the regime.

“We have seen at least 10 such potential threats since January [2022] alone,” he added.


Iranian chess player was warned not to return to Iran after competing without hijab
An Iranian chess player arrived in Spain on Tuesday after receiving what a source close to her said were warnings not to return to Iran for competing without a hijab at an international tournament in Kazakhstan.

Sara Khadem, born in 1997, took part in last week's FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships in Almaty without the hijab - a headscarf mandatory under Iran's strict dress codes.

The source, who did not want to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter, said Khadem subsequently received multiple phone calls in which individuals warned her against returning home after the tournament, while others said she should come back, promising to "solve her problem."

The source also said Khadem's relatives and parents, who are in Iran, had also received threats, without giving further details.

Iran's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the case.

Khadem, who is also known as Sarasadat Khademalsharieh, arrived in Spain on Tuesday, the source said.




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