ZOA to Kerry: Stop Illegally Urging Abbas to Ignore US Mideast Policy & Attack US President  

ZOA to Justice Dep’t and Congress: Investigate Kerry for Potential Logan Act Violations & Treason if Report is True that Kerry Advised PA’s Abbas to Reject US Demands & Attack US President

Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) President Morton A. Klein released the following statement:

The Zionist Organization of America calls upon the U.S. Department of Justice and Congress to investigate former Secretary of State John Kerry for potential Logan Act violations, treason and inciting violence, if the reports are true regarding Kerry’s recent meeting with Palestinian Authority (PA) terrorist dictator Mahmoud Abbas’s close confidante, Hussein Agha, in London.  During this meeting, Kerry reportedly asked Agha to convey a message to dictator Abbas that Abbas should “play for time,” “stay strong,“ “not break,” should “not yield to President Trump’s demands,” and should attack President Trump personally.  Maariv and the Jerusalem Post reported that Kerry “asked Abbas, through Agha, not to attack the US or the Trump administration, but to concentrate on personal attacks on Trump himself, whom Kerry says is solely and directly responsible for the situation.”  (“Kerry To Abbas Confidante: ‘Stay Strong And Do Not Give In To Trump’,” by Ben Caspit/Maariv, Jerusalem Post, Jan. 24, 2018.)
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January 25, 2018 | 6:13 pm | 2 Comments »

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Qatar’s isolation is appropriate  

By Irina Tsukerman, ISRAEL HAYOM

After taking a trip to Qatar, Professor Alan Dershowitz seems to have adopted a one-sided narrative on the Gulf crisis, apparently agreeing with every word of Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani’s version of the events.  While the events leading up to and following the blockade of the small Gulf state by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and others may indeed be more complicated than propagandists from either side would have it, the interpretation offered in his article stretches the boundaries of credulity.

Dershowitz begins by duly admitting that his visit was offered and paid for by the emir. That may not be a reason to reject a visit, but it is certainly a reason to ask tough questions and to remain skeptical throughout. The article is peppered with disclaimers about how “everything should be verified.” Why, then, write an opinion piece, which is essentially an argument exculpating Qatar and laying blame on its Gulf neighbors, if the information on which this argument rests is unverified?  Is it not, then, in essence the knowing peddling of likely false information under the approval of Dershowitz’s name?
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January 25, 2018 | 4:04 pm | Comments »

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Support up among Israelis, Palestinians for violent solution to conflict — poll  

Spike likely due to US declaration of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, pollsters say; majority no longer supports 2-state solution; both sides see rivals as untrustworthy

By Michael Bachner, TOI

Illustrative. Palestinian protesters burn tires and clash with Israeli troops following protests against US President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, in the West Bank city of Ramallah, December 8, 2017. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)

Support for armed struggle has almost doubled among Palestinians in the last six months, while Israeli backing for a decisive military offensive to end the conflict increased during the same period by almost 60 percent, according to a poll published Thursday that said the rise was most likely linked to  US President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

The survey also found that most Israeli Jews and most Palestinians no longer believe the two-state solution is a possible way to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
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January 25, 2018 | 3:50 pm | 2 Comments »

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Caroline. You are wrong about Jordan’s King – Exclusive to Israpundit  

Jordan’s King Abdullah disrespects America because of the overstated fears of the alternative…which you promote

By Ahmed Badawi*

Today, I spent several minutes reading an article by Caroline Glick, an Israeli writer on Middle Eastern Matters, in doing so, I found myself encouraged to write this content not necessarily to try to respond to Caroline but to try to present an extended argument from a Jordanian Citizen who was forced to leave his country because of what I faced as a result of the ruling of the Royal Regime in Jordan that has led Jordan towards backwardness every year.

First, Caroline thoroughly presented her arguments regarding the actions of Abdullah towards Israel and the US, she succeeded in analyzing the actions of Abdullah and his strategy, I have to admit, I never expected a Jewish writer to present a good level of understanding to the situation as what Caroline did, however, her conclusions about Abdullah seemed to me that she is more inclined to accept the fact that Abdullah is adopting a double-faced policy, that is, to be friendly with the US and Israel in their face then backstabbing them, because he is trying to appease his hostile people who are anti-Israel and America.
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January 25, 2018 | 1:45 pm | 10 Comments »

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Have Republicans tried to redefine ‘pro-Israel?’  

T. Belman. What is missing from this article is a reference to the fact that there is a huge partisan divide on support for Israel.

By any definition, The Democrats are not, or at least no longer, pro-Israel whereas the Republicans are.

One of the reasons for this gap is that Israel is very nationalistic whereas the democrats are against nationalism and the Republicans under Trump are all for it.

Also the Republican base to a large extent is religious, like Israel, whereas the Democrats wage war against religion except for Islam.

The point here is that Trump, Pence and their Evangelical supporters haven’t redefined the term “pro-Israel” in an effort to exclude liberals. The opposite is true.

By Jonathan S. Tobin, JWR 

Most Israelis may have been thrilled with Vice President Mike Pence’s visit to Israel but some Jewish liberals were decidedly nonplussed by his eloquent speech to the Knesset.

While the left’s lack of enthusiasm for anything coming out of the Trump administration is to be expected, the attempt to denigrate Pence’s stance as somehow damaging the bipartisan pro-Israel consensus is more than a little disingenuous.

In the Forward, Jane Eisner threw cold water on Pence’s heartfelt explanation for the devotion Americans feel for Israel. While not necessarily doubting the vice president’s sincerity, she disagreed with the notion that support for Israel stems from America’s religious heritage. She considers doing so a distortion of American history which downplays prejudice against Jews.
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January 25, 2018 | 10:57 am | 1 Comment »

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Man-Made Climate Change-Settled Science or Dogma?  

By Wayne McLaughlin, AMERICAN THINKER

Anthropogenic Global Warming (AGW) is settled science, proclaim the predictors of weather doomsday. Settled Science? Science evolves continuously and can never be settled, unless, of course, the ‘settled’ subject is dogma, not science. Is it just a ‘my way or the highway’ attempt by vested interests to close discussion on their terms?

Consider the term “peer reviewed”. Science evolves through the contribution of new ideas which are published so that their peers (other scientists) can review, validate, contribute, or argue with them. If we had accepted Niels Bohr’s version of the atom as settled science, there would have been no subatomic particles discovered and nuclear fission might not have ever been attempted, which would be perfectly okay with the modern day flat-earthers.
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January 25, 2018 | 10:44 am | 2 Comments »

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State Department could cut PA aid even further  

Ambassador Haley reportedly pushing for further cuts to U.S. aid to PA, following the cut in funding to UNRWA.

By Elad Benari, INN

The State Department is considering making further cuts to the American aid to the Palestinian Authority (PA), according to a Hadashot (formerly Channel 2 News) report on Wednesday.

The report said that the cutting of funding to the PA is being pushed by Nikki Haley, the U.S. Ambassador to the UN, who was also the driving force behind the U.S. decision last week to cut a significant portion of its funding to UNRWA, the UN agency for “Palestinian refugees”.

Haley was quoted in the report as saying that PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas needs to pay a price for disrespecting U.S. President Donald Trump in his recent speech to the PLO Central Council.
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January 25, 2018 | 10:24 am | 4 Comments »

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The Trump Revolution  

THIS WILL BLOW YOU AWAY

Ignore what he says about Israel. No where does he mention Soros or the Globalists or the NWO. That surprised me.

Ignore what he said about 9-11 and Mossad. All official sources have labelled his theory as a conspiracy theory.

I don’t buy it for a minute.

January 24, 2018 | 11:07 pm | 28 Comments »

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How Aid to Palestinians Hurts – Not Helps – the Peace Process  

by Asaf Romirowsky and Alexander H. Joffe, Forward
January 22, 2018

http://www.meforum.org/7177/aid-to-palestinians-hurts-peace-process


Aid to the Palestinians has had a world of unintended consequences.

Last week, the US announced its intention to delay a $65 million payment to UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency. UNRWA is a UN agency specifically dedicated to providing Palestinians with aid. The Trump Administration will be withholding $65 million out of the US’s total annual contribution of over $360 million.

The responses to the US decision have been predictable. The Washington Postimmediately sought out the Gazan on the street, who warned that

Any reduction of aid would be a death sentence for refugees in Gaza. The work is almost nonexistent. There are not enough jobs. Those who work for the Palestinian Authority receive only a stipend, and Hamas employees get a quarter of their salary.

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January 24, 2018 | 4:27 pm | 6 Comments »

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Iran and Saudi Arabia Revisit Their Strategies  

BESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 723, January 24, 2018

By Dr. James R Dorsey, BESA

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Expressions of support for the Iranian anti-government protests by US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have provided grist for Iranian claims that the protests were instigated by foreign powers. The assertions, while largely baseless, nonetheless offer insight into the very different strategies adopted by Iran and Saudi Arabia in their vicious struggle for regional dominance.

There is little doubt that the Iranian protests were fueled by widespread economic grievances, and Iran’s detractors abroad resembled not always helpful fans on the sidelines. In fact, Saudi Arabia, Iran’s nemesis, was the one opponent of the Islamic Republic to refrain from joining those fans publicly in a bid to stop the regime in Tehran from using it as a scapegoat. The Iranian leadership pointed a finger at the kingdom anyway, and in so doing illustrated the dynamics of the Iranian-Saudi rivalry.

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January 24, 2018 | 2:02 pm | Comments »

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Analysis: Time to demand the Palestinian Authority’s unconditional surrender  

The truth is that the Palestinian Authority is a dead man walking and in no position to demand anything from anyone.

By Daniel Krygier, Political Analyst, World Israel News

Analysis: Time to demand the Palestinian Authority’s unconditional surrender

Throughout time, aggressors knew when they were winning and when they were losing. By contrast, Israel’s Muslim Arab enemies do not behave like your typical aggressors. The more Israel’s enemies lose, the more aggressive and demanding they become.

Japan’s hubris that led to the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941 was depleted when America dropped the nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. The difference between Pearl Harbor and Hiroshima was that the balance of power had shifted dramatically in America’s favor. The US was not popular in post-1945 Japan, but the defeated Japanese knew that they were in no position to demand anything from Washington.
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January 24, 2018 | 1:05 pm | 4 Comments »

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EXCLUSIVE: INFOWARS RELEASES SECRET FISA MEMO  

Here’s the reported memo leaked to Infowars

By Kit Daniels, INFOWARS
EXCLUSIVE: Infowars Releases Secret FISA Memo

Update: Despite media claims to the contrary, our congressional sources confirmed that the below memo documenting NSA spying on US citizens serves as a primary source of information for the Nunes summary memo:

William Binney, former tech head of the NSA contacted us this morning to send us the link to the reportedly classified memo that lawmakers said was a blueprint of how the Obama administration and the Deep State spied on President Trump.

This memo, hiding in plain site, serves as the basis for the four-page memo of Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) which reveals perjury by the Obama administration when connected to other research.
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January 24, 2018 | 11:39 am | 1 Comment »

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King Abdullah is walking a tightrope  

T. Belman. A few days ago Glick wrote that the King can do what he wants. I challenged her on this. Lynfield has it right.

Take note that Trump’s intent to squeeze UNRWA will result in Jordan being squeezed.

Jordan desparately needs a two state solution

By Ben Lynfield, JPOST

[..]

The Jerusalem recognition and the dropping of previous administrations support for a two-state solution completely disregard Jordan’s concerns and needs, and put King Abdullah on the hot seat. But given Jordanian financial dependence on Washington – approximately a billion dollars a year in US aid is disbursed – there is nothing the king can do in response.

With a Palestinian majority population, the king needs to show he is fully backing the Palestinian quest for an end to Israeli military rule and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital. As Brandon Friedman, a Middle East specialist at Tel Aviv University’s Dayan Center noted, the king realizes he needs to win over those Jordanians of Palestinian origin and not rely entirely on the traditional East Bank elite that built the Jordanian state.
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January 24, 2018 | 10:05 am | Comments »

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Why Israel-Jordan crisis lasted so long  

By Ben Caspit, AL MONITOR

“It all happened because of one photo. This affair could have ended much sooner.” This was what a senior member of Israel’s Security Cabinet told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, six months after the July 2017 shooting to death of two Jordanians by an Israeli Embassy guard that set off a severe crisis between the countries.

This week, after tumultuous shuttle diplomacy between King Abdullah’s palace in Amman and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office in Jerusalem, the crisis appeared to be nearing resolution. Now, after Israel agreed to apologize publicly, pay millions of dollars in compensation, replace its ambassador in Jordan and complete its investigation of the fatal incident, the king has finally given in to the heavy pressure exerted on him in recent months. The Israeli Embassy in Amman will reopen as soon as a new ambassador is found to run it.
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January 24, 2018 | 9:39 am | 16 Comments »

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Pew: Widest split on Israel in 40 years, Democrats abandon, GOP embraces  

by Paul Bedard, WASH EXAMINER

Like the Middle East itself, America’s two political parties are unusually split over Israel, with Democrats abandoning their sympathy for the Jewish State and the GOP rallying around it.

A new Pew Research Center survey released Tuesday said that just 27 percent of Democrats “sympathize” with Israel over the rival Palestinians. That is a significant nearly 20 point drop in the last few years.

Some 79 percent of Republicans meanwhile favor Israel, nearly double their support from 20 years ago.

“The partisan divide in Middle East sympathies, for Israel or the Palestinians, is now wider than at any point since 1978,” said the survey.

January 24, 2018 | 5:18 am | Comments »

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The Humanitarian Hoax of DACA: Killing America With Kindness – hoax 20  

by Linda Goudsmit, PUNDICITY

The Humanitarian Hoax is a deliberate and deceitful tactic of presenting a destructive policy as altruistic. The humanitarian huckster presents himself as a compassionate advocate when in fact he is the disguised enemy.

Obama, the humanitarian huckster-in-chief, weakened the United States for eight years presenting his crippling Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) advocacy as altruistic when in fact it was designed for destruction. His legacy, the Leftist Democrat Party with its ongoing Resistance movement, is the party of the Humanitarian Hoax attempting to destroy the capitalist infrastructure of American democracy through deceitful immigration reforms.

This is how it works.
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January 23, 2018 | 6:48 pm | Comments »

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Erdogan holds back on threatened conquest of Afrin, goes for Manjib  

DEBKA

The Turkish president has told Trump and Putin he would not seize N. Syrian Afrin from the Kurds after insignificant gains in his three-day military assault.

DEBKAfile’s military sources report that, notwithstanding the Turkish army’s claim to have captured four Afrin villages, there were no real military clashes and the Kurdish YPG militia simply opened the door and withdrew. Turkish forces are meanwhile making no preparations to move on to take the enclave’s main town of Afrin. They appear to have marked out a narrow strip of the northern Syrian border region to pave the way for moving east towards the Kurdish-held town of Manjib. Our sources report that Turkey’s war for Afrin is virtually at a standstill, but for sporadic cross-border artillery shelling and occasional air strikes, confirming Erdogan’s assurance to the US and Russian presidents that he was not planning to conquer Afrin.

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January 23, 2018 | 3:14 pm | 1 Comment »

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Tiny, Wealthy Qatar Goes Its Own Way, and Pays for It  

T. Belman. NY TIMES is whitewashing. Check out my 2012 aricle. Tiny Qatar casts a giant shadow.

Among Persian Gulf states, Qatar was the picked-on little sibling. Gas riches and an independent-minded ruling family changed that. Now it’s in the fight of its life.

In a few dizzying decades, gas exports have made Qatar very rich, very fast.

Tomas Munita, NY TIMES

DOHA, Qatar — For the emir of Qatar, there has been little that money can’t buy.

As a teenager he dreamed of becoming the Boris Becker of the Arab world, so his parents flew the German tennis star to Qatar to give their son lessons. A lifelong sports fanatic, he later bought a French soccer team, Paris Saint-Germain, which last summer paid $263 million for a Brazilian striker — the highest transfer fee in the history of the game.

He helped bring the 2022 World Cup to Qatar at an estimated cost of $200 billion, a major coup for a country that had never qualified for the tournament.
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January 23, 2018 | 2:51 pm | Comments »

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Don’t abandon the Kurds to the ‘mercies’ of Turkey’s tyrant  

By Ralph Peters, NY POST

The United States has been the protector and ally of the Kurds for a quarter-century. And the Kurds have proven to be, man-for-man and woman-for-woman, the best fighters in the region.
Without Kurdish boots on the ground, we would not have made the sweeping progress achieved against the Islamic State caliphate.

Now, with ISIS crushed (but still wriggling and snapping), we’re turning our backs on our Kurdish allies in Syria as they’re attacked by a NATO ally gone rogue — Turkey, which is led by an Islamist strongman, the odious “President” Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
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January 23, 2018 | 2:25 pm | Comments »

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