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Monday, April 03, 2023

04/03 Links Pt1: The tactical alliance that made Europe a terror paradise; King Abdullah: ‘Duty of every Muslim to deter Israeli escalations’ against holy sites

From Ian:

The tactical alliance that made Europe a terror paradise
Pakistan is not just a safe haven for terrorist groups, it also manages to outsource its most selling product: terrorism. The Pakistanis have a wide network of people across Europe, including labor migrants and organizations helping fund their activity.

In February 2022, Spain arrested five Pakistanis who were affiliated with the radical right-wing party TLP in Pakistan for allegedly helping the 2015 attack on the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine in Paris. That party has many supporters in Spain, France, Italy, and Greece. Europe, in effect, had become a Pakistani terrorist paradise.

Several months after the horrific attack on the Chabad House in Mumbai in 2008, two Pakistani suspects were arrested in Italy for allegedly providing logistical support to the perpetrators. In October 2021, a man in Cyprus of Pakistani origin was arrested over allegedly plotting to assassinate two Israeli businessmen. In the most recent plot in Greece, both suspects arrived illegally from Turkey and are not Greek citizens, but it is important to understand that the massive immigration to Europe helped proliferate such cells across the continent.

Iran has good ties with Pakistan's spy agencies. Although the conventional wisdom is that the two countries are rivals because of their diverging Islamic character, the two have managed to maintain productive collaboration when it comes to fighting the insurgents in Balochistan. This was also evident in the case of the Indian citizen Kulbhushan Jadhav, who was sentenced to death in Pakistan over espionage.

Pakistan and Iran are close on a whole host of issues, including Kashmir. Pakistani-sponsored terrorist groups see Israel as their ultimate enemy despite the lack of direct hostilities. This tactical alliance between Tehran and Islamabad against Israel and the Jews is a very reasonable outcome. My familiarity with the Iranian conduct suggests that Tehran wants Jewish blood to be shed, and is willing to collude with any organization that is willing to help, even if the perpetrators are amateurs.


The Case for Designating Samidoun a Terror Organization in Europe
Founded in 2012, Samidoun serves as an affiliate for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), which has been designated as a terror group by the EU, as well as the United States, Canada, Israel and others.

Samidoun claims to be “an international network of organizers and activists working to build solidarity with Palestinian prisoners in their struggle for freedom.” They operate globally, with a strong presence in Europe and headquarters in Brussels. The reality however is that Samidoun, and key Samidoun leaders, serve as an inseparable arm of the PFLP and are inextricably tied to the regime of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

In 2021, the Israeli government designated Samidoun a terrorist organization, on the basis of overwhelming and compelling evidence of the group’s connection to PFLP. A 2022 Berlin Appellate court decision reaffirmed the link between Samidoun leader Khaled Barakat and PFLP, a connection he has not denied.

The key question is for how much longer will the European Union keep turning its back and allow Samidoun to continue operating unabated, while Iran further spreads its tentacles of terror in Europe?

The following report and research by the ILF makes the case for the European Union to take immediate steps to designate Samidoun and key Samidoun leaders to the EU Terror List.


Imam Chalghoumi - Samidoun's propaganda is poisoning our youth

Germany's Leftist Government Refuses to Confront Islamism
Germany's parliament has rejected two legislative proposals aimed at clamping down on political Islam in Germany. The sponsors of the proposed bills argued that Islamism is subversive and must be opposed because it poses a growing threat to liberal democracy and social cohesion. Lawmakers representing Germany's left-wing coalition government countered that measures to curb Islamism would unfairly single out Muslims.

The legislative setback comes just six months after Germany's government dissolved a high-profile expert working group on political Islam — opting instead to fight "Islamophobia."

A number of German analysts (who preferred to remain anonymous) told FWI that the government's refusal to confront Islamism stems from its obsession with woke ideology, which posits that Muslims are an oppressed group and need protection. They asserted that this stance and the policies that result from it represent a security threat not just for Germany but also for the rest of Europe.

Germany's violent and non-violent Islamism problem is colossal. In its latest annual report, Germany's domestic intelligence agency (Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz, BfV) estimated that the country is home to at least 30,000 hardcore Islamists, although the actual number probably is much higher.

The BfV report listed more than 20 Islamist groups active in Germany including: al-Qaeda, al-Shabaab, Hamas, Hezbollah, Hizb-ut-Tahrir, Islamic State, Milli Görüs, the Muslim Brotherhood, Tablighi Jamaat, and the Taliban. The groups have ties to — and are believed to receive funding from — governments and Islamist organizations in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
Lebanese-Canadian Academic on Trial in France for 1980 Synagogue Bombing
The trial of a Canadian academic accused of involvement in the 1980 bombing of a synagogue in Paris that killed four people and injured more than 40 began in a French court on Monday.

The Lebanese-born academic, 69-year-old Hassan Diab, is being tried in absentia after French authorities declined to issue an international arrest warrant for him, leaving him free to decide whether to attend the proceedings.

Diab was first accused of involvement in the bombing by French intelligence agencies in 1999. Several years of legal wrangling resulted in Diab’s arrest in 2008 and his extradition from Canada to France in 2014. Four years later, Diab was released and returned to Canada after French prosecutors concluded there was not enough evidence against him for a trial. In 2021, the charges were reinstated following an appeal.

France’s case rested on the claim that a man who checked into a Paris hotel before the bombing using a Cypriot passport was in fact Diab. Eyewitness evidence and analysis of handwriting samples led the French authorities to conclude that the individual in question was Diab, despite the sociology professor’s insistence that he had been in Lebanon at the time. France alleged that Diab was a member of the special operations branch of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), which was believed to be responsible for the attack.

The Ontario judge who approved Diab’s extradition in 2014 had rejected most of the evidence against Diab was unreliable, but said as well that the low threshold of Canadian extradition law – that a requesting state’s summary of its evidence is presumed to be reliable, unless shown otherwis — meant that the French request could not be denied, the Globe and Mail reported. Commenting on the handwriting evidence specifically, Judge Robert Maranger argued that while it was not “manifestly unreliable,” it was “convoluted, very confusing, with conclusions that are suspect.”


Call Me Back Podcast: “Silver Linings” in Israel’s crisis? with Yaakov Katz
Yaakov Katz – Editor-in-Chief of The Jerusalem Post and a former advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett – returns to our podcast.

Earlier, Yaakov Katz served as The Jerusalem Post’s military reporter and defense analyst. He is the author of “Shadow Strike: Inside Israel’s Secret Mission to Eliminate Syrian Nuclear Power” and co-author of two books: “Weapon Wizards – How Israel Became a High-Tech Military Superpower” and “Israel vs. Iran – The Shadow War”
Israel’s attorney general: Netanyahu not in contempt of court
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was not in contempt of court when he allegedly violated a conflict of interest arrangement, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara said on Monday.

Baharav-Miara said that while she believes the prime minister violated the law, the conditions for holding him in contempt of court had not been met.

“From a legal standpoint, a contempt claim must fulfill certain conditions that were not met in the current situation,” wrote Baharav-Miara. “The position of the attorney general does not change the prime minister’s obligation to abide by the law and avoid a conflict of interest,” she added.

The Jerusalem-based Movement for Quality Government in Israel filed a petition with the Supreme Court last week demanding that it punish Netanyahu with prison time or fines for a March 23 televised address in which he said he would no longer stand on the sidelines of judicial reform under a “gag order” imposed upon him by the attorney general.

A 2020 conflict of interest agreement prevents Netanyahu from making senior judicial appointments that could influence the outcome of his ongoing criminal trial.
Netanyahu says he's keeping Gallant, a week after sacking him
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has backed down and will keep Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in his post for the foreseeable future due to security concerns.

Gallant, who was sacked last Sunday, sparked major protests across Israel as protesters took to the streets to oppose Netanyahu's actions.

But Netanyahu failed to make the sacking official and has now undone his actions, to leave Gallant in his job.

The night before he was sacked, Gallant drew Netanyahu’s fury by calling a televised address in which he made a plea to the government to halt their judicial reform program. His call came as Israeli reservist protesters threatened to compromise Israel's defence capacity.

According to JNS, a source close to Netanyahu said on Monday that “due to the current security situation, the prime minister will address the matter of the defense minister at a later time.”

After Netanyahu paused the reforms to “provide a real opportunity for real dialogue,” Shas Party leader Aryeh Deri and other coalition lawmakers began urging the premier to reverse the sacking.
Six arrested for assaulting Kohelet staff in Jerusalem
Six women were arrested on Sunday after entering the Jerusalem offices of the Kohelet Policy Forum, and verbally and physically assaulting employees.

The six trespassers were from the “Wall Breakers” organization affiliated with the mass demonstrations that have aggressively opposed the government’s efforts to remake the legal branch.

According to reports, they threatened workers at the conservative think tank that is considered the brains behind the legislative proposals being pushed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition in the Knesset. Police were called, and the six women were taken in for questioning at the Moriah police station.

One of the Kohelet employees wrote on her Twitter account that “a woman attacked me today at my workplace. She cursed and shouted and ran towards me quickly and tried to hit me. Another called my friend a ‘violent Ashkenazi’ because my friend refused to be humiliated next to her. This must not happen in a democracy. This must not happen, not happen at all. The incitement against the Kohelet Forum is dangerous—don’t ignore it, the writing is on the wall here.”

“Today, incited protesters broke into the offices of the Kohelet Forum and attacked its employees. For many minutes, they went on a rampage inside the offices, pushing and attacking the employees,” the public policy think tank said in a statement.
State Department-funded Group Tries to Silence Netanyahu over Judicial Reform
Israel’s Movement for Quality Government (MQG), which received funding from the U.S. State Department, is trying to stop Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from speaking about his own government’s judicial reforms.

As Breitbart News has reported, the MQG has supported recent protests against Netanyahu and his judicial reforms, many of which parallel existing practice in the U.S. The State Department admitted last week that it provided some funding to the group, including under the Trump administration, for education programs, but denied that the U.S. was involved in “propping up or supporting these protests or the initiators of them.”

The MQG is the plaintiff in a complaint to Israel’s Supreme Court, asking it to find Netanyahu in contempt of court for allegedly violating an agreement that he not engage in topics that would post conflicts of interest while he is being prosecuted. Netanyahu faces corruption charges that critics have described as flimsy and politically motivated; the case has run into problems, including allegations that police hacked private phones unlawfully.


PodCast: Ernst: Riyadh an ‘incredibly important partner’ on security and economy
Having served 23 years in the United States Army — during which time she spent a year on the front lines in Kuwait as a commanding officer during the Iraq War — Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) became the first-ever Republican female combat veteran elected to federal office when she assumed Iowa’s open Senate seat in 2015. Ernst is also the first woman to hold an Iowa congressional seat in either chamber.

On this week’s episode of Jewish Insider’s podcast, Ernst, who is a co-founder of the bipartisan Senate Abraham Accords Caucus, joined co-hosts Rich Goldberg and Jarrod Bernstein for a conversation on Israel’s current political climate, U.S.-Middle Eastern relations, China, Iran and American foreign policy.

Below are excerpts from the conversation. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Rich Goldberg: What do you make of what’s going on in Israel?
Sen. Joni Ernst: Well, I simply believe that we shouldn’t be dictating to other countries what their judicial systems are, any more than we would want them dictating to us. So I really disagreed with President [Joe] Biden and the way he handled this… I think it’s important that we focus on our judiciary and other countries focus on theirs. And the thing to remember here is that Israel has a very robust democratic process, and that sometimes will include protests, it will sometimes include dissent, and we’re seeing that in Israel right now. But again, it’s not unlike our own system here in the United States.

Jarrod Bernstein: Senator, what do you think the protests and mass demonstrations in Israel signal to Israel’s enemies in the region, particularly Iran?
Ernst: Yeah, that is a little difficult. And again, I try to stay focused on the ways that we can be helpful as the United States, but certainly, what we want to see in Israel is that they can come together. I do think having protests and seeing those and how the government responds to those protests, whether it’s in Israel or whether it’s in the United States, that it does show the world that we have room for dissent. And that’s important to any democracy, it makes our own system that much more valid on the world stage. And so I think that’s really, really important, but you’re right in that it does cut a different direction, because you have those that are obligated to serve in their government, in particular in the military, and if they aren’t showing up for work that can signal very bad things to others in the region, and in particular probably Iran and how they are watching this unfold. So I think it’s really important that people are messaging that while we disagree on this issue, we remain bound together against Iran.
FBI Bought Spyware from Israeli Hi-Tech Blacklisted by Biden
The Israeli cyber intelligence firm NSO Group sold the FBI its powerful geolocation tool that tracks mobile phones around the world without the user’s knowledge, the NY Times reported Monday (A Front Company and a Fake Identity: How the U.S. Came to Use Spyware It Was Trying to Kill). The purchase was made five days after the Biden administration had placed NSO on a Commerce Department blacklist, declared it a national security threat, and warned American companies against doing business with it.

According to the Times, the secret contract that violated the Biden administration’s public policy is still active, under a contract that spells out that the “United States government” is the ultimate user of the tool, allowing it government to test, evaluate, and deploy the spyware against targets of its choice (in Mexico).

A White House official told the Times: “We are not aware of this contract, and any use of this product would be highly concerning.”

The Israeli-made weapons offer governments the power to conduct targeted, invasive surveillance that was never available in the past. The Mexican government used it to spy on journalists, and Saudi Arabia used the technology to hack into devices belonging to political dissidents. Most EU countries had contracts with NSO, according to the company: 14 countries did business with NSO in the past, and at least 12 are still using its Pegasus spyware for intercepting mobile calls.

NSO’s goods are just too useful to put down, never mind the US ban. Or as the Times put it: “Even as the Biden administration has showcased its efforts to drive NSO out of business, it was clear even before the revelation of the latest contract that some agencies have been drawn to the power of these cyberweapons.”
Family of Dizengoff attack victim donates organs to five people
The family of Or Eshkar, 32, who died on March 20 after being shot during a Palestinian terror attack in Tel Aviv on March 9, donated his organs to five people.

Eshkar was mortally wounded when a Hamas member opened fire outside a cafe in the city center, wounding his friends Rotem Mansano, 34, and Michael Osdon, 36, who were all on their way to a wedding.

Eshkar's heart was transplanted into a 65-year-old man. A 75-year-old man received his liver. A 52-year-old and a 59-year-old each received a kidney. And a liver lobe was transplanted into a one-year-old.
JCPA: Israel Escalated Attacks on Iranian and Hizbullah Targets in Syria
Israel increased air attacks on Iranian and Hizbullah targets in Syria to strike electronic components from Iran destined for Hizbullah's precision missile project, and as part of the Israeli response to the March 13, 2023, bomb attack at Megiddo Junction inside Israel.

Israel has accurate information about the arms shipments from Iran to Syria and attacks them as soon as they land in Syrian territory and before the Syrians transfer them to Lebanon.
DNA of Israeli Arab Killed in Jerusalem Found on Policeman’s Gun
The DNA of Muhammad al-Asibi, who was shot dead by police in Jerusalem’s Old City on Friday evening, was found on the gun he allegedly stole from an officer before firing at Israeli security forces, who then opened fire.

Some speculated that al-Asibi, a medical student from southern Israel, reacted to the rough treatment of a veiled Palestinian woman by Israeli guards and that it could not be determined whether he intended to carry out an armed assault. Israeli police said there wasn’t a woman involved.

In the absence of security camera footage showing the incident, Arab authorities and family members said al-Asibi was not a terrorist and never stole a weapon from the policeman. Israel’s police said “following a review by the Institute of Forensic Medicine, the DNA of the terrorist who carried out the shooting attack… was found on the police weapon, which the terrorist stole from the policeman and with which he shot at the policewoman.”

Police told i24NEWS that al-Asibi “had cut off his social media networks just before the incident and threw away his smartphone and bought a kosher phone.” Additionally, there is no video footage of the incident because, at the time, the Temple Mount was closed so surveillance cameras were only filming outside the holy compound.
Israeli forces nab two Palestinians in connection with Huwara attack
Israeli forces on Monday arrested two Palestinians in Nablus suspected of aiding the terrorist who wounded two soldiers in a drive-by shooting in the village of Huwara on March 25, the military said in a statement.

During the counterterrorism operation in the northern Samarian city, gunmen fired on Israeli forces, who returned fire. Two Palestinian gunmen were killed in the exchange, according to Israeli media reports.

The gunmen were identified by Palestinian media as Ezz Touqan and Nidal Tabanja.

Military equipment, a handgun and ammunition were also seized during the operation, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

Additionally, Israeli forces seized a vehicle used by the terrorist who carried out the Feb. 26 attack in Huwara in which two Israelis were killed.

No Israeli casualties were reported.


Army says aircraft downed by IDF in north this week likely an Iranian drone
Iran appears to have been behind the launch of a drone that was brought down over Israeli airspace this week, a military source said Monday.

The source gave the IDF’s preliminary conclusions a day after air force helicopters and fighter jets were scrambled to intercept the drone when it entered Israeli territory from Syria. There were no casualties in the incident, but it added to the already heightened tensions between the two arch-enemies.

Debris from the downed aircraft has been collected and is continuing to be examined, the source said. The craft was downed using “electronic warfare.”

The interception happened shortly after Iranian state media reported that an Iranian adviser who was wounded in an Israeli airstrike in Syria over the weekend had died of his wounds. That made him the second Iranian adviser allegedly killed by Israel in the airstrike.

A drone flying over the Gaza Strip was also shot down on Monday, the military said, adding that it had not represented a threat.

“The craft did not cross into Israeli airspace and did not represent a threat at any time,” the IDF said, without providing any further details.
IAF fighter jet downs drone flying over Gaza
An Israel Air Force fighter plane shot down a drone flying over the Gaza Strip on Monday, the military said, adding that it had not represented a threat.

The army said that the drone “was identified in the skies over Gaza and was monitored the entire time by the air force until it was shot down.

“The craft did not cross into Israeli airspace and did not represent a threat at any time,” the IDF said, without giving any further details.

This marks the second time in recent weeks that the IDF has downed a drone over Gaza. On March 22, Israel used an Iron Dome interceptor to bring down a similar craft.

The incident comes a day after Air Force combat helicopters and planes downed an unidentified aircraft that appeared to have crossed into Israeli airspace from Syria, which Hebrew media said was believed by the military to be of Iranian origin.

Around an hour after that incursion, Syrian media reported explosions at an airport near the capital Damascus, but did not blame Israel. Syrian state media generally is quick to attribute airstrikes in the country to Israel and has repeatedly done so in recent weeks.


Terror groups slam Palestinians who hosted iftar meal with IDF officers
Palestinian terror groups reacted with anger after footage emerged of prominent West Bank Palestinians hosting an iftar meal in recent days with several Israel Defense Force officers.

The festive meal, held to end the day-long fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, was hosted Saturday evening by leading businessmen near the southern West Bank city of Hebron.

Among those invited were several IDF officers from the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), the Defense Ministry body responsible for Palestinian civil affairs.

One of the participants posted a video to TikTok, showing the officers mingling with locals, including several people who are seen as close to the Palestinian Authority, with the caption “mutual benefits.”

The video sparked an outcry among Palestinians on social media and was quickly deleted.

It also drew condemnation from Palestinian terror groups, who condemned the participants for collaborating with Israel’s military rule.
King Abdullah: ‘Duty of every Muslim to deter Israeli escalations’ against holy sites
Jordan’s King Abdullah II on Sunday said that “it is the duty of every Muslim to deter Israeli escalations against Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem,” according to an official statement.

The monarch made the remarks at a meeting at Al Husseiniya Palace in Amman with Palestinian Authority head Mahmoud Abbas and Muslim and Christian leaders from Jerusalem.

Abdullah expressed solidarity with the delegations, saying, “We will always be with you and you will overcome all the challenges before you.”

While making no mention of Palestinian terrorist attacks that have plagued Israel’s capital in recent months, Abdullah instead took the opportunity to slam the Israeli government. He called on the international community to condemn “exclusionary and racist statements made recently by some Israeli officials,” apparently in reference to recent comments by Israeli Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich denying the existence of a Palestinian people.

Ruled by the Hashemite royal family since 1921, Jordan is home to a significant population that identifies as Palestinian. According to the United Nations, more than 2 million people registered as Palestinian refugees live in the country.


What the People of Gaza Really Think about Hamas
A collection of 25 interviews with residents of the Gaza Strip—produced as animations to protect the subjects—Whispered in Gaza attempts to portray the attitudes toward Hamas of those who actually live under its yoke. Unlike their compatriots occasionally interviewed by major media outlets, these Gazans had a chance to express themselves away from the ears of minders and without fear of reprisals. One interviewee spoke for many when he said of Hamas, “They exploit us under the pretext of resistance.” Joseph Braude, who played a leading role in the project, discusses its content and impact with Stacey Roman.




MEMRI: Lebanese Journalist: Iranian Drones, Deployed In Ukraine, Also Threaten Morocco; U.S. And Europe Bear Responsibility To Confront This Threat
On March 3, 2023, in his column in the London-based Emirati daily Al-Arab, Lebanese journalist Khairallah Khairallah wrote about the deployment of Iranian drones in various arenas of conflict. He especially noted the reports that the Polisario Front – a movement which is supported by Algeria and is acting to establish an independent state in the Western Sahara, in territory claimed by Morocco – now possesses such Iranian drones and uses them to threaten Morocco.

Khairallah stated that the extent of the danger posed by the Iranian regime's drones was exposed when Russia used them in the war in Ukraine, and prior to this when the Iran-backed Houthis used them to target Saudi Arabia. He added that Algeria has ties to the Iranian-Russian alliance, and that the threat now posed to Morocco by the Polsario's Iranian drones constitutes a critical test for the U.S. and Europe, which bear the responsibility to confront this threat.[1]

It should be noted that, in early October 2022, Polisario official 'Omar Mansour stated that his organization would "soon use drones as part of its war of attrition in the Western Sahara," without mentioning the source of the drones.[2] Furthermore, on October 27, 2022, Morocco's representative to the UN, Ambassador 'Omar Hilale, claimed that Iran and Hizbullah were arming the Polisario with advanced weapons, including Iranian drones, and presented photographs confirming his claim. Hilale accused Hizbullah and Iran of destabilizing the region and warned that the use of Iranian drones against Morocco by the Polisario would be met with a harsh and appropriate response.[3]

In fact, in May 2018 Morocco broke off diplomatic relations with Iran after accusing it and Hizbullah of attempting to undermine its security by providing military assistance to the Polisario. In a press conference, Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita stated that Iran had sent military aid to the Polisario via the Iranian embassy in Algeria, and that Hizbullah had trained Polisario operatives. He also contended that the ties between the Polisario and Hizbullah dated back to 2016. He revealed that Morocco had information that Iran and Hizbullah had supplied the Polisario with rockets, and that the collaboration between them also included excavating tunnels and trenches in the Sahara region.


FDD: Assad Will Return to Arab League Summit, Courtesy of Saudi Invite
Expert Analysis
“This is a victory for Russia and Iran, not just Assad. Moscow and Tehran are determined to show Assad will pay no price for his crimes, nor will anyone hold them accountable for participating in the atrocities. The Saudi position is deeply regrettable and affirms their lack of concern for human rights, but the far greater disappointment is that the Biden administration has been promoting normalization despite paying lip service to the cause of accountability for the Assad regime.” — David Adesnik, FDD Senior Fellow and Director of Research

“Normalizing Assad’s terror is not merely morally repugnant but will not serve the safety and security interests of those who welcome the war criminal into the Arab League. The administration should double down on enforcement of existing U.S. sanctions on the Assad regime and work with the EU and others to do the same. Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle have already begun to send a strong message to the administration and to those who would look the other way in the face of Assad’s war crimes that impunity will not be tolerated.” — Toby Dershowitz, FDD Senior Vice President for Government Relations and Strategy

Saudi Moves Follow UAE, Oman
For a decade, the only foreign capitals Assad visited were Moscow and Tehran. Then, last year, he paid a surprise visit to Abu Dhabi, reflecting the Emirati government’s quiet multi-year push for normalization. This year, Oman also welcomed Assad, after becoming the first Gulf Arab state to return its ambassador to Damascus in 2020. The Saudi invitation to Assad follows reports that the two states are in the process of restoring diplomatic relations. Shortly after that news broke, Damascus and Riyadh affirmed they were discussing the restoration of consular services.

In Congress, a Bipartisan Push for Biden to Stand Up for Human Rights
For more than a year, a bipartisan coalition in Congress has been warning President Biden that tolerating or promoting Assad’s normalization would damage American interests. On March 23, the top Democrats and Republicans on the foreign affairs committees in both the House and Senate objected to “the disappointingly slow pace of sanctions under the Caesar Act,” a human rights law that passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in late 2019. A year earlier, the same top lawmakers warned Biden to avoid “tacit approval of formal diplomatic engagement with the Syrian regime.”
Seth Frantzman: Egypt-Saudi ties grow stronger as leaders meet
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi expressed his happiness at meeting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in a surprise meeting that took place on Sunday night. They gathered for Ramadan in the wake of an important visit by the Syrian foreign minister to Egypt and rumors that Saudi Arabia may normalize relations with Syria.

Bilateral ties between Riyadh and Cairo were the key feature of the evening as the important leaders met. Egypt is supported by Saudi investment. The two leaders discussed "the common interests and aspirations of the two great peoples," reports said. El-Sisi arrived a few hours earlier, on Sunday night, in Jeddah and was received by the Crown Prince at the airport.

“During their meeting, Bin Salman welcomed El-Sisi in his second country, Saudi Arabia, while the later expressed appreciation for the warm welcome and generous hospitality accorded to him and the accompanying delegation,” Saudi state media said. “They discussed developments in the regional and international situation and the efforts exerted in addressing them, in addition to tackling all issues of common concern,” the Saudis said.

Saudi meetings with regional leaders being watched closely
These meetings are being watched closely in the region. They are of importance for Syria and Iran, as well as the UAE and the Gulf in general. Reports in the West have sought to portray Riyadh as potentially reducing investment in Egypt. However, it appears that Egypt-Saudi ties are as strong as ever. The meeting comes as the UAE has also said it is seeking to strengthen partnership with Somalia. Somalia is not directly connected to Egypt, but both countries are in the same general region of Africa and these reports represent the kind of investments that will be seen in North and East Africa by the Gulf states.
Iran Is Increasing Its Pressure on Israel
Iran has been increasing its pressure on Israel lately. This is demonstrated by its efforts to smuggle weapons into Syria and Lebanon; the attempt to harm Israelis and Jews in Athens; by direct and indirect aid to Palestinian terror organizations; and by increasing activity in the northern arena - with an emphasis on Hizbullah, which sent a terrorist from Lebanon to Israel to carry out an attack at Megiddo junction.

Israeli security officials think this activity results from Iran's assumption that Israel is preoccupied with internal problems in light of the crisis over judicial reform. However, this premise is incorrect: Israel's security apparatus continues to operate as before to thwart terror activity, and an external crisis will actually unite Israeli society.

If Israel did not retaliate for the Megiddo attack, this would likely be interpreted as weakness, which will invite more attempted terror attacks. Therefore, Israel wants to make clear to Hizbullah and Iran that they are playing with fire. Alleged Israeli strikes on Syria targeting Iranian weapons, infrastructure and operatives will likely convey this message.

Iran hastened to threaten Israel that it would take revenge for the killing of its operatives. This does not need to upset us; Iran is always trying to kill Israelis and Jews in every corner of the world, and Israel's latest attacks will not change anything in this regard.
Top UN Court Rejects Iranian Bid to Free Assets Frozen by U.S.
In a 10-5 majority ruling, the International Court of Justice on Thursday rejected Tehran's legal bid to free up $2 billion in Iranian central bank assets frozen by U.S. authorities to be paid in compensation to victims of a 1983 bombing in Lebanon and other attacks linked to Iran, saying it did not have jurisdiction to rule on the Iranian claim. Court vice-president Kirill Gevorgian said the majority "upholds the objection to jurisdiction raised by the United States of America relating to the claims of the Islamic Republic of Iran."

The court found that some other U.S. moves to seize assets of Iran and Iranians in the U.S. breached a 1955 treaty between the countries and said they should negotiate compensation. But it said the protections offered by the 1955 Treaty of Amity do not extend to central banks. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that money belonging to Iran's central bank could be used as compensation for the 241 American troops who died in the 1983 bombing, believed linked to Tehran.


PreOccupiedTerritory: Iranian Saboteurs Outed By Showing Up To Synagogue On Time (satire)
Congregants at a Jewish house of worship in this Long Island hamlet suspected something amiss this past Saturday morning when a group of attendees violated established custom by arriving exactly at the announced time for services, instead of sometime in the forty or fifty minutes afterwards, and several congregants alerted law enforcement in time to arrest the four men – who turned out to be agents of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps intent on attacking Jewish targets worldwide.

Three passers-by on the way to a different synagogue alerted Nassau County Police Department to the quartet of men arriving exactly on time to the “main minyan” services at the Young Israel of West Hempstead, which officially begin at 8:45 each Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath – in suspicious departure from the familiar Jewish routine of never coming on time to services. Police arrived within fifteen minutes to question and apprehended the men. Subsequent inquiries revealed that the four had been recruited by Iran’s chief terrorism arm and were scouting the synagogue for purposes of perpetrating either a bombing or shooting attack sometime next month.

“The vigilance of several citizens prevented a tragedy and heinous crime,” declared Police Department spokesman Lt. Tom Garcetti. “Our interrogations, investigation, and consultation with the FBI have determined that these men, two from Pakistan and two from Turkey, were operating on instructions from Tehran to target Jewish institutions and communities. We know from bitter experience in Argentina, Bulgaria, and elsewhere, that the IRGC and its proxies continuously try to harm Jews, with the pretext of opposing Israel. The West Hempstead Jewish community is a crucial part of this area’s unique human beauty and strength, and that, apparently, is what Iran saw as an inviting target.”




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