Wednesday, January 01, 2025

01/01 Links Pt2: Melanie Phillips: The truth of the Palestinian cause; The Cautionary Tale of Jimmy Carter; Ireland’s Top Catholic Cleric Attacks Israel for Gaza War in New Year’s Message

From Ian:

Melanie Phillips: The truth of the Palestinian cause
The only proper response is to call out these Palestinian lies. But instead of regarding them as a collective psychopathology, politicians and media stoke the flames of Jew-hatred by themselves parroting the propaganda about Israel behaving unconscionably.

Left-wing governments that ideologically support the Palestinian cause and also kowtow to Muslim constituencies in which Jew-hatred is rife, shockingly recycle the lies about Israel. The worst offenders have been the governments in Britain, Australia and Canada. No surprise, therefore, that Jew-hatred in those countries is now so brazen, pervasive and extreme.

Alas, too many Jews are also part of this madness. They support the Palestinian Arab cause out of a misplaced sense of fairness, a craving for fashionable approval or extreme ignorance about Jewish and Middle East history. So instead of calling out genocidal acts and fabricated claims of Palestinian Arabs, these co-called “moderate” Jews redouble support for a “two-state solution” as a response to exterminatory aggression.

Jew-hatred has not only been normalised. It’s been rebranded as social justice because support for Palestinianism, which seeks to write the Jews out of their country, their history, and the world, is what now passes for a moral sense among swathes of the public, the entire intelligentsia and even — heaven help us — many Jews.

Let’s not hear any protests that you were once a member of Habonim or have a holiday home in Herzliya or have had to unfriend former chums on Facebook because they’ve callously ignored the Israeli hostages. If you support the Palestinian Arab cause today, you are facilitating deranged and murderous Jew-hatred. Own it.
What Does “Globalize the Intifada” Mean and How Can it Lead to Targeting Jews with Violence?
Since Hamas’ massacres against Israelis on October 7 and Israel’s following attempts to free hostages and eliminate the threat posed by Hamas, Jewish individuals, synagogues, and cultural institutions have been the target of violence in the name of protests against Israel. These are in addition to anti-Israel protesters targeting corporations that do business with Israel.

A social media post from the anti-Israel group Within Our Lifetime, a self-described Palestinian-led community organization, was headlined with the phrase “Globalize the Intifada” and had examples of Israeli and U.S. companies and transit hubs, the locations included The New York Times, Penn Station, Grand Central Station, the BlackRock investment firm, and the Israeli tech company Check Point.

“Each of the locations on this map reflects the location of an office of an enemy of both the Palestinian people and colonized people all over the world. Today and beyond, these locations will be sites for popular mobilization in defense of our people,” the group wrote.

“May this map serve as a call for every struggle to act in their own interest,” the group said in its call to action. “As we do so, we uplift one another’s struggles and free Palestine from the river to the sea.”

Everything you need to know about this antisemitic term.

AJC CEO Ted Deutch said: “This is not promoting peace. This is an incitement to violence against Jews and it must be taken seriously.”

That map was one of several posted by the group, which has supported the October 7 Hamas massacre as “whatever means necessary it takes” to achieve Palestinian liberation and has held numerous street protests denouncing Israel.

Other posts displayed additional maps with pins showing the locations of several Jewish and Jewish-led organizations.

If the New York mapping strategy feels familiar, it should.

In June 2022, an anti-Israel campaign dubbed the “Boston Mapping Project.” claiming to show the ties between various Massachusetts institutions and “support for the colonization of Palestine,” raised alarms over its dangerous targeting of the Jewish community. The map put a target on the backs of Jews who were already feeling highly concerned about their safety.

The Massachusetts map, published by anonymous supporters of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, was promoted by anti-Israel groups such as Boston BDS and Massachusetts Peace Action
Jesus was Palestinian? That really would be a miracle
Grylls subsequently removed the reference to Mary being Palestinian and clarified his position, saying she was “clearly Jewish”. So why call her Palestinian in the first place?

After more than a year of pro-Palestinians telling Jews that their historical and biblical links to Israel were irrelevant (in an attempt to delegitimise the Jewish state) it turns out that historical and biblical links really are important, so long as they don’t involve Jews. Now Jesus is Palestinian, the theory goes, it’s completely fine to argue that “some” of those who inhabited the region 2,000 years ago do have a claim on the land after all. Placards at marches read “Jesus is Palestinian” or “Jesus, the most famous Palestinian”.

There is, of course, a deeper precedent for this, in that Jesus’ Jewishness has been played down since the third century, when Christianity proliferated into Roman society. Then, even more so when his death became an excuse for anti-Semitism in the Middle Ages. In that sense, this attempt to politicise him is nothing new. There was also a certain German group you may have heard of from the 1930s and 40s who were very keen to eliminate any link between Jesus and his Jewish identity. It’s in this long, troubled context that we should see the potential harm this idea possesses.

There have been nativity scenes with the baby Jesus wrapped in a Palestinian keffiyeh across UK and US towns recently, following the “Nativity in the rubble” concept that began in Bethlehem, along with assertions that he was born in “occupied Palestine”. This concept hit the jackpot when it appeared in the Vatican in a scene blessed by Pope Francis himself (although it was later removed following criticism that it portrayed Palestinians uniquely as the victims).

If you leave aside the theological and historical absurdity – equating a Jewish man from 2000 years ago with a political identity that didn’t exist – this is the nub of the problem. It promotes the idea that Jews are systematic baby killers. This is the sort of thing that is screamed at elderly people on the streets of London, Glasgow and Brighton. That’s not something Jesus would have approved of. He was Jewish, after all.


The Cautionary Tale of Jimmy Carter
H.L. Mencken, the twentieth-century American journalist, satirist, and cultural critic, noted that “for every complex problem, there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong.” His pithy observation prophetically described President Jimmy Carter, who has died at the age of 100.

Although he lived for more than a century, Carter’s legacy is unlikely to last nearly as long — because time and again, when faced with complex problems, he reached for clear and simple solutions that turned out to be disastrously wrong.

History’s verdict on Carter is hardly mixed—it leans heavily toward disaster, particularly when it comes to foreign policy. While he may have meant well, his penchant for moralizing in a way that bordered on patronizing, and his insistence on prioritizing ideals over reality, made him a pioneer of the kind of weakness that Barack Obama later perfected with his “leading from behind” doctrine. Carter’s America didn’t lead from behind—it just didn’t lead at all.

The fallout? A Middle East that’s been on fire ever since.

Carter’s most consequential failure was Iran. By abandoning the Shah and allowing Ayatollah Khomeini to step through the front door with his fanatical Islamic revolution, Carter handed the world over to radical Islamists. Khomeini didn’t just take over Iran—he ignited a revolutionary flame that still burns today.

October 7th, the deliberate and eagerly executed Hamas massacre of 1,200 innocent Israelis in Southern Israel, an evil atrocity that sent shockwaves through Israel and across the world, is just one link in the chain of chaos that Jimmy Carter helped to forge. Iran’s terror tentacles—Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis—all trace their origins to the regime Carter allowed to flourish.

The vile Assad regime in Syria, now deposed, with as yet unknown chaos following in its wake, also owed its longevity to support from the regime that came into being as a result of Carter’s inadequate response when he could have cut it off before it took root.

In a 2014 interview on CNBC, Carter admitted, “I could have been re-elected if I had taken military action against Iran. It would have shown that I was strong and resolute and manly… I could have wiped Iran off the map with the weapons that we had. But in the process, a lot of innocent people would have been killed, probably including the hostages.”

What an admission! Look how many innocent people have died and been repressed as a result of his ivory tower moral stance. As Churchill said, “An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile—hoping it will eat him last.”
Remembering the President Who Sided with Hamas | Israel Undiplomatic
President Jimmy Carter passed away at age 100 this week. He left behind a legacy of being a peacemaker between Egypt and Israel who subsequently turned on the Jewish state, calling it an “apartheid” nation and claiming Hamas terrorists were more interested in peace than Jerusalem.

JNS senior contributing editor Ruthie Blum and Mark Regev, former Israeli ambassador to the United Kingdom—both former advisers at the Prime Minister's Office—discuss the late president’s policies & actions both during his time in office and in the decades that followed.

They also discuss what the new year potentially holds for Israel, the Middle East and America.

Chapters
00:00 Inauguration of the new studio
01:09 Controversial reflections on Jimmy Carter
02:36 Carter's role in the Egypt-Israel peace treaty
09:40 The unintended consequences of Carter's policies
13:32 Carter's impact on Iran and radical Islam
18:44 Carter's legacy and criticism
25:27 Predictions for Middle East peace in 2025


Seth Mandel: The Lawn Bowling Scandal Is Much More Important Than It Sounds
The Telegraph reports that the WBT decision was likely influenced by a ramped-up campaign of anti-Semitism aimed at disrupting last month’s Scottish International Open. The anti-Semites were very angry and noisy, and there is no similar constituency in Europe for non-anti-Semitism, so here we are.

In fact, that Scottish campaign seems to have found some success as well, forcing an Israeli competitor out of the Scottish International Open. Scottish Sport for Palestine rejoiced: “Scotland can be proud once again.” (Once again?)

If for no other reason, these leagues should refuse to submit to such pressure campaigns because of the campaigns’ sheer dirtbaggery alone. Scottish Sport for Palestine made a poster featuring a now-disinvited Israeli competitor’s name and picture and a description of him as someone who “runs a landscaping business clearing Palestinian land for the occupation.”

In other words, because he is a Jew who lives in the Levant, his existence is illegitimate and his rights are automatically limited. That European sporting leagues are susceptible to overt blood-and-soil Palestinian nationalism is unfortunate. Additionally, I don’t know much about this group Scottish Sport for Palestine, but if it is a coalition of Scottish athletes then I question how much pressure they could possibly put on the WBT.

Last month, a youth Maccabi Berlin soccer team was chased home from the field by attackers wielding knives and clubs. As I noted at the time, Maccabi Berlin is a legacy organization: Prior to the Holocaust, Jews established clubs like Maccabi precisely because they were excluded from mainstream national sports leagues.

So although it may sound unimportant, especially to an American ear, the fuss over lawn bowling is significant. The intent of these campaigners is to sweep Jews out of every corner of nonpolitical social life in Europe, and beyond.
2024’s Five Best Books About Israel
Many books about Israel were published in 2024. These are the standouts. One need not agree with everything that the authors say (I certainly don’t) to acknowledge that these books are worth reading as they help a reader to explore ideas they may not read elsewhere. As Israel continues to fight an increasingly unprecedented war against Islamic terrorism the Jewish State at the same time must fight on the battlefield of ideas. That Israel’s right to defend its civilians is being questioned every day all around the world demonstrates how important books that rise beyond rhetoric are – and that’s what these books do.

One Jewish State: The Last, Best Hope to Resolve the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (Humanix Books) is by former United States Ambassador to Israel (2017-2021) David Friedman. With over 23 chapters, plus supporting documents included as appendices, Friedman makes the argument that Israel must not allow the creation of a Palestinian Arab state in any of the areas it liberated in 1967 and now controls. He writes “Palestine was never a country and never governed itself.” Friedman places the blame for Israel’s current situation on its politicians and writes, “Every Israeli government speaks about the importance of Israel retaining at least parts of Judea and Samaria. But none has presented a vision of how that will be achieved.”

The Battle for the Jewish State: How Israel – and America – Can Win (Encounter Books) is by Victoria Coates who is a former staffer with the National Security Council. From the first chapter of the book Coates exposes Mahmoud Abbas and his Palestinian Authority as the extremists they are and defends the first Trump administration’s record in the Middle East. Her perspective as a Christian and a national security expert make this a unique read. The Iron Dome, Coates explains, “in some ways, have made Israel the victim of its own success. When Hamas fired more than two thousand rockets at Israel during the eleven-day Gaza war in 2021, for example, Iron Dome had a more than 90% success rate intercepting them….” She explains that demands for a ceasefire from the Biden White House and Netanyahu’s acquiescence caused unexpected consequences. “In hindsight, that was the moment when Hamas’s leader Yahya Sinwar, realizing that the Iron Dome had rendered its missiles and rockets largely useless, started planning for a very different sort of attack on Israel,” Coates opines.

Make Peace: A Strategic Guide for Achieving Lasting Peace In Israel (Sichos in English) is by Rabbi Elisha Pearl. As the book itself explains on its cover it is “Based on The Teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson.” To those only casually acquainted with Chabad, the ideas presented may be more than a bit surprising. Rabbi Pearl shreds calls for ceasefire and the surrender of Israeli territory for promises on paper for peace. He makes passionate demands for Jewish unity and Jewish education. Also revealed are the Rebbe’s views on Jewish settlements. “Perhaps you have heard that I spoke of the absolute necessity to settle all of the territories at once,” quotes Pearl from a 1977 letter that continues “especially those disputed by the nations of the world.” One specific section of the book that is particularly done well is where Pearl explains that each of the next generation of replacements for Abbas are just as bad for Israel. At its center the book calls for “subduing enemies until they no longer pose a threat” and “the protection of Jewish lives.”
A Short Egyptian Jewish Story
Most Egyptians and Arabs have justified their hostility towards Jews regarding the creation of the state of Israel. If only Israel didn’t exist, everything would be fine, they argue. But such an argument doesn’t explain how Egypt lost its cosmopolitan hubs, and how other religious and ethnic minorities have been oppressed and even at risk of ethnic cleansing in many parts of the Middle East. Look at Syria: the Syrian Jews left ages ago, but now, following the collapse of the Assad regime, Christians, Druze, Kurds, and Alawites are fearing for their future. There are countless videos emerging from Syria of abuse, harassment, and even unlawful murders. Sadly, as Rabbi Jonathan Sacks once wrote “ the hate that starts with Jews never end there.”

In a way, it was better that Miss M couldn’t re-unite with her lover, even if he was still single, simply because of the challenges they both would have had to endure afterwards. Romantic stories never tell us what happened after the “happy ending.” And in this one, such a reunion would only have brought agony to the two lovers. Let’s face it, the Camp-David Peace Treaty is actually a misnomer, because it failed to change the hostility in Egypt towards Jews and Israelis.

The tragedy of Miss M’s story didn’t end by her brief revisit to Egypt. The Egyptian gentleman she was desperate to meet didn’t live for long. He passed away, from natural causes, after his Egyptian wife gave birth to a baby girl. She subsequently had to endure life as a widow and single mother after. Perhaps Miss M was not that unlucky after all.

The whole story broke my heart when I heard it. I wished I could dismiss it as unreal or pure fiction, but I couldn’t.

The man that Miss M was desperate to see was my dad, an intriguing character, who continued to haunt me, despite his almost absence from my life. I spent years searching for anything that could help me understand who he was and how he lived. Miss M’s sad story was one of many I collected, and in a way, I am glad I came across it. It taught me empathy towards others, regardless of their race, faith, and ethnicity. It also taught me to aspire for peace, because hate breeds nothing but tragedies and pain.


Ireland’s Top Catholic Cleric Attacks Israel for ‘Merciless,’ ‘Disproportionate’ Gaza War in New Year’s Message
Ireland’s most senior Catholic figure has lambasted Israel’s military campaign in Gaza as “merciless” and a “disproportionate” response to the Palestinian terror group Hamas’s invasion of the Jewish state last Oct. 7.

The New Year’s message by Archbishop Eamon Martin came amid deteriorating relations between Israel and Ireland, the latter of which has been accused of normalizing antisemitism in daily life.

“In the past 15 months, for example, we have witnessed not only the egregious 7th October 2023 terror attacks by Hamas and Islamic Jihad on Israel, including the taking of hostages — 100 of whom are still held captive in Gaza — but we have also seen a merciless and disproportionate response by Israel,” Martin said in his remarks.

Martin — the Archbishop of Armagh who has been Primate of All Ireland since 2014 — then cited casualty figures provided by Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry, which according to recent analyses have been inflated to defame Israel and support claims of genocide, to support his argument.

“International humanitarian law says that parties to a conflict cannot use disproportionate measures to achieve military objectives. The near-complete destruction of Gaza, and the bringing of its population to the brink of famine is, by any standard, a disproportionate measure,” he said.

“I am conscious that people who have expressed similar views to these have been accused of antisemitism. I wish to put it on record, once again, that I abhor the violations by Hamas and other Islamist militant groups against the people of Israel, and that I fully support the right of Israelis to live in peace and security,” Martin added. “This right has to be achieved in the context of a just peace, where the legitimate rights of Palestinians are also protected in line with international law.”

Martin was not the first prominent Irish cleric to use his platform to target Israel in recent days.


Anti-Zionist Student Government President Convicted of Misconduct, Removed from Office at U of Michigan
The Central Student Government (CSG) of the University of Michigan has removed from office president Alifa Chowdhury — the controversial leader of the Anti-Zionist “Shut It Down” (SID) party who led a failed and unpopular effort to freeze funding for student clubs until school officials enacted a boycott of Israel — following her conviction on an impeachment charge.

Chowdhury faced three charges in total: incitement to violence, defamation, and dereliction of duty, the last of which she was found guilty on Dec. 23, according to a statement issued by the Central Student Judiciary (CSJ). Her vice president, Elias Atkinson, was convicted of the same offense.

“Today’s decision means that President Chowdhury and Vice President Atkinsonare are removed from office with immediate effect, and that they are barred from holding CSG office in the future,” CSJ said, noting that its ruling marked the first ever expulsion of a CSG president. “It is not lost on us that today marks the culmination of the first impeachment proceeding in the Central Student Government’s history. Neither are we blind to the major political clashes — both within the Assembly and between the legislative and executive branches … But our decision today, and this court’s role, is beyond politics.”

It continued, “Impeachment is a constitutional process, an important element of CSG’s system of checks and balances. Although the Assembly’ role in triggering the impeachment process is essentially political, it is this court’s unflagging duty to resolve any impeachment process neutrally and impartially once the starter pistol has gone off. This court must be a steady ship in a sea tossed by raucous political winds.”

As The Algemeiner has previously reported, Chowdhury’s anti-Zionist zealotry led her to allegedly commit several disqualifying acts which blighted her office and shocked her CSG representatives. In the articles of impeachment filed by Rep. Margaret Peterman, the now-former president was described as having “gravely endangered” students — for example, by participating in a protest of CSG which led to threats and an assault by spitting — as well as the “integrity of the democratic system.” She also failed to perform key functions of the presidency, including submitting reports, preparing committee members for their roles, and convening meetings with CSG’s executive council — a pattern of neglect which led to her conviction for dereliction of duty.
Kenyan university cancels Israeli tree-planting MOU after backlash
A Kenyan university on December 18 revoked a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the institution and the Israeli embassy in Kenya soon after its signing, citing public backlash.

Daystar University Vice Chancellor Prof. Laban Ayiro and Israeli ambassador Michael Lotem signed an MOU on December 16 to plant 5,000 indigenous trees at the university’s Athi River campus, the Israeli embassy shared on social media.

The initiative, advanced by Lotem’s wife and Kenyan first lady Rachel Ruto sought to create “a vibrant green space that will enhance the learning environment for students and enrich the lives of the local community.”

“The Zion Forest will stand as a monument of friendship between the nations of Israel and Kenya, and in defiance of the global threat of terrorism,” the Israeli embassy said on Instagram and X.

Local media claimed that the decision resulted in outrage among Kenyan pro-Palestinian activists and Daystar students.

Online petition against Israel
A petition started by someone claiming to be a student garnered only 169 signatories. The petition asserted that the Zion Forest would disrespect the university principals which were inspired by “Jesus of Nazareth, a Palestinian who suffered under oppressive Zionist ideologies.”

“This partnership indirectly endorses the ongoing conflict and human rights violations inflicted upon the Palestinian people by the Israeli state,” read the Change.org petition.

“Cancel the MOU between Daystar University and the Israeli Embassy and commit to upholding our institution’s values rooted in humanitarian, human rights, and international law.”

Daystar announced on December 18 that it had canceled the MOU, and apologized for the “pain we have inadvertently caused to members of the public.”


Palestinian Authority pursuing West Bank terrorists to impress Trump, analysts say
The Palestinian Authority is determined to score a win against terrorists in the West Bank ahead of US-President elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, aiming to demonstrate its ability to control post-war Gaza, analysts told AFP.

The security forces of the PA, which exercises limited control over the West Bank, have been engaged in deadly clashes with gunmen since early December. The arrests of several terrorists triggered the skirmishes.

The PA forces are fighting members of the Jenin Battalion group, most of whom are affiliated with either Palestinian Islamic Jihad or Hamas, whose October 7, 2023 attack on Israel triggered war in the Gaza Strip.

The massacre saw terrorists invade Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping 251.

Hamas, which has been in power in Gaza since 2007 when it ousted the PA in a bloody coup, is the main political rival of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah party that dominates the PA.

Eleven people — including PA security personnel, terrorists and civilians —have been killed in the violence in Jenin refugee camp, a stronghold of armed groups in the northern West Bank and a frequent target of Israeli military raids.

“What is happening in Jenin is a crucial test for the Palestinian Authority, which is trying to assert its control and impose security in the region,” political analyst Khalil Shahin said.

An official with the Ramallah-based PA, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the operation in Jenin, said that Abbas “categorically rejects any mediation… and insists these militants surrender themselves and their weapons.”

Anwar Rajab, a spokesman for the PA’s security forces, said, “There will be no tolerance for this rogue group that operates outside the law.”
Top Palestinian Authority Official Predicts Trump Will ‘Destroy Iran,’ Decimate Hamas
A top Palestinian leader has predicted that US President-elect Donald Trump will “destroy Iran” and thereby eviscerate the remaining capacities of its proxy Hamas after he enters office next month.

“We see that Trump and the ruling government in Israel are planning to destroy Iran, so Hamas [followers] will have no other choice than to become Palestinian,” Mohammad Hamdan, secretary general of the Palestinian Authority’s ruling Fatah Party, told the New York Post in a new interview.

Hamdan claimed that the Palestinian Authority’s efforts in “confronting Hamas’s ideology” have been stymied by the terrorist group’s ties to the Iranian regime. However, Hamdan told the Post that he believes the Trump administration’s presence will lead to Iran and Hamas’s complete collapse.

In the year following Hamas’s brutal invasion of southern Israel last Oct. 7, Israel has decimated the terrorist group’s military and governing capabilities in neighboring Gaza. At the same time, Hamas has increased its activity in the West Bank, where the Palestinian Authority (PA) exercises limited self-rule, often engaging in direct confrontation with the PA.

Some anti-Israel activists have accused the PA and Fatah, the main Palestinian faction in the West Bank and the movement that controls the PA, of “collaborating” with the Jewish state due to its efforts to combat terrorist activity in the West Bank.

The PA, a rival of Hamas, has sought to publicly distance itself from the terrorist group while also engaging in Palestinian reconciliation talks. Meanwhile, PA officials have been regularly rationalizing Hamas’s Oct. 7 massacre and in some cases even denying it took place or falsely claiming Israeli forces carried out the onslaught.

Fatah in April lambasted Iran for meddling in internal Palestinian affairs, accusing the Iranian regime of spreading chaos in its territory.


Syria Appoints Some Foreign Islamist Fighters to Its Military, Sources Say
Syria‘s new rulers have installed some foreign fighters including Uyghurs, a Jordanian, and a Turk in the country’s armed forces as Damascus tries to shape a patchwork of rebel groups into a professional military, two Syrian sources said.

The move to give official roles, including senior ones, to several jihadists may alarm some foreign governments and Syrian citizens fearful about the new administration’s intentions, despite its pledges not to export Islamic revolution and to rule with tolerance towards Syria‘s large minority groups.

A Syrian government spokesperson did not reply to a request for comment on the thinking behind the appointments.

The sources said that out of a total of almost 50 military roles announced by the Defense Ministry on Sunday, at least six had gone to foreigners.

Reuters was not able to independently verify the nationalities of the individuals appointed.

Thousands of Sunni Muslim foreigners joined Syria‘s rebels early in the 13-year civil war to fight against the rule of Bashar al-Assad and the Iran-backed Shi’ite militias who supported him, giving the conflict a sectarian overtone.

Some foreign fighters formed their own armed groups while others joined established formations such as Islamic State as it rampaged across Iraq and Syria, briefly declaring a so-called caliphate before being routed by US and Iran-backed forces.

Other groups of foreign jihadists joined HTS, which disavowed previous links to al Qaeda and Islamic State and fought bloody battles against them before going on to spearhead the lightning advance that toppled Assad on Dec. 8.

Ahmed al-Sharaa, the HTS-leader-turned de facto ruler of Syria, has purged dozens of foreign jihadi fighters as part of a campaign to Syrianize and moderate his group.

In remarks broadcast on Sunday, Sharaa said the new Syria “cannot be run by the mentality of groups and militias.”

Syria‘s new rulers, drawn mainly from HTS, have indicated that foreign fighters and their families may be given Syrian citizenship and be allowed to stay in the country because of their contributions to the fight against Assad.


Jerusalem doesn’t belong to you, President Erdoğan
At the same time, there are all sorts of negative reactions, protests and rancor when non-Muslims quietly and reverently pray elsewhere on the Temple Mount. This is wholly inconsistent with the usual religious sensibilities and kindness practiced by those treasuring the sanctity of a site, be it a synagogue, church, mosque, ashram, Buddhist temple or other place of worship almost anywhere else in the world.

In this regard, it is interesting to note that the Ottoman Empire agreed, pursuant to the Treaty of Paris of 1856 at the end of the Crimean War, that Christians and Jews were legally permitted to pray on the Temple Mount.

It is important to note that the 1925 “A Brief Guide to Al-Haram Al-Sharif” (i.e. the Temple Mount), published by the Supreme Moslem Council, the Waqf, refers to the seminal Jewish link to the Temple Mount (citing Samuel II, 24:25), saying this, too, is the spot, according to the universal belief, on which “David built there an Altar unto the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.”

The pseudo-Islamist temple deniers should be universally reviled for their impudent rejection of their own religious traditions and beliefs in favor of absurd propaganda.

The guide also focuses on Muslim history and its first encounter with the Temple Mount and notes that the Muslim period’s starting point is the year 637 CE, when Caliph Omar first occupied Jerusalem. This is a striking rebuke to those who falsely assert that Arab Muslims were indigenous to Jerusalem. As the Waqf’s own guide recognizes, the Jews and their Holy Temple on the Temple Mount were there first. This was more than 1½ millennia before the Arabs arrived and began their occupation of Jerusalem.

The guide also explains that the Dome of the Rock is not a mosque. The actual Arabic name of Qubbat al-Sakhrah is more precisely translated as the dome over the “foundation stone.” This accords with Jewish tradition, which refers to this stone as the Even Shetiyah “foundation stone.” It is where the Holy of Holies portion of the Beit Hamikdash, the Holy Temple, was located. Hence, the use of the Arabic term al-Quds for the Temple Mount is derived from Bayt Al-Maqdis, which is Arabic for the Hebrew term Beit Hamikdash.

The Al-Aksa mosque is located outside the holy precincts of the Jewish Temple and is situated on the southern extension of the Temple Mount platform built by Herod. As Al-Tabari, a 9th-century respected Muslim historian, explained, this was Omar’s intention so that Muslims would pray towards Mecca, consistent with Islamic practice and not the place of the Jewish temple as required by Jewish custom. In this regard, it should be noted that 13th-century Ahmad Ibn Taymiyya declared about the site of the Dome of the Rock: “Men of knowledge who were companions or followers of the Prophet chose the best path and did not exalt the Rock, because it is a quibla mansukha, like the Sabbath, … so too, the Rock is exalted only by Jews and some Christians.”

It is astonishing that the words of this noted Sunni scholar are simply and callously ignored in favor of the dictates of political ideology by Erdoğan.

As to Erdoğan’s other fatuous remarks about Jerusalem, pictures are worth a thousand words. Just view photographs of the Temple Mount in the 19th century when the Ottoman Empire controlled the area. These photos show an abandoned site with the Dome of the Rock and other structures in disrepair. They do not depict what might be expected if this were indeed a highly venerated site, important to the Muslim religion, which, after all, was the official and dominant religion of the Ottoman Empire that occupied and was in firm control of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount, at the time.

Jerusalem does not belong to Turkey, and Erdoğan’s apparent aspirations to re-create a neo-Ottoman colonial empire are nothing more than a dystopian nightmare.

Israel is a blessing to the world. Turkey should genuinely join the circle of peace under the Abraham Accords and enjoy the shared prosperity and mutual respect it engenders. May the blessings of peace prevail.
Amidst Mideast power upheaval, Turkey emerges as a threat to US and Israel
Turkey occupies Syrian territory in violation of international law. Turkish-backed forces control a wide swath of territory adjacent to the Turkish-Syrian border. This is a genuine occupation of a foreign state, unlike Israel’s presence in Judea and Samaria.

This occupation has displaced 600,000 people and included the use of ethnic cleansing. In 2018, for example, Turkey’s invasion of Afrin in northwest Syria displaced the town’s Kurdish population and replaced them with Arabs and Turkmen. Ethnic cleansing and forcible transfer are clear violations of international law. But no, the United Nations has not passed any resolutions condemning Turkey or demanding it withdraw its forces. Nor have any charges been filed against Turkey before the international courts.

Turkey claims its actions in Syria target terrorists from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is indeed listed as a terror organization by the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union. However, the Turkish government has for decades also ruthlessly persecuted Turkey’s Kurds, who now number some 25 million, about 20% of the country’s population, and who seek autonomy. It is clear that Erdoğan’s primary aim is to squelch the Kurds’ bid for self-determination wherever it is promoted.

The media ignore Turkey’s belligerence, focusing instead on Israel’s defensive actions. For example, CNN published a headline reading, “Watching with trepidation and glee, Netanyahu orders military to seize Syria buffer zone,” while a Wall Street Journal headline read, “Israel’s expanded perch on Syria’s border puts Damascus in its sights.” No mention is made of Turkey’s occupation of northern Syria or its atrocities against the Kurds because, of course, neither can be blamed on Jews.

Turkey harms American interests in Syria. Turkish forces frequently attack the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a U.S.-backed militia in Syria’s north and east. The SDF, supported by 2,000 U.S. military personnel in Syria, was instrumental in defeating ISIS and is vital to preventing its resurgence. Recently, Turkish-backed forces seized control of two SDF-held towns and are poised to attack the Kurdish-majority city of Kobani on the Turkish-Syrian border.

Erdoğan may use Syria to attack Israel. Turkey is the primary sponsor of the Syrian rebels. The Syrian rebels’ leader, Abu Mohammad al-Julani, formerly of Al-Qaeda, is now the country’s de facto ruler. Videos show his men declaring their intent to march on Jerusalem. In one clip, they announce, “From here to Jerusalem. We’re coming for Jerusalem.” Nevertheless, the Biden administration has decided to trust Julani and his Islamist bunch, even removing the $10 million bounty that the United States had placed on his head.

It is easy to imagine Erdoğan using Syria and its new rulers to attack Israel at some point, though rebel leaders assert they want peace with Israel. Nonetheless, Erdoğan has sufficient leverage and resources to precipitate hostilities against Israel if he finds it advantageous.

Erdoğan persists in belligerence toward Israel. The Turkish strongman is an avid supporter of Hamas, calling them freedom fighters. He has maintained an open relationship with the terrorist group since 2006, supplying them with diplomatic, logistical and even military support. In fact, back in July, Israel foiled a Hamas terrorist attack orchestrated from Turkey, capturing five terrorists who attested to receiving Turkish military training, weaponry and cash. Turkey now hosts Hamas’s leaders after they were expelled from Qatar.

Erdoğan even threatened to invade the Jewish state, saying, “Just as we entered Karabakh (an enclave in Azerbaijan), just as we entered Libya, we might do the same to them (Israel).” He has made similar threats against Greece and Cyprus, the former of which is a member of NATO. Both are also European Union members.

Turkey abandons its staunch pro-Western, pro-Israel and anti-Islamist past. Erdoğan has transformed his country into an ally of Islamists, and he seems determined to restore the caliphate of centuries past at the expense of Israel, the United States and the rest of the Western world.

If Turkey continues to thwart U.S. interests and threaten our allies, then Congress and the president should consider economic sanctions, an increased U.S. military presence and stepped-up diplomatic pressure through NATO allies.

While Israel has fewer options, it must aggressively defend its position and options on the border with Syria, as well as attack any attempts by Iran, Hezbollah or the new Syrian leaders that jeopardize the Jewish state’s security.


Gainesville man charged with planning to attack AIPAC office in Florida
In a New Year’s Eve statement, U.S. President Joe Biden proclaimed January to be National Stalking Awareness Month. Earlier in the day, the U.S. Justice Department charged Forrest Kendall Pemberton with a count of stalking on Monday for allegedly planning to attack an AIPAC office in Florida.

Family members told the FBI that Pemberton, who went missing from his Gainesville, Fla., home apparently with multiple firearms, appeared to have left a note stating that he would “close the loop,” “stoke the flames” and say “goodbye” to his relatives, per an affidavit filed on Monday in support of a criminal complaint.

Pemberton’s family also told law enforcement that he had recently searched on his computer for the address of an organization with a Plantation, Fla., location which the affidavit states “according to its website, advocates and lobbies for ‘pro-Israel policies that strengthen and expand the U.S.-Israel relationship.'” (That exact language appears on AIPAC’s website.)

Relatives told the FBI that Pemberton had withdrawn money from four ATMs in Plantation on Dec. 23 and that he had searched for an address on Pine Island Road in Plantation. The FBI’s investigation revealed that the address “is the former office address” for the pro-Israel organization. It also found that Pemberton was logged into a computer at a hotel less than two miles from that site.

On Dec. 25, law enforcement arrested Pemberton after observing him get into a rideshare vehicle “with an apparent soft rifle case,” per the affidavit. He gave the law enforcement officials three guns—an AR-15 rifle, a Luger pistol and a Galil rifle—and ammunition for the latter two, the affidavit added. (The third weapon is Israeli-made.)

Per the affidavit, Pemberton told law enforcement in a recorded interview that he visited the site, which he thought to be the pro-Israel group’s office, to “scout” it, so he could later return with concealed weapons.


Jewish Australian Leader’s Home Vandalized With Antisemitic Graffiti
The home of a prominent Jewish Australian has been vandalized with antisemitic graffiti, according to Australian media.

Lesli Berger, former president of the New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies, recounted to both J-Wire and The Daily Telegraph how he and his family recently returned home from holiday to see a swastika defacing the back wall of his property in Sydney.

Next to the infamous Nazi symbol were the spray-painted words “Jordan Gayter,” believed to be a misspelling of the German phrase for “Juden Gatter,” or “Jewish Gate.”

“Two of my late grandparents were Holocaust survivors. They were in Auschwitz and emigrated from Slovakia to live in Sydney; growing up they’d tell me stories of how this all started, just like this,” Berger told the Telegraph.

“My three children have been affected. I never thought I’d see the day were someone would see fit to daub a swastika on my house. It’s a bitter blow to see the rise in antisemitism in our beautiful country over the last 14 months,” he continued. “This has got to stop. Enough is enough.”

Berger explained to J-Wire that he does not believe the crime directly targeted him, noting that the high population of Jewish residents in his neighborhood, the Bellevue Hill section of the city of Sydney, is common knowledge.

“It’s clear this was a hate crime targeting the Jewish area, although not me personally,” he said. “The perpetrators likely understood this is a predominantly Jewish area. It’s highly unlikely that anyone would specifically identify my home — it was more opportunistic.”

Justice has so far been elusive, he added, noting that local police discontinued their investigation of the incident after a forensic analysis of the area near the crime and the perusing of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras failed to yield new evidence that could help with identifying and capturing a suspect. While Berger did not condemn law enforcement’s pausing the criminal inquiry, he stressed the importance of addressing antisemitic hate crimes in the area, a growing problem in Australia in recent years.

“The authorities have the powers to deal with these issues but don’t often exercise them to their full extent. When the law falls short, we need to see real legislative reform,” he continued. “Seeing this on our property was incredibly traumatic. While I’ve processed it, it’s taken longer for my wife and children to move on. And even weeks later, seeing it in the media has brought those emotions backs.”
‘Destroy or Explode’: Anti-Israel Jordanian Pleads Guilty to Bomb Threat and Sabotaging Energy Facility in Florida
A Jordanian expatriate who was federally charged in August for attacking an energy facility and threatening to bomb businesses that he deemed supportive of Israel has pled guilty to his crimes, the US Department of Justice announced earlier this month.

As The Algemeiner previously reported, Hashem Younis Hashem Hnaihen, 43, this past summer vandalized small businesses in Orange County, Florida, and left “Warning Letters” addressed to the US government in which he vowed to “destroy or explode everything here in America. Especially the companies and factories that support the racist state of Israel.”

Later, he breached an energy facility in Wedgefield, Florida, where he “smashed” scores of solar panels and damaged other “electronic equipment.” The spree of infrastructure sabotage lasted “for hours,” the department added, destroying $700,000 worth of technology. In early July, Hnaihen left a final warning letter at an industrial propane gas distribution depot located in the city of Orlando., according to federal prosecutors. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department arrested him on July 11.

On Dec. 20, Hnaihen conceded to the federal government its case against him, pleading guilty to “four counts of threatening to use explosives and one count of destruction of an energy facility.” His plea also contained a promise to “make full restitution” to his victims, a debt he will likely repay by working a job in prison, where he stands to spend as many as 60 years.

“With this plea, we are holding this defendant accountable for his threats to carry out hate-fueled mass violence in our country, motivated in part by his desire to ‘warn’ businesses because of their perceived support of Israel,” US Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said in a statement announcing the news. “The Justice Department will fiercely protect the right over every person to peacefully express their opinions, beliefs, and ideas, but we have no tolerance for acts and threats of hate-fueled violence that create lasting fear.”

FBI Director Christopher Wray added, “The defendant is admitting that he attacked a solar power facility, damaged a number of Florida businesses, and left a series of threatening messages about perceived state of Israel. Violence, destruction of property, and threats are simply unacceptable.”
Molotov cocktail thrown at Mykolaiv synagogue during Hanukkah
On Monday night, an unidentified individual threw a Molotov cocktail at the central synagogue in Mykolaiv, Ukraine, during the Hanukkah celebrations.

The incident resulted in damage to the synagogue's door but fortunately caused no injuries. The assailant fled the scene and was captured on security cameras, which are now under police review.

The synagogue's guard responded promptly, extinguishing the fire before it could spread further and immediately notifying local authorities.

Both local police and the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) arrived quickly and launched an investigation into the attack. A manhunt for the suspect is currently underway.

Rabbi Sholom Gottlieb, the city's chief rabbi and Chabad emissary, recounted the event: "Just before midnight, an unknown individual approached the synagogue's door. After ensuring no passersby were present, he threw a Molotov cocktail." Rabbi Gottlieb has filed an official complaint with the authorities and is awaiting updates on the search.

Rise in antisemitic sentiments during Hanukkah
He also highlighted a disturbing rise in antisemitic sentiments online during Hanukkah: "We are witnessing a significant increase in antisemitism on social networks. While it hasn't manifested on the streets, we are taking all necessary precautions."

To address previous antisemitic incidents, including the toppling of public menorahs in various Ukrainian cities, the SBU has been providing round-the-clock protection for public Hanukkah menorahs.

Rabbi Simcha Levenhartz, a Chabad emissary in Kyiv, expressed gratitude for the authorities' vigilance: "Despite the war, we received permission to light public menorahs and round-the-clock security. This support strengthens us, knowing the police are dedicated to allowing the Jewish community to celebrate Hanukkah safely."
Israeli flag burned ahead of Hapoel Tel Aviv match in Spain
Activists from the Canarias Insumisa group set an Israeli flag alight outside a sports arena in Spain’s Canary Islands on Wednesday night, ahead of a basketball game featuring Hapoel Tel Aviv.

Video footage of the act surfaced online ahead of Thursday night’s Round 13 EuroCup tip-off at Gran Canaria Arena in Las Palmas between the Israeli visitors and home team CB Gran Canaria.

Local media referred to the flag-burning as a “protest against the occupation and genocide that the Palestinian people are undergoing,” and to the false accusation that Israel “murdered 47,000 women, children and the elderly in one year” during its war against Hamas terrorists in Gaza, Ynet reported.

Hapoel Tel Aviv supporters were referred to as “hooligans” in local reports, which cited the mass assault by local Muslims of Israeli Maccabi Tel Aviv F.C. soccer fans in Amsterdam on Nov. 7.

“We saw how the Nazi Zionists ran amok in Amsterdam; we must be careful that these events do not happen again,” Ynet quoted Spanish media as saying.

Canarias Insumisa called for a boycott of the match, alleging that hosting it “legitimizes the murderous Zionist regime.”

The group also criticized the Spanish team’s owner, accusing him of “choosing silence and undermining our efforts,” claiming he had the chance to prevent the team from participating in the match but failed to do so.

This marks the second encounter between Hapoel Tel Aviv and Gran Canaria in Group A of the EuroCup. In their first matchup, Hapoel emerged with a 79-66 win. Gran Canaria enters the game ranked second in the group, boasting a 9-3 record, while Hapoel Tel Aviv sits in fourth place with a 7-5 record.


Mary star Noa Cohen received death threats while filming in Morocco
Noa Cohen, the young Israeli actress who plays Jesus’s mother in the Netflix movie Mary, said she received multiple death threats while the movie was filmed in Morocco earlier this year.

While she was on the set from January to March, her life was threatened over and over.

“I got messages from Moroccan profiles [on social media] who said they know ‘what hotel you’re staying at,’” she told the Keshet 12 program Good Evening with Guy Pines on Tuesday night. “That didn’t make me feel the safest in the world. And you go to film in what is, after all, a Muslim country, Morocco… and you need a special visa to get in, and you have to have heavy security guarding you at all times.”

This heavy security was written into her contract, she said.

“It was scary. Some people began to understand that I was in Morocco and I got messages on Instagram, I got threats, the feeling wasn’t always the most comfortable.”

Despite the threats, the film, which was budgeted at $70 million, proceeded smoothly. Cohen, who had previously acted in Israeli teen and children’s shows, received star treatment, with her own trailer and makeup artist, but the biggest thrill was working with Sir Anthony Hopkins, the two-time Oscar winner who portrayed King Herod. Peace on set

The 86-year-old came to Morocco to make the film and he “was like a 16-year-old when he stepped onto the set,” she said. She tried to be casual when she first met her distinguished co-star, saying, “Hi, nice to meet you, I love your work… it’s a pleasure to work with you.”

But he quickly broke the ice, she said, “And he made dad jokes, and it was like, OK, he’s a regular human being.”

While they did not have in-depth discussions about politics, she said that he told her, “I’m praying for your country and your people.”

Cohen said that once the trailer for the film was released, “It was amazing to see how the responses started with ‘Zionist,’ then went to ‘Israeli,’ and finally ended up with straight-up ‘Jew… you Jewish whore’ – excuse the language. It was amazing to see how much of it was pure antisemitism and not anything else.”

Gal Gadot, the first Israeli actress to achieve Hollywood superstardom, contacted Cohen to offer her support.
Gal Gadot and Noa Tishby Light Candles for the Seventh Night of Hanukkah
It’s the eighth and final night of Hanukkah, and I couldn’t have asked for a more special guest than ‪@OfficialGalGadot‬ to close out this celebration of light. 🕎✨ Gal reminds us, “A candle is a small thing. But one candle can light another. And I think that there is something very symbolic about its meaning.” That's what we're doing tonight—sharing light, spreading hope, and celebrating the beauty of this holiday together. #BringOnTheLight




Israeli star Idan Amedi surprises bereaved youth at Chanukah camp
More than 400 bereaved Israeli youth were treated to a Chanukah surprise when superstar Idan Amedi arrived by helicopter for a private performance at their winter camp south of Beersheva.

The popular Israeli singer-songwriter and lead actor in the international hit “Fauda” became a real-life war hero when, as a reserve soldier in the IDF Combat Engineering Corps, he was severely wounded in an explosion that killed six of his comrades battling Hamas terrorists in the southern Gaza Strip last January. Singer Idan Amedi with children who have lost a parent or sibling to terrorism or war, at a winter camp at Kibbutz Revivim in the Negev, Dec. 30, 2024. Credit: OneFamily.

The children, ranging in age from eight to 18, were attending a three-day Chanukah camp run by OneFamily, an organization supporting victims of terrorism and their families. The camp for children who have lost a parent or sibling to terrorism or war is one of 40 Chanukah programs run by the organization.

Held this year in Kibbutz Revivim in the Negev, the camp features activities such as arts and crafts, games, “sandboarding” and rappelling, as well as therapeutic sessions to process grief.

In addition to a musical performance, Amedi lit Chanukah candles and took photos with the kids, sharing words of inspiration.

“What makes this camp so special is the deep sense of community we create. Idan’s visit and performance were emotional highlights, reinforcing the powerful truth that healing doesn’t happen alone,” said Marc Belzberg, founder and chairman of OneFamily. “By sharing their stories and hearing from someone who has endured so much, these young people felt truly seen, supported and inspired to continue their own journey of recovery.”




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This blog may be a labor of love for me, but it takes a lot of effort, time and money. For 20 years and 40,000 articles I have been providing accurate, original news that would have remained unnoticed. I've written hundreds of scoops and sometimes my reporting ends up making a real difference. I appreciate any donations you can give to keep this blog going.

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