Thursday, April 24, 2025

04/24 Links Pt1: King Abdullah and the Islamists; ICC appeal judges: Court should consider Israel’s jurisdictional challenges; Egypt Is Demanding that Hamas Disarm

From Ian:

Rubio torpedoes the left’s anti-Israel stronghold inside the State Department
How rogue elements ruled
The answer to that question is fairly simple. Until now, no one in the White House or at the head of the State Department has tried to rein in what Rubio rightly termed “rogue” elements within the government.

They have operated with the impunity that comes with civil-service protections and the fact that past administrations either lacked the will or ability to restrain a powerful bureaucracy. As is true in almost all governmental departments and agencies, the permanent employees lean hard to the left. They also have managed to fend off any efforts to control them by manipulating the political appointees, who are supposed to be their bosses, treating them as incompetent amateurs who know little about how the government works in much the same manner as the characters in the classic British political comedy “Yes, Minister.”

It’s also true that, at least in principle, both the Obama and Biden administrations had no problem with this “human rights” lobby inside the State Department because they largely agreed with them.

Yet the inherent problem of having a portion of the government conducting an ideological foreign policy largely independent of the people at the top of the organizational flow chart became exposed in the last 16 months of Biden’s term in office. That’s because the anti-Israel bureaucrats, like the pro-Hamas mobs on college campuses, believed that the administration of President Joe Biden was insufficiently hostile to Israel after Oct. 7.

Biden’s civil war
As soon became apparent, the barbaric attack on Israeli civilians and the war to eradicate Hamas that followed had fomented nothing less than a civil war within the administration. Large portions of the permanent foreign-policy bureaucracy, as well as many of Biden’s political appointees ensconced in positions below the rank of cabinet and undersecretary rank, simply opposed the ambivalent Biden stand on the war, in which he publicly opposed Hamas but at the same time didn’t want Israel to succeed in defeating it. They wanted a complete cutoff of U.S. aid and an American-imposed ceasefire that would enable Hamas to both survive the war they started and even to win it.

While some officials, including members of the State Department’s human-rights bureau, resigned in protest over Biden’s half-hearted support of Israel, most remained in place. They continued working to undermine that stand and help fund projects that would hurt Israel and aid Palestinians fighting it, including, as one Middle East Forum study noted, indirectly financing anti-Israel terrorism. Indeed, as the City Journal reported in February, USAID was directing American taxpayer dollars to Hamas.

That is the context with which Rubio’s reorganization should be understood.

One aspect of the scheme is that it will eliminate redundancies and reduce costs in keeping with the mandate of Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), initially guided by billionaire Elon Musk.

Backing human rights
Rubio, who, as the Times noted, was an ardent supporter of human rights and encouraged using American power to advocate for freedom abroad during his 14 years in the U.S. Senate. Contrary to the assertions of his critics, he has not changed his mind about the importance of the issue. Rather, he is attempting to rescue the cause of human rights and democracy from activists who have turned it into a crusade against Israel and other governments, such as that of Hungary, which is falsely labeled as authoritarian because of its resistance to left-wing attempts to undermine its national identity.

Rubio’s plan involves a massive shift that he hopes will end the radical power base inside the State Department by stripping it of its autonomy and putting it inside existing regional bureaus, where it won’t be free to undermine Trump’s pro-Israel policy or fund groups working to promote policies and ideas antithetical to U.S. interests.

Under Rubio’s plan, there will still be plenty of people at the State Department who will be tasked with monitoring human rights around the world and seeking to promote American values of liberty, including political and economic freedom. The administration will also preserve the office of the special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism. Reportedly, it will shift to a global Jewish affairs coordinator rather than the old division under the office of the undersecretary of civilian security, human rights and democracy—a section of Foggy Bottom that was a major part of the problem Rubio is trying to solve. The Office of International Religious Freedom will also still be there.

Will Rubio succeed in taming and redirecting the energy of the diplomatic bureaucracy away from toxic left-wing activism and toward efforts that will promote American interests and strengthen U.S. ties with Israel and other allies? Only time will tell, but as Trump has demonstrated on other issues, such as his efforts to reform or defund academic institutions that tolerate and encourage antisemitism, enacting such fundamental changes requires bold strokes and decisive leadership.

For far too long, the administrative state, of which the left-wing elements in the State Department were a key part, ruled as an unelected and unaccountable fourth branch of the U.S. government that was dedicated to pursuing left-wing policies that no one had voted for. Trump and Rubio have rightly decided this has to end.

Their actions will provoke much consternation and pearl-clutching from the foreign-policy establishment and its liberal media cheerleaders. But their taking an axe to a portion of the State Department bureaucracy run by radicals is a victory for friends of Israel and American interests, and a clear defeat for their opponents who operate under the false flag of “human rights” advocacy.
Melanie Phillips: King Abdullah and the Islamists
A remarkable situation is fast developing in which the West is becoming more Islamist—the term for Islamic holy war extremism—than the Arab Muslim world itself.

This week, Jordan banned the extremist Muslim Brotherhood. All Brotherhood offices there have been closed, and its assets will be confiscated, shortly after 16 of its members were arrested in an alleged armed plot against the kingdom.

The authorities found weapons and explosives being stored in residential areas and transported across Jordan; secret missile-manufacturing facilities that could have produced up to 250 short-range missiles; and “training and recruitment operations” linked to the group.

Hamas, the Brotherhood’s armed wing, praised the alleged plot as an “initiative” by young Jordanian men conscious of the “continued genocide in Gaza.”

The Brotherhood has long been banned in Egypt, where it originated, and in the United Arab Emirates. The ban by Amman is extremely significant and not without danger for Jordan’s King Abdullah, who is permanently threatened by his substantial and restive Palestinian Arab population.

The Muslim Brothers are powerful enemies against whom he has preferred, until now, not to act. However, the Islamist group has been exploiting public anger over the war in Gaza by leading street protests denouncing the government for co-operating with Israel, with which it has had a peace treaty since 1994.

Six months ago, two Jordanian Brotherhood members tried to mount a cross-border raid near the Dead Sea but were shot and killed by Israeli forces. The incident occurred shortly after the group made significant parliamentary election gains amid anger at Israeli actions in Gaza.

Jordan is also worried about a potential Iranian connection with the Brotherhood, especially given Tehran’s increased attempts to destabilize the kingdom through violent cross-border smuggling of weapons and drugs.

Yet the West is even now choosing to ignore or even deny the threat to itself from the Islamist group.

The Brotherhood is a global organization that works in the shadows to conquer the West for Islam. Its tactics are to use a combination of terrorism, infiltration of democratic processes and maintaining a high birth rate among Western Muslims.
Egypt Is Demanding that Hamas Disarm
Israel and the US, with mediation by Qatar and Egypt and with the involvement of the Palestinian Authority, continue to pursue a hostage deal. Parallel to these negotiations, the Israel Defense Forces are pushing ahead in Rafah, taking over one area at a time, consolidating control in northern Gaza, and gearing up for the next phase of combat.

Egypt, which has joined the demand for Hamas to fully disarm, as first reported by Israel Hayom, is now leading the mediation efforts. According to the Qatari channel Al-Araby, Egypt's proposal places demilitarization at the top of the agenda. In return, Hamas would receive a long-term ceasefire of at least five years.

Sources involved in the negotiations say Egypt is providing Israel with regular updates on the proposals, terms, and outcomes of talks with Hamas leaders. A Hamas delegation expected in Cairo is anticipated to address primarily the demand to relinquish all weaponry - a condition that senior Hamas officials in recent weeks have called a "red line."

Egyptian officials have made it clear to Hamas that any further refusal to disarm will lead to an escalation in Israel's military campaign. Reports indicate that the organization's remaining military and civilian supplies are expected to run out within a month to six weeks.

Cairo is attempting to soften Hamas' opposition by offering immunity for its leadership and suggesting the group could play a future role in governing the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian territories more broadly. However, the Palestinian Authority has rejected such a proposal.

A senior Palestinian Authority official said the possibility of integrating Hamas into any governing body would be pushed far into the future, if at all, citing the "bitter experience" of Hamas' 2007 takeover of Gaza, during which hundreds of Fatah members and PA officials were killed. He added that any such agreement would require Hamas to hand over all its weapons to Egypt "down to the last Kalashnikov bullet."


ICC appeal judges: Court should consider Israel’s jurisdictional challenges
The Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Court on Thursday reversed a November ruling rejecting Israel’s jurisdictional objections to the issuing of arrest warrants for “war crimes” against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister, Yoav Gallant.

“The Appeals Chamber finds that, considered as a whole, the Impugned Decision insufficiently addresses Israel’s central contention that article 19(2)(c) of the [Rome] Statute permits it to challenge the jurisdiction of the Court,” the ruling handed down in The Hague on Thursday read.

“Therefore, the Pre-Trial Chamber committed an error of law by failing to sufficiently direct itself to the relevant submissions brought before it in respect of the particular legal basis underpinning the challenge to the jurisdiction of the court,” the international justices stated on Thursday.

The Pre-Trial Chamber I had ruled against the jurisdictional challenges, saying back in November it was too early to consider such arguments.

The Appeals Chamber sent the case back to the Pre-Trial Chamber for a “new ruling on the substance” on challenges of the court’s jurisdiction.

It did not rule on Jerusalem’s request that the warrants be suspended while the jurisdiction issue is being deliberated, saying that this issue was for the Pre-Trial Chamber to determine.

However, until the lower ICC chamber holds additional hearings on the issue, which could take several months or longer, the legal proceedings against Netanyahu and Gallant will effectively be frozen.

“The ICC Appeals Court instructed the Court today to do what it should have done from the start: to make a determination with respect to jurisdiction,” Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar responded.

“There is only one correct answer: the Court has no jurisdiction over Israel. The warrants were issued unlawfully. They are null and void,” Jerusalem’s top diplomat tweeted. “We said it from the start: The International Criminal Court in The Hague (ICC) doesn’t have, and never had jurisdiction to issue arrest warrants against Israel’s Prime Minister and its former Minister of Defense.”


Syria wants peace with Israel under one condition, congressman reveals
Tackling US sanctions will mean meeting conditions on human rights, Israel
To realize his ambitions for Syria, the president understands he must convince the Trump administration to lift sanctions.

“He’s not asking the US for money, just for sanctions to be removed – and I think it’s something that should be considered,” Stutzman said.

He clarified that the US administration has conditions for lifting sanctions, including better relations with Israel.“The steps that need to be taken include ensuring respect for human rights, women’s rights, religious freedom, and treating all Syrians with dignity – no one should be treated as a minority or less than human.

“And, of course, maintaining a respectful and secure relationship with Israel, and that Syria doesn’t become a training ground for terrorism, doesn’t become a proxy for Iran or for China or Russia, and that they work as a country within the region.”

Stutzman calls on officials to take a chance on Sharaa
Top Israeli officials have remained skeptical of the president’s new tone. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said a few weeks ago that Sharaa and his government “were jihadists and remain jihadists – even if they’re now wearing suits.”Stutzman, through the Post, sent a message to his counterparts in Israel.

“It’s clear this regime is preferable to Assad’s. Talk to him – what do you have to lose? Could he deceive us? Yes – and shame on him if he does. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t talk to him. If he follows through on the steps we all consider important, then we can talk about the next stage. Not engaging with him could drive him back toward Russia and Iran.”

Ultimately, Stutzman said he believes Trump will decide what happens with US policy on Syria and set the terms for Syria’s return to the international community.

Sharaa, he said, wants to open a new chapter – but must be careful not to deceive.

“If President al-Sharaa does what he says he wants to do, Syria could become prosperous – a place people compare to Istanbul. A country thriving on the global stage. This is an incredible opportunity for him – if he gets it right. If he gets it wrong, there will be consequences.”


Pahalgam Attack: PM Modi briefs Israeli PM Netanyahu on “barbaric nature” of terrorist attack
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday spoke to the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu in the wake of the Pahalgam Terror attacks. Israel strongly condemned the terrorist attack carried out on Indian soil and expressed solidarity with India.

In the details shared by the Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs in a post on X on Thursday, it was observed that PM Modi shared the barbaric nature of the terrorist attack and reiterated India’s firm resolve to bring the perpetrators and their supporters to justice.

“PM @netanyahu of Israel called PM @narendramodi and strongly condemned the terror attack on Indian soil. He expressed solidarity with the people of India, and the families of the victims. PM Modi shared the barbaric nature of the cross border terrorist attack and reiterated India’s firm resolve to bring the perpetrators and their supporters to justice”, MEA said on X.

On Wednesday, Israeli Ambassador to India, Reuven Azar, while speaking to ANI, condemned in the strongest words the dastardly terrorist attack which took place in Pahalgam on Tuesday. He assured India of continued cooperation in areas such as technology, methodology and intelligence in the fight against terrorism.

The conversation between PM Modi and Israeli PM Netanyahu comes amid a wave of international condemnation of the attack.

Condolences have been pouring in from across the world in the wake of the dastardly Pahalgam Terror attack, which occurred on Tuesday in the Baisaran meadow of Anantnag district. The brutal incident turned a peaceful tourist destination into a scene of devastation, killing 25 Indian nationals and one Nepali citizen, and injuring several others.

The assault is considered one of the deadliest terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir since the 2019 Pulwama bombing.


China, Egypt Launch Joint Military Drills Near Israeli Border Amid Rising Regional Tensions
China and Egypt launched a large-scale joint military exercise this week near the Israeli border, described by Chinese media as a “historic” first of its kind, aimed at deepening military cooperation amid rising regional tensions.

The joint drills — dubbed “Eagles of Civilization 2025” — began Sunday at an Egyptian Air Force base about 100 kilometers (62 miles) west of the Gulf of Suez and are expected to run through mid-May.

According to Israel’s Channel 12, the drill features Chinese J-10C fighter jets, refueling planes, and KJ-500 early warning aircraft, along with Russian-made MiG-29s flown by Egypt.

This exercise “is the first joint training between the Chinese and Egyptian militaries, which is of great significance to promoting pragmatic cooperation and enhancing mutual trust and friendship between the two militaries,” the Chinese Ministry of National Defense said in a statement.

Egyptian officials said the joint drills, aimed at strengthening military ties, will combine theoretical and practical training to enhance combat doctrines.

“The training will also involve joint aerial sorties, planning exercises, and simulated air combat management operations to exchange expertise and enhance the skills of the participating forces,” an Egyptian armed forces spokesperson said in a statement on social media.

Some experts view Beijing’s growing relationship with Cairo as the country’s latest move to expand its military presence in the Middle East and Africa, challenging the United States as its influence in the region stalls. This move could also help China strengthen ties with regional partners as the country faces mounting economic sanctions from Washington.

While details about Egypt’s military buildup remain unclear, “satellite images have shown the movement of tanks and battalions that exceed the limits set by the Camp David Accords,” Mariam Wahba, research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), told The Algemeiner.

Under the peace treaty, Egypt can request permission from Israel to deploy more than the 47 battalions allowed. However, some estimates suggest that there are currently camps for 180 battalions.


Israeli firms to supply German military with armed drones
Israel’s defense industry is poised to play a pivotal role in Germany’s military modernization efforts, as Berlin embarks on a significant procurement of loitering munitions, commonly known as “suicide drones,” according to a report on Tuesday.

This strategic move, which Germany’s Defense Ministry announced last week, underscores the country’s commitment to enhancing its defense capabilities in response to evolving global threats, according to Globes.

Central to this initiative are partnerships between Israeli and German defense firms. UVision, an Israeli company based in Tzur Yigal, has collaborated with Germany’s Rheinmetall to produce the Hero series of loitering munitions, according to the report.

The Hero line includes the Hero 120, with a range of 40 to 60 kilometers (25 to 38 miles) and a one-hour flight time, carrying a 4.5-kilogram warhead. For longer-range missions, the Hero 1250 can fly more than 200 kilometers (125 miles) for up to 10 hours, delivering a 50-kilogram (110-pound) payload.

These drones are equipped with electro-optical and infrared sensors that allow remote operators to monitor the battlefield in real time, adjust flight paths, or abort missions to avoid collateral damage. They can also operate autonomously or be handed off to ground forces for enhanced coordination.

Meanwhile, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has teamed up with European missile group MBDA to promote the Harop loitering munition. With a nine-hour flight capability and a range of 200 kilometers (125 miles) at an altitude of 15,000 feet, the Harop carries a 16-kilogram (35-pound) explosive payload and attacks targets with pinpoint accuracy from horizontal or vertical angles. The Harop became a symbol of military success for Azerbaijan during the Second Karabakh War, earning international recognition for its effectiveness.
Ceding to internal pressure, Spain scraps purchase of Israeli bullets
The Spanish government has unilaterally canceled a contract to purchase ammunition rounds for its police force from an Israeli firm, a government source said Thursday, ceding to pressure from its hard-left junior coalition partner Sumar.

Spain, a long-time critic of Israel’s policies in the West Bank, pledged in October 2023 to stop selling weapons to Israel over its war with Hamas in Gaza and last year widened that commitment to include weapons purchases from Israel.

However, on April 17 as Spaniards geared up for the Easter holiday weekend, the government filed paperwork confirming the deal on the government tenders website.

The purchase, worth 6.6 million euros ($7.53 million), includes the acquisition of more than 15 million 9-mm rounds from Israel’s IMI Systems, owned by Elbit Systems and represented in Spain by Guardian LTD Israel.

The decision drew a sharp rebuke on Wednesday from coalition partner Sumar, with one of the groups within Sumar, Izquierda Unida, threatening to withdraw from the minority coalition government.

The Interior Ministry responded that it had been advised by the state attorney that breaking the contract would mean paying the full amount without receiving the shipment.
IDF soldier killed, three wounded in fighting in northern Gaza
An Israeli soldier was killed and three others were wounded during fighting in the northern Gaza Strip earlier today, the military announces.

The IDF says the name of the soldier, who served as a tank driver in the 14th Reserve Armored Brigade’s 79th Battalion, will be released for publication later. His family was notified.

In the same incident, a reservist in the 79th Battalion and an officer in the elite Yahalom combat engineering were seriously wounded. Another reservist, in the Gaza Division’s Northern Brigade’s 8239th Battalion, was moderately hurt.

According to an initial IDF probe, the slain soldier was hit by sniper fire in the Beit Hanoun area, close to one of the military’s posts in the Israeli-held buffer zone.

The other troops were hit by anti-tank fire, according to the initial investigation.

The cell behind the attack apparently managed to flee.

The deadly incident took place not far from an attack on Saturday, in which Hamas operatives opened fire on an unarmored army vehicle, seriously wounding three soldiers, before planting a bomb in the area, which killed a soldier and seriously injured another.


IDF admits mistakenly shelling UN facility in Gaza last month, killing staff member
The Israeli military on Thursday acknowledged that troops mistakenly shelled a United Nations facility in central Gaza last month, killing a UN worker from Bulgaria.

Until now, the Israel Defense Forces had denied it had struck the compound.

According to the findings, on March 19, an IDF tank operating in the area fired a shell at the building, following a “suspicion of enemy forces in it.”

The investigation has found that the building was not identified by the tank crew as belonging to the UN.

Bulgaria said Thursday it had “received an official apology from Israel” over the incident.

Bulgaria’s Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev called for “such tragedies not to happen again,” stressing in a statement that “the protection of humanitarian workers is a top priority.” Palestinians, displaced amid the ongoing war between Israel and the Hamas terror group, reside in tents in Gaza City in the northern Gaza Strip, April 24, 2025. (Ali Hassan/Flash90)

The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) announced on March 19 the death of one of its employees in the central Gaza city of Deir el-Balah when an unidentified piece of “explosive ordnance” hit their building.

In light of the incident, the UN said it would take some 30 international staff out of Gaza, from a total of about 100.

The IDF’s high-level General Staff Fact-Finding Assessment Mechanism, an independent military body responsible for investigating unusual incidents amid the war, is looking into the event.
Nine terrorists killed in IDF strikes on Hezbollah sites
The Israeli military eliminated nine Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon over the past week, including the deputy commander of the terrorist group’s logistics unit, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

Hussein Ali Nasr was involved in efforts to rebuild the organization’s capabilities, according to the military. Also eliminated was Hussein Izzat Mohammad Atwi, a member of the Jamaa Islamiya terrorist group, and several operatives from Hezbollah’s Radwan Force.

More than 40 Hezbollah-linked sites, including weapons storage and operational infrastructure in Southern Lebanon, were struck by Israeli Air Force fighter jets over the week. The targets were selected based on intelligence assessments that they posed an active threat and violated the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire.

Since the ceasefire went into effect on Nov. 27, 2024, more than 140 terrorists have been eliminated across Lebanon, according to the IDF.

The military stressed that it remains committed to defending northern communities and will continue to act decisively to eliminate terror threats from Hezbollah.


Defending Israel with David Harris- John Spencer
David Harris is joined by John Spencer, a former U.S. military officer, urban warfare specialist, and a keen observer of the Hamas-triggered war with Israel.




Israel Advocacy Movement: Muslim SHOCKED By Jew’s Reason for Rejecting Islam

Rawan Osman: How I Went from Hating Jews to Becoming One | Stories of Us | PragerU
Rawan Osman grew up in Syria and Lebanon, where she was taught to hate Jews and fear Israel. But after moving to France, a chance encounter shattered everything she thought she knew. Rawan shares how she unlearned the lies she was raised with, converted to Judaism, and found the courage to speak out against Islamist extremism and the West’s moral decline.


‘Hamas worse than Nazis’ | Douglas Murray defends Trump’s plan for Gaza
“Can you imagine if in the 1940s, German news media had been proudly broadcasting footage from Bergen-Belsen around the world?”

Hugo Rifkind interviews the author Douglas Murray, on why he believes the future of Western civilisation is at stake after the October 7th massacre, his defence of Trump’s plan for Gaza, and what he means by Hamas being "worse" than Nazis.


Here I Am With Shai Davidai: An expert worth listening to? | EP 37 Douglas Murray (Part 1 of 2)
In this episode of Here I Am with Shai Davidai, bestselling author Douglas Murray discusses the defense of Western values, the importance of free thought, and the erosion of cultural spaces in a politicized world.

From his journey as a scholarship student at Eton and Oxford to becoming a leading cultural commentator, Douglas shares insights on identity, cultural pride, and the challenges of modern relativism. With humor and depth, Shai and Douglas explore the role of philosophy, the celebration of success, and the need to preserve spaces for free inquiry.




ILTV’s Viewpoint: Gad Saad
ILTV’s Emily Schrader sits down with author and professor Gad Saad to discuss the impact of the Gaza war on the West and the problem of “infectious ideas” which are killing common sense, as well as the concept of Saad’s new book, “suicidal empathy” and how it relates to the challenges facing the West today.


Trump nominee apologizes for praising Nazi sympathizer while awaiting Senate confirmation hearing
A Trump-nominated prosecutor facing congressional scrutiny over past praise of a Nazi sympathizer has expressed regret and said he did not know the full extent of the individual’s problematic history.

In an interview this week, Ed Martin, currently serving as interim U.S. Attorney for D.C., said “I’m sorry” about his praise for Timothy Hale-Cusanelli, described by the Department of Justice as a Nazi sympathizer and white supremacist. Martin called Hale-Cusanelli “extraordinary” while emceeing an awards ceremony last year at President Donald Trump’s golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey.

“I denounce everything about what that guy said, everything about the way he talked, and all as I’ve now seen it,” Martin said. “At the time, I didn’t know it.”

Most recently, Martin and Hale-Cusanelli appeared together as speakers at a fundraising event for the Phyllis Schlafly Eagles, an advocacy group Martin has led since 2016, according to a report by Mother Jones.

Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee called on the Republican leadership to hold a hearing — despite the panel’s practice of skipping hearings for U.S. Attorney nominees — to allow members to question Martin about what they described as “shocking conduct” at the Bedminster awards event hosted by the Patriot Freedom Project, a nonprofit created to support Jan. 6 Capitol riot defendants.

Martin acknowledged that he should have known better. “But,” he added, “I certainly didn’t know all the terrible things that he said and how he had acted. I think that’s terrible, and I denounced it completely. I hate it. I hate that it happened.”


Former ASIO spy outs himself to reveal Australian preacher Wisam Haddad as the spiritual leader of pro-IS network
A former ASIO spy is breaking his cover to expose the activities of a notorious preacher at the centre of Australia's resurgent pro-Islamic State (IS) network, including his work with global terrorist leaders to inspire a new generation of young Australian jihadists.

The former secret agent, codenamed Marcus, has taken the extraordinary step of risking prosecution to give Four Corners the first inside accounts of Wisam Haddad's operations and the undercover counter-terrorism work of Australia's domestic spy agency, ASIO.

Mr Haddad has never been charged with any terrorism-related offence, despite his longstanding notoriety and ties to a web of dangerous terrorists, including slain fighters Khaled Sharrouf and Mohamed Elomar.

But Marcus has revealed Mr Haddad's real activities to Four Corners in an exclusive interview, including how he is the spiritual leader to a network of IS sympathisers.

ASIO recruited Marcus, an imam and teacher, with the support of his home country in the Middle East. Between 2016 and 2023 he infiltrated Mr Haddad's Sydney network of jihadist prayer centres, preachers and covert groups.

Marcus said he gathered intelligence of young people being indoctrinated into supporting IS inside Mr Haddad's controversial prayer centre, Al Madina Dawah Centre (AMDC) in Bankstown, and street-preaching charity, the Dawah Van.

"I told ASIO, you [would] think you are in an ISIL [Islamic State] camp in Syria or in Iraq," Marcus said, of his time inside Mr Haddad's organisations.

He said Mr Haddad, also known as Abu Ousayd, was mentored by infamous British extremist Anjem Choudary, who was jailed for life last year for running a prolific global recruitment movement.


Preston man barred from asking antisemitism question at city council meeting
A Preston resident has claimed that he was blocked from asking a question about antisemitism during a city council meeting, due to an ongoing Labour Party investigation into a councillor accused of making antisemitic comments.

Councillor Carol Henshaw was suspended from Labour following a JC exposé revealing a councillors’ WhatsApp chat in which she allegedly made comments to fellow Labour councillors criticising Jewish residents in the city for participating in a vigil calling for the release of Israeli hostages.

Harry Spillman, a 77-year-old retired teacher and member of Preston’s local Labour Party, alerted the JC to the group in March.

Ahead of a full council meeting last week, he submitted a question for discussion – but it was barred from being asked. In his question, Spillman highlighted the “deep hurt and distress” caused to the Jewish community by the remarks in the group chat and called on the council leader to “express full support and solidarity” with local vigils for Israeli hostages still being held in Gaza.

He also urged the council to make a “renewed commitment to tackle antisemitism wherever it may appear, in the City of Preston or in your own Labour Group”.

It was the second time Spillman had been prevented from raising the issue at council meetings. His initial question, submitted last month, was accepted and published online but later removed before the meeting.

“My question last week was simply asking the council leader to reaffirm his position within Labour policy,” Spillman said. “I wasn’t asking anything that isn’t already council policy.”


Ben-Gvir declares ‘we will win’ during tense Yale visit
A visit by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to Yale University on Wednesday sparked intense protests, culminating in reports of Jewish students being harassed and assaulted as they exited a private event near campus.

As tensions rose outside the venue, Ben-Gvir addressed demonstrators, declaring: “In front of the pro-Palestinian demonstrators at Yale University who support the Nazis in Gaza—we will win. Am Yisrael Chai!”

Eyewitnesses described chaotic scenes as demonstrators—many holding Palestinian flags—confronted attendees, with video footage circulating online showing protestors throwing objects and shouting anti-Israel slogans. The incident took place just blocks from Yale’s main campus.

Following the unrest, Yale University announced disciplinary action against a student organization believed to have helped coordinate the protest. The group, identified as pro-Palestinian in affiliation, was stripped of its campus recognition due to violations of university conduct policies and actions that allegedly endangered other students.

Ben Gvir’s stop at Yale was part of a broader U.S. tour focused on Jewish student safety and efforts to combat antisemitism on American college campuses. Earlier in the week, the minister met with Republican officials at U.S. President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, discussing U.S.-Israel relations and strategies to confront antisemitic incidents in academia.

Despite efforts by activists to disrupt the visit, the event proceeded under heightened security and received strong backing from members of Yale’s Jewish community and local supporters.




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Elder of Ziyon - حـكـيـم صـهـيـون



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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