Review of ‘To Heal the World?’ by Jonathan Neumann

By Evelyn Gordon, COMMENTARY 
It’s no secret that many liberal Jews today view tikkun olam, the Hebrew phrase for “repairing the world,” as the essence of Judaism. In To Heal the World?, Jonathan Neumann begs to differ, emphatically. He views liberal Judaism’s love affair with tikkun olam as the story of “How the Jewish Left Corrupts Judaism and Endangers Israel.” In fact, he believes tikkun olamendangers Judaism itself. Anyone who considers such notions wildly over the top should make sure to read Neumann’s book—because one needn’t agree with everything he says to realize that his major concerns are disturbingly well-founded.

Read more…

The army vowed to address the limitations exposed in Lebanon and Gaza, but is it ready for a ground maneuver deep in enemy territory? ? Why Nasrallah, an avid Haaretz reader, is worried

Amos Harel, HAARETZ

A paratrooper brigade training, last year. Eliyahu Hershkowitz

On Thursday, June 12, 2014, the members of the IDF General Staff gathered for an evening of “team-building” in the Kirya headquarters in Tel Aviv. The General Staff forum, headed by then-Chief of Staff Benny Gantz, heard to a lecture by Prof. Yoram Yovell titled “Between Body and Soul.”

Later that night, after the generals had all gone home, the IDF received the first report, still vague, about an incident in theWest Bank. The picture became clear only the next morning. Three youths, yeshiva students in Gush Etzion, were hitchhiking and were picked up by a car driven by Palestinians masquerading as Israelis. The youths, whose bodies were found weeks later west of Hebron, were murdered by the kidnappers, members of a Hamas cell from Hebron.
Read more…

DEBKA

Russia, Iran, Syria and Hamas have launched six steps to counter the US-Israeli plan to hit Iranian military targets in Syria, which National Security Adviser John Bolton finalized in Jerusalem two weeks ago. That plan is to strike Iran’s Al Qods Brigades and allied Shiite militia forces in Syrian and western Iraq, as DEBKAfile’s military and intelligence sources were first to reveal. The US and Israel agreed to provide each other with reciprocal air and military cover for their operations in Syria. This accord was first implemented on Aug. 23, when unidentified warplanes bombed a pro-Iranian Iraqi Shiite Khataib Hezballah convoy on the Syrian-Iraqi highway.

Read more…

By Evelyn Gordon

With the Trump Administration reportedly planning various steps against UNRWA—the U.N. aid agency devoted solely to Palestinian refugees—Israeli defense officials have leaped to UNRWA’s defense. A rapid cutback of U.S. funding would create a vacuum in basic services, especially in Gaza, that Hamas might fill, and could even spark violence, they warned.

But their argument is wrong on at least three counts. First, U.S. cutbacks won’t actually cause a financial crisis. Second, forcing Hamas to provide basic services in UNRWA’s stead would be a plus, not a minus. Third, their policy would sacrifice long-term strategic interests for minuscule tactical gains.

As I’ve written before, I’d support plunging UNRWA into financial crisis, since that might force it to reform. But Washington can’t cut its donations much more than it already has—from $360 million last year to just $60 million this year. And judging by the results, it hasn’t caused a crisis at all.
Read more…

T. Belman. See, Abdullah is a rejectionist. Abbas also rejected the US request. Mudar Zahran will definitely do it and more. That’s why I believe Mudar will end up running Jordan in a couple of months.

Abdullah rejects US call to take over UNRWA Jordan schools

Trump Administration will allow Gulf and Arab allies to help keep UN’s Palestinian refugee agency afloat for now, but ultimately wants it dismantled, Israeli TV reports

By TOI STAFF and AGENCIES 

A Palestinian woman sits with a child after receiving food supplies from the United Nations’ offices at the United Nations’ offices in the Khan Younis refugee camp in the southern Gaza Strip, February 11, 2018. (AFP/Said Khatib)

A day after the US announced it will not give any further funding to UNWRA, the UN agency that aids Palestinian refugees, Israeli officials said the Trump Administration has made clear to them that it intends to see UNRWA closed down altogether and all its functions taken over by other agencies.
Read more…

T. Belman. Once again there is a Plan B namely Jordan. UNRWA will be terminated with everyone’s consent as soon as  Zahran takes over Jordan and undertakes to replace UNRWA.

As the U.S. slashes funds to UNRWA, Israel and Saudi Arabia are keeping it afloat • Researcher Adi Schwartz and Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely warn that by not confronting the Palestinian refugee narrative, Israel is putting itself at risk.

By Nadav Shragai, ISRAEL HAYOM

The Israeli defense establishment is the strongest advocate for the U.N. Relief and Works Agency in the country. In the U.S., UNRWA’s strongest lobbyist is Saudi Arabia. In recent months, both the Israeli defense and security apparatus and Saudi Arabia have been working, separately and uncoordinated, on behalf of a shared interest: stopping the Trump administration’s attacks on the organization.

Reports from the U.S. that the $200 million cut to American aid to UNRWA is only the beginning not only shook up the organization itself, they also came as a shock to the Office of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, Israel’s main opponent to any punitive measures against the U.N. entity, as well as the Saudi royal family, which is the third-largest donor to UNRWA.
Read more…

By S. Fred Singer, AMERICAN THINKER

As an avid reader of Aviation Week, I became interested in the F-35, the newest Department of Defense fighter plane. The DOD had sold nine initial units to our ally Israel. I thought it was a wise decision for three reasons:

1. It provided actual testing for the new aircraft under realistic battle conditions. Aviation Week noted that Israel used several of its F-35s to attack more than 50 Iranian military installations in Syria. All these were presumably protected by the Russian-built Anti-Aircraft system S-300. Their latest design with more powerful radars, is being sold worldwide.  Israel had a chance to study an earlier version, sold to Cyprus.

T. Belman. The Yiddish expression “Man trachs (plans), God lachs (laughs)” seems to apply here. As I have said many times before, Trump always has a Plan B. It is clear that, in progressive steps, Trump has been destabelizing the Arab-Israeli conflict. He has taken on the UNHRC, the peace process, the PA and UNRWA. He has rejected the Iran Deal, NAFTA, the TPP and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. Thus he has demolished the institutions and agreements he inherited, making room for his vision and priorities. He is, as they say, a transformational president.

Trump is not about to let the crises which develops go to waste. Trump is a master builder. As such he often has to demolish current structures before rebuilding. I get the feeling that his moves are building to a crescendo. Stay tuned. It seems to me that he is executing his Deal of the Century before he tables it.

By Yaakov Lappin, Special to IPT News
August 31, 2018

As Fatah party contenders who hope to succeed Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas reportedly arm themselves ahead of a looming power struggle, Fatah’s arch rival, Hamas, is making its own preparations to dominate the West Bank.

The fundamentalist Islamist movement has already established a de facto state and terrorist army in the Gaza Strip, where it works day and night to spread terrorism and instability to the Fatah-ruled West Bank.
Read more…

T. Belman. I met Steve in DC a few years after 9/11. We have kept in touch ever since. He totally deserves these accolades.

By Jeff Robbins, BOSTON HERALD 

Steve Emerson might have had himself a lucrative career in law, or business, or investment banking, like so many of his fellow Ivy League graduates. He might have lived a comfortable life, con­structed around convention and financial security.

He didn’t go in that direction. He left Brown University in the late 1970s and headed for Washington, D.C., armed with edgy skepticism of authority and a desire to make a difference. He has made a big one.
Read more…

By Dick Morris, WESTERN JOURNAL August 30, 2018

Alex Halada / AFP / Getty ImagesMeeting of EU Foreign Ministers (Alex Halada / AFP / Getty Images)

President Donald Trump’s new sanctions on Iran are meeting fierce opposition from the European Union — and there’s not a damn thing Brussels can do about them.

With the U.S. unilaterally re-imposing economic sanctions on Teheran, the EU has passed a “blocking statute” that “forbids EU persons from complying with the (Iran) sanctions” and promises to help European businesses and financial institutions recover damages due to the sanctions.
Read more…

Palestinian leader hopeful Democrats will seize control of Congress, stall Trump agenda

By Adam Kredo, FREE BEACON

 Palestinian leaders are betting their future on President Donald Trump being impeached by Democrats following the mid-term elections, according to Arabic language comments by a senior Palestinian government leader who praised Special Counsel Robert Mueller for targeting Trump and his top allies.

Palestinian government leaders, under pressure from the Trump administration as it slashes U.S. taxpayer aid to the embattled government, say they are betting on a Democratic takeover in Congress that will stall the administration’s agenda and put the still languishing peace process on the back burner.
Read more…

The Nation 1948

Introduction

The General Assembly of the United Nations, for the third time in twelve months, is meeting to discuss “the future government of Palestine.”  Discussions are taking place in an atmosphere of violence which may touch off an explosion far beyond the boundaries of the Holy Land. 

The question which the General Assembly must face, and world opinion as well, is this: was an inherent injustice in the November 29 resolution of the General Assembly responsible for the current explosion? 

The Nation Associates presents the facts in this memorandum as essential to a wise and just decision.  An examination of the facts will show that the present violence in Palestine results from: 
Read more…

T. Belman. The left always criticizes Trump when he does dramatic things for not having a Plan B. Don’t be so foolish as to believe this. Jordan will host all the refugees presently served by UNRWA and will provide the same services to them if they move to Jordan

The Trump administration has announced severe cuts to the agency that helps Palestinian refugees, raising questions about who or what could fill the void.

BY TERRANCE J. MINTNER/THE MEDIA LINE

T. Belman. The working US assumption is that the “refugees” would return to the Palestinian state. It doesn’t matter what the definition is, they are still stateless. Jordan will become the Palestinian state and most of the “refugees” would emmigrate there and receive full citizenship

The administration “is not planning to provide a numerical calculation or definition of a ‘legitimate Palestinian refugee,’” a State Department official said.

BY TOVAH LAZAROFF, MICHAEL WILNER, JPOST

The Trump Administration has dismissed UNRWA’s definition of who is a Palestinian refugee, but has no plans to come up with an alternative definition that would determine how many people fit the criterion.

The administration “is not planning to provide a numerical calculation or definition of a ‘legitimate Palestinian refugee,” a State Department official said.

“While the US believes the UNRWA model is not appropriate or sustainable, we will not elaborate further at this time,” the official added.
Read more…

T. Belman. Greenblatt warned the PA, if you are not part of the solution “others will fill the void”. Both the PA and Hamas are obstructionists and are dedicated to destroying Israel. In the past they only had the power the US allowed them to have. Trump has dramatically alterred that formula. From now on they have to kiss our ass rather than us having to kiss theirs.  They are not about to do this so they are being phased out. Jordan under Zahran will fill the void created by ending the PA and UNRWA. Greenblatt is putting the world on notice.

Abbas spokesman rejects Jason Greenblatt’s comments on others filling the void if the PA isn’t part of the solution in Gaza.

By Dalit Halevy, INN

Nabil Abu Rudeineh, a spokesman for Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Mahmoud Abbas, says that the “Palestinian people” alone will determine their future and choose their legitimate leadership, not the United States or any other entity.

His comments on Thursday came in response to Jason Greenblatt, the White House Special Representative for International Negotiations, who on Wednesday warned that if the PA is not part of the solution for Palestinian Arabs, “others will fill that void.”

Abu Rudeineh said in response that said there is no alternative to the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the only legitimate representative of the “Palestinian people.”
Read more…