Thursday, April 20, 2023
Iron Dome Is Not Enough to Make Israel Safe
News of attacks against Israel and retaliatory airstrikes seem as common as the news of mass shootings in the U.S.41 Senators Back Joint U.S.-Israel Missile Defense Programs
Since the early 2000s, Israel - in close cooperation with the U.S. - has developed perhaps the most impressive counter-missile defense system in the world: Iron Dome.
Yet Iron Dome, like any defensive system, has its limits.
Unlike past flareups between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, the most recent attacks have come from Lebanon and Syria.
These areas are controlled by Hizbullah, whose 150,000 missiles represent a fundamentally different security challenge than that posed by Hamas.
This capacity enables Hizbullah to threaten Israel with a missile campaign that would rapidly overwhelm Iron Dome and necessitate prioritizing the protection of vital infrastructure at the expense of civilian exposure.
U.S. support for Israel's military readiness is critically important to ensure the protection of Israel from missile attacks and enable precise and decisive action in self-defense.
Supporting Israel's ability to defend itself from the threats from all sides should be a source of unity for Americans.
Forty-one senators from both parties have signed onto a letter, obtained by Jewish Insider, offering support for full funding — $500 million — for joint U.S.-Israel missile defense programs, including Iron Dome, David’s Sling and Arrow and counter-drone programs, in 2024.Over 100 rights groups lobby UN to not adopt IHRA antisemitism definition
The letter, sent last week to Sens. Jon Tester (D-MT) and Susan Collins (R-ME), the chair of the Senate Defense Appropriations subcommittee and the ranking member of the Appropriations Committee, is organized annually by Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Mike Rounds (R-SD).
The $500 million is guaranteed annually by the 2016 U.S.-Israel Memorandum of Understanding and was codified into law by Congress, but must be appropriated by Congress annually.
The letter — the text of which is identical to the one sent last year — highlights the critical role of joint missile-defense programs in defending Israel, as well as the importance of counter-drone programs to defending both Israel and U.S. service members from attacks by Iran and its proxies.
The communique was signed by 41 senators, three fewer than the 2022 letter, including 32 Democrats and nine Republicans. Signatories include Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Ted Budd (R-NC), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Bob Casey (D-PA), Chris Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), John Fetterman (D-PA), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), James Lankford (R-OK), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Rick Scott (R-FL), Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), Tina Smith (D-MN), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), John Thune (R-SD), J.D. Vance (R-OH), Mark Warner (D-VA) and Ron Wyden (D-OR).
A Gillibrand spokesperson told JI that there was a shorter turnaround time for lawmakers to sign onto the letter this year in light of tighter deadlines from the Appropriations Committee.
Sens. Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Steve Daines (R-MT), Todd Young (R-IN), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Deb Fischer (R-NE), who signed last year’s letter, did not join this year.
Over 100 human and civil rights organizations have signed a letter urging the United Nations not to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition of antisemitism, warning it could impact freedom of speech and curtail criticism of Israel, Human Rights Watch said Thursday.
Adoption of the IHRA definition has been a key demand by mainstream Jewish groups of governments and organizations around the world.
The letter was first sent to UN Secretary-General António Guterres on April 3 with 60 signatures and since then dozens more have added their names to it, HRW said in a statement, putting the current total at 104.
“We strongly urge the UN not to endorse the IHRA definition of antisemitism,” the letter read. “We look forward to assisting the UN’s efforts to combat antisemitism in a way that respects, protects and promotes human rights.”
It claims that the IHRA definition “has often been used to wrongly label criticism of Israel as antisemitic, and thus chill and sometimes suppress non-violent protest, activism and speech critical of Israel and/or Zionism, including in the US and Europe.”
While the letter urges governments and world leaders to combat antisemitism, it warns against action that may “inadvertently embolden or endorse policies and laws that undermine fundamental human rights, including the right to speak and organize in favor of Palestinian rights and to criticize Israeli government policies.”
It highlighted two examples of contemporary antisemitism that are attached to the IHRA definition as being problematic.
The first is “denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination; e.g. by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavour” and the second is “applying double standards by requiring of [Israel] a behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation.”
Human rights orgs like @hrwatch actively fighting to limit what counts as antisemitism is precisely why they are frequently accused of #antisemitism.
— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) April 20, 2023
Oh, and @OmarSShakir? You advocate for a movement that calls for the end of a Jewish State. Maybe sit this one out… https://t.co/4Lrm8NmGPC
UN Watch: Murderous Dictatorships Exposed at UN Human Rights Council
Russia, Pakistan, China, Iran and Cuba spoke at the United Nations Human Rights Council to reiterate their commitment to promoting and protecting human rights. UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer then took the floor to call out the murderous dictatorships and repressive regimes who told shameless lies.
Netanyahu says peace prospects with Saudis not dented by Iran rapprochement
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shrugged off concerns over the diplomatic thaw between arch-nemesis Iran and hoped-for-ally Saudi Arabia, telling US media Wednesday that Riyadh has no illusions about whom it can trust.
In a wide-ranging interview with CNBC, the latest in a string of appearances on American outlets by the premier — despite an apparent ongoing boycott of the mainstream Israeli press — Netanyahu claimed that the Saudis’ concerns about terror would outweigh their qualms over his government’s hardline stance on the Palestinians.
Netanyahu said that Saudi Arabia’s restoration of ties with Iran had “very little” to do with Israel and was mainly about deescalating tensions in the regions, particularly in Yemen.
Yet, when asked why Riyadh was also restoring ties with Syria and hosting leaders of the Hamas terror group and the Palestinian Authority, Netanyahu posited that those moves were meant to send them a message ahead of a possible peace deal with Israel.
“Maybe to tell them they are going to have to prepare themselves — maybe to try to tell them to stop doing the kind of terror they foment,” he said.
“Saudi Arabia, the leadership there, has no illusions about who their adversaries are and who their friends are in the Middle East. They understand that Israel is an indispensable partner for the Arab world in achieving security, prosperity and peace,” Netanyahu said.
“Ninety-five percent of the problems in the Middle East emanate from Iran — terrorism, aggression, many many subversions,” he said, adding that countries like Yemen, Syria and Lebanon, who “partner with Iran, partner with misery.”
JPost Editorial: Israel-Azerbaijan ties show the benefits of mutual cooperation
In a visit of great strategic importance to Israel, Foreign Minister Eli Cohen this week led a high-level delegation to Azerbaijan.Israel in contact with Sudan’s leaders, trying to help calm fighting, official says
The visit illustrates the important ties between Baku and Jerusalem, which have been warm for many years. In recent years, however, those ties have increasingly generated high-level visits. Azerbaijan recently took its commitment to the relationship to a new level by opening an embassy in Israel.
Israel views Azerbaijan, a Shi’ite-majority country, as one of its key strategic partners in the region. Strategic partnerships are important for Israel, especially in times of global change. Israel has fostered similar close ties with India. In addition, the Abraham Accords are now almost three years old, and they illustrate how Jewish and Muslim countries can work together on shared interests and also foster coexistence.
Azerbaijan, as a historic partner, was a forerunner of the ties Israel is trying to form with many other countries and also of the improvement in relations with countries such as Turkey.
When Azerbaijan opened an embassy in Israel, Cohen lavished praise on the relationship. “Azerbaijan is a Muslim country, and its strategic location makes the relationship between us of great importance and great potential,” he said at the time. “Israel and Azerbaijan share the same perception of the Iranian threat. The Iranian ayatollah regime threatens both our regions, finances terrorism and destabilizes the entire Middle East.” Cohen also said he would visit Baku and has now made good on that promise.
Israel has a “direct line” to Sudan’s military chiefs, an Israeli diplomatic official told The Times of Israel on Thursday, as it tries to contribute to efforts to calm fighting within the country.Israel in talks to sell Arrow 3 missiles to Germany
“We are talking to whomever we need to talk to,” said the official, while refusing to confirm reports that Mossad has built relationships with Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, commander of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces currently fighting army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.
At least 330 people have been killed and 3,300 wounded in the fighting since it began Saturday, the UN’s World Health Organization said, but the toll is likely higher because many bodies lie uncollected in the streets.
Through the night and into Thursday morning, gunfire could be heard almost constantly across Khartoum. Residents reported the heaviest fighting around the main military headquarters in central Khartoum and at the nearby airport.
Sudan’s military ruled out negotiations with the RSF on Thursday, saying it would only accept its surrender as the two sides continued to battle in central Khartoum and other parts of the country, threatening to wreck the latest attempt at a ceasefire.
The military’s statement raised the likelihood of a renewed surge in the nearly week-long violence that has pushed Sudan’s population to the breaking point. Alarm has grown that the country’s medical system was on the verge of collapse, with many hospitals forced to shut down and others running out of supplies.
The Israeli official stressed that Israel is not taking sides in the struggle between erstwhile allies Burhan and his former second-in-command Dagalo.
“We are working for the good of Sudan,” said the official, “so the situation won’t spread into something even worse. The entire region has an interest in protecting stability.”
Israel has an additional interest. Israel and Sudan agreed in 2020 to take steps to normalize ties following agreements with the UAE, Bahrain and Morocco under the Abraham Accords, but Jerusalem and Khartoum have since struggled to finalize any deal.
Part of the holdup was a disagreement between the country’s military and civilian leadership over whether to normalize with Israel. While the military junta now running the country had backed normalization, the effort was put on the back burner and in May last year, the US cut aid to Sudan in response to the coup, further setting back the initiative.
Foreign Minister Eli Cohen flew to Khartoum in February to meet with Burhan.
Israeli officials are in advanced talks with German counterparts over the sale to Berlin of the Arrow 3 anti-ballistic missile defense system.US Lawmaker Paul Gosar Links to ‘Jewish Warmonger’ Antisemitic Hate Site
“The advanced negotiations were launched this week in Germany, with the aim of forging a detailed deal for the delivery of the Israeli Arrow 3 system,” the Israeli Defense Ministry announced on Thursday.
Germany first sought to purchase the Arrow 3 from Israel more than a year ago. One of the most advanced systems of its kind, it is employed to intercept exo-atmospheric ballistic missiles. The Israel Missile Defense Organization in the Ministry of Defense Directorate for Defense R&D, and the United States Missile Defense Agency jointly developed the system.
The primary contractor for the integration and development of the system is Israel Aerospace Industries, working with additional Israeli and American defense firms.
“The launch of advanced negotiations for the delivery of the strategic Arrow 3 system to Germany is an important milestone, which further strengthens the ties between our countries. We look forward to a fruitful negotiation process in the weeks ahead of us,” Israel Missile Defense Organization head Moshe Patel said on Thursday.
Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) in a now-deleted newsletter on Sunday included a link to an article whose headline described Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland as “Jewish Warmongers” on a website that routinely publishes antisemitic and other hate content.UN Instructs PA to Take Responsibility for Israelis Held by Hamas in Gaza
As first reported by Media Matters on Monday, Gosar’s newsletter listed the article’s title as “Congressman Gosar: Warmongers Nuland & Blinken ‘Are Dangerous Fools Who Can Get Us All Killed.’”
But as published on Veterans Today, which bills itself as an “uncensored independent alternative foreign policy” site, that headline read: “Congressman Gosar: Jewish Warmongers Nuland & Blinken ‘Are Dangerous Fools Who Can Get Us All Killed.’”
The intentional deletion of the antisemitic portion of the headline has raised questions about who was responsible for the newsletter’s content.
In a statement to media, a member of Gosar’s team claimed that a third-party aggregator service was used to compile the links, and that the article in question was “updated” the day after the newsletter was released on April 16. A cached version of the webpage, however, does not show any updates to the headline since the article was first published in February.
Gosar’s staffer added that they would not link to Veterans Today in future newsletters, that Gosar himself did not mention Blinken’s or Nuland’s religion, and that he is “well known as one of the top advocates of the State of Israel and a defender of those of the Jewish faith across the world.”
The UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities told the Palestinian Authority two weeks ago to investigate the incarceration of Israelis Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed.
The two are being held in Gaza, which is under Hamas rule.
The committee instructed the PA to see that the two receive adequate medical treatment, since they suffer from psychiatric problems, and asked the PA to present a document detailing its actions within six months.
#Video of the teenage terrorist stalking an Israeli mother and her children, just seconds before the stabbing attack in Sheik Jarrah. https://t.co/FbG7jCZvoS
— Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) April 20, 2023
IDF Officer Injured During Raid Outside Bethlehem
An Israel Defense Forces officer was lightly wounded overnight Wednesday during a counterterrorism operation in the Palestinian town of Dheisheh, just south of Bethlehem.Police seize 63 guns in likely largest-ever capture of weapons smuggled from Jordan
During the arrest raid, Palestinians attacked IDF, Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) and Border Police personnel with explosive devices, Molotov cocktails and stones. The Israeli forces responded with riot control measures and shots fired into the air.
The injured officer was evacuated to the hospital.
Six Palestinians detained in Dheisheh on suspicion of terrorist involvement were being questioned on Thursday.
Overall, Israeli forces arrested 17 Palestinian suspects during operations across Judea and Samaria, including in the villages of Jalbun and Kafr Dan near Jenin; Nur a-Shams near Tulkarem; and Salem and Deir al-Hatab near Nablus.
Earlier Wednesday night, Palestinian terrorists opened fire on a bus transporting Israeli civilians in Samaria. No injuries were reported, but the vehicle sustained damage, the IDF said.
Israeli security forces arrested a Bedouin Israeli man suspected of smuggling weapons into Israel from Jordan overnight, confiscating 63 handguns, the military and police said Thursday morning.The Israel Guys: In HISTORIC Visit Iran's EXILED CROWN PRINCE Visits Israel
According to the Israel Police, the Magen anti-smuggling unit had been running an undercover investigation of a smuggling ring involved in bringing firearms over the border into Israel.
Police officers and troops in the Israel Defense Forces had been operating along the border in recent weeks to ambush members of the ring during smuggling attempts.
Early on Thursday, forces identified a suspicious vehicle driving near the border, just south of the Dead Sea, police said.
Magen officers, Border Police officers, and IDF troops pursued the suspicious vehicle and eventually caught up with it in the northern Arava region of southern Israel.
The driver, a man in his 50s from a Bedouin village in the Yeruham area, was arrested by troops and officers, and the 63 Glock and SIG Sauer handguns he was carrying in three bag were seized, police said.
Yesterday, on Holocaust memorial day, an Arab terrorist walked up to a car and opened fire point blank on two Jewish men returning from morning prayers.
In a historic visit, the crown prince of Iran came to Israel to show his support for the Jewish people during these hard times.
In response to the terrorist attack during Passover, the Dee family is building three legacies in memory of their family members.
Hapoel Jerusalem Advances to Finals of International Basketball Competition; Greek Opponents AEK Fined After Supporters Attack Israeli Fans
The Israeli basketball team Hapoel Jerusalem will compete for the first time ever in the Basketball Champions League Final Four following its 91-51 victory on Wednesday at Pais Arena in Jerusalem against the Greek team AEK, which was sanctioned this week after its fans attacked supporters of the Israeli team in Athens during a previous contest.
Hapoel Jerusalem kept a steady performance from the start of the game, ending the first quarter with an 18-7 lead before a halftime advantage of 43-22. Over 11,000 fans attended Wednesday’s game, waving hundreds of Israeli flags, and Hapoel Jerusalem broke the all-time record for the number of supporters in attendance at a single game, Israel’s Mako news outlet reported. The Hapoel fans in attendance were so loud that AEK players could barely hear their coach’s instructions and following Hapoel’s win, Israeli Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar said “this is a victory over the antisemitism we saw last week in Greece,” according to i24News.
Hapoel Jerusalem won its first game of the 2023 Basketball Champions League — an annual professional basketball competition for European teams also known as the FIBA Champions League — but during its match in the quarterfinals on April 12 against AEK, fans of the Greek team tormented Israeli basketball fans cheering for the team inside the Ano Liosia Olympic Hall in Athens.
AEK fans threw rocks and firecrackers at hundreds of Hapoel Jerusalem supporters in the stands and also in the direction of the Israeli team. AEK supporters also burned the Israeli flag, carried Palestinian and Hezbollah flags, held up banners that had pro-Palestinian messages, reportedly chanted antisemitic slogans, and pointed laser beams at the eyes of Hapoel Jerusalem fans.
The Basketball Champions League announced this week that AEK will be fined 50,000 Euros for the violence that occurred during the April 12 game and all of its home games in the upcoming season will be held behind closed doors, without an audience.
REALITY: Daqqa is in prison for the kidnap/murder of an IDF soldier. He had lung surgery last week at an Israeli hospital and is being treated in the ICU. His family was allowed to visit him in the hospital. Daqqa has also previously received medical treatment when necessary.
— Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) April 19, 2023
As an aside, Daqqa has received one of the most lucrative salaries from the PA's #payforslay program, totaling more than 1,561,500 NIS as of November 2019. He receives a monthly salary of a minimum of 12,500 NIS (~$3,500) from the PA.
— Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) April 19, 2023
Since 2014, Hamas has also been holding hostage the bodies of IDF soldiers Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul, but @m7mdkurd won't criticize Hamas for refusing to return their bodies to Israel...
— Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) April 19, 2023
The media went on another Israel-bashing spree over the #Easter holidays.
— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) April 20, 2023
Despite coordination between Israeli police and church representatives to limit crowds of worshippers for safety reasons, media outlets and public figures twisted it into a story of "religious… pic.twitter.com/nnZS539G26
Forget about the lies and incitement against the IDF - look at the reality of our soldiers with Palestinians from the last few days and judge for yourself! pic.twitter.com/TDoTUybdVp
— ???? ???? - Yoseph Haddad (@YosephHaddad) April 20, 2023
Fatah Deputy Chairman’s personal guard turned terrorist – He wanted “death as a Martyr”
Official PA TV, special broadcast on the funerals of terrorists Muhammad Abu Bakr and Muhammad Nasser Sa’id who shot at Israeli soldiers in Nablus
Mother of terrorist Muhammad Abu Bakr: “Allah will take revenge on them [the Israelis]. May Allah be pleased with Muhammad [Abu Bakr]. He asked for [Martyrdom] and achieved it. May Allah be pleased with him. The army came to him and wanted him to turn himself in, but he refused: ‘Martyrdom or victory.’”
[Official PA TV, April 3, 2023]
Muhammad Abu Bakr and Muhammad Nasser Sa’id – Palestinian terrorists and members of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades (Fatah’s military wing) who shot at Israeli soldiers while they were arresting terrorists in Nablus on April 3, 2023. The soldiers returned fire, killing Abu Bakr and Sa’id. Abu Bakr was the personal guard of Fatah Deputy Chairman Mahmoud Al-Aloul, according to a Facebook post by the Fatah Commission of Information and Culture.
Father of dead 14-year-old terrorist says son stated daily: “I want to die as a Martyr”
The video shows an interview with the father of 14-year-old terrorist Omar Awadin, who participated in violent riots against Israeli forces, on Fatah-run Awdah TV.
Father of terrorist Omar Awadin: “By Allah, Omar [Awadin] was a young person at the start of life, 14 years old, a school student. Every day he would [say:] ‘Dad, I want to die as a Martyr, I want to die as a Martyr.’ Every day it was essential for him to mention Martyrdom… He put Martyrdom in his blood. Allah willing, the Master of the Universe will accept him as a Martyr.” [Fatah-run Awdah TV, YouTube channel, March 16, 2023]
Nidal Hazem, Yusuf Shreim, Luay Al-Saghir, and Omar Awadin – Palestinian terrorists aged 28, 29, 37, and 14 respectively, who were killed during an Israeli counter-terror operation in Jenin on March 16, 2023. The operation targeted Hazem, a member of Islamic Jihad, and Shreim, a member of Hamas, who were involved in several terror attacks. Al-Saghir attempted to attack the Israeli forces with a crowbar, at which they shot and killed him in self-defense, while Al-Awawdeh participated in violent riots against the forces.
2/2 Palestinian Islamic Jihad Leader Ziyad Nakhalah: Iran Has Paid The Palestinian Resistance Billions Of Dollars – It Pays For Every House Demolished In The West Bank And Every Weapon Used By The Resistance pic.twitter.com/8MYrCzn6uT
— MEMRI (@MEMRIReports) April 20, 2023
A 43-year-old Palestinian man from Rafah died hours after he was detained by Hamas police in the Gaza Strip.
— Khaled Abu Toameh (@KhaledAbuToameh) April 20, 2023
A villa in #Gaza. #TheGazaYouDontSee #Palestine https://t.co/xOfqCkrD3P pic.twitter.com/cqezR9Fjna
— Imshin (@imshin) April 20, 2023
Al-Saada (Happiness) Land resort, restaurant and swimming pool, Khan Younes, south Gaza Strip, Palestine. #TheGazaYouDontSee https://t.co/sJKy91UCIl pic.twitter.com/tP99yDw4uO
— Imshin (@imshin) April 20, 2023
Here are some of the cars parked outside the same Khan Younes villa hosting Iftar, breaking of the Ramadan fast, south Gaza Strip, Palestine. #TheGazaYouDontSee https://t.co/UCRNKclHWW pic.twitter.com/UfJw9B4A3Y
— Imshin (@imshin) April 20, 2023
Al Quds Day Rally In Toronto Replete With Antisemitism, Glorification Of Terrorism & Incitement To Violence
Al Quds Day (Jerusalem Day in Arabic) is an annual event, held on the last Friday of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, started by the late Ayatollah Khomeini, officially aimed at showing support for the Palestinian cause, but in reality, features demonstrations calling for the destruction of Israel and which is replete with antisemitism.
And each year, Al Quds Day rallies are often spectacles of anti-Israel and antisemitic hatred, including incitement to violence and glorification of terrorism against Israel.
This year’s rally in downtown Toronto even featured the speech of an individual with suspected and alleged links to terrorism.
According to the Israeli security service Shin Bet and as reported extensively by the National Post’s Terry Glavin, Khaled Barakat plays a significant role in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a Palestinian terrorist group which has taken responsibility for a number of terrorist attacks in Israel, and which is listed as a banned terrorist entity in Canada, the United States, Australia, Japan, and the European Union (EU).
Barakat, who according to a 2022 news article currently lives in Vancouver, spoke at the annual Al Quds Day rally in downtown Toronto, on April 15, where in his speech, he proclaimed: “Long live the intifada (Palestinian uprising)…We are here to declare our full and unconditional support for the strategy that has been declared by the forces of the resistance…”
Here he is on the decapitation of a French teacher for "blasphemy".
— habibi (@habibi_uk) April 20, 2023
One can imagine his reaction if people responded to the Finsbury Park terrorist attack with "well, I'm just putting it into context, those Muslims need to think about what they're doing". pic.twitter.com/fL4zQppqhv
Australian Islamic Scholar Abu Ousayd Chides Muslims for Abandoning Jihad, Refers to Jews as “Descendants of Pigs and Monkeys,” and Accuses Hindu “Worshippers of Cows and Monkeys” of Killing Muslims in Kashmir #Australia #Antisemitism pic.twitter.com/ZVtdTCGOX9
— MEMRI (@MEMRIReports) April 20, 2023
Syrian Islamic Scholar Abdul Nafee Al-Rifai: Jerusalem Municipality Made It Mandatory to Plant Gharqad Trees in People’s Gardens in Order to Protect the Jews from the Muslims on Judgement Day #Syria #Antisemitism pic.twitter.com/J0IG1EtLNw
— MEMRI (@MEMRIReports) April 20, 2023
MEMRI: Harsh Criticism In Lebanon Over Rocket Attack On Israel: South Lebanon Is Turning Into 'Hamas-Land'; Country May Be Dragged Into Another War With Israel
On April 6, 2023, dozens of rockets were fired from South Lebanon into Israeli territory. This unusually large attack came amid an escalation in clashes between Israel and the Palestinians that took place during Ramadan and Passover. The rocket attack had apparently been planned in advance by the resistance axis, headed by Iran, with two main objectives. First, to drag Israel into a conflict on several fronts, and second, to convey a message, to Israel but also to other elements in the region, that the Iran-led resistance axis had been successful in its efforts to unite the resistance forces in the various arenas. These efforts apparently gained momentum in response to a call made by Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah some two years ago. After the Israeli-Palestinian round of fighting in May 2021, Nasrallah urged the various armed militias to establish an equation whereby any aggression against Jerusalem will prompt a response on multiple fronts.[1]
To date, no element has claimed responsibility for firing the rockets. Hamas denied any connection to the attack, and Hizbullah initially hurried to distance itself from the incident and later adopted a policy of vagueness with regards to it. However, there are several indications that Hamas and Hizbullah were indeed behind the attack, apparently on Iran's orders. These indications include the scope of the attack, and the fact that the launch site was close to a Palestinian refugee camp in South Lebanon. Another indication is the extensive warming of relations that has taken place in the last few months between Hamas and Hizbullah, manifested in multiple meetings between high-ranking officials of the two organizations, the latest of which took place several days after the rocket attack.[2]
The firing of the rockets into Israel from South Lebanon drew harsh criticism in the country, both from officials, chief of them the Lebanese prime minister, and from politicians and columnists opposed to Hizbullah. They expressed concern that South Lebanon is turning into "Hamas-land," namely a base for Hamas operations against Israel, just as it served as a base for the PLO's operations in the 1970s and 1980s, with disastrous results for the country.
Here's a question...if there was no UNIFIL and 1701 how much more powerful could Hezbollah possibly be? I mean Hezbollah is a massive army with huge amounts of weapons that controls South Lebanon openly. If there was no UNIFIL, it's not possible it would be more powerful https://t.co/Sm13BqHvIV
— Seth Frantzman (@sfrantzman) April 20, 2023
Iran Fears Israel Will Join Forces with Azerbaijan and Turkey
Iran's Foreign Ministry recently claimed that the establishment of Azerbaijan's new embassy in Tel Aviv, where Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen called for a "united front" against Iran, constituted a clear national security threat to Iran.Iran Says Forces US Submarine to Surface in Gulf, US Denies
The Iranians are greatly concerned that their neighbor is increasingly becoming close to the country it calls the "little Satan," with Azerbaijan supplying Israel with oil and Israel being one of the main arms suppliers for Azerbaijan.
Around the same time, six Iranian spies were arrested in Baku and four Iranian diplomats were declared persona non grata in Azerbaijan.
These incidents occurred after Iran attempted to assassinate an Azerbaijani MP and attacked the Azerbaijani Embassy in Tehran, killing a security guard.
The Iranians fear that Israel, Azerbaijan, and Turkey will join forces with Azerbaijanis inside Iran, who will work together with other ethnic groups in the country to topple the mullahs' regime.
In the eyes of Tehran, this is a greater threat than a direct Israeli military attack on Iran's nuclear facilities.
Iran’s and U.S.’ flags are seen printed on paper in this illustration taken January 27, 2022. Photo: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
Iran‘s navy forced a US submarine to surface as it entered the Gulf, Iranian navy commander Shahram Irani told state television on Thursday, but the United States Navy’s Fifth Fleet denied such an incident had taken place.
“The US submarine was approaching while submerged, but the Iranian submarine Fateh detected it and carried out… manoeuvres to force it to surface as it went through the Strait (of Hormuz). It had also entered into our territorial waters but … it corrected its course after being warned,” Irani said.
“This submarine was doing its best, using all its capacities, to pass in total silence and without being detected,” Irani said. “We will certainly reflect to international bodies the fact that it had violated our border.”
The US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, based in Bahrain, denied what it called Iranian “disinformation”.
“A US submarine has not transited the Strait of Hormuz today or recently,” Commander Timothy Hawkins told Reuters.
“The claim represents more Iranian disinformation that does not contribute to regional maritime security and stability.”
The US Navy said earlier this month that the nuclear-powered, guided-missile submarine Florida was operating in the Middle East in support of its Fifth Fleet.
Iran's claim is absolutely false. A U.S. submarine has NOT transited the Strait of Hormuz recently. The claim represents more Iranian disinformation that destabilizes the region. U.S. 5th Fleet continues to operate wherever international law allows. https://t.co/BDLHNlGASB
— U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/U.S. 5th Fleet (@US5thFleet) April 20, 2023
A Shadowy Paramilitary Group Leads the Bloody Crackdown on Iran’s College Campuses
“Please help! They are murdering us here! We need the world to hear our voice,” cried a student from Iran’s Jondishapour University in Ahvaz, as regime forces violently raided the school’s dormitories in October 2022.
As images like these continue to pour out of Iran and onto social media for the world to witness, universities in Iran remain a front line of anti-regime protest in the fight to topple the Islamic Republic.
But just as university campuses across the country have become the pulse of the revolution, they have also become one of the key theaters of regime repression. Verified videos showing regime forces raiding campuses and opening fire on students — at Sharif University, Shahid Beheshti University and Amirkabir University, among others — have been circulating since protests erupted last fall. These scenes have been coupled with multiple reports of student suspensions, abductions and torture.
The bloody crackdowns at universities across Iran have not been led directly by the usual suspects — the police, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) or its civil militia, the Basij. Rather, the brutal repression against students is being driven by a shadowy paramilitary group almost unknown beyond Iran’s borders: the Student Basij Organization (SBO).
The SBO is the single most important branch within the Basij militia. The SBO not only acts as the IRGC’s violent enforcers on university campuses, but its membership also forms the core of the Revolutionary Guard’s military-research projects, such as its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. The SBO consists of the youngest and most radical members of the Basij, who tend to be more active and idealistic than older and retired Basijis. Membership in the SBO is also helpful for gaining employment in the state bureaucracy and security and intelligence organizations.
Formed in November 1989, just months after the appointment of Ali Khamenei as the Islamic Republic’s second “supreme leader,” the SBO was established under the purview of the IRGC to promote the regime’s rigid theocratic doctrines across universities and to operate as its eyes and ears.
A few days ago Ali Khamenei threatened women by announcing that if they take off their hijabs, they will be guilty of haram acts. After that, the commander of the police force threatened to identify and arrest the unveiled women. In response, Iranian women took off their hijabs… pic.twitter.com/PEMCc9hBnH
— Masih Alinejad ??? (@AlinejadMasih) April 19, 2023
Sabir Abu Maryam @DrSabirplf, SG Palestine foundation Pakistan, is a Jew-hating Holocaust denier. it's not surprising that @TehranTimes79, a newspaper with ties to the Iranian Foreign Ministry, published his op-ed piece denying the Holocaust.
— GnasherJew®????? (@GnasherJew) April 20, 2023
Pro-Palestine advocacy summed up. pic.twitter.com/Mv6Ln5A2ME
Moral clarity from Crown Prince @PahlaviReza. In response to @DanaYarkechy if he was not afraid to visit constantly threatened Israel: “I’ve lived under threat for 40 yrs. That hasn’t stopped me from fighting to liberate Iran. We are not enemies. We want friendship with Israel.” https://t.co/wLrtIslT3W
— ???? ?????-???? | Michal Cotler-Wunsh (@CotlerWunsh) April 20, 2023
I witnessed something extraordinary when Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi entered Jerusalem's Western Wall - the birds started flying and sing, and there was a Columbidae bird above his head as he was signing the guestbook and writing about the friendship between Israelis and Iranians.… pic.twitter.com/EptQe35hCa
— Hananya Naftali (@HananyaNaftali) April 19, 2023
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