It is Ramadan month and the message to Muslims—via didactic analysis of Koran 1:7—is the requirement to be an “essence” isolated and distinct from non-Muslims, abetted by obsessive, monotonous daily repetition of a verse cursing Jews and Christians.

By Dr. Andrew G. Bostom, INN Part I of II

As reported by the indispensable Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), esteemed Islamic scholar, and “Spiritual Guide” to the Muslim Brotherhood, Yusuf al-Qaradawi provided a Ramadan Koranic “homily”, of sorts, on May 14, 2019. In essence, Qaradawi merely re-affirmed for Muslims the classical-cum-modern mainstream ramifications of a Koranic verse [Koran 1:7] votaries of Islam recite 17-times per day, during their requisite 5 prayer times, and the subdivisions of those prayer sessions.

Notwithstanding what is a rather anodyne reminder to Muslims, the contents of Qaradawi’s statements will be “shocking” to those who are completely uninformed about Islam, or have chosen to understand the creed exclusively through the prism of Muslim and non-Muslim apologists, alike.
Read more…

Jordan has so far not announced whether it will participate in the June conference, and remains a key political and diplomatic player whose lead other Arab states could follow

By Amir Tibon, HAARETZ

WASHINGTON — Senior Trump adviser Jared Kushner will visit Amman on Wednesday and is expected to meet with King Abdullah II, Jordanian media outlets have reported.

The meeting between the two will likely revolve around the administration’s plan for Middle East peace and the economic conference scheduled to take place in Bahrain next month. The workshop is being boycotted by the Palestinian Authority.

The Trump administration’s small team working on the Middle East peace plan — which is led by Kushner — is currently locked in a battle with the PA over how the Arab world will respond to its plan.
Read more…

By Charles Lipson, REAL CLEAR POLITICS

The skies are growing dark and increasingly ominous for dirty officials at the top of Obama-era law enforcement and intelligence agencies. Leading the “I’m really worried” list are James Comey, John Brennan, James Clapper, Loretta Lynch, and their senior aides, all political appointees. They expected Hillary Clinton to win in 2016 and bury any traces of malfeasance, just as they had buried hers. It didn’t work out that way.

Now they need protection themselves. House Democrats and anonymous leakers are busy providing it. Many are delicately called “current and former senior officials” by the New York Times, Washington Post, and other legacy media. Gee, I wonder who they are?

These defenders of the old guard are sliming Attorney General Bill Barr, who heads the investigation into their actions. They have good reasons, if not clean hands, for their attack. First, they want to keep as much secret as they can. Exposure can only harm them. Their main argument is that any disclosures will damage U.S. national security. Second, they want to paint the disclosures and forthcoming indictments as President Trump’s revenge, the illegitimate use of powerful agencies that should be nonpartisan. That, of course, is precisely what they are accused of doing.

Barr won’t be deterred. He did not return for a second stint as AG to pad his résumé or protect Donald Trump. He returned to clean out the Augean Stables. He needs to muck out the mess left by his predecessors and find the horses that left it.
Read more…

The “Deal of the Century” is getting a lot of media attention lately. There is an important sidebar to the agreement that must be addressed.

BY Micah Halpern, JPOST

The “Deal of the Century” is getting a lot of media attention lately. There is an important sidebar to the agreement that must be addressed.

Jordan’s King Abdullah II is in a very precarious situation. Abdullah, who was never a very strong leader, is now in a more weakened position than ever. He is in danger of becoming even weaker, and he is certainly in danger of being overthrown.

Countries in the region see Jordan’s king as irrelevant. They have no interest and no need for Jordan. Abdullah is not looped into any talks, strategy conversations or meetings. Washington barely speaks to him, and even when he travels to DC he gets little respect and even less information.

King Abdullah II of Jordan has been given no details on the famous peace plan.
Read more…

Israel may be heading to snap elections over the enlistment of a few hundred more ultra-Orthodox recruits, which would do little to address the army’s manpower woes

By Judah Ari Gross, TOI

That Israel may be heading toward a second general election within months — if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fails to form a majority coalition — actually has relatively little to do with the military or its very real manpower concerns, even though this failure stems from irreconcilable differences between the secular Yisrael Beytenu party and the ultra-Orthodox factions over the conscription of yeshiva students.

Yisrael Beytenu chief Avigdor Liberman is demanding an increase in the level of ultra-Orthodox, or Haredi, enlistment in the Israel Defense Forces, with the threat of economic sanctions on ultra-Orthodox institutions if they do not meet these goals. The Haredi parties, United Torah Judaism and Shas, are demanding precisely the opposite: more exemptions for their communities’ yeshiva students. And Netanyahu needs both Liberman and the ultra-Orthodox parties for a majority coalition.
Read more…

NOVEMBER 2018

T. Belman. What is not being discussed is the possibility of Bibi forming a minority government by excluding Liberman’s party. He would still have their support except on votes pertaining to the draft. Such a government would remain in power at least for a year.

New poll shows right-wing – religious bloc would gain seats if second election held this year, with Likud leading Blue and White.

By David Rosenberg, INN

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu would be reelected – again – if Knesset elections were held this year for a second time, a new poll shows.

With coalition talks stalled due to a dispute between haredi lawmakers and Yisrael Beytenu over the future of the draft deferment program for yeshiva students, the Likud is pushing to dissolve the 21st Knesset less than two months after it was elected.

The Knesset is expected to hold the initial vote on a measure to dissolve the Knesset Monday, with a final vote slated for Wednesday – the deadline for Netanyahu to form a new government.
Read more…

A source involved in organizing the conference told Haaretz Qatar will participate in the conference. This comes just days after Palestinians announce they would boycott it

By Amir Tibon, HAARETZ

File photo: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, (R), with Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, (L), at the State Department, Washington DC, April 24, 2019.AP

WASHINGTON — Qatar plans to attend the international conference on the Palestinian economy in Bahrain in June, Haaretz has learned.

Qatar is the third country to confirm its participation after Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, a source involved in organizing the conference told Haaretz.

Qatar has been under a Saudi-led blockade for almost two years, with Bahrain and the UAE, close allies of Saudi Arabia, also supporting it.
Read more…

The Right may form the next government but the Left still controls the unelected government.

By Kenneth Levin, ISRAEL HAYOM

Israeli media coverage of the country’s post-election coalition negotiations has included, as a persistent subplot, reports of efforts to advance, in the face of the potential indictments against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, agreement on greater legal immunity for serving Knesset members. Much ink has been spilled on the argument that legislation in this vein would be an abuse of power, an assault on the rule of law, a victory for corruption, a blow to Israeli democracy.

Beyond noting the prime minister’s assertions of innocence of criminal wrongdoing, however, relatively little has been written recently questioning the merits of the cases against him.

Just prior to the attorney general’s announcement in late February of plans to indict the prime minister on charges of bribery and breach of trust, Alan Dershowitz, emeritus professor at Harvard Law School and a leading constitutional scholar, published several pieces warning that such indictments would present a threat to Israel’s democracy.
Read more…

Last year, the Saudi regime jailed 11 women activists who were accused of contact with foreign journalists and human rights organizations and charged with lobbying for women’s right to drive.

BY MELANIE PHILLIPS, JPOST

So how are our new best friends in Saudi Arabia doing these days?

After last year’s grisly murder of the Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, it looked like it might be curtains for Saudi’s reformist crown prince, Mohammad bin Salman, known as MBS, who was accused of ordering his killing.

As I revealed last October, however, Khashoggi was no reformer but an Islamist extremist. A one-time friend of Osama bin Laden, he called on all Arabs to join the “resistance” against Israel; and he opposed MBS not because he was undemocratic but because he wasn’t jihadi enough.

Whatever the truth of the Khashoggi killing – my own sources suggested it was an attempt by MBS to kidnap him back to Saudi Arabia that went badly wrong – MBS remains still very much in control.
Read more…

READ ALSO: Lebanon: No to naturalization of ‘Palestinian refugees’

Hassan Nasrallah speaks out against US peace plan, urges Lebanese officials to ‘confront the danger’ of naturalizing Arab refugees.
AFP, Arutz Sheva Staff,

T. Belman. Christine Douglass-Williams is a Canadian star like no other. She is beautiful, brainy and knowlegeable. Nobody does it better. You must listen to this hour interview. You won’t be sorry.

T. Belman. Yesterday I posted an article which said she was good to the Jews. It must be referring to left wing Jews. This assessment is much more to my liking.

BY CHRISTINE DOUGLASS-WILLIAMS, JIHAD WATCH

Theresa May has resigned over her failure in handling Brexit, launching a Tory leadership race for a successor. Her failure expands well beyond Brexit.

Jihad Watch issued a message at the start of May that Robert Spencer was on a temporary hiatus.  As we all continue to await his return, this news prompted him to send me a statement this morning for publication :

“Theresa May was an absolute disgrace, the worst Prime Minister of Great Britain in decades and possibly centuries. It is she who confirmed the mass immigration policies that have so seriously undermined British society and who cracked down hard against all who protested, seriously eroding Britain’s centuries-long traditions of free discourse and free inquiry. Even if Britain survives as a free nation, future generations of free Britons will loathe her name.”

Theresa May equated Robert Spencer with jihad terrorists.  He talked about it in this video…
Read more…