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Monday, May 01, 2023

05/01 Links Pt1: It's Not "Pro-Palestinian" to Justify Killing Israeli Civilians; 1,660 Israelis dead since Palestinians’ promise to end terror

From Ian:

Eitay Mack (Ha'aretz): It's Not "Pro-Palestinian" to Justify Killing Israeli Civilians
There is an absolute prohibition on targeted killing of civilians, no matter what ethnic, religious, social, sexual and national group they belong to. The right to life is protected in every general human rights treaty and under customary law. Despite this, there are far too many people that are unashamed to support or legitimize a deliberate attack and killing of Israeli Jewish civilians.

There are no excuses. Either one is for or against the deliberate killing of civilians. There must be zero legitimacy for adding "but," or "the context of the occupation cannot be ignored," or "the Palestinians have no other option," or "I can't judge how the Palestinians chose to fight for freedom." Unfortunately, there are too many claims that there are no Israeli Jews who are true civilians, they are all settlers and colonialists, or all are former soldiers or potential soldiers or reserve soldiers, and because of that should be a legitimate target.

The same people who legitimize the deliberate killing of Israeli Jews do not claim in parallel that it is also tolerable to deliberately kill Russian civilians because of the wars in Ukraine and Syria; kill British civilians because of the conflict in Northern Ireland; or kill American, British, and Australian civilians because of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Most of the people who make Palestinians who hijacked planes with civilians into celebrities would probably refrain from celebrating the hijackers of the 9/11 airplanes, or those who were responsible for the Lockerbie bombing in which a plane with hundreds of passengers exploded in the sky over Scotland.

The European political parties, academia, labor unions, human rights organizations and solidarity organizations for the Palestinians must take serious steps regarding those who express support for, or legitimize, the deliberate attack and killing of civilians - Jews, Palestinians, or others.


1,660 Israelis dead since Palestinians’ promise to end terror
Despite this reality, some people still argue Israel has a partner with whom to negotiate and are surprised that so few people in Israel believe it. They are baffled that the Palestinian issue has barely been mentioned in the last five elections and that Israel elected a right-wing government that opposes compromise with the Palestinians.

The reaction of the Biden administration to the incessant violence, to reward the Palestinians with aid and encouragement, is appalling.

The number of Israeli fatalities is equal to roughly 57,000 Americans—that is nearly as many as died in eight years of fighting in Vietnam.

Imagine the U.S. response to the murderers of that many Americans. You don’t have to guess because we know. Following 9/11, we launched a war on terror, fought two wars in Iraq, and continue to seek out and kill members of ISIS and Al-Qaeda.

Still, Israelis are pilloried for taking measures to protect their citizens. Yes, there is sometimes collateral damage and innocent Palestinians die. That is a tragic byproduct of a war against terrorists who use civilians as shields. It is also the price Palestinians pay for failing to fulfill the commitment Arafat made, allowing terrorists to hide among them and glorifying killers.

Not too many Americans thought twice about the more than 100,000 Iraqi civilians killed during U.S. combat operations. There were no U.N. resolutions after 48 people were killed when bad intelligence led to the U.S. bombing of a wedding party. I could cite many other examples of the double standard used to judge Israeli counterterror operations.

I’m sick of hearing from U.S. officials that Israel should act with restraint, de-escalate, stop building settlements, maintain the status quo, and equate terrorism and counterterrorism ad nauseam. I want to hear the president and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken say that 1,600 Israelis have been murdered since the Palestinians pledged to end terror. It is unacceptable, and the United States will not provide one penny to the Palestinians, to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) or to any other organization whose funds can be used to underwrite the murder of Israelis and while the killers and their families receive payments as rewards and incentives for killing Jews. There will be no opening of a consulate, there will be no support for them at the United Nations, and their officials will be treated the same as other sponsors of terror.

Everything else they say about the “Palestinian issue” is meaningless blather.

If you believe in peace, whether it be a two-state or some other solution, history has proven nothing can be achieved without putting a permanent stop to Palestinian terror.
The Biden Administration's Vacuum of Leadership
The vacuum of leadership can also now be seen in Sudan conflict. The Biden administration has reportedly abandoned 16,000 US citizens in the country, who were left there to make "life or death decisions".

"[Y]ou had President Xi in Moscow with Putin earlier this week, you have a China negotiating relations and some sort of normalization between Saudi Arabia and Iran is all evidence of a vacuum that's been created... It's a vacuum of American leadership. It's one of the reasons why we need strong bold leader, we're the leader of the free world. And if America is not leading in the free world, the free world is not being led." – Former Vice President Mike Pence, interview with radio host John Catsimatidis on WABC 770 AM, March 23, 2023.

The ruling mullahs of Iran have also become a major exporter of weapons to Russia – and are not limiting themselves to exporting just drones.

The vacuum that the Biden administration has left across the world as well as a result of its failure to lead is not only effectively handing the US over to China, Russia and Iran; it is also apparently viewed by these rogue states as a green light to act in whatever malign way they want.

Russia is taking over Sudan, reportedly for its gold and to build a port that will be able to block shipping through the Suez Canal. Iran's ruling mullahs have reportedly poisoned "hundreds of schoolgirls" to try to discourage them from receiving an education. Last week, another oil tanker was seized in the Gulf of Oman; and an interrogator recently broke the kneecaps of a 70-year old grandmother, a political prisoner serving 10 years in prison.

Why is the United States allowing this monstrous Iranian regime to acquire nuclear weapons?


NGO Monitor: USAID 2022 West Bank and Gaza Grantees Vetting Gaps Remain
In 2022, USAID provided funding to more than 20 Palestinian NGOs, via its Civic Participation and Community Engagement (CPCE) framework, intended to advance “basic democratic freedoms and common goals shared between the American and Palestinian people.”

The following report details how several board members and officials from CPCE partner organizations operating in the West Bank celebrate terrorists and glorify violence. Additionally, it highlights statements made by these officials and the NGOs themselves, advocating for BDS and anti-normalization, both in opposition to explicit US policies, interests and values.

Such problematic partnerships reinforce the need for improved vetting at USAID, to ensure that taxpayer funds are not provided to organizations that glorify violence, support terrorism, promote anti-normalization, and/or employ antisemitic rhetoric.

This report follows NGO Monitor’s June 2021 publication, “USAID-funded Palestinian NGOs: Introducing Children to Convicted Terrorists.” Our findings revealed that, in several instances, USAID sub-grantees ran programs that introduced children to convicted terrorists, presented convicted terrorists as role models, and publicly demonstrated support for terrorists and terrorist organizations.

Click Here for Full Report
US House Speaker McCarthy: If Biden doesn’t invite Netanyahu to DC soon, I will
US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy speaks in the Knesset in Jerusalem, April 30, 2023. (Oren Ben Hakoon/POOL)

In Israel on Sunday, Speaker of the US House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy said that if US President Joe Biden does not invite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to visit the White House soon, he will invite the Israeli leader to meet with Congress.

The Republican lawmaker landed in Israel on Sunday for a two-day visit that will include an address to the Knesset on Monday.

In an interview with the Israel Hayom newspaper, McCarthy addressed Biden’s ongoing refusal to welcome Netanyahu to Washington, amid disagreements over the government’s planned judicial overhaul.

“If [an invitation to the White House] doesn’t happen, I’ll invite the prime minister to come meet with the House. He’s a dear friend, as a prime minister of a country that we have our closest ties with,” McCarthy told the newspaper.

The speaker of the House said that Biden has already waited “too long now. He should invite him soon.”

McCarthy joked that Biden had also not been speaking with him for the past few months, and therefore Netanyahu “might be in good company if he treats me the same way.”

Netanyahu has been angling for an invite to the White House since he returned to office in late December. But US-Israel ties have been somewhat strained both due to the Netanyahu government’s judicial overhaul legislation, as well as comments made by the far-right elements of Netanyahu’s government.

Just hours after the prime minister announced a pause in the overhaul legislation in order to allow for talks, Biden told reporters that he still would not be inviting Netanyahu to Washington “in the near term.”

While Barack Obama was president, Netanyahu addressed a joint session of Congress in 2015, bypassing Obama, in what was widely seen as an unprecedented broadside against the sitting US leader.


Saudi Normalization with Israel Has Begun
Will Saudi Arabia normalize relations with Israel soon? The mere fact that this is a reasonable question - discussed by diplomats, journalists, and experts - underscores the profound change in Arab receptivity to Israel in recent years. Saudi Arabia's all-powerful crown prince, Muhammad bin Salman, has personally raised the prospect of ties with Israel, a country he has termed a "potential ally."

Around two-fifths of Saudis tell pollsters they approve of open ties with Israel in business and sports, even without official relations. This is essentially on par with the share of Emiratis who support such connections. In recent months, Saudi receptivity to people-to-people contact has been tested by the hosting inside the kingdom of a wide variety of Israelis.

"Will Saudi Arabia normalize with Israel soon?" is actually the wrong question to pose. That is because it considers normalization with Israel as a binary issue - yes, no; now, not now; soon, not soon. In practice, normalization is not an act, it is a process, part of a larger set of policy choices defined by a government's assessment of its strategic priorities.

Saudi Arabia has begun this process by issuing visas to allow nonofficial Israelis to enter the country for public purposes, such as speaking at conferences and competing in sporting events. Other aspects of this early phase of normalization include permitting former Saudi national security officials to appear alongside their Israeli counterparts in public events and raising no objection to having a major Saudi investment firm take large stakes in Israeli companies.
How Surging Democrat Robert F. Kennedy Introduced Anti-Semite Louis Farrakhan to the Anti-Vaxx Movement
Robert Kennedy Jr., who has won a substantial amount of Democratic support since announcing his run for president, is a longtime ally of the notorious anti-Semite Louis Farrakhan, who credits the candidate with turning him on to anti-vaccine theories.

The Kennedy-Farrakhan courtship began in 2015, when Kennedy visited the Nation of Islam leader at his home in Chicago to discuss the measles vaccine administered routinely to young kids. Farrakhan said in a social media post after the meeting that the vaccine was "designed" to harm black males. "Some of us are afraid, but Mr. Kennedy found his way to our door," Farrakhan has said.

Kennedy now has vocal support from Farrakhan, who has praised Adolf Hitler, compared Jews to "termites," and maintains a massive following through the Nation of Islam. Farrakhan has credited Kennedy with introducing him to the controversial and widely disputed theory that childhood measles vaccines are linked to autism. Kennedy has cosponsored events with the Nation of Islam and its leader, whom he has praised as a "truly great partner" in the "battle" to publicize the autism theory.

Nineteen percent of Democratic voters say they support Kennedy over President Joe Biden, according to a Fox News poll. The anti-vaccine activist's popularity among Democrats could cut against the party's efforts to portray the Republican base as anti-science bigots. While Biden is still the heavy favorite, Kennedy's surprisingly strong numbers show that a sizable chunk of Democratic voters are open to supporting a candidate who has pushed anti-vaccine conspiracy theories.

The Kennedy family scion's numbers could be cause for concern for Biden, with one analyst arguing they show the commander in chief "ceding a significant and potentially embarrassing chunk of voters to an anti-vaccine activist."

Researchers have largely disputed Kennedy's claims about the measles vaccine, asserting it is based on a misinterpretation of data regarding autism cases for children who have been vaccinated.

That hasn't deterred Kennedy and Farrakhan.

"I thank God for Minister Farrakhan for getting involved in this. He's been a truly great partner in this battle," Kennedy said at a protest with the Nation of Islam outside CDC headquarters in Atlanta in Oct. 2015.
Guess the new Human Rights Watch director’s first target. Yup: Israel
One area where Human Rights Watch has been active regarding Israel is its campaign to protect critics of the Jewish state from accusations of anti-Semitism.

Last week, HRW co-signed an open letter to the Secretary General of the United Nations, calling on him to reject the working definition of anti-Semitism by the International Holocaust Remembrance Association (IHRA), which has won the support of 39 countries including the United States and most of Europe.

In particular, the open letter objected to the IHRA contention that one form of anti-Semitism is “applying double standards by requiring of [Israel] a behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation.”

One can see why Human Rights Watch perceived this benchmark as one that may put it on the wrong side of the anti-Semitism debate.

The letter suggested to the secretary general that he consider an alternate definition, according to which “paying disproportionate attention to Israel and treating Israel differently than other countries is not prima facie proof of anti-Semitism.”

(Try substituting “Jews” for “Israel” and “people” for “countries” and see how that sounds.)

The tragedy of Human Rights Watch is that there is a desperate need for objective reporting on human rights across the globe.


Palestinian killed in Israeli counterterror raid in Jordan Valley
A Palestinian teenager was killed during an Israeli counterterrorism operation on Monday morning in Aqbat Jaber close to Jericho in the Jordan Valley.

According to the Israel Defense Forces, a firefight erupted after troops entered the town to arrest two wanted terrorists.

The military said that hits were identified during the exchange of fire, and two makeshift submachine guns were confiscated.

Palestinian media identified the fatality as 17-year-old Jibril Mohammed al-Ladda.

The IDF has over the past months conducted a series of raids in Aqbat Jaber, which appears to be morphing into a new epicenter of Palestinian terrorism.


MEMRI: Pakistani Scholar: Israel’s Population Cannot Be Considered Civilians; They Are Legitimate Targets
Agha Ali Raza, a Pakistani Shiite scholar living in Qom, Iran, said in an April 15, 2023 interview with the Iranian English-language media outlet Islamic Pulse that fighting Israel constitutes fighting “for the sake of the soul of the entire humanity.” He said that the entire population of Israel cannot be considered “civilians” according to Islam and the Geneva Conventions and therefore constitute “legitimate targets for the resistance” because they are “an occupying force.” He said that Zionism is a “historical super-racist ideology” that makes Hitler, Fascism, and Nazis look like “babies,” and he asserted that it is behind all the oppression and conflicts in the world. He also said that by focusing on Israel, Iran and its Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei are fighting for the rights of all oppressed people, including African Americans and Native Americans. He elaborated: “These are the tentacles of the same octopus.” The interview was posted on Islamic Pulse’s various social media accounts, including Islamic Pulse 4 on YouTube.


MEMRI: Egyptian Journalist Criticizes Journalists Syndicate For Extending Ban On Normalization With Israel: 'This Decision Is Mistaken From The Professional, National And Legal Perspectives'
On March 17, 2023, the general assembly of Egypt's Journalists Syndicate voted unanimously to extend the ban on normalization with Israel and the decision to investigate any syndicate member who commits "the crime of normalization," by means of personal action, professional action or on behalf of the syndicate. During the assembly participants chanted "down with Israel!" and "No to normalization with the Zionist entity."[1]

It should be notable that, although Israel and Egypt have been party to a peace agreement for more than four decades, the peace between them has remained cold and normalization between the two countries is limited. Furthermore, the Egyptian Writers' Union also prohibits normalization with Israel, and three well-known Egyptian authors were recently summoned for disciplinary proceedings after violating this prohibition, in advance of expelling them from the union.[2]

The decision of the Journalists Syndicate to extend the ban on normalization did not garner much interest among the majority of Egyptian journalists. However, a conspicuous response was published by Egyptian journalist and politician Osama Al-Ghazali Harb, who fiercely condemned the decision in an article in the Egyptian Al-Ahram daily. Harb wrote that the decision was mistaken from the professional, national and legal perspectives, because that the Egyptian citizens should be aware of what is going on in Israel. The role of a journalist, he added, is to investigate and to inform the public about what is taking place in the world, especially in a neighboring country and rival such as Israel, which is also covered by journalists from other Arab countries, such as Jordan, the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco.

The following are translated excerpts from Harb's article:[3]

"Personally, I am totally against the decision passed by the general assembly of the Journalists Syndicate against normalization with the Zionist entity. In my opinion this decision is mistaken from the professional, national and legal perspectives, because a journalist is not an ordinary citizen, but a professional whose job is to seek information and verify [the truth about] incidents and events. This certainly applies to a neighboring country, and even more so when that country is a rival and a competitor.

"As an Egyptian citizen, I like to be informed about events in Israel. [In fact], there are journalists from all over the world in Israel, including from Arab countries that have normalized their relations with it, namely Jordan, the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan, and of course Palestinian journalists. Some Arab channels have correspondents of their own in Israel. So why this professional laziness [of ours], disguised in eager and flowery rhetoric against the Zionist entity?
Nearly 4 million Muslims visited the Al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan 2023
Official PA TV newsreader: “120.000 people prayed the holiday prayers at the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque.” …

Jerusalem resident Fadi Mattour: “Praise Allah Master of the Universe, this month [of Ramadan] was very special. It was a wonderful month. The estimates of the [Jordanian] Waqf are that nearly 4 million visitors visited the Al-Aqsa Mosque this month, and this is a very large number.” [Official PA TV News, April 21, 2023]


PMW: Why is the PA again hiding its financial documents?
While constantly complaining to the world about its alleged financial crisis and begging the international community to increase its aid, the Palestinian Authority is once again hiding its financial reports.

Since 2008, as part of an agreement to receive funding from the World Bank, the Palestinian Authority has been required to publish a range of financial documents, including its annual budget and monthly budget performance reports.

While the PA temporarily honored the commitment to publish its annual budget, it has not done so since 2019.

In contrast, with the exception of a few minor incidents exposed by Palestinian Media Watch and then rectified, the PA had been relatively meticulous in publishing its monthly budget performance reports.

While the PA decided, in March-April 2022, to stop publishing its budget performance reports, the PA backtracked on this soon after PMW exposed the decision, and by July had returned to publishing all the budget performance reports.

The limited financial documents provided by the PA were all published on the website of the PA’s Ministry of Finance.

For over a month, the entire PA Ministry of Finance website has disappeared from the internet.

Despite the missing transparency, the “European Joint Strategy in support of Palestine, 2021-2024 Towards a democratic, accountable and sustainable Palestinian state” declares that since 2008 – the year the PA was required to demonstrate even the most basic financial transparency - “EU, EU Member States, Norway and Switzerland have disbursed around USD 1 billion annually in official development assistance to Palestine and the Palestinians.” The EU has also committed to providing more aid to the PA.
PMW: Palestinians who murdered Israelis "represented Palestine in the most strongest way"
Palestinians who murdered Israelis "represented Palestine in the most lauded, uplifting, beautiful, and strongest way"

Official PA TV News, on Palestinian Prisoner’s Day, hosting Chairman of the PA-funded Prisoner’s Club Qadura Fares

Official PA TV newsreader: “[Prisoner’s Club Chairman] Mr. Fares, what’s your message to the Palestinian prisoners in the occupation’s prisons through [official] PA TV, especially as they’re watching us now?.”

PA-funded Prisoner’s Club Chairman Qadura Fares: “My message is a message of honor, admiration, appreciation, and love for those who represented Palestine in the most lauded, uplifting, beautiful, and strongest way.”

[Official PA TV News, April 17, 2023]




MEMRI: Lebanese Politician Omar Harfouch Responds To Criticism For Speaking At A Symposium Attended By Israelis: It Is Unreasonable And Antisemitic To Boycott Encounters With Israelis Abroad – We Must Stop This
On an April 27, 2023 show that was posted online by OTV (Lebanon), Lebanese politician Omar Harfouch responded to criticism against him for having spoken at a European Parliament symposium which was attended by several Israelis. He said that it is unreasonable and antisemitic to expect him to inquire whether each person he meets abroad is Jewish or Israeli, and he said that in France, where he lives, and elsewhere in Europe, he would even be susceptible to criminal charges for such inquiries. He also said that the Lebanese boycott of meetings with Israelis must be stopped and that now that there are many Israelis in the Gulf States, the boycott has become exceedingly unreasonable.

"I Was Proud That I Was Invited To This Symposium In The European Parliament; Many Lebanese... Thanked Me For Being The First Lebanese With Enough Courage To Accuse The Europeans Of Their Part In Financing Terrorism"

Omar Harfouch: "Three weeks ago, I participated in a symposium about the war on terror and the financing of terrorism. I was proud that I was invited to this symposium in the European Parliament. Many Lebanese saw my speech, and thanked me for being the first Lebanese with enough courage to accuse the Europeans of their part in financing terrorism. You can watch it today. It is on the internet.

"But all of a sudden, someone – I don't know who – decided there had been Israelis in the hall. It turned into an issue, and I was accused of collaborating with Israelis and the Israeli lobby, and they wanted to take me for interrogation as soon as I landed at the airport.

"I don't care who was in the hall – whether they were from Israel, from New Zealand, or from Australia. I want to deliver the voice of truth and justice to any place possible. I wasn't at a restaurant or a hotel. I was at the heart of the EU, and was talking to members of the European Parliament.

International Law Prohibits Me From Asking People Whether They Are Israeli – "This Falls Squarely Under The Law Forbidding Antisemitism"

"Let me tell you, and I said this in interviews, I will not inquire about any person's nationality. I will not ask anyone whether he is Jewish or Israeli, because international law, and the law in France, where I live, forbids me from asking this. If I asked someone talking to me whether he is Israeli, he could file a suit against me. He would say: Why did he suspect that I was Israeli? Is it because of my family name? Is it because of the way I look? My accent? This falls squarely under the law forbidding antisemitism. I would be antisemitic to the point that I suspected him because his name or the way he looks indicated that he was Jewish, and I asked him whether he was Jewish in order to find out whether he is an Israeli citizen.


JCPA: Hizbullah Is Working to Elect a “Puppet” President in Lebanon
Hizbullah is pushing for the election of Suleiman Franjieh as the next president of Lebanon and Iran is pressuring Saudi Arabia to support Franjieh’s candidacy.

Franjieh is very close to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and some Lebanese fear that his election as president will tighten relations with Syria and strengthen Iranian hegemony in Lebanon and the entire region.

An important guest visited Lebanon in recent days, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, who arrived in Beirut and met with Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah and senior officials in the Lebanese government.

His meetings with senior officials in Lebanon dealt with the consequences of the agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran on the situation in Lebanon and the election of a new president for Lebanon.

Amir-Abdollahian’s visit to Beirut is interpreted as an Iranian message to the Lebanese that following Iran’s signing of an agreement with Saudi Arabia, Iran does not intend to surrender its influence on Lebanon. Other than offering Lebanon power stations and “bilateral cooperation in the electricity and gas sectors,” Amir-Abdollahian held out no hint of aid for Lebanon’s collapsing economy. “Of course, the U.S. pressures and fear-mongering about sanctions are among the problems in this regard, but you should know that the U.S. sanctions have failed,” he added, according to the Tehran Times.

[Editor’s note: In November 2022, Samantha Power, the Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, visited Lebanon and announced a grant of $72 million in emergency food assistance. In March 2023, the European Union announced 60 million euros in humanitarian aid. Since 2012, the United States has provided $3 billion in humanitarian assistance to Lebanon.]


Report: Israel got intel on Iran’s secret nuclear weapons program from executed spy
Russian intelligence reportedly helped Iran discover that a dual Iranian-British national who once served as its deputy minister of defense was leaking information about its top-secret nuclear weapons program.

In January, Tehran hanged Ali Reza Akbari over accusations of espionage, an execution that was harshly denounced by the UK and other Western nations.

According to an in-depth New York Times report released on Monday, Akbari was indeed a spy and began leaking Iranian nuclear secrets to the British in 2004 — keeping his activities hidden for 15 years.

The report said that in 2008, a senior British intelligence officer told Israeli security officials during a meeting in Tel Aviv that the UK was working with an Iranian spy who had significant information about Tehran’s nuclear activities.

Citing “three Western intelligence and national security officials,” the newspaper reported that the UK passed on information from Akbari to Israel about Iran’s nuclear activities at the Fordo site and their ties to the country’s efforts to produce nuclear weapons — information not previously known to Western intelligence officials.

Iran has long denied pursuing a nuclear weapon and says its program is for civilian research purposes, but Western officials believe the country was actively pursuing weapons production until at least the early 2000s.

In 2019, the NY Times report claims, Iran was aided by “Russian intelligence officials” in pinpointing Akbari as the source of the leak about activities at Fordo. The newspaper wrote that it was not clear how Russia had been able to discover this.




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