By Osama Al Sharif, AL MONITOR

Jordan could be preparing for joint military operations with US and British special forces against Islamic State (IS) militants in southern Syria following King Abdullah’s meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House on April 5. The talks dealt with a number of issues but centered on the US-led fight against the terrorist group, the creation of safe zones in Syria and Jordan’s role in both. In his interview with The Washington Post the same day, the king alluded to Jordan’s readiness to deal with threats to the kingdom’s northern borders, saying that “non-state actors from outside coming toward our border are not going to be tolerated.”
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By LTG. John “Mick” Bednarek, USA (ret.) and LtGen Kenneth Glueck, USMC (ret.) – REAL CLEAR DEFENSE

The headlines confirm Iraq and Syria remain the current center of gravity in the U.S.-led coalition’s fight against ISIS. Yet, even as the group’s core territory constricts, the coalition still will need to neutralize ISIS combatants wherever they are and halt the spread of their dangerous ideology. American officials designing this larger campaign are looking to Jordan as a key contributor. It is a steadfast and strategically important ally, fully committed to this fight despite the increasing pressure it faces. King Abdullah’s visit to Washington last week was a good start, but more must be done to strengthen cooperation with a critical partner in the joint effort against ISIS.
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MEMRI

An article by the leader of the liberal Russian party Yabloko, Grigory Yavlinsky, titled “Russia’s Deadlock in Syria” was posted on his party’s website on April 13, 2017.[1] In his article, written in the aftermath of the chemical weapons attack on Khan Sheikhun and the American retaliatory strike on the Shayrat base, Yavlinksy flayed Putin’s policy in Syria. He claimed that Assad was a loose cannon who controlled Russia more than Russia controlled him despite Russia’s costly investment in the Syrian regime. Furthermore, Russia’s policy had left it without reliable allies in the region, while alienating the Trump administration in which Russia had placed such high hopes.

Russia, argued Yavlinsky, had pressing needs at home and could not financially sustain a quagmire in Syria, while simultaneously overextending itself in Ukraine, Libya, and conducting an arms race with the Americans.   In sum, the military involvement in Syria would soon resemble the tragedy of the Soviet Union’s involvement in Afghanistan and if Russia sought to avoid a recurrence of that nightmare it had to withdraw immediately from Syria. We republish Yavlinsky’s article below:

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As far as Israel’s relations with the US generally and the Pentagon specifically are concerned, moving the US embassy to Jerusalem is of secondary importance.

BY CAROLINE B. GLICK, JPOST

On Friday, US Secretary of Defense James Mattis will visit Israel as part of a tour of the region that will bring him to Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Djibouti. The declared purpose of Mattis’s trip is to “reaffirm key US military alliances, engage with strategic partners in the Middle East and Africa, and discuss cooperative efforts to counter destabilizing activities and defeat extremist terror organizations.”

Ahead of his visit, Mattis should spend some time considering the hunger strike being carried out by the Palestinian terrorists imprisoned by Israel. A serious consideration of the strike will tell him more about the nature of the Palestinian conflict with Israel than a hundred “expert” briefings.
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T. Belman. The UN will have a lot to say over the self inflicted harm by these prisoners yet nothing much to say about the state induced harm to prisoners in Islamic jails. Treatment of political prisoners in Iran and S. Arabia.

UN says it’s following the developments in the hunger strike by more than 1,000 terrorists in Israeli prisons.

Barghouti put in solitary confinement in another prison

By Ben Ariel, INN

The United Nations on Tuesday said it was following closely the hunger strike by more than 1,000 terrorists in Israeli prisons.

“We are obviously aware of the situation and following the developments closely,” said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric, according to AFP.

The terrorist prisoners, led by archterrorist Marwan Barghouti, launched the hunger strike on Monday to press for demands such as better medical services and access to telephones.
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T. Belman. I question the idea that we have an obligation to prevent a man from committing suicide. Liberals are so quick to say its not his choice to end his life whereas they staunchly defend the right of a woman to end the life of her yet to be born baby. Think about it. Why the different standard? If the woman has the right to kill her baby because after all “its her body”, why does a prisoner not have the same right over his body.

Ethics aside, does it serve our interests to allow a hunger strike to wrest concessions from us or are we better off taking no responsibility and letting them all die a slow death until the hunger strike itself dies .

Rabbi Yuval Cherlow, head of Ethics field at Tzohar Rabbinical Organization, speaks with Arutz Sheva about terrorist hunger strike.

By Shimon Cohen, INN

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DEBKA

The US Mediterranean fleet is moving into position ready for a decision to launch Tomahawk cruise missiles for a crushing assault on the Islamic State’s mountain strongholds in central Sinai, DEBKAfile’s military and counterterrorism sources report.

This would be the second American strike in a month against a Middle East target, after 59 cruise missiles destroyed one-fifth of the Syrian air force at the Shayrat air base on April 7 in response for Assad’s chemical attack on Syrian civilians.
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The United Nations Agenda 2030 of Sustainable Development is not going away and its goals are relatively close to completion, now to include the forced flood of international migrants around the globe and the obliteration of national borders

By Dr. Ileana Johnson Paugh, CFP

In case you were wondering about the planned invasion of Europe and other developed nations, including the United States, wonder no more. Today, The International Organization for Migration, a United Nations Migration Agency, funded partially and generously with your taxpayer dollars for 65 years, is holding an International Dialogue on Migration in New York, on April 18-19, with the theme, “Strengthening International Cooperation on and Governance of Migration towards the Adoption of a Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration in 2018.”
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BY Mike Hais, JEWISH JOURNAL

Every four years, in an attempt to maximize their share of the “Jewish vote,” the major political parties include language in their national platforms expressing support for Israel as America’s truest ally and only democracy in the Middle East. Often that expression contains a pledge to move the U.S embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

The belief that the political and even national allegiance of many Jewish Americans is driven by devotion to Israel extends beyond party politicians to a sizable share of the U.S. public. A 2016 survey conducted by the Marttila Strategies polling firm indicates that although anti-Semitism has declined significantly in the United States over the past half-century,  since at least the mid-1960s, about a third of Americans have believed the anti-Semitic dual loyalty canard  that Jews are “more loyal to Israel than to America.”
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[Amid outrage, NY Times issues correction to Barghouti op-ed]

Will a Palestinian hunger strike rain on Trump’s peace plans?

By Amos Harel, HAARETZ

The hunger strike that nearly 1,200 Palestinian security prisoners in Israel began on Monday is expected to ratchet up the tensions between Israel and the Palestinians in the coming days. If complications occur and the strike lasts for an extended time, it is liable to take over the security and diplomatic agenda at a time when U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration is declaring its intention to restart the peace process.

However, like another crisis that escalated in recent days over the supply of electricity to the Gaza Strip, it appears that the background to the strike has to do with intra-Palestinian power struggles as much as it has to do with the struggle against Israel.
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BY Reza Shafiee,  AMERICAN THINKER

The Trump administration sanctioned Iran’s prison system “for torturous interrogations, forced interrogations, and widespread mistreatment of inmates,” on April 15. It may seem a tiny step in the way of stopping Iranian regime’s human rights abuses against its own citizens but it certainly is significant as a change. It also deals a major blow to the perpetrators. The mullah regime’s survival strategy – from its first day – revolves around total suppression at home coupled with spreading Islamic fundamentalism abroad which simply translates into exporting terrorism to neighboring countries and beyond.
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UK, US, Russia were aware of millions killed by Nazi Germany, but took little action to take in refugees or halt slaughter, new book says

TOI STAFF

Recently released documents show that the Allied forces were aware of the scale of the Holocaust some two years earlier than is widely assumed, but did little to stop the deaths or rescue the victims.

These United Nations files show that the US, UK and Russia knew already in December 1942 that two million Jews had been massacred and millions more were at risk of being killed, Britain’s Independent newspaper reported on Tuesday.
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T. Belman. When you compare the parole restrictions on Pollard with the prison liberties extended to Barghouti especially when you consider the potential to do harm of both of them, you have to wonder.  Israel must change their liberal prisoner policies. Bargoughti should be in isolation just as Pollard was for many years.

Deputy Foreign Minister Hotovely says NY Times’ decision to publish Barghouti’s article ‘seriously undermines’ their credibility.

By DFM Tzipi H0toveley, INN

Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely (Likud) responded on Monday night to the publication of Marwan Barghouti’s article in The New York Times:

“Barghouti is not [an ordinary] prisoner,” Hotovely said. “He is a convicted murderer and a terrorist.”

“The New York Times has provided a platform to a terrorist without noting the fact that he planned and carried out the cold blooded murder of Jews simply for having been Jews.

“This is not a matter of freedom of speech. It is anarchy. When a major newspaper with a reputation for responsible journalism becomes a platform for murderers, it provides legitimacy for terrorism. This is a very disappointing decision by the editors which seriously undermines the credibility of The New York Times.”
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In a White House marked by infighting, top economic aide Gary Cohn, a Democrat and former Goldman Sachs banker, is muscling aside some of President Donald Trump’s hard-right advisers to push more moderate, business-friendly economic policies.

Cohn, 56, did not work on Republican Trump’s campaign and only got to know him after the November election, but he has emerged as one of the administration’s most powerful players in an ascent that rankles conservatives.
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By Virginia Hale, BREITBART

Declaring that Germany is in desperate need of migrants, the head of the umbrella group for employers’ associations has demanded the nation loosen border controls and recognise itself to be an “immigration country”.
“Germany is an immigration country. And Germany has to be made aware of this situation,” said Ingo Kramer, president of the Confederation of German Employers’ Associations (BDA).

According to the German Press Agency, Kramer said the nation will be ‘missing’ six million people of working age by the year 2030, and argued that politicians ‘must quickly realise that the country needs immigration”.
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By Daniel Greenfield

Livonia, Michigan is known as Little Palestine. The Detroit suburb is famous for its anti-Israel meetings. You could go hear Mustafa Barghouthi, Omar Barghouti and Ali Abunimah without taking a long drive.

It’s also known for its shady doctors.

Dr. Murtaza Hussain was busted for letting unlicensed employees diagnose patients and write prescriptions. Dr. Waseem Alam and Dr. Hatem Ataya pleaded guilty in the nation’s largest Medicare fraud case totaling $712 million in false billings centering on Shahid Tahir, Muhammad Tariq and Manavar Javed’s Livonia medical firms. But what was going on at one Livonia clinic was far worse than the theft of millions. Anyone passing by at the right time could hear the screams of little girls.
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