07/05 Links Pt1: Iran bought illicit German tech that violated nuke deal; Russia orders Jewish Agency to stop all operations in country; I felt safer near Gaza than Highland Park -Israeli survivor of shooting ~ EoZ

From Ian:

Russia orders Jewish Agency to stop all operations in country - exclusive

The Russian government has ordered the Jewish Agency to cease all operations inside the country, The Jerusalem Post has learned.

The order was given in a letter received from the Russian Ministry of Justice earlier this week. Officials in the Jewish Agency confirmed that the letter was received but would not comment on the response that is currently under consideration in the organization’s offices in Jerusalem in consultation with the Foreign Ministry and the Prime Minister’s Office.

"As part of the work of the Jewish Agency's delegation in Russia, we are occasionally required to make certain adjustments, as required by authorities," the agency said in response to a query from the Post. "The contacts with the authorities take place continuously, with the aim of continuing our activities in accordance with the rules set by the competent bodies. Even nowadays, such a dialogue takes place."

"People from the Jewish community have been feeling the Iron Curtain setting on them and they fear they won't be able to escape the country."
Senior sources

Israeli-Russian tension
The order comes amid growing tension between Israel and Russia over Jerusalem’s stance regarding the ongoing war in Ukraine and its policy of standing with Kyiv and its embattled leader Volodymyr Zelensky. On Monday, Russia's foreign ministry called strikes on Syria that have been blamed on Israel unacceptable, and demanded an unconditional cessation of the attacks.

An order forcing the Jewish Agency to stop work in Russia is dramatic and could directly undermine the ability of Russian Jews to make aliyah and immigrate to Israel. Thousands of them have finished their aliyah paperwork and have been waiting for flights to become available to Israel, but the sanctions on Russia have caused most international airlines to stop flying to the country and therefore, Israeli officials explained, future olim are "stuck" in Russia.

NATO states sign entry protocols for Sweden and Finland, further isolating Russia

The 30 NATO allies signed off on the accession protocols for Sweden and Finland on Tuesday, sending the membership bids of the two nations to the alliance capitals for legislative approvals — and possible political trouble in Turkey.

The move further increases Russia’s strategic isolation in the wake of its invasion of neighboring Ukraine in February and military struggles there since.

“This is truly a historic moment for Finland, for Sweden and for NATO,” the head of the alliance, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, said.

The 30 ambassadors and permanent representatives formally approved decisions made at a NATO summit in Madrid last week, when the leaders of member nations invited Russia’s neighbor Finland and Scandinavian partner Sweden to join the military club.

Securing parliamentary approval for the new members in Turkey, however, could still pose a problem even though Sweden, Finland and Turkey reached a memorandum of understanding at the Madrid summit.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned that Ankara could block the process if the two countries failed to grant Turkey’s demands for the extradition of people it views as terror suspects. The people wanted in Turkey have links to outlawed Kurdish groups or the network of an exiled cleric accused of a failed 2016 coup in Turkey.

He said Turkey’s Parliament could refuse to ratify the deal. It is a potent threat since NATO accession must be formally approved by all 30 member states, which gives each a blocking right.

Stoltenberg said he expected no change of heart. “There were security concerns that needed to be addressed. And we did what we always do at NATO. We found common ground,” he said.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has given the process added urgency. It will ensconce the two nations in the Western military alliance and give NATO more clout, especially in the face of Moscow’s military threat.

Russia Condemns ‘Irresponsible’ Israeli Airstrikes in Syria

Russia on Monday issued its latest rebuke of Israeli airstrikes aimed at curbing Iran’s military build-up in Syria.

“We strongly condemn such irresponsible actions that violate the sovereignty of Syria and the basic norms of international law, and we demand their unconditional cessation,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement, according to Reuters.

On Saturday, Syria accused Israel of carrying out airstrikes against targets south of the coastal city of Tartus. Two people were wounded in the strikes, which caused “massive material damage,” according to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).

According to Israeli media reports, the strikes targeted advanced air defense systems that had been smuggled into Syria by Iran. These systems would have threatened Israeli aircraft operating along the Syrian coastline, according to the reports.

The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that Syrian air defenses “did not appear to have been deployed” during Saturday’s strike.

Russia last month expressed “serious concern” to Israel’s ambassador over airstrikes on June 10 that damaged runways at Damascus International Airport.

Synagogue Teacher, Elderly Man From Mexico Among Dead in Chicago Suburb Shooting

Another person killed in the shooting was Jacki Sundheim, a teacher at a Highland Park synagogue. The North Shore Congregation Israel confirmed her death in an email to congregants.

“There are no words sufficient to express the depth of our grief for Jacki’s death and sympathy for her family and loved ones,” the synagogue said.

“Jacki’s work, kindness and warmth touched us all, from her teaching at the Gates of Learning Preschool to guiding innumerable among us through life’s moments of joy and sorrow, all of this with tireless dedication,” it added.

The synagogue said she was survived by her husband and daughter.

I felt safer near Gaza than Highland Park -Israeli survivor of shooting

Deborah, an Israeli-American resident of a Gaza periphery community, was with her family the Highland Park 4th of July parade when a shooter opened fire.

"We were a few feet away from his targets," Deborah told The Jerusalem Post.

"I'm familiar with gunshots," she said, but at first she told herself the bangs she heard were typical 4th of July sounds — fireworks and firecrackers.

Hiding behind cars
"This is Highland Park, there are no guns here," she recalled thinking. "Yes there are, America's crazy now."

Deborah ran with her small children and family, taking cover behind nearby vehicles. The kids, ages five and seven, were crying and frightened.

Police confirmed that the shooter had fired at the parade from a rooftop.

Peering out from behind the cars, Deborah saw a bleeding person being given aid. On the other side, she saw a bloodied, unmoving body. Six people had been murdered, and dozens were injured.

Police told Deborah and her family that they had to evacuate, but it was unclear where they could run to. They took shelter in a local shop.

David Collier: A realistic look at the Israeli election

The upcoming election
Which leads us to the upcoming election. In theory the right-wing bloc enters this election strongly. For once Netanyahu goes into a campaign on the attack (as the opposition) rather than on the defensive (as government).

The uncertainties all reside within the coalition. They built an impossible coalition once – what is the chance that the numbers will work so precisely in their favour again?

The ex-PM Bennett, who is at times a clever political animal, has simply walked away. He had no political platform (he could hardly run for the same voter base again) and was facing a difficult campaign that would lessen his political value. He probably saw that it was better for him not to compete and thus build grounds for a return at a more favourable time. His party is probably finished and the remaining players will either scramble to find a safe home in another party or face potential electoral oblivion.

Gideon Sa’ar is another that could well see his party wiped off the political map.

It is not just the parties towards the right that have suffered. Meretz too – on the left – could possibly face oblivion.

Which is why the ‘anti-Bibi’ camp will be foolish to attempt to navigate an election ‘as is’. There are three parties who are in real danger of not crossing the electoral threshold. If the voter turn-out is strong and all three fail to cross the threshold, Netanyahu may win with a knockout.

Ignore the pollsters
This means we may see alliances – political unions. Labour and Meretz running together is an obvious potential one. Gideon Sa’ar will be scared of standing alone and may seek to unite with another party. And don’t rule out another ‘new party’ providing a fresh face entering the mix.

All of this creates problems and it makes guessing what is going to happen an almost impossible task.

So my main message here is *ignore* everything that anyone writes about how the election will unfold. There is not a political expert in the world that currently has a clue how the election results will play out. Worse still many of those trying to tell you, desperately want Netanyahu to lose. There is every reason not to listen.

The Yair Lapid strategy
If the anti-Bibi camp (and you can include most media and western politicians in this) seek to derail a Netanyahu victory, they have just four months with Yair Lapid at the helm to do it. This is the only option left open to them. If this fails they will almost certainly lose.

Look out for an intense campaign pushing statesmanlike Yair Lapid PM images into every newsreel, every column inch, every photo opportunity that is possible. Lapid is a well-seasoned TV personality and he knows how to act on camera. The forthcoming visit of US President Biden will present a golden opportunity for endless hours of footage – and expect Biden to play his part. Biden will hand Lapid political presents to help him look like a seasoned and successful leader.

Being PM is an important electoral asset. Be in no doubt that Lapid will meet every international leader he can. The goal will be to turn Lapid’s 18-22 seats into something larger – and to make sure they are not just taking votes from their friends.

Will it work? I have no idea. But I do know we are about to see a massive propaganda campaign. Both the ‘Bibi is a demon‘ camp and the ‘Isn’t Yair wonderful‘ camp are about to go into overdrive.

The bottom line is this. If I told you what I think the final outcome would be – like everyone else – I’d just be guessing in the dark.

Gil Troy: Biden should champion the Abraham-and-Sarah Accords

US President Joe Biden faces a dramatic choice in planning his upcoming, awkwardly timed visit to an Israel facing yet another election (because we love democracy soooo much). He can phone it in, following the conventional playbook as though he were visiting the old Middle East, or he can think outside the box and make a bold, game-changing visit to the New Middle East.

Biden should put his personal stamp on the Abraham Accords, making Israel’s new multidimensional ties to many Arab countries a bipartisan, all-American, achievement. He and Prime Minister Yair Lapid should be gracious, and acknowledge Donald Trump’s and Benjamin Netanyahu’s singular contributions to orchestrating this breakthrough. Then, by extending the network of peace to include Saudi Arabia – and perhaps other countries thereafter – Biden and Lapid can share ownership of the greatest leap toward Middle East peace in decades, rescuing it from the partisan crossfire.

If, as a politician, Biden must put his mark on things, why not push the Saudis to join the accords fully, renaming them the Abraham-and-Sarah Accords? This will emphasize the move from the tired 1970s cry of “Peace Now” to Peace More – the more peace we have involving more neighbors, the more every Middle Eastern man and woman benefits.

In an important analysis posted by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, its executive director, Robert Satloff, urged Biden to treat Saudi Arabia’s leaders warmly, respectfully. Beyond securing the oil America needs to lower inflation, Biden should try fueling the two most dramatic changes sweeping the kingdom: “a dramatic sociocultural-economic reorientation of domestic Saudi life designed to unleash the human resources of the Saudi population – female and male,” and a “foreign policy shift away from supporting” all the extremist Islamists the Saudis funded for decades.

The best way to advance human rights is by looking forward, not backward, encouraging these moves – along with a genuine peace with Israel.

‘Profound Change in Saudi Arabia Could Bode Well for Future Jerusalem-Riyadh Ties’

On Sunday night, a young man sitting next to me at a restaurant in Riyadh asked me where I was from. “Israel,” I replied. He laughed and moved on. Shortly before leaving, he looked at me again and said, “Israel, really?” I said “yes,” to which he replied, “Wow, welcome. We welcome everyone here happily, from all religions.”

Saudi Arabia was a pleasant surprise. Friendly. Happy. Not even mentioning Israel brought anyone down. I tested this on several cab drivers and market vendors. Some smiled and shook their heads in disbelief or worry, others were curious and struck up a conversation. I wondered if any of them had ever met an Israeli before, or heard Hebrew, but no one made us feel unwelcome in the kingdom, home to the holiest sites of Islam, not even for a moment.

US President Joe Biden’s upcoming visit to Israel and Saudi Arabia will not lead to formal ties between the two nations. Biden is scheduled to travel to Saudi Arabia next Friday, after having visited Israel. In the resort city of Jeddah, he is to meet with leaders of the Gulf states and several other prominent Arab countries, but more importantly, with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, effectively ending the boycott Biden imposed on him after the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.

Biden wants Riyadh to increase its oil production to help lower spiraling oil prices in the United States, but will also try to promote normalization with Israel. As such, he will try to have Israeli representatives accompany him on his visit to the kingdom, although the matter is not yet final.

Everyone says that Israeli-Saudi ties will warm slowly, step by step, over an extended period. But my visit to Riyadh shows the profound change Saudi Arabia is already experiencing.

The next frontier for Arab-Israeli normalization

US President Joe Biden's upcoming visit to the Middle East, during which he is expected to advance the establishment of a regional framework for defending Israel and its neighbors from Iranian aggression, should not be seen as a revolutionary breakthrough. It is the next logical step in an unhurried, gradual process of rapprochement between Israel and the Sunni Arab world.

The context of the defense pact is the slow but steady trickle of reports in recent months concerning a renewed American interest in engagement with its allies in the Red Sea basin. When assessed together, the reports indicate the tantalizing possibility that – due to a shared desire to confront the threat of a nuclear Iran – Israel and its neighbors in East Africa and the Middle East are heading toward a new era of normalization and economic cooperation. Given that the Red Sea basin is home to some of the poorest and least-developed places in the world, Israeli involvement in the region would be a tremendous blessing.

Though most of Israel's economy is focused on the Mediterranean basin, where Israel's major seaports and cities are located, Israel is also a Red Sea country due to its southern port city of Eilat. Israel's largest trading partners are Europe and North America, so Eilat has usually been something of an afterthought. However, the events of recent years have opened up exciting and previous unthinkable possibilities for growth in Eilat and beyond.

Until the 2020 Abraham Accords, the only Red Sea countries that had formal relations with Israel were Eritrea, Egypt, and Jordan. Since then, the situation has changed dramatically.

First, the United Arab Emirates, though not technically a Red Sea country, has significant financial interests in the region as well as a strong military presence, particularly in connection with the ongoing war against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.

Second, Sudan, which has hundreds of kilometers of underdeveloped Red Sea coastline, signed on to the Abraham Accords and is in the process of normalization with Israel.

Finally, Saudi Arabia, though not an official party to the Accords, has quietly agreed to support the Arab countries that are. This was made clear when the Saudis gave permission to open their airspace to commercial travel between Israel and the Gulf states.

Revive Israeli-Palestinian peace process, Macron tells Lapid

Prime Minister Yair Lapid has the potential to make historic peace with the Palestinians, French President Emmanuel Macron said during the premier’s visit to the Elysee Palace on Tuesday.

Macron called for “a return to political dialogue between Palestinians and Israelis.”

“I know you can have a historic figure by launching a process that has been stopped for so long,” Macron said.

Referring to the longstanding friendship between the leaders, the French president added: “I know from personal experience that you can be that figure. You have the agenda; you have the commitment to peace.”

Lapid avoided mentioning the Palestinians in his remarks, focusing instead on the Iranian nuclear program and Hezbollah’s threats to Israeli gas fields.

UN Watch speaks out for human rights in Iceland

Statement by United Nations Watch, delivered by managing editor Simon Plosker before the 50th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, 30 June 2022. Agenda Item 6, Universal Periodic Review of Iceland.

UN Watch defends human rights in Lithuania

Statement by United Nations Watch, delivered by intern Michael Levinson before the 50th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, 1 July 2022. Agenda Item 6, Universal Periodic Review of Lithuania.

Israel thwarted 172 big attacks, but suffered 7 - Shin Bet chief

The Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) thwarted 172 substantial terror attacks in the last year, while failing to stop seven, the agency’s chief Ronen Bar said on Tuesday at an intelligence community awards ceremony.

According to Bar, the attacks the domestic spy agency prevented ranged from shooting, to bombs, to suicide attacks, each of which could have led to several civilian deaths.

He said that the Shin Bet’s fighters engaged in direct combat with enemy fighters in “Shechem [Nablus], Jenin and Jaffa,” among other places.

The mentioning of Jaffa went beyond the standard script which focuses on the West Bank and Gaza, but this past spring saw a wave of terror within Green Line Israel, including in Jaffa.

Prime Minister Yair Lapid credited the Shin Bet, along with the IDF and the police, with halting or mitigating the wave of terror.

Wrong bullet may have been tested in Abu Akleh probe -Israeli FADC chair

The wrong bullet may have been tested during the examination that was overseen by the United States this weekend in an effort to determine culpability in the shooting death of American-Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, speculated the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Chairman Ram Ben Barak (Yesh Atid) on Tuesday.

“The claim that it can’t be determined from the bullet who from which weapon it was shot and who it hit, could indicate that it’s the wrong bullet,” Ben Barak said in an interview with Army Radio.

He added that he had not seen a copy of the investigatory report and was working off of the public statements that had been released.

Ben Barak spoke on the day after the United States and the IDF in two separate statements explaining that the bullet was too damaged to conduct the tests necessary that would link its signature margins with the rifle that fired it.

Those marking are the most scientific method by which to determine the identity of the rifle used to shoot Abu Akleh, who was killed while covering a gun battle between the IDF and armed Palestinians in Jenin on the morning of May 11th.

The Israel Guys: They FINALLY RELEASED the Bullet That Killed Al Jazeera Journalist

The Palestinian Authority finally released the bullet that killed Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, allowing Israel to investigate and conduct the necessary forensics. Young Palestinian teenagers brandish weapons at a Fatah rally inside of Jenin, praising the murderors of Jewish civilians. Yair Lapid opened his first cabinet meeting yesterday setting the goals of his government, and Uber is coming to Israel, although it will not work exactly like you think.

Palestinians reject findings of US probe of Shireen Abu Akleh's death

The Palestinian Authority on Monday rejected the results of the US investigation into the killing of veteran Al-Jazeera correspondent Shireen Abu Akleh, especially the claim that ballistic experts have determined that the bullet that was extracted from her head was “badly damaged, which prevented a clear conclusion.”

“This [determination] is not true and we are surprised by what was stated in the [US] statement,” read a statement issued by the Palestinian Public Prosecution. “The technical reports we have confirm that the condition of the projectile can be matched with the weapon used, in addition to the fact that the targeting of the martyr Abu Akleh, according to the evidence and conclusive evidence, was deliberate.”

“The technical reports we have confirm that the condition of the projectile can be matched with the weapon used, in addition to the fact that the targeting of the martyr Abu Akleh, according to the evidence and conclusive evidence, was deliberate.”
Palestinian Public Prosecution

The statement dismissed as “unacceptable” the US determination that there is no reason to believe that the killing of Abu Akleh was intentional.

According to the PA prosecutor, the Americans were aware of the results of the Palestinian investigation into the incident, “which confirmed that the killing was deliberate on the basis of video recordings or through eyewitnesses.” "Conclusively determined an assassination"

The prosecutor said that the Palestinian investigation has “conclusively determined that the assassination was a direct targeting by a member of the Israeli occupation army stationed in the place.”

The Palestinians will work to complete the legal procedures to prosecute Israel before international courts, the prosecutor added.

PA presidential spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudaineh rejected the results of the inquiry, saying the Palestinians hold Israel fully responsible for the killing of Abu Akleh.

A dog belonging to the Oketz Unit appears to have been injured during operations south of Hebron earlier today. The canine was eventually recovered, according to a border police statement. pic.twitter.com/L8Ikzo1naX
— Joe Truzman (@JoeTruzman) July 4, 2022

Jewish woman rescued by IDF from Palestinian village

A Jewish woman who was reportedly attempting to flee her Palestinian husband but could not escape the Palestinian village she was living in was rescued by IDF soldiers on Monday, according to the IDF and the far-right Lehava organization.

Most of the details of the incident cannot be published, but the Lehava organization stated that it involved a woman who had been in contact with the organization "for some time," according to Arutz Sheva.

"The family contacted the army and said that now is the time that it is possible to get her out," said Lehava Chairman Benzti Gopstein. "There was a very complex rescue mission by the army."

Domestic troubles
The woman was being held in a village in the Palestinian Authority without the ability to escape. She contacted Lehava who advised her to request help from the IDF.

"The woman cried for help," Gopstein said, according to Arutz Sheva. "It was a complex and complicated rescue because her family objected to her leaving. The Palestinian father is now fighting for the child."

The woman and her child are staying in a shelter apartment belonging to Lehava.

Channel 14 reported that the woman had married a Palestinian and was trying to escape after he threatened her life.

PMW: The PA sticks to the lie, when the facts don’t fit its narrative!

To the PA’s dismay, following a thorough investigation, the US concluded yesterday [July 4, 2022], that it was unable to “reach a definitive conclusion regarding the origin of the bullet that killed” Al-Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh.

Since the findings of the impartial US investigation into the killing of Abu Akleh, don’t suit the Palestinian Authority, the PA and its leaders are rejecting the report, vowing to continue their baseless libel and to pursue Israel in the International Criminal Court.

From day one, despite lacking any evidence and even ignoring the initial findings of the PA’s own pathologist, the PA has blamed Israel for the intentional killing of Abu Akleh.

While initially refusing to cooperate, the PA finally agreed to hand over the bullet it claims was responsible for the death of Abu Akleh to the US investigative team.

As the findings of the US investigation undermine the PA’s libel against Israel, the PA has opted to ignore the US conclusions and stick with their own lie, claiming there is “conclusive evidence” Israel intentionally assassinated Abu Akleh.

Possibly influenced by the upcoming visit of US President Biden, while the PA leaders and functionaries all rejected the US findings, they appear to have been intentionally cautious not to berate the US administration itself.

Responding to the report, PA Presidential Spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh, held Israel fully responsible for the killing of Abu Akleh:
“We will not accept under any circumstances the manipulation of the outcomes of Palestinian investigations, and will continue the procedures on her assassination in international courts, particularly the International Criminal Court, since Israel is responsible for her killing and must bear the consequences.”
[WAFA, English edition, official PA news agency, July 4, 2022]

The PA Ministry of Foreign Affairs similarly rejected the US findings, saying that they were vague and politicized. The statement went further, claiming that the findings of the investigation would “impact on the safety of journalists worldwide”:

Nice to know that the Palestinian Authority's travel budget is in good shape. Never let it be said that American security assistance goes to waste. https://t.co/blXur7IQoC
— Omri Ceren (@omriceren) July 5, 2022

Al-Aqsa Mosque Imam Mohammed Saleem Ali Goes on a Homophobic Diatribe during Friday Sermon: The Palestinian People Will Not Allow a Single Homosexual on Our Land; Such Perversion Brings the Wrath of Allah on Us All #palestinians #alaqsa #homophobia pic.twitter.com/smixjucgaY
— MEMRI (@MEMRIReports) July 5, 2022

Israeli PM to Push France on Iran, Warn Hezbollah ‘Playing With Fire’

Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said on Tuesday that he will press French President Emmanuel Macron on the Iranian nuclear negotiations and urge a tougher Lebanese stance against Tehran-backed Hezbollah.

Lapid’s visit to France, his first abroad since becoming caretaker premier last week, is also a chance to flex diplomatic muscles as Israelis gear up for a snap election in November.

France is among world powers trying to revive a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran that the previous US administration quit and which Israel opposed, deeming its caps insufficient.

“It is important our voice be heard at this time against this dangerous deal,” Lapid told reporters before boarding the plane to Paris where he was set to meet Macron.

A senior aide to Lapid said that while Israel opposes a return to the JCPOA 2015 nuclear deal, it could accept a tougher accord.

“We do not oppose a deal. We seek a very strong deal,” the aide said. “We want an end to the unending talks,” the aide added, calling for “coordinated pressure” on Iran and offering help on “drafting an appropriate framework” for that.

Lebanese Journalist Tony Abi Najem: The Lebanese People Are Sick of Hizbullah, Would Not Support It in a War against Israel; They Know That Hizbullah Is Loyal to Iran, Does Not Care about Their Interests #Hizbullah #Iran #Lebanon @tonyabinajem pic.twitter.com/5wdEdCG1mR
— MEMRI (@MEMRIReports) July 5, 2022

Iran bought illicit German tech that apparently violated nuke deal

The city-state of Hamburg in northern Germany on Monday published its annual security report, declaring that the Islamic Republic of Iran purchased illegal technology from a German-Iranian man totaling nearly 1 million euros.

A September 2021 analysis of the case involving the German-Iranian Alexander J. by the Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security confirmed the dangerous findings outlined by the Hamburg intelligence agency in its new report.

According to the institute's study, “This case [of Alexander J.] highlights the continued effort of Iran to break trade control laws and sanctions of other nations to procure items for its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Additionally, Iran continues to actively recruit sympathetic or persuadable individuals to acquire commodities for its sensitive programs. Some of these exports appear to violate the JCPOA [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action].”

The JCPOA is the formal name of the Iran nuclear deal that seeks to provide economic sanctions relief to Tehran in exchange for temporary restrictions on its atomic program. Israel, Arab Sunni states, and many western countries believe Iran’s regime is desperately seeking to build a nuclear weapons device. The theocratic state in Tehran denies it seeks atomic weapons.

The German Federal Prosecutors Office said, Alexander J. illegally exported a multitude of complex laboratory equipment, including four spectrometers. During the period 2018-2020, Alexander J. sold, in two cases, laboratory equipment to EU-sanctioned companies in Iran used to secure technology for the Iranian regime’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

Gantz reveals 'unusual' Iranian military activity in the Red Sea

Israel’s Defense Minister Benny Gantz unveiled recent satellite images showing four Iranian military ships in the Red Sea while at the Annual Economist Government Roundtable in Greece.

"Iran is expanding its aggressive operations in the region in general, and in the naval arena in particular,” Gantz said, adding that it’s been “unusually” patrolling the Red Sea with its military ships.

Telling the crowd that Iran has been expanding its activities in the maritime arena, Gantz said that “today, we can confirm that Iran is methodically basing itself in the Red Sea, with warships patrolling the southern region.”

The defense minister shared satellite images of four Iranian military ships in the Red Sea, the “Hengam” landing ship, two different “Bandar Abbas” auxiliary ships and the “Mowj” frigate.

“The presence of Iran's military forces in the Red Sea in recent months is the most significant in a decade. It is a direct threat to trade, energy and the global economy,” he said.

Iran has been working to upgrade its navy, with new vessels and submarines introduced to bolster the country’s aging fleet. The Islamic Republic has regularly harassed and attacked international shipping tankers, including oil tankers.

"Iran is a prime example of a widespread regional and global threat: it recently conducted an experiment in Semnan province with a satellite launcher, whose technology could be used to develop a long-range intercontinental missile with a range of thousands of kilometers that could also threaten Central Europe,” Gantz said.

‘Iran Is the Number One Sponsor of Antisemitism, Hands Down,’ Says Departing ADL Head of International Relations

Five years after being appointed as the international affairs director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), Sharon Nazarian is leaving the Jewish civil rights organization confident that her work over that period has set the focus and the tone for its forthcoming interventions on antisemitism, along with other core issues facing Jewish communities on a global scale.

Hailing from a prominent Iranian-Jewish family now residing in Los Angeles, Nazarian is departing the ADL to take over as the president of the Y&S Nazarian Foundation launched by her parents, Younes and Soraya. In an extensive conversation with The Algemeiner, she noted that her work at the ADL reinforced her realization that “we don’t have the luxury of thinking only within our borders” — a sensibility she will take into her new role. Consequently, she understood that her mission at the ADL was to build an international platform for the organization “and bring our know-how to the rest of the world.”

“I feel very confident and satisfied with what we’ve achieved over the last five years,” said Nazarian. Among the examples she pointed to was the development of a digital education project on antisemitism aimed at high school students. “It enables students from all backgrounds to learn about Jewish identity and Jewish immigration,” she said. The project will be piloted in the UK in the fall and Nazarian expects that it will also be rolled out in France and other Jewish communities in Europe. “There’s interest in Chile and UNESCO as well, so it’s our first truly global educational project,” Nazarian said.

Iran Nuclear Talks Likely to Resume After Biden’s Gulf Trip

The 2015 agreement offered Iran sanctions relief, including on oil exports, in return for curbs to its enrichment activities and intrusive International Atomic Energy Agency inspections.

Donald Trump pulled out of the deal in 2018 and reimposed sanctions. President Joe Biden has sought for more than a year to revive the deal but Iran has rapidly expanded its nuclear work while steadily dialing down international oversight during the course of negotiations.

The IAEA said at its last meeting on June 9 that its inspectors would no longer be able to verify Iranian nuclear activities permitted under the accord if a diplomatic compromise wasn’t reached within a month, setting the clock ticking on talks.

US officials have repeatedly said that the window for a deal is narrow as the accelerated pace of Iran’s nuclear work threatens to make the terms of the original deal obsolete.

Belgium paves way to send convicted terrorist to Iran

Belgium’s parliament on Tuesday will debate whether to ratify a proposed treaty with Iran that could allow an Iranian convicted of terrorism in Belgium to be sent back to Tehran.

Iran has loudly demanded that Belgium release Assadollah Assadi, an Iranian diplomat who was convicted on terrorism charges and sentenced to 20 years in prison for his role in a bomb plot targeting a rally by opponents of the Iranian regime in France.

The Belgian government has refused to explain the immediate need for the treaty, although Belgian media reported Monday night that Iran has been holding a Belgian national in jail since February, potentially as leverage.

The treaty could also pave the way for a future political deal on Ahmadreza Djalali, who was sentenced to death by an Iranian court in 2017 on charges of spying for Israel. Djalali, a former researcher at the medical university Karolinska Institute in Stockholm and a guest lecturer at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), denies the charges. Belgium and Sweden have lobbied for his release for years. However, he would not immediately be covered by the treaty, as he doesn’t have Belgian nationality.

Several Western citizens are detained in Iran on spurious charges. These cases have long represented one of the most difficult challenges in the problematic relationship between European nations and Iran. Earlier this year, for example, the U.K. settled a debt to Iran dating back to the 1970s — effectively paying a £400 million ransom — to free two British-Iranian nationals.

Former Iranian Diplomat Hossein Akbari: The Zionists Control America, the Media; They Want to Reduce the World’s Population, What Was the Coronavirus All About? #Iran #Antisemitism pic.twitter.com/O9gGXXEN2y
— MEMRI (@MEMRIReports) July 5, 2022