Friday, August 18, 2023

08/18 Links Pt1: Israel Won’t Benefit from a Palestinian Civil War; UNRWA halts services in Lebanon camp to protest Palestinian gunmen on site

From Ian:

Israel Won’t Benefit from a Palestinian Civil War
Last month, the magazine Foreign Policy published a profile of Hussein al-Sheikh, currently the secretary-general of the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), and one of several politicians vying to succeed the aging Palestinian Authority (PA) president Mahmoud Abbas. Hussain Abdul-Hussain takes a closer look at Sheikh, noting his unpopularity among Palestinians, and examines the looming succession struggle more closely:

If Sheikh wants to become the PA chairman, he’ll likely have to fend off challenges from stronger and more popular contenders. His competitors, like Sheikh himself, are non-Islamists who have cooperated well with Western and Israeli authorities. While these men should work together to reform the PA and crack down on violent militants and Islamists, it’s doubtful that any of them would settle for anything less than becoming the undisputed PA chief.

When Abbas dies, other armed Palestinian factions—such as Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP)—could smell blood and try to wrestle territory from the hands of the warring PA strongmen. If Hamas, the PIJ, or both, manage to displace the PA, the West Bank could be turned into another Gaza Strip. But the West Bank has a higher elevation than Gaza, giving Hamas, the PIJ, and ultimately their sponsor, Tehran, a better view of Israel and its strategic and sensitive spots.

Some might imagine that Israel will watch with glee as Abbas’s successors tear themselves apart. But a civil war carries huge risks for Israel and the region, and increases the chances of an Islamist takeover of the West Bank. If that were to happen, Israel might find itself back in pre-Oslo days, suspending Palestinian self-government until Palestinians can figure out how to produce an authority that can run their affairs without threatening Israel’s security.
Stop Blaming Israel for the Weaponization of Children by the Palestinian Authority, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad
Recently the UN Secretary General’s annual report on “Children and Armed Conflict” (CAAC) was released, covering January to December 2022. The report’s noble goal of “engagement with parties responsible for violations that might lead to behavioral change, including promotion of accountability and compliance with child protection provisions in peace processes” is one the Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC) would fully embrace had the UN’s Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Virginia Gamba, ensured that the “verified grave violations” she included in the section titled “Israel and the State of Palestine” reflected the full, factual facts on the ground.

The key phrase throughout the report is “parties responsible.” Acknowledging who are the actual responsible parties for grave violations against Palestinian and Israeli children is essential in order for all concerned to grow up in a region that respects their rights as children. Prime among these is a child’s right to be protected from violence.

While the CAAC refers to the “State of Palestine,” Special Representative Gamba does not name the Palestinian Authority, instead calling out only Palestinian Islamic Jihad and unnamed “Palestinian armed groups”:

“I am deeply concerned by the increase in the killing and maiming of children by Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s Al-Quds Brigades.

“I call upon all Palestinian armed groups to cease indiscriminate launching of rockets and mortars from densely populated areas in Gaza towards Israeli civilian population centers.

“I urge all Palestinian armed groups to protect children, including by preventing them from being exposed to the risk of violence and by abstaining from instrumentalizing them for political purposes.

“I reiterate my call upon armed groups to end and prevent the recruitment and use of children and to abide by their domestic and international legal obligations.”

Welcome words. But then she adds this Orwellian plea :“I exhort Palestinian armed groups to better protect schools.”

Better protect? Somehow lost in translation was UNRWA’s own condemnation of Hamas for hiding terror tunnels and weapons under its school in Gaza in December 2022.
UNRWA halts services in Lebanon camp to protest Palestinian gunmen on site
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees said it has decided to suspend all of its services in Lebanon’s largest refugee camp on Friday in protest against the presence of gunmen in its facilities.

UNRWA’s decision went into effect shortly before noon Friday at the Ein el-Hilweh refugee camp near the southern port city of Sidon. Services will resume Saturday, UNRWA said.

Days of street battles took place in the camp between the Fatah group of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and two Islamic terror groups, Jund al-Sham and Shabab al-Muslim. The clashes broke out on July 30, after Fatah accused its rivals of shooting dead a senior Fatah military official.

The fighting killed at least 13 people, injured dozens, and caused millions of dollars of damage in the camp, according to UNRWA officials.

Lebanese security forces don’t operate inside the refugee camps, where security is in the hands of Palestinian factions who often compete for clout.

UNRWA said in its statement Friday that armed fighters are still present in its facilities, including schools. It added that UNRWA reiterates its call on armed actors to immediately vacate its facilities, “to ensure unimpeded delivery of much-needed assistance to refugees.”

UNRWA said it “does not tolerate actions that breach the inviolability and neutrality of its installations.” It added that schools are unlikely to be available for 3,200 children at the start of the new school year given repeated violations and significant damage reported.

Ein el-Hilweh is home to more than 50,000 people and is the largest of 12 Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon.


Saudi-Israeli peace is no pipe dream
Since the signing of the Abraham Accords in 2020, there has been hope and speculation that Saudi Arabia will be the next Arab country to make peace with the Jewish state—speculation that has intensified more recently with reports of diplomatic activity by the Biden administration. Haisam Hassanein observes that the kingdom appears to be taking steps to ready its population for such a development:

Traditionally, Riyadh adopted an unfriendly stance toward Israel due to its conflict with the Palestinians. Clerics in Friday sermons would lash out at Washington and Jerusalem over the plight of Palestinians. Conspiracy theories about Israel abounded. . . . Over the past year, [however], there have been numerous signs of open warming. Last fall, Riyadh hosted Samer Haj Yehia, chairman of Israel’s Bank Leumi, as a panelist at the Saudi investor forum, where Yehia described “amazing” opportunities in the desert kingdom. In a June press conference, the Saudi foreign minister Faisal bin Farhan said that normalization with Israel “would bring significant benefits” to the region.

In Saudi-affiliated media as well, Israel and normalization are no longer taboo. When rockets from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip were launched at Israel in July, the London-based Saudi newspaper Al-Sharq al-Awsat avoided pejorative labels for Israeli troops such as “occupation forces.” The Saudi news network Al-Arabiya hosted Israelis to share their thoughts on issues unrelated to the Palestinians as well as Arab commentators who shared favorable views of Gulf normalization with Jerusalem while demanding that the Palestinians give peace a chance.

This openness stands in stark contrast to popular attitudes among Israel’s longtime Arab peace partners, Egypt and Jordan. Just this week, a hotel in Egypt reportedly kicked out an Israeli model after discovering her nationality. Meanwhile, Israeli and Jewish tourists have complained of anti-Semitic abuse when entering the Hashemite kingdom. . . .

[In Saudi Arabia], the overall trend is running strongly in favor of normalization. The kingdom has been paving the road to prepare its population for such a historical moment so that when peace comes, it will hopefully be a warm one.
Netanyahu fails to understand the Saudi, Islamic mindset for diplomacy
The UAE has focused on positioning itself as the cosmopolitan commercial and financial hub of the Middle East and South Asia, even accommodating the construction of a Hindu temple to cater to the spiritual needs of South Asian guest workers. In contrast, Saudi Arabia, as the guardian of Islam’s holiest sites, takes immense pride in its role as the spiritual heart of the ummah, the worldwide community of Islamic believers.

While Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) may aspire to emulate the UAE’s economic and technological progress through normalization with Israel, the Saudi kingdom would face significant repercussions for such recognition. Deep-seated Muslim animosity toward Israel and Zionism persists, extending beyond self-interested elites to permeate the Arab and Muslim world.

Even more democratic Arab nations, like Tunisia and Iraq, deeply harbor anti-Israel rhetoric and policies. Acknowledging Israel could tarnish Saudi Arabia’s standing in the Muslim world, particularly among detractors who view its leaders as pro-American. Moreover, such recognition could bolster nations like Iran and Indonesia, which also vie for the spiritual leadership of Islam; not to mention Qatar, a pro-Muslim Brotherhood ideological adversary wielding considerable influence in the Arab world via its Al Jazeera Media Network.

These challenges are compounded by the composition of Israel’s current government coalition. The statements and actions of Israeli leaders, especially concerning religious sites like al-Aqsa Mosque and the Palestinian state issue, complicate any potential peace agreement with Saudi Arabia. This is especially true considering that any escalation leading to loss of life in Gaza or Lebanon after such an agreement could damage the reputation of the House of Saud.

To contextualize the religious and ideological barriers facing Saudi elites, it’s worth noting that the Vatican only established diplomatic relations with Israel in 1993, much later than all other Catholic countries. This reluctance was driven by sensitivity surrounding Jerusalem and the Holy Land, a sentiment even more pronounced among Muslim leaders.

Unlike the ecclesiastical Canon Law, Islamic jurisprudence asserts ownership over both Jerusalem and the Land of Israel.
Israel-Saudi normalization is Biden's diplomatic 'Hail Mary' - opinion
The Biden administration appears to be pursuing two separate but complementary tracks in the Middle East: continued efforts to reach a diplomatic resolution to the nuclear standoff with Iran and Saudi-Israeli normalization. Both tracks are designed to stabilize the region and potentially even lead to a strategic transformation.

With the hopes for a new nuclear deal stymied by Iran, the administration is now attempting to reach “informal understandings.” Iran would halt uranium enrichment at the 60% level – dangerous, but not yet sufficient for a bomb – and refrain from attacking US targets in the Gulf. The United States, in exchange, would unfreeze $6 billion in Iranian assets, to be used for purchases of food and medical products; and allow Iraq $4 billion to pay for the electric power it buys from Iran.

The Saudi-Israel track is the one with the potential for far-reaching regional change. In reality, it is a multilateral package that would impose major demands on all sides but also provide major benefits. It is the diplomatic version of football’s “Hail Mary” play.

What do the Saudis want in order to normalize ties with Israel?
The Saudis, in exchange for normalization, are demanding that Israel make significant, although as yet unspecified, concessions on the Palestinian issue.

Saudi demands of the US are more specific: a defense treaty; access to essentially unlimited American weapons; and US approval of a civilian Saudi nuclear program.

Given King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud’s hard-line positions on the Palestinian issue, the Saudis may be considering only partial normalization at this point, pending Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman’s ascent to the throne. If true, this would undoubtedly limit American and Israeli willingness to accede to the Saudis’ far-reaching demands.

Israel’s concessions to the Palestinians would be significant and encompass the avoidance of measures that would jeopardize a two-state solution. Israel would have to indefinitely postpone West Bank annexation, as well as the establishment of new settlements and the legalization of illegal outposts. It would also transfer some of the territory from Area C in the West Bank now under Israeli control to the Palestinians.

The Biden administration would seek Israel’s acceptance of the Saudi demands, especially on the nuclear issue, and even Israel and AIPAC’s active lobbying in Congress, as a means of gaining approval for what will be a difficult sell.

The Palestinians were expected, at least in the initial American thinking, to once again remain on the sidelines, as they did during the negotiations leading to the Abraham Accords. In exchange for refraining from active interference – their usual modus operandi – the Palestinians were to gain extensive Saudi aid and benefit from the Israeli concessions. To the administration’s surprise, however, the Palestinians may be adopting a different approach this time, seeking to be involved in the process.

The US wishes to put the Iranian nuclear issue to bed, at least until after the 2024 elections, and thereby minimize the dangers that a crisis with Iran would deflect international attention from the war in Ukraine and global competition with China. In addition to full normalization with Israel, the US will likely seek a Saudi commitment to end to the war in Yemen, provide the Palestinians with truly generous aid, and impose significant constraints on the kingdom’s rapidly expanding ties with Beijing.
Dermer meeting with Blinken in Washington anything but routine
The U.S. State Department described Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s Thursday morning meeting with Israel Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, who is known as “Bibi’s brain,” as low-key.

“The secretary reaffirmed the United States’ enduring friendship and steadfast commitment to Israel’s security,” Matthew Miller, the department spokesman, stated.

The two officials discussed “cooperation on regional challenges, including threats posed by Iran and its regional proxies in Lebanon and elsewhere. They also discussed ongoing efforts to further Israel’s full integration into the Middle East,” Miller added.

Blinken “emphasized the importance of Israel and the Palestinians taking affirmative steps to de-escalate tensions and bolster stability” in Judea and Samaria, per the department’s readout.

The meeting was closed to press, with Foggy Bottom releasing no videos and just a few photos. Dermer’s office did not respond to requests for comment.

Vedant Patel, the State Department’s deputy spokesman, told reporters that the meeting was “a routine engagement where they discussed a wide variety of issues.”

In answer to a reporter’s question about whether Israel’s progression into the U.S. Visa Waiver Program was a topic of conversation between Dermer and Blinken, Patel said, “I’m sure it was discussed.” That subject did not appear in the official U.S. readout.

Dermer was also scheduled to meet on Thursday with National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, along with Brett McGurk, White House coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa, and Amos Hochstein, special presidential coordinator for global infrastructure and energy security.

The series of meetings comes as the Biden administration makes a push to establish a framework for discussions about normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia, with Washington serving as a broker.
Bolster West Bank stability, Blinken tells Dermer amid Israel-Saudi peace talks
Israel concerned over $6 billion deal between US and Iran
They met as Israel is concerned that the US would accept an agreement with Tehran that would allow it to maintain nuclear capacity. Israel is particularly concerned by the deal brokered earlier this month for the release of five Iranian hostages in exchange for the release of $6 billion in Iranian funds from a South Korean bank.

But they also met as the US eyes a deal with Saudi Arabia, which could have a civilian nuclear program with uranium enrichment capacity, a necessary step in nuclear weapons production.

'Ongoing efforts to further Israel’s full integration into the Middle East'
Blinken and Dermer “discussed ongoing efforts to further Israel’s full integration into the Middle East,” the State Department said in a nod to the Saudi issue.

Blinken also spoke by phone on Thursday with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan “to discuss a range of bilateral and regional issues,” the State Department said.

It emphasized that in Blinken’s conversation with Dermer the issue of the Israeli-Palestinian was also raised.

“The Secretary emphasized the importance of Israel and the Palestinians taking affirmative steps to de-escalate tensions and bolster stability in the West Bank,” the State Department said.

Israel is under pressure from the US to halt settlement activity and to provide the Palestinian Authority with economic gestures.

US State Department Deputy spokesman Vadant Patel separately told reporters in Washington that the US was concerned by Israel’s advancement of the legalization of West Bank outposts.

“We strongly oppose the advancements of settlements and urge Israel to refrain from this activity, including the promotion of outposts,” US State Department Deputy spokesman Vadant Patel said. “We take this issue very seriously, and it impinges on the viability of a two-state solution,” Patel said.


Australia: ALP status quo on Israel-Palestine
The Labor Party Conference held in Brisbane has maintained the recent changes in its policy regarding the Israel-Palestinian conflict without any further additions.

Labor is facing calls for the recognition of Palestine to become a priority for the government, with a commitment to statehood already in the party’s policy platform.

No timeline has been attached to implement the policy, with some pro-Palestinian Labor delegates pushing to have it expedited.

But pro-Israel elements of the party threatened to try and strip the policy from the platform if the other side attempted to alter it at the national conference in Brisbane.

No amendments were moved and the same wording remains in the policy platform with no timeline attached.

Labor MP Susan Templeman spoke in favour of recognition at Labor’s national conference on Friday, saying the actions of Israel’s extreme right-wing government were “deeply concerning”.

“The extreme right-wing policies of the Netanyahu government that speed up the expansion of settlements are a serious impediment to the two-state solution that we are all committed to,” she told Labor’s national conference on Friday.

She said she supported “the call our platform makes for the recognition of Palestine as an issue of priority” as Palestinians suffered inequality at the hands of Israeli settlements.

Trade unionist Michael Easson said good people could disagree on the issue and called for a nuanced approach to an age-old conflict.

He told the conference there could be “no justice without truth”.

“The central and tragic truth of the Israel-Palestine conflict is that two people – the Jewish people and the Palestinian – have deep, centuries-long, historical ties to a territory no larger than half of Tasmania,” he said.

“Viewing the conflict from a one-eyed perspective will not achieve peace. Any lasting solution cannot be at the expense of Palestinians or Israelis.”

The Executive Council of Australian Jewry welcomed the decision to not change the policy platform or add “further hostile policy pronouncements”.

This marks a significant departure from the past, as it is the first National Conference since 2015 that did not pursue unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state.


Plea negotiations could mean no 9/11 defendants face the death penalty, the US tells families
The suspected architect of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and his fellow defendants may never face the death penalty under plea agreements now under consideration to bring an end to their more than decadelong prosecution, the Pentagon and FBI have advised families of some of the thousands killed.

The notice, made in a letter that was sent to several of the families and obtained by The Associated Press, comes 1 1/2 years after military prosecutors and defense lawyers began exploring a negotiated resolution to the case.

The prosecution of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four others held at the U.S. detention center in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, has been troubled by repeated delays and legal disputes, especially over the legal ramifications of the interrogation under torture that the men initially underwent while in CIA custody. No trial date has been set.

“The Office of the Chief Prosecutor has been negotiating and is considering entering into pre-trial agreements,” or PTAs, the letter said. It told the families that while no plea agreement “has been finalized, and may never be finalized, it is possible that a PTA in this case would remove the possibility of the death penalty.”

Some relatives of the nearly 3,000 people killed outright in the terror attacks expressed outrage over the prospect of ending the case short of a verdict. The military prosecutors pledged to take their views into consideration and present them to the military authorities who would make the final decision on accepting any plea agreement.

The letter, dated Aug. 1, was received by at least some of the family members only this week. It asks them to respond by Monday to the FBI’s victim services division with any comments or questions about the possibility of such a plea agreement. The FBI had no comment Wednesday on the letter.
Israel shouldn't get special treatment says US presidential candidate
A US presidential candidate has said that Israel should not be receiving more aid than its neighbours and promised to cut back US funding to the Jewish state.

Vivek Ramaswamy, a long-shot Republican candidate for the president, said during an interview with Russell Brand on the right-wing social network Rumble that any additional funding Israel receives currently would be redundant.

He said: “Come 2028, that additional aid won’t be necessary in order to still have the kind of stability that we’d actually have in the Middle East by having Israel more integrated in with its partners,”

While Ramaswamy admitted that the close relationship between the US and Israel had benefited both countries, he added: "There’s no North Star commitment to any one country, other than the United States of America,”

He also said that he would be seeking to build on President Trump's record of dealmaking in the middle east, adding: “I want to go even further than Trump on the Abraham Accords. As president, I want to achieve the Abraham Accords 2.0 and bring in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and Indonesia,” he said. “It would be good for everyone.”

Last month, Ramaswamy also told JNS that he wants to reach a point where other Middle Eastern countries can normalize relations with Israel formally irrespective of a signed document with the Palestinians.

“I want to get these countries past the Palestinian situation being a hold-up to talks of a broader peace,” he said.
Ilhan Omar Touted DNC Megadonor's Medical Device Company During Controversial Pakistan Visit
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D., Minn.) defended a controversial trip to Pakistan last year on the grounds that she fought for democracy, human rights, and against "Islamophobia." But the Squad member’s weeklong junket also provided a political and commercial boost to a Democratic megadonor who maintains extensive ties to the Pakistani government, a Washington Free Beacon investigation found.

Omar, who recently disclosed that the government of Pakistan funded her travels, was accompanied on the trip by Tahir Javed, a Pakistani-American businessman who serves as deputy finance chairman of the Democratic National Committee, according to his LinkedIn profile. While Omar has not been accused of wrongdoing, her close ties to Javed could raise concerns about whether she is doing the bidding of a prominent campaign donor—one who has been accused of serving as an unregistered lobbyist for Pakistan. Javed has contributed $6,900 to Omar’s campaigns, and hosted a fundraiser for her at his home in 2018.

Omar’s April 2022 trip drew the representative a rebuke from India, a U.S. ally, over her visit to the disputed Kashmir region. She also met with Imran Khan, who was ousted as Pakistan’s prime minister days before Omar’s visit. Drama over Omar’s whirlwind tour prompted the State Department to announce her trip was "personal" and not sanctioned by the U.S. government.

Javed in a May 2022 interview appeared to take credit for arranging the meeting between Omar and Khan, who has accused the U.S. government of orchestrating his removal from office. The entrepreneur also organized Omar’s visit to the headquarters of Byonyks Medical, a firm that claims to sell Pakistan’s first "bloodless" kidney dialysis machine. Javed serves on the advisory board of Byonyks. Byonyks founder Farrukh Usman, who contributed $1,000 to Omar’s campaign on June 29, 2022 and accompanied her in Pakistan, suggested on social media that he and Javed organized the trip.
‘They’re Just an Extremely Wealthy White Org’: Squad Member Feuds With AIPAC Over ‘Bullying’
Rep. Summer Lee (D-PA), a freshman congresswoman and new member of the so-called “Squad” of far-left lawmakers, accused the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) of racist bullying in a fiery social media spat with the pro-Israel lobbying group on Wednesday.

“This is a right-wing bully group that supports actual insurrection, white supremacists,” Lee said of AIPAC in response to a post criticizing her decision to boycott Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s address to Congress last month. “They spend even more money insisting that anyone who doesn’t agree [with] their extreme right-wing views is a bigot.”

Lee insisted AIPAC was focusing on her due to her race, class, and progressive political agenda.

“That’s the real reason they target and abuse me,” she said. “Because the truth is they’re just an extremely wealthy white org [sic] that operates like so many others: they hate progressive, Black, and poor folks fighting for themselves, who they can’t control.”

Lee also suggested that AIPAC used the charge of antisemitism to deflect criticism from itself.

“To point out the obvious power dynamic gets us labeled antisemitic,” she wrote. “It makes us targets of dangerous and incredibly disingenuous attacks. It chills speech.”

According to AIPAC, however, its criticism of Lee has been focused solely on her record on Israel.

“Summer Lee is outrageously attempting to distract attention from her consistently hostile record against Israel by making unfounded and scurrilous attacks against us,” an AIPAC spokesman told The Algemeiner. “In fact, we proudly support pro-Israel progressives including over half of the Congressional Black Caucus and Hispanic Caucus and almost half of the Progressive Caucus.”


The Israel Guys: Setting the Record Straight About This “RADICAL” Israeli Minister (feat. Yishai Fleisher)
The media has labeled Bibi Netanyahu’s right-wing government as “racist” and has called several Israeli Ministers “extremist” and accused them of being guilty of discrimination. Itamar Ben Gvir, Israel’s Internal Security Minister, has been at the receiving end of many of these smear campaigns in the media.

Yishai Fleisher is the International Spokesman for Hebron, and is also an advisor to Minister Itamar Ben Gvir. He recently stopped by The Israel Guys studios to share his vision for Israel, and in part 1 of this interview, he helped set the record straight about just who Itamar Ben Gvir really is.


HonestReporting: Twenty-two years ago, a Hamas terrorist detonated a suicide bomb in a crowded Jerusalem pizzeria...
The Sbarro bombing would become one of the most infamous attacks of the second intifada...

Here's what happened.




"Widespread Blackouts in Lebanon, Beirut Airport Running on Generator"
The Electricity Authority of Lebanon announced on Wednesday night that the al-Zahrani and Deir Ammar power stations ceased operations due to the operating company’s financial debt.

Lebanon’s Central Bank refuses to approve additional credit to the Lebanese Electricity Company to operate the power plants, that is, without legislation backing such a move (the bank refuses to accept responsibility for the matter and wants Parliament to take responsibility – Abu Ali).

Following the situation, Lebanon’s International Airport in Beirut has started operating on electric generators – until fuel runs out. Meanwhile, the European Union’s Aviation Safety Agency has highlighted critical issues that require immediate attention in Beirut’s airport, ranging from problems in air traffic control, communication, navigation, surveillance, and weather reporting.

Lebanese media outlets have reported instances of water pumping being interrupted in various regions across Lebanon due to the ongoing power outages. Consequently, this has led to a disruption in the water supply to certain households.

Simultaneously, the communication company “Ogero” has reported problems in internet services in multiple areas within Lebanon due to the persisting power outages.

In response to the situation, Lebanon’s Prime Minister Mikati has contacted the president of the “Prime South” company, and assured the Lebanese government’s commitment to offset a portion of the company’s debt (7 million dollars) so that the company, responsible for operating power plants in the country, maintains electricity production.
Israel Pushing Security Council to Expand UNIFIL’s Mandate to Include Hezbollah Posts
Israel is trying to pressure the members of the Security Council to expand the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon to include the military posts that Hezbollah has placed along the border, hidden inside cargo containers, where the peace force is denied access.

The UNIFIL mandate, established in 2006, is renewed annually by the Security Council. According to Security Council resolution 1701, UNIFIL, in addition to carrying out its 1978 mission under resolutions 425 and 426, is empowered to monitor the cessation of hostilities following the Second Lebanon War; support the Lebanese armed forces as they deploy along the Blue Line; extend its assistance to civilian populations and displaced persons; help demilitarize the Israeli-Lebanese border; and assist the Lebanese government in preventing entry without its consent of arms or related materiel.

Feverish discussions are currently taking place, away from the Lebanese border, ahead of the renewal of the UNIFIL mandate, as happens every year at the end of August. But this year there are bigger concerns due to the growing provocations of Hezbollah along the Blue Line. Knowledgeable sources told Kan11 News that in recent days the Israeli delegation has urged the members of the UN Security Council to address the shipping containers that Hezbollah placed on the Blue Line, which constitute military compounds for all intents and purposes.

Dozens of shipping containers have been positioned there by the Lebanese purported environmental activist group Green Without Borders, which Israel has long been claiming, and offering documented proof to show that they are manned by Hezbollah terrorists. Those container compounds provide Hezbollah with strategic monitoring positions and serve as cover for warehouses and munitions storage tunnels which UNIFIL soldiers are barred from inspecting.

On Wednesday, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated Green Without Borders a terrorist organization, stating: “Green Without Borders is a Lebanon-based organization that has provided support to and cover for Hezbollah’s operations in southern Lebanon along the ‘Blue Line’ between Lebanon and Israel over the last decade while publicly operating under the guise of environmental activism. OFAC is designating Green Without Borders and its leader, Zuhair Subhi Nahla, pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, as amended, which targets terrorists, terrorist organizations, leaders and officials of terrorist groups, and those providing support to terrorists or acts of terrorism.”

France, which holds the Lebanon portfolio in the UNSC, is rumored to propose that UNIFIL will have access to the containers under its new mandate, but inspections would have to be coordinated with the Lebanese army. Israel is arguing, and several UNSC members agree, that any measure that limits UNIFIL’s ability to carry out its peacekeeping mission would inevitably embolden Hezbollah and encourage the terrorist group to embark on even more provocative actions.


No Turning the Other Cheek on the #IranRansomDeal
And as much as I have sympathy for the hostages and their families, anyone should know better. Iran is not a land for tourism. It is the land of terrorism, torture, execution, and hostage taking. Anyone who goes there knows they are putting themselves at risk. They should not reasonably expect to be ransomed as part of a deal that will put thousands more at risk.

Having “lived” on death row in Iran’s notorious Evin prison, I can say with clarity that as horrible as that was, if I were in prison now and the US government wanted to swap me at the cost of risking even the life of one innocent person, I would rather stay the rest of my life in prison.

It’s especially horrible that this deal is happening just before the first anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s murder on September 16th, 2022. This is an insult to Iranians who paid a huge price fighting for their freedom. The #IranRansomDeal is an unwelcome present a year after Mahsa’s Amini’s murder, a year after thousands of Iranians have been arrested, tortured, and murdered just for expressing their desire for freedom. It mocks all the brave Iranians who fought and still are fighting for their freedom. The #IranRansomDeal is spiting in the face of all Iranians who are fighting against this brutal regime.

Everyone knows that providing billions to the evil Islamist regime it will not be used for humanitarian purposes but for killing more Iranians, funding global terrorism, sending more missiles to kill Ukrainians, and helping the regime to expand its nuclear abilities. Only a fool could believe that the Ayatollahs will use this money for humanitarian purposes. Iran’s Islamic regime is evil, and only seeks death and destruction. Let’s not empower the evil, but stand together to cut off the evil at the head.

I have witnessed countless injustices in Iran: torture, human rights violations, religious persecution, and rampant misogyny. My captors said all I had to do to be released was renounce my faith. Some of my friends in prison called me crazy for risking my life and my freedom by not doing so. I learned several things from this. First, under no circumstances should anyone ever bow down to these savage people who hijacked Iran’s freedom, or force tens of millions if Iranians to live under the heal of an extremist intolerant Islam. True freedom existed when I was behind bars, because no one could take away my faith. I wanted them to see that I was free even though my body was in prison. I learned that we must always stand firm against these evil people. And I learned that even if I wanted to make a deal, the evil Islamist regime can never be trusted.

Now, I see the US government leading and funding a retreat rather than being a true leader among all countries, abdicating the responsibility to stand with persecuted Iranians and Christians in specific, or protecting human rights. The Biden administration has made the US look weak in the eyes of the world for its misguided and naïve policies vis a vis Iran. The evil of Iran must be defeated, not enabled.

May God save America and all Americans from the incompetent policies that keep Iran further from being free, and putting Iranians, Americans, and millions of others worldwide at greater risk. The #IranRansomDeal must be stopped.
Biden administration plan to unfreeze Iran funds draws Republican fire
While Republican critics support bringing wrongfully detained Americans home, they have blasted the Biden administration for tying their release to the unfreezing of billions of dollars of funds, arguing the move only emboldens Iranian aggression.

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, told “Fox News Sunday” it was naive to think Iran was “not going to have any control over this money.”

“I want to get these Americans home more than anybody,” McCaul said. “But we have to go in [with] eyes wide open. [The] $6 billion that now is going to go into Iran [will] prop up their proxy war, terror operations, and their nuclear bomb aspirations.”

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a top GOP presidential candidate, said the U.S. is “caving to Iran’s blackmail and extortion.”

“Rewarding Iran for taking Americans hostage incentivizes more hostage-taking,” DeSantis wrote last week on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. “Biden must stop obsessively pursuing disastrous deals that endanger our security. It is time to stand up to Iran with maximum pressure and roll back Iran’s malign influence.”

The tentative U.S.-Iran deal, which also includes the release of Iranian hostages in America, appears to have been in the works for months. Iranian officials hinted they were close to striking a deal last spring. Last week, Iran moved four of the hostages from the infamous Evin Prison to house arrest.

The announcement, however, comes amid rising tensions between Washington and Tehran, with the Iranian Navy seizing several U.S.-flagged oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman, indirect clashes in the Middle East and two years of failed negotiations over reviving the nuclear deal in the Biden administration. Iran has also been supplying drones to Russia for use in Ukraine, which the U.S. has consistently spoken out against.

The deal may be another worrying sign for Republicans who are against the revival of the JCPOA, which they say is not strong enough to rein in Iran’s military activity.

The State Department this week denied the deal has any links to other talks with Iran. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has also denied the exchange has anything to do with the Iran nuclear deal, saying Tuesday it was “simply about our people.”

Russell Lucas, a professor studying international relations and politics in the Middle East at Michigan State University, said the transaction might end up being a one-off deal — but it would begin to ease tensions in the region.

“This is hopefully going to kind of lower the regional temperatures and hopefully facilitate greater diplomacy in the future,” he said. “In the end, there isn’t a military solution that the United States is going to be able to do that’s going to significantly change Iran’s behavior. It’s going to have to be done diplomatically.”


Report: Russian drone experts took cover in Tehran hotel during alleged Mossad strike
Russian officials visiting Iran as part of cooperation on attack drone development earlier this year were forced to hunker down in their hotel after an alleged strike by Israel’s Mossad spy agency on a drone manufacturing facility in Tehran, according to a report Thursday.

The Washington Post report, citing documents leaked to it from the program, said the group of visiting managers and engineers were forced to remain in their lodgings after a strike on a reported Shahed-136 production facility in Isfahan, widely attributed to Mossad. Iranian officials were concerned further strikes could next be launched on additional drone facilities in Tehran which the Russians were about to tour, it said.

In the January attack, an Iranian Defense Ministry statement described three drones being launched at the facility, with two of them successfully shot down. A third apparently made it through to strike the building, causing “minor damage” to its roof and wounding no one, the ministry said. London-based opposition Iranian news outlet Iran International cited eyewitnesses as saying that they saw three or four explosions.

The Washington Post report, based on the trove of classified documents, revealed steady Russian progress toward manufacturing its own improved version of the advanced Iranian attack drone for use against Ukraine.

The post said the documents were obtained from a person involved in the work at a special Russian facility aimed at producing 6,000 drones by the summer of 2025, but who opposes the project and believes it has “gone too far.”

“This was the only thing I could do to at least stop and maybe create some obstacles to the implementation of this project,” the unnamed individual was quoted as saying, expressing hope that additional Western sanctions will be subsequently introduced, hindering the joint Russian-Iranian project.




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