Tuesday, October 03, 2023

10/03 Links Pt1: What have the Palestinian Arabs ever done to deserve concessions?; A ‘Samuel Accord’ for Saudi Arabia and Israel; Saudi team cancels match in Iran over Soleimani bust

From Ian:

What have the Palestinian Arabs ever done to deserve concessions?
If any concessions are made to the Palestinian Arabs, and this must be a BIG IF, there must this time be a demand for reciprocal concessions and some substantial give from the them, which must be monitored and policed and, if broken in the slightest, will immediately be cancelled and withdrawn without any further negotiations. This will be and must be entirely at Israel’s discretion and applied. It is more than time to treat the Palestinians like adults and demand they act accordingly.

In short, a significant sword must be held over the Palestinian Arabs' heads with the Palestinian Arabs clearly understanding they have to comply and running in their usual cry baby routine to the United Nations, the International Criminal Court or any other world body will not help. If they break their commitments, they and the world will know about it.

It is time for the Palestinian Arabs to grow up. In all the years of fighting, terrorising, random murders and sabotaging Israel plus their “great” contribution of airline hijackings, what have they achieved? What have they built? Have they built a country in Gaza or in Area A? In reality they have built nothing. They have been spongers, parasites on the world and for various reasons, which includes anti-Semitism, Europe has endlessly financed them as has America.

As American administrations change and the Democrats take over, so laws are broken and ignored and huge funds are sent to the Palestinian Arabs, all of which have contributed enormously to Arafat dying a billionaire, Mahmoud Abbas becoming a multi-millionaire if not a billionaire with a palace in Ramallah. All the heads of Hamas et al are billionaires…. and their people continue to suffer and live in squalor and in poverty.

What is there for their male youth to do? They grow up with no other ambition than to become a terrorist. Their hormones and testosterone raging in a restrictive and backward tribal, religious and medieval culture. To the Western world the idea of being rewarded as a “martyr” with seventy two black eyed virgins is ridiculous and shows just how restricted, controlled and deprived their lives amongst their own are. Is Islamic paradise one continuous orgy? How pornographic and limited can they get?

Financing the Palestinian Arabs ad nauseum only achieves more terrorism. This has been going on far too long without any demands for civilised sensible results. What has happened to the concept of teaching a man to fish? The solution is to force the Palestinian Arabs into modernity. Force them to create and build a normal society on their own with a functioning economy and opportunity for all to make a decent living. It is beyond time they acquired themselves decent leadership and joined the civilised world.

Western youth are imbued with ambition to establish themselves, build businesses, careers, families etc. What have the Palestinian Arab youth to look forward to in their cultures, in their living areas, in Gaza? Nothing!..... Except the machoness, aggression and the madness of terrorism, joining Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, PFLP, Lion’s Den and a myriad of sub-groups all increasingly armed, sponsored, used and abused by Iran. There is nothing except death in becoming a “martyr”, no matter how much brainwashing comes from the mullahs.

So we come back to our original question, what have the Palestinian Arabs ever done to deserve concessions? Have they shown the slightest reliable promise to do anything or create anything when their sole misguided ambition is to destroy Israel, chase the Jews into the sea and then what? Go on sponging off the Europeans and Americans whilst threatening them and hating them? And when they have through their stealth invasion of Europe destroyed and turned that continent into the hell holes they come from, what then?
Jonathan Tobin: Who lost the battle to stop Iran’s nuclear quest?
Kerry’s Iran collusion and Trump’s failure
Another possible scapegoat is former President Donald Trump.

Obama apologists do blame Trump for withdrawing from the JCPOA and attempting to pressure Iran to abandon its nuclear quest with sanctions and threats. They say his decision torpedoed an imperfect but still working plan to stop Iran without a viable alternative in place. That’s mistaken because the Obama deal was a failure from the start and was going to have to be replaced sooner or later.

In the end, Trump failed during his four years in office to achieve a better Iran nuclear deal or to stop their efforts altogether. But the primary blame for that failure was not his. Had Iran believed that it had no alternative but to return to the negotiating table or to face complete isolation and economic ruin, Trump’s plan would, at the very least, have had a chance to succeed.

They didn’t believe that. The reason was that they were betting on Trump being defeated in 2020 and being replaced with a Democrat who would return to Obama’s strategy of appeasement/containment. Had Biden acknowledged while running for president that the JCPOA was a sham and made clear that he would stick with pressure to get a better deal that would end the threat rather than merely kick the can down the road, Iran might conceivably have been left with no choice but to abandon its nuclear ambitions. Instead, he promised more appeasement.

Even worse than that, former Secretary of State John Kerry met repeatedly with the Iranians in 2018 and advised them to ignore Trump’s moves and “maximum pressure” campaign. He assured them that if they merely sat tight and waited for 2021, they could have everything they wanted. They took his advice and that, as much as anything, is why Iran is now only 12 days away from a bomb.

Kerry’s collusion with Iran wasn’t merely ill-advised; his actions advising an enemy of the United States to thwart government policy was arguably one of the most disgraceful actions undertaken by an American in the history of the republic. That he got away with those actions, which are close to treasonous, and subsequently received the reward of another high office as Biden’s climate czar only makes it worse. While Americans spent three years being lied to by the media and the Democrats about Trump’s supposed collusion with Russia, it was Kerry’s open collusion with Iran that should have generated outrage rather than shrugs and yawns. The “echo chamber” that Obama staffers like Ben Rhodes created in the media ensured that Iranian appeasement stayed on track even after Trump won in 2016.

Obama’s bad deal
Kerry doesn’t stand alone as the man who is most responsible for ensuring that Iran became a threshold nuclear power. Former President Barack Obama came into office determined to realign American foreign policy away from traditional allies like Israel and Saudi Arabia, and his Iran appeasement did just that. It did have the unintended consequence of bringing Israel together with the Arab states in a way that made the Abraham Accords possible. But in 2013, when Obama and Kerry began their initial secret negotiations with Iran, the international community had—thanks in part to Netanyahu’s warnings—endorsed tough sanctions. With American leadership, that could have brought Iran to its knees. Instead, the United States wound up being the ones begging Iran for a deal and abandoning sanctions.

It took 20 years of bad decisions to bring the world to the point where everyone must acknowledge that Iran has succeeded, and Israel and the West failed.

But Obama, Kerry and their foreign-policy team that embraced Iranian appeasement must bear the primary guilt for this appalling and dangerous situation. Honest histories of this debacle—assuming a future in which anti-Trump and anti-Netanyahu partisanship is no longer assumed from the academy and supposedly reputable historians—will judge them harshly. The consequences that will ensue from an Iran terrorist state that is only 12 days from a nuclear weapon are terrible, even unimaginable. In the years to follow, we will learn just how much their feckless policies, lies and collusion with Islamist murderers will cost the peoples of the Middle East and the rest of the world in blood and agony.
Caroline Glick: ‘We the People’ begin to speak
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his family packed their bags Monday night for their vacation on the Golan Heights.

The police also made their routine preparations. They set up a water cannon outside the hotel where the Netanyahus are staying to prevent leftist rioters from getting near the premier and his family.

On the face of things, the left’s insurrectionists are as strong as ever. They have unlimited funds to spend on their activities. They are guided by Israel’s most talented PR executives. They receive wall-to-wall support from 95% of Israeli media outlets. And, acting on orders from Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, the police are prohibited from enforcing the law against them.

The insurgents’ current target is religious Judaism and religious Jews.

On Sunday night, a group of leftist male bullies stormed a movie screening for ultra-Orthodox girls and women in Jerusalem to block them from watching a film without males in the room.

Haaretz reporter Yael Freidson cheered them on, writing on X/Twitter, “Neighborhood men appeared at a [film] screening that was organized for women and girls, and prevented the same-sex event from taking place. For those who didn’t understand from the events of recent weeks, the contract has been reopened.”

Freidson’s allusion to “the contract” relates to Israel’s social contract, which permits autonomy and use of public spaces for various religious and social sectors in Israel’s multicultural society. The leftist insurrection now demands that freedom of access be blocked for people who aren’t like them.

Freidson’s mention of “the contract” was also an allusion to a new political party. In August, the heads of Brothers in Arms, the insurgency’s habitually violent paramilitary force, formed a political party called “New Contract.” It will run candidates in the municipal elections scheduled for Oct. 31. The goal is to win enough seats on municipal councils to prevent mayors from forming governing coalitions or otherwise cooperating with religious parties and Likud.


Salman Al-Ansari: A ‘Samuel Accord’ for Saudi Arabia and Israel
There is an ancient Arab story from the sixth century about a Jewish man named Samuel, or “Samawal,” in Arabic. He was entrusted with the money and weaponry of his close Arab friend who was being pursued by an enemy. Upon discovering this, the enemy sought out Samuel and demanded to be given the property of the Arab, threatening Samuel with murder if he did not comply. Samuel remained steadfast in his refusal to obey their orders and was promptly killed.

From this story was born the well-used Arab phrase that’s still in use to this day, ‘more loyal than Samuel,’ which describes a loyal and trustworthy person. Just like in the story of Samuel, the Arab and Israeli people should seek to build mutual trust and respect, and shed light upon the ancient spirit of collaboration in all fields, including science, literature, astronomy and all aspects of the golden era of Arab-Jewish relations, especially in Andalusia.

Throughout history, peaceful collaboration has borne an abundance of good fruits; now, a shared vision for the future will allow our countries to continue to flourish. Israel’s global prowess in a broad range of industries, in spite of the country’s small size and population, has compelled me to stay firm in my belief that the country can and should become one of the primary contributors to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 agenda. Not surprisingly, Israel has the third, fourth and fifth best universities in terms of innovation according to an international ranking of universities. Saudi Arabia topped the list, coming in first and second place. Through collaboration on technological and entrepreneurial fronts, the sky is the limit for what these two countries can accomplish together.

The media has reported that the Saudis are asking for three demands from the US, the first being an agreement regarding peaceful nuclear cooperation. Since Saudi Arabia is the largest country in the world without a river, it has a great deal of interest in using nuclear energy for the desalination of water. Some time ago, I was gifted a fascinating book “Let There Be Water” by its author Mr. Seth M. Siegel. In his book, he discusses the remarkable success story of Israel in the realm of water technology. I was struck by the potential for cooperation, and believe that cooperation in water technology will be paramount to normalizing relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel.
Iran can't stop Israel-Saudi peace, Netanyahu says in message to ayatollah
"Iran will not prevent [Israel] from further expanding the circle of peace for the benefit of Israel's citizens, the peoples of the region, and all of humanity," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday in response to Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's public dismissal of the "Zionist regime."

"Governments that are gambling on normalizing relations with the Zionist regime will lose," said Khamenei on Thursday, according to a report from the Islamic Republic News Agency and posts shared on Tuesday on the Ayatollah's X account.

This came after much discussion of Saudi-Israel normalization at the United Nations General Assembly in late September.

Also, the week before the UNGA, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Saudi Arabia informed the Biden administration that resolving Palestinian issues is critical for any normalization deal with Israel.

"As the Europeans say," the Ayatollah continued, "'They are betting on a losing horse.' That is the Islamic Republic's definite position."

Another X post read: "The Zionist regime is dying." He also said that "the usurper regime is coming to an end. Today, the Palestinian youth, the anti-oppression, anti-occupation movement in Palestine is more energetic, more alive, and more prepared than ever during the past 70 or 80 years. God willing the movement will achieve its goals."

Finally, he wrote: "Imam Khomeini once described the usurper Zionist regime as a cancer. This cancer will definitely be eradicated at the hands of the Palestinian people."


PodCast: In Jerusalem With Caroline Glick: Barack Obama’s Middle East
For the past two decades, Israeli journalist Caroline Glick has been largely alone in expressing major concern for the United States-Israel relationship. She correctly forecast the descent of the relations at the very beginning of Barack Obama’s administration, which has now continued into the hostile Biden administration. On today’s program, Trumpet Daily guest host Brent Nagtegaal speaks with Caroline Glick in Jerusalem about Barack Obama’s ongoing legacy in the Middle East.
Yisrael Medad: A Pro-Israel Question at a State Department Presser
A rarety.

A pro-Israel question at a State Department Presser:
QUESTION: Okay. In light – thanks, Matt. In light of UNRWA donors’ – that’s a UN agency – recent meetings at the UN, will the U.S. ask the UN to inspect and disarm UNRWA refugee camps that have become well-equipped arsenals? And I have a follow-up question.
MR MILLER: Do you mean – where particularly do you mean?
....
MR MILLER: So I will say that, as we have said before, we have long recognized Israel’s right to defend itself and take actions to secure its territory.
QUESTION: Okay. The follow-up to that is: Will the U.S. challenge the official Palestinian school curriculum, which rejects the two-state solution by teaching the next generation to reject any recognition of Israel?
MR MILLER: So, I will say that we support the two-state solution. You’ve seen me asked about that on a number of occasions. That will continue to be our policy, and that will be our policy as it pertains to anyone on either side of this longstanding conflict who wants to take a different position.
QUESTION: What about those well-equipped arsenals and the concerns that Israel has that are happening – that are occurring in the UN agency UNRWA camps?
MR MILLER: Again, as I’ve said, we support Israel’s right to secure its nation.


Blinken to visit Saudi for normalization talks
i24NEWS reports Blinken will visit Saudi Arabia for normalization talks. Middle East expert Avi Melamed and Former Israeli Ambassador Yoram Ettinger join to dive into the latest in Saudi-Israel normalization




Israeli minister leads delegation to Saudi Arabia
Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi arrived in Riyadh on Monday night at the head of a 14-strong delegation, becoming the second minister from the Jewish state to make a visit to the Sunni Muslim kingdom in a week.

Karhi, a Likud Party member and close ally of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is being accompanied by Knesset Economic Affairs Committee chairman David Bitan and representatives of the Foreign Ministry, Communications Ministry and Israel Post.

“It is a great honor to represent the State of Israel in this historic visit to Saudi Arabia. It is especially meaningful to visit during the holiday of Sukkot, a time of renewal, gratitude and blessing in the Jewish faith,” Karhi told JNS in an exclusive statement from Riyadh.

“Our goal is to continue the cooperation between peoples and nations for the benefit of the citizens of the entire world. We are deeply appreciative and grateful to the [Universal Postal Union] and to our Saudi hosts for their incredibly warm and generous hospitality. For the welfare and advancement of all humanity, we will continue to work together to promote cooperation between our people, nations and countries,” he added.

The minister is slated to address the UPU’s 2023 Extraordinary Congress and meet with U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Michael Ratney.

Karhi is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with Saudi colleagues during the trip.

“We’ll meet with representatives from around the world and bring peace between the State of Israel and Saudi Arabia closer,” said Karhi in a video message after landing in Riyadh.

Added Bitan: “Everything starts with small steps, so this is the beginning, and we will see in the future how things develop for the benefit of the State of Israel and peace in the Middle East.”


Report: Are Israel and Mauritania holding covert talks?
A pro-Iranian website reported on Monday that high-ranking Israeli and Mauritanian intelligence and security officials recently held a clandestine meeting mediated by the United Arab Emirates.

In recent months, Arab media has been rife with reports suggesting that Israel is actively pursuing normalization with countries such as Mauritania, Somalia, Niger, Indonesia and Libya with U.S. involvement.

Mauritania and Israel had diplomatic relations from 1999 to 2010. But Nouakchott severed relations, following strain over a 2009 Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip.

According to the Lebanon-based monthly newspaper Al-Khandak, David Meidan, a former Mossad official who currently works in the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, met with an adviser to Mauritania’s intelligence chief.

The meeting—held at the official residence of Emirati President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed—was also arranged with the help of Muhammad Dahlan, a former Fatah official and rival of Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas, according to the report.

Dahlan, a former high-level figure within Fatah, was the P.A.’s Gaza “strong man” when Hamas violently seized control of the Strip in 2007. He had a falling out with P.A. leader Mahmoud Abbas as he regained influence and was expelled from Fatah in 2011. Dahlan was later tried in absentia in Ramallah on charges of corruption. Dahlan, who lives in the UAE, says the charges are politically motivated.
Thousands march to threatened biblical site in Samaria
Israeli politicians, local leaders, prominent rabbis and others marched on Monday as part of a Sukkot event to a threatened site in northern Samaria that many believe to be of major biblical significance. The group numbered some 10,000, according to the Samaria Regional Council.

Mount Ebal, located just north of Shechem (Nablus), is regarded by many as one of the most important Jewish heritage sites in the Land of Israel. The Book of Joshua relates that Moses’s successor built an altar on the mountain as part of a covenant renewal ceremony soon after the Israelites, who had fled Egyptian slavery, entered the Holy Land.

The Iron Age compound, dating to the 11th century BCE, is located in Area B, which is under Israeli security and Palestinian civilian control. Israeli Jews are not usually allowed to visit without prior authorization from the Israel Defense Forces.

Earlier this month, an inspector from the Samaria Regional Council’s Lands Department discovered that the Palestinian Authority has been paving roads as part of a project for 32 housing units on the ruins of the historic site.

In response, more than 30 leading Religious Zionist rabbis, mainly from Judea and Samaria communities, this week called on followers to join the march “to the place where the covenant was made between the people, their land and their Torah.”

During Monday’s rally, Yossi Dagan, head of the council, accused Ramallah of trying to carry out “barbaric destruction” with an eye toward “erasing the connection of the people of Israel to their land and their roots.”
3 European FMs barred by Israel from visiting Palestinian towns in Area C
The Foreign Ministry prevented three visiting foreign ministers of European countries from entering certain Palestinian towns in the West Bank in recent weeks.

The foreign ministers of Ireland, the UK and Norway all visited in recent weeks and requested to visit Palestinian towns in Area C of the West Bank, which is fully controlled by Israel, and were denied access.

“After consulting with security officials, we decided not to allow them into specific sites, not all of Area C,” a Foreign Ministry spokesman told The Times of Israel on Tuesday.

But the Israel Defense Forces told the Walla news site, which first reported the decision to deny the foreign ministers access to the West Bank areas, that it did not advise the Foreign Ministry to do so, while the Shin Bet security service said it did not hold any consultations with the Foreign Ministry on the matter.

The military liaison to the Palestinians, commonly known by its initials COGAT, said the Foreign Ministry only contacted it concerning Irish Foreign Minister Micheál Martin but that it did not recommend preventing his visit over security concerns.

European diplomats quoted in the report disputed that security concerns were a factor. The unnamed officials said they believed the move was part of a policy shift under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hard-right government, the vast majority of which opposes a Palestinian state and expanding Palestinian autonomy in Area C.


Settlers seek private force as Route 55 becomes hotbed for rock-throwing attacks
On one of the West Bank's busiest highways, stone-throwing terrorism has spiked to a level of unprecedented danger for Israeli commuters, data shows.

Route 55 has become a prime target for Palestinian rioters, both against private vehicles but also on commuter buses. Rafael Cohen-Yigudaiev, a bus driver on the Kedumim-Kfar Saba line, told Israel Hayom about a horrifying incident during which a large stone was hurled at his bus, narrowly missing his wife.

Cohen-Yigudaiev noted, "If I hadn't swerved in the nick of time, the stone would have struck the windshield, possibly injuring or even killing her. The shattered glass reached the back seats. We are traumatized. I urge people not to sit near specific windows; it's only a matter of time until someone gets hurt."

The rise in attacks comes as Palestinian assailants consider these buses – carrying dozens of unprotected passengers – as attractive targets, using heavy stones as they ambush vehicles at various locations.

The consequences of these attacks are alarming. Reports indicate that in the past year, 24 buses operated by the Tnufa public transit company, which serves Jerusalem and the Samaria region, have come under attack, with many of them 2 in the dozens – sustaining severe damage to the point that they had to be taken off the road. As of early September, four drivers had been injured in these attacks and granted medical leave.

Hannanal Dorani, the mayor of Kedumim, told Israel Hayom, "This road has become a target for stone-throwing attacks. There is hardly a day that goes by without a car or a bus being targeted. Luckily, most of the attacks result in damage to property." Dorani stressed that major intersections on Route 55 have become security hazards because they are built in such a way that they force vehicles to slow down, making them easy targets.
IDF Issues Alert in Area Surrounding Gaza Strip Amid Palestinian Islamic Jihad Drills
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terrorist group began attack drills on Tuesday, which included launching a barrage of rockets into the Mediterranean Sea.

Due to the heightened risk, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the Home Front Command activated an alert for the area surrounding Gaza.

The IDF spokesperson stressed the “launches were carried out from the Gaza Strip towards the sea and did not cross into the territory of the State of Israel.”

Hamas, the PIJ, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) recently said the groups will step up their coordination in an effort to exact a higher price from the Jewish state.

The decision to “deal with Israel’s aggression” was made at a meeting in Beirut, attended by senior operatives from each of the Palestinian terror groups.

The drills simulating an attack on Israel, and the recent statement from the end of September, come amid heightened security tensions in the region, which had included near-daily riots on the Gaza border fence and a steady stream of intelligence reports regarding planned terrorist attacks against Israelis.
Gaza terrorists launch rockets towards sea, triggering alert
Terrorists in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip on Tuesday launched a volley of rockets towards the Mediterranean Sea.

While the rockets did not cross into Israeli territory, their launch triggered an alert on the IDF Home Front Command’s warning application.

Islamic Jihad’s Al-Quds Brigades said in a statement posted on Telegram that it fired the rockets as part of a drill “simulating raids on several Zionist military sites and fortifications.”

Last Thursday, Israeli authorities reopened the country’s sole pedestrian crossing with Gaza, after terrorist groups in the Palestinian enclave temporarily agreed to end weeks of rioting along the border.

Hamas staged violent riots along the frontier on a near-daily basis throughout September, targeting Israeli forces with explosive devices and gunfire, renewing the launch of incendiary balloons into Israeli territory and setting fire to tires in the Strip.

Following talks brokered by Egypt, Hamas told negotiators that it would put an end to the incessant rioting.


PMW: Abbas’ advisor: We won’t attack Israel because we don’t have the “military capabilities”
In a recent interview, PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas’ advisor and PA Supreme Shari’ah Judge Mahmoud Al-Habbash stated that the PA won’t attack Israel because it doesn’t have the same “military capabilities” as Israel does, and were the PA to attack, Palestinians “would all die”:
Al-Habbash: “We do not have military capabilities equivalent to the occupation, and if we confront it, we will all die.”

[Al-Masry Al-Youm, independent Egyptian news website, Sept. 12, 2023]

In other words, it is not that the PA doesn’t want to attack Israel, it is simply unable to. Al-Habbash’s remark echoes PA strategy as expressed a decade ago by PA Chairman Abbas himself, documented by Palestinian Media Watch:
“‘We are unable to confront Israel militarily, and this point was discussed at the Arab League Summit in March in Sirt (Libya). There I turned to the Arab States and I said: 'If you want war, and if all of you will fight Israel, we are in favor. But the Palestinians will not fight alone because they don't have the ability to do it.' He [Abbas] said: 'The West Bank was completely destroyed and we will not agree that it will be destroyed again,' in addition to 'the inability to confront Israel militarily.'"

[Official PA daily, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, July 6, 2010]

“We tried the Intifada (PA terror campaign) in 2000, and it destroyed everything that we had built. If the Arabs would want to fight, we’d be the first to fight.I told them at the [Arab] Summit in Sirt [Libya]:”

[Palestinian daily Al-Ayyam, Sept. 6, 2010]

Abbas: “Then came the Intifada (PA terror campaign, 2000-2005), which was an armed Intifada. It destroyed us, completely destroyed us… Honestly, we don’t have the Israelis’ military capabilities. Proof of this is that they destroyed everything here in the Intifada, including the Presidential Headquarters - the Muqata’a in Ramallah and in Gaza. Therefore, I said ‘no.’”

[Sky News Arabia TV, Dec. 12, 2013]
PMW: Abbas eulogizes as “loyal fighter son” singer of band that urged to “pull the trigger to redeem the country"
The popular Palestinian band Alashakeen has lost one of their members, artist Hussein Mundhir ‘Abu Ali’. According to PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas this is a great loss for “Palestine”:
Abbas: “Palestine has lost one of itsloyal fighter sonswho dedicated his life to the Palestinian revolution.”

“[Abbas] added that through his national songs, the late artist turned the history of the modern Palestinian revolution, its battles, and its acts of heroism into a living image… [Abbas] praised the great role of the departed, after he enriched the national culture and the Palestinian popular art through his national songs, which expressed the sacrifices made by our people, its resolve, and its acts of heroism.”

[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Sept. 19, 2023]

That Abbas is a fan of the Alashakeen band is no surprise, as Palestinian Media Watch documented that he honored them by officially declaring them a “national institution” in November 2010.

So, what are the themes of these “national songs” that Abbas thinks has “enriched the national culture”?

For more than a decade, PMW has exposed the hate and violence promoting content of the band’s songs that include calling for the end of Israel.

PMW first exposed a song by Alashakeen in September 2010. It urges Jihad and armed struggle all over Israel, and calls to “pull the trigger”:


Member of Iranian Influence Network Visited Biden White House Five Times
An alleged member of a secret Iranian government influence network visited the Biden White House at least five times for high-level meetings with senior U.S. officials, according to visitor logs.

Ali Vaez, an Iran analyst with the International Crisis Group, was outed last week as an alleged member of a vast Iranian-government-controlled propaganda network that helped push Tehran’s talking points in Washington, D.C., and influence policy, according to Semafor. Vaez reportedly communicated with senior Iranian government associates as part of the Iran Experts Initiative, an influence operation run by Iran’s foreign ministry.

The meetings are raising questions about whether the Biden administration was aware of Vaez’s alleged participation in the Iranian influence operation and may have given him insider information about the administration’s diplomacy with Tehran. Another alleged member of the Iran Experts Initiative, Ariane Tabatabai, serves as a senior Pentagon official and holds a security clearance, prompting Republican lawmakers to demand her top secret access be revoked.

Vaez is a close associate of U.S. Iran envoy Robert Malley, who was removed from his post earlier this year and stripped of his security clearance amid an investigation into his alleged mishandling of classified information.

Vaez took at least five meetings at the White House between 2022 and 2023, as the Biden administration was engaged in diplomacy with Iran that resulted in a hostage deal last month that freed up some $6 billion in revenue for the hardline regime.

Vaez’s meetings appear to have been with White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan and Brett McGurk, the administration’s coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa. Both Sullivan and McGurk played critical roles in reopening diplomacy with Iran and engaging in talks that led to the $6 billion ransom payment and release of five wrongfully imprisoned Americans.

"The Biden administration must be honest with the American public regarding its relationship with the Iran Experts Initiative," said Alireza Nader, a veteran Iran analyst based in Washington, D.C. "Did Sullivan and McGurk know that Ali Vaez was actively advocating for the Islamic Republic’s interests in Washington, D.C.? If they did know, why did they allow the regime’s influence or lobby network to have such immense influence in U.S. foreign policy?"

On April 13, 2022, Vaez is listed in White House visitor logs as being escorted by Sullivan’s personal assistant, Hazel Castillo. Two months later, Vaez is listed as visiting the West Wing and being escorted by Kimberly Lang, another assistant to Sullivan.


Saudi team refuses to play in Iran over busts of Soleimani
A Saudi soccer team refused to play a match in Iran on Monday because of the presence of busts of a slain Iranian general placed on the sidelines, Saudi state media reported.

The Saudi Al Ittihad club was scheduled to play Iran's Sepahan in the Asian Champions League, one of several matches made possible by a recent diplomatic rapprochement between the longtime Mideast rivals that has recently come under strain.

The Saudi team did not take to the field because of busts of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who commanded Iran's elite Quds Force before he was killed in a U.S. drone strike in neighboring Iraq in January 2020, and other political banners, Saudi Arabia's Al Ekhbariya TV reported.

Soleimani was seen as playing a key role in arming, training, and leading armed groups across the region, including fighters from the Houthi rebel group in Yemen. Saudi Arabia has been at war with the Iran-aligned rebels in Yemen since 2015.

Three busts of Soleimani had been placed along the sidelines for the teams to walk past on their way out of the tunnel. After around 30 minutes of delay, the Saudi Arabian champion team, which had selected stars such as N'Golo Kante and Fabinho, signed from Chelsea and Liverpool respectively in the summer, left the Naghsh-e-Jahan Stadium where an estimated 60,000 fans were waiting.

Videos circulating on social media appeared to show angry Iranian fans chanting that politics should be kept out of soccer. Iranian media reported that the busts of Soleimani had been placed there three years ago and that Al Ittihad had practiced in the stadium on Sunday.
Saudi team cancels match in Iran over Soleimani bust
Saudi Arabia's soccer team cancels match in Iran due to Soleimani bust on sidelines. i24NEWS Middle East Correspondent Ariel Oseran reports on the situation.






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