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Monday, January 31, 2022

Lots of attacks against Jews in the past few days, from the Right to the Left and in between


Yesterday in Orlando,FL, a neo-Nazi antisemitic rally.

Last week in Brooklyn, a young visibly Jewish woman was verbally attacked on a subway car by a Black man who threatened her and screamed for her to leave the train while passengers watched and didn't intervene. 

Because to help a Jewish woman might be racist.

On Saturday in Lakewood, NJ, a snowplow driver laughingly took a video of himself purposefully dumping snow on two Orthodox Jews.




The Jewish Community in West Rogers Park, Chicago was hit by string of hate crimes over the past 24 hours, YWN has learned. Two Jewish institutions have had swastikas scrawled on them, two Jewish stores had their windows smashed, and a Jewish man was attacked.

The two Jewish institutions that had swastikas scrawled on them are the Hanna Sacks Bais Yaakov, and Congregation F.R.E.E.

The two Jewish stores that had their windows smashed are Tel Aviv Bakery, and Kol Tuv Kosher Supermarket. 

Meanwhile, on Sunday night a frum [Orthodox] man walking was attacked and bloodied in an unprovoked incident.

The victim was walking near W. Devon Ave. and N. Sacramento Ave. when he was attacked by an unknown male.


In London, a group of youths smashed the windows of a Jewish-owned house. 

Meanwhile, also in London on Saturday,
 Reports of an open bus being driven along #StamfordHill #N16 at 12:20pm with speakers blaring "Yidos Go Home"

Appeared to be targeting Orthodox Jews leaving #Synagogue 

A Palestinian newspaper wrote today:

History depicts Nazi Übermensch against the Jews in Europe, and the correct truth is that Jewish Zionism is the Übermensch over the Palestinian.

 Which happens to be the same message that Amnesty International is communicating in its upcoming report accusing Israel of "apartheid," with its repeated message of "Jewish domination" over Palestinians. 

When no one does anything about the "little" incidents, they turn into much worse incidents. 





The war against the Jews being waged by "human rights" groups @Amnesty, @HRW and @BTselem




Israel has existed for 73 years. During that time, the rights of the Arab citizens of Israel have only increased. They lived under military rule until 1966 and not thereafter.  Since then, while it has been slow, their rights as full citizens have been strengthened and supported by Israel's High Court. Today, they have unprecedented rights and have become successfully integrated in fields like medicine and high tech, and millions of shekels are earmarked to improve the lives of Arab Israelis. 

Palestinian Arabs lived under effective belligerent military occupation from 1967 until the Oslo process in the 1990s.  Since then, the vast majority of them have been living under full autonomy in Area A and Gaza, and partial autonomy in Area B, under their own governments. They also have more rights than they had before the 1990s.

Yet at the exact same time that Palestinian Arabs both within and without the territories have been gaining more rights, human rights groups like B'Tselem, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have been steadily accusing Israel of worse and worse crimes.

Nothing makes that clearer than their recent jihad. During the course of a single year, each of those groups decided that Israel's treatment of Palestinians have crossed the line into being considered "apartheid."

And, amazingly, each of them - B'Tselem, HRW and Amnesty, whose report is being published Tuesday - relied on different and provably twisted legal analyses to reach this same conclusion. 

They didn't use that term in 1993. They didn't use that term in 2019. But now, suddenly, all three of them reach the same conclusion when there are more Arab rights under Israeli rule than ever before. (Even the Nation State law goes not say a word that contradicts the idea of equality under the law.) 

Put this together, and it is blindingly obvious that these three organizations deciding over the past year to label Israel as guilty of apartheid is not a coincidence. In each case, the decision to find Israel guilty was made first, and the lengthy, multi-page, laughably flawed "legal analysis" to justify it was written afterwards. 

In each case, counterexamples that prove that their fact-finding is biased and wrong is ignored or buried. 

In each case, the same arguments they use against Israel would find scores of nations worldwide far more guilty of the same crime, yet they are silent about those. 

So why are these purported human rights groups, who are still reluctant to call Chinese persecution of Uyghurs "apartheid," suddenly on the same page to make that accusation against Israel when they never did before?

I cannot know if there was any collusion to bring these three organizations to the same predetermined conclusion. Yet it does seem curious that these accusations follow Israel's historic normalization agreements with Bahrain, the UAE and Morocco. The Abraham Accords may have incentivized these groups who had relied on a solid Arab hatred of Israel as their reliable anti-Israel allies. When that dam burst, the "human rights" groups may have felt it was time to open up a new front against Israel to forestall Israel being treated by the world the same as its autocratic, human-rights violating neighbors. 

Whatever the reason for the timing of this choreography, there is an underlying theme between all three reports that points to the real goal for the "human rights" community: to claim that the concept of a Jewish state is itself a crime. 

The B'Tselem report concentrates its claims on the idea of "Jewish supremacy." Since that was largely decried as antisemitic, the other two reports mostly stayed away from that formulation (Amnesty prefers "Jewish domination.") But both HRW and Amnesty make it clear that they consider the very idea of a Jewish state to be the source of "Israeli apartheid," even when Israel's Declaration of Independence and numerous High Court rulings affirm the equality of all citizens. 

To all three, the entire raison d'être of Israel is immoral.  They aren't against apartheid - ask the Palestinians in Lebanon if they would gladly change places with the Palestinians under "apartheid" in Gaza or Ramallah or Jerusalem or Abu Ghosh. The word "apartheid" is simply a rhetorical weapon to attack Israel's very legitimacy as a place of refuge for Jews who are persecuted worldwide. 

These "human rights" NGOs are against Jewish statehood, Jewish self-determination, Jewish self-defense from antisemitic attacks and even peaceful, harmonious relations between the Jewish state and its neighbors. They want to set the calendar back to the days before 1948 when Arabs attacked Jews daily and Jews could not legally defend themselves.

Like all antisemitic movements throughout history, they justify their immorality and hate of Jewish human rights behind the lie of universal human rights.

In 1939, in the wake of Kristallnacht, the Wagner–Rogers Bill was proposed in the Senate to allow 20,000 Jewish children from Germany to immigrate to the United States. It did not even make it to a vote because of an antisemitic senator, Robert Rice Reynolds (D-NC.)

During hearings, one opponent of saving the lives of the Jewish children, Francis H. Kinnicutt of Allied Patriotic Societies, gave five reasons against allowing the Jewish children to be allowed to immigrate. His very first reason was:
On the humanitarian grounds on which all social agencies agree that children should not be separated from their parents and that foster parentage or institutional upbringing is prejudicial to children
Jewish parents in Germany would have been making the wrenching decision to save a remnant of their families by sending their own children away before things got even worse under Nazi rule, and Kinnicutt pretended that his immoral stance was based on his care about the welfare of the doomed children being taken away from their parents!

That is the kind of cynicism we are seeing from these so-called human rights groups today. They claim to care about universal rights, but when it comes to the human rights of Jews, they find "moral" reasons to oppose them. 

The Israel/Palestinian conflict is not about human rights for Palestinians, as these groups assert. It is about competing human rights for Jews and for Arabs. There is no perfect solution, but the optimal solution requires drawing the line that maximizes the rights for all and minimizes the violation of rights for all. 

History shows that no one besides Jews in a position of power will consistently defend the human rights of Jews, while lots of people - including Jews - will defend the human rights of those who want to take away the human rights of Jews. History also shows that Arabs under Jewish rule will always have more rights and more opportunities than Jews under Arab rule ever did or ever would. 

Which means that the Jewish state, with all its arguments and flaws and critics, is the optimal solution to maximize human rights for all. It will never be perfect, and there will always be people who are unhappy about the compromises needed to maximize rights for all, Jew and Arab. Yet the Jewish state  will always be better than the alternative that these human rights hypocrites are proposing - the dissolution of the Jewish state. 

Israel is the only guarantor of Jewish human rights - not the UN, not the ICC, not Amnesty or Human Rights Watch, and not even the US. These NGOs attack Israel's very existence as a Jewish state because they don't want Jews to enjoy the same human rights that everyone else has. B'Tselem's repeated use of the slander "Jewish supremacy" proves that.

That is the reason they all decided to get behind the Big Lie of "Israeli apartheid." They don't care about apartheid. Their goal is destroying the only state that can assure Jews will always have true political rights.





The black hole of Donald Trump has sucked the Abraham Accords out of American liberal thinking

Jodi Rudoren, the editor in chief of the Forward and formerly of the New York Times, sends out a weekly newsletter to subscribers and potential subscribers. 

In last week's newsletter she wrote a very nice story about Bob Cumins, a photojournalist who has taken some of the most iconic photos in history, and how he went out of his way to send her a replacement copy of a New York Times edition with her very first front page story from 1998 that she had lost in a flood. 

But one sentence in that story seemed jarring to me.
He would eventually cover some 30 General Assemblies of the Jewish Federations of North America and make about 300 trips to Israel with politicians, business moguls and philanthropists. He’s witnessed every peace-treaty handshake — Camp David in 1978 and 1979; the Oslo Accords in 1993 and Jordan the next year; Wye River in 1998. He spent 18 months working for Hillary Clinton during her first Senate campaign. He caught Joe Namath in the locker room after Super Bowl III. He made a stunning collection he calls “Snows of Jerusalem” during a 1980 storm.
In Rudoren's list of peace treaty handshakes, she doesn't mention anything about the Abraham Accords. 

I messaged her and asked if Cumins had witnessed them as well, and she replied that this was a fair point and she didn't know.

Now, I have nothing against Rudoren. I used to criticize her a lot when she covered Israel for the NYT but my impression is that a lot of that should have been directed at the Times' own editors. I think The Forward, which I have also been very critical of, has improved since she took the job  as editor in chief.

But when a major player in the liberal Jewish media doesn't even think that the Abraham Accords were worth thinking about in her list of US diplomatic accomplishments in the Middle East, there is something wrong. 

The Abraham Accords are arguably the most important peace deal between Israel and the Arab world since the Israel-Egypt peace treaty 42 years prior. Israel's peace with Egypt and Jordan remain ice cold - the amount of antisemitism in those countries' media even today is astounding, today. Israel's Oslo agreements with the PLO did not result in the peace that everyone hoped it would, and Nobel prizes prematurely celebrated a man who continued to be an architect of terrorism against Jews years after he "agreed" to stop all support of terror. 

But the Abraham Accords have prompted a dizzying list of accomplishments and "firsts" that happen so often 16 months later than stories that would have been front page news two years ago are barely newsworthy today. Even yesterday, Arabic media was fascinated that Israeli president Isaac Herzog arrived in the UAE with a beard because he is mourning the death of his mother. 

Yet the Abraham Accords are simply not considered to be that important in the media, and are not top of mind to the Forward's editor in chief.

The reason? Because they were brokered during the Donald Trump administration, and all proper liberals want to think of those four years as a black hole that simply didn't happen.





Saturday, January 29, 2022

01/29 Links: Normalize with Israel, let insulters fend for themselves; Trump Prioritized Sending Vaccines to Israel; Christian Zionist Nominated for Nobel Prize by Israeli Jews

From Ian:

Normalize, let insulters fend for themselves
WHY are we the ones being insulted by the Palestinians?

When they are happy, they curse the Gulf leaders and people. When they are angry, they use all of the defamatory and abusive words in their dictionary against us.

We, the Gulf nationals, overlook all that by sending them aid. We also participated in all the Arab wars for defending the right of the Palestinians for self-determination and the establishment of an independent state on the 1967 borders.

We are the only ones who rescued them in the year 1970 when they launched their war on Jordan. The late Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah evacuated their leader Yasser Arafat from Amman. The Arabian Gulf states, led by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, boycotted oil export to the Western countries during the 1973 war.

Furthermore, Riyadh presented two initiatives to solve the issue. Despite their support of Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait and their participation in acts of intimidation, abuse and killing against Kuwaiti citizens, the Gulf nationals especially Kuwaitis continued to support the Palestinians and their resistance factions.

They supported the late Jamal Abdul Nasser against us. They stood with Gaddafi when he hurled everything he had on the leaders of the Gulf. Their derision even reached the point that they wrote the names of the kings and princes of the Gulf countries on animals and marched with them at the forefront of their demonstrations.

All of this is just the tip of the iceberg of what the Gulf states and their people offered to the Palestinians, who were and still are ungrateful.

They stood with the Iranian Houthi aggressor against Saudi Arabia and the Gulf. They slandered and cursed the leaders and governments of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries because they did not mourn the assassination of the head of the terrorist snake Qasem Soleimani.
Kuwaiti poet: ‘Embrace Jews without having a political agenda’
Kuwaiti poet and writer Nejoud Al-Yagou urged, in an eye-popping article, that Kuwaitis embrace Jews and put aside their power politics to create religious and social peace.

“Let’s take religion aside. Many here do not even practice religion but still hold a caustic hatred for Jews,” Al-Yagou wrote on the English-language website Fanack.com. earlier this month.

“What is their excuse? Is it politics? If that is the way we think, why are we judging others for being afraid of us?” she asked. “There are Muslims who have used religion to justify and perpetrate attacks on innocent civilians. Did the world ban mosques?”

Al-Yagou apparently authored her article in response to hateful reactions to the US embassy wishing Jews in the oil-rich Gulf country a happy Hanukkah on social media.

“Some commentators trolled the ambassador, and anyone who responded to the message in a spirit of love was verbally abused,” she wrote. “Some argued that there are not many Jews in Kuwait, so why would the US Embassy post such a message? The commentators used the message not only to accuse the ambassador of having an agenda but to attack Jews as a whole.

“What is this cringe-worthy fear we have toward Jews?” she asked, adding that “we cannot use the excuse that we don’t celebrate the festivities of other religions, because many Kuwaitis love to celebrate Christmas, and a few celebrate Diwali with Hindus.

“We cannot say we are protecting Islamic principles, because Kuwait is filled with people of all faiths and no faiths. As such, is this who we have become in a country whose heritage prides itself on coexistence?” she asked.

“What a pity; what a loss for us,” she lamented. “How heartbreaking for our forefathers, a few of whom were Jews who lived here alongside us.”


Honestly with Bari Weiss (podcast): An Imam Blows the Whistle on Muslim Antisemitism
As a boy growing up in Turkey, Abdullah Antepli thought hating Jews was normal. He read Mein Kampf before he was 15. His parents gave him a children's version of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion. He burned Israeli flags.

Today, he is an imam, a professor at Duke University, and, as he puts it, a recovering antisemite. Imam Adbullah has been fearless about blowing the whistle about rising antisemitism in the Muslim community. In the wake of the recent hostage-taking at the synagogue in Colleyville, Texas, he tweeted: “Houston, we have a problem!” He wrote, “we need to honestly discuss the increasing anti-semitism within various Muslim communities.”

Today, on Holocaust Remembrace Day, a conversation with a man who has paid a heavy personal price for working to eradicate Jew-hate and to promote peace between Muslims and Jews.


Trump Prioritized Sending Vaccines to Israel: Report
The Trump administration created a secret list while planning for COVID-19 vaccine distribution, prioritizing certain countries over others, Politico reported Friday.

According to the report, the list favored Israel and other allies such as Taiwan over low-and moderate-income countries.

The list was split into several sections, including US strategic allies, countries that helped develop the vaccine, countries with relationships with Gavi — the global vaccine alliance — and all other countries.

Officials told Politico that the documents were passed on to the Biden administration, saying that it “does not use the previous administration’s policy or the cited list to make vaccine sharing decisions.”

The list was an annex to a longer document laying out the Trump administration’s international approach to facing COVID-19, planning the distribution of the vaccines based on political preference.

“We thought that the categories themselves made sense at the time,” said Paul Mango, the former deputy chief of staff for policy at the Department of Health and Human Services, according to Politico.

“The underserved countries were third on the list.”
Herzog’s visit will enhance relations, says UAE ambassador
The two-day visit to the United Arab Emirates by President Isaac Herzog will enhance relations between the UAE and Israel, according to ambassador Mohammed Al Khaja.

In July 2021, only a week after his inauguration, Herzog joined Al Khaja in opening the UAE embassy in Tel Aviv.

On Sunday, after just over six months in office, he will be the first president of the State of Israel to pay an official visit to the UAE, and the Emirates will be the first Gulf state to be visited by an Israeli president.

The countries normalized ties in August 2020, in what is known as the Abraham Accords.

During the visit, it is expected that progress will be made toward the completion of a bilateral free trade agreement.

Herzog was invited by Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed, with whom he has had several telephone conversations.

The visit comes as the UAE has been repeatedly attacked by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels from Yemen; Herzog, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, Defense Minister Benny Gantz, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and others have made statements in solidarity with Israel’s ally in the Gulf.

Herzog will have an intensely crowded schedule during the two days in which he will experience a somewhat warmer climate than in Israel.


Argentine official causes outrage suggesting Israel should investigate AMIA bombing
A spokesperson for Argentina’s president is taking heat for arguing that Israel should help investigate the alleged perpetrators of the 1994 AMIA Jewish center bombing that killed 85 people.

Israel was not a target of the attack. The bombing, carried out by a Hezbollah suicide bomber and believed backed by Iran, occurred in Buenos Aires.

Gabriela Cerruti, spokesperson for Argentine President Alberto Fernandez, wrote on Twitter on Sunday that Mohsén Rezaee, Iran’s current vice president for economic affairs and a leading suspect in the AMIA investigation, should have been arrested by Interpol during a recent controversial visit to Nicaragua. Argentina put out an international warrant for Rezaee’s arrest in 2006.

Jewish Argentine lawmaker Waldo Wolff promptly criticized Cerruti’s statement, arguing that Argentina’s government has let Rezaee off easy and has not followed through on its stated objective of serving justice in the AMIA investigation — which has dragged on for decades, and involved multiple trials and the death of Jewish investigator Alberto Nisman.

Argentina’s ambassador to Nicaragua attended the recent inauguration of President Daniel Ortega there, alongside Rezaee.

“Interpol in each country operates according to local political directives,” Wolff wrote to Cerruti on Twitter. “It is not autonomous. Nicaragua hugged Rezai. Our government did nothing… Obvious complicity.”

In response, Cerruti said that Rezaee is “wanted by Interpol and Mossad,” the latter being Israel’s intelligence agency. Those two groups “have far more intelligence resources than a Latin American embassy in a Caribbean country.”
PA slams Bennett for opposing Palestinian state
The Palestinian Authority has condemned Prime Minister Naftali Bennett for opposing the establishment of a Palestinian state, saying his remarks expose his “extremist and anti-peace ideology.”

In an interview with The Jerusalem Post on Friday, Bennett said that “this government set a diplomatic status quo. It’s OK that left-wing people like [Foreign Minister Yair] Lapid and [Defense Minister Benny] Gantz support the establishment of a Palestinian state, but my camp opposes it.”

Bennett said it would be “a terrible mistake to create a Palestinian diplomatic entity in our land.”

He added that while he does not forbid Lapid and Gantz from meeting with Palestinian officials, “I don’t think it’s right to meet with someone who is persecuting IDF officers in The Hague and transferring money to murderers.”

Bennett was referring to the PA leadership’s efforts to file “war crime” charges against IDF officers and Israeli officials with the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the payments made by the PA to families of Palestinian security prisoners and those killed while carrying out attacks against Israelis.

Hussein al-Sheikh, head of the PA General Authority of Civil Affairs and a member of the Fatah Central Committee, said in response, “The end of the occupation and the establishment of the Palestinian state won’t wait for Bennett’s approval.”

Sheikh wrote on Twitter that the prime minister “should be aware that the number of countries recognizing the State of Palestine is greater than those recognizing Israel.
Palestinian online campaign accuses Hamas of ‘kidnapping’ Gaza
Palestinians have launched a new social media campaign in protest of Hamas’s rule of the Gaza Strip, holding the Islamist movement responsible for poverty, unemployment and harsh economic and humanitarian conditions.

Hamas supporters claimed that the Palestinian Authority and Israel were behind the new campaign.

The supporters launched counter campaigns in which they accused the PA of financial and administrative corruption, collaboration with Israel and imposing financial and economic sanctions on the coastal enclave as part of an attempt to instigate a revolt against Hamas.

They also defended Hamas by arguing that it had “kidnapped” the Gaza Strip from the corrupt PA leadership, adding that the movement continues to enjoy large support among the Palestinian public.

The anti-Hamas campaign, titled “They Hijacked Gaza,” came following a report by the Geneva-based Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, which said that “about 1.5 million of the Gaza Strip’s total population of 2.3 million have become impoverished due to the Israeli blockade and restrictions imposed since 2006.”

The report pointed out that poverty has risen sharply, from 40% in 2005 to 69% in 2021.

But several anti-Hamas activists rejected the attempt to shift the blame onto Israel. They also condemned Hamas for its alliance with Iran and other Iranian-backed terrorist groups in the Middle East.


US blocks $130 million aid to Egypt over human rights concerns
The Biden administration is set to deny $130 million of military aid to Egypt over human rights concerns, US State Department officials said on Friday, in a rare punishment of a key ally, even though it fell short of expectations of rights groups.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in September that the aid would be withheld if Egypt did not address specific human-rights-related conditions Washington has set out, which activists say included the release of certain individuals deemed political prisoners.

Rights groups had called on the administration to block the entire $300 million of foreign military financing to Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's Egyptian government. Sisi, who ousted the Muslim Brotherhood in 2013, has overseen a crackdown on dissent that has tightened in recent years.

"While the Secretary has not made the final decision, if there are not major developments over the next couple of days, the Secretary will re-program the $130 million to other national security priorities as he previewed in September," a State Department official said in a call with reporters.

The portion of the aid withheld accounts for 10 percent of the $1.3 billion that was allocated for Egypt for fiscal year 2020. This amount has been appropriated to Egypt every year since 2017, according to a congressional research report.

But Friday's announcement comes after the administration earlier this week approved the potential sale of air defense radars and C-130 Super Hercules planes to Egypt for a combined value of more than $2.5 billion, raising doubts about the impact of the withheld amount.
US plans to reroute $67M in aid towards Lebanon's armed forces
The United States plans to reroute $67 million of military assistance for Lebanon's armed forces to support members of the military as the country grapples with financial meltdown.

According to a notification sent to Congress, the State Department intends to change the content of previously appropriated foreign military funding for Lebanon to include "livelihood support" for members of the Lebanese military, citing economic turmoil as well as social unrest.

"Livelihood support for (armed forces) members will strengthen their operational readiness, mitigate absenteeism, and thus enable LAF members to continue fulfilling key security functions needed to stave off a further decline in stability," said the notification to Congress, seen by Reuters.

Washington is the biggest foreign aid donor to Lebanon. US officials had pledged additional support in October.

The news was praised in Washington. "It is in the United States' national security interest to help these servicemen make ends meet and continue supporting the Lebanese people, and I'm really glad to see the administration putting our security assistance dollars to Lebanon toward that goal," Democratic Senator Chris Murphy said in a statement.

Sunni Muslim leader Saad al-Hariri announced his departure from Lebanese politics this week, opening the way for the Shi'ite Hezbollah to extend its sway over the country.
Lebanon Will Not ‘Hand Over’ Hezbollah Arms at Gulf Meeting, Minister Says
Lebanon’s foreign minister said he was not going “to hand over” Hezbollah’s weapons during a meeting this weekend with Gulf Arab counterparts that want Beirut to rein in the Iran-backed Lebanese Shi’ite group in exchange for improved ties.

In a nod to Gulf concerns, Lebanon will however say that the country will not be “a launchpad for activities that violate Arab countries,” according to sources familiar with a draft government letter responding to Gulf terms for improved ties.

Lebanon is due at the meeting in Kuwait on Saturday to deliver its response to the terms for thawing relations, which have suffered as the heavily armed Hezbollah has grown more powerful in Beirut and the region.

“I am not going (to Kuwait) to hand over Hezbollah’s weapons. I am not going to end Hezbollah’s existence, it is out of the question in Lebanon. We are going for dialogue,” Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib told Al Jazeera.

Hezbollah supports Iran in its regional struggle for influence with US-allied Gulf Arab states, which say the group has aided the Iran-aligned Houthis who are fighting a Saudi-led coalition in Yemen.

Founded by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in 1982, Hezbollah has a militia more powerful than Lebanon’s army and has backed pro-Iran allies in the region, including Syria.

The group and its allies also exercise major sway over Lebanese state policy.
Time running out to decide whether Iran can make a deal, Western diplomats say
Negotiations for the US and Iran to return to the 2015 nuclear deal are nearing the point where a decision must be made or that agreement will no longer be salvageable, European diplomats said on Friday, as the negotiating teams returned to their capitals for consultations.

“January has been the most intensive period of these talks to date,” negotiators from the US State Department and the E3 – France, Britain and Germany – said in a statement at the end of the eighth round of talks in Vienna. “Everyone knows we are reaching the final stage, which requires political decisions.”

Brett McGurk, the White House’s national security council Middle East coordinator, said on Thursday that “we’re in the ballpark of a possible deal... [but] there’s also a very real chance that these talks could collapse very soon.”

Western diplomats have said that Iran is moving too slowly in the talks to revive the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action while it enriches and stockpiles uranium, and that weeks, not months, remain until the restrictions of that deal will have been irreversibly hollowed out.

Nearly 10 months after the negotiations started – with a five-month break imposed by Iran – the hardest issues remain, they say.


Anti-Israel protesters arrested in front of Israeli embassy in Washington, DC
Seven anti-Israel protesters were arrested on Sunday in front of the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C., after attempting a sit-in, blocking the entrance to the embassy.

According to the United States Secret Service, which conducted the arrests, protesters were arrested at 4:41 p.m. for failing to obey orders from officers and “incommoding,” which is defined as an individual or group of individuals blocking or obstructing roads or entrances.

The protesters were part of a group called the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM), which conducted anti-Israel rallies across the country on Jan. 23.

The D.C. rally, called “Hands off Palestine: From the River to the Sea,” was scheduled from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., according to PYM’s Twitter account.

A handful of the 50 or so protesters remained afterwards, pitching tents in front of the embassy gates, according to the account, and refusing to move when instructed by the police. They called the action a “sit-in.”

The protesters were released from jail later that night.

“Demonstrators courageously stood their ground outside the embassy, demonstrating their support and commitment to Palestinian resistance against ongoing ethnic cleansing,” tweeted PYM. “In Palestine and across the diaspora, our people will continue to struggle ceaselessly until the full liberation and unconditional return of all Palestinians to our homeland—from the river to the sea.”


‘Sex and the City’ Reboot Accused of ‘Bad Taste’ for Holocaust ‘Hoax’ Joke on Remembrance Day
Fans of the “Sex & The City” reboot “And Just Like That…” reacted on social media to the awkward timing of a comment denying the Holocaust in the show’s latest episode that aired Thursday, which was also International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

The ninth episode of the HBO Max show featured a scene in which the character Anthony Marentino, played by Mario Cantone, brought his date, Justin, to a Friday night dinner hosted by a Jewish couple, Charlotte York-Goldenblatt (Kristin Davis) and her husband, Harry Goldenblatt (Evan Handler).

When the dating couple arrived at the Goldenblatts’ home in New York City, Justin said, “Oh, is this a Jewish dinner? You know the Holocaust is a hoax, right?”

Cantone’s character then yelled at his date, telling him to leave. He later apologized to the Goldenblatts for bringing Justin to their home.

“Did no one flag that it might be bad taste to put a throwaway Holocaust denial joke in an episode released on Holocaust Memorial Day #andjustlikethat,” asked one Twitter user. Another wrote, “#andjustlikethat Know your f**king audience…. A joke about the holocaust on the official memorial day….are you f**king kidding me! #HolocaustRemembranceDay.”

A separate Twitter user said, “NOT the #AndJustLikeThat episode premiering on #HolocaustRemembranceDay with Anthony’s date saying ‘You know the holocaust is a hoax, right!’…who approved this?”
BBC News ignores a story that contradicts a recurrent claim
Last year the BBC produced multiple reports on the topic of crime within the Arab-Israeli sector, with audiences told that:
“Bereaved families and Arab officials claim that police inaction is one of the main reasons for the endemic violence plaguing their neighbourhoods.”

In November a similar claim of “police inaction” appeared in a report about the arrests of sixty-five illegal arms dealers:

THREE MONTHS OF BBC COPY-PASTING OF A REDUNDANT CLAIM
As noted at the time, the BBC’s report did not make any mention of the sources of the weapons seized.

“Investigators believe most of the weapons came from the West Bank and were smuggled into the country from Lebanon and Jordan. The rest were stolen from Israeli army bases.”

On January 25th the IDF and the Israeli police thwarted a smuggling attempt from Jordan.


Washington, DC Jewish Community ‘Disturbed’ After Union Station Plastered With Swastika Graffiti
Jewish communal groups in Washington, DC and national lawmakers expressed outrage on Friday at the discovery of swastikas daubed across the facade of the city’s Union Station, just steps away from the US Capitol building.

The vandalism was seen on nearly every column of the central train station building, local reporters shared on social media.

“We are disturbed by this video of a swastika taken this morning just outside @wmata at DC’s Union Station,” said the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington on Twitter. “This antisemitic and hateful symbol has no place in our society, and to find it in our city the week of International Holocaust Remembrance Day is particularly offensive.”

“Once again this reinforces the need to teach about antisemitism and hate. We call on law enforcement to conduct a swift investigation,” said the Anti-Defamation League’s DC chapter.

In a statement Friday afternoon, Amtrak said an investigation was underway in tandem with the Metropolitan Police Department.

“Amtrak strongly condemns this act of hatred and will work with our landlord, USRC and their lessor to remove these symbols as quickly as possible,” the railroad service said.


Tel Aviv ranks second after Silicon Valley on 2021 Global Startup Ecosystem Report
Tel Aviv has ranked number second globally as a Cleantech ecosystem on the Global Startup Ecosystem Report (GSER): Cleantech Edition from Startup Genome, launched on Monday at the CleanTech Forum San Francisco.

Tel Aviv came in at a close second after Silicon Valley and before key global hubs in the field such as Stockholm, London and Los Angeles.

The Global Startup Ecosystem Report (GSER) is the world's most comprehensive and widely read research on startups with 280 entrepreneurial innovation ecosystems and 3 million startups analyzed.

The Cleantech Edition looks into the "the globally competitive landscape of technology-based startups focused on reducing environmental impact and solving the scaleup gap in Cleantech."

The report includes startups "dedicated to renewable energy, transportation, logistics, and more."


Israeli startup 'Air' develops personal electric plane
Interview with Rani Plaut, CEO at Air. The electric private plane business aims for sales in 2024.

'Aircraft is always dangerous… we are bringing the aircraft to the car level in terms of safety'

An Israeli startup recently unveiled its fully-electric flying vehicle that is also drivable on roads, a concept thought to be the future of personal transportation.

The “AIR ONE” two-seater aircraft, by the electronic aviation company AIR, can take off and land vertically and has a range of over 10 miles at speeds of up to 150 miles per hour.

Cleantech ecosystems are ranked based on numerous factors such as ecosystem performance, sub-sector strengths, success factor gaps, ecosystem lifecycle, and peer benchmarking.


EU earmarks $736M for power cable connecting Israel, Greece, Cyprus
The European Union has earmarked 657 million euros ($736 million) for the construction of a 2,000-megawatt undersea electricity cable that will link the power grids of Israel, Cyprus, and Greece, Cypriot Energy Minister Natasa Pilides said Thursday.

Pilides told reporters the funding is Cyprus' largest-ever investment as well as the lion's share of the total sum that the EU's Connecting Europe Facility, which bankrolls infrastructure projects, has allocated to a single project this year.

Pilides said the money enables crews to start constructing the segment of the cable that will connect Cyprus with the Greek island of Crete, the total cost of which is estimated at roughly 1.6 billion euros ($1.8 billion). Negotiations to transfer the funds are expected to wrap up this summer.

The minister said beyond the project's geopolitical weight, it will ensure Cyprus' energy security, boost competitiveness in the power supply sector, and help the island nation more easily transition to a green economy.

Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades said in a statement that the cable "tangibly underscores the significance of the three-way cooperation between Cyprus, Greece, and Israel."

"This is a significant landmark regarding the three countries' strategic choices, which upgrades the region's energy goals," the Cypriot president said in a statement.
Christian Zionist Nominated for Nobel Prize by Israeli Jews
American Evangelical leader Mike Evans has been officially nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by a senior Israeli academic.

Senior Vice President of Ariel University in Israel, Bobby Brown, said in his submission to the Nobel Prize Committee that he “knows of no living person doing more to combat antisemitism” than Mike Evans.

Evans heads the Friends of Zion Heritage Center and has long been at the forefront of mobilizing Christian support for Israel and the Jewish people.

“It’s a great honor being nominated, but I consider combating antisemitism an even greater honor,” Evans wrote upon hearing the news. “The key to happiness is committing your life to a cause greater than yourself. I have such a cause.”

Evans is Jewish through his mother, and as a child both he and his mother suffered antisemitic violence at the hands of his father.

The chances that an Evangelical Christian Zionist nominated by Israelis for fighting antisemitism will actually win the Nobel Peace Prize is of course slim, to say the least.







Insanity: Judge rules that Jews must pay Ann Arbor antisemites' legal fees



From MLive (Ann Arbor):

After two years of legal battles over anti-Israel protests outside an Ann Arbor synagogue — demonstrations the courts have upheld as free speech — a federal judge has ordered the plaintiffs to pay the protesters nearly $159,000 to cover their legal defense fees.

U.S. District Court Judge Victoria Roberts issued the ruling this week, deciding plaintiffs Marvin Gerber and Miriam Brysk and attorney Marc Susselman are liable for the protesters’ attorney fees for pursuing meritless and frivolous claims.

The ruling comes as Brysk, represented by Susselman, is now petitioning the U.S. Supreme Court to take up the case.

Gerber, now represented by a Washington, D.C. law firm, is separately petitioning the nation’s high court.

Susselman, who has been lead counsel in the federal case, called the judge’s ruling on attorney fees “a reversible error” and said he plans to file an appeal challenging it. He disputes Roberts’ determination the claims were frivolous.

The original lawsuit was filed in late 2019 by Susselman and Gerber, a member of the Beth Israel Congregation on Washtenaw Avenue, where Henry Herskovitz and his anti-Israel group have protested on Saturday mornings since 2003.

Brysk, identified in court records as a Holocaust survivor and member of the Pardes Hannah Congregation in an annex next to the synagogue, joined as a co-plaintiff.

The lawsuit targeted both the protesters and the city for allowing the protests without restrictions, alleging the demonstrations amount to hateful, antisemitic speech and infringe on the rights of congregants to exercise freedom of religion.

Protest signs have carried messages such as “Resist Jewish Power,” “Jewish Power Corrupts,” “No More Holocaust Movies,” “Boycott Israel,” “Stop U.S. Aid to Israel” and “End the Palestinian holocaust.”

Susselman argues the judge erred in determining the claims were frivolous. Even though the Court of Appeals upheld the case’s dismissal last year, Susselman notes the court wrote, “One could colorably argue that signs that say ‘Jewish Power Corrupts’ and ‘No More Holocaust Movies’ directly outside a synagogue attended by holocaust survivors and timed to coincide with their service are more directed at the private congregants than designed to speak out about matters of public concern. The claims require a context-driven examination of complex constitutional doctrine.”
The "protests" are aimed at people attending synagogue, during synagogue hours, for 18 years. It is harassment and only a week ago has Ann Arbor admitted that it is antisemitic. 

(h/t Andrew)



Friday, January 28, 2022

Erdogan didn't suddenly become philosemitic




In 2019, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan compared Israeli actions in Gaza to the Holocaust, saying “we view the Holocaust in the same way we view those besieging Gaza and carrying out massacres in it.”

Last year, on Holocaust Remembrance Day, Erdogan released a video about the dangers of xenophobia and Islamophobia, and didn't say the word "Jews" once. He talked about various genocides, pointedly excluding the Armenian genocide.

Lately, Erdogan and Turkey gave a different message. 

In December, Erdogan hosted members of the Jewish community in Turkey and the Alliance of Rabbis in the Islamic States. He's been emphasizing his goal of improving relations with Israel. He invited Israel's President Isaac Herzog to visit Turkey.

But a lot of this is smoke and mirrors. Turkey still hosts Hamas even though it "leaked" news that it will expel the terror group. 

Al Arab analyzes Erdogan's actions and says "Turkey, which is living in difficult economic conditions, and has failed to resolve the crisis of the lira's collapse.... is looking to open channels of communication with international financial influence circles, which means that the message issued on the memorial of the Holocaust is not a real apology nor a review of the situation as much as an opportunistic step to solve Erdogan's crisis."

In short, Erdogan sees Jews as the people who control the world's money supply and he wants to suck up to them. 

His pretense of friendliness to Israel and Jews is based on his antisemitic view of the world!

Antisemitism is not going away. If Jews have to choose between being hated or being respected for the idea that they control the world, respect is a lot better. 

But don't confuse these overtures with philosemitism. It's quite the opposite.




Iran's president: "Zionist entity is the enemy of humanity." (Yawn) They really need better insults.



From Syria's news agency, SANA:

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi affirmed that the Zionist entity is an enemy of humanity, denouncing its violations in the occupied Palestinian territories.

During his meeting today with Azerbaijani Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov in Tehran, Raisi said: "The Zionist entity can never be a friend of the Islamic peoples," adding that "the occupation's practices and aggressions in the region and against the Palestinian people are a witness to this fact."

The Iranian president pointed out that the presence of terrorist organizations does not serve the interests of the peoples of the region, indicating that these organizations are the creation of the Americans and Zionists, and wherever they are located, they commit criminal acts.
Once you accuse your enemies of being enemies of humanity, where else can you go from there? 

Zionists are already accused of racism, colonialism, apartheid, warmongering, killing children, genocide, slavery, land theft, indiscriminate bombings, killing prophets, ethnic cleansing, Nazi collaboration, organ trading, global warming, and stealing falafel.  

What more is there?




Thursday, January 27, 2022

Elder Comix: Only ethnic cleansing







Arrow Missile Successfully Intercepts Proposal To Cut Exorbitant IDF Pensions (PreOccupied Territory)

Our weekly column from the humor site PreOccupied Territory.

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missile launchTel Aviv, January 27 - Senior military officials and officers congratulated one another today on a successful demonstration of an innovative, airborne threat-neutralization system that today downed an incoming law aimed at curtailing the cushy retirement packages that those senior officers enjoy for life at taxpayer expense.

An Arrow Interceptor hit the target before it could reenter the atmosphere, a spokesman for the Ministry of Defense told reporters today at a press conference.

"We are pleased to announce that the Arrow-3 has progressed more quickly, and more efficiently, than even our ambitious timeline," stated ministry representative Pensia Taktzivit. "This contribution to Israel's emerging 'layered defense' umbrella will both protect our interests and deter those who might otherwise attempt to harm those interests."

According to Taktzivit's description, the Arrow interceptor used both ground-based and its own internal guidance system to locate, track, and intercept the threat to generals' and colonels' pensions, which, unlike most retirement programs, allocate a guaranteed amount of taxpayer-provided government funds to those retired senior officers, instead of the investment-based programs on which the bulk of Israel's population must rely to support them during their golden years. The military pensions constitute a significant budget drain for a defense establishment that seeks to extract itself from dependence on American largesse, largesse that requires the IDF to spend the billions provided only on American products and services and renders any military systems purchased through the program dependent in turn on American technology, legacy systems, and terms of use.

Defense analysts cautioned that the interception of the threat today does not guarantee other threats will not emerge, and that the IDF, Ministry of Defense, Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, and other bodies, must maintain vigilance in the face of forces that would deprive retired staff officers of the pampered lifestyle of the one percent, even as the military wastes untold amounts on "employing" many of its soldiers in useless roles that exist only because of a universal draft law that, even with exemptions for entire classes of population such as Arabs and Haredim, foists upon the IDF thousands of teenagers and young adults unable or unwilling to dedicate three precious years in the prime of their lives to superfluous "support" of the actually-essential combat, combat-support, and logistics personnel.

"The biggest emergent threat might not even come from the air," acknowledged commentator Hugh Scratchmibach. "Israel's political leadership no longer relies as heavily as it once did on former generals to join its ranks, a fact that may continue to erode the solidarity necessary among that leadership for preservation of the privileged status retired senior officers have hitherto enjoyed."




01/27 Links Pt1: Bret Stephens: Israel Wins the War of Ideas; Corbyn barred from rejoining UK Labour Party; The International Olympic Committee finally takes a stand

From Ian:

Bret Stephens: Israel Wins the War of Ideas
I am often asked, "Why does Israel have such lousy PR?" The problem is that Israel's usual defenders keep trying to win over the wrong kinds of people with the wrong kinds of arguments in the wrong kinds of places.

The wrong kinds of people are anti-Zionists who deny Israel's very right to exist as a Jewish state, who belong to the Blame Israel First crowd, who think that the words "apartheid" or "genocide" or "racist" attach to Israel the way that "juice" attaches to "orange," and whose views stem either from ignorance or hostility. Merely to engage with their charges (e.g., "Why does Israel kill so many Palestinian children?") legitimizes bogus assumptions and bigoted arguments.

The wrong kinds of arguments include the Israel-as-the-bigger-victim case. A major military power is never going to win an international pity contest, nor should it want to: Israel came into being to end Jewish victimization, not to showcase it. Moreover, such arguments rarely do more than preach to the converted.

As for the unconverted, the best argument is that Israel is under no obligation to justify its existence to anybody, least of all those who despise it; that, like any democratic and sovereign nation, it has every right to do what it must to safeguard its vital interests and security; that it isn't interested in winning popularity contests; and that sincere and constructive criticism is always welcome, but its policies won't be swayed by those who fundamentally wish it ill.

Year after year, positive perceptions of Israel among the American public at large have generally risen, according to Gallup, from 58% in the wake of 9/11 to 75% in March 2021.

Outside the U.S., things look even more promising. Israel has forged increasingly close relations with formerly unfriendly states, from Uganda to Greece to India to the United Arab Emirates. These countries do not want better ties because Israel caved to the demands of larger powers, but rather because Israel resisted them. They are less interested in Israel's concessions than they are in its resourcefulness, its capabilities, its ability to add value in common causes.
Melanie Phillips: A shocking excuse for the indefensible
So after all this enhanced and non-enhanced listening by so many people, was this “anti-Muslim” slur actually proved to have been uttered?

And here, at the very nub of this affair, the ECU slips into ludicrously pretentious gobbledegook which suggests the answer to that question is “no” . It never actually says this, concluding instead that as a result of
the contesting interpretations of the material under consideration… it might not be possible to determine with certainty which of them is correct on the basis of the recording alone.

But inadvertently, in trying to dodge the answer but inescapably if circuitously implying that no such slur existed other than in the minds of those who claimed to have heard it, it also reveals the very same warped mindset of which the BBC has been accused. For it says:
In this connection, the ECU notes the suggestion, in a report commissioned by the Board of Deputies from a Professor of Linguistics, that BBC staff may have misheard the phrase as a result of the “Apollonian tendency”, which he describes as the mind’s inclination to create order or meaningfulness, especially when encountering unfamiliar information.

Although it might be observed that such a tendency might apply as much to those undertaking investigations on behalf of others as to BBC staff, it corresponded with the experience of members of the ECU, both as investigators of complaints and in their previous roles as programme-makers, in which they had encountered cases where the same audio material can genuinely be construed in entirely different senses by different listeners. The interpretation arrived at may well depend on cues which the listener is unaware of having received and, once arrived at, may be very difficult to controvert.

In that Board of Deputies-commissioned report, however, Professor Ghil‘ad Zuckermann follows up the sentence quoted by the ECU with this observation:
The problem with the Apollonian tendency in language arises from the fact that a person applying his/her Apollonian tendency only uses what is accessible in his/her brain. A Briton visiting Japan might well hear the Japanese expression for “not at all”(following”thank you”’) as Don’t touch your moustache! instead of どういたしまし て dou itashimashite. The Briton would need a lot of chutzpah, however, to jump to a conclusion that the Japanese person talking to him is alleging that he, the Briton, has too much facial hair (my emphasis).

Indeed; such a conclusion would be highly unlikely. And that’s the point. For if those eight BBC journalists really did construe what they heard as an “anti-Muslim slur” on the basis of “cues which the listener is unaware of having received,” this means that, when watching and listening to a recording of an attack upon Jews, the “cues” in their brains translated unfamiliar sounds into an attack by Jews.

Deeply disturbing, if true; but more disturbing is that the ECU thinks that this exonerates the BBC from the most serious charges of a breach of editorial standards.

Even by the BBC’s normal standards of obfuscation when it comes to complaints against it, this ECU report is a shocker. It’s good news that Ofcom is now to investigate this whole affair. The ECU report itself should be added to the charge sheet.
BBC warned over news chief’s ‘highly inappropriate’ comments at emergency meeting
In a letter seen by Jewish News, the Board president protests the she and other members of the communal organisation at the meeting ‘were extremely taken aback by the comments made by Fran Unsworth during the meeting; her false accusation that we had accused the BBC of ‘antisemitism’ was offensive and damaging; we noted with regret that you did not contradict her.”

Van der Zyl the writes of Unsworth, who departs the BBC at the end of this month: “Her follow-up, citing the actions of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre, was astonishing.

“The Board of Deputies had absolutely nothing to do with this list, produced by an American-based organisation, and has not promoted it in any way. We are not collectively responsible for this action.

“To cite this as evidence that we had accused the BBC of antisemitism suggests that Ms Unsworth also paints completely different groups with the same brush.

“At the very best, this is completely at odds with her claims of the need for accuracy from the BBC. At the worst, this was a not very subtle way of saying that ‘you lot are all the same’. I would like to know what action you are going to take to discipline Ms Unsworth for her highly inappropriate comments.

“The ECU representative, invited by the BBC, was in the meeting and witnessed these comments by Ms Unsworth first-hand.”


Independent U.N. Experts: "Claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavour" is "a form of antisemitism"
"On the occasion of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, UN human rights experts* reiterate their calls to combat antisemitism and all forms of religious and racial bigotry. They issue the following statement:

“Over the years, we, and the UN mandates that we hold, have repeatedly issued warnings of the dangers of hatred, bigotry, racism and prejudice to all peoples everywhere. Early reports confirm that 2021 – like 2020, 2019, and 2018 before it – was a year in which monitors around the world again documented historically high levels of antisemitism.

We have warned about the need to raise awareness about persistent and emerging forms of antisemitic hatred, the need to document trends and to uphold the human rights obligations of States and human rights responsibilities of non-state actors in combating antisemitism in all its forms.

Of particular concern over the past year are the many reports that Jewish people, and sites, were subjected to violence, discrimination and harassment by people targeting them as proxies for Israel because of their Jewish identity, particularly during and following armed hostilities in the Middle East in May 2021. Jewish people were violently attacked, suffered death threats and were harassed online; Jewish neighbourhoods were targeted by groups of individuals making violent threats; Jewish religious, educational, and cultural sites were vandalized and defaced; and protests targeted synagogues and Jewish community centres.

Conflict in the Middle East is frequently accompanied by a spike in antisemitism globally. Critiques of Israeli Government actions and policies that violate human rights including those of Palestinians, are both warranted and valid from a human rights perspective. However, in many cases, rhetoric and statements about Israel endorsed by public figures, academics and others went beyond criticizing Israeli policies or actions to assertions that Zionism, the self-determination movement of the Jewish people, is an inherently racist ideology and a form of racial supremacy, suggesting that supporting Zionism is inherently equivalent to supporting racial discrimination. Not only is this narrative false; it has also shown to fuel resentment against Jews and normalise bias against Jewish communities worldwide.

We regret that although UN leaders specifically warned Member States against airing antisemitic diatribes at UN meetings and other international fora, this warning was not heeded, and “Zionism is racism” trope continues to be aired.
Kamala Harris to attend inauguration of incoming socialist Honduran president with anti-Semitic ties - and whose help she needs to tackle her immigration crisis
Vice President Kamala Harris is attending the inauguration Thursday of new socialist Honduran President Xiomara Castro
Castro's inner circle has made problematic statements about Jewish people and Israel
Castro's husband Manuel Zelaya, an ex-president, claimed 'Israeli mercenaries' were torturing him with high-frequency radiation
Castro's running mate, Salvador Nasralla, said Jews control the global money supply
Nasralla also said in 2020 that Hondorus' outgoing president Juan Orlando Hernández's 'boss is the government of Israel'
During Nasralla's 2017 run for the presidency, which he lost, his wife Iroshka Elvir had to apologize to Jewish organizations for praising Nazi leader Adolf Hitler
'The newspaper published that I admire Hitler, but it is not true, I never told them that I admired Hitler,' she told Jewish groups
Harris is making the trip as part of her role as point person to the northern triangle countries as she tries to address the root causes of migration
Liberal-leaning Jewish groups slam Congress’s ‘Torah Values Caucus’
An array of liberal-leaning Jewish groups, including bodies of the Reform and Reconstructionist movements, have told two non-Jewish congressmen who launched a “Torah Values Caucus” that their efforts are “misguided.”

“While we appreciate your stated desire to fight antisemitism, this caucus is a misguided effort,” said the letter sent Wednesday to Reps. Don Bacon, a Nebraska Republican, and Henry Cuellar, a Texas Democrat, who last week founded the Congressional Caucus for the Advancement of Torah Values.

“A caucus in Congress should not take on itself defining what constitutes ‘Torah Values’ in order to pursue a particular political agenda,” said the letter, initiated by Americans for Peace Now and signed by, among others, the Reform movement’s Religious Action Center, the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association, J Street and ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal.

“And if the nature of this suggests that pursuing one set of religious values is the foundation of your legislative activity it raises significant concerns regarding the separation of church and state, which has been one of the keys to the long-term safety and security of the American Jewish community,” the letter said.

The caucus said it would also dedicate itself to combating “anti-Israel bigotry.” None of the 37 Jewish members of Congress appear to be involved in the caucus.

The congressmen apparently consulted with Rabbi David Hofstedter, the Canadian founder of an Israel-based Orthodox organization called Dirshu, which encourages the study of Torah. At the launch, Hofstedter spoke of antisemitism but also of COVID-related lockdowns, which he said adversely affected synagogues and yeshivas.
House Ethics Office: ‘Substantial Reason’ To Believe Illinois Dem Offered Illegal Bribe
Congressional investigators say there is "substantial reason to believe" Illinois Democrat Marie Newman illegally bribed a potential primary opponent to keep him out of the race.

According to a House Office of Congressional Ethics report, Newman likely "promised federal employment to a primary opponent for the purpose of procuring political support," a violation of federal law. The finding comes roughly seven months after Newman acknowledged in federal court that she signed a contract during her successful 2020 congressional campaign promising a six-figure job in her office to local Palestinian activist Iymen Chehade.

While Chehade claimed Newman offered him the job to keep him from challenging her in a primary race, Newman denied the charge, contending that she was unaware of Chehade's intention to run for office. Emails obtained by House investigators, however, show that Chehade explicitly told Newman he "agree[d] not to announce or submit his candidacy for election to Congressional Representative of the 3rd District of Illinois" in exchange for Newman's job offer. In his email, Chehade also asked Newman for a "commitment to endorse" him once Newman decided to leave office.

"Hi there," Newman replied in late 2018. "Took some time to digest the doc. Most of it looks good." The House ethics office's report notes that the evidence "strongly contradicts Rep. Newman's testimony that she did not have any knowledge of Mr. Chehade's intent to run for congressional office."


Israeli Equipment Helps Train U.S. Air Force Pilots
Adversary/aggressor services company Top Aces has begun testing former Israeli F-16s equipped with the Advanced Aggressor Mission System (AAMS), installed by M7 Aerospace of San Antonio, Texas, which is owned by Elbit Systems of America, a wholly owned subsidiary of Israel's Elbit Systems.

The AAMS suite "provides the most realistic and cost-effective training solution available to pilots flying fifth-generation fighters such as the F-22 or F-35," said Top Aces president Russ Quinn.

A Top Aces spokesperson said the AAMS suite is already flying on its A-4 Skyhawks providing aggressor services to the German air force "and other European customers for advanced airborne training."


US Charges Texas Man Who Sold Gun to Colleyville Synagogue Terrorist
US authorities have charged a man who allegedly sold the gun used by Malik Faisal Akram to take four hostages at a synagogue in Colleyville, Texas, the Department of Justice announced Wednesday.

32-year-old Henry “Michael” Williams was charged Tuesday for being a felon in possession of a firearm, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham said in a statement.

He appeared before a federal judge Wednesday, with a detention hearing set for Jan. 31.

On Jan. 15, Akram took four people hostage at Colleyville’s Congregation Beth Israel during Shabbat services. The standoff ended after more than 10 hours, with the hostages escaping before Akram was killed.

Williams — who had previously been convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and attempted possession of a controlled substance — allegedly sold Akram a semiautomatic pistol just two days before the attack, the Justice Department said.

Authorities have pieced together the movements of the 44-year-old British citizen during the days before the hostage-taking, which US President Joe Biden called an “act of terror.” Despite holding a criminal record and previously being investigated by British intelligence, Akram raised no security flags when he entered the US at the end of December.
New Report Shines Light on Endemic Nature of Antisemitism in France
An in-depth study of antisemitism in France has revealed that the vast majority of French Jews — 74 percent — have experienced some form of “antisemitic behavior during their lives, from mockery to physical aggression, including insults or verbal threats.”

Published on Tuesday, the study, jointly conducted by the American Jewish Committee (AJC) and the Paris-based Fondapol think-tank, surveyed more than 1,500 non-Jews on their understanding of the depth and extent of antisemitism, and over 500 Jews on their experiences of bigotry.

The study found common agreement that antisemitism in France is on an upward trajectory, with 64 percent of non-Jewish and 73 percent of Jewish respondents acknowledging the steep rise in prejudice targeting Jews over the last decade.

Muslim and anti-Zionist antisemitism were identified as the main threats to the Jewish community, with 53 percent of non-Jewish respondents citing the denial of Israel’s right to exist as a principal problem — a number that rose to 62 percent among the Jews surveyed. Similarly, 48 percent of non-Jews and 45 percent of Jews cited “Islamist ideas” as a driving factor, alongside conspiracy theories and far-right ideology.

The study found that 15 percent of French Muslims “admit to feeling antipathy towards Jews, a proportion 10 points higher than that measured in the French population as a whole.” It also pointed to enormous discrepancies between Muslims and the population as a whole with regard to antisemitic tropes. While 24 percent of the French population as a whole believe that Jews operate a “stranglehold” upon the media, that number rose to 54 percent among Muslims specifically. Similarly, 51 percent of Muslims agree that Jews dominate the French economy, compared with 26 percent among the general population.


Turkey: Erdogan's Hoax Charm Offensive
The Turks' per capita GDP has been falling for the seventh consecutive year, from $12,500 in 2012 to slightly more than $7,000 this year. The Turkish lira has lost more than half its value against major Western currencies in just the past three months.

"The problem with the narrative is there is no evidence Ankara wants better ties or is willing to do anything in which Israel benefits... It [Ankara] thus wants 'reconciliation' without actually doing anything."— Seth J. Frantzman, The Jerusalem Post, December 5 , 2021.

Erdogan's charm offensive to win hearts and minds in Washington, however, is not limited to changing his aggressive course against Israel or unfriendly Gulf states.

U.S. President Joe Biden has persistently encouraged Turkey to normalize diplomatic relations with Armenia.... What is the hoax here? Erdogan's move to pretend that Turkey is now taking steps for normalization is fake. He will start a process that he intends never to complete -- just in case other efforts might have gone unnoticed in Washington.

The ailing Turkish economy is forcing Erdogan to reconcile with adversaries, and reconciliation means these adversaries will demand that Erdogan stop supporting Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood. That will be the case "in the short-term." At the first opportunity, however, Erdogan will abandon the reconciliation and resume his support for these terrorist groups.

Erdogan's pragmatist-self has only appeared after 12 or so years, as he prepares to fight for his political survival in the 2023 elections. If he feels Gulf money and some kind of U.S. political support has bolstered the Turkish economy sufficiently for him to win in 2023, he will take off his reconciliatory mask and put his usual Islamist shirt back on.
"Relations between Belgium and Israel are not good - but they are repairable" Israeli Ambassador tells Belgian MPs
The ambassador rejected the designation by some MPs of Israel as an ‘apartheid’ state, explaining that Arabs in Israel had full rights as citizens. Arabs are an integral part of the coalition government, he said, and “have more and more responsibilities, which is very good”.

The ‘Abraham Accords’ were further evidence of Israel’s desire to reach out to and partner with Arab communities and countries, he continued. What is happening is the shaping of “a new Middle East which is a Middle East of cooperation, where there is of course a place for the Palestinians”.

The new Middle East is evolving through dialogue, Mr Nahshon claimed, so it was “a pity that my Palestinian counterpart has not joined us today to share this discussion. He went on "I have dialogue with half of the Arab ambassadors here in Brussels, with whom I now meet regularly.”

Noting that many Arab countries were dissociating themselves from the Palestinian Authority, even though like Israel they want to see Palestinians achieve self-determination, “if the Palestinians really have a chance to reach the stage of independence it will be through dialogue with Israel and that is the only way to succeed”.

Whereas “relations between Israel and Belgium are not in good shape, I tell you clearly that relations between Israel and Belgium are repairable” he said. “So we invite you to be in contact with us and to have this dialogue which in my opinion will be helpful. What we would like to see in the relations between Israel and Belgium is more transparency, goodwill, and friendship”.

Mr Nahshon invited members of the committee to visit Israel to meet with various people and organisations as a means of kick-starting dialogue between Belgium and Israel. The chair of the committee Els Van Hoof said that the invitation was “an excellent idea”, adding “Belgium's expectations are not always easy and there are points on which we do not agree but I believe that they must absolutely not prevent dialogue.”
Jeremy Corbyn barred from rejoining UK Labour Party
Jeremy Corbyn, a Labour Party MP and the United Kingdom’s former opposition leader from 2015-2020, was not reinstated as an MP in the party following a vote on Tuesday, international media reports.

Corbyn, from the left-leaning Labour Party, served as leader of the opposition for the better part of the 2010s. He was suspended by the party in October 2020 after stating that antisemitism in the party had been overstated for political reasons – as it was embroiled in accusations of organizational antisemitism. He has yet to be reinstated by his replacement as party whip, Keir Starmer, and lost his latest appeal on Tuesday morning.

Corbyn, who has been accused of antisemitism by many across the United Kingdom – including the late Rabbi Jonathan Sacks and former PM David Cameron – was initially suspended amid a party-wide review of antisemitic practices – such as 23 counts of inappropriate involvement in antisemitism complaints – by the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

He publicly stated the allegations were "dramatically overstated for political reasons by our opponents inside and outside the party, as well as by much of the media" on a Facebook post and was suspended by the party shortly thereafter.
Sinn Féin MLA's tweets on Holocaust 'appalling' says Belfast Jewish community leader
A Belfast Jewish community leader has described as "appalling" a Sinn Féin MLA's tweets equating the Holocaust to the Israel-Palestine conflict.

The remarks by South Down MLA Sinead Ennis are among a number of controversial Twitter posts that have resurfaced.

In 2012, Ms Ennis tweeted: "Can the monstrous holocaust suffered by the Jews only be exorcised once they visit that horror on another defenceless people?"

And the following year she said: "As it's Holocaust Memorial Day, let's spare a thought for the victims of the ongoing holocaust in occupied Palestine #NoLessonsLearned."

In other old tweets Ms Ennis made derogatory comments about the Pope and used the word "gypsy" as an insult when tweeting about some sports matches.
Report: 54 Palestinian Terror Attacks Took Place in Israel in 2021, Up From Prior Year
The total number of Palestinian terror attacks in 2021 reached 54, according to a report published on Wednesday by the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center.

It said that despite incidents related to Israel’s 11-day conflict last May with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the scope of terrorism in the West Bank and Jerusalem remained similar to that of past years going back to 2017.

By comparison, 40 attacks were carried out in 2020, while 34 were recorded in 2019 and 55 in 2018.

Three Israeli civilians were murdered in attacks during 2021 while 34 were injured. Twenty of the attacks occurred in Greater Jerusalem, and one took place in Jaffa.

Knife attacks increased — 30 incidents were recorded compared to 19 in 2020, while 12 shootings and eight vehicle ramming attacks took place, noted the report. Three attacks combined multiple means of assault.

In addition, 1,700 rock-throwing incidents and 350 fire bombings were reported in 2021.


CAMERA: 'Hamas, Israel and Eleven Days of War' with Dr. Jonathan Schanzer

PMW: From Nazi Germany to the PA: Murder of Jews/Israelis is heroic
On International Holocaust Remembrance Day it is important to recognize that state sponsoring, honoring, and rewarding murderers of Jews and Israelis did not disappear with the destruction of Nazi Germany. Today, the Palestinian Authority presents Palestinian terrorist murderers in prison, and dead terrorists - so-called Martyrs - including suicide bombers, as the ultimate heroes and role models for Palestinian society and children.

The following are examples of how the PA has repeatedly honored two terrorist prisoners who kidnapped and murdered Israeli soldier Avraham Bromberg in 1980.

Karim and Maher Younes are Israeli Arab terrorist cousins. They were originally sentenced to life in prison for the murder, but Israeli President Shimon Peres as a good will gesture to Mahmoud Abbas, reduced their sentences in 2012 to 40 years.

One great honor PA gave to Karim Younes was when PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas in May 2017 appointed the murderer to the Fatah Central Committee, the executive branch of Fatah, comprised of the most important Fatah leaders. Abbas’ message to Palestinians on the importance of murdering Israelis could not be clearer.

Karim Younes recently began the 40th and final year of his sentence. In the PA the excitement is building up and the leadership is preparing to receive their “hero.” Official PA TV has dedicated entire programs to the terrorist, and broadcast PA officials’ visits to his home. One visitor was Chairman of the PA-funded Prisoners’ Club Qadura Fares who praised the two murderers as “two heroic important leaders,” asserting that they have become “symbols for the entire Palestinian people”:


‘Hamas have not proven themselves good for the Palestinians’, James Cleverly warns
Middle East Minister James Cleverly has warned: “Hamas have not proven themselves to have been good for the Palestinian people.”

Responding in the Commons to a claim made by the Hendon MP Matthew Offord that Israel could “not be expected to negotiate” in peace talks with an organisation committed to “its destruction”, Cleverly added: “The simple truth is their aggressive posture and their threats to eradicate Israel have harmed relations between Israelis and Palestinians.”

Speaking during Tuesday session of Foreign Questions in the House of Commons, the former Tory Party co-chair and Braintree MP said:”We wish to see a viable two-state solution with Israelis and Palestinians living side by side in peace and prosperity.

“Hamas has long been a road-block to that.”

The SNP’s Alan Brown had earlier raised the issue of settlement plans and desecrations of Muslim graveyard in East Jerusalem – and he asked when the UK government might take a stronger stance in opposing such actions which he said breached international law.

Cleverly said:”The UK enjoys a close and important relationship with Israel. That allows us to raise important issues such as settlement demolitions directly with the Israeli government, which we do.
Media, Diplomats Still Silent Over Hamas’ Violent Evictions of Dozens in Gaza
Hamas Harming Palestinians and Israelis Alike

Gaza’s rulers trample on the rights of Palestinians. HonestReporting has highlighted how Hamas and other Gaza Strip-based terror groups use civilians as human shields (see, for example, here, here, here and here). Hamas is known to use residential buildings, hotels, hospitals, and even schools as launching pads for attacks against Israel.

Gazans previously called on Hamas and its allies to stop storing weapons in residential areas. The rare internal outcry followed a large explosion in Gaza City’s Al-Zawiya market that killed one person and injured 14 others.

After severe flooding earlier this month in Gaza, some accused Hamas of diverting funds earmarked for infrastructure projects to the building of tunnels, often used to smuggle weapons and carry out terror attacks against Israel.

HonestReporting therefore urges the media to address Hamas’ crimes in Gaza, particularly as they pertain to violating human rights. Additionally, we urge Western diplomats, in particular, to publicly condemn the organization they define as a terrorist group that continues to harm Palestinians and Israelis alike.

We encourage our subscribers to contact the Office of the EU Representative to the West Bank and Gaza, as well as the US Embassy in Jerusalem, to politely urge them to take a stand against Hamas’ abuse of its own civilians.
PA PM on terrorists killed during attacks: “Martyrs are heroes… Their blood is perfume”
PA PM on terrorists killed during attacks: “Martyrs are heroes… Their blood is perfume… They are adorned with a crown of honor”

Official PA TV Live, broadcast of PA Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh’s speech at the Palestinian Martyrs’ Day ceremony in Ramallah

PA Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh: “We stand here on behalf of my brother His Honor [PA] President [Mahmoud Abbas]; through him and with him I ask that Allah’s mercies will encompass the souls of our Martyrs on Martyrs’ Day… What is the common denominator between Muhammad Jamjoum, Fuad Hijazi, Ataa Al-Zir, Abu Ibrahim Al-Kabir, Ahmad Musa Salameh Al-Dalki, Muhammad Al-Dura, Faris Ouda… Khalil Al-Wazir [Abu Jihad], Abu Iyad, and Yasser Arafat? … The common denominator is Palestine and death as a Martyr for the sake of Palestine. Long live the Martyrs, long live their souls, long live Palestine… Generation after generation we will mention them… Martyrdom is a medal of honor, and honor for those who were killed for the sake of God and the homeland. They are the symbol of heroism in dealing with the oppression, subjugation, and occupation. The Martyrs are heroes, and heroes have identifying features. Their blood is perfume, and their souls hover in Paradise together with the righteous and the prophets. They are adorned with a crown of honor, and their blood waters the anemones that bloom in all of Palestine. The heroic Martyrs – where do they stand out? In the battlefield… in the uprisings, and in the intifadas.” [Official PA TV Live, Jan. 9, 2022]

PA Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh gave this speech on Palestinian Martyrs’ Day. All Palestinian terrorists who were killed during their attacks are called Martyrs by the PA, and Martyrdom is presented as the most honorable status achievable in Islam.

Muhammad Jamjoum, Fuad Hijazi, and Ataa Al-Zir “committed particularly brutal murders [of Jews] at Safed and Hebron,” according to the report by the British Government to the League of Nations (Dec. 31, 1930), and were executed by hanging by the British in 1930. Jamjoum, Hijazi, and Al-Zir were convicted of attacking British soldiers and murdering Jews during the 1929 Arab Riots, known by Palestinians as the Al-Buraq Rebellion, which was a wave of Arab violence in late August 1929 following a Jewish protest at the Western Wall calling for national rights. In a week, 133 Jews were killed – mostly murdered in their homes by Arabs, including the Hebron Massacre in which 65 Jews were murdered in one day and the Safed Massacre in which 18 Jews were murdered in one day; 116 Arabs were also killed during the confrontations – mostly by British police trying to stop the riots. The British reported the cause of violence in the riots was “the Arab feeling of animosity and hostility towards the Jews” (1930 Shaw Commission Report).

Ahmad Musa Salameh - Palestinian terrorist known to Palestinians as the “first Martyr of the modern Palestinian revolution.” Salameh was involved in Fatah's first attempted terror attack on Jan. 1, 1965, which targeted Israel's National Water Carrier. Salameh was killed by Jordanian soldiers following the attack.


PA TV: Black September terrorists “gave the revolution… sacrifice and heroism”
PA TV: Black September terrorists “gave the revolution… sacrifice and heroism… must have special status in our people’s memory”

Official PA TV News, on the anniversary of the death of Salah Khalaf “Abu Iyad,” head of the Black September terror organization

Official PA TV reporter: “The 31st anniversary of the death as a Martyr of the three Fatah leaders Salah Khalaf, Hayel Abd Al-Hamid, and Fakhri Al-Omari – who gave the Palestinian revolution a large measure of sacrifice and heroism – the Insan National Action Association, the “Set Your Goal” organization, and the Fatah Movement’s Jenin branch marked the anniversary under the auspices of the Rumana village council… These activities were carried out with the participation of official and popular bodies and included planting olive trees named after the three Martyrs… They are among the movement’s most important patriotic schools that must have a constant presence and a special status in our people’s memory.”

[Official PA TV News, Jan. 11, 2022]

Abu Iyad (Salah Khalaf) - Palestinian terrorist, PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat’s deputy, one of the founders of Fatah, and head of the terror organization Black September, a secret branch of Fatah. Attacks he planned include the murder of 11 Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics (Sept. 5, 1972) and the murder of two American diplomats in Sudan (March 1, 1973). It is commonly assumed that his assassin, a former Fatah bodyguard, was sent by the Abu Nidal Organization, a rival Palestinian faction.

Fakhri Al-Omari – Fatah member and a founding member of the Black September terror organization, a secret branch of Fatah, and top aide to Salah Khalaf, one of the founders of Fatah and the head of Black September. Fatah has credited Al-Omari with being the one who conceived the idea of the Munich Olympics massacre in which 11 Israeli Olympic athletes were murdered on Sept. 5, 1972, and stated that he participated in its planning. Al-Omari and Salah Khalaf were assassinated on Jan. 14, 1991 by Khalaf's bodyguard, who it is commonly assumed was recruited to do so by the Abu Nidal Organization, a rival Palestinian faction.




Bennett to ‘Post’: Israel will continue its strategy to stop Iran even if there’s a deal
Israel will follow its strategy to combat Iranian aggression regardless of whether world powers reach an agreement with the Islamic Republic in the negotiations in Vienna, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said in an interview this week, to be published in full in Friday’s Jerusalem Post.

“The Israeli strategy doesn’t depend on whether there’s an agreement or not,” Bennett stated. “We will protect ourselves by ourselves. Even if there is an agreement, we’re not committed to it. We will preserve our freedom to act.”

Bennett spoke as talks continue with Iran in Vienna to return to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

Bennett said that “we and the Americans don’t see everything eye to eye,” and spoke out against easing sanctions on Iran.

“A deal that will send tens of billions of dollars to this rotten and weak regime will be a mistake because this money will go to terror against IDF soldiers and Americans in the region,” Bennett stated. “When the money enters Iranian coffers, they attack American soldiers…through their proxies.”

Iran is very weak – its currency is depleted, regions of the country lack water and there are large demonstrations against the government – Bennett pointed out, saying Tehran “is playing poker with a very weak hand, but they’re bluffing.”

Israel has relayed the message to its friends in the US and Europe who are negotiating with Iran that the mullahs’ regime should not get “a tailwind of money,” the prime minister said.

“The last thing you do to a terror state like this is to give them tens of billions of dollars,” he stated. “You should do the opposite; you have to weaken them, set a dilemma between the continued pursuit of nuclear weapons or the regime itself.”
Dissidents hack Iran state TV, broadcast call for Khamenei’s death
Multiple channels of Iran’s state television broadcast images on Thursday showing the leaders of an exiled dissident group and a graphic calling for the death of the country’s supreme leader, an incident that authorities later described as a hack.

For several seconds, graphics flashed on screen, interrupting the broadcast to depict the leaders of the opposition group Mujahedeen-e-Khalq (People’s Mujahedin of Iran). The name of a social media account, which claimed to be a group of hackers who broadcast the message honoring the dissidents, also appeared. Two state radio stations were also interrupted.

Shahin Gobadi, a Paris-based MEK spokesperson, later told The Associated Press: “We, like you, were just informed about the issue.”

“It appears that it was done by supporters of the MEK and resistance units within the regime’s radio and television stations,” he said, without directly claiming responsibility. He offered no evidence to support his assertion.

The hack represented a major breach of Iranian state television, long believed to controlled and operated by members of the Islamic Republic’s intelligence branches, particularly its hardline Revolutionary Guard. Such an incident hasn’t happened for years.
Dennis Ross: The U.S. Needs to Learn the Lessons of the Past and Make the Iranians and their Clients Pay a Price for their Aggression
The Iranians find the Houthis in Yemen a useful instrument to exert real pressure on Saudi Arabia as they strike Saudi civilian targets, including the capital Riyadh, and oil facilities throughout the country. The Houthis get their missiles, drones, training, and help in drone production from Iran's Quds Force and Hizbullah. This past week the Houthis attacked Dubai international airport as well as the airport in Abu Dhabi in the UAE. Had the very busy Dubai airport been hit, many civilians, including many Americans, could have been killed.

That should tell us that, regardless of the outcome of the talks in Vienna on Iran's nuclear program, Iranian behavior in the region must be countered if it cannot be deterred. After the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, we did very little in response as Iran ratcheted up their aggressive acts throughout the region. Now, we need to learn the lessons of the past and make the Iranians and their clients or proxies pay a price. The Houthis need to see that they will pay a price for these attacks, and that we will act to bolster the defenses of those they attack.

Moreover, from Vladimir Putin to Xi Jinping to Ali Khamenei, it is essential to counteract their perception of our risk-aversion and demonstrate that their actions are making us more risk-ready. Deterrence demands nothing less.
Emily Schrader: The International Olympic Committee finally takes a stand
Ahead of next week’s opening of the 2022 Beijing Olympics, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has come under much-deserved criticism for allowing the Winter Games to take place in a country with an egregious human rights record.

It’s hardly the first time the IOC has faced condemnation for its refusal to take principled stances.

But after years of resisting calls to act, there is at least one small sign that putting pressure on the IOC is not completely futile: a report that late last year, the athletic body said countries would be barred from hosting international sports competitions if they banned Israeli athletes from taking part.

In recent decades, oppressive governments have repeatedly used international sporting events as political tools, which has resulted in nations denying entry to Israeli athletes and individual athletes refusing to compete against Israelis. Worse, it has also led to the arrest, imprisonment and even the execution of athletes who won’t play along with their governments’ policies.

Last month, the Jerusalem Post reported that a letter from the IOC states international sports federations must ensure that athletes from all nations can participate in their events. The letter reportedly called out Malaysia for incidents involving Israeli athletes and Serbia, which barred boxers from Kosovo from a competition.

Unequal treatment has been a recurring problem for Israeli athletes.

In November, the World Squash Championships were canceled after Malaysia, the host country, refused to grant competitors from Israel visas to enter the country. In 2019, the World Para Swimming Championships were moved for the same reason.

In the 2004 Olympics, an Iranian athlete withdrew from a judo match with an Israeli to avoid competing against him. In the 2016 Olympics, an Egyptian athlete would not shake the hand of an Israeli athlete in a judo match. In 2019, Iranian judoka Saeid Mollaei refused to withdraw from a match against Israel and was forced to flee for his life. Last year in Tokyo, Algerian judoka Fethi Nourine withdrew from the Olympics rather than compete against an Israeli, in “solidarity” with Palestinians. The IOC did nothing.
Jewish mother leaves Iran for life-saving treatment in Israel
Zehava, 36, developed a rare and life-threatening gynecological disease that spread to her lungs and made it impossible for her to do the most basic tasks, like walk or go to work. The Jewish-Iranian wife and mother of two spent months isolated in a hospital in Iran, with no hope.

“It was a bad dream,” Zehava told JNS.

But a dramatic turn of events saved Zehava from what she believed was her tragic destiny. In a wheelchair and attached to an oxygen tank, she left Iran and made her way to the Promised Land to receive life-saving treatment, with the help of an Israeli doctor from Sheba Medical Center.

“I’m sitting here in my office and two ladies come to see me, and they say they are the aunts of a patient in Iran who has something wrong with her lungs,” Dr. Amir Onn, head of Sheba’s Institute of Pulmonary Oncology, recalled in an interview with JNS. “They’re showing me medical papers in Persian. I have no idea what they’re talking about or how I could even communicate with this patient.”

The women instructed Onn to get in touch with their niece, Zehava, via WhatsApp. At first he refused, out of concern that the communication could be intercepted, and that he and/or Zehava would be accused of espionage, or worse. But Onn did not want to just say no. So he gave the aunts his telephone number to pass on to Zehava, and said she could reach out to him—assuming she would not do so.
Biden Admin: Former Trump Iran Envoy Facing ‘Serious and Credible’ Threats
The Trump administration's Iran envoy is facing "serious and credible" threats to his safety, according to a non-public assessment produced this month by the State Department and viewed by the Washington Free Beacon. The determination was delivered to Congress amid a campaign of public death threats by Iran aimed at former president Donald Trump and top administration officials.

The State Department in an unclassified but non-public assessment provided to Congress on Jan. 11 determined that a "specific threat persists with respect to former special representative [for Iran] Brian Hook," who helmed the Trump administration's maximum pressure campaign on Tehran and was instrumental in the assassination of Iranian terror leader Qassem Soleimani. The document does not name the actors behind the threats, describing them only as a "foreign power or the agent of a foreign power."

Iran, however, has repeatedly threatened to kill Trump administration officials, including Hook, as payback for the 2020 drone strike on Soleimani. The State Department determination indicates that Hook has been under a "serious and credible" threat since at least January 2021, when Trump and former secretary of state Mike Pompeo were still in office. The Biden State Department determined on three separate occasions, most recently November 2021, that the threats persist, according to the notification.

The State Department's latest assessment comes amid public comments by top Iranian leaders that threaten the lives of Trump and senior members of his administration. Iranian government accounts on Twitter and other social media sites promised multiple times this month to assassinate Trump, with the regime issuing an official video that depicts a drone strike on the former president. The Biden administration says it takes these threats seriously and will do everything it can to protect former and current officials.







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