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Wednesday, August 31, 2022

08/31 Links Pt2: Zionism past and present: From Herzl to Herzog; What ‘CNN’ left out of its special on anti-Semitism; Sharansky: Gorbachev wouldn’t have released Soviet Jews if not for global pressure

From Ian:

Gil Troy: Zionism past and present: From Herzl to Herzog
The past and present danced together on Monday night in Basel, Switzerland. It wasn’t just due to the black-bearded, top-hatted Theodor Herzl impersonator, who gave stunningly relevant answers by quoting Herzl’s writings to questions about various contemporary issues today. It wasn’t just due to the moving appearance of the great-granddaughter of the falsely accused French army captain, Alfred Dreyfus, in the Stadt Casino where 208 delegates gathered 125 years ago in 1897 to launch the formal Zionist movement.

And it wasn’t just due to the brave speeches of various Swiss leaders who owned up to the ugly Swiss tradition of antisemitism – during Herzl’s and Hitler’s eras. The choreographer-in-chief that night, who harmonized the history of yesterday with the wonders of today before 1,400 people, was Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog.​Wisely speaking in Hebrew, even though much of the 125th anniversary of Herzl’s First Zionist Congress this week transpired in English, Herzog was at his best. The setting was sublime, oozing with Herzl’s essence, with the nervousness, excitement, and ultimately, the miraculous, epic transformations triggered by that one game-changing meeting decades ago in Basel. Using Herzl’s words, dreams and achievements as launching pads, Herzog challenged us all to reclaim Zionism. Zionism, he explained, was not an evolution but a revolution – a radical, brave, break from the past to save the Jewish people.

It was bold, modern and democratic, yet rooted in Jewish tradition. Ultimately, Herzog explained, Zionism’s greatest gift to the Jewish people was delivering independence after millennia of toxic dependence on others.

Today, when we are so used to Jewish independence, our challenge is to keep dreaming and keep building. Without being heavy-handed, without finger-pointing or guilt-tripping, and without being partisan, Herzog articulated a renewed liberal-democratic Herzlian vision of understanding that nationalism is the most effective vehicle for finding meaning in life individually and improving the world collectively. “Zionism,” Herzog explained, “is not just a shared fate, but a shared mission.”


Herzog: Gorbachev was one of the 20th century’s most extraordinary figures
Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Yair Lapid joined international leaders on Wednesday in eulogizing former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, who died on Tuesday at the age of 91.

“Mikhail Gorbachev was one of the 20th century’s most extraordinary figures,” Herzog said in a statement. “He was a brave and visionary leader, who shaped our world in ways previously thought unimaginable. I was proud to meet him during his 1992 visit to Israel. Heartfelt condolences to his family and friends.”

Lapid issued a statement saying that “Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the Soviet Union, passed away yesterday at the age of 91. He was a brave leader and great statesman, who contributed greatly to the rehabilitation of relations between his country and Israel, and opened the gates of the Soviet Union for the great wave of Jewish immigration to Israel in the 1990s.”

Russia’s Central Clinical Hospital in Moscow said in a statement on Tuesday that “Gorbachev passed away tonight after a serious and protracted disease.”

Gorbachev was instrumental in helping to end the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States without bloodshed but failed to prevent the Soviet Union from collapsing, Reuters noted in a report on Tuesday.

He secured armament reduction treaties with the U.S. and alliances with Western powers to lift the Iron Curtain that had divided Europe since World War II and bring Germany back together, the report said.

However, his internal reforms contributed to the Soviet Union’s demise, which Russian President Vladimir Putin has described as the “biggest geopolitical calamity” of the twentieth century.
Sharansky: Gorbachev wouldn’t have released Soviet Jews if not for global pressure
Former refusenik and prisoner of Zion Natan Sharansky said on Wednesday that the late leader of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev would never have released Soviet Jewry had it not been for the global pressure campaign to do so.

Sharansky’s comments came following the death of Gorbachev at 91 on Tuesday.

The former Israeli cabinet minister and chairman of the Jewish Agency said that for Gorbachev, the heavy cost the Soviet Union paid due to its political repression was what convinced him to relax policies toward Jewish practice and emigration, not any particular sympathy he had for Soviet Jews.

Sharansky, who spent almost nine years in a forced labor camp, was the first Soviet political prisoner to be released by Gorbachev after the latter assumed the leadership of the Soviet Union in 1985.

“Gorbachev strongly believed in communism and believed that the ideas of Marx and Lenin were truly what was best, but also realized that the system wasn’t working for the Soviet Union,” Sharansky told The Times of Israel.

“He understood that there was a need to give some freedom to people,” such as greater civil rights and economic opportunity.

“What he didn’t understand was that if you give a little freedom, the people will demand a lot of freedom,” he said.


What ‘CNN’ left out of its special on anti-Semitism
There were some good points in CNN’s recent special on anti-Semitism, such as a discussion of the importance of the Secure Community Network’s synagogue security training, a description of the harassment and death threats against a pro-Israel college student, and the general acknowledgment that anti-Semitism is a serious, growing problem.

Unfortunately, however, the special grossly downplayed left-wing and Islamist anti-Semitism, and didn’t even mention black nationalists and other major sources of Jew-hatred. This seems in large part due to CNN’s reliance on the left-wing Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and its CEO, former Obama administration official Jonathan Greenblatt, as well as U.S. State Department anti-Semitism envoy Deborah Lipstadt, who has compared pro-Jewish former President Donald Trump to the Nazis, and the far-left group T’ruah’s Jill Jacobs.

The ADL, for example, recently stated that boycotts of Israel alone do not count as anti-Semitic; praised anti-Semitic congresswoman Ilhan Omar as “committed to a more just world”; defended anti-Semitic NGOs like Amnesty International, along with the extremist anti-Israel philanthropist George Soros; and tried to defund and remove the tax exemption from three pro-Israel groups, including Christian Zionists; among numerous other dangerous positions.

T’ruah, which is unremittingly hostile to Israel, partners with the discredited anti-Israel NGO Breaking the Silence and has repeatedly tried to defund hundreds of humanitarian Jewish pro-Israel charities. Alarmingly, the CNN program publicized far-left T’ruah head Jill Jacobs’s extremely limited definition of anti-Semitism without giving the Zionist Organization of America or anyone else an opportunity to provide a broader definition.

Jacobs claimed that anti-Zionism is only anti-Semitism when an anti-Semitic “trope” (such as Jews wanting money) is involved. In fact, anti-Zionism denies the Jewish people’s right to self-determination in the Jewish homeland, and is thus both discriminatory and anti-Semitic. Anti-Zionism is a major manifestation of anti-Semitism today. On college campuses and elsewhere, anti-Semites use the terms “Zionist” and “Jew” interchangeably.

In addition, Jacobs absurdly claims on the program that “Palestinian activism” is not primarily anti-Semitic. In fact, “Palestinian activism” on college campuses consists of harassing Jewish students, holding demonstrations calling for killing and evicting them, shouting down Jewish and pro-Israel speakers and trying to make Jewish and pro-Israel students fearful and miserable.
Norway’s Comeuppance
There’s more. In recent months, local Labor Party regimes in two Norwegian municipalities voted to ban Israeli imports. The Labor-run city council in Bergen, Norway’s second largest city, went further, making a sweeping call for Israel to be frozen out of all international contact - a proposal that, if implemented, would ban every imaginable kind of cultural, technological, educational, or athletic cooperation, from membership in the UN to participation in the Olympics. The implication here, needless to say, is that Israel is incomparably worse than, say, China, North Korea, Iran, or Cuba. As Michal Rachel Suissa of Norway’s Center against Anti-Semitism commented, none of these local bodies has ever voted “to boycott goods from East Timor, Tibet, Crimea, or northern Cyprus.” Then, in June, as if all that weren’t enough, the Norwegian government decided to put a Star of David armband, metaphorically speaking, on certain food products imported from Israel. Under this new policy, comestibles that originate in Israel’s settlements - “mainly wine, olive oil, and fruits and vegetables” - are conspicuously labeled so that consumers can effectively boycott them.

At some point during all this abuse, Israeli officials got sick of being kicked around by Norwegian counterparts who plainly consider themselves morally superior. So what happened next shouldn’t have surprised anybody. As it happens, at least a couple of times a year, the Norwegian Foreign Minister travels to Israel to meet with the leaders of shady Palestinian groups that receive huge, regular infusions of Norwegian cash. During these visits, it’s standard practice for the FM to meet with her Israeli counterpart, who at present (because he also holds the title of Foreign Minister) is Prime Minister Yair Lapid. Huitfeldt plans to be in Israel in September. But when KÃ¥re Aas, Norway’s ambassador to Israel, put in a request for a meeting between Huitfeldt and Lapid, he was turned down by Aliza Ben Noon of the Israeli Foreign Ministry - who, by way of explanation, supplied him with a list of anti-Israeli measures implemented by the Norwegian government in the past few years. The response, not just on the part of Norwegian officials but on the part of the Oslo elite generally, was one of shock: it was as if the kid who was always being picked on in the schoolyard by the bully had finally fought back. This, then, is why the relationship between Norway and Israel has never been worse.

What makes this whole story especially repulsive is the following. In 2006, when Muslims governments expressed outrage over the publication of caricatures of Muhammed by a Danish newspaper, Jyllands-Posten, the prime minister of Denmark - in an admirable reminder of the courage with which the gentile Danes saved the Jewish Danes during the Nazi occupation - refused to meet their ambassadors and instead gave them a lesson in Free Speech 101. But when those same cartoons were reprinted by Magazinet, a small Christian periodical in Norway, the most powerful people in the Norwegian government took the side of the Muslims against Magazinet’s editor, Vebjørn Selbekk. Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, who is now Prime Minister, pronounced that freedom of expression requires sensitivity “to ethnic and religious values.” For weeks Selbekk resisted immense pressure to apologize; but he finally succumbed, begging for forgiveness from fourteen imams in the presence of several cabinet ministers at a government office. The dean of the Oslo cathedral, Olav Dag Hauge, then traveled to Qatar to beg Islam’s most famous theologian, nal-Qaradawi, to accept Selbekk’s apology. At every step, Norway displayed its shameful readiness to compromise its noblest values to placate tyrants.

After years of practicing such double standards - capitulating shamefully to Islamic totalitarianism while taking endless swipes at the democratic state of Israel - Norway richly deserves Israel’s snub. In fact it deserves a lot more. It’s about time that its leaders be forced to reflect on the fact that the soul of their “peace nation” is still severely poisoned by a deep-seated antisemitism. But will they? Of course not. Prejudices aside, their country is home to, at most, two thousand Jews. Meanwhile, the number of Muslims living in Norway is supposedly about 170,000, most of whom live in and around Oslo, a city of 600,000. Do the math. That, quite obviously, is what most Norwegian politicians are doing.
Edinburgh Council rejects twinning with Gaza
Edinburgh Council has rejected a twinning petition with Gaza following “legal advice”. The Edinburgh-Gaza twinning petition had been listed on the agenda for the Policy and Sustainability Committee meeting at 10am on Tuesday 30 August.

However, the Committee refused to allow allow Pete Gregson who was leading the twinning campaign to speak to the council meeting, or to hear any other deputations in favour of the twinning, including from The Mayor of Gaza and the Dundee Nablus twinning association. Councillor Cammy Day, Convener of the Policy and Sustainability Committee said “We have had legal advice that has given us some warnings and I propose we do not hear the deputations this morning”.

Instead SNP, Labour and the Lib Dems passed a motion asking for an officer’s report into how the Edinburgh Partnership (a group consisting of the police, the health service, the colleges, the voluntary sector and traders’ reps) might consider doing more to partner with other cities. The Greens, moved an amendment that Gaza be included specifically within the “other cities” but this was rejected. Jonathan Turner, chief executive of UKLFI commented: “I am pleased to see that Edinburgh counsellors have the good sense to follow legal advice”.

Earlier this year, on 29 March 2022, the petition calling for Edinburgh to be twinned with the Palestinian city of Gaza was pulled from the agenda of the city’s council’s policy and sustainability committee at short notice so legal advice could be taken.

This followed UKLFI’s letters to Edinburgh council’s head of legal services, warning that the councillors would probably commit criminal offences if they participated in twinning between Edinburgh and Gaza City.
Why do Jews who worship social justice support social injustice?
For most American Jews, the core of their Jewish identity revolves around ideas relating to social justice rather than thinking about Israel or observing Jewish religious laws and traditions. That has long been obvious to observers of a community, the majority of whose members have either discarded religion from their lives altogether or who affiliate or identify with liberal denominations of Judaism. This was confirmed again by the most recent definitive study of American Jewish life conducted by the Pew Research Institute and published in 2021.

That study revealed that when asked to define what being Jewish means to them the most popular answers were, in this order: remembering the Holocaust (76%), leading an ethical and moral life (72%), and working for justice and equality in society (59%). Far down the list were more ideas that are more particular to Jewish existence: caring about Israel (45%), being part of a Jewish community (32%), and dead last and falling below things like having a sense of humor (32%) and eating traditional foods (20%) was observing Jewish religious law (15%).

Given the demographic makeup of American Jewry is predominantly secular that makes sense. Those who identify in some way as being Jewish generally see themselves as part of a community that, while obliged to remember past tragedies affecting their relatives, are primarily interested in ideas that align with their liberal political beliefs.

While Judaism contains elements that are both sectarian and apply only to Jews, as well as universal values, most contemporary American Jewish discourse outside of the Orthodox world revolves around the pursuit of social justice. Liberals are entirely correct to label that quest as quintessentially Jewish though it has often led them to prioritize issues that are secular over those that are related to the security and survival of Jews in a hostile world.
The Scourge of Antisemitic Apparel: A Back to School Threat?
This year, back to school clothing may include a new form of hate attire — but without the baggage of public condemnation.

T-shirts and casual wear with graphics that erase the State of Israel from the map — and replace it with a single Palestinian-drawn state — are the new fashion statements of implicit Jewish genocide. A variety of merchandisers sell such fashions on numerous commercial platforms, including Amazon.

Thankfully, our society today considers KKK robes and Nazi uniforms as clearly evocative of evil, and not affirmations of any acceptable identity or ideology. Persons wearing such odious garbs are rightfully castigated for their glaring hate speech. Yet apparel that overtly promotes the eradication of the Jewish state is worn in public and sold with what seems to be societal impunity.

The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition of antisemitism includes: “Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor.”

T-shirts that deem the Jewish state as non-existent fit that definition. These clothes are designed to make a statement — and it’s not about a two-state solution. This apparel is an attempt to promote the elimination of the Jewish state and the Jews in it.

Some shirts are emblazoned with the caption “from river to the sea,” a phrase that literally removes Israel from the map and calls for Israel’s destruction. In America, there should be little doubt that these fashion statements, especially among the young and impressionable, are designed to mainstream antisemitism and the elimination of Israel.


Jewish Google employee quits citing retaliation over BDS efforts against Project Nimbus
Koren is one of the leaders of the activist group Jewish Diaspora in Tech, which has been a major component of the Jewish Voice for Peace and MPower Change campaign #NoTechForApartheid against the $1.2 billion dollar Nimbus cloud computing project. On Tuesday she repeated allegations made in March that Google had relocated her position from the company’s headquarters in Mountain View, California, to its office in Sao Paulo, Brazil as a punishment for opposition to the deal.

According to a letter published by the labor board that aligned with the details of Koren's case, the evidence presented "failed to establish the necessary causal link" and "the investigation did not reveal evidence of animus towards the employee." Further, the dismissal letter found that the decision to relocate the position predated the employee's actions.

Koren blasted Google for continuing with the project, which would provide infrastructure to several government bodies, including the Israeli military. Coinciding with Koren's resignation, a series of protests were announced for September 8 in front of Google and Amazon offices in San Francisco, New York City and Seattle.

What is the #NoTechForApartheid campaign?
Previous #NoTechForApartied activist endeavors had failed to push Google to adopt Koren's preferred policies. On June 1, an Alphabet stockholders meeting proposal put forward by Jewish Diaspora for Tech activist Gabriel Schubiner to reassess involvement in Nimbus failed — 544,653,039 votes against and 55,301,799 for the proposal after the board of directors recommended to vote against it. Since a petition had started in October, 800 Google and Amazon employees and 37,500 others were said to have signed the petition to end Nimbus — but as Koren noted the tech giants have entirely ignored the campaign.

Koren asserted that the internal Jewish Google group "Jewglers" had created a toxic work environment by silencing anti-Israel content within the community's internal platforms.

Further, she accused Jewglers and Google of "weaponizing" diversity to silence Palestinians, Muslims as well as supporters of Palestinians. Koren cited an apology from Google to Jewglers over its concern over a donation to Movement for Black Lives, which had posted anti-Israel content.


Jewish groups raise concerns at Louis Farrakhan image on Black Lives Matter mural
Concerns have been raised that a mural in Westchester, New York, promoting Black Lives Matter (BLM), features the image of the antisemitic hate preacher, Louis Farrakhan.

The mural, located on Manhattan Avenue under the I-287 highway, includes a depiction of Mr Farrakhan, the leader of the Nation of Islam, speaking with an accusatory raised finger.

Mr Farrakhan has referred to Judaism as a “gutter religion”, seemed to imply that Jews are “evil” and “satanic” and encourage paedophilia and “sexual perversion”, blamed Jews for slavery and racist Jim Crow laws in the United States, described Adolf Hitler as a “great man” and said that Jews financed their own destruction in the Holocaust, claimed that Jews have a “stranglehold” on the US Congress using their “tentacles”, and accused Israelis and Zionists of being behind the 9/11 terrorist attacks on New York City.

“I am not an antisemite,” Mr Farrakhan wrote in October 2018 in a tweet that he later deleted, “I’m anti-Termite”.

The Westchester Jewish Council released a statement saying that Mr Farrakhan is “one of the country’s most prominent antisemites. His long public history of anti-Jewish and other bigoted comments makes his inclusion in this project completely improper.”


PreOccupiedTerritory by Jeremy Pine, BBC Middle East correspondent: Please Don’t Confuse My Racism Of Low Expectations For Arabs With My Outright Hate For Jews (satire)
One could infer, based on a cursory viewing of my journalistic oeuvre, that when I assign implicit responsibility to Jewish Israelis for violence from Palestinians, I do so only because my racism toward Arabs prevents me from expecting them to eschew violence, as any civilized, moral person strives to do, and thus, by default, the only party to the interactions that has the capacity to make genuine moral choices becomes the Israelis – and of course they have made the wrong choices. This could, under that erroneous inference, serve as adequate explanation for waiting until Israel retaliates for Gaza rockets, for example, to report on such incidents, framing it as Israel attacking Palestinians who simply cannot help but try to kill people with indiscriminate rocket fire.

However, that simplicity stumbles into simplistic reasoning, because indeed, I hate Jews regardless of Arab moral capacity, or lack thereof. Civilized mores prevent me and my colleagues from explicit invocation of our antisemitism, but that does not mean I cannot color the entire context of my reporting with antisemitic overtones perfectly at home in Tsarist Russia or Nazi Germany. Please do not take my treating Arabs as moral children, or as NPCs, as any indication that I do not sincerely despise Jews. Both hold true. Hence, when I discuss IDF actions against Palestinians in the West Bank, I divorce it from the larger context of Arab violence toward Jews that the IDF actions seek to neutralize. Granted, the absence of Palestinian capacity for volition translates into not mentioning the context, but it’s the underlying antisemitism in my – and my organization’s – ethos that transforms a simple tale of mere Israeli overreaction into one of Jewish moral turpitude that requires universal censure, perhaps even bloodshed.

The “soft” bigotry of low expectations has long characterized British attitudes toward non-European peoples (and quite a few Europeans). But never let that fact obscure the even-more-profound reality of my antisemitism, some of it naturally British and the remainder a proud product of my independent cultivation. Please keep that straight. Thank you.
MSNBC’s Ayman Moyheldin Corrects Misfired Islamic Jihad Rockets Killed Many Gazans
Contrary to Mohyeldin’s’s assertion that Israeli airstrikes killed 49 in Gaza, including 17 children, a significant figure were killed by rockets which Islamic Jihad directed at Israeli communities but which fell short, killing Gazans instead. As The Associated Press recently reported (“Misfired rockets may have killed over a dozen in Gaza battle“): “Close to one-third of the Palestinians who died in the latest outbreak of violence between Israel and Gaza militants may have been killed by errant rockets fired by the Palestinian side, according to an Israeli military assessment that appears consistent with independent reporting by The Associated Press.”

Other sources give slightly different figures for the percentage of the 49 Gazans killed by Islamic Jihad’s failed rockets. For instance, Haaretz‘s Amira Hass, a veteran critic of Israel, reported: “Botched launches of Palestinian rockets killed 14 non-combatants, including seven children.” She provides a detailed account of each fatality: their name, date, place and circumstances of death.

The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center identifies 11 Gazans were killed by Palestinian rockets. The Israeli military believes that 12 children in Gaza were killed by Islamic Jihad rockets.

Thus, while there is uncertainty about the precise number of Palestinians killed by misfired Islamic Jihad rockets, there is no uncertainty that the failed attacks against Israel ended up taking a number of Palestinian lives.

As Agence France Presse reported, some Gaza residents admit to the misfired rockets, though they are afraid to disclose their names (“Islamic Jihad faces tough questions after Israeli strikes”).

In response to communication from CAMERA, Mohyeldin yesterday tweeted the following correction:
In this segment, we reported 49 Palestinians were killed during Israel’s bombing offensive; while Israel takes responsibility for some of those deaths, we should have also noted AP reported evidence that 14 of those were killed by errant rockets fired from the Palestinian side.

CAMERA commends MSNBC for acknowledging the falsehood.

Meanwhile, ABC has yet to correct its two separate broadcasts in which Ines de la Cuetara and Reena Roy made the identical error.
US politicians across political spectrum criticised for inflammatory social media comments about Jews
It has been reported that a number of political figures in the United States have come under fire for making inflammatory comments about Jews.

In Arizona, three Republican candidates have been criticised for their endorsement of an Oklahoma-based candidate who has made a number of remarks about Jews.

The endorsements of the Arizona Republicans, Kari Lake, Mark Finchem, and Wendy Rogers appear on the website of the Oklahoma State Senate candidate, Jarrin Jackson, who has reportedly said that he is not “beholden to Jews”, that he “ain’t owned by the Jews”, that “all Jews will go to hell if they don’t believe the gospel of Jesus Christ”, and that “I love Jews because Christ told me to, not because they deserve it.”

Mr Jackson also appears to have been prompted by a documentary he watched to have said that Jews are an example that “evil exists”.

Ms Lake has since retracted her endorsement of Mr Jackson, but neither Mr Finchem nor Ms Rogers apparently responded to journalists’ requests for a comment.

It has been reported that Ms Rogers had at one point posted a meme of a dead rhino – possibly in reference to the liberal wing of her Party, known pejoratively as RINOs – with a Star of David on the animal.
Stopping Antisemitism in Its Tracks: HonestReporting Work Results in Dismissal of 3 NYT Freelancers
In the past three weeks, HonestReporting exposed three New York Times freelancers in the Gaza Strip who praised Nazi leader Adolf Hitler and celebrated deadly Palestinian terror attacks targeting Jews, Christians, and Muslims in Israel.

Fady Hanona, Soliman Hijjy, and Hosam Salem all reported on the Arab-Israeli conflict for The New York Times -- they wrote articles, selected potential interview subjects, and worked on one-sided photo and video productions.

Needless to say, antisemitism and anti-Israel propaganda should have no place in what is supposed to be America's newspaper of record.

We succeeded in getting The New York Times to stop working with Hanona, Hijjy, and Salem, directly impacting the media's coverage of the Jewish state.

But our forensic work continues. When antisemitism seeps into the mainstream media, we will make sure people know.


French Jewish man killed in suspected antisemitic attack to be buried in Israel
A Jewish man killed in France in a suspected antisemitic attack was to be buried Wednesday evening in the southern Israeli city of Beersheba, Diaspora Affairs Minister Nachman Shai said, urging Paris to punish the perpetrator severely.

Eyal Haddad, 34, was killed in Longperrier, just northeast of Paris, on August 20. His neighbor, a Muslim man identified as Mohamed Dridi, confessed to killing him with an axe and attempting to burn and bury the body, according to a statement this week by the National Bureau of Vigilance against Antisemitism (BNVCA).

The BNVCA said the suspect turned himself in to the police and told officers that Haddad, who lived next door to him, owed him 100 euros and had not returned them. He later also confessed that he had killed Haddad because he was Jewish.

Though Haddad was originally from Djerba, he has family in Beersheba. Haddad also had Israeli citizenship.

Despite Dridi’s confession to killing Haddad because he was Jewish, investigators were reportedly also looking into the possibility that the attack was not fundamentally antisemitic in nature but the result of an argument between the two men, who apparently knew each other well.

Diaspora Minister Shai, in a tweet Wednesday, called on France to take strong action against mounting antisemitism following the “shocking” murder.
German Jewish Leader Warns of Potential ‘Antisemitic Scandal’ at World Council of Churches Assembly
As the World Council of Churches prepares for the opening of its General Assembly in the German city of Karlsruhe on Wednesday, a local Jewish leader has warned of the risk of antisemitic rhetoric at the event as delegates debate resolutions that are harshly critical of Israel.

“An antisemitic scandal cannot be ruled out,” Rami Suliman — chair of the Jewish community in the Baden region — told the Juedische Allgemeine news outlet on Monday.

Suliman added that while the Jewish community enjoyed good relations with local Christian groups, “unfortunately, there are also other voices in the world churches, not so obvious, but if you listen carefully, then the Jews are held responsible for suffering and injustice, and the state of Israel — the only democracy in the region — is denied its right to exist.”

Draft resolutions have been tabled at the General Assembly — the 11th held by the WCC — condemning the persecution of Christians in the Palestinian territories and blaming Israel for their plight, as well as a statement condemning Israel as an “apartheid state.”

A July 1 statement issued by the WCC accused Israel of “overtly and systematically discriminating [against] Palestinians.” It called on the Israeli government to “ensure equal human rights for all people living under their responsibility, and to ensure accountability for attacks and violations against Palestinians, against the holy places, churches, Christian communities, Muslims and other groups.”
NYPD to increase patrols in Williamsburg due to rise in antisemitic hate crimes
NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell said in a press conference on Monday evening that the police will increase patrols near synagogues in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, due to an increase in antisemitic attacks happening throughout the neighborhood.

“In the wake of these senseless attacks, we deployed round-the-clock house of worship cars to routinely visit synagogues,” Sewell said at the press conference on Lynch Street in Brooklyn — the same location where a suspect allegedly slapped a 27-year-old man dressed in traditional Orthodox clothing on Aug. 22.

“We increased patrols to visit sensitive locations,” she said.

The increased police presence comes amid a continued rise in hate crimes across the city. In July 2022, NYPD reported a 50% increase in hate crimes over July 2021, with antisemitic hate crimes up 114%.

On Aug. 21, in two separate incidents, a 72-year-old and a 64-year-old Jewish man were sprayed in the face with a fire extinguisher in Williamsburg. All three victims of these attacks are recovering, according to police.

“It is believed these victims were targeted because they are Jewish,” Sewell said. “No one deserves to be the victim of such senseless hateful violence.”
Tennis Star Novak Djokovic to Headline Tel Aviv Tournament
Novak Djokovic’s team confirmed that the tennis legend will take part in the Watergen Open 2022 in Tel Aviv, Israel after he was forced to withdraw from the US Open last week because he is not vaccinated against COVID.

Foreign citizens who are not vaccinated against COVID cannot currently enter the United States or Canada, and Djokovic said he would not get vaccinated, even if it prevented him from participating in some tournaments.

The American Tennis Association stressed from the start that it will follow government rules regarding vaccination status for this year’s Open. There is no vaccination requirement for players or their coaching staff – meaning an unvaccinated American would be allowed to play in the tournament – and spectators will not be required to wear masks.

“Novak is a great champion and it is very unfortunate that he cannot participate in the US Open 2022, due to the federal government’s vaccination policy for non-US citizens,” said Stacey Allaster, tournament director at the US Open.

“We look forward to welcoming Novak back to the 2023 US Open,” she added.
Prehistoric elephant tusk found in kibbutz in southern Israel
An ancient elephant tusk dating to around half a million years ago was uncovered, completely unscathed, by archaeologists in kibbutz Revadim in Israel's South, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) announced on Wednesday.

The two-and-a-half meter tusk, discovered by archaeologists and paleontologists from the Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Tel Aviv University, the Dan David Center for Human Evolution and Biohistory and the IAA, belonged to the straight-tusked elephant, an extinct species that roamed modern-day Israel during the Middle and Late Pleistocene period.

It was discovered during a two-week excavation project near the southern kibbutz aptly to find fossil remains of the elephants that lived in prehistoric Israel, aptly named "Operation Elephant."

The tusk was "exceptionally well-preserved," the antiquities authority noted. It was first uncovered by Jerusalem biologist Dr. Eitan Mor.

According to Mor, he visited the excavated area out of curiosity after reading about ancient species of elephants.

"To my surprise, I spotted something that looked like a large animal bone peeping out of the ground," the biologist recalled. "I realized that it was the real thing, so I rushed to report it to the authority."
Israel Starts Campaign to Bring American Christians on Excavation Trips
Israel is embarking on a joint campaign with Washington DC’s Museum of the Bible to lure American Christians into taking part in archeological excavations throughout the country next year.

“Our wonderful history in this land attracts many tourists, people who love Israel, who want to discover with their own hands the hidden treasures we have here,” said Yoel Razvozov, Israel’s Tourism Minister. “In addition, a visit of Christians that combines archeology, conservation and assistance in uncovering findings related to the biblical legacy of the State of Israel will improve Israel’s image overseas and spread the legacy of the People of the Book to the Christian world.”

The initiative dubbed, “Unearth the Land of the Bible,” is a joint partnership between Israel’s Tourism Ministry, the Museum of the Bible, and the Israel Nature and Parks Authority. The program aims to take 30 American Christians on a 10-day tour in mid-April next year to go on archaeological digs, historical heritage trips and visit nature sites around Israel. The excavations will be led by archaeologists and expert lectures to follow the historical story of the Jewish people and the conservation of their culture.

“The nature and heritage sites throughout Israel tell the compelling stories of the land of the Bible, and they are of great importance to Christian believers,” said Raya Shourky, Director at the Israel Nature and Parks Authority. “The active participation in excavating and conserving the biblical heritage, through the hands-on work of archeological digging and conserving, with guidance by the professionals and experts of the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, will deepen the connection between Bible enthusiasts and heritage sites and the historical story of the Jewish people in their land.”
1,000-year-old antisemitic violence victims revealed in archaeological discovery
Genetic analysis of human skeletal remains in Norwich, England, found by construction workers preparing the site for a shopping center has provided serious evidence that the bones are those of at least 17 Ashkenazi Jews who were murdered during a proven historic episode of antisemitic violence on February 6, 1190.

The genomes from a medieval mass burial show that Ashkenazi-associated hereditary diseases pre-date the 12th century. The findings resulted from a revised radiocarbon analysis of the bones carried out by experts at London’s Natural History Museum, University College and Francis Crick Institute; the Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution in Mainz, Germany; the University of Cambridge; and the Archive Center in Norwich.

They have just been published in the journal Current Biology under the title “Genomes from a medieval mass burial show Ashkenazi-associated hereditary diseases pre-date the 12th century.”

In 2004, construction workers excavating land in central Norwich – about 160 kilometers northeast of London – as part of the Chapelfield shopping center development uncovered the bones.

The position of the remains, their completeness and their conversion by archaeologists into a cleaned and articulated skeleton suggested that they had all been buried in a single event shortly after their death.

The mass grave in a dry well, less than half a meter deep and one meter in diameter, contained the highly compacted remains of at least 17 people. The overrepresentation of youngsters and the unusual location of the burial outside of consecrated ground suggested that they may have been victims of a mass fatality event such as mass murder, the archaeologists wrote.

Ancient DNA from 25 bones was screened, and six individuals were selected for sequencing. “They represent the present-day population that we would expect to be genetically most similar to Jews in medieval England,” they wrote.

The researchers found that four of these individuals were closely related and six had strong genetic affinities with modern Ashkenazi Jews. Some had genes for red hair.
One of Auschwitz’s Youngest Survivors Recounts Her Childhood During The Holocaust in New Memoir
A memoir written by one of the youngest survivors of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp will be released in September and will tell her story of survival and perseverance while growing up during the Holocaust.

Tova Friedman, now 83, was born Tola Grossman in Gdynia, Poland, in 1938, a year before the start of World War II. She was six years old when Auschwitz was liberated in January 1945.

In “The Daughter of Auschwitz” — co-written with former war reporter Malcolm Brabant— Friedman recounts her harrowing experiences living in a Jewish ghetto, a Nazi labor camp, and Auschwitz, where she escaped death numerous times, including improbably surviving a Nazi gas chamber. Friedman and her mother hid from Nazi firing squads right before the liberation of Auschwitz by hiding among corpses.

In the book’s prologue, Friedman writes that the purpose of her telling such her story was to try and “immortalize what happened, to ensure that those who died are not forgotten. Nor the methods that were used to exterminate them.”

“To forget is to repeat,” she told The Algemeiner. “I think it’s true of everything in every situation. If you forget this is dangerous than you’ll repeat it, you’ll do it again.”

“I did not wake up one day in Auschwitz,” she continued. “It doesn’t happen like that. It happened very slowly. The process is slow. The books were burned and then other rights are taken away. Hitler could have been stopped along the whole process. I always think of it as cancer. If you get a tiny bit of cancer in your body and you don’t take care of it, within no time the whole body becomes cancerous.”

Friedman has shared her Holocaust survival story at schools, colleges, places of worship and prisons. She also has a TikTok account, started by her grandson, in which she shares memories about the Holocaust and answers questions about the Nazi genocide. Her TikTok page has more than 450,000 followers and her posts have garnered more than 7 million “likes.” But this is the first time that she’s putting her memories down in a hard-copy book, which also has a foreword by Sir Ben Kingsley, who called Friedman a “heroine of truth and memory.”

Friedman admitted that recounting her memories of the Holocaust for the book was psychologically difficult, particularly as she discussed her mother, who also survived Auschwitz, while her father survived the Dachau concentration camp.
Food was a comfort for Auschwitz survivors. A new cookbook showcases their recipes — and resilience.
Eugene Ginter was 12 days shy of his sixth birthday when he was liberated from Auschwitz in January 1945. Emaciated and alone, Ginter landed first in a hospital and then in an orphanage in Krakow, the Polish city where he was born. Several months later, miraculously, he was reunited with his mother.

Her first order of business was to help him regain weight and health, but he had no interest in food after being deprived of it for so long. So she created a rich sandwich made of things she knew he liked: black bread thickly coated with butter and finished with grated dark chocolate.

Eight decades later, that “Chocolate Sandwich” is the first recipe in “Honey Cake & Latkes: Recipes from the Old World by the Auschwitz-Birkenau Survivors,” a new cookbook that showcases recipes that connected survivors to the worlds they lost and gave them comfort as they built new lives after the Holocaust.

“She connected food and feeding to life and survival,” said Joe Finkelstein about his mother Goldie, who was famous for serving overabundant quantities of food and whose recipes appear 11 times in the book. “Food was her way to give security and it also gave her some control.”

Like the “Holocaust Survivor Cookbook,” released by Israel’s Yad Vashem Holocaust authority in 2007, “Honey Cake & Latkes” is more than a collection of recipes. It also contains inspiring stories from the survivors as well as archival and contemporary photographs showing their resilience.




Buy the EoZ book, PROTOCOLS: Exposing Modern Antisemitism  today at Amazon!

Or order from your favorite bookseller, using ISBN 9798985708424. 

Read all about it here!
 

 

Moroccan Jewish leader says Jews should be able to pray at Al Aqsa, blames Moshe Dayan

Hassan II mosque in Casablanca



Maariv has an op-ed by Sam Ben Sheetrit, president of the World Federation of Moroccan Jewry, which is getting attention in Arab media.

It says:

The Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca is one of the largest and most magnificent mosques in the world. This mosque was built half on the sea and half on land. Unlike Al-Aqsa Mosque, there is no restriction on visiting and praying there by Muslims, Jews and Christians. The concept is generous and broad: a house of prayer is meant for everyone. That's why Jews also visit the mosque and pray with their neighbors, out of closeness to others and love of people.

The financing of the construction of this mosque, which lasted eight years, was imposed on all Moroccan residents regardless of religion. During Ramadan, the King of Morocco, his son and his government ministers pray at the Hassan II Mosque, and the event is broadcast on Moroccan television networks and other media. 80,000 believers can enter and pray in the prayer hall. Usually, it is an impressive event that is covered by the media and is also appreciated by people of culture.

During one of my visits to this mosque, during the MIncha prayer, a Jewish Israeli stood next to me, who put a kippa on his head and prayed quietly. At the end of his prayer, a Muslim Arab approached him and greeted him in Arabic: "God will accept your prayer."

This is the face of tolerance in Morocco. In Morocco I have often been asked why there are Muslim Arabs who oppose the visit and prayer of Jews at the Temple Mount: after all we are all monotheists, believe and pray to one God. I answered that I perceived everything to be the fault of Moshe Dayan, who did not establish arrangements for the visits of Jews, but gave the keys of al-Aqsa to the people of the Waqf, and here they are the ones who determine almost everything that happens on the Temple Mount.

Since then we have been witness to the cries of "Al-Aqsa is in danger" and come across documents of the Waqf trying to erase every archaeological trace that confirms the Temple. Today, there are archaeologists whose job it is to sort the debris from the Temple Mount sites, and there are archaeological finds that have been discovered in this debris. 

He isn't wrong, although it is interesting that he blames Moshe Dayan for the intolerance of Palestinian Muslims - as if one cannot possibly expect tolerance from them.


Buy the EoZ book, PROTOCOLS: Exposing Modern Antisemitism  today at Amazon!

Or order from your favorite bookseller, using ISBN 9798985708424. 

Read all about it here!
 

 

08/31 Links Pt1: Biden Admin Mum After Abbas Claims Israel Commits ‘50 Holocausts’ on Palestinians; The Iran Nuclear Deal Is a Dangerous Con

From Ian:

Biden Admin Mum After Abbas Claims Israel Commits ‘50 Holocausts’ on Palestinians
The State Department will not say if it is considering any repercussions for the Palestinian Authority after the authority's president, Mahmoud Abbas, accused Israel of committing "50 Holocausts," comments that sparked an international diplomatic scandal.

"We recognize that President Abbas today has, quote, reaffirmed that the Holocaust is ‘the most heinous crime' in modern history, and we reject any attempts to draw false equivalencies or to minimize Holocaust atrocities," State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters who questioned him about the administration’s response to the scandal.

Abbas during remarks in Germany earlier this month claimed that Israel has committed "50 Holocausts" against the Palestinians since its creation in 1948. Distortion of the Holocaust remains heavily restricted in Germany, making Abbas's comments as he spoke next to the German chancellor unprecedented. While Germany quickly condemned the remarks, the Biden administration's State Department attempted to play defense for Abbas, telling reporters that the Palestinian president later apologized.

The State Department also would not answer a series of Washington Free Beacon inquiries about how it is responding to the issue and whether it is considering any type of diplomatic penalties for Abbas's comments, such as downgrading relations or withholding aid money to his government. Republican foreign policy leaders in Congress and Jewish community officials say the State Department's reaction is providing cover for Abbas as the Biden administration supplies his government with millions of dollars in U.S. taxpayer aid. The Trump administration froze that aid due to the Palestinian government's promotion of anti-Semitism.

"The Palestinians are so emboldened to make abhorrent statements like these because the Biden administration has made clear that the U.S. will continue to hand them money and carry water for them diplomatically no matter what they do," Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told the Free Beacon.

A State Department official would not say whether it addressed the issue with Abbas or other top Palestinian government leaders. The department also would not say if it is considering imposing diplomatic penalties on the Palestinian Authority for the comments.

Rep. Lee Zeldin (N.Y.), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and one of two Jewish Republicans in Congress, said Abbas maligned the memories of more than six million Jews while standing in the country that perpetrated the crimes.

"To accuse the Jewish state and the only functioning democracy in the Middle East of committing '50 Holocausts,' while standing in Germany, is something that only someone with as little character and sense of morality as Abbas could rationalize," Zeldin said in a statement. "Six million Jews and millions of others were brutally murdered during the Holocaust. There has been absolutely no equivalence to that at any time anywhere in the world."
Hashemite Kingdom of Palestine:Gantz Ignoring or ignorant?
Two statements made this past week by Israel’s current Defence Minister– Benny Gantz – could see his run for Israel’s next Prime Minister ended after it has just started.

Gantz told Kan Reshet Bet:
"Those who, in a clear left-wing position, consider 'two states for two peoples' as a solution are living in an illusion, and those who, in a radical right-wing position, think of a state without Arabs in the 'West Bank', are living in a greater illusion,"

Gantz has apparently not heard of or read the 2022 Saudi Peace Plan published on 8 June – which provides for the merger of Jordan, Gaza and parts of the 'West Bank' into one territorial entity to be called The Hashemite Kingdom of Palestine.

Implementation of the Saudi plan in the 'West Bank' could possibly see:
- The State of Israel – sovereign in about 30% (designated green and yellow) on this leaked map - where 1% of the 'West Bank' Arab population live.

- The Hashemite Kingdom of Palestine – sovereign in about the remaining 70% (designated red) - where 99% of the 'West Bank' Arab population resides:
Constructing a network of tunnels and roads will enable this subdivision.

Gantz committed an even bigger gaffe - telling 103 FM Radio:
"I repeat and insist that Jerusalem is the unified capital of the State of Israel ... And I do not see how we can continue towards an arrangement [with the Palestinians] in the coming years, but we must begin by initiating processes to reduce the conflict and strengthen security ... There are villages in the east that the Palestinian [Arab]s call Jerusalem, and they are not in the metropolitan area of Jerusalem. It is possible to define them as a capital."


A Ceasefire Line Is Not a Border for a Palestinian State: Debunking the Green Line Myth
In a recent opinion piece for The Washington Post, noted Israeli activist and journalist Gershom Gorenberg referred numerous times to the Green Line as “Israel’s border.” Gorenberg is far from being the only one to refer to the line that separated Israel from its Arab neighbors between 1948 and 1967 as a “border” (see here and here). Even the European Union, in determining which Israeli entities are eligible for EU funds, refers to Israel’s “pre-1967 borders.”

However, the term “border” is a misnomer, connoting an agreed-upon permanent demarcation between two sovereign entities.

In actuality, the Green Line came about as the result of an armistice agreement between the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Arab armies at the conclusion of the 1948 War of Independence.

In this piece, we will take a look at the history of the Green Line, its status after the Six Day War in 1967, and what it means for any future peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA).

As the War of Independence was coming to a close in early 1949, Israel and its belligerent neighbors (Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon) entered into ceasefire talks in an effort to end hostilities and establish armistice agreements.

Between February and July 1949, Israel finalized armistice agreements with each of its neighbors. As part of these agreements, armistice lines were established, delineating the territory that separated Israeli military forces from the armed forces of its neighboring Arab countries.

These armistice lines ultimately became known as the “Green Line” due to the color of the pen that was used to mark these lines on the map.

However, at the insistence of Egypt, Jordan and Syria during the ceasefire negotiations, each of the armistice agreements features clauses that state unequivocally that these lines are not official borders and will not prejudice any future territorial claims made by any country.

The armistice agreement that was signed between Israel and Jordan states that “The Armistice Demarcation Lines…are agreed upon by the Parties without prejudice to future territorial settlements or boundary lines or to claims of either Party relating thereto.”

It also states that the agreement is “dictated exclusively by military considerations” and would have no effect on a future peace settlement.

Similarly, the armistice agreement between Israel and Egypt reads “The Armistice Demarcation Line is not to be construed in any sense as a political or territorial boundary.”


Rabbi Abraham Cooper: The Iran Nuclear Deal Is a Dangerous Con
Jews learned the hard way in the 20th century that when a tyrant says he is going to kill every one of you—believe him.

Such a war would wreak devastation throughout the Gulf and threaten Egypt and Turkey as well. The drums of war are already beating, the preparations are already underway.

Right now, no one in Jerusalem, Saudi Arabia, UAE, or Bahrain, is sure that the U.S. will have their back.

On the contrary, the U.S. and European powers are greenlighting Tehran's agenda, and insanely, they are relying on the same Russia that's invading Ukraine to be the primary intermediary with the Iranians. It is mindboggling.

Walking away now—at 11:59pm—might just give the Iranian regime pause, demonstrating that the Biden administration isn't prepared to absorb a bigger debacle and self-inflicted disaster than what happened in Afghanistan one year ago.

The alternative is grave. A U.S.-led epic surrender to the Iran will guarantee the worst-case scenario for Israel and the Arab nations of the Middle East. There will be more carnage there, but also on the streets of Europe and the United States.

Please President Biden, we beseech you, to stop the madness. It's not too late to stop the Ayatollah's war on peace before it literally goes nuclear.

How?

The U.S. should leave the bazaar in Vienna, dispense with the Russian and Chinese interlocutors and let the world know we stand with our allies and friends. It's time to deliver ultimatums backed by snap-back sanctions. The Iranians can start with removing their hit teams from our streets. Otherwise, the Vienna charade will continue ad infinitum until Iran has extorted every single cent possible from the naïve West leveraging every second to rapidly prepare its nuclear and military capabilities for the windfall coming.

If the Biden administration does anything less than crush Tehran's maleficence, then congressional leaders must send a bipartisan message that any Iran deal will be treated like a treaty, fulfilling the Constitutional requirement that the Senate must give its advice and consent—ratified by a supermajority—before going into effect.

Congress knows well that a useless piece of paper, accompanied by pallets of taxpayer cash, will not motivate Iran to roll back their terrorist infrastructure around the world. In fact, it is an invitation.

The only language this regime understands is strength.
Caroline Glick: Israel is on its own against Iran
If President Joe Biden concludes his deal with Iran, Israel cannot expect any significant assistance from the United States.

To discuss the consequences of the new agreement, on this week’s “Mideast News Hour” Caroline Glicks hosts Richard Goldberg, a senior advisor at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and a senior official in the National Security Council during the Trump administration.

The two cover what is known about the deal and how its restrictions on Iran nuclear capabilities are even weaker than those of the deal signed in 2015 with disastrous effects for Israel and the world.


Compensation Agreement Reached Between Families of Munich Massacre And German Government
The family members of the 11 Israeli athletes murdered by Palestinian terrorists at the 1972 Munich Olympics were reported to have reached a compensation agreement with the German government on Wednesday, just days before an official commemoration ceremony which relatives had earlier threatened to boycott.

In a formal statement, Steffen Hebestreit, the spokesperson for German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, said that it had been “possible to agree with the relatives on an overall concept for the 50th anniversary.”

Hebestreit explained that under the terms of the agreement, archive files concerning the massacre of the athletes on Sept, 5, 1972 would be released for the review of a commission of Israeli and German historians. There would also be further “recognition payments” paid to the families by the federal government, the Bavarian state and the city of Munich, understood to be in the region of $30 million.

Additionally, the German president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, is expected to become the first official German representative to issue an apology over security lapses at the 1972 Games, the Suddeutsche Zeitung reported. During the hostage crisis, the German-led attempt to free the Israelis ended with all the athletes murdered on the tarmac of the Fürstenfeldbruck airbase.

Wednesday’s announcement came a fortnight after two of the athlete’s widows sent a furiously worded letter to the prime minister of the state of Bavaria confirming that they would boycott the 50th anniversary commemoration ceremony being staged in the city.


PMW: ”Jews not allowed!” - in shops in the Salfit District
Remember the signs in Nazi Germany saying “Jews not allowed” at the entrance to some shops?

Now Salfit District Governor Abdallah Kamil has “issued a series of important decisions” of which one brings the term “Jews not allowed” to mind. It specifically “forbids” Palestinian businesses to “receive any settler” – i.e., Israelis/Jews. Whoever violates this rule risks closure of his business by the PA Security Forces:
It is completely forbidden to have commercial relations with the settlers, according to Law No. 4 of 2010. It is forbidden to receive any settler in our places of business. We have conveyed clear instructions to the relevant [PA] Security Forces to close any store that violates this decision and to put its owners on trial.

All signs written in the Hebrew language placed in the various places of business and workshops must be removed within a week at the latest. The required legal procedures will be taken against those who do not fulfill this.

We emphasize once more that one must not carry out any action of selling lands, and specifically in Area C (i.e., land under full Israeli administration according to the Oslo Accords), without first receiving security permission from the district.”

[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Aug. 28, 2022]

These decisions in force in the Salfit district in the northwestern West Bank have been made to hinder any kind of peace building between Palestinians and Israelis/Jews as their goal is “to fight the settlement enterprise and the relations with the settlers in the district.” District Governor Kamil added that the Palestinian people “will not agree to any manner of coexistence or normalization with the settlers.” The PA routinely refers to all of Israel as "occupied Palestine" and all Israelis as "settlers."

Palestinian Media Watch has reported extensively on the third rule above. It is forbidden by PA law to sell land to “the enemy” –i.e., Israelis/Jews. The law has been reinforced by a religious ban – a fatwa – issued by the PA Supreme Fatwa Council, led by PA Grand Mufti and Supreme Fatwa Council Chairman Sheikh Muhammad Hussein.

In addition to these rules being in force in the Salfit district, in all PA schools any trace of the existence of Israel has been erased and thus there are “no Israeli products and products from the settlements in the school kiosks.” This was apparently verified by no other than PA Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh, who together with deputy ministers and directors-general of the Ministry of Education “examined the preparations and preparedness of the [PA] Ministry of Education for the start of the school year.” [Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Aug. 29, 2022]
Qatar-Israel Talks Fail Over Israeli Demand to Go Public
With less than three months to go before the 2022 soccer World Cup kicks off in Qatar, Israel has been upping its efforts to facilitate the arrival of thousands of Israeli soccer fans to the Gulf country, with whom Israel has no diplomatic relations.

i24NEWS learned that secret negotiations between the two nations fell apart ahead of a planned phone call between Israel’s Foreign Minister and interim Prime Minister Yair Lapid and his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani.

Lapid’s insistence on making the call public, a demand that Doha firmly rejected, was the cause of the talks collapsing.

The planned phone call between Lapid and Al-Thani was considered a preliminary conversation ahead of a future phone call between Lapid and the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. Negotiations were aimed at opening an Israeli consular office in Doha that would manage affairs for Israeli nationals attending the World Cup.

Israel was hoping that the office would then continue operating in Qatar as a permanent presence in the Gulf state.

A response from the Israeli Foreign Affairs Ministry to i24NEWS said that “the story is not true.”

The absence of an Israeli consular office in Doha during the games would mean that Israeli nationals will be left without assistance in case of lost passports, arrests or severe medical conditions.

Back in June, Israel announced that its nationals will be able to attend the games in Qatar, saying the move would open “a new door” to a country with whom Israel does not have formal diplomatic relations.
i24NEWS EXCLUSIVE: Secret Qatar-Israel talks fail over Israel's demand to make them public
Israel and Qatar were in talks to open a consular office in Doha ahead of the World Cup, but the negotiations fell apart after Doha refused to allow Jerusalem to make them public.


MEMRI: IRGC Commander Salami In Interview For Supreme Leader Khamenei's Website: 'The Palestinians Are Ready Today For Ground Warfare – Israel's Major Weak Point... Missiles Are Excellent For Deterrence... But They Do Not Liberate The Lands; A Ground-Based Force Must Be Deployed, And Must Liberate The Land, Step By Step... Hizbullah And Palestine Will Move On The Ground In A Single Military Formation'
On July 23, 2014, the eve of Qods (Jerusalem) Day which is marked every year by the Iranian regime on the last Friday of Ramadan, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said: "The only solution for [the problem of the Israeli regime] is its annihilation and liquidation. Of course, until that time [comes], the determined and armed Palestinian resistance, and its spread to the West Bank, are the only way to deal with that bestial regime… Therefore, it is my belief that the West Bank should be armed just like Gaza. Anyone who cares about the fate of Palestine, and who is capable of doing something, should provide arms to the people [of the West Bank] too…"[1]

Two weeks ago, on August 19, 2022, the website of Supreme Leader Khamenei published an interview with Hossein Salami, commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). In the interview, Salami reiterated Khamenei's instructions to the Palestinian resistance movements to arm the West Bank, including the cities of Jenin, Nablus, Ramallah, Tulkarm, and the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in East Jerusalem – just as Iran had helped Gaza arm itself with missiles and weapons – and to continue their armed struggle against civilians in Israel's cities, including from within the West Bank.

Noting that the process of arming the West Bank with Iran's help is ongoing, he said that in order to defeat Israel there is a need for ground warfare that includes a joint front of Palestine and Lebanon in which the Palestinian young people in the West Bank and Gaza and the Hizbullah fighters will both participate.

Boasting of the achievements of the Palestinian Islamic resistance, he said that these are expressed by the many Israeli dead in recent months. He argued that the Palestinians and Hizbullah must launch a "ground war," explaining that this is "because, while missiles are excellent for deterrence or for waging static wars, they do not liberate the lands." Even though Israel's army is equipped with modern weapons, he added, it lacks the faith and religious fervor of the Palestinians and of the resistance movement. The Zionists have no ethnic, linguistic, or national unity, he said, and thus they will flee Palestine the moment that fighting on the ground begins.

The following is a translation of Salami's interview for Khamenei's website: [2]
IRGC Commander Salami: "It Is Vital To Continue The Jihad... The Struggle Is Spreading Within The Occupied Territories… Hundreds Of Thousands Of Missiles Are Deployed Against Israel And They Can Attack, In Unlimited Volume, Anywhere In The Zionist Regime – In The North And West From The Gaza Strip, And In The North By Hizbullah"
Are Palestinians better off under Abbas than Arafat?
PLO leaving Lebanon: 40 years on

Debate between Ashraf Al-Ajrami, former PA minister, Samer Sinijlawi, Chairman of the Jerusalem Development Fund, and Jacques Neriah, former deputy head of assessment for the Israeli military intelligence.


Palestine 194 Distracts from Abbas’ Despotism
The Palestine 194 campaign converged with the PA’s increasingly authoritarian tendencies when the UN Committee Against Torture (CAT) released its report on the “State of Palestine” last month. This was a routine review triggered by the PA’s 2014 accession to the UN Convention Against Torture. While CAT, a subsidiary of the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), is meant to review all convention signatories every four years, this was its first review of the PA.

Though Abbas has pursued international recognition to conceal his despotism, his accession to CAT has done the opposite. CAT’s report underscored the PA’s slide into authoritarianism by calling on the government to limit the duration of declared states of emergency, protect freedom of expression, and restore the PLC. Along with noting allegations of PA security force culpability in torture, lack of legal safeguards afforded to PA prisoners, and PA arbitrary arrests of critics, the review highlighted the 2021 death of Abbas-critic (and 2021 legislative candidate) Nizar Banat at the hands of Palestinian security forces. Apart from CAT, human rights advocates have accused the PA of shuttering critical websites, silencing journalists, and systematically using torture to silence critics (for example at the “Jericho Slaughterhouse”).

Two decades of Abbas rule have left the Palestinians divided, lacking democratic protections, politically hopeless, and on the precipice of an ugly succession battle. The aging Palestinian president’s increasing authoritarianism has gone hand in hand with his decreasing popularity. Western governments should make clear to Abbas that Palestine 194 is a dead end. The path forward must include curtailing authoritarian measures and cooperating with Israel on economic development and state building. Illusory international progress towards statehood cannot mask the Palestinian stasis.
Terrorist serving 29 years for shooting attacks and attempted kidnapping is hero says Fatah official
Sami Al-Hams, brother of terrorist Alaa Al-Hams: “The entire nation knows you well, [Alaa Al-Hams] “Abu Ibrahim.” You are a role model for us. You are the model for us, my brother. We ask Allah for a speedy release [from prison] for you…

Fatah official in the Rafah District Osama Qa’adan: “With full glory, might, and pride, we are proud of this fierce hero, fighter Alaa Ibrahim Al-Hams, the commander who embodied and still embodies the Palestinian struggle that clings to this holy land.” [Official PA TV, I Call You, July 5, 2022]

These statements were made when the official PA TV program I Call You visited the family home of Islamic Jihad terrorist prisoner Alaa Al-Hams.

Alaa Al-Hams – Palestinian terrorist and member of the Islamic Jihad terror organization who attempted to kidnap an Israeli soldier and was involved in shooting attacks. Al-Hamas was arrested in 2009 and is serving 29 years.


Israel sanctions 20 people and companies accused in Hamas money laundering front
Defense Minister Benny Gantz signed an order Wednesday imposing economic sanctions on 20 individuals and organizations accused of laundering money internationally for the Hamas terror group.

According to a statement from Gantz’s office, Hamas manages investments worth hundreds of millions of dollars through a network of shell companies “operating under the guise of legitimate companies and concealing Hamas’s control over their holdings.”

These primarily real estate and infrastructure projects operate in Sudan, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Algeria, the statement said, adding that local authorities and financial institutions were unaware Hamas was behind the companies.

The Defense Ministry, in conjunction with the Headquarters for Economic Warfare Against Terrorism and the IDF Intelligence Corps, estimated the scope of Hamas’s holdings at hundreds of millions of dollars.

Companies named include Al-Rowad for Real Estate Development Company Ltd. in Sudan; Anda, a Saudi real estate and construction company; and Algeria-based Sidar Company and Agrogate Holding.

The Defense Ministry identified Osama Ali, a member of the Hamas ruling council, saying he has headed the investment system since 2017, and has been designated a terrorist along with other Hamas officials involved in the laundering scheme. The Defense Ministry said that Ali maintains direct contact with Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh as well as other officials.
JCPA: Hussein al-Sheikh Plans to Take Over the Fatah Movement
Fatah officials also say al-Sheikh intends to weaken two main rivals in the succession battle by removing them from the movement’s power centers in the internal elections. One is Tawfiq al-Tirawi, former head of West Bank Palestinian intelligence and a Central Committee member. A report by a PA investigative committee accused him of corruption and nepotism. Another candidate, Marwan Barghouti, is the architect of the terror of the Second Intifada, serving five life sentences in an Israeli prison.

Barghouti is a member of the Fatah Central Committee and a bitter adversary of Abbas and al-Sheikh. Nevertheless, Palestinian opinion surveys show that he has public support as Abbas’ possible successor.

Last year, Barghouti announced his intention to run in the upcoming PA elections. Abbas and al-Sheikh asked the Biden administration and Israel to make sure he would not be freed in any new prisoner exchange with Hamas, explaining that he was a terrorist who would undercut the PA’s security coordination with Israel and the United States.

Another move al-Sheikh is planning is utilizing the Eighth Fatah Conference to appoint his associate, General Majid Freij, as a member of the Fatah Central Committee. He also wants to appoint other associates, such as Adnan Ghaith, governor of the Jerusalem district, and Ahmad Assaf, Palestinian communications minister, to high positions in Fatah.

The assessment in Fatah is that al-Sheikh will soon bring about the convening of the Eighth Fatah Conference. Abbas had already given his consent in principle, and the PA succession battle could escalate dramatically and violently. The Palestinian street fears stepped-up assassinations in the West Bank because al-Sheikh’s political rivals have armed militias in different locales.

The Israeli defense establishment is watching from afar and not intervening in the succession contest. Fatah officials say, however, that Israel supports Hussein al-Sheikh’s measures.


Feds Pinpoint Nearly 30K Mexican Passport Holders With Middle Eastern Names in Fraud Investigation
Federal law enforcement officials have identified a high number of individuals with Middle Eastern names traveling with Mexican passports, according to an internal Department of Homeland Security memo obtained by the Washington Free Beacon.

Since the beginning of 2022, nearly 30,000 Mexican passport holders were flagged as part of the investigation into passport fraud, the memo states, adding that each identified individual will be further evaluated. A senior official at DHS who spoke on the condition of anonymity said the agency will likely investigate whether any of the individuals have traveled to the United States and whether there are any other patterns in their travel.

The concern over fraudulent passports comes as a surge of illegal migrants at the southern border overwhelms the immigration system. With hundreds of thousands of migrants attempting to enter the country each month, Border Patrol and other law enforcement agencies often lack resources to properly vet who is entering the country. DHS secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said last year that the United States risks losing its "first line of defense" because of the "unsustainable" amount of illegal immigration at the border.

There are fears that terror groups such as al Qaeda could take advantage of the strained immigration system. Last April, for example, two Yemeni nationals on the terrorist watch list were apprehended at the southern border. Law enforcement officials appear concerned that bad actors could abuse the legal travel system to enter the country with passports obtained from Mexico, and enter the United States legally. Roughly 20 million Mexican citizens easily travel to the United States as tourists each year, according to the U.S. Travel Association.

"This investigation highlights that criminals often use legal travel to facilitate criminal activity," the senior DHS official told the Free Beacon. "The nexus to Mexico should cause the public and lawmakers to reflect on how a porous border can be even more dangerous."

The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to a request for comment.
JCPA: Iran Is in No Hurry to Sign: “In Two More Months, when Winter Comes to Europe, We Can Get a Better Deal”
Iran is still scrutinizing the U.S. response to its statements on a “final document” that Europe conveyed to the Americans. It appears that within Iran, too, there are disagreements over what stance to take, particularly regarding the date to sign the deal and whether it is worth extending the Vienna talks into the winter to score further achievements. In any case, Tehran apparently is in no hurry to sign. It asserted publicly that the nuclear deal would not affect its economic-rehabilitation program and is not part of it. Also publicly, Iranian spokesmen said the examination of the U.S. response would “continue at least until the weekend.”

Meanwhile, Qatar’s efforts to mediate between the Iranian and European-American sides continue. Qatar’s deputy foreign minister spoke by phone with the EU top negotiator for the Vienna talks, Enrique Mora, and met (August 27, 2022) in Tehran with Ali Bakri Kani, head of Iran’s negotiating team. In June, Qatar hosted two days of indirect U.S.-Iranian talks. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian also spoke with the foreign minister of Oman (where preliminary Iranian-U.S. contacts were held toward the signing of the 2015 nuclear deal). He told him Iran would state its position after weighing the U.S. response.

The Issues That Have Remained “Sensitive and Fateful”
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani said (August 28) that Iran would submit its response after its “experts” finish their confidential discussions on the details of the U.S. response. He asserted that Iran is conducting itself “responsibly” and said the latest round of talks in Vienna were “positive and making progress…most of the issues have been resolved, but those that remain are very sensitive, important, and fateful.” He stressed that Iran wants an agreement because it will serve its interests. He criticized the negotiating team under the previous government of President Hassan Rouhani and said the current team had discussed Iran’s red lines for the negotiations.

Concerning the U.S.-Israeli talks on the nuclear deal, Kanaani said, “We have to wait and see if the American administration keeps awaiting the stance and the order of priorities of the Zionist regime or will grant priority to the interests of the American people”—that is, sign the deal. Iranian sources indicated that Tehran would provide its response by the weekend. In any case, most of the Iranian print and broadcast media are highlighting Israel’s efforts to derail the agreement and its heavy pressure on Washington not to sign it and thereby return to the framework of the 2015 deal.1
What should Israel’s strategy be for the day after a nuke deal with Iran?
While Israel has urged the United States not to return to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), or Iran nuclear deal, recent signs point to a revived agreement. This has shifted discussion in Israel from how to prevent a deal to what strategy to adopt the day after one is signed.

Israel has made it clear that it does not consider itself bound by any agreement that might be reached. Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid told foreign correspondents on Aug. 24, “If a deal is signed, it does not obligate Israel. We will act to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear state.”

Many analysts believe this action must be military.

“If we cannot stop Iran from having a nuclear weapon by other means, we shall have to do it militarily,” Israel Defense Forces Brig. Gen. (res.) Yossi Kuperwasser, a fellow at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, told JNS.

Kuperwasser is less worried about Israel’s technical capability to conduct a strike than its political ability, noting Israel will have to make the decision in the face of American opposition. “We’re caught in a very difficult tension between our commitment to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear … state and our commitment to our relations with the United States,” he said.

He outlined a four-part action plan for Israel in a post-deal reality:
1. Israel must continue its covert operations to undermine Iran’s capabilities;
2. Israel must continue warning the United States that it reserves the right to take action against Iran;
3. Israel must build up its military capabilities for the time when it’s required to take action
4. It must work with the Gulf States to make sure they “don’t cross the line,” meaning drift into Iran’s orbit.
New deal likely to remove ‘freedom of action against Iranian nuclear infrastructure’
The revival of a nuclear deal with Iran will most likely hamper the future freedom of action by Israel and the United States to act against Iranian nuclear infrastructure, a former senior Israeli intelligence officer has warned.

Brig. Gen. (res.) Yossi Kuperwasser, an ex-Israel Defense Forces Intelligence Research Division head and a former director-general of the Israeli Ministry of Strategic Affairs, told JNS that while there are “advantages and disadvantages” to the two main scenarios of a deal and no deal, “it is clear to me that the current reality is much better than the reality in which a deal would be signed.”

Kuperwasser, today the director of the Project on Regional Middle East Developments at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, said the primary reason for this is that while Israel and the United States currently have freedom of action to derail the Iranian nuclear project and paralyze its infrastructure, that freedom would vanish after the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)—originally signed in 2015 and exited in 2018 by the Trump administration—is revived.

“Now, there is freedom to act for those who want to move against the Iranian nuclear program and to prevent them from achieving an ability to build nuclear weapons. This freedom exists for both Israel and the United States,” said Kuperwasser.

“Certainly, every military maneuver against Iran would have a price; there are no free meals. But there is nothing to prevent such action, which would be aimed at disrupting the creation of a strategic threat to the world and to Israel’s security,” he stated.


Lawmakers Push Back Against Biden Effort to Close Probe Into Iranian Nuclear Sites
Republican foreign policy leaders in Congress are pushing back against an effort by the Biden administration and its European partners to nix an International Atomic Energy Agency investigation into Iran’s atomic weapons program as part of concessions meant to entice Iran into signing a new nuclear agreement.

Five Republican lawmakers led by Rep. Claudia Tenney (R., N.Y.) wrote to the IAEA that its probe should continue until it has sufficient answers from Iran about its atomic weapons program. Iran has blocked IAEA inspectors from accessing its contested nuclear sites for years, with the international organization disclosing possible Iranian violations of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty as recently as last week. Iran has also removed cameras that monitor its nuclear sites.

With outstanding concerns yet to be addressed, the Biden administration and its European allies "are considering acquiescing to Iran’s demand that the IAEA’s ongoing safeguards probe be terminated before the nuclear deal can be revived," the lawmakers wrote Wednesday, according to a copy of the letter obtained by the Washington Free Beacon. "This probe should be terminated only when all outstanding technical issues and concerns have been addressed and sufficiently resolved."

As negotiations over a revamped version of the 2015 nuclear deal reach their final stage, questions still remain about how close Iran is to building a nuclear weapon. It has been stockpiling highly enriched uranium—the key component in a bomb—while building out secret military bunkers suspected to house its weapons program. As part of the new nuclear deal, Iran will not be forced to disclose the nature of this work and will be given a greenlight to continue some of its most contested nuclear work, such as the joint construction with Russia of new nuclear reactors.

While the Biden administration said as recently as last week the IAEA’s probe must continue outside of a new accord, it appears to have walked back this demand in order to push the deal to the finish line. The issue remains one of the final sticking points in talks, with Iran saying it will not implement the deal so long as the investigation remains open.
Dozens of House Democrats set to express concerns on Iran deal to Biden
Nearly 30 House Democrats have signed onto a draft letter expressing fresh concerns about the Iran nuclear deal, which appears to be moving toward a conclusion following months of stalled negotiations.

The letter is being circulated by Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), who previously marshaled the support of 18 House Democrats to publicly express varying degrees of concern about the negotiations. Twenty House Democrats have publicly expressed concerns about the looming agreement, with others who opposed the original 2015 deal staying silent pending finalized text.

The most recent letter, addressed to President Joe Biden, has picked up more than 40 signatories, a majority of them Democrats, an individual familiar with the letter told Jewish Insider. The letter began circulating on Sunday and will close for signatures on Wednesday, the individual said.

JI has learned that the letter expresses concerns about specific alleged provisions of the proposed agreement text that have been publicly reported. The lawmakers are set to argue that, given recent Iranian attempts to attack U.S. citizens on U.S. soil, any reduction or loosening of U.S. sanctions would be inappropriate. Without any sanctions relief — a key element of the 2015 nuclear deal — Iran would be unlikely to agree to a new deal.

The letter voices specific objections to reported provisions modifying U.S. sanctions targeting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and lifting sanctions on Iran’s central bank, national development fund and national oil company.


Secret deals ending Britain's control in Gulf revealed
Secret dealings which brought to an end Britain's empire in the Middle East are revealed in a joint BBC News Arabic and Persian documentary. The film Secrets & Deals: How Britain Left the Gulf contains details of how it left Iran in control of contested islands, as well as eyewitness accounts of a British-organised coup.

The winter of 1967-1968 was a time of crisis for the British economy. Many Arab leaders were convinced Britain had secretly helped Israel to victory over its Arab neighbours in the Six Day War of June 1967. Israel had captured East Jerusalem, the West Bank, Gaza, the Sinai Peninsula, and the Golan Heights.

In retaliation, the oil-rich Gulf states began selling off their holdings of the British currency.

The pound crashed. Desperate to save money, Harold Wilson's Labour government decided it was time to terminate Britain's imperial defence commitments in the Middle East.

Britain never officially had colonies in the Gulf, but it had been the pre-eminent foreign power there since the 18th Century.

The Arab emirates of Bahrain, Qatar and the Trucial States (Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and their smaller neighbours) had signed treaties of protection with Britain.

This meant Britain controlled their defence and foreign policies, while local leaders mostly oversaw local affairs.

In 1965, the most politically, socially and educationally progressive of the ruling sheikhs in the Trucial States, Saqr bin Sultan al-Qasimi of Sharjah, fell foul of the British.

His offence was to have cosied up to Egypt's President, Gamal Abdel Nasser, the mainstay of the Arab nationalist movement.
A new battleground – the rain rivalry in the Middle East
Iran accuses Israel and the UAE of stealing their precipitation via cloud seeding, a rain-inducing method

Amid a searing drought and unprecedented heatwaves, Iranian officials are claiming that countries like Israel and the United Arab Emirates are stealing their rain from the clouds above

The claim is not a new one, according to i24NEWS Middle East correspondent Ariel Oseran, who recalled when a commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps accused Israel and the UAE in 2018 of making Iranian clouds void of rain.

Such an accusation is based on cloud seeding, a practice that countries across the Middle East and north Africa are using more and more to combat dry and hot weather.

The rain-inducing method – a practice also being used in places like China and Mexico – involves sending planes to the base of clouds and releasing chemicals in an effort to provoke precipitation.




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