07/30 Links Pt1: US envoy urges ‘transparent’ investigation of UNRWA over alleged misconduct; Switzerland suspends funding to UNRWA; AIPAC paves the way for a Palestiniian State ~ EoZ

From Ian:

Coming soon: An opportunity for UNRWA policy change

Most observers ignore the UNRWA reality –of five million descendants who dwell in "temporary shelters" financed by a $1.2 billion of donations from 67 nations, with little transparency.

What can be done? The UNRWA mandate, debated by the UN General Assembly every five years since 1949, is now up for renewal.

The time has come for the donor nations of the world to defuse the toxic UNRWA powder keg: This can and should be accomplished in six steps.

1. Cancel the new UNRWA curriculum which incorporates principles of Jihad, martyrdom and an “right of return” by force of arms, in UN schools which are supposed to promote the UNRWA slogan of “Peace Starts Here.”
2. Cease paramilitary training in all UNRWA schools. UNRWA should demonstrate commitment to UN principles for “peace education”.
3. Insist that UNRWA dismiss employees who are affiliated with Hamas in accordance with laws on the books in Western nations, which forbid aid to any agency that employs members of a terrorist organization.
4. Insist that UNRWA cancel its contract with “youth ambassador” Mohammad Assaf to travel the world encouraging anti Israeli violence.
5. Insist on an independent audit of donor funds that flow to UNRWA This would address widespread documented reports of wasted resources, duplicity of services and the undesired flow of cash to Gaza-based terror groups, which gained control over UNRWA operations in Gaza during the past 18 years.
6. Introduce UNHCR standards to UNRWA to advance the resettlement of Arab "refugees." - the millions of descendants of the original "refugees", (today about 20,000 ) many of whom left due to promises made by Arab countries in 1948 that they would wipe out the Jews, whose homes could be taken over shortly.

Current UNRWA policy is that refugee resettlement would interfere with the “right of return” to Arab villages that existed before 1948. That means the destruction of Israel.

US envoy urges ‘transparent’ investigation of UNRWA over alleged misconduct

US President Donald Trump’s Mideast peace envoy Jason Greenblatt called for a full UN investigation into its agency for Palestinian refugees, after a report leaked Monday alleged widespread corruption and sexual misconduct.

The confidential internal ethics report claimed mismanagement and abuses of authority at the highest levels of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), even as the organization faced an unprecedented crisis after US funding cuts. The allegations are now being scrutinized by UN investigators.

“We’re extremely concerned about UNRWA allegations,” Greenblatt said in a tweet. “We urge a full & transparent investigation by the UN.”

He added: “UNRWA’s model is broken/unsustainable & based on an endless expanding # of beneficiaries. Palestinians residing in refugee camps deserve much better.”

Trump’s former UN envoy, Nikki Haley, took to Twitter to say, “this is exactly why we stopped their funding.”

The UN agency said it is cooperating fully with the investigation and that it cannot comment in detail because the probe is ongoing.

AFP has obtained a copy of the report, which describes “credible and corroborated” allegations of serious ethical abuses, including involving UNRWA’s top official, Commissioner-General Pierre Krahenbuhl.

We’re extremely concerned abt UNRWA allegations. We urge a full & transparent investigation by the UN. UNRWA's model is broken/unsustainable & based on an endless expanding # of beneficiaries. Palestinians residing in refugee camps deserve much better. https://t.co/6oQn8jstyj
— Jason D. Greenblatt (@jdgreenblatt45) July 29, 2019

Switzerland suspends funding to UN agency for Palestinians after damning report

Switzerland on Tuesday said it was suspending funding to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees and their descendants after an ethics report revealed alleged mismanagement and abuse of authority at the agency’s highest levels.

The internal report by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency’s own ethics department, a copy of which was seen by AFP, includes allegations of sexual misconduct, nepotism and discrimination.

The Swiss foreign ministry told AFP in an email that it had already made its annual contribution of 22.3 million Swiss francs ($22.5 million, 20.2 million euros) to UNRWA.

But Bern said it was “suspending any additional contributions” to UNRWA — already in crisis due to US funding cuts — pending the findings of United Nations investigators who are examining the ethics report.

UNRWA, led by Swiss national Pierre Krahenbuhl, has declined to comment in detail on the internal report while the UN probe is ongoing.

But the document describes “credible and corroborated” allegations of serious ethical abuses, including involving Krahenbuhl.

It says the allegations include senior management engaging in “sexual misconduct, nepotism, retaliation, discrimination and other abuses of authority, for personal gain, to suppress legitimate dissent, and to otherwise achieve their personal objectives.”

Switzerland “attaches particular importance to good governance of international organizations,” the foreign ministry said, describing UNRWA as “an important multilateral partner for Switzerland.”

But Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis in May called UNRWA “part of the problem” in the Middle East, as it fueled “unrealistic” hope among Palestinians of return after 70 years in refugee camps, denied citizenship by their host countries and not resettled in any other country.

BREAKING: Swiss freeze funding to UNRWA, the UN relief agency for Palestinians, amid claims of sexual misconduct, nepotism & corruption by chief Pierre Krähenbühl & co.

Will top donors EU, UK, Germany, Sweden, Norway & Canada follow? Why are they silent?https://t.co/wIzFK5e2wq
— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) July 30, 2019

.@MargotWallstrom You claim a feminist foreign policy yet you turned a blind eye to @PKraehenbuehl's well-known power abusive sexual liaison with his subordinate Maria Mohammedi.
(https://t.co/8ZCZ7Y2DMn)

Will you ever hold corrupt UNRWA to account? https://t.co/vjphhXpQ4F
— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) July 29, 2019

.@SamanthaJPower Seems everyone knew UNRWA chief @PKraehenbuehl abused his power & agency funds to fly his subordinate Maria Mohammedi around the world with him in Business Class for liaisons.
(https://t.co/8ZCZ7Y2DMn)

Were you aware? Will you retract your call for US funding? https://t.co/GeJC1xZCqz
— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) July 29, 2019

AIPAC paves the way for a Palestiniian State

In an interview with Dov Eichler of Kan Israel Radio, Elkin expressed a mixed reaction to House Resolution 246, which passed overwhelmingly, 398-17, with five abstentions.

“You know my personal opinion is that a Palestinian state is not the solution, it’s the problem – even the source of the problem, so I’m not enthusiastic about this resolution,” he said.

This resolution contradicts the language in the deal being crafted by Kushner and Greenblatt which avoids using the phrase "two state solution". On June 25, 2019 World Israel News reported "...in May, presidential adviser Jared Kushner said that there is a good reason why the peace deal he has been crafting with Jason Greenblatt for over two years does not use the phrase “two-state solution.”

“I realize that means different things to different people,” he said. “If you say ‘two states’ to the Israelis it means one thing, and if you say ‘two states’ to the Palestinians it means another thing. So we said, ‘let’s just not say it’. Let’s just work on the details of what this means.”...

The Zionist Organization of America criticized the Congress resolution "...Inserted among its clauses was a reaffirmation “for a negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict resulting in two states — a democratic Jewish State of Israel and a viable, democratic Palestinian state – living side by side in peace, security and mutual recognition.”

Only that one Jewish organization recognized the danger of that insertion and tried to sound a warning.

The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) called it “unnecessary and harmful” in a statement it put out. Among the many arguments the organization made for not putting such language in an otherwise good resolution, it pointed out that such an entity would not be peaceful.

“A Palestinian-Arab state would be another rocket-launching, Hamas-run, Iranian-satellite terror regime dedicated to Israel’s destruction,” the statement said.

During Obama's rule many American Jewish organizations were infiltrated by left wing activists who care more about forcing the creation of a Palestinian Arab State than about Israel's security or Jewish rights in Judea and Samaria. AIPAC can no longer be trusted blindly as the main representative of Israel's interests in the Congress, and it seems that today the ZOA is more reliable. AIPAC makes many concessions to the anti-Israel Democrats in exchange for bi-partisan support, but unfortunately some of those concessions end up harming the interest of the Jewish State.

Egypt, Jordan leaders hold talks over Israeli-Palestinian peace

Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi and Jordan’s King Abdullah II met on Monday to discuss efforts to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, reaffirming their support for a two-state solution, Sissi’s office said.

The meeting comes ahead of an expected visit to the region by US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and senior White House adviser Jared Kushner, who is pushing a controversial peace plan that has been rejected by the Palestinians and criticized by Jordan.

Kushner’s initiative, partially unveiled at a Bahrain conference in June, dangled the prospect of pumping $50 billion-worth of investment into the stagnant Palestinian economy.

But it failed to address key Palestinian demands such as the establishment of their own independent state.

The political side of the plan has yet to be released.

In a statement Monday, Sissi’s office said the Egyptian and Jordanian leaders had agreed on “the importance of intensifying efforts” to resume peace talks.

New Palestinian Poll Reveals "Wait And See" View of Trump Peace Plan

A new poll by the Palestine Center for Public Opinion, taken June 27-July 19, shows that the majority of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza oppose their leaderships’ preemptive rejection of the Trump Administration’s peace plan—despite widespread popular disapproval of the current U.S. president. The survey also shows a dramatic rise in the proportion supporting an enhanced role in peacemaking for the Arab states. More specifically, however, only a minority voice a favorable attitude toward the June regional economic workshop in Bahrain, with many saying they have not heard or read enough about it.

Surprisingly, given the very negative Palestinian official and media commentary on the Trump peace plan, only one-third of the public in either the West Bank or Gaza agrees that the Palestinian Authority (PA) “should reject it now.” Instead, a larger percentage advocate a more measured position: around one-quarter in each territory say “the PA should not reject the plan, so Israel won't be able to take advantage” of that; and an additional one-quarter say “the PA should look at the plan when it is officially released, before taking any position on it.” In the West Bank, 23 percent admit they too “haven’t heard or read enough” about the peace plan to venture an opinion about it. Among Gazans, the comparable figure is just 12 percent.

Moreover, on the related issue of the U.S. push for a broader Arab role in regional peacemaking, Palestinian public opinion has taken a sharply positive turn since the previous poll in October 2018. Today, 61 percent of West Bankers, and an astonishing 86 percent of Gazans, agree that “Arab states should take a more active role in Palestinian-Israeli peacemaking, offering both sides incentive to take more moderate positions.” Last year, only about half of Palestinians agreed with that idea.

PA premier: Without a two-state solution, Israel will suffer ‘demographic death’

If a two-state solution is not achieved, Israel will suffer “demographic death” and will not be able to exist as a democratic state, Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said on Tuesday.

“Israel stands today before a big challenge — either the two-state solution or a demographic death,” Shtayyeh said in a speech at a meeting of Socialist International, an organization that brings together socialist parties around the world, at the upscale Carmel Hotel in Ramallah.

“For the first time since 1948, the demographic balance is in favor of the Palestinians. Between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, there are 6.8 million Palestinians — 3 million in the West Bank, 2 million in Gaza and 1.8 million in 1948 [Israel]. The Israelis are 6.6 million. The Palestinians are 200,000 more than them.

“Either the two-state solution or a demographic death; either the two-state solution or no democratic or Jewish state; either the two-state solution or a racist regime in practice and law; either the two-state solution or no peace,” he declared.

The Ramallah-based Palestinian leadership, including PA President Mahmoud Abbas, has consistently said it supports a two-state solution, while Hamas, which rules Gaza, has called for Israel’s destruction.

Fatah: PA has begun 'gradual disengagement' from Israel

The Palestinian Authority announced on Monday that all government employees in the West Bank and Gaza Strip will again receive only 60% of their salaries by next week due to the ongoing financial crisis the PA is facing.

The employees have been receiving 50-60% of their salaries for the past few months. The authority says that it’s unable to pay full salaries because of Israel’s deduction of allowances paid to families of security prisoners and “martyrs” from tax and tariff revenues it collects and transfers to the PA.

The announcement was made by PA Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh during the weekly meeting of the Palestinian cabinet in Ramallah.

The cabinet urged Palestinian universities to charge students of family members who work in the public sector 50% of their tuition fees until the end of the current financial crisis which the PA is facing.

The cabinet also decided to pay NIS 110 million to needy families, pointing out that NIS 90 million of the amount was allocated for the Gaza Strip.

Shtayyeh said he has decided to form a legal committee consisting of several PA ministries to “document and follow up on the crime of the house demolitions” in the Wadi al-Hummus area near the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Sur Baher. The findings of the committee will be brought before Palestinian courts, he added.

The prime minister affirmed his government’s full support for the families whose homes were demolished, “in the face of attempts to expel them from their land.”

PreOccupiedTerritory: Boy Suspects Brother Knows Of His ‘Phased Plan’ To Take Over Entire Bedroom (satire)

A local ten-year-old voiced concern today that his fourteen-year-old sibling and roommate may have discovered the younger lad’s scheme to displace the teen entirely, by gradual means.

Guy Harpaz moved into his younger brother Ohr’s room four years ago, after the birth of their youngest sister, an event that required the four children to shift their sleeping arrangements. Ohr disclosed to some of his friends that he intends to make life so unpleasant for Guy that the latter abandons the quarters wholesale, but knows that stating such goals outright will elicit more resolved resistance from his brother, and more importantly, disciplinary measures from their parents, Galit and Ron. Instead, the preteen professes a desire for an equitable disposition of the domestic space, all while taking steps to assert his dominance through the entire room. In recent weeks, however, Ohr has uncovered evidence that Guy might be aware of the plot.

“I’ve made sure to say conciliatory things whenever our parents are around,” explained Ohr. “But in private, like among my friends, I’m plain about my intentions: I want the whole room, which is mine. I was here first. I know he says he lived here before I was born and our parents forced him to move out, but that’s ancient history, and I think he was adopted anyway, so he has no rights to this place. When I was younger, mom and dad tolerated aggressive talk on my part, but it looks like they’ve grown tired of that, so I’ve had to tone down the rhetoric. But I haven’t changed my objective one bit. The big guy is a usurper and has to go.”

Report: Israel launched two attacks on Iranian targets in Iraq in July

The IAF used its F-35i stealth fighter jets to hit two Iraqi bases that were used by Iranian forces and proxies and for storing ballistic missiles, the London-based Saudi daily Asharq Al-Awsat reported on Tuesday.

The first attack happened on July 19 at a base in Amerli in the Saladin province north of Baghdad. Iraqi and Iranian sources blamed Israel at the time, and Asharq Al-Awsat reported that “diplomatic sources” confirmed the attack, specifying that it was carried out by an Israeli F-35.

Al Arabiya television news reported that Iranian-made ballistic missiles were transported to the base shortly before the attack via trucks used to transport refrigerated food. The identity of the aircraft which conducted the attack was unspecified at the time, and the US denied any involvement. Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Hezbollah members were killed in the airstrike, according to Al Arabiya. However, the Iranian-backed al-Hashd ash-Sha’abi (Popular Mobilization Forces) denied that any Iranians were killed, according to Fars News Agency.

A source from the IRGC told the Kuwaiti Al-Jarida newspaper that preliminary investigations indicate that Israel was behind the attack. An Israeli drone launched from a US base in Syria attacked the base, which stored short- and medium-range missiles.

The IRGC reached this conclusion because the type of missile that hit the camp is the same used by the IAF in attacks on Syria.

Israel, U.S. working to upgrade UNIFIL’s mandate to weaken Hezbollah

Israel and the United States are jointly working to have the United Nations Security Council to upgrade the mandate of the international peacekeeping force based in southern Lebanon, providing it with greater authority in an effort to weaken Hezbollah.

Israel Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon told The Jerusalem Post that Israel is working with the US to upgrade UNIFIL’s mandate, specifically to give it the ability to visit and inspect any area in southern Lebanon. Under the existing mandate, UNIFIL cannot enter villages and urban areas unless it first coordinates such visits with the Lebanese Armed Forces.

Danon told the Security Council last week that in the 13 years since the war ended, “[we have] yet to receive an accurate picture of the gravity of the situation in southern Lebanon. It is unfortunate that some have chosen to turn a blind eye to the reality on the ground.”

Danon added that “UNIFIL must be fully equipped to discharge its mandate and contribute to stability in the region.”

Resolution 1701 calls for no sale or supply of arms and related material to Lebanon except as authorized by its government, he pointed out. “It appears, however, that this call for an embargo has been completely ignored.”

PM said to float plan for Palestinian building permits in West Bank’s Area C

The high-level security cabinet is debating a plan introduced by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to grant building permits to Palestinians in Israeli-controlled Area C of the West Bank, alongside such approvals for neighboring settlers, the Kan public broadcaster reported Monday.

After two lengthy meetings on Sunday and Monday, the ministerial body has yet to reach an agreement on the politically sensitive matter.

Palestinians are rarely granted building permits in Area C and recent years have seen the total number of approvals remain in the single digits, compared to the thousands green-lighted for Israeli settlers.

The plan will allow Palestinians to construct 700 housing units, according to Channel 13 news.

It was not immediately clear why Netanyahu, who is also defense minister, brought the plan to a security cabinet discussion, given that only his approval is required (followed by that of a bureaucratic body within the Defense Ministry) for the granting of building permits in the West Bank.

Netanyahu Seeks Palestinian Area C Construction

Israeli Prime Minister is said to be promoting a rare plan to expand Palestinian construction in Area C of the West Bank just days before senior White House adviser Jared Kushner is set to make a scheduled visit to Jerusalem.

IDF drilling on evacuating communities close to Egypt's Sinai Peninsula

The IDF has drilled on evacuating communities along the Gaza border, and for the first time, evacuating communities close to the Egyptian border during a large-scale military exercise in southern Israel.

According to reports, the communities which were simulated to be evacuated during the drill included Shlomit, Yated, Avshalom, Yevul, Holit, Bnei Netzarim and Naveh where the current education minister Rafi Peretz lives. The drill also included simulations of the evacuation of communities bordering the Gaza Strip

While the military has in the past drilled on evacuating communities sitting right along the border, it was the first time that these communities-which sit further away from the Hamas controlled coastal enclave- took part in such a drill.

The Gaza division drill, which began Sunday afternoon in the city of Ashkelon and in the area bordering the Gaza Strip, saw the participation of ground troops, combat helicopters and other aircraft.

The four-day drill “was “another significant step in improving the IDF’s operational preparedness in the Gaza Strip,” the army said in a statement, adding that the drill was “preplanned as part of the training schedule for 2019.”

Trump pardons Israeli drug smuggler on children's request

US President Donald Trump pardoned Israeli-born Ronen Nahmani on Monday, who had served four years of a 20-year sentence for conspiracy to distribute synthetic drugs he bought from suppliers in China.

Trump's pardon followed a request by Nahmani's children and also because of his sick wife, Ruth, who is suffering from terminal cancer.

Ronen's three children, Ariella (11), Oriel (10) and Danielle (8), each wrote a letter to Trump requesting his presidential pardon.

"My mom is always sad and cries," Oriel's letter read, according to Ynet. "She is always sick and doesn't have strength. Today's my birthday. I am 10 and half of my life I had no dad. Please let my dad come. You will make me the happiest kid in the world."

"Our lives have become so sad and miserable," Ariella wrote. "And now my mother being sick, I am scared of her getting worse. Without her, the world will be a place where I won't be able to exist."

"Today, President Donald J. Trump commuted the prison sentence of Ronen Nahmani, an action strongly supported by many notable leaders from across the political spectrum, like representatives Hakeem Jeffries and Mark Meadows," according to a White House statement.

"Mr. Nahmani is a non-violent, first-time offender with no criminal history. He has five young children at home and his wife is suffering from terminal cancer. These extenuating circumstances underscore the urgency of his request for clemency."

Terrorist attack prevented as 1,200 worshippers visit Joseph's Tomb

IDF forces found a pipe bomb near Joseph's Tomb during preparations before the arrival of 1,200 Jewish worshipers to the compound in Nablus. The bomb was neutralized in a controlled explosion.

Disturbances broke out as the worshipers entered the tomb, as rioters burned tires and threw stones at IDF forces. The soldiers responded with riot dispersal means, and the prayer services continued undisturbed.

Some 15 people, suspected of being involved in terrorist activity, nationalistic terrorism and violent disturbances toward civilians and security forces, were arrested by the IDF, Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), Border Police and Israel Police in the Judea and Samaria area. The suspects were transferred to security forces for questioning.

Four Palestinians were injured by Israeli gunfire during the disturbances as the worshipers entered the tomb, according to the Palestinian WAFA news agency. The injured were hit by live fire in their lower bodies and were brought to Rafidia Government Hospital for treatment. Some Palestinians were treated at the scene after inhaling tear gas.

The Palestinian Quds news agency reported that 13 Palestinians were wounded by live fire and rubber bullets during the clashes near Joseph's Tomb. Five were injured in the thigh and foot by live fire and brought to the hospital, while eight others who were shot were treated at the scene.

East Jerusalem lawyer sentenced to 13.5 years in jail for shooting attacks

The Ofer Military Court on Tuesday sentenced an East Jerusalem lawyer to 13.5 years in jail over four shooting attacks against Israelis in the West Bank, Hebrew-language media reported.

Tarek Barghout, who has an Israeli ID card and belongs to Israel’s Bar Association but lives in Ramallah, committed some of the attacks together with Palestinian former terrorist leader Zakaria Zubeidi, who is being charged with carrying out attacks against Israelis dating back over a decade.

Both Zubeidi and Barghout worked for the PA’s Prisoner Affairs Ministry.

All the terror attacks committed by Barghout ended without casualties or with Israelis suffering minor wounds from glass shards, the reports said.

Barghout signed a plea deal with prosecutors, which in a rare occurrence was reached during the initial stages of the investigation.

He began cooperating with his interrogators only after the deal’s principles were laid out. During his questioning, Barghout incriminated Zubeidi.

Both have been in custody since their arrest in late February in Ramallah. Both men were charged in the Samaria Military Court in May.

Israel Police deny Arab reports that they questioned Palestinian 4-year-old

Al Jazeera published a video of Elayyan being escorted to the police station by dozens of Jerusalem residents on Twitter.

Rabi', Muhammad's father, brought him to the police station as dozens of Issawiya residents protested outside the station. In Israel, a child under the age of twelve may not be arrested, interrogated as a suspect or brought to trial, according to the Library of Congress.

Wadi Hilweh Information Center, a Palestinian watchdog agency, posted a video of the four-year-old crying as he was carried by his father. His father was briefly interrogated by the police and released, according to WAFA.

"Contrary to the claim, because the minor was under the age of criminal culpability the police who arrived at the scene served a summons to the father only to come for a discussion at the police station in order to warn him about and clarify with him the actions of his son," Israel Police tweeted in response to a tweet by MK Ahmad Tibi in which he attacked the police for allegedly summoning the 4-year-old for questioning.

"To our sorrow, this is a part of a serious and dangerous phenomenon in the area whereby small children are used for throwing rocks at security forces, some of [these cases] occur alongside and under the supervision of adults and family members standing near them, and such was the case in this incident," added Israel Police.

MEMRI: Saudi Twitter Users Respond to Attack on Saudi Blogger at Al-Aqsa Mosque

On July 22, 2019, Muhammad Sa'ud, a Saudi Twitter activist known for his sympathy for Israel and his support for establishing diplomatic relations with it, visited Israel as part of a delegation of Arab journalists. While touring Jerusalem's Old City and Al-Aqsa, he was attacked by Palestinian children and adults who yelled at him to leave, cursed and pushed him, spat on him and even threw chairs at him. Videos of the incident circulated on social media evoked furious responses from many Saudis, who condemned the attackers, accused the Palestinians of ingratitude towards Saudi Arabia, and directed curses at them, some of them quite harsh. Some also complained that the Palestinians treat Al-Aqsa as their private property, and called to transfer the custodianship over it from Jordan to Saudi Arabia or Israel. One particularly virulent tweet called to expel the Palestinians to Jordan. Many of the responses were tweeted under the hashtags #Muhammad Sa'ud, #We are all Muhammad Sa'ud and #Palestinians attack Jerusalem visitors.

It should be mentioned that, alongside these responses, there were also Twitter users from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states who expressed reservations about Sa'ud's visit to Israel and stressed that he does not represent them or Saudi Arabia. It should also be noted that, in the recent years, more and more Saudi journalists and intellectuals have been openly expressing support for Israel, sympathizing with its policy on Iran, and calling to make peace and normalize relations with it. Conversely, there have also been press articles that rejected relations with Israel and harshly attacked it and its policies.[1]

Palestinian responses to the incident ranged from justification to condemnation. Fatah Revolutionary Council member Hatem 'Abd Al-Qader said that the attack on Muhammad Sa'ud had been spontaneous and that anyone who comes to Jerusalem in that manner will encounter the same reaction. Others claimed that the incident harmed the relations between the Palestinians and their fellow Arabs and played into Israel's hands.

Below are some of the responses to the attack on Saudi blogger Muhammad Sa'ud.

Hamas, Israel Agree on Gaza Hospital, Despite PA Opposition

The Palestinian government in the West Bank is rejecting plans for a new field hospital in the Gaza Strip — plans that it considers part of a US-Israeli conspiracy to thwart a Palestinian reconciliation.

The project, however, appears to be proceeding anyway. It is part of understandings reached in Egyptian-mediated talks between Israel and Palestinian factions in Gaza, mainly Hamas and the Islamic Jihad. An international medical and administrative team will run the large field hospital, which will include 16 wards and modern equipment. The hospital will have several departments for internal medicine and pediatrics, in addition to a maternity ward, but mostly it will focus on diagnosing patients with life-threatening diseases, mainly cancer. Surveying has begun on 10 acres of land near the Erez border crossing.

Giant tents and equipment are being moved to Gaza from a field hospital in Syria, where the facility has been operated by a US nongovernmental organization, according to a previous Al-Monitor story.

During its weekly session July 8, the Palestinian government said, “The hospital that Israel and the US are seeking to establish on the northern border of the Gaza Strip is part of ongoing attempts to separate the Gaza Strip and the West Bank under humanitarian pretexts."

MEMRI: Jordanian Academic Dr. Ahmad Shahrouri: It Is Either Us or the Jews in Palestine

Jordanian TV host Dr. Ahmad Shahrouri, who is a shari'a professor at Al-Zaytoonah University of Jordan, said in a July 14, 2019 show on Yarmouk TV (Jordan) that the Muslims' conflict with the Jews is an existential conflict. He said that the land of Palestine belongs to the Palestinians, who he described as its eternal people who have lived there for 7,000 years, and he said that the fact that the Jews "passed through" Palestine for a 70-year period in history is absolutely meaningless. Dr. Shahrouri rejected any accusation of antisemitism or racism, saying that he does not oppose any religion or human being, and he went on to say that he wants to "smash the head" of anybody who claims to be Jewish, who says that Jerusalem belongs to the Jews, and who refers to the Wall of the Buraq as the Wailing Wall. He said that those who want to cut a deal with the Jews and to recognize Palestine as the Jewish homeland are losers, and that any Muslim who does not believe that the Jews are the enemies of the Muslims should go join the Jews and the Zionists. Dr. Shahrouri added that Allah gave the Muslims the authority to defend themselves with any force at their disposal when someone "puts a knife to [their] throat."

How Hezbollah Uses Sports to Indoctrinate Children

Hezbollah established educational and athletic networks, including its “Sports Mobilization” network, to indoctrinate young people into embracing the terrorist organization’s radical ideology, a recent Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center report finds.

Since its founding in 1982, Hezbollah has invested significant resources in developing institutions to recruit and cultivate future terrorists. As part a broader vision to create a “Society of Resistance,” Hezbollah targets youths from kindergarten through post-secondary schools. This includes “The Imam al-Mahdi Scouts Association,” Hezbollah’s official youth movement, which is devoted to brainwashing young Lebanese Shia in order to make them loyal disciples of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s revolutionary ideology. The Scouts Association has branches throughout Shia areas across Lebanon, with tens of thousands of members nationwide.

“Hizballah perceives sports as a means of inculcating its values in the youth and attracting it to its ranks, based on the connection between sports and the jihadi-military sphere,” the report said, citing Sports Mobilization chief Jihad Atiya’s 2015 interview with Hezbollah’s Al-Manar channel.

Photos of Islamic Republic founder Ruhollah Khomeini and current leader Ali Khamenei are often displayed during Hezbollah youth award ceremonies. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) similarly spreads the regime’s radical ideology by producing computer games, books, documentaries, and children’s videos.

MEMRI: Russian Media Outlet Versia.ru: Experts Fear That The S-400 Delivery To Turkey May Lead To Secret Technologies Leaking; Recent History Shows That Turkey Can Suddenly Turn From Friend To Foe

The Russian media outlet Versia.ru reported that Russian experts fear that the S-400 delivery to Turkey may cause classified Russian military technologies to leak to the West. Versia.ru emphasized that Russian manufacturers were trying to safeguard the technologies by withholding documentation on production data in the transfers to Turkey, and therefore Ankara will be unable to gain access to the S-400 systems. Furthermore, the agreement stipulates that Turkey may not disassemble or modify the complexes.

After noting these assurances, Versia.ru warned that recent history proves that Turkey can suddenly turn from Russia's friend to Russia's foe. Anatoly Tsyganok, Head of the Center for Military Forecasting, told Versia.ru that following the S-400 deliveries to Turkey, a NATO country, a risk would arise that the US could explore Russia's main air defense missile systems, and this could jeopardize Russia's defense capability.

Below are excerpts from the article:[1]
The Negotiations For The Sale Of The S-400 Took Several Years, Why Are The S-400 Being Now Transferred So Quickly To Turkey By Airplanes?

"Russia started the delivery of the Triumph S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems to Turkey. For Moscow, this is a significant event and a symbol of diplomatic victory: it was possible to drive a wedge between Ankara and Washington, the two NATO countries! However, experts are finding numerous puzzling elements in the 'Triumph' systems delivery to Turkey.

"The sale negotiations for the S-400 took several years, why are they now being transferred so hurriedly to the Turks by airplanes? There is silence on the systems' use conditions, although they may directly threaten Russian aircraft in Syria. And most importantly, will Russian military-technical secrets get away?

"Turkey's sale contract for the Russian anti-aircraft missile systems S-400 was signed at the end of 2017, the price was $ 2.5 billion. First, it was about the delivery of two divisions, which are presumably to be maintained by Turkish personnel. Now it is reported that Ankara will receive four divisional sets. Currently, the Turkish military is choosing the future location of the S -400, the information is kept secret, so it is still completely unclear whether, for example, Russian aircraft in Syria will be in the sights of the Turkish S-400.

Large Majority of Turks View US, Israel as ‘Biggest Threats,’ New Survey Shows

The great majority of Turks see the US and Israel as the main threats to their country, a new survey of foreign policy attitudes among the Turkish public revealed on Monday.

The yearly survey conducted by Kadir Has University — a private institution located in Istanbul — examined a number of questions, ranging from where respondents get their news from, to how they identify politically, and what they believe are the main foreign policy challenges facing Turkey.

Asked which countries posed the greatest threat to Turkey, more than 80 percent of the 1,000 respondents pointed to the US and Israel.

The US was “unreliable” according to 39.4 percent of the participants and a “colonialist country” for 22.6 percent. When asked to name the most important problem between Turkey and the US, 60.5 percent said “fight against terrorism” and 37.3 percent said “US support for the Democratic Union Party (PYD),” a Kurdish group in Syria which Turkey regards as a terrorist organization.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdodgan frequently assails Israel with antisemitic language and tropes, while relations between Turkey and the US are presently under strain following Ankara’s purchase of S-400 missiles from Russia.

But according to the survey, a good number of Turks remain unsure as to what the S-400 is exactly.

MEMRI: Iranian TV "Documentary": Ben-Gurion Saw Himself as the New Moses, Modeled Israel on Sparta

On June 22, 2019, Ofogh TV (Iran) aired the first episode of a show called "The Kiryah 2040," which is about Israel's "militaristic essence." The show said that David Ben-Gurion, Israel's first prime minister, had believed that Judea must be rebuilt by "blood and fire" and that he had based the State of Israel on the Ancient Greek state of Sparta. The show also said that Ben-Gurion saw himself as a "new Moses" who would bring the Jews to the Promised Land in "a sea of blood and fire." The narrator explained that Israel was meant to be a military state, with kibbutzim as its military settlements, and that the Kiryah, Israel's military headquarters in Tel Aviv, is Israel's "heart, brain, and nervous system." Iranian official and strategic affairs expert Hassan Abbasi, who was interviewed on the show, said that every Israeli has an identity within the Israeli army and that even Israel's Housing Ministry is controlled by the military. He explained that Israeli cities and settlements are built on top of hills and in an elliptical fashion, with curved roads that do not intersect frequently, so that each individual block can withstand a war. He added that Israel's Iron Dome system is an "illusion," as evidenced by the Fajr missiles that have landed in Tel Aviv, and he stated that Iran's ballistic missiles could easily penetrate it and destroy key buildings in Israel.

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