Saturday, July 15, 2023

07/15 Links: Netanyahu admitted to hospital for dehydration; RFK Jr. says COVID may have been ‘ethnically targeted’ to spare Jews; Activist backs off Sweden Torah burning

From Ian:

Hospitalized for Apparent Dehydration, Netanyahu Says He ‘Feels Very Good’
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday he felt “very well” after being hospitalized for dizziness, with his office saying the 73-year-old leader had likely been dehydrated. The Israeli leader will, however, stay in hospital overnight for continued medical supervision.

Netanyahu was rushed to Sheba medical center in the afternoon, his office said, noting he was in “good condition and undergoing medical evaluations.”

Later his office said Netanyahu had on Friday spent time in the scorching heat of the Sea of Galilee, in Israel’s north.

“Today, he felt slightly dizzy, and at the advice of his personal physician, Dr Zvi Berkowitz, was taken to Sheba’s emergency department,” another statement said.

“The initial examinations showed normal findings,” it added. “The initial evaluation is dehydration.”

In a video recording released several hours later, Netanyahu said he spent time on the lake with his wife “in the sun, without a hat, without water.”

“Not a good idea,” Netanyahu said, noting however that he was now feeling better.

“I feel very well,” he said, imploring Israelis to “spend less time in the sun” and “drink more water” in the wake of the heatwave scorching the country.


Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu admitted to hospital
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has check himself into a hospital after reportedly losing consciousness at his home


JPost Editorial: Burning sacred books is unacceptable, whether it be the Torah, Bible, or Quran -
Sweden, that Nordic bastion of liberal democracy, appears to be in the throes of a spate of sacred book burnings.

Two weeks ago, during the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, two men stood outside a Stockholm mosque, tore pages out of a Quran, and set them on fire – after receiving a permit from local police to do so.

The desecration of the Muslim holy book triggered furious protests across the Muslim world: a mob stormed the Swedish embassy in Baghdad, several Muslim countries summoned their resident Swedish ambassadors, and various Muslim leaders issued statements slamming Sweden for permitting the incident.

Leaders of other faith groups, including the Swedish Jewish community, also issued condemnations of the Quran burning, and Israel’s President Isaac Herzog decried the act.

“I was horrified when I heard the recent news from Sweden, about the desecration of a Quran, holy to the believers of Islam,” Herzog said last Sunday. “One cannot and one should not remain silent in the face of this… These acts are diametrically opposed to all the values of partnership between faiths for which we as a people and a country yearn, and we must all stand against this wherever it should arise.”

The Quran burning set off a series of requests for permits to publicly burn other sacred books. Then, this past week, Swedish authorities approved a request to burn a Torah and a Christian Bible outside the Israeli embassy on Shabbat.
Activist backs off Sweden Torah burning: Trying to draw attention to Quran desecration
A Muslim activist who had received permission to burn a Torah and a Bible outside the Israeli embassy in Sweden on Saturday said he was backing off from the move, adding that he only wanted to draw attention to the recent burning of the Quran in the country.

The man, identified as Ahmad Alush, 32, had received permission from Swedish authorities to perform the act, drawing widespread condemnation and protest from Israel and Jewish groups, among others.

But Alush arrived outside the Israeli diplomatic mission on Saturday clutching only a copy of the Quran and said it was never his intention to burn Jewish or Christian holy books, only to protest the recent burning of the Quran.

“It is against the Quran to burn and I will not burn. No one should do that,” Alush, who is of Syrian origin, told reporters gathered at the scene.

“This is a response to the people who burn the Quran. I want to show that freedom of expression has limits that must be taken into account,” he added.

“I want to show that we have to respect each other, we live in the same society. If I burn the Torah, another the Bible, another the Quran, there will be war here. What I wanted to show is that it’s not right to do it.”

Swedish public broadcaster SVT said Alush threw a lighter in his hand to the ground and said he didn’t need it.

Local police on Friday said they had approved an application from an individual in his 30s to hold a rally outside Israel’s embassy in Stockholm on Saturday, where a Jewish Torah and Christian Bible would be burned.


RFK Jr. says COVID may have been ‘ethnically targeted’ to spare Jews
Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dished out wild COVID-19 conspiracy theories this week during a press event at an Upper East Side restaurant, claiming the bug was a genetically engineered bioweapon that may have been “ethnically targeted” to spare Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese people.

Kennedy floated the idea during a question-and-answer portion of raucous booze and fart-filled dinner at Tony’s Di Napoli on East 63d Street.

“COVID-19. There is an argument that it is ethnically targeted. COVID-19 attacks certain races disproportionately,” Kennedy said. “COVID-19 is targeted to attack Caucasians and black people. The people who are most immune are Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese.”

“We don’t know whether it was deliberately targeted or not but there are papers out there that show the racial or ethnic differential and impact,” Kennedy hedged.

In between bites of linguini and clam sauce, Kennedy, 69, warned of more dire biological weapons in the pipeline with a “50% infection fatality rate” that would make COVID-19 “look like a walk in the park.”

“We do know that the Chinese are spending hundreds of millions of dollars developing ethnic bioweapons and we are developing ethnic bioweapons,” he claimed. “They’re collecting Russian DNA. They’re collecting Chinese DNA so we can target people by race.”


Leo Frank and 'Parade': When theater and reality overlap
Type “Leo Frank” in your search engine, and you’ll find current white supremacist propaganda debasing Leo Frank and the failed Jewish resources that tried to help him prove his innocence.

At the Jacobs Theatre, in an unusual gesture, Parade star Ben Platt stays on stage during the 15-minute intermission between acts. In an April interview in Playbill, the magazine distributed in theaters, Platt explained why.

“It’s a way I can pay homage to Leo nightly. It’s a very ritualistic thing for me. He has become this symbol and martyr, but that 15 minutes is the moment every night where I can remember that this was a man who was, for the last two years of his life, stuck in a room by himself, then wrongfully murdered. It just personifies him for me and never lets his story get too big or too far in my head.”

Michaela Diamond, who plays Lucille Frank, said in the same Playbill interview: “Parade fits in a unique place in the Broadway canon because it’s not about the Holocaust or the Jewish Diaspora. It’s just about a very specific American hatred for Jews.”

Indeed, in February 2023, neo-Nazis protested and harassed theater-goers at the Jacobs Theatre before the preview performance of the Parade revival.

Onstage, as Leo Frank, the character, is about to be hanged, he is allowed one last statement. I brace myself. I sense what is coming. The Jewish pledge of allegiance.

Using the melody that echoes the opening “Old Red Hills of Georgia” song and not the traditional tune, Platt sings out: Shema Yisrael, hashem elokeinu hashem ahad (Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One). And then, slowly and forcefully, he adds the second line: Baruch shem kevod malchuto l’olam va’ed (Blessed be the name of the glory of His kingdom forever and ever).

The audience isn’t as varied as the crowds at the Fourth of July fireworks, but it’s certainly not all Jewish. I wonder what the non-Jewish make of these potent Hebrew words.

For me, they resonate long after the curtain closes.
House Passes Defense Authorization Act with $500 Million for Israel Missile Systems
The House of Representatives on Friday passed the $886 billion National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2024, which includes $500 million in missile defense for Israel and a slew of other pro-Israel provisions.

That $500 million is divided among Israel’s four-tiered missile defense systems: the Israeli-produced Iron Dome, as well as the Arrow II, Arrow III, and David’s Sling systems, which are jointly funded, developed, and produced with the United States. Iron Dome is designed to stop smaller, shorter range rockets frequently fired from Gaza and Lebanon while the other systems defend against larger and longer-range rockets and cruise and ballistic missiles potentially fired from Iran or elsewhere. The Israeli government announced that David’s Sling was first used operationally in an interception during Operation Shield and Arrow against Palestinian Islamic Jihad in May.

Passed 219-210 on a nearly party line vote, the NDAA included several contentious amendments that made it unpalatable to most Democrats, including provisions ending reimbursements for abortion and cutting off diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Ultimately only four Democrats voted for the bill, while four Republicans voted against it.

Among the provisions of the NDAA related to Israel are a requirement that the US and Israel hold joint military exercises at least twice a year, $50 million above President Biden’s budget request to research and develop advanced technology with Israel, $47.5 million for US-Israel counter-tunnel cooperation through 2026, and the creation of a US-funded grant program for joint US-Israeli research into post-traumatic stress disorder.

The bill also includes several measures to improve Israel’s security against Iran. It expands annual Department of Defense reporting requirements on Iran’s military power, including Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities and its support for terrorist groups like Hezbollah and Hamas. It also calls for the Secretary of Defense to develop a plan for Israel to gain observer status in the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program, which produces combat pilots for NATO.

Non-Israel provisions include $300 million in security assistance for Ukraine and extensive measures intended to deter China. Those include 15 bipartisan recommendations from the Select Committee on Strategic Competition Between the US and the Chinese Communist Party.


Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez joins growing list of progressives who will skip Israeli president’s speech to Congress
New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez joined fellow progressives Jamaal Bowman, Ilhan Omar and Cori Bush in saying she will skip Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s address to Congress next week.

The House member, who represents parts of the Bronx and Queens, told Jewish Insider her plans on Thursday. Missouri’s Cori Bush revealed her plans to Haaretz.

While the number of Congress members who have announced their plans to skip Herzog’s speech is far lower than the 58 who sat out of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s address to Congress in 2015, a handful of other progressive lawmakers critical of Israel — including Reps. Andre Carson of Indiana and Mark Pocan of Wisconsin — have yet to make up their minds.

Herzog is slated to speak to Congress on Wednesday, during a short visit to the White House that begins on Tuesday. Per the official statement from the White House, Herzog’s visit with President Joe Biden “will reaffirm the ironclad commitment of the United States to Israel’s security.”


Georgetown's John Esposito, Part 2: The Blame Israel Libel
Naturally, the most flagrantly anti-Israel media sources like The Electronic Intifada and Al-Jazeera are fond of the Goldstein narrative, but it has also appeared in mainstream media outlets. In 2007, when The Economist wrote that Goldstein's attack "prompted Hamas to begin the tactic of suicide-bombings against Israeli civilians," the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America (CAMERA) pointed out the error, eliciting a rare correction. Editors substituted the word "exacerbate" for "begin" to come up with "prompted Hamas to exacerbate." But even this partial correction still implies a causal relationship when, in fact, both the Hamas and PIJ suicide campaigns had begun before 1994.

When the Times of London repeated the Goldstein narrative in May of 2018, UK Media Watch was up to the task of pointing it out and demanding a correction, but this one important victory pales compared to the countless people who blame Israel for Hamas's suicide bombing.

From the cumulative and exponential effect of popular textbooks on terrorism, specialist academic writing about suicide terrorism, and media repetition, an echo chamber has emerged, rewriting history and leading people to believe that Hamas began its most feared tactic of suicide bombings, "in response to the killing of twenty-nine Palestinians" (Kalyvas and Sanchez-Cuenca) by Baruch Goldstein, the seminal event that, "provided cause and incentive" (Hatina) for revenge, and subsequently "prompted Hamas to begin" (The Economist) "a new type of warfare, the suicide bombers" (Esposito).

Blaming Baruch Goldstein for Palestinian suicide bombing was not an accident, and it did not occur in a vacuum. Rather, it was an early chapter in a larger narrative that blames Israel for all Middle East violence. Palestinian terrorism used to be downplayed as part of a larger "cycle of violence" that had politicians urging "both sides" to deescalate. But now, when rockets fly from Gaza into Israel, academia and most of the media ignore those rockets and focus exclusively on Israeli counterterrorism measures to take out the rocket launchers and their operators. They accuse Israel of fighting back unfairly and disproportionately, and they issue statements "in solidarity" with the Palestinians and even overlook when Hamas and PIJ missiles fall short and kill Gazans.

John Esposito is largely responsible for the erroneous belief that suicide bombing began after and in response to Baruch Goldstein's attack. And he is partly responsible for the sad fact that, in 2023, Palestinian violence is almost entirely ignored except when it can be used to blame Israel for causing it.
The Israel Guys: ZELENSKY is Furious That ISRAEL REFUSES to Support Ukraine, This Goes Deeper Than RUSSIA…
Over and over and over again, Israel has refused to support Ukraine militarily, and Zelensky is furious. Why is Israel taking this unorthodox approach even if it means flying in the face of the wishes of the United States? Ben gets into that and also some bombshell new admissions from the president of the Palestinian Authority and what it means for Israel.


Photo Essay: ‘Mini Gaza,’ the IDF’s Urban Warfare Training Center
The Israel Defense Forces’ Urban Warfare Training Center in the western Negev is also known as “Mini Gaza.”

The facility inside the army’s Tze’elim training base has more than 600 structures, ranging from eight-story buildings to shacks, schools, marketplaces and more. The 60-acre site is so realistic that many scenes from the critically acclaimed Israeli TV show Fauda were filmed here.

Since 2011, thousands of soldiers have gone through simulations of urban combat scenarios to better prepare for operating in Judea, Samaria, Gaza and Lebanon.

Training includes distinguishing between terrorists and civilians, minimizing harm to noncombatants and situations where terrorists use civilians as human shields.

Delegations of foreign soldiers, including from the United States have visited “Mini Gaza” for urban warfare training.

In May, the IDF carried out “Operation Shield and Arrow” against Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza to curb incessant rocket fire.

During the conflict, PIJ fired more than 1,250 projectiles at Israel, to which the IDF responded by striking nearly 400 terror assets in Gaza.

“The execution was perfect. With a continuous initiative, we thwarted the entire top of the organization and damaged combat equipment that endangered Israel’s security,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said after a ceasefire ended five days of fighting.
Palestinian Authority’s Mahmoud Abbas seeks to revive unity gov’t with Hamas
The Palestinian Authority is seeking to revive an initiative for the formation of a national unity government consisting of several factions, including Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Palestinian officials in Ramallah said over the weekend.

The proposal, the officials said, will be presented to leaders of Palestinian factions who have been invited to a meeting in the Egyptian capital of Cairo at the end of July. In addition to Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the leaders of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) have also been invited to participate in the meeting. All four groups are strongly opposed to the Oslo Accords and any form of normalization with Israel. They have also repeatedly called on the PA leadership to sever all relations with Israel.

The first Palestinian unity government, formed in 2007, was headed by Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was fired by PA President Mahmoud Abbas in June of the same year. A month later, Hamas staged a coup against the PA and seized control of the entire Gaza Strip.

In 2014, another unity government called the National Consensus Government, was established after the ruling Fatah faction and Hamas reached a reconciliation agreement to end their rivalry. The government remained in power until 2019, when former PA Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah was replaced with Mohammad Shtayyeh.


Yellow Tents Across the Blue Line: Hezbollah’s New Brinkmanship
Given that one tent has been evacuated, Israel can allow a short additional period to exhaust the diplomatic path. The option of land border talks seems to be on the table now as well. Yet Israel should not negotiate under threat of Hezbollah aggression.

If the group’s presence in Israeli territory persists, as is now increasingly probable, Israel should prepare to remove it at a time of its choosing—and prepare for possible escalation if Hezbollah forcefully opposes this removal or engages in any other aggression. To reduce potential Hezbollah brinkmanship, Israel should seek to shake the group’s confidence in predicting what shape IDF operations will take. Meanwhile, barrier construction near Mount Dov should be completed, and the Blue Line should be clearly marked in obstacle-free sections.

To establish legitimacy for its actions should war prove unavoidable, Israel should also adopt a higher media profile starting now, including high-resolution documentation of Hezbollah military violations of the Blue Line and UN resolutions. These efforts should be aimed at international audiences beyond just policymakers. The Lebanese public in particular should know who is responsible for dragging them closer to catastrophic war.

Finally, as prescribed in previous PolicyWatches last month and last year, authorities need to urgently adapt the Resolution 1701 and UNIFIL mechanisms to the transformed environment, including through the following measures:
Extend UNIFIL’s mandate by six months rather than a year, since the fast pace of events in Lebanon requires more frequent attention from the Security Council.
Cut UNIFIL’s size by 20 percent this summer and consider further cuts every six months. With the exception of liaison roles and border interposition or buffering, there is no justification to leave 10,000 peacekeepers at grave risk of becoming Hezbollah’s human shields if war breaks out.
Withhold UNIFIL civil projects from villages where patrols are repeatedly assaulted, condition assistance to the Lebanese army on fulfillment of its obligations under Resolution 1701, and decrease UNIFIL’s overall annual budget accordingly.
Condition assistance to the Lebanese government on fulfilling its legal obligations to protect UNIFIL. This includes meaningful, expedited legal proceedings against persons suspected of attacking peacekeepers (e.g., the murdered Irish soldier Sean Rooney).
Upgrade UN reports to include precise location data on where UNIFIL has actually patrolled, where it has been denied access, and where it has come under attack. Instead of simply providing general descriptions of incidents (which often obfuscate more than they reveal), the UN should report trends using graphs rather than just numbers.
Consider a U.S. veto of this summer’s UNIFIL renewal mandate unless changes are made. Although some might argue that this would increase Lebanon’s instability, it would in fact constitute a first step toward stability, signaling to Lebanon that UNIFIL represents not a cash cow to be taken for granted, but a serious commitment to a security regime that must regain some traction against Hezbollah.
Seth Frantzman: Are the Hezbollah border threats the new normal for Israel?
Over the last several months Hezbollah has established a new normal of provocations in Lebanon.

This threatens Israel and it appears that the incidents continue to increase in both tempo and type.

The Israeli Defense Forces said on Saturday that “IDF soldiers fired warning shots and used riot dispersal means in order to distance a number of suspects who crossed the Blue Line in the area of Mount Dov, after they refused to withdraw from the area. The suspects returned to Lebanese territory.”

Al-Mayadeen, the pro-Iran media outlet, claimed that on Saturday “a media delegation was on a tour with Qassem Hashem, a member of the Development and Liberation Bloc in the Lebanese Parliament, on the outskirts of the Shebaa Farms.”

The “Shebaa Farms” is another name for the Mount Dov area. Another article from the media outlet says that the current tensions could lead to a “military confrontation” lasting “several days.”

The article, which poses as an analysis, basically says that even if neither side desires conflict, tensions are growing. The important issue then is examining how Hezbollah has begun to dictate the tempo and pressure on the border.

This now appears to be the new normal or at least an attempt by Hezbollah to create one.


Lebanese lawmaker leads group across Israeli border; IDF fires warning shots
A group of Lebanese, including a parliamentarian, crossed the border into Israeli sovereign territory on Saturday morning, before being chased back to Lebanon by the Israel Defense Forces who fired warning shots.

In a statement, the IDF said troops fired warning shots and used riot dispersal means after the group of some 18 people crossed the so-called Blue Line in the contested Mount Dov region. The group walked some 80 meters into Israeli territory but not did not breach Israel’s border barrier.

According to Ali Shoeib, a Hezbollah-affiliated correspondent, a group of journalists had joined MP Qassem Hashem, a member of the Arab Socialist Ba’ath Party in Lebanon, for a tour of the border area.

The IDF said that it only fired warning shots and used riot dispersal means after the group refused to leave the area. Eventually, they returned to Lebanon.

The incident appeared to be the latest in a series of actions along the northern border, most of them instigated by the Hezbollah terror group, that have raised tensions in recent months.

On Friday, the IDF said troops fired warning shots and used riot dispersal means after a number of Lebanese suspects hurled stones toward the border. The small group eventually left the area, a military spokesperson said.


Meet Al-Mahatta: Hezbollah’s New Digital Mouthpiece
Employing a rhetorical claim of “independent, but not neutral” journalism and utilizing YouTube, this channel engages in a malicious propaganda campaign that ultimately benefits Hezbollah.

Confrontational and often accusatory, Al-Mahatta, a Lebanese YouTube channel, is emerging as a de facto digital mouthpiece for Hezbollah. Its aim is to consolidate its influence by gaining a broader digital audience while continuing to cater to its well-established constituency in Lebanon.

The success of this channel should come as no surprise, as many members of Al-Mahatta’s team are either originally from or still affiliated with Al Akhbar—a Beirut-based, daily leftist Arabic newspaper widely regarded as a mouthpiece for Hezbollah. Despite Al-Mahatta’s attempts to present itself as a novelty in the Lebanese media landscape, employing a rhetorical claim of “independent, but not neutral” journalism and utilizing YouTube—a popular platform for political commentary in the Arab world—the familiar language and recurring themes clearly demonstrate that Al-Mahatta’s coverage is nothing more than an audiovisual extension of Al Akhbar’s agenda.

The Origins and Agenda of Al-Mahatta
To better understand Al-Mahatta, it is necessary to explore its precursor, Al Akhbar.

Conceived in the aftermath of the Israel-Hezbollah war in 2006, it was emerged out of an alliance between the Lebanese left and Hezbollah (and its allies) in opposition to the neoliberal economic policies initially championed by the late Lebanese former prime minister Rafik Hariri in the 1990s. To this day, it unabashedly articulates resistance against Israel and holds an anti-imperialist and anti-neoliberal stance, particularly against U.S. policies in the Middle East.

Although Al Akhbar maintained a certain degree of intellectual left-wing independence during its early years, it gradually veered towards becoming a full-fledged platform for Hezbollah’s rhetoric. While there are currently multiple left-leaning trends present in Lebanon, the paper undeniably promotes a particular form of radical leftist discourse that aligns closely with Hezbollah’s present-day political and economic aspirations. So apparent is this dynamic that, for some, Al Akhbar serves as a prominent example of how Hezbollah successfully hijacked the Lebanese Left, appropriating its anti-neoliberal and long-standing anti-Israel discourse. More recently, however, the newspaper has experienced a rapid decline in popularity and revolutionary appeal due to its stance against the 2011 Syrian uprising and its opposition to the 2019 October mass protests in Lebanon.
Col. Richard Kemp: Israeli researcher kidnapped in Iraq is just a bargaining chip in Iran's deadly game
It could be, however, that Tsurkov’s best chance is her Russian passport. Moscow and Tehran have close relations, strengthened by Iran’s supply of killer drones to Russian forces in Ukraine. That does not mean Putin will seek her release or that the ayatollahs will oblige. If he does decide to call in a favour though, it will not be out of concern to save the life of a fellow Russian or an Israeli, but to posture as an international statesman and gain some form of concessions. In their statements, Kataib Hezbollah have referred to Tsurkov as a “Zionist enemy”. A spokesman for the think tank she has been working with, New Lines Institute, says: “She is actually not a Zionist at all. She strongly criticises Israeli security policies and holds deep empathy for the people of the Middle East”. Unfortunately, that won’t cut any ice with Kataib Hezbollah or any other extremists holding her. She is an Israeli and a Jew who is studying in the U.S. and therefore three times an enemy; they only care about her political position on Israel to the extent they can exploit it. I dealt once with a situation where three aid workers were kidnapped and later murdered in Iraq. They were not the enemy either, in any sense we can recognise. They had no connection to any government and were in the country only to provide direct help to the people.

However, I would put Tsurkov’s chances of survival much higher than those three poor men. They were kidnapped by an Al Qaida group led by the notorious Abu Musab al Zarqawi, whose sole purpose was to induce terror by filming their beheadings. Kataib Hezbollah are also vicious terrorists, but their actions are controlled by Tehran which has its own strategic agenda. An Israeli woman is a significant prize for the ayatollahs and it is likely they will want to use her as a bargaining chip, perhaps in exchange for Iranian captives or for concessions from the U.S., which has been their usual demand for releasing foreign hostages. Unfortunately for Elizabeth Tsurkov, the leadership in Tehran may want to play a waiting game that involves her long-term incarceration.
Biden Administration Funding Iran's Nuclear Bomb Tests, Threatening Israel for Trying to Prevent Them?
Secret attempts by the Biden Administration to reach an interim deal with the mullahs threaten not only to add an estimated $100 billion into the treasury of the Iranian regime's struggling economy, but, worse, catapult an Iranian nuclear menace onto the world.

Iran's aggression threatens not only its own brutalized citizens – Iran has executed more than 200 people in just the first half of this year and deliberately poisoned more than 1200 schoolgirls -- but also the entire region, Europe and the United States.

Reports also indicate that the Iranian regime's illegal nuclear activities have escalated in 2023 under the Biden Administration's watch.

In spite of these factors and the strong opposition from the Congress -- including a warning from U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul that according to the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015, any agreement, even an informal one, with Iran about its nuclear weapons program, must be approved by Congress and no funds released until after 60 says -- the Biden Administration has been holding? ?secret talks in Oman...

Along with this Iranian plan to join the "nuclear club," abetted by the Biden Administration, this same Biden Administration, in the face of Iran's openly stated commitment to Israel's destruction is, according to one report, now pressuring Israel to "commit suicide" or risk losing American support.

The dangerous legacy the Biden Administration appears to want to leave includes threats to the only democracy in the Middle East while capitulating to the world's most vicious dictators in Afghanistan, China, Venezuela and Iran -- which the US State Department has called the "top state sponsor of terrorism" -- and soon, thanks to the Biden Administration, armed with nuclear bombs.
Now You See Me, Now You Don't: State Department Removes Embattled Iran Envoy’s Bio from Website
The State Department has deleted embattled Iran envoy Rob Malley’s biography from its website amid an investigation into Malley’s alleged mishandling of classified information.

Malley’s biography is no longer featured on the State Department's official web portal, hinting that the official may no longer be employed even as the department maintains that Malley is "on leave" from his posting for undisclosed reasons. The Iran envoy’s official Twitter page also no longer features Malley’s image, which is now replaced with a photograph of acting special envoy Abram Paley, who has taken on Malley’s duties.

Malley has been missing in action for months, but was formally placed on unpaid leave late last month after news broke of an investigation into his mishandling of classified information. Malley’s security clearance was revoked while the FBI reportedly probes the matter.

The investigation into Malley has fueled speculation across Capitol Hill as the Biden administration secretly negotiates a revamped version of the 2015 nuclear accord with Iran. Malley was leading these talks until he quietly went on extended leave earlier this month.

House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Michael McCaul (R., Texas) pressed the State Department for answers earlier this month, but his investigation is being stonewalled, the Washington Free Beacon reported Wednesday. The State Department informed McCaul that it is "not in a position to provide further documents or information related to this personnel-security clearance matter."

The response drew outrage from McCaul, who is currently working on ways to compel the State Department into coming clean about Malley’s actions. Lawmakers say they are particularly concerned by the Biden administration’s attempts to keep Malley’s security clearance issues a secret. News of the investigation only became public after it leaked to the press.


Seth Frantzman: US sends F-16s to Middle East after F-22s as sign of strength in region
The US sent F-16s to the Middle East to help protect ships in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf, according to reports.

The Associated Press said “the US is beefing up its use of fighter jets around the strategic Strait of Hormuz to protect ships from Iranian seizures, a senior defense official said Friday, adding that the US is increasingly concerned about the growing ties between Iran, Russia and Syria across the Middle East.” This comes in the wake of June reports about the US sending F-22 fighter jets to the region.

Al-Arabiya noted that “Washington has been flying A-10 fighter jets over the Strait of Hormuz for the last week and it will be sending a new fleet of F-16s to the Gulf this weekend in response to the recent uptick in Iranian efforts to seize oil tankers, a senior US military official said Friday.” This means that the US now has more planes in the region which should be more than capable of defending ships. However, a key question is what rules of engagement the planes have and how they will actually be used.

Motivations behind sending the crafts
These are not the only planes the US has recently said it sent to the region. It also sent advanced F-22 air superiority fighter planes. However, those were ostensibly sent due to tensions with Russia in Syria. This means the US is deeply committed to the region, despite some perceptions that the US has been shifting focus to China and Russia.

Iran and Russia nevertheless continue to test US resolve. Russia has been increasing various types of dangerous interaction in Syria. Both the US and Russia operate in Syria. The US generally operates in the east of the country, backing the SDF against ISIS, and over a lonely garrison called Al-Tanf in Syria near the Jordan-Iraq border. In the past there have been tensions with Russia, Iran and the Syrian regime. However, Russia has now increased those tensions.


Roger Waters accuses 'f*cking morons' of spreading 'lies' about
Roger Waters has recorded himself claiming that he is the victim of lies in reference to complaints that he is an antisemite, according to a video of Roger Waters shared by British NGO Eye on Antisemitism.

In the video, Waters refers to people accusing him of antisemitism as “f*cking morons.”

Waters uses the term “we” multiple times throughout the video, in one instance saying “we can vilify and we can probably destroy,” although he does not specify who the collective “we” is.

Why has Roger Waters been accused of antisemitism?
As the Jerusalem Post reported in May, Roger Waters came under public scrutiny after he dressed up as an SS officer and compared Anne Frank to Al-Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh during a concert at the Mercedes-Benz Arena.

Shortly after the show began, a graphic displayed on a crucifix-shaped screen hanging above the stage showed speech bubbles reading "They must think we're f*%$ing stupid!" and "Who do you mean by they?"

"Them, up there in the penthouse, the f&%$ing oligarchy," continued the speech bubbles. "Ah, you mean the powers that be," added another speech bubble as a man in a suit drinking wine and riot police with shields with a symbol of crossed hammers were displayed on the screen. Throughout the show, humanoid pigs and shady businessmen "pulling the strings" were displayed on the screen. Social media users and activists condemned the imagery as an "antisemitic dogwhistle."

The US State Department has also condemned Roger Waters, calling the former Pink Floyd frontman’s recent concert in Berlin “antisemitic.”


The Economist Glamorizes the Lion’s Den Terror Cell
In much of the reporting about Israel and the Middle East, terrorist organizations are entirely absent. In a recent article in the Economist, however, terror groups are the focus – but the effects of terrorism are glossed over, and the members are glamorized as if they were social media influencers. “Inside the Lions’ Den: the West Bank’s Gen Z fighters,” reads the headline, strangely applying a US marketing term, “Gen Z,” to terrorists halfway around the world. (July 7, 2023, by Ayman Oghanna.)

Consider, for example, this bizarre description of the Second Intifada:
When al-Ajoud was 14, in 2002, he and a friend were hit by a shell from an Israeli tank. Al-Ajoud survived but his friend was killed instantly. It was a formative event: “Every fighter was inspired by the second intifada (uprising).” At the time, Nablus was a centre of opposition. Armed and unarmed Palestinians jousted with the Israeli army’s tanks, armoured personnel carriers and Apache helicopters. The Israelis imposed strict curfews and house-to-house searches. Thousands of Palestinians were arrested and many homes were destroyed.

The peace that followed was an unhappy one. Memories of Israeli violence lingered….

There’s no mention of the reason for Israel’s actions – the many suicide bombings that caused so much devastation to Israeli civilians as well as to Americans such as Malki Roth and her family. Over 1,000 Israelis were killed, including teenagers in pizza shops and nightclubs. Nor does reporter Ayman Oghanna mention the fact that Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat started the Second Intifada intentionally, after rejecting the Camp David offer of an independent Palestinian state that would have included sovereignty over Judaism’s holiest site. On the 20th anniversary of the Second Intifada, the Jerusalem Post’s Herb Keinon wrote, “this harrowing period fundamentally altered Israeli society ….” But the effect on Israeli society is completely absent from this account, which makes Palestinians the heroes, rather than the perpetrators, of the “inspir[ing]” Second Intifada.

Considering that the ostensible goal of the article is to inform readers about terror organizations, however, it’s curious that a certain amount of obfuscation of who they actually are persists. “In the past two years violence has escalated,” the Economists’s readers learn. Who escalated it? That’s not an important enough detail to include. In the IDF operation in Jenin that began on July 3, “twelve Palestinians were killed and dozens were wounded and captured,” Oghanna tells us, omitting that at least ten, if not all 12, of those killed were affiliated with such groups – and of those, eight were from Islamic Jihad. His use of the term “captured,” rather than “apprehended” or “arrested,” implies an illegitimacy to that action.

And, he tells us, “in the first half of this year 114 Palestinians and 16 Israelis were killed in the West Bank (in the same period last year, 57 Palestinians and two Israelis were killed).” Of course, as CAMERA has noted repeatedly, of the Palestinians killed, more than half were committing attacks or affiliated with terrorist groups. This second statistic is also an example of the false equivalence we’ve seen so often in the media: Of the twenty Israelis and tourists to Israel killed in attacks this year, all but one were civilians – including several children, such as Asher and Yaakov Paley, aged 8 and 6, brothers who were killed in February.
Jenin Fatalities Cover Up Twelve Palestinians and One Israeli Soldier
Designated terror organizations have claimed at least 10 out of the 12 Palestinian fatalities from Israel’s military incursion last week into Jenin, and Palestinian officials have not attempted to revive the “Jenin massacre” myth of 2002, in which government spokespeople infamously fabricated that Israeli troops wantonly slaughtered thousands of Palestinians.

Nevertheless, some leading Western news outlets have inexcusably concealed the salient fact that almost all killed in the recent raid were confirmed members of terror organizations and have whitewashed the minors belonging to terror organizations as “children,” while completely erasing their terror affiliations.

Thus, nine days after Israel’s July 5 withdrawal from Jenin, leading news agency Associated Press has yet to report that at least 10 out of the 12 Palestinian fatalities were confirmed members of the various designated Palestinian terror organizations, even though that information has been known for over a week.

The July 12 story, “Palestinian president visits Jenin refugee camp after devastating Israeli military raid” is a case in point. It states that Israel “killed at least 12 Palestinians,” without mentioning their terror affiliations.

In contrast, about the Israeli fatality, AP does not his military status, stating, “An Israeli soldier was also killed in the operation . . . “

Given that AP specifies that the Israeli killed was a soldier, why does the same coverage neglect to report that 10 of the 12 Palestinian fatalities were confirmed to be combatants affiliated with various designated terror organizations? Indeed, Palestinian authorities have not reported the death of a single civilian during the Jenin incursion.
CNN Tells Only Part of the Story on Palestinian Attitudes
CNN has a shaky relationship with polling data, as CAMERA has documented previously. In a previous, admittedly more egregious case, CNN’s Christiane Amanpour appears to have entirely fabricated the existence of polling data that fit her preferred narrative. On July 14, however, CNN’s Abeer Salman took a slightly different track by using existing polling data, but only some of it.

In an article titled “Palestinian leader calls on world to ‘protect us,’ and his people respond with bitter laughter,” Salman reports on the declining popularity of Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas. To her credit, this is a story that needs to be told.

But Salman, who has a history of slanted coverage (and even uncritically publishing an antisemitic cartoon), doesn’t end there. She portrays the story as one in which Palestinians are frustrated that Abbas is not “protecting” them from “increasing Israeli settler violence and frequent, deadly Israeli military incursions…”

In doing so, Salman shifts the story from one of growing Palestinian extremism and violence into one of Palestinian victimhood. The narrative portrays the situation as one in which Palestinians are mocking Abbas’ “calls for peaceful resistance” (a dubious claim itself) not because they are increasingly supportive of violence against Israelis, but because they are victims of Israeli violence.

But the data, including the polling data from Salman’s own source, works against her narrative.

The CNN reporter cites a Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PCPSR) poll, pointing out that “71% were dissatisfied” with Abbas as president and “74% demanded that he resign.”

However, Salman leaves out the other side of the story from those PCPSR polls. As Abbas’ popularity has declined, two other indicators have taken notable and contemporaneous turns: (1) support for the two-state solution has declined; and (2) support for “armed confrontations and intifada” has risen.
BBC’s Bateman misleads on location of PFLP shooting attack
Contrary to Bateman’s claim, that shooting did not take place in “a Jewish settlement” but in the Shomronim (Samaritan) neighbourhood on Mount Gerizim (also known as Har Bracha). As reported by the Times of Israel on July 5th:
“Palestinian gunmen opened fire from a passing vehicle at a police cruiser and a nearby store in a small Samaritan community in the northern West Bank on Wednesday, the military said.

The shooting attack took place in the Mount Gerizim area, just south of Nablus, and close to the Jewish settlement of Har Bracha. The area is home to a tiny community of Samaritans, known as Shomronim in Hebrew.”

Bateman closed his report with a brief mention of another shooting attack that had taken place on July 6th but which had not been the topic of any stand-alone reporting by the BBC:
“Meanwhile, the funeral took place of an Israeli soldier, Staff Sgt Shilo Yosef Amir, 22, who was shot dead by a Palestinian gunman on Thursday, close to the Jewish settlement of Kdumim near Nablus.

Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack, which it described as a response to Israel’s attack on Jenin.

The settlement is home to Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bazalel [sic] Smotrich.

Hamas said the attack was intended to show the minister it “almost knocked on your door”.”

Bateman refrained from providing BBC audiences with details of that attack:
“According to the Israel Defense Forces’ initial probe of the attack, security forces were alerted of the presence of a suspicious car driving around the settlement. When a civilian security officer and IDF troops arrived at the scene and stopped a car for inspection, its occupant fired at them with a handgun and fled. The forces then chased the assailant and killed him. […]

Amid the shooting, a suspected infiltration siren sounded in the community, west of Nablus. The IDF’s Home Front Command briefly ordered residents of Kedumim to remain in their homes and lock their doors and windows.”

While the BBC’s Jerusalem bureau correspondent obviously did not consider the lock-down of of an entire Israeli civilian community, including women and children, during a suspected terrorist infiltration to be newsworthy, he was, as we see, quite happy to provide worldwide amplification for Hamas propaganda.
Netherlands Cabinet Approves New Measure Criminalizing Holocaust, Genocide Denial
The Dutch cabinet on Friday agreed on a new measure that will criminalize denying, trivializing or condoning the Holocaust, along with other genocides, with offenders facing a maximum prison sentence of one year.

Announcing the decision, the Netherlands Minister of Justice, Dilan Yeşilgöz, expressed concern that “denial of these kinds of heinous crimes against humanity is the order of the day.”

Yeşilgöz said that the revival of the “monster of antisemitism” could not go unanswered “because the lesson of the Holocaust is not a history lesson. This is also about the here and now. It is about discrimination, exclusion and ultimately: destruction. It’s about humanity and compassion.”

He continued: “It’s about good and evil, and raising your voice when you see one turn into the other. Let us continue to tell these stories, now that the victims of these crimes are less and less able to do it themselves. Not timid and whispering, but confident and full of conviction.”

A statement from the Dutch cabinet separately explained that “with this specific criminal law prohibition, the government is implementing European obligations to explicitly criminalize certain forms of public condoning, denial or far-reaching downplaying of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.”

The ban comes during a year when education experts have expressed concern about the growing phenomenon of denying or downplaying the Holocaust in Dutch schools.


Raz Hershko tops women’s international judo rankings, in historic first for Israeli
Judoka Raz Hershko on Saturday was ranked No.1 among senior female competitors by the International Judo Federation, a first for an Israeli in the sport.

The rankings are made up of 2,000 women aged 17 and over from more than 200 countries, and include all weight classes.

“It’s very flattering to me, even exciting, but it’s only a stop along the road,” Hershko, 25, said in response.

She also thanked her team, while adding she was “not blinded [by] or content” with the achievement.

Shani Hershko, the Israeli national judo team’s coach and Raz’s aunt, said the judoka was “busy 24/7 to do what she needs to improve.”

“We purposely look for the hardest fights, without assumptions or excuses, in order to always challenge ourselves to make history in everything possible,” said the coach, echoing her niece’s remarks that it was only a stop along the way to “additional historic achievements.”

“Raz is not just an amazing athlete, but an amazing person, and is an amazing example to many boys and girls. The road she has taken is inspiring, and her ranking is not accidental, but the result of her hard work, the work of Shani Hershko, and of the Israeli national women’s team. I am proud of her,” said Moshe Ponte, president of the Israel Judo Association.


Christina Aguilera Will Have Special Duet With Israeli Singer Eden Ben Zaken at Upcoming Israel Concert
Israeli vocalist Eden Ben Zaken will join Grammy Award winner Christina Aguilera on stage at the latter’s concert in Israel next month for a duet of a song that has a special meaning for the Israeli singer, the concert’s promoter Live Nation Israel announced on Thursday.

The two vocalists will sing Aguilera’s original song Hurt. Ben Zaken’s music career took off after she performed on the televised singing competition The X Factor in Israel almost a decade ago at the age of 19 and she auditioned on the show with Hurt.

“I am excited about the collaboration with Christina Aguilera, one of the greatest singers in the world,” Ben Zaken said in released statement about the upcoming performance. “It’s another exciting moment for me exactly in the year in which I celebrate a decade [of my career] and I’m sure it will be an amazing experience for both of us.”

Aguilera’s concert is set to take place Aug. 10 at Live Park Rishon LeZion and it will be her first time performing in Israel. The Genie in a Bottle singer said in a video message to her Israeli fans in late June she is exciting to visit the Jewish state for the first time and promised ticket holders an “unforgettable” concert.




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This blog may be a labor of love for me, but it takes a lot of effort, time and money. For over 19 years and 40,000 articles I have been providing accurate, original news that would have remained unnoticed. I've written hundreds of scoops and sometimes my reporting ends up making a real difference. I appreciate any donations you can give to keep this blog going.

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