Saturday, July 08, 2023
Israel is playing pretend as multi-front conflagration looms
Israel might soon face the same challenges it did in the spring, as the terror wave in Judea and Samaria continues as well as following rocket fire from Gaza and Lebanon.Mark Regev: Israeli-American relations over time, from President to President
The events are thought to be unrelated. Although the IDF did say ahead of its latest anti-terrorism operation in Jenin that there might be revenge attacks – such as the car ramming in Tel Aviv that injured seven – security officials struggled to link the terrorist who carried out Thursday's attack in Kedumim to the earlier events, among other things because he had no history of terror involvement.
Nevertheless, experience shows that such events are rarely unrelated. The massive scale of incitement on social media, including explicit calls to perpetrate attacks against Israelis "in revenge," significantly impacted Palestinians. Add to that the pressure exerted by various terror groups and the depletion of the Palestinian Authority's security mechanism, all of which led to a spike in the number of attempted attacks.
In an effort to subdue the terror wave, the IDF flooded the area with troops. The Kedumim terrorist encountered a soldier upon arrival and decided to shoot him. The result is tragic, of course, but perhaps preferable over civilian casualties, like in the shooting attack at the Eli gas station.
The role of the security forces is to serve as a divide between terrorists and civilians, as happened in Kedumim. The IDF must step up offensive moves as it did in Jenin to push terrorists into hiding, but if necessary, also provide a physical barrier to absorb the impact.
The terror wave is most likely to continue in the near future in Judea and Samaria and along the Green Line. What is more troubling is the fact that the northern border is becoming an issue again. The IDF could not determine who launched the projectile, Hezbollah or the Palestinians, and whether it was related to this week's events in the West Bank.
Successive presidents have tried to duplicate Carter’s achievement, but only a few have come close to matching the scope of his breakthrough.Biden State Department Did Not Consult Anti-Semitism Office on Israel Boycott, Cruz Says
The celebration of American Independence Day this week provides an opportunity to look back at the formative events over the first three decades of US-Israel relations, when the foundation stones were laid for the strong alliance we know today.
Truman’s recognition
Moshav Kfar Truman and streets in cities across Israel are named after America’s 33rd president, and rightly so.
Harry S. Truman supported Jewish statehood in the November 1947 United Nations partition vote and followed up in May 1948 by becoming the first world leader to announce recognition (de facto) of the newborn Jewish state – a move that expeditiously followed David Ben-Gurion’s proclamation of independence.
In both cases, Truman overruled the advice of the State Department and the Pentagon, who worried about relations with the Arabs, the supply of oil, and the possibility that US troops would be called upon to protect the Jews. Seasoned professionals accused Truman of subjugating foreign policy to domestic political needs.
But if Truman was prioritizing politics – and which president running for reelection ignores political considerations? – it was not necessarily about the mythically all-powerful “Jewish vote.”
As Walter Russel Mead has pointed out in his recent book on the US-Israel relationship The Arc of a Covenant, Truman was less influenced by Jewish lobbying than by the need to ward off momentum for the left-wing presidential candidate Henry Wallace. To do this, Truman had to galvanize support for his reelection in organized labor and among liberal Democrats.
In the aftermath of the Nazi genocide, progressive America embraced Zionism, seeing the struggle of the long-persecuted Jews for a state of their own as an integral element in the liberal universalist agenda for a better world. Thus, for Truman, former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt – the period’s progressive icon and a staunch public campaigner for Jewish statehood – was far more consequential politically than the indefatigable American Zionist leader Rabbi Abba Hillel Silver.
The Biden State Department did not consult with its anti-Semitism watchdog before ending taxpayer funding for Israeli research projects, a move that casts doubt on the department's insistence that the policy was noncontroversial.
The Biden administration sent shockwaves through the pro-Israel advocacy world late last month when it decided to boycott all scientific cooperation projects with Jewish Israelis living in so-called settlements throughout East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Golan Heights. But "the State Department’s own Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism was excluded from deliberations over this guidance and did not clear it," according to a draft investigatory letter authored by Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas) making the rounds on Capitol Hill.
The disclosure could undermine the State Department’s claim that its ban on taxpayer funding for these Israeli groups is "simply reflective of the longstanding U.S. position" on disputed areas of the Jewish state. The department’s anti-Semitism envoy, Holocaust historian Debra Lipstadt, is a vocal opponent of Israel boycotts, and routinely calls out foreign nations for their efforts to unfairly target the Jewish state. If the State Department cut Lipstadt out of discussions around the policy, it could signal the decision was much more internally controversial than officials are willing to publicly admit.
After news about the Israel funding prohibition leaked last month, Republican leaders—including several Republican presidential candidates—quickly accused the Biden administration of advancing the anti-Semitic Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement. Cruz’s draft letter on the matter warns the Biden administration that its endorsement of this policy risks "a full rupture" in Congress’s "ability to engage the Department of State on these issues."
"Candidly, it is untenable for State Department officials to continue testifying to Congress that they support the U.S.-Israel relationship and then—once out of view—to push policies designed to undermine that relationship," Cruz wrote, according to a copy of the letter obtained by the Washington Free Beacon. "Without a reversal in these trends Congressional oversight and the expeditious vetting of nominees would become intractable."
The ITIC reports on a Hamas lawfare campaign (PDF)
Al-Jazeera TV reported Israel was being sued in the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague for a giant suit of $250 billion by a group of European lawyers. They represent eight members of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) in the Gaza Strip who initiated the suit for damages resulting from the alleged "crimes" Israel committed against the residents of Gaza beginning in 2007, especially the damages caused by the "siege" they claim is imposed by Israel. The amount of the claim is based on a document issued by the UN several years ago claiming the damages to the Gaza Strip between 2008 and 2018 totaled $16.7 billion.Ukraine supports 90% of UN anti-Israel decisions - Israeli ambassador
The suit was submitted with the aid of two international organizations: AFD International, a human rights organization with headquarters in Brussels, and One Justice, located in Paris. The lawyers are headed by Gilles Devers, a French citizen who has spent many years submitting suits against Israel in the ICC (AFD International Facebook page, June 21, 2023).
The Palestinians refer to anti-Israeli lawfare and their many appeals to the ICC as a form of "resistance" and one of the tools in their "struggle" against Israel. They consider that the very fact that the suits are submitted, even if they do not result in judgments, limits Israel's freedom of action, contributes to weakening its narrative and limits its political and diplomatic activities.
The PLC members claimed the suit was being submitted on behalf of the Palestinian people, but in reality, it is being submitted on behalf of Hamas, because the PLC ceased to exist after the split between Fatah and Hamas in the Gaza Strip in 2007. Moreover, on December 22, 2018, Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Mahmoud Abbas announced he had dispersed the PLC and called for new elections "within six months" (al-Quds, December 26, 2018). At the time Hamas stated the dispersal was invalid because the constitutional court was a subservient, arbitrary body which had been established by Mahmoud Abbas and could not change the PLC's sovereign status. In effect, PLC members in the Gaza Strip continue holding meetings, propose laws and supervise the work of the Hamas administration's ministries.
Ukraine supports 90% of anti-Israel decisions in the United Nations, Israeli Ambassador to Ukraine Michael Brodsky told Ukrainian outlet ZN.UA.Biden Once Opposed Cluster Bombs when Israel Used Them; Now Ships to Ukraine
"This is unusual considering Kyiv often turns to the Israeli authorities for various requests," he said. "If Ukraine sees Israel as a friendly nation and makes requests from it, then it needs to support us in the matters that are important to us just as Israel works with Ukraine on matters important to it."
In a UN vote in January on referring Israel to the International Court of Justice for its “occupation, settlement and annexation of Palestinian territory”, Ukraine voted against Israel in the draft and didn't cast a vote in the main round after its ambassador to Israel was summoned.
On the other hand, Brodsky told ZN.UA, Israel has supported Ukraine in the UN from the beginning, supporting a UN decision against Russia at the start of the war and later became a co-writer of the resolution.
Israel doesn't support Ukraine when it endangers security
On Ukrainian issues that Israel did not support, Brodsky told ZN.UA that sometimes Israel has to take its security into account.
"This is due to our sensitivity in relations with Russia and the danger that may arise if Israel takes any careless steps that could lead to an aggravation of the situation," he said, adding that this is also why Israel hasn't sent weapons to Ukraine and has only given humanitarian aid.
Brodsky added that while Israel has not given Ukraine weapons, it is in the process of supplying the country with an early warning system
President Joe Biden will be sending cluster bombs to Ukraine to use in its war against Russia, the White House confirmed Friday. But he has opposed their use in the past, especially by Israel in the Lebanon War in 1982.Dore Gold: Saudi-Israeli integration is more possible than ever
The Washington Post recalled Biden’s “complicated history” — i.e. flip-flopping — on the issue of cluster bombs, which are larger bombs that release many bomblets. Some remain unexploded and can threaten civilians.
The Post noted that Biden offered stern criticism of then-Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, in an episode often cited by pro-Israel critics of Biden as evidence that he has never been as supportive of Israel as he claims.
At the time, Israel was fighting Palestinian guerillas in Lebanon, who had been shelling communities in northern Israel for years. Israel’s invasion drew sharp international criticism, as well as domestic protest.
The Post recalled:
Amid reports that Israel had used cluster bombs in its invasion of Lebanon, some Democrats went so far as to push for cutting off aid to Israel.
According to a contemporary UPI report, Biden said that if those reports were accurate, then Israel was clearly in violation. He said the United States should respond by “cutting off the ability to get access to that kind of weaponry in the future.” But he cautioned against making a “final judgment” and again called for hearings on the subject.
Democrats also expressed such concerns during what the New York Times labeled “a highly emotional confrontation” on Capitol Hill with Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin in June 1982. Sen. Paul Tsongas (D-Mass.) highlighted the cluster bomb reports while saying he had “never seen such an angry session with a foreign head of state.”
The latter argument reportedly concerned Israeli settlements, not cluster bombs. During the Second Lebanon War in 2006, when Israel was again accused of using cluster bombs (this time against Hezbollah guerillas), then-Sen. Biden (D-DE) opposed a bill that would ban the use of cluster munitions in populated areas.
Let us remember that if any diplomatic process goes forward, it is likely that the whole question of what happened to Jamal Khashoggi in October 2018 will likely be raised in the US.Hudson Institute: Is Israel the Biggest Loser of the Syrian Civil War?
Since that time, the US has led a coalition of states against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Europe has faced an acute shortage of gas which it previously imported from Russia.
These geostrategic realities have forced the US to moderate its attitude to the Khashoggi question and to the possible role of MBS in ordering his removal. (It was notable that in 2022, the Biden administration provided a legal opinion that MBS had immunity in the whole Khashoggi incident.)
Since that time another factor has arisen, namely the reproachment between Saudi Arabia and Iran. It is doubtful that Riyadh is prepared to replace its decades-old alliance with the US with an alternative connection with Iran.
To best understand the underlying motivation for this move it is critical to recall the escalating Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, including its oil infrastructure in 2019. The US did not respond at the time to these actions in which Iran was complicit.
Saudi Arabia sought to diversify its alliances in response, but it could not depend on Tehran to provide an umbrella against Houthi initiatives that ultimately were directly backed by Iran in the first place.
Right now one of the complications which Saudi Arabia faces could come from the internal struggle inside of Israel. It is imperative that Israel finds a way to gain control of the chaos that has plagued the West Bank whether it came from the Palestinian organizations or from Jewish groups at this time.
There is a historical opportunity emerging which must not be missed and it is determining the direction Saudi Arabia is taking. Israel needs to show that it understands where Saudi Arabia is heading and how both countries can become partners in creating a different Middle East.
Thanks to the survival of the Bashar al-Assad regime, Iran has established a permanent position in Syria. From this position, Tehran spreads its influence in the eastern Mediterranean and assists other malevolent actors, such as Lebanese Hezbollah, Hamas, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
In a new essay, Israeli Middle East analyst Ehud Yaari cites these factors, among others, as proof that Israel is “the biggest loser” of the Syrian Civil War. Yaari’s view diverges from the near consensus among members of the Israeli defense establishment, who routinely refer to Syria as a great success of what the Israelis call “the campaign between the wars.” Targeted strikes and innovative intelligence work, the establishment argues, have prevented the Islamic Republic from turning Syria into a second Lebanon, which Iran could use as a major base for military operations against Israel.
Hudson Senior Fellow Michael Doran will host Yaari and Zohar Palti, the former head of the Policy and Political-Military Bureau in Israel’s Ministry of Defense, to discuss Yaari’s views on Syria and Israel’s strategic situation more broadly.
— ????Igal Shneiurson???? (@shneiurson) July 8, 2023
Jenin operation aggravates Fatah-Hamas tensions
In a series of statements posted on social media, Fatah-affiliated groups and individuals condemned Hamas as a “puppet” in the hands of Iran and called for preventing it from operating in the West Bank.Israel has had a good relationship with UN Secretary-General Antonio Gutteres
“Hamas is a mercenary group serving the agenda of foreign parties,” said a Fatah official. “Hamas has always been acting against the higher national interests of the Palestinian people. Hamas wants to create a separate Palestinian state in the Gaza Strip – with the blessing of Israel and the US.”
Tawfik Tirawi, member of the Fatah Central Committee and a former head of the PA’s General Intelligence Service in the West Bank, called on the Aqsa Martyrs Brigades gang “to rise and protect your leaders and security forces.” The call came in response to the expulsion of Aloul and Ahmed from the funerals.
A Hamas activist described Tirawi’s call as a “declaration of war” on Hamas and other Palestinian “resistance” groups. The activist and other Palestinians said many of the gunmen who marched on the streets of Palestinian cities and villages were actually officers belonging to the Preventive Security Service and General Intelligence Service.
After the appeal, the Aqsa Martyrs Brigades announced that its men have been placed on high alert in many parts of the West Bank.
Commenting on the appearance of Fatah gunmen on the streets, a Palestinian political activist asked: “How come we never see these gunmen when the Israeli army invades Palestinian cities and refugee camps? Why do they always appear in public to threaten and intimidate Palestinians?”
In a face-saving act on Saturday, Aloul and a number of top Fatah officials, including Rawhi Fattouh, chairman of the the PLO’s legislative body, the Palestinian National Council, returned to Jenin Refugee Camp as guests of the Jenin Battalion and Aqsa Martyrs Brigades.
One of the gunmen assured the Fatah delegation: “Our only goal is to fight the Jews. Our rifles were never involved in [internal] political issues.”
In response, Gilad Erdan, Israel’s representative at the UN, told the Times of Israel on Thursday that Guterres’ criticisms were “shameful, farfetched, and completely detached from reality.”
Jenin raid was necessary
Israel has said the raid was necessary to stem terrorist attacks on civilians which have accelerated over the past year and that all 12 who were killed were militants. The raid injured 90 people and drove many out of homes destroyed during the attack.
The Palestinian Authority called the operation a “war crime” and the top United Nations human rights official said in a statement that the operation “raises a host of serious issues with respect to international human rights norms and standards.” The US National Security Council, by contrast, said in a statement that it “support[s] Israel’s security and right to defend its people,” though it added, “It is imperative to take all possible precautions to prevent the loss of civilian lives.”
Guterres called out the use of airstrikes during the raid, saying they were “inconsistent with the conduct of law enforcement operations.”
Israel, as the occupying power, “has a responsibility to ensure that the civilian population is protected against all acts of violence.”
I don’t understand why ‘closed consultations’? What do they have to hide? That all those killed in Jenin were combatants? Or that Jenin has become a hotbed of Palestinian terrorism, from where at least 15 Israelis were murdered this year? https://t.co/liM0Fi4Uzf
— Arsen Ostrovsky (@Ostrov_A) July 8, 2023
EU Envoy to Palestinian Territories Says Jenin Raid Raises Questions on ‘Proportionality’
A European envoy to the Palestinian territories on Saturday lambasted Israel, questioning the “proportionality” of the force it used in the Jenin anti-terrorism operation.
European Union representative to the Palestinian territories Sven Kuehn von Burgsdorff made the comments as he led an international delegation to the camp in the northern West Bank.
His remarks echoed UN chief Antonio Guterres who on Thursday told reporters “there was an excessive force used by Israeli forces” in its 48-hour operation, the largest Israel has staged in the Palestinian territory for years.
“We are concerned about the deployment of weaponry and weapons systems which question the proportionality of the military during the operation,” Kuehn von Burgsdorff said of the operation in which 12 Palestinian terrorists and one Israeli soldier were killed.
“This cycle of violence has to end, it cannot continue. If there is no political solution to the conflict, we are going to stand here in a week’s time, in a month’s time, in a year’s time, with nothing changed,” he added.
I see the @EUpalestinians Mission is visiting #Jenin. Perhaps @EUinIsrael @DTzantchev will visit the families of the 15 Israelis murdered in Palestinian terror attacks from Jenin this year or confirm their killers will not receive EU-funded salaries! pic.twitter.com/RErwpMRiOc
— Arsen Ostrovsky (@Ostrov_A) July 8, 2023
Become scumbag Jew-murdering terrorists and you too can get @thetimes columnists like @scribblercat calling it merely “resistance”. Another sick column ?? pic.twitter.com/elVaulb1I9
— Richard Millett ???? ???? ???? (@RichMillett) July 8, 2023
Philp has previously expressed her "solidarity" with the Palestinian people, accused Israel of "real time apartheid," yet declared she was "a journalist not an advocate."
— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) July 8, 2023
As we pointed out in our post below at the end of last year, we're not so sure. https://t.co/UkErBKwTKG
??????
— David Collier (@mishtal) July 8, 2023
Why not say 40,000 or 4 million???
The whole notion that a Palestinian living under the Palestinian Authority in part of what was the 'Mandate of Palestine' can be a 'refugee' is an insult to the intelligence of anyone with an IQ over 75.https://t.co/OoUTQyvJhK
Jenin terror financed by drug smuggling
Since the start of 2023, Hamas and Islamic Jihad leaderships have injected millions of shekels to encourage the continued intensification of terrorism in the Jenin region. In the case of Hamas, leader Saleh al-Arouri is based in Turkey and directs activities in Judea and Samaria from there, while Islamic Jihad secretary general Ziad al-Nakhala moves between Beirut, where he is under the auspices of Hezbollah, and Tehran where its patron is the supreme leader Ali Khamenei. Nakhala attaches great importance to the Jenin area, which is the center of activity of the terrorist organization under his leadership.Israeli FM Eli Cohen calls on int'l community to tackle Syria's drug trafficking
Although the activity of these two terrorist organizations is international, how have they managed to provide millions of shekels in six months to their operatives in Jenin? The answer begins in Syria and Lebanon. Both Hezbollah and the Assad regime rely on revenue from the export of the psychostimulant drug Captagon. Syria dominates the international Captagon market in such a significant way that in May alone, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iraq and Jordan collectively seized tens of millions of Captagon pills worth more than a billion dollars.
Consequently, Arab League members have tried to take advantage of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's return to the community of nations by guaranteeing him economic aid in exchange for stopping Captagon activities, in which his army is even cooperates with Hezbollah. However, the Syrian president says one thing and does another separate and the Captagon smuggling continues.
Estimates are that some of these drugs, along with weapons, are also smuggled into Israel through Jordan as part of cooperation that between criminal and terrorist organizations. In 2022 alone, 40 smuggling attempts were thwarted with goods totaling NIS 135 million. This indicates how much was smuggled anyway.
In April Jordanian member of parliament Imad al-Adwan was arrested while crossing the Allenby Bridge with 12 rifles and 194 pistols in his car. According to the Shin Bet, others from the West Bank were arrested after al-Adwan was detained but subsequently released and deported to Jordan. It turned out that since February al-Adwan had smuggled weapons into Israel 12 times using his diplomatic passport.
These drugs and weapons not only harm Israeli society, but also encourage terrorist activity in the West Bank, since the money from those drugs, some of it from Israel, is ultimately also used to accumulate capital for terrorist operatives in the West Bank in general and in Jenin in particular.
The Syrian narco-regimeSeth Frantzman: Why Israel needs to focus on Syria’s drug trafficking - analysis
"The scourge of drugs affects many countries in our region, which leads to the deterioration of many young people into addiction, a life of crime, and often into terrorism. I made it clear today that the main culprit in the distribution of the drug is the Assad regime which must be held accountable for its actions and we must impose significant sanctions on this drug-distributing regime," said Cohen at the conference.
"The moderate countries of the region must pool their forces and resources and fight the phenomenon. I offered the participants in the conference Israeli assistance in the areas of drug detection, strengthening of border crossings, and the fight against the distribution of drugs."
The foreign minister also compared the Syrian regime with ISIS as a destabilizing, terror-sponsoring, drug-trafficking regime.
Syria's narco-regime is being controlled by President Bashar al-Assad's younger brother Maher al-Assad and the Fourth Armored Division of the Syrian Army, according to a New York Times report. The drug trade touches all aspects of the Syrian regime with many prominent businessmen as well as the Iranian proxy Hezbollah deeply involved.
The captagon trade has begun spilling into neighboring countries with the Jordanian government bombing Syria in May killing a prominent drug kingpin, according to AP news. Cracking down on the captagon trade would no doubt restrict both Hezbollah's and the Syrian regime's access to funds.
Israel is joining a growing list of countries that are concerned about the Syrian regime’s drug production and trafficking. A statement by Foreign Minister Eli Cohen called for a regional coalition to halt the expansion of Syria’s drug production and trafficking, at an international conference on drug trafficking on Friday.Analyzing the Islamic Jihad Narrative of the Current Conflict
This is important because it joins the US, Jordan and other countries in putting a spotlight on how opioids, such as captagon, have harmed the region. This also marks an important milestone for the US because US Secretary of State Antony Blinken pushed for this recent ministerial meeting to launch a Global Coalition to address Synthetic Drug Threats.
This is also a unique opportunity for regional integration on policies related to confronting drug smuggling. This scourge harms all the countries in the region and can destabilize countries. Iran, for instance, is linked to militant and militia groups that destabilize Syria and Iraq. An opportunity to collaborate toward a mutual goal
The US supports the Abraham Accords and issues that affect the region. Towards that end, confronting drugs can be a way for Israel to work with other countries. Jordan, for instance, is very keen to stop the drug smuggling. Amman sent its foreign minister to Damascus to discuss this issue last week and the ministry put out a statement over the weekend.
The meeting highlighting the drug trade as part of this new global coalition was attended by countries such as Saudi Arabia, UAE, Morocco and others. These are all key responsible countries when it comes to promoting stability and common interests in the region.
What are some of the issues involved?
The formation of the coalition is an important step to address the escalating threat of industrial-size drug production, Jordan says. “The new international coalition will allow us to work together to combat the production, trafficking and distribution of industrial drugs… The global danger of industrial drugs and the vast resources available to its manufacturers and smugglers, requires a joint international effort to confront this danger,” Jordan’s foreign ministry said.
Announcing this initiative in June, the US said that “synthetic drugs represent a grave and growing risk to the health and safety of Americans and people around the world. Illicit fentanyl and other synthetic opioids are involved in more deaths of American adults under 50 than any other cause.”
Recently, Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader Ziad al-Nahala gave an interview to the Iranian newspaper “Al-Wafaq” which was aired on June 30th, 2023.
During the interview, which dealt with several subjects regarding the Palestinians’ situation in Gaza and the West Bank, we found some interesting remarks worth mentioning. First of all, Nahala addressed the Palestinian terror organization’s “joint operations room”. He claimed that this is an expression of the coordination between the different organizations on the battlefield in terms of coordinating targets, firing missiles, defining fighting sectors, mutual support, and other tasks. Then Nahala stated that there is no need to exaggerate the importance and the activity of this room as it is simply a coordination tool and nothing more, and there is no actual physical headquarter in which representatives from different organization sit together.
In our understanding, this statement is a sign of Nahala’s dissatisfaction with Hamas’s lack of intervention in the last few rounds of fighting with Israel, in which Hamas left the PIJ to fight on its own.
Another important remark concerned Iran’s support of Palestinian terror organizations.
Although this support is not much of a secret, Nahala unhesitatingly admits, in his voice, that Iran is actively supporting the PIJ and other Palestinian organizations. This support, which started after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, continued throughout the years to today.
The increasing Iranian support of the PIJ and other Palestinian organizations in the past few years, especially in the West Bank, comes from a direct order by Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei and was carried out by the Quds force. Nahala stated he had close ongoing ties with Quds force’s commander Qassem Suleimani, and that this relationship continues today with his successor Ismail Qaani, both involved in almost every aspect of “the resistance”.
Nahala further added that Suleimani was one of the biggest advocates of the Palestinian cause, being “more Palestinian than the Palestinians and he loved Jerusalem more than the Jerusalemites…”
Something has the Fatah leadership spooked lately. Akram Rajoub denounced Hamas earlier this week, a senior Fatah official was driven away by angry Palestinians at a funeral in Jenin for those killed in the Israeli operation this week, and al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades has declared…
— Joe Truzman (@JoeTruzman) July 7, 2023
US envoy to Iran under FBI investigation over handling of classified info — report
The FBI is investigating the US special envoy for Iran, Rob Malley, over his handling of classified material, a Friday report said, after the Biden administration suspended Malley’s security clearance and put him on leave.FDD: Non-Enforcement of U.S. Oil Sanctions on Iran Hits New High
An internal security investigation into Malley has been turned over to the FBI, the US news outlet Semafor reported, citing a source in the State Department.
Two State Department officials had previously said the agency’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security was leading the inquiry.
Further details about the case remain unclear, but the FBI’s involvement suggested the suspicion of a possible crime, Semafor reported.
Malley said last week that he was on leave from the Biden administration due to a review of his security clearance.
In a text sent to several reporters, Malley said, “I have been informed that my security clearance is under review. I have not been provided any further information, but I expect the investigation to be resolved favorably and soon. In the meantime, I am on leave.”
Malley has led administration efforts to revive the faltering Iran nuclear deal and resolve issues related to detained Americans in Iran, but has not been active in his job for weeks.
His departure came as indirect talks had recently intensified between the US and Iran, which has gradually escalated its uranium enrichment amid the collapse of the nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Expert AnalysisIranian Threat in America's Backyard, Thanks to The Biden Administration
“Iran can’t skyrocket its oil exports to 1.6 million barrels per day by sanctions evasion alone. That number likely reflects a policy of non-enforcement of sanctions. With the administration pursuing so-called ‘de-escalation’ policies with both Iran and China simultaneously, tacitly approving increased Iranian oil exports to China is one way the White House can offer concessions to both regimes.” — Richard Goldberg, FDD Senior Advisor
“The secrecy surrounding the administration’s dealings with Iran makes it challenging for Congress and the American public to know what sanctions relief or accessible funds Tehran has received, when, and under what auspices. For starters, the administration should confirm whether all $10 billion in Iranian assets in Iraq are now accessible to Tehran and whether there has been or will be any special drawing rights provided to Iran via the IMF.” — Behnam Ben Taleblu, FDD Senior Fellow
Sanctions Relief May Be Underway, Evading U.S. Laws
INARA prohibits the president from issuing statutory sanctions relief for Iran in connection with any broadly defined “agreement” related to Iran’s nuclear program in which the U.S. “commits or otherwise agrees to take action, regardless of the form it takes, whether a political commitment or otherwise, and regardless of whether it is legally binding or not.” Open questions thus remain as to whether Iraq’s provision of sanctions relief to Iran — as enabled by the Biden administration — triggers the statutory requirement to submit any agreement to Congress pursuant to INARA.
Another law, the International Financial Institutions Act, requires the U.S. executive director at the IMF to “use the voice and vote of the United States to oppose any loan or other use of the funds of the respective institution to or for a country” that is designated as a state sponsor of terrorism. The law also prohibits providing funds to a non-nuclear weapons state seeking to develop a nuclear explosive device.
Thanks to the Biden Administration's apparently lack of policy towards Latin America as well as the Administration's policy of appeasement towards Iran's Islamist regime, the ruling mullahs have been freely violating sanctions and increasing their influence in America's backyard without facing any consequences.FDD: Iran Becomes Full Member of Shanghai Cooperation Organization
"One confidential intelligence document... links Venezuela's new Vice President Tareck El Aissami to 173 Venezuelan passports and ID's that were issued to individuals from the Middle East, including people connected to the terrorist group Hezbollah." The passports could be used for travel to North America or Europe. — CNN, February 14, 2017
"We're concerned that [Venezuelan President Nicolás] Maduro has extended safe harbor to a number of terrorist groups... [including] supporters and sympathizers of Hezbollah." — Nathan Sales, former coordinator for counterterrorism at the US Department of State, Yahoo News, January 20, 2020.
"President Raisi's visit to Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua in plain defiance of the United States demonstrates the failure of the Administration's Latin America policy. We must repair our relationships with our friends in the region so that we can form a united front against the countries that invite the Islamic Republic's terrorist regime into our hemisphere." — US Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, Chair of the House Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, Fox News, June 15, 2023.
Iran began significantly increasing its influence in Latin America after US President Joe Biden assumed office, most likely assuming, apparently correctly, that the Biden Administration would not take any action against the regime.
The Iranian regime's terror cells have indeed grown in Latin America. Iran's terror proxy Hezbollah and Al Mustafa International University have both played a key role in expanding the mullahs' presence and ideology in the region.... "where they can then recruit students and inculcate loyalty to the Islamic Revolution among local populations..." – Report, United Against Nuclear Iran.
Back at home the Iranian regime continues to enrich uranium to levels slightly below those needed for nuclear weapons breakout, all of which -- along with China set to militarize Cuba -- is a clear and present existential danger to the United States.
Expert AnalysisSWC criticizes Evangelical group for event with Iranian Mission to UN
“In championing Iran’s SCO membership, Beijing aims to demonstrate ideological solidarity with Tehran while also easing the regime’s international isolation. In exchange, China hopes to secure favorable terms for Iranian oil while also benefitting from Iranian insight into U.S. sanctions evasion — a key Chinese priority as it weighs possible plans to invade Taiwan.” — Craig Singleton, FDD China Program Deputy Director and Senior Fellow
“The Chinese Communist Party and the Islamic Republic of Iran are united in their disdain for the United States, and increasingly close Sino-Iranian relations present genuine national security challenges for Washington, its Arab partners, and Israel. Chinese investment in Tehran will make U.S.-led sanctions against the Islamic Republic less effective, eroding Washington’s leverage and increasing the potential necessity for military action against Iran’s nuclear program.” —Bradley Bowman, Senior Director of FDD’s Center on Military and Political Power
China Active in Middle East
Iran’s accession to the SCO was initially approved in a 2021 vote of member states. Earlier that year, Tehran and Beijing signed a 25-year strategic partnership. The exact contents of the agreement remain a secret, but a leaked copy called for China and Iran to conduct combined military training, exercises, weapons development, and intelligence sharing.
More recently, Beijing brokered an agreement between Iran and rival Saudi Arabia to reestablish relations, with both countries agreeing to reopen their respective embassies after a seven-year freeze. China is a major importer of oil from Iran and Saudi Arabia.
Iran-Russia Alliance Against the West
Despite their competition to sell cheap, sanctioned oil to the likes of China and other states defying U.S. sanctions, Iran and Russia have cobbled together a political and military alliance. Iran’s provision to Russia of suicide drones and desperately needed artillery shells and ammunition has helped prolong and bolster Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
In April, The Wall Street Journal reported that Russian cargo ships have imported more than 300,000 artillery shells and a million rounds of ammunition from Iran through the Caspian Sea. Earlier this year, Moscow and Tehran moved forward with plans to construct a factory to produce Iranian Shahed-136 drones — which Moscow rebranded as the Geran-2 — near the Russian town of Yelabuga.
In return, Russia is helping Iran advance its cyber warfare and digital surveillance capabilities by providing it with advanced digital surveillance software, according to The Wall Street Journal. The software enables the regime in Tehran to hack into phones and other digital systems used by dissidents and other adversaries.
The Jewish human rights organization Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC) criticized the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) last week for organizing an event with the Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran which was called “The Role of Religions in Protection and Promotion of Human Rights.”
“It is difficult to put into words the damage done by the World Evangelical Alliance to the cause for human rights and human dignity in Iran by arranging for an opening statement by Iranian Ambassador Ali Bahreini at the United Nations in Geneva," said Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean and director of Global Social Action Agenda of the SWC.
The WEA brought together over 150 of either national or regional evangelical alliances of churches, and identifies itself as the largest organization of evangelical churches.
"This is a time when NGOs, including and especially those that purport to speak for hundreds of church groups around the world, should be focusing all of its efforts to stand in solidarity, and aid and abet, not providing legitimacy on the world stage to the murderous regime in Tehran.”
WEA gives mixed messages
Cooper went on to say that the evangelical organization's decision disrespects an event that the WEA hosted last month in which they honored an Iranian Muslim woman who converted to Christianity. He states that Iran has "anti-blasphemy laws that endanger religious minorities including Christians."
Cooper then concluded that the evangelical organization is giving mixed messages, and thus states that it "only serves to embolden the Iranian regime" and claims that "the WEA leadership have given a very powerful example about how religions can damage and degrade human rights.”
Here’s one example of Raefipour disseminating anti-Semitic, anti-Saudi propaganda, claiming the “King of Saudi is a Jew” and the “Al-Saud royal family are the Al-Yahood (the Jewish)”. pic.twitter.com/c6tF1Ov6AW
— Kasra Aarabi (???? ??????) (@KasraAarabi) July 7, 2023
Chicago Financial Firm Removes Over 100 Negative ESG Ratings for Israel Linked Companies
Morningstar, Inc., a Chicago-based investment firm managing over $250 billion in assets, has removed 109 negative “controversy ratings” that its Sustainalytics subsidiary had given companies operating in Israel as part of its effort to promote investment guided by environmental, social, governmental (ESG) principles.Daniel Greenfield: After Ben & Jerry’s Demands U.S. Return Land to Indians, Indian Chief Asks for its HQ
“After months of negotiations and discussions with Morningstar about its assumptions, sources, and language, we appreciate that a significant number of companies unfairly rated for their work with Israel have had these black marks lifted,” Elana Broitman, senior vice president of Jewish Federations of North America, which pressured the firm to stop the practice, said in a statement shared with The Algemeiner on Friday.
Broitman added, “Our work is not yet done, however, and we look forward to further progress and Morningstar’s selection of experts to advise on these matters.”
The firm’s removal of the controversy ratings for the companies builds on policy changes it instituted last year after being accused of supporting the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) and placing Israeli companies and those linked to Israel on a “watchlist.” In 2021, JLens, a group that offers financial advice to Jewish investors and was incorporated by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) last November, reviewed Sustainalytics’ practices and alleged that the firm had used “BDS blacklists” and described Israeli companies with “politicized anti-Israel language” in its reports.
JLens was the first organization to elicit attention to the issue and prompted Morningstar’s cracking down on the practices and adopting policies ensuring that Sustainalytics would not become a BDS collaborator.
Morningstar has repeatedly denied that it ever supported BDS. Last June, Morningstar CEO Kunal Kapoor issued a statement arguing that an external review of Sustainalytics found no evidence that it “encouraged divestment from Israel” but acknowledged that at least one of its departments singled out businesses “linked to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict” and “sometimes used inflammatory language and failed to provide sourcing attribution clearly and consistently.”
Ben & Jerry’s, which is in Vermont, then demanded that America turn over Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills to the Indians, where the company conveniently has no facilities.JNS TV: William Jacobson: Why did the ADL just DEFEND DISCRIMINATION against Asians?
But if we’re turning over land to the Indians, why not start with the land that the child labor social justice ice cream place is located on?
An Indigenous tribe descended from the Native American nation that originally controlled the land in Vermont the Ben & Jerry’s headquarters is located on would be interested in taking it back, its chief has said, after the company publicly called for “stolen” lands to be returned.
Don Stevens, chief of the Nulhegan Band of The Coosuk Abenaki Nation—one of four descended from the Abenaki that are recognized in Vermont—told Newsweek it was “always interested in reclaiming the stewardship of our lands,” but that the company had yet to approach them.
Maps show that the Abenaki—a confederacy of several tribes who united against encroachment from a rival tribal confederacy—controlled an area that stretched from the northern border of Massachusetts in the south to New Brunswick, Canada, in the north, and from the St. Lawrence River in the west to the East Coast.
This would put Ben & Jerry’s headquarters, located in a business park in southern Burlington, within the western portion of this historic territory—though it does not sit in any modern-day tribal lands.
“We are always interested in reclaiming the stewardship of our lands throughout our traditional territories and providing opportunities to uplift our communities,” Stevens said when asked about whether the Nulhegan Abenaki Tribe would want to see the property handed over to Indigenous people.
While the chief said that the tribe “has not been approached in regards to any land back opportunities from Ben & Jerry’s,” he added: “If and when we are approached, many conversations and discussions will need to take place to determine the best path forward for all involved.”
And then there are the homes of Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield. Jerry appears to have an 11-acre property in Williston, VT, as well as a property in Florida’s Pompano Beach. Ben appears to have a good deal more properties. It’s time to return this “stolen land” to the Indians.
Also set all the child laborers free too.
Why have liberal Jewish groups protested the Supreme Court decisions that favor religious freedom and meritocracy?
In this week’s episode of Top Story, JNS editor-in-chief Jonathan Tobin discussed the hypocrisy of liberals who support the independence of Israel’s out-of-control Supreme Court but want to impeach the conservative majority on the U.S. Supreme Court. He also spoke with law professor and LegalInsurrection.com founder William Jacobson about the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decisions on affirmative action, free speech and curbing the power of the executive to cancel student loans.
They discuss
- why the ADL in particular seems to support every liberal cause out there
- the difference between the Israeli and American Supreme Court
- the discrimination caused by Harvard and other universities by considering race as a factor in admissions
.@lexfridman, please reconsider meeting with @m7mdkurd.
— Eitan Fischberger (@EFischberger) July 8, 2023
He expressed support for terrorists and the 2nd intifada in which 1k Israelis were murdered, hopes that G-d "rids us of the Zionists" (meaning +90% of jews) and called the Jewish right to self-determination a "death cult." pic.twitter.com/7OcIdFUvs2
Your reminder that every trade union on @UKLabour’s NEC is affiliated to the Palestine Solidarity Campaign - even the ‘moderate’ @GMB_union.#LabourAntisemitism https://t.co/IXmC7Woysa
— Euan Philipps (@EuanPhilipps) July 7, 2023
SUMMARY OF BBC NEWS WEBSITE PORTRAYAL OF ISRAEL AND THE PALESTINIANS – JUNE 2023
Throughout the month of June 2023, twenty-nine written or filmed reports relating to Israel and/or the Palestinians appeared on the BBC News website’s ‘Middle East’ page, some of which were also published on other pages and six of which were carried over from the previous month.
As usual, the BBC under-reported internal Palestinian affairs with the one item that appeared in June being only the second since the beginning of the year. Among the stories from PA and Hamas controlled areas that were ignored by the BBC during June were the interrogation of anti-corruption activists, the detention of a member of the Bir Zeit university student council, clashes relating to a land dispute in the Gaza Strip and the 16th anniversary of Hamas’ coup.
Why does the @jdforward continue to provide a platform to this extremist, racist and Palestinian terror apologist? https://t.co/tP115x2AjG
— Arsen Ostrovsky (@Ostrov_A) July 7, 2023
One good thing! The Idol finale mocks Kanye West for his love for Hitler & Nazis
The Idol didn't hold back in its criticism of Kanye West, Kim Kardashian's ex-husband, for his anti-Semitism scandal. The episode featured a scene where Lily-Rose Depp's character, Jocelyn, showcased her talent to her management team, and they took a brutal dig at the rapper, referencing his admiration for Adolf Hitler and his vile anti-Semitic rants.Pennsylvania Mayoral Candidate Spews Anti-Jewish Conspiracies
During the scene, Jocelyn's agent made a pointed remark about Kanye, alluding to his association with The Weeknd's character, Tedros. He said, "You know, f*****g Kanye was filling arenas until he decided to start following Adolf Hitler."
The reference to Kanye's controversial actions and statements regarding Hitler and anti-Semitism has raised eyebrows among viewers. The Idol didn't shy away from addressing the rapper's downfall following his social media rants, which led to his Twitter ban and the loss of several lucrative sponsorship deals.
The anti-Semitism scandal involving Kanye West erupted in December 2022, when he made shocking comments during an appearance on the Infowars podcast. The rapper expressed his fondness for Hitler, claimed to "like" and "love" the Nazi leader, defended Nazis, and even denied the Holocaust. His unhinged remarks caused massive reactions and widespread condemnation.
The Idol's decision to incorporate real-world controversies into its storyline is a departure from its usual plotlines focused on the music industry. By addressing Kanye West's anti-Semitism scandal head-on, the series aims to bring attention to the issue and spark a dialogue about the consequences of promoting hate speech.
During the public comment portion of Bethlehem City Council's meeting Wednesday night, resident Arthur Curatola took the podium to address statements that he was antisemitic.The Offspring: US punk rock legends to make Israel debut
Throughout his public comment, he discussed what he called "militant Jews" and the cultural makeup of the members of Murder Inc., a well-known crime syndicate from the early 20th century.
Curatola also announced his bid for city mayor in 2025.
This was not Curatola's first public comment. At a Bethlehem City Council meeting on Dec. 6, 2022, he said that "Christmas City" residents should be "honoring and respecting the teachings of Jesus Christ."
Among his December remarks about Jews, Chinese, and Native Americans, Curatola said, "Jesus Christ sold more books and movies than any Jewish leader or any leader in the world, ever." He encouraged Bethlehem residents to "honor the words and wisdom of this great man who is a great philosopher who we know as Jesus Christ, even though he was a Jew."
Mayor J. William Reynolds spoke Wednesday about the normalization of antisemitic comments in his report. "Part of the reason we've seen those types of ideas gain some public normalization is that many people have decided the best way to get past them is to ignore them," Reynolds said.
After nearly 40 years of touring, The Offspring are making their debut in Israel next week, at Tel Aviv’s Expo Center on July 10.Israel develops plan to build land link to UAE via Saudi Arabia: Report
The American rockers are consistently named among the greatest of the second generation of punk rock bands, alongside Green Day and blink-182.
The band formed in California in 1984, originally under the name Manic Subsidal, in a garage in Cyprus with Dexter Holland on lead vocals and guitar, and Kevin “Noodles” Wasserman on lead and rhythm guitars, and back vocals.
The Offspring reached critical acclaim with their 1994 studio album, Smash, which to this day remains the highest-selling independent album of all time.
Hits include “The Kids Aren’t Alright,” “Self-Esteem,” “Come Out and Play,” “You’re Gonna Go Far Kid,” and more.
However, it was their 1998 album and its huge atypical novelty hit “Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)” that brought the band to a mainstream audience. With its ingratiating catchphrase, “give it to me baby,” it was successful internationally, reaching number one in 10 countries, and even produced an homage years later when it was parodied by Weird Al Yankovic in “Pretty Fly for a Rabbi.”
Israeli media has revealed details of a “secret plan” to build a road linking the UAE with Israel, Sputnik reported on 7 July.
The Hebrew-language Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported that the US and Israel are promoting a secret plan to build a road that will begin in the UAE before passing through Jordan and Saudi Arabia and ending at Israeli ports on the Mediterranean.
The newspaper pointed out that the project was being promoted by Tel Aviv and Washington, despite strained ties between US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Connecting the UAE and Israel by road would facilitate exporting goods from Asia to Europe via Israel by lowering transportation costs and reducing transit times from several weeks to just two to three days. The road would also facilitate increased tourism between Israel and the Gulf countries.
The newspaper reported that US officials tried to promote linking the Gulf states to Israel by rail, but a link by road was chosen because of its faster construction period.
The newspaper reported that a land road linking Dubai and Tel Aviv and other Israeli ports on the Mediterranean, including Haifa, may be possible thanks to the signing of the Abraham Accords and the White House's attempt to promote normalization between Israel and the Gulf states.
The UAE was the first Arab nation to sign the Abraham Accords, normalizing relations with Israel in 2020, followed by Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan.
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