By Joni Kempinski, INN

[..]

“I firmly believe that there is a real path towards peace,” he emphasized. “Much has changed since my first trip to the region in 1983. At that time, the prevailing interest of the Arab world, with the exception of Egypt, was the rejection of Israel, including calls for its destruction and the very real possibility of war.”

Greenblatt noted that today, the atmosphere has changed: “Confronted with an emboldened and aggressive Iran and populations eager for economic opportunity, many leaders understand that Israel is not the problem, and in fact Israel can be part of the solution.”

“US President Donald Trump has brought a fresh set of eyes, and energy, to the task of peacemaking. It is clear that President Trump’s actions and language have changed expectations about what is possible. He has revitalized the discussion and language of peace in the region.”
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“The Palestinian narrative runs deep in [Arab] cultures.”

By Ben Lynfield, JPOST

Establishing a genuine alliance between Israel and Sunni Arab states requires more than shared concern over Iran, the director of the Center for Israel Studies in Amman told an audience in Tel Aviv on Tuesday.

Speaking as part of a panel on regional perspectives on Israel at the annual conference of the Institute for National Security Studies, Abdullah Sawalha said: “Making Iran the only component of this alliance is not enough. If the [Iranian] regime collapses, what will happen between Israel and the Sunni states?”

“For an alliance, we have to build a network of mutual interests: energy, water, technology and so on,” he added.
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By S. Samuel C. Rajiv, BESA

BESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 728,

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: India and Israel elevated their bilateral relationship to that of a “strategic partnership” in July 2017. While agriculture and opportunities for cooperation in the innovation economy hogged the limelight during both the prime ministerial visits, the defense/security peg of the partnership continues to have the greatest traction. The two countries hope to take it forward with an ambitious agenda that includes joint manufacturing as well as joint research and development.

The India-Israel relationship is often described as made up of “diamonds and defense.” During 2015-17, for instance, trade in diamond polishing and processing made up over half of imports (from Israel) and one-third of exports (to Israel). The respective figures are $2.1 billion (out of $4 billion of total imports) and $2 billion (out of $6 billion of total exports over those two years).

These figures are exclusive of defense trade. The defense component of the relationship has been one of the strongest pillars of the bilateral relationship. While there is no official acknowledgement of the exact financial volume of such trade, reports indicate that India buys more than a $1 billion of equipment every year and that over 40% of Israel’s arms exports in 2012-16 were to India.

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 by Linda Goudsmit, PUNDICITY 

Kurt Lewin, the 20th century German-American psychologist, is recognized as the founder of social psychology – the study of how the personality, attitudes, motivations, and behavior of the individual influences and is influenced by the group.

Lewin studied group dynamics and organizational development and challenged the prevailing “nature vs nurture” debate on behavior. Departing from conventional psychological theory, he developed a mathematical equation of behavior which claimed that an individual’s immediate situation – not necessarily past influences – was a strong determinant of behavior.

Lewin’s equation, B = f (P,E) contends that behavior is a function of the person in his environment, what he called that person’s “life space” or “field.” Lewin theorized that neither nature nor nurture was enough to explain an individual’s behavior – that it was the interaction between the individual and his constantly changing environment that produced the result.

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T. Belman.  Like they say, “There is no moderate Islam” In fact there is only one Islam.

By Fiona Hamilton, Crime & Security Editor, The Times

Sara Khan was accused of being a “mouthpiece” for the governmentISABEL INFANTES/PA

The treatment of Sara Khan shows that those who defend religious fanaticism are winning

By Melanie Phillips, THE TIMES

The scale of Britain’s problem with Islamic extremism has been graphically illustrated by what happens to Muslims who fight it.

St Stephen’s is a secular state primary school in a largely Pakistani and Bangladeshi community in east London. Its results are among the best in England. Its head teacher, Neena Lall, decided with her chairman of governors, Arif Qawi, that children under the age of eight should be banned from wearing the Islamic headscarf in class. They also stopped children fasting on school premises during Ramadan in case they became unwell.

Lall was alarmed that very few pupils thought of themselves as British. She felt an obligation to teach them British values. So what was the reaction to this admirable stand against religious extremism? Qawi was forced out as chairman of governors and Lall was likened to Hitler. Five local councillors said that the headscarf ban would leave pupils “victimised, intimidated and threatened when practising their faith”. Nearly 20,000 people signed a petition calling for the ban to be lifted. Last week Lall was forced to apologise and reverse the policy.
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By Daniel John Sobieski, AMERICAN THINKER

The confirmation of Rod Rosenstein to be Deputy Attorney General by a lopsided 94-6 vote should have set off warning bells. It is odd that a Trump nominee would get much Democratic support, if any. But his role in appointing his buddy Robert Mueller to lead a bogus Russian collusion probe and his history of looking the other way when Hillary Clinton is involved shows the Democrats had high hopes for Rosenstein, hopes realized by actions documented in the four-page House Intelligence Committee memo:

A secret, highly contentious Republican memo reveals that Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein approved an application to extend surveillance of a former Trump campaign associate shortly after taking office last spring, according to three people familiar with it.

The renewal shows that the Justice Department under President Trump saw reason to believe that the associate, Carter Page, was acting as a Russian agent…
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The Israeli prime minister flew to Moscow amid escalating concerns over Iran’s push to have a permanent presence in neighboring Arab countries.

By: Batya Jerenberg, WIN

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met President Vladimir Putin in the Russian capital on Monday for two hours of talks, with Iran first and foremost on the agenda.

“This meeting occurred while there is a watershed change in Syria,” he explained. “Will Iran establish itself in Syria or will this process be stopped? If it is not halted on its own then we will act to stop it.”

Netanyahu was directing his cautionary statement to the one person who is perhaps most able to influence Iran on the subject, as their joint interest in propping up the Assad regime in Syria has made allies of Moscow and Tehran. In fact, as a clear symbol of its growing influence in the region, Putin is set to host a two-day Syrian “congress of national dialogue” soon in the southern Russian city of Sochi as the civil war in that country winds down in Assad’s favor thanks to Russian and Iranian-backed forces.
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Agency’s director says ‘many things were possible’ in terms of removing Kim, acknowledges possible disastrous consequences of US striking first

By Michael Bochner, TOI

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un (L) and US President Donald Trump (R). (AFP Photo/Saul Loeb and Ed Jones)

The CIA is concerned North Korea could strike the United States with an atomic bomb within just a few months, and many options are being considered to remove or limit its leader, Kim Jong Un, the agency’s director said.

“We talk about him having the ability to deliver a nuclear weapon to the United States in a matter of a handful of months,” Mike Pompeo told the BBC in an interview aired Monday, a year after assuming the helm of the intelligence agency.

Pompeo added that “many things were possible” when it came to removing Kim from power or otherwise restricting Pyongyang’s ability to launch a nuclear weapon at the US.
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How many people realize that the names of most Palestinian Arab towns are proof that the Jews dwelled in Judea and Samaria before the Arab conquerors arrived? Even the name Jordan means “descends from Dan,” one of the 12 tribes of Israel.

By Gerald A. Honigman, INN

During President Obama’s second term in office, Secretary of State John Kerry, like his boss and other members of the same peapod (Samantha Power, Susan Rice, Joe Biden, Chuck Hagel, etc.), liked to warn Israel about such things as its isolation and alienation if it did not agree to Arab demands to return to its pre-’67 war, ’49 armistice lines (they were never borders) which made it an over-sized ghetto, 9-15 miles wide at its waist, where most of its population and infrastructure are located.

President George W. Bush commented that Texas had driveways larger than that. I don’t know about driveways, but I also don’t doubt the size of some Lone Star ranches. And I’m pretty sure Mrs. Obama had to travel farther than that for shopping trips to Target.

Others, like President Jimmy Carter, supposedly worried/worry (and even wrote books) about Israel’s soul and looming “apartheid nature” if it insists on the more secure, defensible, real borders that UNSC Resolution 242 promised in the wake of the ’67 fighting–a war Israel was forced to fight after being blockaded by Egypt (a casus belli), shelled by Jordan, abandoned by the UN Emergency Force placed in Sinai after the ’56 war (largely fought over another blockade and acts of terror), and other hostile acts and constant threats of annihilation.
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By Amos Harel, HAARETZ

The rapid aging of the IAF’s current fleet makes the new purchases necessary

An Israeli Air Force F-15 on an exercise. Ilan Assayag

The Israel Air Force is to decide in a few months between purchasing a third squadron of F-35 fighter jets or the F-15I, which, while less advanced, has other advantages.

The acquisition requires the approval of the General Staff and a ministerial committee, but the recommendation of the air force generally carries the day

IAF Commander Maj. Gen. Amikam Norkin, who reportedly is leaning toward the F-15, is to submit a recommendation in May.
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T. Belman. There is a lot to disagree with here. He is trying to make the case that its a matter of leadership. The numbers are skewed, he seems to be saying,  because two right wing people are in office. I don’t buy it. Just go back to the last two DNC’s. The resolutions passed on the floor by delegates  represented an abandonment of Israel. Just the opposite with the RNC’s.

Another reason is that Israel is becoming more rightwing and nationalist and the Democrats are becoming more left wing and globalist.

Survey indicating wider partisan gap than ever on attitudes toward Israel is seen as a reflection of the prime minister’s decision to align with Trump

By Eric Cortellessa, TOI

WASHINGTON — A poll showing that support for Israel becoming an increasingly partisan issue in the US has sparked questions over the significance of the apparent divide, as well as predictable partisan warfare.

The findings by the Pew Research Center show that 79 percent of Republicans “sympathize” more with Israel than the Palestinians, compared to just 27% of Democrats — of whom about an equal percentage supported Palestinians more.

The Republican Jewish Coalition was quick to seize on the results shortly after Pew released its survey last week, tweeting that “Republicans side with Israel; Democrats, not so much… This is the biggest gap in 40 years. The @GOP is the pro-Israel Party!”

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T. Belman. This plan is revolutionary and democratic.

DEBKA

Vladimir Putin has drawn up this plan for the Sochi conference. He will put it before Binyamin Netanyahu when they meet on Monday, Jan. 29.

DEBKAfile reports that the Russian president has prepared a plan for Syria’s post-war future for presentation to the Syrian peace conference which begins on the same day at the Black Sea resort of Sochi. Moscow has taken into account 1,600 Syrian government and opposition participants. Some rebel groups have announced a boycott.

DEBKAfile reports that the absentees are pro-Assad and pro-Iranian groups who are boycotting the event to reflect their masters’ objections to the Russian president’s plans. Unless he decides to back down at the last moment, those plans are substantially as follows:

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Sweet are the uses of adversity, as Shakespeare says. Which is why a previously little-known psychologist is Canada’s newest intellectual star

By Rex Murphy, NATIONAL POST

Why it seems like ages ago, when the University of Toronto leaped into the now infamous Pronoun Wars with a couple of minatory letters to Prof. Jordan Peterson that were as ham-fisted and bullying as they were badly written. Peterson had made it very clear that he would not, under any asserted compulsion from legislation or human rights code, use any newly coined pronouns (they had reached a count of 31 at one point) when addressing transgender students. Succinctly stated, he would not be compelled to speak words others insisted he speak.

The University of Toronto, which many insist is a world-class institution, responded that as a result of this (then) little-known clinical psychologist, that some of its students had been the subject of “specific and violent threats, including threats of assault, injury and death.” Then in sly malice it went on to hope that these death and other threats “were not his intention” in making the arguments he was making.
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by Chris Tomlinson, BREITBART

The Italian populist promised that if he is elected Prime Minister in the national election in March 2018 he will deport 100,000 migrants within his first year and half a million over the course of his five-year term, the Telegraph reports.

“There are half a million irregular migrants in Italy. All of them need to be sent home,” Salvini said earlier this week.

Salvini has been accused by many in the mainstream media of being xenophobic or even racist for his anti-mass migration stance.
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By Roger Cohen, NYT

RAMALLAH, West Bank — Elie Shamaa is the kind of young man Palestine needs. A tech specialist working for an international organization in the West Bank, he’s fluent in English and is completing an M.B.A. through an American program in Ramallah. But he’s had it. He sees his future elsewhere. “People reached a point where they know they are losing their life,” he told me.

We spoke as we drove north from Ramallah to Nablus. Hilltop Israeli settlements, controlling the line of sight, loomed into view at every turn, the ubiquitous red-roofed stamp of a half-century of occupation. As we passed through an Israeli checkpoint, Shamaa murmured, “In one minute they can close anything; in one minute they can open anything.” Planning is impossible for the three million Palestinians in the West Bank. Their lives must bend to Israeli whim.
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by Michael L. Wise

The Israeli flag at Jerusalem’s Western Wall. Photo: Hynek Moravec via Wikimedia Commons.

On January 5, The New York Times published an article echoing some proponents of the two-state solution, who warn that the failure of the “peace process” will mean the end of Israel as a Jewish democratic state. They claim that if Israel declares sovereignty over the West Bank, Israel will no longer be a majority Jewish state — because the addition of three million Palestinians will create an Arab majority in the near future, due to Arab fertility rates. Furthermore, they say, if Israel fails to grant immediate citizenship to West Bank Palestinians, the Jewish state will no longer be a democracy. Thus Israel will cease to be a Jewish democratic state, and the Zionist enterprise will fail.
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