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Wednesday, May 31, 2023

05/31 Links Pt1: W.H.O. Singles Out Israel as Violator of Health Rights; Mahmoud Abbas's Two-Palestinian-State Solution; Terror victim Meir Tamari laid to rest

From Ian:

How lies became facts: The Tantura ‘massacre’ returns
The battle over Israel’s legitimacy, of which this story of the great “massacre of Tantura” is but a chapter, is part of the overall war being waged in the West by the progressive camp to impugn the moral foundations of the West as a civilization advancing freedom.

These revisionist arguments echo the ideas of the founder of the Italian Communist Party, Antonio Gramsci, and his concept of “cultural hegemony.” Progressive thought holds that Western narratives are deliberately constructed around so encompassing a body of myths and so pervasive a structure of institutions that they become the received wisdom and obscure an underlying condition of perpetuated oppression.

Gramsci argued that codes of morality are constructed by dictatorial elites in order to create norms that uphold, validate and deepen the systemic oppression inherent to the capitalist system. Even the concepts of logic, truth and facts—the foundations of Western rational debate—are dismissed as forms of such hidden systems of oppression designed to contain debate into a repressive and misleading straitjacket.

As such, the idea of “approximate truth”—where narratives trump factual records of history—become valid to legitimize a cause or perspective even when the facts would suggest otherwise, because facts are themselves a form of repression.

The story of Tantura—or rather the myth of Tantura—is thus part of this larger assault on Western foundations. It is neither a historical work, a documentary, or even a docu-drama that took some artistic license. It is the intentional obfuscation of fact in an attempt to use the device of the “approximate truth”—something factually wrong but nonetheless representing a desired truth—to actually undermine truth and rewrite the historical narrative of Israel.

It is an attempt through fiction cropped as fact to paint Israel’s creation in such a dark palette that it is exposed as a historic evil born of colonial desire to suppress the Arab and Muslim people rather than as an attempt to correct the historical wrong of the exile of the Jewish people and instead to deliver them finally their liberation and sovereignty after two millennia.
W.H.O. Singles Out Israel as Violator of Health Rights
Deviating from its focus on public health emergencies, the annual assembly of the UN’s World Health Organization held a special debate on May 24th to single out Israel, which was condemned by Iran, Syria, North Korea, Russia, Venezuela and Cuba, for allegedly violating the health rights of Palestinians and the Druze population in the Golan Heights.

By a vote of 76 to 13, with 35 abstentions, the world health assembly adopted a resolution submitted by the Syrian and Palestinian delegations requiring the WHO to hold the same debate at next year’s meeting, and to prepare another report on the “Health conditions in the occupied Palestinian territory, including east Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian Golan.”

Co-sponsors of the resolution included Syria, Libya, Algeria, Cuba, Pakistan, Somalia, Venezuela and Yemen. No other country received a special agenda item at the 76th World Health Assembly, which concluded yesterday.

Hillel Neuer, executive director of the Geneva-based UN Watch, an independent non-governmental organization that monitors the UN, condemned the “cynical politicization of the world’s top health agency at the expense of focusing on urgent health priorities affecting hundreds of millions around the globe.”

WHO Singles Out Israel, Ignores Russia, Syria, Afghanistan, Ethiopia

“Out of 25 items on the current world health assembly’s agenda,” said Neuer, “only one focused on a specific country — Israel.”
Bassam Tawil: Mahmoud Abbas's Two-Palestinian-State Solution
The "right of return" is not actually a "right," especially if you are the party who started the war and then lost it, as took place in 1948.

The "right of return" is, rather, a demand: that all the Palestinians who fled their homes during the war of 1948 – and all their descendants – be allowed to return to what is currently the State of Israel.

Thousands of wealthy Arabs left their homes in anticipation of a war, thousands more responded to Arab leaders' calls to get out of the way of the advancing Arab armies. A handful were expelled, but most simply fled to avoid being caught in the crossfire as the Arabs waged war in response to the establishment of Israel.

"There is a limit to how far Abbas should go to appease Israel." -- Saudi commentator, mepc.org, 2012.

[A]n extensive letter to Abbas, signed by 78 Palestinian organizations, contained a semi-veiled death threat.

It has now become clear that when Abbas says he supports the two-state solution, he is actually talking about one Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem, and another one that would replace Israel.

In Israel, there are currently about seven million Jews and two million Arabs. An influx of untold millions of Palestinians would mean, literally, the end of Israel. This appears to be exactly what Abbas and other Palestinians are hoping to achieve.

In pursuing this hardline push for the "right of return," Abbas desires a two-state solution: two Palestinian states, one in the West Bank and Gaza, and the other in all of Israel.




Scoop: Harris to give speech at Israeli Embassy's 75th independence day reception
Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to give a speech next week at the Israeli Embassy's reception celebrating Israel’s 75th anniversary, according to a White House official and an Israeli source.

Why it matters: Vice presidents, including Joe Biden and Mike Pence, have attended the reception in the past. But President Biden's decision to send such a high-level representative to the event carries extra weight considering Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu still hasn't received a White House invitation — five months after taking office.

Details: The reception is scheduled to take place on June 6 at the National Building Museum in Washington D.C. Second gentleman Douglas Emhoff will also attend the event, the sources said.

What they're saying: A White House official said Harris’ remarks at the event “will celebrate the unshakeable bond between the U.S. and Israel and she will reaffirm the United States’ ironclad commitment to Israel’s security."

“The Vice President is proud of her work to strengthen the relationship between the U.S. and Israel throughout her career ... The Vice President and Second Gentleman look forward to celebrating the 75th Anniversary alongside the Israeli Embassy and members of the Jewish-American community," the White House official said.
Caroline Glick Show: David Goldman: Russia, Ukraine and the End of U.S. Superpower Dominance
In the aftermath of Russia’s conquest of Bakhmut, Caroline’s guest on this week’s Caroline Glick Show was David Goldman. Goldman was perhaps the first commentator who pointed out the geostrategic implications of the Biden administration’s haphazard plan to defeat Russia.

On the show this week, Caroline and David revisited those prescient warnings in light of what has happened in the intervening months of the war. They discussed
- the future of NATO,
- the security of Poland and Germany
- the future of U.S.-European relations.
- Russia/China alliance and its impact on the Middle East


The Israel Guys: US State Department SLAMS Israel AGAIN - This Time They Have Gone TOO FAR
The US State Department has taken things too far. From slamming Israel for repealing the 2005 Disengagement Law that gave away huge chunks of Israeli territory, to criticizing them for moving a yeshiva to Israeli state land, to spending more than 20,000 words accusing Israel of religious discrimination, the State Department has gone one step too far.


UAE positions itself for UN Security Council presidency
The UAE is assuming the presidency of the United Nations Security Council for a month, with The National reporting that the country will “host key events aimed at promoting peace in the Middle East.”

The presidency of the Security Council is a rotating one-month position for the 15 members of the council, of which 10 are non-permanent members. The United Arab Emirates currently holds a two-year position on the council. This move comes amid several developments in the Emirates and the region.

The UAE and United States just completed a key exercise called Iron Union 19, which took place in the UAE. According to Abu Dhabi state media, Maj.-Gen. Saeed Rashid Al Shehhi, commander of the UAE Land Forces, watched the joint UAE-US exercise.

“The joint exercise features military scenarios which aim to strengthen joint coordination and upgrade combat readiness. The exercise is part of the UAE Ministry of Defence’s strategy to raise combat readiness and build tactical proficiency,” WAM Emirates News Agency said.

According to reports from the US Air Force, a C-17 Globemaster III flew an M1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tank to the region as part of the drill. It was not clear what other assets were sent by the US for the drill.

The drill is an important part of the relations between the UAE and the US. It is also part of a larger footprint the US has in the region, including in Qatar, Kuwait and also US Central Command’s close ties to Israel, which have developed over the years.

CENTCOM head general Michael “Erik” Kurilla arrived in Israel this week for key meetings as well. UAE media highlighted this visit, discussing Israel’s Firm Hand drill, which is taking place this week. The UAE is keenly interested in US-Israel ties as they relate to its own partnerships with Israel and the US.

Meanwhile, Iran has indicated its hopes for increased ties with the UAE. Saudi Arabia, an indispensable partner of the UAE, recently reconciled with Iran – that means Iran is making more moves in the Gulf, including hosting Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tarik this week. As well, reports have come out claiming that the US and Iran are progressing on the nuclear issue, tying directly into the reduction of tension in the Gulf.
UAE says it withdrew from US-led maritime coalition tasked with securing Gulf waters
The United Arab Emirates has withdrawn from a US-led maritime coalition tasked with securing tense Gulf waterways that are vital to the global oil trade, it said Wednesday.

The UAE “withdrew its participation” in the 38-nation Combined Maritime Forces two months ago, a foreign ministry statement said, without giving reasons for the move.

“As a result of our ongoing evaluation of effective security cooperation with all partners, two months ago, the UAE withdrew its participation in the Combined Maritime Forces,” said the statement carried by the official WAM news agency.

The Bahrain-headquartered CMF was established in 2001, initially as a partnership between 12 nations. It is active in crucial but troubled Gulf waters where tankers have been seized and attacked in recent months.

A spokesperson for the Combined Maritime Forces said the UAE remains a partner nation, despite putting its participation on hold.

“The CMF still includes 38 partner nations, of which the UAE is one,” Commander Timothy Hawkins told AFP.
Pro-Israel resolution from Arkansas breaks new ground
A resolution passed by a unanimous vote in the Arkansas House of Representatives, which includes a strong statement in support of Jewish ties to Judea and Samaria, has garnered growing appreciation among Israel supporters.

The resolution passed on April 6 calls on Arkansas to enter into strategic partnerships with Israel and build upon a Memorandum of Understanding then-state Gov. Asa Hutchinson signed with the Israel Innovation Authority in 2022.

Heartland to Heartland
“The State of Arkansas, which lies in America’s heartland, has a special kinship with Judea and Samaria, Israel’s biblical heartland,” the resolution reads.

“Cities across Arkansas bear the names of biblical cities throughout Judea and Samaria, such as Bethel, Hebron, Shiloh, Salem, and numerous others,” the resolution continues.

Other U.S. states have also issued resolutions recognizing Israel’s connection to Judea and Samaria, including Florida in 2012, South Carolina in 2018 and Texas in 2023. They speak of historical and biblical Jewish ties but also offer a modern legal background to justify Jewish rights in those areas, referring either to the League of Nations or the United Nations, or both.

Arkansas’s resolution goes a step further. By skipping over references to modern international law, it takes for granted the natural right of Jews to Judea and Samaria, their ancestral heartland.

“The decision of the House of Representatives in Arkansas is unique because, unlike most decisions of [state] houses in the United States regarding relations with Israel, this decision for the first time speaks of the special relationship with the Land of Israel … including Judea and Samaria,” the Samaria Regional Council said in a statement.
Canadian Parliament event to host anti-Israel who’s who
A May 31 event planned for Parliament Hill in Ottawa promises to be a who’s who of anti-Israel activism.

Three members of the Canadian Parliament—Alexandre Boulerice, Elizabeth May and Mario Beaulieu—will host “Embracing Responsibility: Canada’s responsibility towards Palestine under international law.” The announcement refers to the “chilling” effect of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism.

“We are disappointed that, yet again, individuals known to have promoted antisemitism are invited to participate in events on Canada’s Parliament Hill,” Shimon Koffler Fogel, president and CEO of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, an agency of the Jewish Federations of Canada, told JNS.

“We reiterate our calls for members of Parliament to undertake careful vetting prior to issuing invitations to ensure that individuals that have histories of promoting hate are not given a platform at the heart of our democracy,” Fogel added.

Karen Rodman, who supports BDS and who has called Israel “apartheid,” will moderate a discussion with six speakers, including Francesca Albanese, U.N. special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, who has compared Israelis to Nazis, and Michael Lynk, who formerly held that U.N. role, and who has a history of anti-Israel statements.

The four other speakers include those who have lobbied against the IHRA working definition, pushed for Israel to be investigated in The Hague, supported former UK Labour head Jeremy Corbyn and called Israel “a colonial project from the very beginning.”


Terror victim Meir Tamari laid to rest
Terror victim Meir Tamari was buried in Shaked in Samaria on Wednesday, a day after being shot near the Jewish community of Hermesh.

Tamari sustained a bullet wound to the upper body and was evacuated by helicopter to Hillel Yaffe Medical Center in Hadera, where he was pronounced dead.

Tamari, who leaves behind a wife and two young children, was buried on his 32nd birthday.

“Today we were supposed to have a fun day with the children to celebrate your birthday,” his widow, Tal, said at the funeral. “Instead, we are here eulogizing you.”

Samaria Regional Council chief Yossi Dagan demanded that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu take concrete steps to prevent Palestinian terrorist attacks.

“Wherever there is no settlement, there is terrorism. We will increase settlement, both to honor God and to strengthen the State of Israel,” Dagan said at the funeral.

“We cry out to the prime minister, the defense minister and other government ministers: This murder could have been prevented. Why did you close the checkpoints? Why didn’t you go on a military campaign against the Palestinian Terror Authority? We demand answers. Jewish blood cannot be forfeit,” he continued.

Dagan’s council earlier Wednesday called for an “Operation Defensive Shield 2” in the wake of dozens of shootings, stone-throwings and Molotov cocktail attacks that take place regularly in Samaria.


Foreign Ministry slams Qatari paper for urging terror attacks against Israelis - exclusive
The Foreign Ministry on Wednesday blasted a Palestinian columnist for the Qatar daily paper Al-Watan who authored a commentary in May calling on Palestinians to carry out terror attacks on Israelis, including calls for Arab countries to go on war footing against the Jewish state. The Middle East Media Research Institute first located and translated the column from Palestinian journalist Samir al-Barghouti.

According to MEMRI, Barghouti wrote “Hit [them] in the depth of the Jerusalem settlements, in Tel Aviv and in all parts of the land they stole and whose people they expelled, from Ras Al-Naqoura [in the North] to Rafah [in the South]. Hit [them], and may your hands be blessed. Even if you do not hurt a single one of them, it is enough to terrify them and sow fear among them.”

Barghouti added that “had there been someone to hit [them] inside the 1948 territories, the Apartheid State [i.e. Israel] would not have continued to exist on our soil to this very day. Had it not been for the Camp David Accords and the Oslo Accords, not a single Zionist would have remained in Palestine [today]…”

In an exclusive statement to The Jerusalem Post, the Foreign Ministry said it “strongly condemn[s]” the article “calling for Palestinians to carry out terror attacks against Israelis. Such inflammatory rhetoric and glorification of violence are deeply disturbing and contribute to the perpetuation of the hatred and hostility in the region.”
Iranian Qods Force Commander In Letter To Palestinians: Iran Will Continue To Support You With All Its Abilities Until The Zionist Entity Is Eliminated; Hamas Leader Replies: Iran Is A Firm Foundation For Our Struggle Against Israel And U.S.
On May 14, 2023, one day after the end of the latest round of fighting in Hamas-controlled Gaza between Israel and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terror organization, several websites affiliated with the resistance axis posted a letter from Esmail Qaani, commander of the Qods Force in Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), to the Palestinian resistance factions. Addressing the people of Gaza, the jihad fighters throughout Palestine, the resistance factions and the commanders of the Joint Operations Room,[1] Qaani congratulated them on their victory in the "Revenge of the Free Campaign" (the Palestinian name of the latest round of fighting in Gaza). Speaking on his own behalf and on behalf of Iran, he added that this great new victory joins the Palestinians' previous victories, which form a series of confident steps towards "the final great victory" over Israel. Qaani stressed that "the Islamic Republic of Iran will continue to use all its abilities and resources to support the Palestinian people and its courageous resistance, and to strengthen the resistance axis until the oppressive Zionist entity is removed from all the lands of blessed Palestine." He also thanked all the resistance movements, and in particular the Lebanese Hizbullah, for supporting the Palestinians.

About one week later, Isma'il Haniya, head of Hamas' political bureau, answered Qaani with a letter of his own, in which he thanked Iran for its "unreserved" and strategic support of the Palestinian resistance, and added that "Iran is a firm foundation for the Palestinian resistance and for the resistance axis in its main struggle against the Zionist enemy and the American hegemony."

In this context it should be noted that Hamas refrained from participating directly in the last round of fighting with Israel, but claimed that it had been part of the fighting through its membership in the Joint Operations Room of the Gazan resistance factions. This message of unity among the Palestinian factions was stressed by both Hamas and the PIJ throughout the latest round of fighting and after it, although, as noted, this unity did not take the form of active involvement by Hamas in the hostilities.[2]

It should also be mentioned that Qaani's letter is an expression of Iran's years-long support of the Gazan terror organizations with funds and weapons. Over the years the organization leaders have repeatedly thanked Iran for this support, as reported in numerous MEMRI publications.[3]
Fatah spokesman calls Golda Meir "the woman in hell"
Fatah Spokesperson in Jenin Nasri Hamamreh: “I want to mention a phrase said by the woman in hell [former Israeli Prime Minister] Golda Meir, one of her nine famous phrases: “I hope that I will wake up one day and not a single Palestinian child will be alive” (sic., PMW found no record of Meir making such a statement). This is not just criminal thinking, but rather they are translating this criminal thought [into action] on the ground.”
[Official PA TV, May 13, 2023]

Hamamreh made this statement at the funeral in Jenin of terrorist Ahmed Atatra, who attempted to stab Israeli soldiers

Ahmed Atatra – Palestinian terrorist who ran at Israeli soldiers with a knife to stab them at the Shaked Crossing east of Jenin on May 13, 2023. The soldiers responded by shooting and killing Atatra in self-defense.


Israel denies parole of Palestinian terrorist Walid Daqqah
The early release of terrorist Walid Daqqah was denied by a parole hearing on Wednesday, after a protest and social media campaign by Daqqah’s victim’s family which drew support and statements from Israeli politicians and activists.

Daqqah’s family said that the parole board decision was a death sentence for the ill terrorist, who is afflicted with bone marrow cancer. The appeal for Daqqah’s early release was based on his worsening condition, which supporters asserted required consistent medical treatment outside of prison.

Ortal Tamam, niece of the IDF Moshe Tamam who was tortured and murdered by Daqqah’s Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) cell in 1984, welcomed the decision and told The Jerusalem Post that she hoped that the story would end with Wednesday’s hearing.

“There are still special committees, and there may still be more attempts by the terrorist to free himself,” Tamam in a Facebook post. Intensification of the protests for Israel to parole Walid Daqqah

The Daqqah family called on legal organizations and Palestinian factions to intensify their protests and efforts for the convict’s release before he succumbed to his disease. Tamam said that she didn’t have any expectations from their enemies, but would continue to have expectations of Israel and the flag that her uncle died for.


Palestinian terror group blames Israel for overnight airstrike on Lebanon-Syria border
Israel has reportedly denied Arab media reports that its troops attacked a position of the Popular Front Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC) terrorist organization on the Lebanon-Syria border, killing five.

Arab media reports claim the incident allegedly happened near the village of Qousaya, which is in Lebanon on the Syrian border.

Reports say the explosion took place overnight or in the early morning, but there was no video to corroborate the time. The Alma Research and Education Center, which covers security issues in the north, noted online that “Israel is denying any involvement. It is highly probable that this is a local accident of an explosion, probably ammunition, possibly rockets. The organization, for its part, of course, blames Israel for the explosion.” The PFLP-GC denied that it was an “internal explosion.”

According to the pro-Syrian regime outlet Al-Mayadeen, an official from the PFLP-GC said there were five “martyrs” and 10 wounded after the incident and accused Israel of “aggression.”


Who are the PFLP-GC terrorist group?
The PFLP-GC is a Palestinian group founded in 1968 by Ahmed Jibril, which split from the PFLP. It was involved in terrorism in the 1970s and 1980s and during the Syrian civil war worked closely with the Iranian-backed Assad regime. It was involved in battles in the Palestinian Yarmouk camp areas where it is based.

Pro-Syrian regime groups such as Liwa al-Quds and also the Iran-backed Palestinian Islamic Jihad both have members in Syria and have threatened Israel from Syria in the past.

5 Palestinians killed in explosion on Syria-Lebanon border
5 operatives of the Palestinian Popular Front organization were killed in an explosion on the Syria-Lebanon border. After accusing Israel of carrying out the airstrikes, Israel denied its involvement




Double Duty and Journalistic Dereliction_ Ashraf Ibrahim, Served Both Intelligence and Terror Forces
Ashraf Mohammad Ibrahim, killed in Jenin two days ago during a pitched gunbattle with Israeli troops, was a Palestinian intelligence officer. He also moonlighted as a fighter belonging to the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, a designated terrorist organization affiliated with Fatah. While many news outlets reported his day job, they initially neglected to note his role as a terror operative. Following communication from CAMERA’s Israel office, media outlets including Reuters, Associated Press and Times of Israel added the terror affiliation, while Haaretz and Agence France Presse ignored calls to share the relevant information.

Haaretz, for instance, whitewashed (“Palestinian Officer Killed By Israeli Army Fire in West Bank City of Jenin,” Jack Khoury):
A Palestinian intelligence officer was killed Monday morning by Israeli army gunfire in the West Bank city of Jenin, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. . . .

According to the health ministry’s statement, the officer who was killed with 37-year-old Ashraf Ibrahim.

Palestinian sources in Jenin told Haaretz that Ibrahim was active in the Fatah, and spend 11 years in Israeli prisons before being released in 2019. Like many other former prisoners, he joined the ranks of the Palestinian security organizations, finding a role in the intelligence wing.

But, as this graphic (below) issued by the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade confirms, Ashraf Mohammad Ibrahim was also a “martyr, colonel and clash participant” and “one of the commanders of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade.”

Similarly, Times of Israel had initially reported (“Palestinian killed, 7 wounded in IDF raid in Jenin. . .”):
A Palestinian man was killed and at least seven were wounded during a raid by the Israeli military on the northern West Bank city of Jenin early Monday, according to Palestinian health officials.

The Palestinian Authority Health Ministry said 37-year-old Ashraf Muhammad Amin Ibrahim was fatally shot in the abdomen and chest by Israeli troops during the raid.

In the international press, Agence France Presse likewise ignored Ibrahim’s terror affiliation, reporting (“Israeli forces kill West Bank Palestinian in West Bank raid: ministry“): “Ibrahim was an officer in the Palestinian intelligence service, according to the official Palestinian news agency Wafa.”
Palestinian Authority President Issues Decree: Denying Nakba A Crime Punishable By Imprisonment
Ahead of the 75th anniversary of the Nakba, Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud 'Abbas issued a presidential decree on the topic of commemorating this event. The decree designates May 15 as the official day for commemorating the Nakba and holding activities "to establish the national Palestinian narrative in Palestine and throughout the world." Defining the Nakba as "the crime against humanity committed against the Palestinian people in 1948," it also stipulates that "the denial of the Nakba is a crime punishable by up to two years' imprisonment" and that "the relevant state authorities are tasked with holding perpetrators to account in accordance with the law, inside the state and out of it."

It should be noted that the Palestinian leadership has recently intensified its efforts to establish the Palestinian narrative of the conflict with Israel by marking Nakba Day in Palestinian and international forums and calling to recognize the right of the Palestinian refugees to return to their homes inside Israel. One manifestation of this was the event held at the UN General Assembly on May 15, 2023, which was the first official UN commemoration of the Nakba. 'Abbas attended the event and delivered a pointed speech calling for the return of the Palestinian refugees, and noted that he himself is a refugee and wishes to return to his birth city, Safed. He described Israel as an "apartheid regime" that promotes a false narrative "like Goebbels," and stated that the West, especially Britain and the U.S., bears a direct moral and political responsibility for the Nakba of the Palestinian people. He also announced that a national monument was being built in Palestine to commemorate the Nakba and that a presidential decree had been issued on marking Nakba Day.[1]
Arms Smuggling from Jordan: Lessons Learned
A flood of weapons has crossed Israel’s borders in the last year for use in criminal and terror activities – and maybe in preparation for the day after Abu Mazen.

The Palestinians have a large demand for weapons, and Jordan has a large supply. As a result, both sides are motivated to engage in the illicit trade.

Israel and Jordan’s efforts and counterterror activity have not deterred the ongoing smuggling.

Israel should increase its intelligence and operational efforts and strengthen deterrence with harsher punishments. Unfortunately, the quick release of the Jordanian parliamentarian, notwithstanding serious political considerations, did not contribute to this context.


US readies strategy to target Syria’s Captagon trade
The Biden administration will soon release a congressionally mandated strategy to stem the flow of Captagon, an illegal amphetamine driving much of the debate over whether Syria’s neighbors should re-engage with the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.

Twelve years after the country descended into bloody civil war, Syria has emerged as the global hub for Captagon. Western officials say the highly addictive drug has become a main source of revenue for the regime, helping fill its coffers in the face of broad economic sanctions imposed by the United States and its European allies.

Authorities across the Middle East and southern Europe have seized billions of dollars' worth of Captagon in recent years that they say originated from government-controlled parts of Syria. It is then typically smuggled overland to Jordan before making its way to the Gulf, where it is widely used recreationally among young people.

An estimated 80% of the world’s Captagon supply is now produced in Syria, where Western officials say Assad’s relatives and associates have created a lucrative illicit enterprise with the help of the Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon and Iran-backed militias.

Major players also include the Fourth Armored Division of the Syrian Army, which is commanded by Assad’s brother, Maher al-Assad. The president’s cousin, Samer Kamal al-Assad, is said to oversee Captagon facilities in the port city of Latakia in coordination with the Fourth Division.
BBC erasure of Hizballah from Syria drug trafficking story persists
Clearly none of those four reports provides BBC audiences with an adequate portrayal of the involvement of members of the Assad family and their associates in the multi-billion dollar Captagon industry. Neither of the two reports published after May 8th mentions the Jordanian airstrikes in southern Syria on that day (about which the Syrian regime has been notably silent) which allegedly targeted a drug production facility and a drug dealer and his family.

No less remarkable is the fact that none of those brief portrayals of Syrian drug production and trafficking by multiple BBC journalists mentions the involvement of the Iran-backed terrorist organisation Hizballah in that industry.

It is of course worth remembering that – despite Hizballah’s long-standing and well-known involvement in drug trafficking in other parts of the world – in January 2021 the BBC News website published a report headlined ‘Hezbollah denies any role in production of amphetamines’. Since then the corporation has largely steered clear of that topic, at best presenting allegations and denials on equal footing.

The story of Assad’s return to the Arab League fold cannot be properly told without explaining why the issue of Captagon trafficking is so important to some members of that organisation, including Jordan. The pledge reportedly made by the Syrian regime to curb the drug trafficking into neighbouring countries would affect not only its own income but, significantly, also that of the Hizballah terrorist organisation which is backed by Iran – the regime upon which Assad’s survival is also partly dependent.

BBC audiences, however, are not being provided with the full range of information essential for understanding of this story and possible future developments.
US expresses renewed interest in Iran nuclear diplomacy: ‘Our goal is to reach a diplomatic outcome with Iran’
The Biden administration officials’ recent comments, however, suggested that whatever diplomatic outcome the U.S. would be prepared to pursue now, it may not be a revival of the JCPOA. Nor does it seem, at least in the near term, that the U.S. is exploring a diplomatic option through the format of the so-called “P5+1”—the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (US, UK, France, Russia and China + Germany) which negotiated with Iran to reach the 2015 deal—but seemingly an understanding that might be reached between the US and Iran, possibly with third country mediation.

Biden National Security Council Middle East advisor Brett McGurk traveled to Oman on May 8 to discuss with the Omanis if the Iranians would be “open to taking to steps that would put some limits on their nuclear program and de-escalate the regional situation and what they would want in return,” Axios’ Barak Ravid reported Tuesday.

Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said conducted a two-day trip to Iran last weekend (May 28-29) during which he met with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran protests subside, Iran nuclear program advances
“I think that it's true that it was difficult for us to engage in negotiations when Iran was engaged in the brutal crackdown against its own people,” Ali Vaez, director of the Iran program at the International Crisis Group, formerly headed by Malley, told me Tuesday. “But now that the dust has settled, the problem of Iran's nuclear proliferation is looming large again, and so obviously, the US has to pursue a diplomatic solution to try to curb Iran's activities.”

“It’s a question of priorities,” Vaez said. “I think that there's a change in how the U.S. perceives key concerns about Iran's activity. A few months ago, human rights was at the top, and now I think the nuclear issue is once again… flashing red.”

But Vaez expressed skepticism that even an interim nuclear deal is possible in the near term, and suggested what was likely being explored was much more modest.


Beat Iran at its own game
As Iran takes advantage of Israel’s enemies, Israel should respond by taking advantage of Iran’s enemies by forging alliances with the Islamic republic’s oppressed ethnic groups. Israel would do well to support these groups’ struggles for self-determination by providing any kind of support it can, up to and including military aid. By doing this, Israel can establish footholds not just on Iran’s borders, but within Iran itself.

Israel should begin by strengthening relations with the Kurds. I say strengthen because Israel has had cordial though clandestine relations with the Kurds for a long time. The Kurds are particularly important because they straddle the borders of Syria, Turkey, Iraq and Iran. Thus, strengthening relations with the Kurds has the potential to allow Israel to have eyes in all four of these countries.

The Kurds are also the largest ethnic group in the Middle East without a country of their own. They of all people deserve self-determination and Israel can help make that happen. In exchange, the Kurds should allow Israel to put intelligence and military assets in their territory to target Iran.

In fact, there are indications that this may have already occurred. Earlier this year, news emerged that Israel supposedly has a secret base in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdish Autonomous Region in Iraq. Whether or not it’s true is up for debate. But if it is true, then Israel is already on the right track.

The next step would ideally be for Israel to extend its hand to other oppressed minority groups in Iran and give them any support possible—moral, financial, military, etc.—to help them gain their independence from the Islamic republic in exchange for allowing the Jewish state to base intelligence and military assets in their territory. After all, if Iran can play the proxy game, so can Israel.
Israel, Azerbaijan are both targets of Iran, Isaac Herzog says
Israel and Azerbaijan both face hostility from Iran, President Isaac Herzog noted, wrapping up his visit to Baku, the capital, on Wednesday.

Azerbaijan is “aware of Iranian hostility towards it, going back to the establishment of the state,” Herzog said, pointing to an Iran-backed shooting attack on an Azerbaijani parliamentarian this year.

Herzog spoke of the Iranian threat publicly, in his remarks to the press after his meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev a day earlier, but Aliyev did not.

“Just a visit by an Israeli leader here makes a statement” to Iran, a source in Herzog’s entourage said. That being said, “no country wants to be made out to be the secret weapon against Iran.”

The reverse dynamic was on display with regard to Israeli weapons sales to Azerbaijan; Aliyev mentioned it, but Herzog did not. Aliyev was even photographed with Israeli Harop drones last year, during a time of heightened tensions with Iran.

The source in Herzog’s delegation said that Israeli arms did not come up in the meeting between the presidents, as that is the Defense Ministry’s department.

The president insisted in a briefing to journalists that the relationship between Israel and Azerbaijan is “not just Iran and defense; it’s also about trade, tourism and energy.”

“We offered them to be partners in gas reservoirs in Israel,” Herzog said. “They have a gas pipeline from here to Italy under the Adriatic Sea. Because of the Russia-Ukraine war, their strategic value rose as a provider of oil and gas.”
Hacked Document Shows Tehran Debating To ‘Redefine’ Ties With Baku
A report, claimed by an opposition group to have been hacked from the Iranian presidency servers, advises the government to redefine its relations with Azerbaijan.

“The government of Azerbaijan has misunderstood the self-restraint and good-neighborliness policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran as its weakness and inferred out country’s determination to avoid conflict with itself,” the report released by MEK-affiliated Telegram account GhyamSarnegouni (Uprising till Overthrow) Monday says.

The group released a trove of secret and top-secret document on Monday that it said were obtained by hacking the government’s servers.

Describing Baku’s actions as “serious threats,” the report provides a summary of recent developments in bilateral relations and a summary of Azerbaijan’s relations with other regional players, Turkey and Israel, in the context of its relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran and says failing to redefine relations will lead to “increased hostility” from Azerbaijan.

“Undoubtedly, the Zionist regime will be the principal beneficiary of heightened tensions between the two sides,” the report says.


Canadian Imam Younus Kathrada: Disbelievers Live Like Animals; They Are Like Cows Grazing in Pasture
During a May 26, 2023 Friday sermon delivered at the Muslim Youth Victoria Islamic Center, Canadian Imam Younus Kathrada said that Allah has commanded the Muslims to hate the disbelievers. He qualified that hating someone does not “indicate violence” against them, saying: “Hatred might lead to violence, but not necessarily.” Kathrada explained: “If I hate broccoli, does it mean that I am going to smash it all up and not allow anybody to eat it?” Later in the sermon, he said that the disbelievers live a “life of animals,” fulfilling their “lusts and desires,” while they are unaware of what is going to happen to them in the Hereafter. He compared them to cattle grazing in the pastures, unaware they will end up in the slaughterhouse.




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!
 

 

Hezbollah-linked newspaper is really obsessed with Jews

An article in Al-Khanadeq, which appear to be a pro-Hezbollah mouthpiece, writes about three examples of decades-old financial scandals that were associated with Jews.

And it concludes, "Many are the scandals of the Jews, who practiced usury, smuggling, and committing atrocities, without any moral scruples or deterrents. In the United States, which provided a lot for them, they circumvented laws and engaged in fraud, and tax evasion. There is no doubt that Jewish racism and fraud makes the Jew feel that he is a hero in being outside about the law."

It turns out that Al Khanadeq writes about how terrible Jews are quite often.

One article claims that Yiddish is a secret language that Jews used in order to commit fraud without gentiles knowing about it. 

Another claims that Jewish fundraising is a nefarious plot that steals money from innocent people.

But it is not only the articles themselves that are rabidly antisemitic. The illustrations for the articles are, too:



The author of all these articles is Nassib Chams, a Lebanese writer who has written for other Hezbollah and Arabic sites. 

Jew-hatred is in their mother's milk. 
 

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!
 

 

How the @NYTimes slanders Israel while adhering to narrow journalistic standards




Raja Abdulrahim has become an expert on how to write slanderous, one-sided articles about Israel while carefully adhering to the journalistic standards that supposedly ensure "fairness" of the New York Times.

As the Khoswan family slept, the Israeli military dropped three GBU-39 bombs into their sixth-floor apartment. One of the bombs exploded just outside the parents’ bedroom, leaving the apartment looking as if a tornado had swept through, killing three family members.

But they were not the stated target of the attack earlier this month.

The Israeli military had dropped the bombs into their home to assassinate a commander of the Palestinian armed group Islamic Jihad who lived in the apartment below.

Jamal Khoswan, a dentist, Mirvat Khoswan, a pharmacist, and their son, a 19-year-old dental student, were killed in the strike as well as the Islamic Jihad commander who lived downstairs, Tareq Izzeldeen, and two of his children, a girl, 11, and a boy, 9.

“Commanders have been targeted before,” Menna Khoswan, 16, said this month at a memorial service for her father at the hospital where he served as chairman of the board. “But to target the commander and those around him, honestly this is something we didn’t expect.”

Israel says that it conducts “precision strikes” aimed at taking out armed groups’ commanders or operation sites, and that it does not target civilians. But the airstrikes are often conducted in heavily populated areas, and many Palestinians in Gaza say they amount to a collective punishment aimed at making them fearful about who their neighbors might be.

Israel also destroys entire residential buildings or towers if it believes an armed group has an office or apartment there, although it usually issues an evacuation warning beforehand.

Six senior leaders of the armed group that Israel said had been responsible for rocket attacks on Israel were killed before a cease-fire was reached on May 13. The Israeli military said that Islamic Jihad had launched nearly 1,500 rockets indiscriminately toward Israel over the course of several days. Two people were killed in Israel, including an Israeli woman and a Palestinian worker from Gaza.

Members of the Khoswan family say they knew that an Islamic Jihad commander lived in the apartment below them and worried that he could be the target of an Israeli strike. Israel has designated Islamic Jihad as a terrorist organization — as have countries including the United States and Japan — and has regularly targeted its leaders and fighters.

Yet the Khoswans never thought their apartment would be hit while they were inside, Menna said, describing the shock of being awakened by the explosions ripping through her home.
There is nothing inaccurate here in this in-depth article. There are no lies in the text itself. 

But the bias and innuendo is stark to the point of slander.

The suffering Palestinian families are given paragraph after paragraph of detailed sympathy, while the victims in Israel are nameless statistics.

The article includes ten photographs of damage in Gaza and grieving victims. When was the last time you saw any newspaper article show ten photographs? Those photos give the impression of widespread damage in Gaza, when in fact the amount of damage was very limited - and far, far less than other wars. 

It says that there were 9-12 civilians killed - but doesn't mention that they were killed in the course of targeting and killing over 20 terrorists. This makes the ratio of innocent victims killed one of the lowest in the history of airstrikes. 

The article pretends to be even-handed by quoting Israeli responses - usually adding a "but" to dismiss what they say.

Abdulrahim generously uses quotes from families of victims that contain bald-faced lies - but the New York Times is not obligated to factcheck a quote or an opinion. For example:
“What kind of precision is this when you kill civilians?” said Asmahan Adas, referring to a strike on the home of her next-door neighbor, Khalil al-Bahtini, another Islamic Jihad commander, that also killed her two teenage daughters. “When Israel wants to kill someone, they can find many different ways to kill, but they want others to die along with their target.”
Or the subhead: "Palestinians in Gaza say that Israel’s strikes against Islamic Jihad amount to a collective punishment aimed at making them fearful about who their neighbors might be."

Abdulrahim even quotes an Islamic Jihad terrorist whose lies are clear - but doesn't call them out:
Khaled al-Batsh, an Islamic Jihad leader in Gaza, said his group’s members lived in their own communities in the tiny enclave that is home to more than 2.3 million people.

“Where should we go? Should we flee Palestine? Can we go set up a military base in Colorado?” he said. “They target the civilians so they can pit people against us.”
Given that Israel killed Islamic Jihad leaders who lived in apartments next to civilians, obviously al-Batch is lying. And he is just a obviously lying saying that Israel chooses to murder innocent people. But the article doesn't call out these lies, and lets a terrorist speak without any opposition.  Unlike quoting Israeli sources, there is no "but" here.

That is the message that the New York Times is spreading with this article, that Israel could have avoided civilian deaths and chose to murder innocent people anyway. It is slanderous. But the article never says this directly, instead letting the quotes from Gazans stand alone as if they were factual.

This is some of the bias in the article's contents.  But that is only a small part of how this article is lying in effect.

The main way that this article gives an entirely wrong message while adhering to a narrow set of facts is by omitting a huge amount of context - context that a fair reporter would seek out. 

It doesn't mention that under international law,  the existence of civilians around a military target does not make that target immune from attack. In other words, Israeli airstrikes on major Islamic Jihad leaders are perfectly legal under international law of armed conflict. Instead, Abdulrahim quotes an Amnesty report claiming (falsely) that Israel violated international law in previous conflicts in Gaza.

It doesn't mention that the ratio of civilians killed compared to militants is perhaps the lowest in any airstrikes on urban areas where the targets live among the people in history.

It doesn't mention the huge amount of time and money, not to mention the number of legal checks, that Israel uses before choosing a target.

It makes it sound like Israel could have somehow killed only Islamic Jihad targets without hurting any civilians - but does not say exactly how. 

It does not interview any military experts. It does not interview any international law experts. 

The entire article is meant to give an impression on readers that Israel is acting wantonly, that it is violating international law, that it either doesn't care about or deliberately chooses to target civilians, without saying those things explicitly and without giving any easy-to-find facts that would undermine that entire narrative.

(This article has not yet been published in the print edition. I anticipate this will be a front page news story in tomorrow's paper - which ensures that disparaging posts about Israel on social media will be widespread both today and tomorrow.)



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!
 

 

Tuesday, May 30, 2023

05/30 Links Pt1: Terror Attack Victim Identified as Meir Tamari, Father of Two Young Children; Stop the lie: Israel never ethnically cleansed Palestinians

From Ian:

Stop the lie: Israel never ethnically cleansed Palestinians
Today’s Palestinian leaders virtually never acknowledge that Arab communities in 1947-48 who negotiated peace with Israel in advance of the war—and those who remained neutral—were not touched.

Abu Ghosh, a town just west of Jerusalem, for instance, reached an agreement with Israeli authorities not to get involved in the fighting. Nazareth also negotiated its neutrality, leaving the city relatively unscathed.

Today, these non-combatant cities are part of Israel’s thriving Arab community of more than two million—20% of Israel’s population. These facts completely disprove the accusation that Israel ethnically cleansed its land of Arabs.

Tragically, Palestinian leaders, leaders of other Arab countries and the United Nations continue to perpetuate the misery of the Palestinian people by discouraging them from integrating into the societies of other countries and building new lives.

This is exemplified by the fact that every Arab country except Jordan has refused to give its Palestinian refugees citizenship.

Today, more than 1.5 million Palestinians still live in squalid refugee camps, where they are fed the false promise that one day they will be able to return to their “homes.” Millions more Palestinians the world over still consider themselves refugees, though their displaced parents and grandparents have long passed away.

This promise of return is unrealistic, because Israel will never allow millions of descendants of deceased Palestinian refugees into its territory. Doing so would mean the end of the Jewish state. The Palestinian leadership knows this, yet one of their primary conditions of peace with Israel is this so-called—and non-existent—“right of return.”

Meanwhile, tens of millions of people displaced in other wars have gone on to build new lives in new countries. This includes 800,000 Jews who fled or were expelled from Arab countries after Israel’s birth—most resettled in Israel.

In addition, history gives us countless other examples of war-time refugees building new lives in new countries. Germans from Sudetenland, Hindus from Pakistan, Greeks from Turkey—all experienced displacement, but did not obsess or resort to terrorism over ejection from their former homes. Instead, they chose to rebuild and thrive elsewhere.

In fact, the most successful peoples in the world—even the stateless—are those who seek freedom and prosperity and work diligently to achieve it.

It’s time the Palestinians shift from their narrative of victimhood and look to a future in which they can thrive by building lives in new countries or by finally saying yes to peaceful coexistence with Israel and building a country of their own.
The UN Must Not Repeat Its ‘Nakba Day’ Farce
Abbas’ ugly performance was unhelpful to the well-being of Palestinians. It’s a moral imperative to separate humanitarian compassion for Palestinian refugees and their descendants — who have been used as pawns by Arab leaders — with Nakba Day, a cynically politicized creation aimed at undermining Israel’s legitimacy.

The Nakba Day ceremony underscored how ridiculous the UN’s institutional anti-Israel obsession has become. There are two permanent UN committees devoted to demonizing Israel and promoting the Palestinian narrative, plus a “Division of Palestinian Rights” in the UN Secretary-General’s office and a new, unprecedented permanent inquiry against Israel in the UN Human Rights Council.

This year’s UN calendar will now have two Palestinian “special days” — Nakba Day, and also the annual Day of International Solidarity with the Palestinian People (Nov. 29). The UN has no other “special day” to express “solidarity” with or commemorate the history of any other national group.

The US, Canada, Australia, and dozens of other countries deserve credit for steering clear of the Nakba Day spectacle. By declining to attend, these countries upheld the international consensus to support two states for two peoples, Israeli and Palestinian, achieved through direct peace negotiations — meaning you cannot treat the establishment of one of those states as a crime and a disaster.

President Abbas’ speech was a strong reminder why there is no two-state peace today. Negotiations are the only way forward, but Abbas’ speech demanded the UN force Israel to concede Palestinian claims without negotiations — typical of a totally counter-productive Palestinian strategy over recent years of rejecting all talks and focusing instead on demonizing Israel in international forums.

Abbas has called upon the UN General Assembly to make Nakba Day another permanent day to “commemorate the Palestinian plight.” For the UN, whose credibility is at an all-time low, Abbas’ vile speech hopefully caused enough embarrassment that the Nakba Day hate-fest won’t be repeated.
West Bank Terror Attack Victim Identified as Meir Tamari, Father of Two Young Children
The Israeli man who was murdered in a terrorist shooting attack in the West Bank on Tuesday was identified as Meir Tamari, the father of two children aged one and three.

The attack occurred near the entrance to the Hermesh settlement, in the northern part of the West Bank, around 11:30 in the morning. Meir arrived to the settlement, where he married his wife Tal, four years ago. The couple has just finished building a house a few days ago.

According to Magen David Adom (MDA) emergency services, the 32-year-old victim was wounded in the shoulder. A helicopter was sent to evacuate the patient to a nearby medical center, where he succumbed to wounds.

i24 News - Israelis opposed to the planned judicial overhaul by the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took to...

“Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of the medical team, the team had to pronounce him dead. The family has been notified,” the hospital’s statement said.

Israeli forces have launched a manhunt for the terrorist, and erected roadblocks in the area. The attack was reportedly carried out from a passing vehicle, which cut off the victim’s car and opened fire.

The Tulkarem Battalion, a new wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist group, claimed responsibility for the attack.

“Our soldiers were able to carry out a quality operation on the road to Hermesh settlement. They opened fire at a vehicle carrying a settler, and we confirm that he was hit directly,” the group’s statement said.


Israeli murdered in West Bank shooting, IDF on terrorist manhunt
The mother of Tamari's wife, Tali, is the second wife of Binyamin Horgen, who lost his first wife, Esther Horgen, in a terrorist attack in the Reihan Forest, north of Hermesh, in 2020.

The Fatah-linked al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades group reportedly took credit for the attack and there were suspicions that the terrorists were hiding in the Jenin area.

Further, the terror group sent out messages to Palestinians in the area to erase any security video camera footage to prevent Israeli security forces from tracking the culprits movements.

For their part, security forces were almost immediately on a manhunt to catch the terrorist perpetrators as the IDF erected additional checkpoints to limit their ability to maneuver.

There was some controversy from local Israeli leaders who claimed that the incident would have been avoided if a nearby checkpoint had not been abandoned. In contrast, the IDF said that the checkpoint would have made no difference because the shooting took place using a drive-by firing tactic. Even after the incident, the IDF said that while it has increased its presence in the general area and that its nearby forces can man the checkpoint in question quickly if needed, it has no plans to add forces to man the specific checkpoint round-the-clock that local Israeli leaders want to be reinforced.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said early Tuesday afternoon that he had received a security update on the situation and that he would hold an additional wider meeting with top defense officials in the coming hours.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his condolences to the Tamari family on Tuesday afternoon, saying "Our forces are currently in pursuit of the terrorists in order to settle accounts with them, and they will be settled forthwith. Just as we have found every terrorist and closed accounts with them, we will do so this time as well."

EU Ambassador to Israel Dimiter Tzantchev posted on Twitter, “I'm shocked and saddened by yet another shooting attack in the West Bank, which killed an Israeli father of two. Sending deepest condolences to his family. I condemn this cowardly and brutal act of violence! We stand together against terrorism, which needs to be rejected by all.”


Israeli seriously injured in West Bank terror attack



US, EU slam construction of new yeshiva building in illegal Homesh outpost
The US State Department on Monday slammed Israel for allowing the construction of a new yeshiva building overnight in the illegal West Bank outpost of Homesh.

A spokesperson for the State Department reiterated that the US is “deeply troubled” by the move, “which is inconsistent with both former prime minister Sharon’s written commitment to the Bush administration in 2004 and the current Israeli government’s commitments to the Biden administration.”

The mention of current commitments is likely a reference to Jerusalem’s agreement at regional conferences in February and March to a four-month moratorium on discussing new settlement units and a six-month freeze on okaying new outposts.

The statement added that US officials “regularly engage with Israeli officials on this issue and will continue to do so.”

The wording was virtually identical to the statement issued by the State Department last week, after the IDF revoked an order barring Israelis from entering Homesh.

The statement also heavily echoed the comments made by the US following the repeal of the Disengagement Law earlier this year.


In Baku, Azerbaijan’s president thanks Herzog for Israeli arms supply
President Isaac Herzog stressed on Tuesday the threat that Iran poses to regional stability in his meeting with his Azerbaijani counterpart, Ilham Aliyev, in Baku. In his public remarks after the meeting, Herzog said the two spoke in depth about “the entire global and regional security structure that is endangered and threatened by Iran.”

“Visiting Azerbaijan is a dream come true for me and for my nation,” said Herzog, speaking in English.

Aliyev, seated next to Herzog, said that the March opening of Azerbaijan’s embassy in Tel Aviv created “more opportunities to have a closer interaction.”

Aliyev lauded the defense cooperation between the countries, saying that Baku “has access to modern Israeli equipment in this area for many years, which helps us to modernize our defense capability, and to be able to protect our statehood, our values, our national interest, and our territorial integrity.”

Israel is one of Azerbaijan’s leading arms suppliers. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Israel provided 69 percent of Baku’s major arms imports in 2016-2020, accounting for 17% of Jerusalem’s arms exports over that period.

Israel stepped up its weapons shipments to Azerbaijan during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Azerbaijan emerged victorious in that six-week war with Armenia, which claimed the lives of more than 6,000 soldiers and resulted in Baku regaining control over disputed territories.

Herzog’s visit is the latest step in an ongoing and very public expansion of bilateral ties with Azerbaijan, a Shiite-majority country closely allied with Turkey that has seen its partnership with Israel flourish in the wake of Israeli support during its 2020 conflict.
Israel-boycotting Barcelona mayor loses seat
Barcelona Mayor Ada Colau—who suspended all of the Spanish city’s ties with Israel, including a “twinning” relationship with Tel Aviv, last February—has lost her seat in the 2023 local Spanish elections.

Colau had cited “the repeated violations of human rights of the Palestinian population and non-compliance with United Nations resolutions” for the decision to boycott Israel. (José Luis Martínez-Almeida, the mayor of Madrid who offered his city as a replacement for a Tel Aviv “twinning,” won reelection.)

Colau lost to Xavier Trias, a former Conservative Barcelona mayor. “Thanks for the trust,” the latter tweeted in Catalan. “We will make a better Barcelona!”

Pedro Sánchez, the Spanish prime minister, said he would dissolve parliament and call early elections—scheduled for July 23—after conservatives and far-right candidates achieved “strong gains,” Politico reported. The elections were to be held by year’s end.


Palestinian terror group runs student exchange program with Europe
A designated terrorist organization is running an international student exchange program for Palestinian students in cooperation with France and the United Kingdom, according to an Israeli NGO.

The exchange program, run by the Union of Agricultural Work Committees, claims to “strengthen young people in relation to agricultural and environmental activities.” Scheduled for July, it includes visits to Marseille, Berlin and Hebron.

According to the admission criteria, priority will be given to residents of Area C, an administrative zone in Judea and Samaria controlled by Israel.

After discovering the program, Israeli NGO Regavim wrote a letter to the Israeli Defense Ministry and Israel Defense Forces last week demanding that immediate steps be taken.

“Israel must act immediately to block the UAWC’s ability to operate on the local and international stage to spread its terrorist agenda, and to cut off the UAWC’s ability to maintain international contacts that funnel European money to the PFLP,” the letter states.

“The Israeli government’s failure to act against the activities of this terrorist organization constitutes abandonment of territory under Israeli jurisdiction,” he said, expressing surprise that the UAWC continues to operate “openly among Palestinian students and in cooperation with foreign countries.”
PreOccupiedTerritory: For Convenience, EU Aid to Palestinians Now Pre-Embezzled (satire)
Streamlined procedures at the European Commission aimed at reducing processing time, overhead, and waste mean that as of this coming quarter, the generous funding of projects in the West Bank and Gaza Strip will remove the once-extra step of siphoning much of those funds into the private bank accounts of local leaders, a spokesman for the organization announced today.

The European Union’s foreign policy arm, which donates hundreds of millions of euros annually to Palestinian groups and programs, has eliminated a stage in its cumbersome bureaucracy during which Palestinian leaders embezzle all or part of the monies. Instead, disclosed Palestine Directorate chief Wilhelm Graft this afternoon, at least 60% of money arrives in Palestinian project accounts pre-embezzled, freeing up the project directors to get right to the work of squandering the remainder, either on busywork dressed up as infrastructure, or on structures to create unilateral facts on the ground in disputed territory, in violation of the Oslo Accords with Israel, which mandate resolution of those disputes through negotiations.

“We are always looking for ways to improve our processes – we know one of the central criticisms of European Union bureaucracy is its built-in inefficiencies,” he noted.

“This new set of procedures will enable us to remove some of the many steps involved in funding our overseas projects,” he explained further. “We all understand that it’s about getting the funds to the recipients as smoothly as possible, whether those recipients are people involved in implementing projects, or government officials who customarily skim anywhere from forty to one hundred percent off the top before letting the rest through to the projects themselves.”
IDF to demolish home of terrorist who killed Lucy Dee and two of her daughters
Israeli forces on Monday night mapped for demolition the Nablus home of the Hamas terrorist who murdered three members of the Dee family last month.

Lucy Dee, 48, and daughters Maia, 20, and Rina, 15, were shot and killed on April 7 while driving on Highway 57 near Hamra Junction.

Hassan Katnani and fellow terrorist Muad Masri were shot dead earlier this month in an exchange of fire that broke out after Israeli forces surrounded their hideout in Nablus’s Kasbah (Old City).

During Monday night’s operation in the Askar refugee camp on the eastern outskirts of the city, Palestinians threw explosive devices and rocks and Israeli forces, who responded with riot control measures.

One of the assailants threw a firebomb at the troops, who returned fire, hitting him, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

Also on Monday, Israeli forces mapped for demolition the Nablus home of Hasam Bassam Bashir Aslim, who directed the killing last October of IDF Staff Sgt. Ido Baruch.

Baruch was securing a civilian march near Shavei Shomron in northern Samaria when he was shot from a moving vehicle. He was evacuated to Meir Medical Center in Kfar Saba, where he died of his wounds.
Military ambulance damaged in shooting attack in southern West Bank
A military ambulance was targeted in a shooting attack near the southern West Bank settlement of Kiryat Arba late Monday night, the Israel Defense Forces said.

The IDF said the ambulance and other troops were conducting routine security operations on the Route 60 highway near Hebron.

“IDF soldiers responded with live fire toward the source of the shooting,” the military said.

The ambulance was damaged after being hit by at least two bullets.

No soldiers were hurt in the attack, the IDF said.

The IDF said troops were scanning the area for suspects.

The attack came a day after Palestinian terrorists opened fire at a settlement in the northern West Bank and a town in Israel bordering the security barrier, causing slight damage.

The IDF said it had launched a manhunt for the suspects behind the shooting attack. A local wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group claimed responsibility.


PMW: From Terrorist to Teacher, from Murderer to Mentor
In 2002, terrorist Marwan Barghouti was arrested by Israel and later sentenced to 5 life sentences for orchestrating shooting attacks in which 5 people were murdered. When arrested he was a member of PA Parliament, and he has been reelected as such while serving time. In addition, PA and Fatah Chairman Abbas appointed him to Fatah’s Central Committee. This month, the PA marks the anniversary of Barghouti’s so-called “kidnapping” by Israel, as Palestinian Media Watch exposed earlier this month, when the PA referred to Barghouti as a “national symbol and a model of inspiration for the masses.”

From Terrorist to Teacher
Another fact about Barghouti exposed by PMW is that he serves as supervisor of academic studies in prison, teaching and tutoring other prisoners who are studying for their MA degrees in “Israel Studies.” Released terrorist murderer Karim Younes shed more light on Barghouti’s doings as a teacher recently when he praised Barghouti at a Fatah ceremony honoring him. Murderer Younes spoke with awe about terrorist Barghouti, telling the audience of his dedication to his terrorist prisoner students – teaching for hours while sitting on an iron pipe with a rag over it. Younes related that 200 of his students have completed MA degrees under his supervision:
Released terrorist prisoner Karim Younes: “Marwan… has been a leader since his youth, and he is a Fatah member and a member of its [Fatah] Central Committee… [In prison] we would call him: ‘The professor who sits on a pole.’ Forgive me [the expression] ‘the professor who sits on a pole.’ I cannot explain to you how tough, persistent, and loyal he is, because he is the man behind the great achievement, the achievement of academic studies, the systematic studies in the Israeli prisons. No one can describe how this uncompromising man can sit on a bit of iron pipe and put a rag or torn blanket on it and sit from 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. and lecture to his students, of whom 200 have already completed a master’s degree… At 11:00 a.m. he goes down, loaded with books, the textbooks are in his hands, and he continues until 3:00 p.m. without a break with the prisoner students so that they will complete their studies. They complete their studies at Al-Quds [Open] University, but they do not complete their studies like in regular universities… Those who were released and continued to study in universities [outside prison] know the difference between the studies inside prison and outside. Studying with brother Marwan – if the [regular] study material is 2 books, with Marwan it’s 7. A regular class is an hour and a half, with Marwan [it’s] four hours.”

[Official PA TV, May 8, 2023]




MEMRI: Virulently Antisemitic Article In Jordanian Daily Al-Dustour: The Jews, The Descendants of Apes And Pigs, Are The Most Cursed And Impure People On Earth; The World Will Continue To Suffer From Them Until It Finds A Solution To Be Rid Of Them For Good
On May 17, 2023, Palestinian journalist Ghassan Mustafa Al-Shami, who writes frequently on Hamas-affiliated websites, penned a virulently antisemitic article in the Jordanian daily Al-Dustour, in which he described "the Zionist Jews" as "the descendants of apes and pigs," "devil worshippers," cheats, liars and "the most twisted and impure creatures on the face of the earth." Referring his readers to the Quran and the Sunna to discover more about the Jews, Al-Shami stated that the world will continue to suffer from them until "someone finds a magic solution to be rid of them forever, once and for all." He concluded by saying that the conflict between the Jews and the Palestinians is a religious one, and that the Jews will never manage to defeat the Palestinian resistance, which will continue to exhaust them and keep them in a state of perpetual dread.

The following are translated excerpts from his article:[1] "The Zionist Jews are the most twisted and impure creatures on the face of the earth. They are descendants of apes and pigs, devil worshipers… masters of witchcraft, godless crooks. The Jews and some of the greatest devils and satans, they are fraudsters, cheats and liars. This is the most cursed and impure people ever created in the world. To know more about the Jews, one should peruse the exalted Quran and the pure Sunna of the Prophet, which provide extensive information and accurate details about them.

"The Zionist Jews have murdered women and children, young people and old, by massacring, burning and crushing them, and expelled millions of people [from their homes]. These impure Zionists think that all the people of the world – the Americans, Europeans, Chinese, Japanese and all the other nations, except for the Muslims – exist to serve them and to live under their control, those impure and twisted people. Nobody in the world finds favor with them, except for their own kind. The Western world and the world at large will continue to suffer from the Jews until someone finds a magic solution to be rid of them forever, once and for all.

"The author of this article wonders if it makes sense that eight million Zionists should keep the eight billion people of the world – everyone except for the Palestinians, the resistance fighters, the freedom lovers, and those with a living conscience – in a state of turmoil, concern, madness and hysteria and constantly serving the Zionists' interests. "Since it took over our land [of Palestine], the Zionist entity [i.e., Israel] has been using biblical terms, since it understands that the war with the Palestinians is a religious one and that the conflict is religious and ideological. [Yet] despite using all those weapons – with their biblical names, such as Iron Dome, David's Sling, Moses' Magic Wand[2]… David's Shield, etc. – the Zionists have not managed to defeat the Palestinian resistance and to continue defiling our Al-Aqsa and Jerusalem. More than that, the resistance will exhaust them with its fames of hell and terrorize them from morning till night, every moment of their daily lives."
MEMRI: U.S. Ambassador In Iraq Sparks Mixed Reactions, From Calls To Expel Her To Awe At Her Ability And Influence
It seems that everyone in Iraq has an opinion about U.S. Ambassador Alina L. Romanowski, especially in light of her extensive activity. Romanowksi started her career as a CIA analyst and served in a variety of American intelligence and government agencies. Her most recent post before her appointment as ambassador to Iraq was as ambassador to Kuwait.[1] Since assuming her latest position in June 2022, the ambassador has held numerous meetings with heads of state, ministers, ministry directors and tribal leaders, and has inaugurated museums, power stations, branches of American food chains, and more. These endeavors have sparked many reactions from the Iraqi public, mostly from supporters of the Iran-backed Shi'ite militias, who believe that her activities deviate from accepted diplomatic practice and constitute explicit interference in Iraq's internal affairs, to the extent of running the country. These critics have called to expel Romanowski and have even issued death threats against her. Others in Iraq claim that her conduct is due to the weakness of the Iraqi state, and point out that, paradoxically, Iraq has such a proactive U.S. ambassador at a time when its government incorporates the Coordination Framework, a coalition of Shi'ite political parties that are political arms of several Iran-backed militias, and which are vociforous opponents of the U.S. presence in Iraq. Previous U.S. ambassadors, as well as UN and British representatives, have likewise been and continue to be treated with hostility by Iran-backed elements in Iraq.[2] However, it appears that, due to her strong presence on social media, the criticism against Romanowksi is especially harsh.

The following are some of the responses in Iraq to the ambassador and her conduct.

Iran-Backed Shi'ite Militias: The Ambassador Should Be Expelled; We Will Prevent Her From Acting Freely

The hostility expressed towards Romanowksi by the Iran-backed Shi'ite militias, headed by the Al-Nujaba Movement and the Sayyid Al-Shuhada Brigades, and by their supporters is not surprising. Even before her appointment, when her candidacy came up, opposition to it was expressed on the Telegram channels that support these militias, chief of them Sabereen News and Shaajab News. The channels tried to discredit her and present her as an intelligence agent rather than a diplomat, emphasizing her past with the CIA and her ties to Israel.[3] After her appointment as ambassador to Iraq, these elements mocked and criticized her activities and initiatives, such as her support for Iraqi businesswomen and civil society organizations, describing them as looting Iraqi resources and an attempt to sow rifts and division among the Iraqi people.[4] This criticism increased after measures taken by the U.S. vis-à-vis the Central Bank of Iraq in an effort to prevent money laundering and a flow of dollars into Iran and Syria led to a plunge in the value of the Iraqi dinar and deepened the economic crisis in Iraq.[5]

About six months after she became ambassador, the militia mouthpieces began calling to replace her, on the grounds that she was overstepping the boundaries of her position and violating diplomatic norms.[6] In the recent weeks, the militias and their supporters have escalated their threats against the ambassador. On May 16, the Ashab Al-Kahf group, which has claimed responsibility for several attacks against U.S. forces in Iraq and is apparently affiliated with the Al-Nujaba Movement, called on Iran-backed Shi'ite groups that have recently ceased their activity to renew it and to "silence the American female demon [Romanowski] in Baghdad."[7]

Another claim made by the militias, chiefly by the Al-Nujaba Movement (which is not represented in the Iraqi parliament), which has also been made in the past, before Romanowski's appointment, is that the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad is not a diplomatic mission but a military post and is therefore a legitimate target for attack. In a speech he gave to mark International Qods Day on April 14, 2023, [8] Al-Nujaba secretary-general Akram Al-Ka'abi attacked the U.S. and asserted that it fosters corruption in Iraq, tramples all international norms and is in fact occupying Iraq. He stressed that Al-Nujaba opposes the American presence in the country, including the presence of Romanowksi, "the ambassador of evil" who violates the accepted diplomatic norms, as well as the presence of a military base in the heart of Baghdad that is "deceptively called an embassy."[9] A similar message was conveyed by a cartoon published by the movement on May 15, which shows a crowd of people gathered opposite the U.S. Embassy – which is depicted as a military base – demanding the expulsion of the American forces. Romanowksi, standing at a window, says, "This is a military base… No, sorry, it's a diplomatic mission."[10]
Hizbullah and Russia’s Nascent Alliance
While the world’s attention is focused on Ukraine, Russia has been steadily expanding its presence in the Middle East, including through its dealings with the Lebanese terrorist group Hizbullah.

Over the last few years, Russia has quietly extended its reach into Lebanon, seeking to cultivate cultural, economic and military ties in Beirut as part of a strategy to expand Russian influence in the Middle East, while side-lining the US and elevating Moscow’s role as a peacemaker. However, Russia’s encroachment into Lebanon has been overshadowed by the conflict in Ukraine, and its growing alliance with Hizbullah has likewise received scant attention. And yet, a close read of US government designations related to Iranian and Hizbullah illicit financing schemes reveals a distinct trend in Russian cooperation with and support for such activities.

Sanctions Evasion
Russia’s alliance with Hizbullah was born out of the conflict in Syria, where Russian and Hizbullah forces fought side-by-side in alliance with the Assad regime. For years, this alliance appeared strictly limited to military activity in Syria, but in 2018, Hizbullah and Russia began to engage in unprecedented joint sanctions evasion activities. The stark change in activity between Hizbullah and Russia clearly demonstrated that their cooperation had moved beyond a military alliance and now carried an economic component. In November 2018, the US Department of the Treasury exposed a convoluted trade-based oil smuggling sanctions evasion scheme directed by Hizbullah and the Qods Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). This scheme allowed the Iranian regime to remit money to Russia’s state-owned Promsyrioimport on behalf of Syria, enabling Russia to evade US sanctions against the Assad regime. Simultaneously, the Syrian Central Bank remitted cash to Hizbullah, HAMAS and the IRGC-Qods Force on behalf of the Iranian regime. Central to this scheme were two key conduits: Hizbullah official Mohamed Qasir and Russia-based Syrian national Mohamed Alchwiki. In a letter to a senior official at the Central Bank of Iran, Qasir (aka Mr Fadi) and Alchwiki confirmed receipt of $63 million as part of a scheme to benefit Hizbullah.

Since this network’s disruption, the Treasury Department has levied sanctions against numerous entities involved in the ever-evolving Hizbullah-IRGC-Qods Force oil smuggling network led by Qasir and his Iranian counterparts, IRGC-Qods Force official Behnam Shahriyari and former IRGC-Qods Force official Rostam Ghashemi, now deceased. One aspect of this smuggling network that stands out, however, is the Russian government’s official involvement.


Raisi Played Direct Role In Executing Prisoners In 80s: Ex-Warden
The exact number of prisoners executed during the purge of prisoners is not known but according to Amnesty International, the Iranian authorities "forcibly disappeared" and "extrajudicially executed" around 5,000 between July and September 1988.

The former director of Evin prison, which has held some of the country’s most high profile cases and is famed for its brutalities to inmates, added that he witnessed the bodies of the executed prisoners thrown into trucks and taken from the prison.

Mortazavi claimed he resigned to what was known as ‘the death board’, the group of decision-makers deciding whether prisoners lived or died. He claims his resignation was met with a death threat by the deputy intelligence minister.

“Although I did not have a direct role in the execution of prisoners, I feel guilty because of my silence about the executions, and even if I repent, I will not be cleansed,” he said.

After his victory in the presidential election in 2021, in response to an Al-Jazeera reporter’s question, Ebrahim Raisi said he has been a "human rights defender" since the beginning of his tenure in the judicial system and "should be commended " for his actions.

Mortazavi further stated that female prisoners still virgins were forcibly married to jailers before the execution. According to the narrative of political prisoners, the clerics of the Islamic Republic believed if the virgin girls were executed, they would go to heaven, and for this reason, they raped them in the form of forced marriage so that they would not die virgins.

”The father of one of the executed virgin girls told me that after the execution of his daughter, the agents gave him money saying the money is for his daughter's marriage endowment."
Iran claims to test hypersonic missile that can breach all defense shields
Iran on Monday announced that it had finished testing a new hypersonic missile capable of penetrating all defense systems and that it will soon be unveiled.

General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, who commands the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’s aerospace unit, said the development marked a “great leap in the field of missiles,” and that “the hypersonic missile has a high speed and can maneuver both in and out of the Earth’s atmosphere.”

Hajizadeh first revealed the development of the hypersonic missile last November.

“It will be able to breach all the systems of anti-missile defense,” said the general at the time, adding that he believed it would take decades before a system capable of intercepting it is developed.

Hypersonic missiles, like traditional ballistic missiles that can deliver nuclear weapons, can fly more than five times the speed of sound.

A hypersonic missile is also maneuverable, making it harder to track and defend against.

While countries like the United States and Israel have developed systems designed to defend against cruise and ballistic missiles, the ability to track and take down a hypersonic missile remains a question.

Last week, Iran unveiled another version of a ballistic missile with a range of 2,000 kilometers (1,242 miles), enough to hit areas of Israel.
Iran Dep. Defense Minister: Soon We'll Have Missile Stealth Technology to Defeat Israel’s Iron Dome
On May 26, 2023, IRINN TV (Iran) aired a report about the unveiling of the Khorramshahr-4 missile. The report stated that unlike Iran’s liquid-fuel missiles, which take two hours to prepare for launch and which cannot store their own fuel, the Khorramshahr-4 missile can remain launch-ready for 10 years and can be launched within 20 minutes. According to Iranian Defense Minister General Mohammad-Reza Gharaei Ashtiani and Deputy Defense Minister IRGC General Mehdi Farahi, the missile has a range of 2,000 kilometers, can carry a 1.5-ton 4-meter-long guided warhead, is too fast to be intercepted by air defense system, and has an isolated guidance system that cannot be jammed by electronic warfare systems. In addition, General Farahi said that Iran has the technology to develop missiles with much greater ranges, but that its restrained national security policy precludes it from doing so, and he added that Iran will soon attain stealth technologies that will prevent defense systems such as Israel’s Iron Dome and David’s Sling from intercepting the missile.


Why are the Taliban and Iran on the verge of war over water?
Tensions between Iran and the Taliban continue to grow over water supplies, as the Taliban begins construction on a dam in the Helmand River.




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