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Monday, June 19, 2023

06/19 Links Pt1: U.S. Keeps Funding Palestinian Terror - in Defiance of Congress; Ehud Barak agreed to give up part of Temple Mount, Old City; 7 IDF soldiers wounded in Jenin ambush of armored vehicle

From Ian:

U.S. Keeps Funding Palestinian Terror - in Defiance of Congress
US Permanent Representative to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield rightly condemned in a recent speech Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’ antisemitic statements that equated Israelis to the Nazis.

With no sense of the irony, she then called for foreign aid to the very same PA he continues to lead, 18 years into his four-year term.

An even more distressing irony: President Joe Biden recently launched a first-ever National Strategy To Counter Antisemitism amid a spike in Jew-hatred, yet at the same time — in defiance of Congress’ intent — his team continues to provide material support for the PA, even as it not only spouts antisemitic speech but funds anti-Jewish terrorism through its “pay-for-slay” program.

Congress clearly determined that PA terror payments encourage violence, which is why it passed the Taylor Force Act, barring economic assistance that “directly benefits the Palestinian Authority” until it “stops all payments incentivizing terror.”

In recent months, the West Bank has seen a spate of fatal Palestinian terror attacks, with each of the perpetrators and their families then eligible for PA payments.

In 2018, the authority’s refusal to end systematic terror funding led to bipartisan passage of the Taylor Force Act, named for a US citizen and West Point grad murdered by a Palestinian terrorist in Tel Aviv.

Among other things, the law urges our UN representative to “use the voice, vote and influence of the United States at the United Nations” and the State Department “to use its bilateral and multilateral engagements” to highlight the issue of pay-for-slay and push for governments to stop funding the PA.

The Biden administration is violating these requirements.
Khaled Abu Toameh: Why Arabs Do Not Trust the Biden Administration
Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states apparently still do not trust the Biden Administration, largely because of its perceived abandonment of its traditional Arab allies in the Middle East and President Joe Biden's hostility to Saudi Arabia. This view began with then-presidential candidate Biden declaring the kingdom a "pariah" state -- and is continuing with US attempts, still ongoing, to revive a "nuclear deal" that will enable an expansionist Iran to have nuclear weapons potentially to topple other countries in the region.

Meanwhile, the same Biden Administration has continued to cozy up to the Iranian regime, which the US's own Department of State has called the "top state sponsor of terrorism" and which has, until recently, has not only been attacking both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates through Iran's proxy militia, the Houthis in Yemen, but has also been supplying troops and weapons to Russia for attacking Ukraine.

The message being sent is that being America's enemy pays handsomely, while, as with Afghanistan, being America's friend can be fatal.

The London-based Rai Al-Youm online newspaper said that Blinken's visit to Saudi Arabia failed to achieve most of its goals, including promoting normalization between the Kingdom and Israel. According to the newspaper, the Saudi media ignored Blinken's visit, while playing up the arrival of former Real Madrid soccer player Karim Benzema in the Kingdom....

"There are many obstacles to America's success in playing these roles, including what is related to the nuclear file, as a nuclear Iran remains a concern for the Gulf and for other countries in the region. The [Saudi] agreement with Iran may alleviate this concern, but it will not dispel it. Washington's success in settling this file in a way that does not threaten the security and stability of the Gulf states is the bottom line and it is what will determine the future of Washington's relations with the countries of the region." — Sam Mansi, Lebanese columnist, Asharq Al-Awsat, June 12, 2023.

"[W]hatever Blinken achieved during his visit to Saudi Arabia will remain weak and incomplete in the face of the dangers of ongoing tensions in Yemen, Syria, Iraq and other conflict areas, most notably the civil war that broke out recently in Sudan, in addition to the comprehensive challenges posed by the fraught relations between Iran and Israel, which may explode if there is no progress in the nuclear talks, and if more daring steps are not taken to limit Iran's continuation of uranium enrichment, and Iran's public support for Russia and its cooperation with it in the context of the war against Ukraine." — Sam Mansi, Asharq Al-Awsat, June 12, 2023.

Judging from the reactions of these Arabs to Blinken's recent visit to Saudi Arabia, it is clear that the Saudis and other Arabs have lost confidence in the Biden administration and are not pinning any hopes on it to bring security and stability to the Middle East.

Moreover, it is evident that the Saudis feel so offended by Biden that they are willing to move closer to Iran and Russia if that enables them to steer clear of the American president. It will take more than a visit by Biden or Blinken or Sullivan to repair the damage that has been done to America's relations with Arab countries that used to respect the US. In fact, it is safe to assume that the Arabs' attitudes toward the Biden administration will remain steady regardless of any effort that this administration might choose to make.


PreOccupiedTerritory: ‘400 Seconds To Tel Aviv’ Boast Sparks Rush To Board Hypersonic Missile, Get The Hell Out Of Iran (satire)
A billboard in the capital of the Islamic Republic touting the regime’s development of a weapon that can travel many times the speed of sound and reach Israel’s commercial hub has prompted tens of thousands of citizens in the Republic to try to find a way to get that weapon to transport them there, as well – anything to help them leave a country being run into the ground by the mullahs.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s officials hung a large banner in Tehran the week before last featuring images of what it claims is a hypersonic missile capable of reaching Tel Aviv “in 400 seconds,” a claim the banner proclaimed in Arabic, Farsi, and Hebrew. Intended both as a threat against a country the mullahs consider an enemy and as a tool to distract a disaffected, restive population from the regime’s disastrous policy failures, the advertisement instead sparked a rush to find the missile, which, if its claims prove true, offers desperate Iranians a way out of Iran.

Social media reported a spike in interest among Iranians two weeks ago regarding the payload capacity of the missile. Accounts of frustrated Iranians, unable to discern where or how many such missiles exist, spread around the internet. At least fourteen cases appeared captured on video of citizens yelling at regime officials, trying to extract information on whether the missiles could take them away from the mismanaged, theocratic hell that Iran has become in the last 44 years.


Ehud Barak agreed to give up part of Temple Mount, Old City
The Barak administration agreed to give up part of Israel’s sovereignty in the Old City of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount in December 2000, according to an official response to a Clinton administration proposal published for the first time by the Israel State Archives on Sunday.

Israel agreed to relinquish its sovereignty over the area of the mosques on the Temple Mount, Ynet reported.

Among the comments written in Hebrew in the margins of the Clinton administration proposal: “de facto division of sovereignty on the Temple Mount.”

Israel demanded continued sovereignty over the Western Wall, the Western Wall tunnel, the Makhkame building overlooking the Temple Mount, the Siloam Tunnel (aka Hezekiah’s Tunnel), the City of David and the Mount of Olives.

Israel expressed reservations regarding the U.S. suggestion to give the Old City’s Armenian Quarter to the Palestinians, saying, “Armenians aren’t Arabs.”

Israel suggested instead that “everything from the Jaffa Gate straight and to the left [the Christian and Muslim quarters] will be Palestinian, and everything to the right [the Jewish and Armenian quarters] will be Israeli.”


Israel demanded to keep 80% of the Israeli residents of Judea and Samaria under Israeli sovereignty, which amounted to retaining only 8% of the area. It also agreed to retain no more than 2% of the Gaza Strip, Ynet reported.

Israel failed to receive a favorable response to a number of its requests, the document shows.

Israel expressed concerns that the “Palestinian recognition of the Jewish narrative regarding the Temple Mount was not accepted.”

Israel gave up its demand that Palestinian sovereignty in Arab-majority neighborhoods would be limited to the neighborhoods adjacent to the Old City.
State Department 'deeply troubled' as Israel fast tracks Judea and Samaria construction
The US State Department said it was "deeply troubled" by the move, and called on Israel to return to dialogue aimed at de-escalation.

"As has been longstanding policy, the United States opposes such unilateral actions that make a two-state solution more difficult to achieve and are an obstacle to peace," department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement.

Since entering office in January, Netanyahu's Coalition has approved over 7,000 new housing units in Judea and Samaria. It also amended a law to clear the way for Israelis to return to four settlements that had previously been evacuated.

In response to the decision, the Palestinian Authority said it would boycott a meeting of the Joint Economic Committee with Israel scheduled for Monday. The Hamas terror group also condemned the move, saying it will "resist it by all means."
U.S. ‘deeply troubled’ with Israel's plan to expand West Bank settlements
The U.S. calls on Israel to 'fulfill the commitment it made in Aqaba, Jordan, and Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt'

The United States is “deeply troubled” Israel’s decision to advance planning for over 4,000 settlement units in the West Bank, the U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthiew Miller announced on Monday




No direct flights from Israel for this month’s Hajj
There will be no direct flights between Israel and Saudi Arabia during the upcoming Hajj pilgrimage, National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi said on Monday.

“Perhaps in the next Hajj we will be in a position for this to happen,” Hanegbi said in an interview that aired on Kan’s Reshet Bet radio.

This year’s Hajj will be from June 26 to July 1, although pilgrims generally arrive in Mecca ahead of time and leave several days after the sacred period.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry said last month that the two countries were working on an agreement to allow direct flights for its Muslim citizens to travel to Mecca for the annual pilgrimage. Foreign Minister Eli Cohen announced that Israel had issued a formal request and was awaiting the Saudi response.

Israelis who undertake the pilgrimage have to travel through third countries such as Jordan, incurring increased expense on both the outbound and return journeys. About 18% of Israeli citizens are Muslim.
Can Saudi demands be met for normalization of Israel ties?
Avi Kaner, Marc Schulman, and Giorgio Cafiero discuss the prospects of Saudi-Israeli relations becoming a reality.


Retired Israeli Tanks to Be Sold Abroad
More than 200 Merkava Mark 2 and Mark 3 tanks, manufactured in Israel in the 1980s and 1990s, which had been retired and were in storage, are to be sold to two foreign armies, including one in Europe.

The sale comes against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine and renewed demand for armored vehicles.

Since certain parts are American-made, especially the engine, approval from the U.S. is required.

Today Israel's regular armored brigades are equipped with advanced Merkava Mark 4 tanks with an active defense system against anti-tank missiles.
7 IDF soldiers wounded in Jenin ambush of armored vehicle
A total of seven IDF and Israel Border Police soldiers were wounded on Monday during an unusual firefight and ambush of an IDF armored vehicle in Jenin during an operation to arrest two terror operatives: one from Hamas and one from Islamic Jihad.

The wounded Israeli forces, mostly from an IED or series of IEDs hitting the IDF armored vehicle, were evacuated for medical attention and their conditions range from light to moderately wounded.

Despite evacuating the wounded Israeli forces, up to seven IDF vehicles were still stuck in the morning due to the ambush and the IDF said that it would likely take several hours at least to evacuate the vehicles. By 3:00 p.m. all vehicles had been successfully evacuated.

IDF Brig. Gen. Daniel Hagari said that by mid-morning the IDF had greater control over the area with a mix of helicopters and drones as well as reinforcements from many other IDF ground units nearby.

The breakdown of wounded was five border police and two IDF paratroopers.

In the middle of the operation, the IDF used a helicopter to fire a missile at an open area in order to regain control over the area while trying to avoid civilian casualties. The helicopter was hit by bullets fired by the terrorists on the ground.

It was the first time the IDF fired a missile from a helicopter in the West Bank in around 20 years.

Despite those efforts, Palestinian reports said there were almost 30 wounded Palestinians and at least five dead, with some additional Palestinians in serious condition. The killed Palestinians were: Khaled Azzam Asaseh, 21, Ahmed Yusef Saqer, 15, Qassam Faisal Abu Sirriyeh, 29, Qais Majdi Jabareen, 21 , and Ahmed Daraghmeh.
Jenin: 6 Israeli soldiers wounded, 3 Palestinian gunmen killed amid clashes
At least 22 people are wounded, one gunman dead, according to the Palestinian health ministry

Six Israeli soldiers were reportedly wounded in clashes with Palestinians in the West Bank city of Jenin.

i24NEWS Correspondents Nicole Zedek and Jonathan Regev with the latest.


Jenin Is Out of Control
The fact that the Israel Defense Forces needed to call in air support for ground forces in Jenin on Monday is a signal of a significant escalation in this Palestinian city, which has become a hornet’s nest of terrorism.

The use of air support is a statement on the character of the combat in Samaria, with what should be a standard security operation becoming entangled and turning into a messy escalation.

Four Palestinians were killed and several IDF soldiers were wounded in intense exchanges of fire which began when IDF and Border Police units entered Jenin camp to capture two security suspects.

A powerful explosive device damaged an armored IDF vehicle as the Israeli force was leaving, wounding Israeli personnel. The IDF decided to evacuate the injured via helicopter, but the aircraft came under fire, and that is when commanders decided to call in air support. A helicopter gunship fired on gunmen to enable the extraction of the Israeli forces, according to the Israeli military.

Large-scale exchanges of fire between Palestinian gunmen in the IDF and large numbers of bombs were hurled during the clash, according to the Israeli military.

Zooming out from this event, it is clear that Jenin is out of control, and that as time goes by, the chances of a larger-scale IDF operation there are growing.
How long can the IDF hold off from a larger operation in Jenin?
The suspected terrorists were wanted, but they were not top officials like the six Islamic Jihad officials in Gaza for whom assassinating them and even some ancillary nearby civilians could be more clearly justified and make sense.

All of the above suggests that the IDF has not only lost control over Jenin, but has lost the capability to reliably run in and out of Jenin with supremacy of control which has characterized the West Bank to date as opposed to Gaza.

In responding to criticism, senior IDF officials cited the increasing number of instances where hundreds of IDF and security forces have gone into West Bank areas to arrest someone or demolish a house.

At that level of forces, and adding in the helicopter action on Monday, it becomes more and more difficult to see what is different from the IDF’s ongoing operations versus a large operation – other than possibly the IDF is in denial.

If there was any sign that the IDF was close to reducing the insurrection or waves of terror from the West Bank dating back to March 2022, then simply saying more of the same, without more or less force, might make sense.

But the current strategy seems to be: we have no idea how to end the waves of terror, but are also afraid to do a bigger operation or to call it a bigger operation.

Part of this could be because top defense officials fear that a bigger operation labeled as such and for longer would end the Palestinian Authority.

They would say this would be much worse than things are now.

At least now, there is sometimes coordination between the PA and Israeli forces against Hamas.

At least now, Hamas cannot take over the West Bank because the PA, however weak, still has more raw power in the West Bank. These arguments make sense

But as the PA continues to shake to its foundations and as Jenin’s insurrection and some other Palestinian towns’ get more sophisticated, enough to batter armored vehicles and require attack helicopter interventions, if some new strategy is not used, isn’t that West Bank broader collapse into chaos becoming more likely to happen anyway?

The race may be on for the IDF to come up with a better strategy before a larger operation becomes inevitable or before it is too late to prevent a broader West Bank collapse into chaos.


Dago the dog, wounded in Jenin battle, treated alongside IDF handler
Along with the wounded IDF soldiers and Border Patrol officers who were evacuated to the Rambam Health Care Campus in Haifa on Monday morning from the battle in Jenin, a dog named Dago from the Oketz (Sting) unit that was with the fighters in the hit vehicle was also evacuated by helicopter with the wounded.

The soldiers of the unit and the Rambam doctors noticed upon the dog’s arrival that it was suffering from an unknown injury, so while treating the soldiers in the emergency room, imaging personnel from Rambam and a veterinarian who conducts research at the Rappaport Faculty of Medicine were called in for a comprehensive examination. They were joined by Dr. Y., a veterinarian of the Oketz unit.

Dr. Anat Ilivitzki, director of the pediatric radiology unit at Rambam’s Ruth Rappaport Children’s Hospital and an attending physician and radiologist in Rambam, performed a quick ultrasound examination on the dog that raised the suspicion of internal injury.

The canine was transferred to an urgent CT scan that confirmed the fear of internal bleeding and a fracture in the dog’s pelvis.

The unit’s veterinarian decided that in this situation, the preferred treatment was sedation and rest without moving. Dago remained lying on the bed of the soldier, a sergeant who fought with him in the damaged vehicle. The soldier was described as lightly wounded and the dog as moderately wounded.


Israel Kills Islamic Jihad Terrorists in Fiery Jenin Raid… Media Fail to Report the Full Facts
During the gunfight, at least four Palestinians were killed, including two who were almost immediately claimed by terrorist organizations.

Despite copious amounts of evidence confirming their membership in terror organizations — including photos and video — reports about the Jenin raid have shied away from identifying the men as terrorists.

The Associated Press included in its headline and opening paragraph the fact that four Palestinians had been killed and later named them, but failed to mention their terror links. The outlet also neglected to mention that the raid had been for the purpose of detaining other terrorists.

The Guardian, using news copy from the AFP wire agency, also sidestepped correctly identifying the slain men as terrorists and prominently featured the Palestinian health ministry’s false assertion that they “died as a result of the occupation (Israeli) aggression on Jenin.” Of course, there is nothing “aggressive” about firing back at heavily-armed militants trying to prevent the lawful arrest of fellow terrorists.

Other media outlets that did not include the fact that two of the men were terrorists include CNN and Sky News.

In fact, the only outlet that reported the men had been claimed by Islamic Jihad was Reuters, which included this relevant fact in the second paragraph of its piece.

Meanwhile, the obvious need for Israeli counterterror operations in Jenin has been completely overlooked in the majority of the coverage, specifically that the city is a hub of terror activity.

While CNN described Jenin as one of the “tensest cities in the occupied West Bank” (a muted way to sum up a place where Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades and the Jenin Battalion all operate a network of cells), Sky News failed to make any reference to how the city is totally overrun by armed militants.




Thousands of terror suspects held Israeli entry permits
An increasing number of Palestinian terror suspects had received permits to enter Israel.

In the years 2018-2022, 10% of Palestinian Authority residents arrested for involvement in security offenses held Israeli entry permits—2,115 out of more than 21,000—according to police data cited in a Knesset’s Research and Information Center report published earlier this month.

It was also revealed that 18% of these Palestinian terror suspects with entry permits were arrested within the 1949 armistice lines.

In 2018, 212 Palestinians with entry permits were arrested. That number jumped to 767 in 2021 due to “Operation Guardian of the Walls.” Last year, 580 arrests were made.

Following a series of deadly terrorist attacks in Israel last year, the IDF began renovating and closing gaps in the security barrier. The Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) estimates that some 7,000 Palestinians reside inside Israel illegally.

According to police data, only 33 Palestinians were arrested for illegally residing in Israel between 2018 and 2022. This is due in part to the policy of prosecutors to instruct police not to make an arrest until after the third offense.

“A 35% increase in the involvement of Palestinians with permits to enter Israel in terrorist and security offenses is 100% too much,” said Likud Knesset member Hanoch Milwidsky, who had requested that the report be prepared.
It's not Gaza or Iraq, disturbing footage shows anarchy on roads in Israel's south
Israelis were reminded over the weekend of a concerning phenomenon in the Negev region as footage surfaced online of caravans of vehicles driving recklessly down southern Israel roads, with passengers brandishing firearms and wantonly firing live rounds into the air.

These processions are part of a wedding tradition of the local Bedouin population, according to which the groom along with his family arrives at the bride's family home in single file to pick her up. The grander the caravan, the greater the respect shown to the bride's family.

Israel Police officials have told Ynet in the past that these wedding caravans were much more commonplace 15 years ago. But nowadays, rather than older family members picking up the blushing bride, younger relatives take it upon themselves to get the party started with hair-raising displays of reckless driving.

While police are working to mitigate this phenomenon, footage from Friday's wedding celebrations demonstrates how the problem still persists.

Videos show columns of cars speeding recklessly down roads near Tel Sheva, putting other road users at risk. The cars' license plates were seen covered in tape to avoid identification by law enforcement and masked passengers were openly displaying assault rifles and firing live rounds in the air indiscriminately.

Israel Police told Ynet that they were familiar with this most recent incident and that "there will be arrests soon."


JPost Editorial: No deal, however limited, can enable Iran to reach the nuclear threshold
Recent developments raise concern
Several recent developments should raise significant red flags.

Last week, while denying that Iran is seeking nuclear arms, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameini nonetheless bragged, “The West could not stop Iran from building nuclear weapons if Tehran wanted to pursue a nuclear arms program.”

US intelligence services believe that from the moment Iran begins the process of building a nuclear bomb, it would take about 12 days to enrich uranium to a high, military, level of 90 percent.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recently dropped its investigation into what Israeli intelligence said is an undeclared nuclear site at Marivan.

Finally, Iran’s official news agency IRNA announced on June 6 that it had successfully produced a hypersonic missile with a range of up to 1,400 km.

These developments should also be seen against the backdrop of the rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran, facilitated by China. Although the Biden administration still seems keen on achieving Israeli-Saudi normalization, it is likely to involve the promotion of a Saudi civilian nuclear program and the sale of advanced US weapons, among other things. This could trigger a nuclear arms race in the Middle East.

The wider impact
In addition, the use of Iranian drones by Russia in its offensive on Ukraine cannot be ignored. Europe, within range of Iranian ballistic missiles, cannot be complacent about the threats and the US needs to understand the dangers of boosting Iran diplomatically and financially.

In Israel, despite the polarized political situation, this is one topic on which both the coalition and opposition agree. There is a blame game over whose fault it is that Iran is now so close to a nuclear breakout, but no one is under any illusion regarding the dangers from Iran.

Israel might be the primary target, but nowhere would be safe if Iran reaches the nuclear threshold.
WSJ Editorial: Biden's New Iran Nuclear Courtship
The same people who gave us the Iran nuclear deal in 2015 are trying to pull off a new version that would send Iran cash on day one in return for promises down the road. The Biden Administration is pursuing an unwritten "understanding" with Iran to get to the brink of a nuclear breakout but go no further.

Color us skeptical that an unwritten agreement, without clear technical restrictions, would compel Iran to reinstall monitoring equipment, turn over data or submit to enhanced inspections. "Trust but verify" is being turned on its head. There's no trust and little verification. The new strategy is hope and pay.

Iran isn't putting its antipathy to the U.S. and its allies on hold. The country is sending drones to Russia to use against Ukraine, and its proxies in Iraq and Syria have killed Americans with Tehran's approval as recently as March. This latest effort at nuclear appeasement won't work any better than the last one.
'We told our American friends that limited understandings are unacceptable to us'
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that he opposes any interim agreement reportedly being negotiated between the United States and Iran over its nuclear program.

Netanyahu spoke after reports in Israeli media said understandings are being reached between Washington and Tehran that would seek to partially hold back Iran's nuclear program in exchange for some sanctions relief. The reports could not be independently confirmed and the US has publicly denied any such deal.

Netanyahu said Israel had informed the US that it opposed even a partial agreement with Iran.

"We told our American friends that even the limited understandings are unacceptable to us," the prime minister said during a visit to the Israel Aerospace Industries on Sunday, just hours after hours after an Israel Hayom report on his relative "defeating silence" on the emerging understandings.

Israeli officials believe some understandings have already been reached limiting enrichment and that some funds have already been unfrozen. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were discussing a confidential diplomatic assessment.

Last week, Israeli media reported that under the emerging understanding Iran would limit its uranium enrichment to 60% in exchange for sanctions relief. The site also said the sides were discussing reciprocal prisoner releases.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said last week "there is no deal," adding that the reports were untrue.

Reports also said that Netanyahu had revealed details of the agreement at a recent parliamentary committee meeting. The US and Israel share intelligence and a prime focus of the countries' interactions is Iran and its nuclear program.
Netanyahu: 'any 'limited' nuke agreements with Iran are still unacceptable'
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu clarifies to "American friends" that any nuclear agreements with Iran, including those that are narrow and provisional in scope, remain "unacceptable" to Jerusalem during a tour of the Israel Aerospace Industries plant




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