INTO THE FRAY: Inane …Again! Tom Friedman on Gaza  

By Martin Sherman, IISS

Tom Friedman’s last piece on Gaza is a “masterful” blend of personal bile & bias, liberally laced with logical inconsistencies, factual inaccuracies and even blatant non-sequiturs

What if all two million Palestinians of Gaza marched to the Israeli border fence with an olive branch in one hand and a sign in Hebrew and Arabic in the other, saying, “Two states for two peoples: We, the Palestinian people of Gaza, want to sign a peace treaty with the Jewish people — a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders, with mutually agreed adjustments. – Thomas L. Friedman, Hamas, Netanyahu and Mother Nature, New York Times, May 22, 2018.

…the American conduct of the peace process bears an unhappy resemblance to the custom of treating diseases by placing leeches on the body of the afflicted person: It was based on an inadequate understanding of the pathology it attempted to cure, it did not solve the problem it was intended to fix, and it sometimes made it substantially worse. – Michael Mandelbaum, The Peace Process Is an Obstacle to Peace, Commentary, April 14, 2016.
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May 24, 2018 | 7:34 pm | 19 Comments »

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Rare Jewish minted coins found in Temple Mount debris  

By Ted Belman

Temple Mount coins

Remember how horrified we all were when the Wakf, without permission, excavated earth from the Temple Mount which had lay undisturned since the destruction of the Second Temple.

Did you know, Rare and Ancient Coins were Found on Temple Mount.

Millennia-old and exceptionally rare coins from among the first-ever minted by Jews were discovered on the Temple Mount, evidence of the Jewish people’s deep ties to the hallowed site.

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May 24, 2018 | 12:47 pm | 1 Comment »

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There are none so blind as those who will not see  

By Ted Belman

We understand that Islam and the West Are Incompatible,

The problem for the West is that Muslims view sharia law as the word of Allah, an absolute and uncompromising truth that can never be modified. What makes the problem intractable is that Muslims accept the superiority of sharia law based on its foundation in faith rather than reason. Not only do Muslims believe that law must come from Allah, but they reject out of hand the possibility that the existing laws of sharia can evolve as societal conditions change or that any new legal principle can be entertained if it relies on mere reason.

There is, in short, an unbridgeable gulf between Islam and the West, a difference founded in principles and therefore a difference that brooks no compromise. Islam and the West are irreconcilable.

Unfortunately, many do not hold such views and in fact find such views as abhorent.
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May 24, 2018 | 12:25 pm | 1 Comment »

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Ramadan and violence go hand in hand  

By  Mateenelass

Image result for iftar

In this Muslim season of Ramadan, one of the social myths promulgated by former President Obama and gladly trumpeted by the mainstream media as fact is that the White House has had a long tradition of celebrating iftar (a meal that breaks the Ramadan fast at the end of each day of that lunar month) with Muslim guests.How long does that tradition reach back? All the way to the presidency of Thomas Jefferson in 1805! So goes the myth. Even the New York Times has carried water for this fairytale in an attempt to show how tolerant or even approving our founding fathers and most presidents since then have been toward Islam.
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May 24, 2018 | 11:15 am | 2 Comments »

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Israelis Don’t Think Netanyahu’s Government Should Listen to U.S. Jews, Survey Shows  

Israeli Jews back Netanyahu’s snubbing of Jewish-American views on conflict with Palestinians, religious pluralism. But support from U.S. Jews still seen as essential

By Debra Nussbaum Cohen, HAARETZ

American Jews taking part in a protest outside of the Trump International Hotel in Washington, against the opening of the US Embassy in Jerusalem, May 14, 2018.
American Jews taking part in a protest outside of the Trump International Hotel in Washington, against the opening of the US Embassy in Jerusalem, May 14, 2018.
American Jews taking part in a protest outside of the Trump International Hotel in Washington, against the opening of the US Embassy in Jerusalem, May 14, 2018.AFP PHOTO / Mandel NGAN

NEW YORK – Many American Jews feel the current Israeli government has repeatedly snubbed their views or taken actions that broaden the divide between the two communities. Now, a new study of Israeli Jews’ attitudes toward their American peers shows that the decisions by Israel’s political leaders have broad backing at home.
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May 24, 2018 | 9:51 am | Comments »

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The political and economic successes of the 1st ever Muslim republic  

T. Belman. At the same time, Ataturk founded the Republic of Turkey and embraced secular nationalism. It lasted for almost a century and ended with the election of Erdogan. Azebirjan remained a secular democratic republic of the parliamentary model.

This is a model for Jordan to emulated.

The Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan was short-lived, but served as a model for today’s friend of Israel.

By Yunis Abdullayev, INN

[…]
The National Council, led by Mammad Amin Rasulzadeh, proclaimed a declaration on the establishment of the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan on 28 May 1918. The Declaration of Independence indicated formation of the first democratic republic of the parliamentary model not only in the Turko-Moslem, but the whole Oriental world.

The major provisions of the Declaration adopted by the National Congress read as follows:

  • Starting from now on, Azerbaijan embracing the area of the South-Western Transcaucasia shall exist as an independent entity, enjoying all rights and realizing right of the people of Azerbaijan to have their own government.
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May 24, 2018 | 7:44 am | 1 Comment »

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A Syrian-Hizballah buildup for a leap on Jordan’s border, cause for US, Israeli concern  

DEBKA

A large Syrian army/Hizballah force is massing at Izra in the southern Daraa region poised to fight through to the Jordanian border and come within reach of Quneitra.  This is reported by DEBKAfile’s military sources. The big Izra base also houses the Iranian command for eastern Syria. Bashar Assad has freed up substantial military strength for his drive to capture the south after beating back rebel forces from the Damascus area and proclaiming it under his control.

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May 24, 2018 | 6:57 am | 1 Comment »

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Israel lost the PR battle over Gaza. Was it unwinnable or just mismanaged?  

The IDF spokesperson is taking heavy flak for his handling of last week’s border clashes; some say he’s a scapegoat

By Judah Ari Gross, TOI

 

While the army of Israel succeeded in fending off repeated infiltration attempts from the Gaza border during mass protests and clashes over the past seven weeks, the State of Israel lost the fight for public opinion — resoundingly, according to some.

“There’s a war being waged, and we’re not even on the battlefield,” Deputy Minister for Public Diplomacy Michael Oren told The Times of Israel.
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May 23, 2018 | 5:55 pm | 33 Comments »

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Why Aren’t More Jews Attracted to the GOP?  

By Josh Kantrow, AMERICAN THINKER 

I am an outspoken Zionist, Jewish Republican, and Trump-supporter, and as such, I have a number of conservative friends.  Given that I live in a trendy neighborhood in a large metropolitan area, I have many liberal Jewish friends as well.  Many of my conservative friends have approached me over the years and asked me why more Jews aren’t Republicans.  Given my unique personal and political situation, I will do my best in this piece to answer this question.
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May 23, 2018 | 4:02 pm | 3 Comments »

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Disagreements begin to emerge between Moscow, Tehran regardng Syria  

According to a report, sources close to the Russian Foreign Ministry said that Moscow identified previous Israeli raids on Iranian positions in central Syria, “but did not respond.”

BY Herb Keinon, JPOST

Disagreements begin to emerge between Moscow, Tehran regarding Syria

Small cracks in ties between Iran and Russia regarding Syria emerged for the second day in a row on Tuesday, when Russian sources were quoted as rejecting the idea that Moscow would use its advanced anti-aircraft batteries in Syria against Israeli planes going after Iranian targets.

According to a report in the London-based, pan-Arab Al-Hayat newspaper, sources close to the Russian Foreign Ministry said that Moscow identified previous Israeli raids on Iranian positions in central Syria, “but did not respond.”
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May 23, 2018 | 3:52 pm | Comments »

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Iran’s Dilemma: Respond to Israeli Actions in Syria with Terror Attacks Abroad?  

By Yoram Schweitzer

INSS Insight No. 1060, May 22, 2018

In view of the public promise by senior Iranian spokespersons that Israel would soon weep over its soldiers just as Iran mourned its soldiers, it remains to be seen if and how Iran will retaliate against Israel’s recent broad counter-attack against Iranian targets in Syria: with what intensity, with what method, and in what location. However, notwithstanding declarations from Iranian leaders that ongoing Israeli actions against its forces and proxies will lead to the destruction of Haifa and Tel Aviv, it appears that Iran is not genuinely interested in war, particularly not on Syrian or Lebanese territory, fearing the consequences for both the survival of the Assad regime and for Hezbollah’s status. (Israel too is not interested in an all-out war.)
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May 23, 2018 | 1:19 pm | Comments »

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Glick: The Trump doctrine benefits Israel  

By Caroline Glick, BREITBART

[…]

The point was the deal.

The same was the case with the Palestinians. As Clinton, Bush and Obama all saw it, the only salient question regarding the Palestinians was whether or not Israel was willing to cut a deal with the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). They considered PLO sponsorship and incitement of terror a mere distraction. The PLO’s partnership with Hamas was said to be a passing phase. PLO corruption and embezzlement of billions of dollars in U.S. and international aid dollars was just an irritant.

The only thing three successive administrations concerned themselves with regarding the Palestinians generally, and the PLO specifically, was whether or not they would say from time to time that they were willing to cut a deal – any deal – with Israel.
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May 23, 2018 | 7:56 am | Comments »

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Mike Pompeo just gave the Iran speech Kerry should have given  


Jonathan Schanzer, New York Post,

In his first major speech as secretary of state — a searing 20-minute stemwinder — Mike Pompeo on Monday laid out the new US strategy toward Iran, following President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the 2015 nuclear agreement. Pompeo unveiled Washington’s plan to deploy intense economic warfare against the Islamic Republic until it halts a wide range of nuclear and non-nuclear activity. But the speech was more than just that; it was the one Pompeo’s predecessor, John Kerry, should have delivered in 2013.
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May 23, 2018 | 6:50 am | Comments »

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Iran-Israel confrontation in Syria won’t morph into massive war, vows expert  

IMRA

The presence of Iranian forces in Syria depends on what the settlement of the domestic conflict in this country will end with, expert notes
http://tass.com/politics/1005351

MOSCOW, May 21. 2018 /TASS/. The confrontation between Iran and Israel in Syria will remain and the strikes will continue, but a massive war between the two countries is hardly probable, said chief research scientist of the Center for Arab and Islamic Studies at the RAS Institute of Oriental Studies Irina Zvyagelskaya at a presentation of the report on the situation in the Middle East at a Valdai Discussion Club venue.
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May 23, 2018 | 6:31 am | 2 Comments »

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COLUMN ONE: Betting on a dead horse  

It’s self-evident that if Israel gives Fatah Judea and Samaria and Jerusalem, Hamas will quickly take over those areas as well.

By Caroline Glick, JPOST

Imagine what would happen if all the horse racing experts in the world got together and bet their money on a dead horse to win the Kentucky Derby. As far-fetched as that sounds, today all the who’s who in foreign affairs are either supporting or actively enacting an analogous policy toward the Palestinian Fatah movement. Cheered on by the Olmert-Livni-Barak government, this week the Security Council passed Resolution 1850, which among other things calls on all UN member nations to provide political and financial support for Fatah chief Mahmoud Abbas’s government. And no doubt the call will be answered with enthusiasm.
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May 22, 2018 | 8:41 pm | 4 Comments »

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How the FBI, CIA, and NYT Collaborated to Sway the 1996 Election  

By Jack Cashill, AMERICAN THINKER

The idea is floated frequently that the still nameless Russian collusion scandal is “worse than Watergate.”  It may well be, but that comparison overlooks a more useful parallel.

The gold standard of government conspiracy remains the investigation into the July 1996 crash of TWA Flight 800 off the south coast of Long Island.  The ensuing cover-up involved many of the same players as in the Russia conspiracy and for the same immediate goal: to secure a presidential election for a Clinton.

As with the Russia scandal, not all the collaborators in the TWA 800 case were equally motivated or equally powerful.  The White House drove the conspiracy through its Justice Department.  The CIA executed it without conscience.  The FBI grudgingly yielded to the CIA.  And the New York Times dutifully reported what the FBI whispered in its reporters’ ears.
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May 22, 2018 | 8:16 pm | Comments »

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Israel Launched World’s First Air Strike Using F-35 Stealth Fighters, Air Force Chief Says  

Maj. Gen. Amikam Norkin says Iranians fired 32 rockets, more than 100 surface-to-air missiles launched from Syria at Israeli jets during the flare-up earlier this month

By Yaniv Kubovich, HAARETZ

An Israeli Air Force F-35 fighter jet flies during an aerial demonstration at a graduation ceremony for Israeli air force pilots at the Hatzerim air base in southern Israel December 29, 20, 2016

An Israeli Air Force F-35 fighter jet flies during an aerial demonstration at a graduation ceremony for Israeli air force pilots at the Hatzerim air base in southern Israel December 29, 20, 2016\ Amir Cohen/ REUTERS

May 22, 2018 | 8:09 pm | Comments »

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U.S. Moves to Shutter All Iranian Nuclear Enrichment Sites in Major Reversal of Obama Policy  

Pompeo call to kill Iran’s nuclear program gaining traction

By Adam Kredo, FREE BEACON

The Trump administration, in a major reversal of Obama administration policy, is seeking to shutter every Iranian nuclear enrichment site, including its heavy water reactors, which could provide Iran with a second, plutonium-based pathway to a nuclear weapon, according to U.S. officials and others familiar with the policy shift.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in his first major policy address, called on Iran to shutdown its heavy water nuclear power plants, which were allowed by the Obama administration under the landmark nuclear agreement and laid the groundwork for Tehran and Russia to ink multi-billion dollar deals to build new nuclear reactors throughout the country, construction that is already underway.
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May 22, 2018 | 7:52 pm | 1 Comment »

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Congress to Consider Recognition of Israeli Sovereignty Over Golan Heights  

New measure recognizes Israel’s control of Syrian territory

By Adam Kredo, FREE BEACON

Congress is set to consider a new measure to recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the contested Golan Heights region that separates Israel from Syria, a key piece of territory that has become all the more important since the civil war in Syria brought scores of jihadist fighters, including those backed by Iran, into the region.

Rep. Ron DeSantis (R., Fla.), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, introduced on Thursday a resolution that could lead to an historic recognition by the United States that the contested area fully belongs to Israel, according to a copy of the amendment obtained by the Washington Free Beacon.
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May 22, 2018 | 3:45 pm | 1 Comment »

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The Western Nakba: Hating Israel  

By Giulio Meotti. INN

After the clashes in Gaza that cost the lives of 62 Palestinians Arabs (a Hamas official, Salah Bardawil, said on television that 50 of the victims were members of the terrorist group), a series of diplomatic crises have taken place. While the African National Congress, the ruling party in South Africa, compared Israel to Nazis, Turkey humiliated the expelled Israeli ambassador at the airport.

However, another rift between Israel and European public opinion is being defined on Gaza.

The Süddeutsche Zeitung, the best-selling newspaper in Germany (one million copies), has published a cartoon with Benjamin Netanyahu dressed as Netta Barzilai and in military boots, a missile in his hand and the star of David instead of the “V” of Eurovision – and a cloud saying “next year in Jerusalem”. After the clamor, the newspaper published the apologies by the director Wolfgang Krach, according to whom the cartoon was a “mistake”.
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May 22, 2018 | 11:52 am | Comments »

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