Wednesday, September 27, 2023

09/27 Links Pt1: Israeli Cabinet member receives warm welcome in Riyadh; Israel officially in US visa waiver program; Israel foils Iran terror plot to 'assassinate' Ben-Gvir

From Ian:

Israeli Cabinet member receives warm welcome in Riyadh
An Israeli delegation led by Tourism Minister Haim Katz received a warm, public welcome in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday during the opening session of a U.N. World Tourism Organization gathering.

“There is a delegation here in the country for the first time. I hope they were received well. Welcome,” Saudi Tourism Minister Ahmed Al Khateeb told state representatives gathered at the Four Seasons Hotel in Riyadh for the annual U.N. World Tourism Day celebrations.

“Everyone in this room understands that tourism is the bridge between people and between cultures,” added Al Khateeb.

Katz landed in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, becoming the first Israeli Cabinet member to lead a public delegation to the Gulf kingdom.

“Partnership in tourism issues has the potential to bring hearts together and economic prosperity,” he said in a statement released by his office. “I will work to advance cooperation, tourism and the foreign relations of Israel.”

This week’s trip comes on the background of growing relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia as the two work toward a normalization deal. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) said last week that peace with the Jewish state is “getting closer every day.”

Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke openly on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly debate in New York about a coming agreement.

Earlier this month, an Israeli diplomatic delegation arrived for the first time in Saudi Arabia, for a meeting of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi is scheduled to fly to Riyadh next week for a congress organized by the Universal Postal Union.
Limited Liability Podcast: Lahav Harkov
Special episode: Rich and Jarrod are joined by Jewish Insider senior political correspondent Lahav Harkov for a conversation on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s numerous high-level meetings during his weeklong trip to the U.S., as well as Saudi normalization and artificial intelligence.
Gil Troy: US Jews, don't block Israeli-Saudi normalization
Last week frustrated those of us in the Silenced Majority seeking a judicial reform compromise and Saudi normalization, let alone a more normative – and representative – coalition. By exporting their protest to America, the anti-Bibi forces self-destructively strengthened Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s resolve and helped him by outraging his already inflamed base. It’s hard to know what projecting a sign onto the UN saying “Don’t believe Crime Minister Netanyahu” did beyond delighting Israel’s genuine enemies, and making the protesters feel good about themselves.

As those futile antics dominated the headlines, far more damaging was the Israel Policy Forum letter to President Joe Biden, signed by 80 American Jewish community leaders – including some cherished friends of mine.

Despite claiming to support a “normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia,” they added obstacles by insisting that Biden first pander to the Palestinians. They proposed “halting Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank and increasing territorial sovereignty for Palestinians, while simultaneously holding the Palestinian Authority accountable to reforms and strengthening its financial stability.”

The letter was so stuck in the Oslo-blinded 1990s, they should have faxed it. The Abraham Accords – which most American Jews have not celebrated sufficiently, because Donald Trump and Bibi Netanyahu facilitated them – broke the Palestinians’ decades’-long stranglehold on any peace progress. Other countries finally decided to let Palestinian leaders keep pursuing Israel’s destruction alone, without preventing the region from progressing – and Iran’s enemies from uniting.

The bottom-up excitement, with cultural, economic, and tourist exchanges cementing Israel’s new diplomatic ties, should have taught these American Jews to stop demanding concessions for a terrorism-addicted, dictatorial, Palestinian Authority.

Even many Israelis critical of Netanyahu agree that Iran poses the greatest threat to Israel. This letter ignores how Saudi Arabian normalization will benefit America (aka Big Satan) and Israel (Little Satan). It will upset the Iranian mullahs, the Chinese authoritarians, and Putin’s Russian thugs. Thwarting those evil forces is far more important than once again fruitlessly indulging overindulged Palestinians.

Upsetting Iran, China, Russia more important than indulging Palestinians
This letter neglects Oslo’s multiple misfires. It reeks of the naivete of one signer, Martin Indyk. He recently tweeted after Mahmoud Abbas’s latest Jew-hating tirade: “How could someone who has treated me as a personal friend for three decades at the same time harbor such hateful views of my people?”

How could someone who has claimed to be a Middle East expert for three decades harbor such delusional views about his people’s most lethal enemies? Did he only now notice Palestinian – and Abbasian – antisemitism and anti-Zionism?

The central obstacle to peace with the Palestinians is not “Israeli settlement expansion.” Nor will the Palestinian problem be “solved” by lavishing more land or money on the Palestinians. Palestinian leaders – and Palestinian political culture – must first accept Israel’s existence as a Jewish state and end terrorism.
Pompeo: Two-state solution blocks Saudi-Israel peace deal
It could be "impossible" to establish a Saudi Arabia-Israel peace deal if a prerequisite is the Palestinians receiving or accepting a Palestinian state, according to former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Pompeo helped orchestrate the Abraham Accords under US President Donald Trump, which normalized relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Morocco and Bahrain. But he told The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday that "it is impossible to imagine a two-state solution with the current Palestinian leadership who is underwriting terrorism, taking money from Iran, paying citizens to kill Israelis.

"It is very difficult to imagine how one would strike a deal with the very leaders that have rejected every reasonable offer with which they have been presented."

Pompeo spoke to the Post the day after Saudi Arabia's first ambassador to the Palestinian Authority, Nayef al-Sudairi, visited Ramallah. During his visit, al-Sudairi emphasized that creating a Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital would be a fundamental cornerstone in any prospective agreement with Israel.

"The Arab Peace Initiative is the central point of any upcoming agreement," al-Sudairi said.

Peace initiatives in the Middle East
Saudi Arabi's Arab Peace Initiative was initially ratified by the Arab League in 2002 and subsequently reaffirmed in 2007 and 2017. It requires a complete withdrawal of Israel from the West Bank and Golan Heights, establishing a Palestinian state with eastern Jerusalem as its capital and a "just settlement" of the Palestinian refugee crisis.

In speaking about normalization with Saudi Arabia at the United Nations General Assembly last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, "We must not give the Palestinians a veto over new peace treaties with Arab states. The Palestinians could greatly benefit from a broader peace. They should be part of the process, but they should not have a veto over the process."


NGO Monitor: New State Department Grantee Supports “Resistance,” Partners with Palestinian Islamic Jihad Leaders
The Phoenix Center for Research and Field Studies was established in March 2021 under the auspices of Gaza University.

According to Phoenix, it “is an independent Palestinian non-profit institution established in correspondence to its responsibility towards Palestinian communities to fulfil (sic) their political, economic and social needs…” The center aims at “Supporting all actors and decision-makers with accurate economic, social and political studies…Conducting surveys, public opinion polls, and studies analyzing social and economic policies, and providing advice on them to decision makers and the concerned authorities, independently and impartially, far from any agenda or ideology.”

State Department funding
According to USAspending.gov (a US government website that catalogs Federal grants), the State Department is providing $30,088 to the Phoenix Center for Research and Field Studies in Gaza for an August 2023-July 2024 project and an additional $60,000 for a September 2023-August 2024 project.1

The project description for the project beginning in August 2023 states: “The project team has developed clear, measurable objectives to develop the IT skills, raise the awareness of IT trends, and provide networking opportunities with IT employers in Europe and Asia for target audiences.” This description appears to be unrelated to Phoenix’s activity, raising the possibility that an unrelated grant description was associated with Phoenix.

The project description for the project beginning in September 2023 states: “This project aims to develop and enhance the knowledge and skills of Palestinian USG alumni in public speaking, storytelling, and digital networking. The program activities further promote diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility.” The term “USG alumni” likely refers to individuals who had participated in US government-funded and -organized training or enrichment programs.

Cooperating with terrorists and supporting terror
On Phoenix’s website, the organization reports on several conferences and panels it has hosted during which it supported “armed resistance” against Israel – a euphemism for terrorism.2 Several senior members of Palestinian terrorist organizations have participated in these events.
On December 13, 2022, the center hosted a discussion on “Tactical management and strategic building by the factions [i.e., terror groups]. The approaches of open conflict with the occupation authorities in Jerusalem and the West Bank. Which political agendas are required for the current conflict and its future?”

According to Phoenix, participants in the discussion concluded that “the priorities of future agendas must include the need to reintegrate armed resistance and popular resistance,” adding that “armed resistance and non-violent resistance…are supposed to be integrated, viewing both as essential tools of the conflict with the occupation”
Israel officially in US visa waiver program, State Dep't announces
The United States congratulated Israel for becoming the 41st country on Wednesday to enter the visa waiver program, the State Department announced, adding that the move was a reflection of the strong ties between the two nations.

“Israel’s entry into the Visa Waiver Program represents a critical step forward in our strategic partnership with Israel that will further strengthen long-standing people-to-people engagement, economic cooperation, and security coordination between our two countries,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.

“This important achievement will enhance freedom of movement for US citizens, including those living in the Palestinian Territories or traveling to and from them," he added.

US Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas said, “This designation, which represents over a decade of work and coordination between the United States and Israel, will enhance our two nations’ collaboration on counterterrorism, law enforcement, and our other common priorities. Israel’s entry into the Visa Waiver Program, and the stringent requirements it entails, will make both of our nations more secure.”

The Chargé d’Affairs Stephanie Hallett at the US Embassy in Jerusalem told reporters “Mazal Tov!” as she explained the details of the program.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, "Today we mark an important and joyful moment for all citizens of Israel.”

“We have worked on this for many years, close to a decade, even more so in the last year when we passed extensive legislation in the Knesset, legislation that enabled the legal basis for this move,” he explained.

“Those who want to visit the USA will no longer have to wait months just to get an appointment,” Netanyahu stated.

“This decision is further evidence of the strong ties between Israel and the USA,” Netanyahu stressed as he thanked US President Joe Biden, Blinken, Mayorkas and former US Ambassador Tom Nides.
U.S officially admits Israel into coveted Visa Waiver Program

The US Visa Waiver Program: How will things change and who gets credit?
It's happening: US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, was expected Wednesday to inform the Department of Homeland Security that he did not object to including Israel in the Visa Waiver Program. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas is likely to officially announce that Israeli citizens who wish to enter the US are exempt from needing to issue an entry visa as early as this coming November. Here is all that you need to know.

What has changed?
Instead of the long visa application process, Israelis will have access to the ESTA platform, where they will be able to get entry visas online almost immediately after they apply. No queue at the embassy, no interview, and no long and nerve-wracking wait.

Until now, Israelis in their 20s suffered the most from the existing process and were often denied entry without apparent reason. Now young people will be able to "discover America" problem-free.

ESTA entry permits are valid for two years and cost $21 – compared to a visa that is valid for 10 years and costs $185. This results in saving $80 over a decade.

What are the drawbacks?
Length of stay: A visa obtained through the long process allows you to stay in the US for six months, with the possibility of getting that extended. The ESTA permit grants a stay of only three months.

The loss of privacy: Israel allowed US authorities to gain access to various databases, including the criminal record registry as a pre-requisite to joining the program. Anyone with something to hide may be in trouble.

What hasn't changed?
The queue at the border control at the entrance to the US
The need to get a permit to do business in the US
The need to obtain a permit to study in the US
The need to get a permit to live in the US

Who will not benefit from the exemption?
Those who do not have a biometric Israeli passport (the Ministry of Interior is bracing for a flood of requests to exchange passports).
Those who are currently prevented from entering the US or have been banned in the past.
Those who have a criminal record, connection to money laundering or terrorism, or have other problematic information about them.


Paraguay plans to open Jerusalem embassy in November
Paraguay is set to open the doors of its new Jerusalem embassy in November, in a sign of growing support for Israel in Latin America, Paraguayan officials said on Wednesday.

The move comes as an increasing number of countries have recently voiced their intention to relocate their diplomatic missions to Israel’s capital based on faith-based diplomacy.

Paraguayan President Santiago Peña, who will come to Israel for the embassy launch, had previously said that the office would be opened by the end of the year.

Earlier this month, he met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, where the two leaders discussed the move alongside an array of bilateral issues in an “excellent meeting,” Peña said in a press briefing from the presidential residence.

“Our history brought us together,” Peña told Netanyahu at the New York meeting. “The present brings us together. But the future will bring us closer than we’ve ever been before.”

Israel will also reopen its embassy in Paraguay’s capital Asuncion.
Menendez Indictment Prompts Calls in US Congress for Egypt Aid Rethink
Charges that Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) accepted bribes in exchange for wielding his influence to aid the Egyptian government prompted calls in the US Congress on Tuesday for the Biden administration to rethink $235 million in military aid to Cairo.

Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy (CT), who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s Middle East subcommittee, said he hoped the committee would investigate the allegations and Egypt’s involvement.

US prosecutors announced an indictment on Friday accusing Menendez of accepting gold bars and hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash in exchange for wielding his influence to aid the Egyptian government.

“I would hope that our committee would consider using any ability it has to put a pause on those dollars, pending an inquiry into what Egypt was doing,” Murphy told reporters.

“I have not talked to colleagues about this yet, but obviously this raises pretty serious questions about Egypt, Egypt’s conduct,” he said.

The indictment against Menendez also says he had close relationships with members of Egypt’s intelligence services and held meetings to discuss US military aid.

Menendez has repeatedly denied wrongdoing. He has stepped down temporarily from his role as chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Senate Democratic rules require a member charged with a felony to give up any leadership position.

President Joe Biden’s administration decided this month to allow much of US foreign military aid to Egypt to go ahead, saying the country was vital to national security interests despite what critics have said about human rights abuses.
Campaign Urges Three Law Firms to Withdraw Sponsorship of Conference Awarding Navi Pillay
StandWithUs International, in cooperation with a coalition of dozens of organizations that play a leadership role in the American Jewish and legal communities (listed below), has launched a major effort calling on three law firms – Debevoise & Plimpton LLP; Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, and White & Case - to withdraw their financial sponsorship of the American Branch of the International Law Association’s “International Law Weekend” (October 19-21, 2023) which will honor Navi Pillay with their top Outstanding Achievement Award.

Navi Pillay is the head of the United Nations Commission of Inquiry (COI) on Israel and the former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and has used her platform to advance a focused agenda against the Jewish people and the State of Israel. On September 26, the coalition sent a letter to each of the three law firms urging that they withdraw their sponsorship of International Law Weekend. StandWithUs is also appealing to its network of lawyers and members of the public to call on these firms to remove their sponsorship.

CEO of StandWithUs, Roz Rothstein, stated, “It is outrageous that Navi Pillay is being honored in the first place given her clear obsession and well documented double standards against the world’s only Jewish state. It’s also inexcusable that Pillay has completely minimized the impact of Palestinian terrorism and the role it has played in the conflict. These firms ought to know that by financially supporting International Law Weekend, they will appear as though they are tacitly legitimizing Pillay’s legacy, which has also excused antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment in the halls of the UN.”

Eighteen countries, including the United States, have condemned Pillay and the UN Commission of Inquiry (COI)–which she chairs–for its anti-Israel bias and for the “overtly antisemitic comments” made by one of its commissioners, whom Pillay defended. Fellow commissioner, Miloon Kothari, accused the “Jewish Lobby” of controlling social media and questioned Israel’s membership in the UN. Commissioner Kothari later apologized for his remarks. Pillay did not. On the contrary, when speaking before the press at UN Headquarters in New York in October 2022, Pillay was asked about the antisemitism associated with her Inquiry and responded, “this [antisemitism] is always raised as a diversion.”


Israel foils Iran terror plot to 'assassinate' Ben-Gvir - Shin Bet
An Iranian-led terrorist cell targeting National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and planning to carry out terrorist attacks in Israel was arrested by the Shin Bet, the security agency announced on Wednesday.

The five-man cell, consisting of three Palestinians and two Israeli citizens, were tasked with gathering intelligence in order to harm security personnel, senior public officials and political figures including Ben-Gvir and former Knesset member Yehuda Glick. An indictment filed by Haifa District Attorney's Office on Wednesday said that the cell's Iranian handler explicitly sought the assasination of Glick, giving the cell a photograph of the ex-MK.

Ben-Gvir said that he would not be deterred by the news, and would continue to implement policies on the conditions of imprisoned terrorists, counterterrorism, and prayer rights on the Temple Mount.

"I commend the Shin Bet personnel and the security forces who exposed and captured the terrorist cell that intended to assassinate an Israeli minister," Ben-Gvir wrote on social media.

Yehuda Glick thanked God and said that he would continue to work to create cooperation between Jews and non-Jews.

"To the security forces who are constantly in contact with me, thank you for your intensive activity for the security of Israel," said Glick.
BREAKING: Shin Beit thwarted Iranian attack against Minister Ben Gvir in Israel
BREAKING: Shin Beit thwarted Iranian attack against Minister Ben Gvir in Israel. i24NEWS Middle East Correspondent Ariel Oseran is live in studio breaking down this breaking news.


Iran’s cyberattacks on Israel target the pillars of democracy
In a world where battles are increasingly fought with codes and clicks rather than cannons and caliber, the silent front of cyberwarfare continues to surge. This month, a brazen digital assault by the Islamic Republic of Iran laid bare the personal data of countless Israelis, casting a shadow over pivotal diplomatic negotiations and the proceedings of the UN General Assembly. As technology further embeds itself into our lives, the lines of traditional geopolitics blur, giving rise to new, invisible battlefields.

Navigating the complex geopolitical landscape of the Middle East often leads one through a maze of missile strikes, regional proxy wars, and escalating nuclear ambitions. However, as technology propels us forward, attention must be redirected to an emerging covert arena: the digital realm. The blend of Iran’s sophisticated cyber capabilities and its unyielding stance against Israel sketch a concerning blueprint, one pointing towards a greater objective – destabilizing the very pillars of democracy.

To any astute analyst, Iran’s cyberattacks on Israel are far more significant than mere blips in the virtual landscape. As Suzanne Maloney, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, observed through her research, Iran’s confrontational stance towards Israel is not limited to conventional battlefields. It’s deeply intertwined with an ideological battle that stretches beyond political discord, delving into anti-Zionism and even antisemitism. Iran’s enmity toward Israel has always been about more than just geopolitics: It’s also ideological and existential.

Iran's calculated efforts to destroy Israel from the inside out
Iran’s digital strategies are not just symbolic displays of power but calculated moves designed to erode the Israeli societal fabric from the inside out. As reported by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), these cyber initiatives aim to “disrupt Israeli daily life, demoralize the Israeli citizenry, and erode trust in the Israeli government’s ability to protect its people.”

Iran’s online aggression is but one aspect of a much broader and comprehensive strategy. Kenneth Pollack, a renowned Middle East researcher, underscores how Iran’s bellicose rhetoric also serves a dual purpose. Pollack suggests that “Iran uses its inflammatory rhetoric towards Israel as both a domestic rallying point and as a means of regional influence.”
Israeli Security Forces Arrest 11 Terror Suspects in West Bank Raid
Israeli security forces carried out a pre-dawn arrest raid on Wednesday in various localities across the West Bank, resulting in the arrest of multiple wanted suspects and the confiscation of weapons.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the Shin Bet internal security agency, and the Israel Border Police arrested 11 suspects in the towns of Hebron, Qalqilya, Tubas, and Nablus, as well as in the villages of Beit Duqqu, Beit Ummar, Shuyukh al-Arrub, and the Dheisheh refugee camp.

During the operation in the city of Hebron, the Israeli security forces arrested two suspects. In addition, a shotgun and four machines for weapons production were located and confiscated, as well as ammunition and several M16 rifle parts.

Palestinian gunmen in the town of Qalqilya had opened fire and threw explosive devices at the Israeli security forces, who responded with crowd dispersal measures.

In Beit Duqqu and Nablus, suspects had only thrown stones. The Israeli security forces responded by dispersing the demonstrations.

In the town of Tubas, three firearms and military equipment were seized under fire. In addition, two Carlo weapons were seized in Beit Ummar.


FDD: Hamas-Led Riots on Israel-Gaza Border Prompt IDF Counterattack
Latest Developments
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on September 26 struck Hamas military posts in response to riots and attacks against Israeli soldiers at the Gaza border. This strike marks the fifth consecutive day of Israeli counterassaults against Hamas and other armed Palestinian organizations that seek to cause unrest at the border by attacking the security barrier. The armed Palestinians have used improvised explosive devices (IEDs), small arms fire, and incendiary-laden balloons.

Israeli media reported on September 26 that the United Nations envoy for peace in the Middle East, Tor Wennesland, had entered the Gaza Strip intending to reestablish calm. Israel communicated a message to Hamas via Wennesland declaring that the Erez crossing — vital for facilitating the movement of workers between Gaza and Israel — would reopen after a 12-day shutdown, provided that violent protests and attacks near the border fence end.

Expert Analysis
“Under the leadership of Hamas, Gaza has become a failed state. The terror organization invests in rockets, weapons, and terror tunnels, diverting much-needed resources from the people of Gaza. Hamas teaches children that the Jews are to blame for their misery and that there is no higher honor than to die a martyr. These Hamas-led riots along the Gaza border are Hamas’ attempt to deflect attention from their failures. The IDF is rightly holding Hamas accountable for the violence, which threatens Israeli communities near Gaza.” — Enia Krivine, Senior Director of FDD’s Israel Program and National Security Network

“Hamas is carrying out a predictable pattern of behavior by repeating violent actions taken during the March of Return riots in 2018. Although violence has been contained to isolated sections of the border area in recent weeks, even a single casualty on either side has the potential to ignite a widespread conflict between Israel and Hamas.” — Joe Truzman, Research Analyst at FDD’s Long War Journal


PreOccupiedTerritory: Egyptian Translation Of Biblical ‘Appear Before The LORD’ As ‘Storm Al-Aqsa’ (satire)
A new Arabic edition of the Hebrew Scriptures came out this week, in which the editors sought to infuse the text with greater contemporary relevance by rendering, for example, “Three times a year all your males will be seen by the face of the LORD your God, in the place that He will choose…,” a passage from the book of Deuteronomy, as “you will storm the Haram al-Sharif and Al-Aqsa Mosque.”

A team of Egyptian academics published the work, which the cover calls “A revamped translation of one of the world’s most influential texts, with obscure terminology given clearer meaning for the modern reader.” Other “retranslated” passages include a commandment the team consider “missing” from the original book of Exodus, specifically a provision that the unleavened bread for Passover must contain the blood of a Palestinian child.

“We want our audience to understand more of the world,” explained Dr. Ali Latdam, director of the eight-year project at Cairo University. “Blind shouts that the Jews will storm Al Aqsa this week might work for the totally ignorant, but for the curious, we have provided an accessible source that indicates the origins of the practice.”
New Saudi envoy to PA said to cancel visit to Al Aqsa to avoid Palestinian backlash
Nayef al-Sudairi, the newly appointed Saudi ambassador to the Palestinians, reportedly canceled a planned visit Wednesday to the Al Aqsa Mosque on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount as part of his current visit to the West Bank.

The diplomat will visit Islam’s third-holiest site on one of his future trips, according to the Haaretz daily.

His arrival in Ramallah on Tuesday marked the first time Saudi Arabia has sent a diplomatic delegation to the West Bank since the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1993. Al-Sudairi, who is also ambassador to Jordan, presented his credentials as non-resident ambassador to the Palestinian Authority and consul general to East Jerusalem.

Palestinian reports cited by Haaretz had said the Saudi delegation was expected to visit Al-Aqsa on the occasion of the Mawlid, the celebration of the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad on Wednesday. The reports were neither confirmed nor denied by official Palestinian or Saudi sources.

The visit would have been the first by an official Saudi delegation since Israel captured the Old City and East Jerusalem from Jordan in the 1967 Six Day War. The reports noted that the Saudis were aiming to keep it low-profile to prevent Israeli interference in the specifics of the visit and to prevent Palestinian protests.

However, the reports of the planned visit sparked critical reactions by Palestinians on social media, with some considering it a sign of normalization with Israel and calling to prevent it. According to Palestinian sources quoted by Haaretz, the Saudi delegation understood the sensitivity of the issue for the Palestinians, and decided to postpone it.
MEMRI: Palestinian Authority, PLO, And Fatah In Blistering Attack On Palestinian Intellectuals Who Condemned President Abbas's Antisemitic Statements
Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas's statements at the August 24, 2023 Fatah Revolutionary Council session, translated by MEMRI and widely condemned by governments worldwide and covered internationally by media (view his statements on MEMRI TV here), were fully endorsed and defended by PA officials, who saw them as well-grounded "historic fact."[1]

In an unusual condemnation of Abbas's statements, over 200 Palestinian intellectuals, academics, and politicians signed an open letter stating that they "adamantly reject any attempt to diminish, misrepresent, or justify antisemitism, Nazi crimes against humanity, or historical revisionism vis-a-vis the Holocaust," and that such "ignorant and antisemitic narratives" do damage to the Palestinian people. One signatory even wrote an article, published by the London-based Al-Arabi Al-Jadid newspaper, criticizing Abbas's linking of the Holocaust to the Palestinian cause and arguing that 14 million Palestinians would pay for his mistake in doing so.

It should be noted that the open letter was deliberately not published on the official Palestinian press or official Palestinian news outlets. Furthermore, after it caused a stir in the global and Arab media,[2] the PA launched a smear campaign against the signatories. PLO, Fatah, and PA officials accused them of conspiring against and betraying the Palestinians by signing a "shameful announcement" that they said was in line with the Zionist narrative and damaged the Palestinian narrative as well as the Palestinian leadership and its head Mahmoud Abbas. Several of the officials also argued that the signatories represented neither Palestinian intellectuals and thinkers nor the Palestinian struggle. The attack on the letter and its signatories was also expressed in many articles published in PA newspapers.

The smear campaign itself sparked criticism. The Palestinian newspapers published articles condemning the tyranny of the Palestinian leaders and their intolerance of views different from their own. One writer, who criticized the denigration of important intellectuals who are "sources of academic and intellectual authority" and the accusations that they were acting "in service of hostile agendas," stated that this shows that the Palestinians had reached a new low. Another explained that the smear campaign had precipitated "a serious deterioration in our main battle" – that is, the fight against Israel. He added that an "escape into history" would not help the Palestinians and could harm their cause.

This report presents the letter, the smear campaign against its signatories, and the criticism of the campaign by some Palestinians.
PMW: Israel “to pay the price through the blood of its soldiers and settlers” - PFLP calls for “escalation everywhere”
Following a Palestinian terrorist’s murder of 1 Israeli soldier and wounding of 6, including 3 Israeli civilians and a Palestinian teen in a car ramming attack, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) terror organization called to “escalate the unlimited confrontation everywhere.” The PFLP’s goal: To make Israel “pay the price through the blood of its soldiers and settlers”:
“Our people is determined to escalate the unlimited confrontationagainst the occupation everywhere, to make it pay the price through the blood of its soldiers and settlers in light of its continued crimes against our people, and to thwart its delusions of stopping the wave of resistance.”

[Ma’an, independent Palestinian news agency, Aug. 31, 2023]

As is its policy, the PA presented the murderer as an innocent “young civilian,” who Israel “claimed” had carried out a car ramming attack: “The [PA] Ministry of Health announced that civilian Daoud Abd Al-Razeq Dars[Fayez] (i.e., terrorist, murdered 1), 41, was shot by the occupation forces and died as a Martyr…

The occupation forces shot young Dars claiming that he carried out a car ramming operation at the military ‘Maccabim’ Checkpoint located on the lands of Beit Sira, which led to the death of a soldier and the wounding of 5 others (sic., 6).”

[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Sept. 1, 2023]

Similarly, when Khaled Samer Al-Za’anin, 14-year-old terrorist, was killed a few days earlier after he stabbed and wounded a 22-year-old Israeli on the Jerusalem light rail, the PA referred to him as “a young person who was shot and died as a Martyr.” The PA also reported that eyewitnesses saw that Al-Za’anin was “executed.” [Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Aug. 31, 2023]

PA Chairman Abbas’ spokesman Nabil Rudeina accused Israel of “murder in cold blood of [a] young Jerusalem resident,” claiming Israel intentionally is trying “to bring about an explosion in the situation and drag it into the cycle of violence and escalation.” [Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Sept. 1, 2023] Adding to this, the PA Foreign Ministry turned the incident on its head, claiming Khaled Samer Al-Za’anin was “executed” - “barbarically attacked by settlers while he was on the [light] rail and died as a Martyr while defending himself.” [Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Sept. 1, 2023]

Palestinian Media Watch has shown the dual and almost conflicting messages of the PA. At times it presents terrorists who try to murder Israelis as innocents, while at other times it brags about their “accomplishments” as “self-sacrificing fighters” and the PA’s soldiers.


Fatah spokesman: “The only way to liberate Palestine is the rifle”
Fatah Spokesman in Jenin Fares Abu Al-Wafa: “Our message to the occupation is that the only way to liberate Palestine is the rifle and there is no solution other than the rifle. This generation is continuing until the occupation leaves and Palestine is liberated.”
[Official PA TV News, Sept. 20, 2023]

Abu Al-Wafa made this statement at the funeral of 4 terrorists from the Jenin refugee camp:
Mahmoud Al-Sa’adi, Mahmoud Ar’arawi, Rafat Khamaiseh, and Ata Musa – Palestinian terrorists who participated in violent confrontations in which terrorists shot at Israeli soldiers during a counter-terror operation in the Jenin refugee camp on Sept. 19, 2023. The four were shot and killed during the confrontations.


PA: “Britain views Israel as its spoiled child, which it pacifies with the blood of innocents”
Official PA TV narrator: “With every decision, project, or defense that [Britain] gives, it rewards Israel, which has learned from [Britain] its crimes, its occupation, and [its] violent theft of that which does not belong to it. [This] proves that Britain views Israel and its leadership as its spoiled child, which it pacifies with the blood of innocents.”
[Official PA TV, Palestine and the World, Sept. 18, 2023]


PA: “The true number of refugees exceeds 9 million refugees”
Official PA TV narrator: “[The Palestinian refugees in the UNRWA refugee camps] are not all of the Palestinian refugees, as many of them have not registered themselves with UNRWA because they live outside its areas of operations, which only include the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon. Today, the true number of refugees exceeds 9 million refugees.”
[Official PA TV, From Palestine, Sept. 19, 2023]

UNRWA - UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East




Iran to UN: Netanyahu ‘threatened us with nukes’
Iran has written a letter to the U.N. Security Council complaining about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s “threat of using nuclear weapons against Iran” during his Sept. 22 address at the U.N. General Assembly.

“The use or threat of use of nuclear weapons constitutes a clear violation of international law and the U.N. Charter, especially from Israel, and emphasizes the serious threat posed to security and international peace,” wrote Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations Amir Saeed Irvani.

“In accordance with international law, we will respond decisively to all threats and illegal acts originating from the Israeli regime,” Irvani warned. “We will not hesitate to exercise these rights to protect our security, our national interests—and our people.”

During his UNGA address, Netanyahu said, “Iran must face a credible nuclear threat. As long as I am prime minister of Israel, I will do everything in my power to prevent Iran from getting nuclear weapons.”

A senior adviser to the prime minister told JNS that the original text of the speech called for “a credible military threat” against Iran’s nuclear program.

“It was misread as a credible nuclear threat,” the adviser told JNS. “The prime minister stands by the original text of the speech.”

Netanyahu has been waging a public campaign to rein in Iran’s nuclear ambitions for decades, and was a vocal critic of the 2015 nuclear accord.

During his U.N. address, Netanyahu said that the “tyrants of Tehran” have been nothing but a curse since he last addressed the UNGA in 2018. However, he added, “The common threat of Iran has brought Israel and many Arab states closer than ever before, in a friendship that I have not seen in my lifetime.”
US Lawmakers Demand Answers Over Pentagon Official’s Role in Iranian Influence Operation
Lawmakers in the US Congress on Tuesday demanded answers over a pair of bombshell reports alleging that a Biden administration official was part of an Iranian influence operation to shape public opinion about the regime in Tehran and its nuclear program.

The chairmen of the House Armed Services Committee, Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL), and its intelligence subcommittee, Rep. Jack Bergman (R-MI), wrote to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to ask about Pentagon official Ariane Tabatabai’s alleged involvement in the Iranian Experts Initiative, which according to emails first reported by Semafor and Iran International was at the center of a regime-organized public relations effort during the 2014-15 nuclear negotiations with Iran.

“Ms. Tabatabai’s past employment history and close ties to the Iranian regime are alarming and should be disqualifying for anyone seeking such a sensitive position of trust within the United States Department of Defense,” the letter says. “It is the adamant position of the House Committee on Armed Services that no person who aligns themselves with an adversary such as Iran, or who acts as a foreign agent of influence, wittingly or unwittingly, should wield any such influence over United States policy, or have access to such sensitive information.”

In their letter, the Republican lawmakers demand a response by Oct. 3 from Austin to questions regarding how Tabatabai obtained her security clearance, whether her department was aware of her involvement in the Iranian influence network, and whether she has had any further communications with members of the regime either professionally or personally.

Tabatabai is currently chief of staff for the the assistant secretary of defense for special operations, and she was previously a senior adviser in the State Department’s ​​Office of the Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, which is responsible for nonproliferation and closely involved in the Iran nuclear file. From 2021 to 2022, Tabatabai was an adviser to the US special envoy for Iran, Rob Malley, who is currently under FBI investigation and suspended without pay from the State Department for potentially mishandling classified information.
Biden's Suspended Iran Envoy Employed at Least Three Members of Iranian Influence Network: Report
At least three one-time advisers to suspended Biden administration Iran envoy Robert Malley were part of an Iranian Foreign Ministry plot to influence U.S. policy, according to a Tuesday Semafor report based on leaked foreign ministry emails.

Pentagon official Ariane Tabatabai, think-tank adviser Dina Esfandiary, and Malley protégé Ali Vaez were part of the Islamist government's Iran Experts Initiative (IEI), a scheme to recruit experts who would "bolster Tehran's image and positions on global security issues," according to the report.

As part of the IEI, Tabatabai, whom Iranian dissidents pinpointed last year as a pro-regime advocate, "on at least two occasions checked in with Iran's Foreign Ministry before attending policy events," including a congressional hearing, Semafor reported. Vaez communicated with Mostafa Zahrani, one of the two Iranian officials behind the Iran Experts Initiative, saying in one email that he looked forward to Zahrani's "comments and feedback" on an article he wrote. Zahrani forwarded that email to Iran's then-foreign minister. The other official behind the initiative, Saeed Khatibzadeh, in March 2014 described himself, Tabatabai, and Esfandiary as "the core group of the IEI."

Tabatabai, Esfandiary, and Vaez have all "worked closely with Malley over the past decade," Semafor reported, with Esfandiary and Vaez both advising the think tank that Malley headed before he joined the Biden administration in 2021. Tabatabai served on Malley's team before taking her current job as chief of staff for the assistant secretary of defense for special operations. Malley also attempted to appoint Vaez to a government job, but Vaez "could not obtain the necessary security clearance," Iran International reported.

Malley this year had his credentials and security clearance revoked, the Washington Free Beacon reported in July. Leaked State Department documents revealed in August that Malley faces accusations of mishandling sensitive information, personal misconduct, and misuse of classified networks. The FBI is also investigating Malley, Semafor reported.

The Tehran Times, the Iranian state-run media source that leaked the State Department documents, has claimed that Malley is routinely in contact with "unofficial advisers of Iranian descent," the Free Beacon reported. Republicans last month called for the department to investigate how the propaganda outlet obtained the documents.
Leak reveals Iran influence agents reached U.S. Government
U.S. government officials are calling for an investigation into an Iranian backed influence operation that resulted in hundreds of leaked Iranian foreign minister emails dating back decades. Head of digital, Iran International Bozorgmehr Sharadfedin joins to break down the latest.


Pentagon Defends Biden Appointee's Alleged Membership in Iranian Influence Network
The Pentagon is standing by a senior official identified in a Tuesday morning news report as a member of a vast Iranian influence network, telling the Washington Free Beacon the individual was "properly vetted" before being awarded a security clearance.

The report from Semafor, based on emails from senior Iranian officials, detailed a vast communications network, known as the Iran Experts Initiative, linked to the hardline regime in Tehran. That network, the emails suggest, includes the Pentagon official Ariane Tabatabai as well as other "influential overseas academics" who reported to Iran's foreign ministry and helped push Tehran's talking points with American policymakers. The existence of this network was outlined in a cache of Iranian government documents reviewed by Semafor.

A Pentagon spokesman told the Free Beacon that Tabatabai was subjected to a full security screening before being hired.

"Dr. Tabatabai was thoroughly and properly vetted as a condition of her employment with the Department of Defense," the spokesman said. "We are honored to have her serve."

Tabatabai, who obtained security clearance for her Pentagon job, and two others affiliated with the influence campaign also served as aides to Biden administration Iran envoy Robert Malley, who was suspended from his post earlier this year for allegedly mishandling classified information. It is unclear whether Malley's suspension is related to his connection to the Iranian influence network documented in the Semafor report.

While the Pentagon has not addressed the news, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller on Tuesday dismissed the story for containing information from "almost a decade ago" and referred further questions to the Pentagon.

The Pentagon would not respond to Washington Free Beacon questions about whether it knew about these ties prior to the public revelations.




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