Even if Israel and the West prop up the carcass of a failed Jordanian monarchy, how long can it last, as it will appear to be another colonialist land grab?

BY ERIC R. MANDEL, JPOST

With the emergence of Iranian hegemony from Afghanistan to Beirut, Israel’s security and intelligence establishment is watching not only threats from Gaza and Lebanon, but also other areas of potential instability, including locations that have been quiet for years; the Golan Heights and Jordan.

The rise of Iran and the collapse of Syria have unnerved Sunni and Druse populations across the region, including those in Jordan and the Golan. They know that the United States and international bodies have acquiesced in the greatest ethnic cleansing of the 21st century, the removal of hundreds of thousands of Sunnis from Syria and Iraq.
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BY EVELYN GORDON, COMMENTARY

One demand that President Donald Trump repeatedly raised before taking office is for U.S. allies to contribute more to the costs of their defense. Given that Israel is the largest recipient of U.S. military aid, it would seem an obvious target for this demand. Indeed, asked by a reporter last March whether Israel should pay for American protection, Trump replied affirmatively. Thus, it’s worth recalling why Israel is America’s largest recipient of military aid, and why it’s cheap at the price.

Unlike all the other allies Trump complains about, Israel isn’t under America’s military protection and doesn’t want to be. It never has and never will ask American troops to defend it. The annual aid is intended to ensure that this situation continues, by helping Israel purchase the weaponry it needs to defend itself by itself. Israel is perhaps unique among American allies in that it genuinely doesn’t want America to protect it militarily. The belief that it must defend itself by itself is deeply ingrained in Israel and enjoys virtually wall-to-wall consensus, and this would remain true even if America gave it no military aid at all.
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Plan covers foreign relations and building in Judea and Samaria.

Arutz Sheva

Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked presented her plan for national strength at the International Conference of the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) Tuesday evening.

Shaked took a swipe at Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and spoke of the State Comptroller’s report on Operation Protective Edge at the start of her remarks. “I heard those who spoke in the Knesset yesterday about ‘shooting from the hip.’ I am here to present to you today a coherent strategic plan which was developed in recent months – a program of ‘National Strength.’ The program which we are promoting at this time is meant to create long-term security for Israel. The State Comptroller’s report is further evidence of the need for a fundamental change in the perception and conduct of Israel’s security.”

“The trends have changed, as I have described, but they carry, in essence, dangers as well as opportunities. I would like to focus today on the opportunities. There is an opportunity to evaluate new policies to maximize the benefit to the interests of the State of Israel.” Shaked said.
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DEBKAfile Exclusive Report

Israelis tend to get carried away by endless post mortems on long-past battles. A press leak Tuesday, Jan. 24, from a closed security cabinet war conference, that took place during the last anti-terror operation “Defensive Edge” in 2014 against Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, has resurrected old charges that the Netanyahu government had failed to appreciate the perils of Hamas’ terror tunnels.

That leak revealed Education Minister Naftali Bennett, leader of the Jewish Home party, as having pushed with all his might for a proactive response to the Palestinian Hamas’ tunnels, whereas Moshe Ya’alon, then Defense Minister, urged restraint, backed by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. For Bennett this leak represented big political kudos.
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By Yoni Kempinski, INN

Bennett calls for a ‘Marshall Plan’ for Judea and Samaria, including a ‘free tourism zone’ between Israel and Palestinian Authority.Speaking at a strategic affairs conference on Tuesday, Education Minister Naftali Bennett presented his vision for the future of Judea and Samaria, advocating partial annexation of the area, along with expanded autonomy for the Palestinian Authority and massive investment over the Green Line.

Bennett addressed a gathering organized by the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), an independent think tank at Tel Aviv University, slamming the two-state solution while presenting details for an alternative arrangement.
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Netanyahu: ‘We are building – and will continue to build.’ Announcement criticized by top settler body, which calls it a ‘disappointment.’

By Barak Ravid, HAARETZ

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The Left’s rage unleashed on the streets of Washington.

By: Matthew Vadum FPM

On Saturday, the nation’s capital was inundated with masses of loud, obnoxious, foul-mouthed Trump-hating women (and some men) at what was billed the “Women’s March on Washington.” The Guardian called the event a “spontaneous” action for women’s rights, while Vox spoke of a “huge, spontaneous groundswell” behind the march.

While the mainstream media bombarded news consumers with news stories claiming few Americans were interested in the inauguration festivities, television ratings for President Donald Trump’s inauguration were the second-highest Nielsen has recorded in 36 years, drawing 30.6 million TV viewers across 12 networks. Factoring in live streams provided by the networks, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and other online portals adds millions more viewers to the total. But what happened Saturday at the “Women’s March” was not spontaneous. No mass rallies are, especially on the Left.
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And it’s not because of Trump.

By Mazal Mualem, AL MONITOR Posted January 20, 2017

The political discourse in Israel’s ruling Likud Party is undergoing a refreshing change. After proposing all kinds of populist laws and issuing all sorts of populist declarations, one Knesset member is trying to get his party to discuss a diplomatic plan designed to serve as an alternative to the vision of the Oslo Accord and the two-state solution.

On Jan. 14, Yoav Kisch, a former air force pilot and now a Knesset member for the Likud, presented an “autonomy plan” that he formulated over the past few weeks. Now he is trying to bring it up for discussion in the Likud Party’s governing institutions. Kisch claims that it makes no sense for the largest party on the right to reject the two-state solution without having a comprehensive diplomatic vision for resolving the conflict with the Palestinians along those lines. This, he continues, is especially necessary for “the day after the Obama administration.”
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Officials say outgoing administration notified Congress of move just before Trump’s swearing-in, despite Republican opposition.

The Associated Press Jan 23, 2017 11:42 PM

Officials say the Obama administration in its waning hours defied Republican opposition and quietly released $221 million to the Palestinian Authority.

GOP members of Congress had been holding up the money.

A State Department official and several congressional aides say the outgoing administration formally notified Congress it would spend the money Friday morning, just before Donald Trump became president.

More than $227 million in foreign affairs funding was released at the time, including $4 million for climate change programs and $1.25 million for UN organizations.
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Mike Pompeo has been one of Congress’ most outspoken critics of Barack Obama’s foreign policy, particularly the Iran nuclear deal.

By Amir Tibon, HAARETZ

Mike Pompeo, who was confirmed on Monday evening by the Senate to run the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, has a record as a strong supporter of the Israeli government and a fierce critic of the Iran nuclear deal. Pompeo’s nomination was approved by a vote of 66-32 on the Senate floor, with the support of all Republican Senators except Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) and an additional 15 Democrats, among them Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-CA.) 

Pompeo spent the last five years representing Kansas’ 4th District in the U.S. House of Representatives, and was among the most outspoken Republican critics of President Barack Obama’s foreign policy in the Middle East. As recently as last November, mere days after Donald Trump’s victory in the 2016 elections, Pompeo declared on Twitter, with regards to the Iran nuclear deal, “I look forward to rolling back this disastrous deal with the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism.” The tweet was published before Trump announced Pompeo was his candidate for CIA Director. On Monday night, Pompeo’s Twitter account was taken off the social network, in line with CIA policy. 
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T. Belman. To delay is to empower the enemies. Conversely, to fly in their faces and move it without hesitation, puts the “stakeholders” back on their heels. They must understand that they have no say in the matter. The US can place their embassy any where they want in Jerusalem, even the eastern part of Jerusalem. For the last 8 years, the Arabs have had a field day imposing their will on Israel regardless of their rights or their violation of Oslo. It is imperative that the tables be now reversed. But more important than moving the embassy is for the US to approve Israeli construction in Jerusalem and approve of the annexation of the settlement blocs. The US should also say unequivocally that the settlements are legal.

It bothers me that the Trump team now emphasizes that a settlement with the Palestinians can only come about through direct negotiations. These moves by Trump tie our hands and his. Negotiations gives too much power to the Palestinians. It gives them a veto on everything. Not acceptable.

If the US ignores their Arab allies and moves the Embassy, the Arabs will still need American support. These matters can and should be decoupled.

BY MICHAEL WILNER, JPOST 23 JANUARY 2017

Jordan, the Palestinian Authority and other Arab allies have warned the White House of severe repercussions should it proceed with the move.

Washington. Once committed to quickly moving America’s embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, the Trump administration is now expressing caution, promising only to review the matter extensively and in consultation with “stakeholders” in the conflict.
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By Andrew G. Benjamin

WIKI: The Wannsee Conference (German: Wannseekonferenz) was a meeting of senior government officials of Nazi Germany and SS leaders, held in the Berlin suburb of Wannsee on 20 January 1942. The purpose of the conference, called by the director of the Reich Main Security Office SS-Obergruppenführer Reinhard Heydrich, was to ensure the cooperation of administrative leaders of various government departments in the implementation of the final solution to the Jewish question, whereby most of the Jews of German-occupied Europe would be deported to Poland and murdered. 

France was a part of the plan.

And the irony of ironies? The idea for the “Zionist Entity” began in France. Read more…

By: Alberto M. Fernandez*, MEMRI

Much of the recent media coverage of the new Trump administration has an air of hysteria about it. The barbarians are seemingly at the door and are actually taking over, the lights are going out over America and being replaced by darkness. This hyperbole seems to extend across the board, including speculation about the future course of U.S. foreign policy and the running of the Department of State.

The coverage on State has included some naïve (or intentionally ill-informed) pieces on the incoming Administration demanding political appointee ambassadors leave no later than Inauguration Day and on the Trump transition team requesting details about programs and personnel related to Countering Violent Extremism or gender issues.[1] Most of this has been presented in ways that seem to be both alarmist and often ignorant of the way government actually works and how incoming administrations function.
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NGO MONITOR

Despite its stated opposition to BDS (boycott, divestment, and sanctions) campaigns against Israel, the European Union (EU) is a major financial backer of organizations that advocate for the country’s economic isolation, according to a new research report published today by NGO Monitor.

NGO Monitor reviewed a number of recent EU regional funding programs designated for Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza, and found that 29 out of 100 EU grants administered through the frameworks reviewed, funnel funds to BDS organizations (€16.7 million out of €67.1 million – roughly 25%). 42 out of 180 EU grantees in total support BDS – either through participation in activities and events, signing of petitions and initiatives, and/or membership in explicit BDS platforms. Several organizations were the recipients of more than one grant.
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By Dale Hurd, CBN NEWS

LONDON — Some scandals are so massive that they’re simply hard to believe. As many as one million white English children may have been the victims of Muslim rape gangs, better known as grooming gangs, in towns up and down Great Britain.

Policy analyst George Igler says, “When you encounter an issue that is just so unbelievable, just so outside your frame of reference and understanding, the immediate human reaction is just one to not believe it at all.”

Perhaps even harder to believe is that while there have been prosecutions, the British government has still not stopped this criminal activity.
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DEBKAfile Exclusive Report

Although Vladimir Putin’s spokesman spoke reservedly Saturday, Jan. 21, about Donald Trump’s inauguration as US president the day before – It would be “an illusion” to expect Russian-US ties to be “free of disagreement” – Moscow’s actions in Syria were clearly designed to meet the new US president more than half way.

Trump in his inauguration speech pledged to wipe radical Islamist terrorism “off the face of the earth.”

His words were still reverberating when Russian long-range Tu-22M3 bombers flying in from bases in Russia smashed Islamic State targets in the eastern Syrian province of Deir ez-Zour the next day. The bombers hit ISIS base camps, weapons stockpiles and armored vehicles, covered overhead by Russian fighter jets from their Syrian air base at Hmeimim. After the sortie, the Tupolev bombers flew home.
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By Yoram Ettinger,ISRAEL HAYOM

In order to avoid the failed Middle East track record of all U.S. presidents since 1948, President Donald Trump should refrain from — rather than repeat — the systematic errors committed by his predecessors. They were misguided by the political correctness and conventional wisdom of the State Department, which courted Saddam Hussein until the 1990 invasion of Kuwait, embraced Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, betrayed the Shah of Iran, identified with Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood, deserted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, heralded PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat as a messenger of peace, facilitated the Hamas takeover of Gaza, and welcomed the Arab tsunami as an “Arab Spring, a transition toward democracy.” The State Department has sacrificed the 1,400-year-old complex, disintegrating, unpredictable, volcanic, violently intolerant and frenzied Middle East reality on the altar of well-intentioned but oversimplified and futile attempts to reset the Middle East in accordance with a Western state of mind and values.
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Israel cannot claim to be a democracy as long as nearly a half-million of its citizens are under the IDF’s anti-settlement judicial dictatorship.

By Moshe Dann, JPOST

In response to calls from the international community and anti-Israel organizations to “end the occupation,” referring to the presence of Jews in Area C of Judea and Samaria, aka “the settlers,” supporters of Israel respond: “We are not occupying someone else’s land; this land belongs to Israel and the Jewish people by law and by history.”

But the IDF’s judicial system in Area C, aka “the occupied territories,” which represents the state, composed of the Military Advocate General (MAG), the IDF Prosecutor’s Office, and the Civil Administration takes a position in line with Israel’s critics and the international community. As MAG’s website states, Area C, in which all settlements are located, is “subject to belligerent occupation,” which means “the occupation of territory belonging to another country.”
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