As new talks start, Ya’alon says Ankara is ignoring conditions, continues to host senior Hamas officials and openly back the terrorists.

By Ari Yashar, INN

Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon (Likud) on Thursday during a visit to Switzerland told reporters that the rapprochement talks with Turkey are unlikely to succeed, because Ankara is refusing to address Israel’s demand that it stop supporting the Hamas terrorist organization.

Speaking even as a new round of normalization talks began in Geneva on Thursday, Ya’alon said, “I’m not sure that we’ll reach an agreement.”

“The Turks need to agree to our conditions so that we can get over the obstacles and reach a political agreement,” he said. “Turkey is hosting senior Hamas officials in Istanbul, and we are not ready to accept that. The Turks support Hamas generally through the Muslim Brotherhood and that must be discussed.”
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By Vic Rosenthal, Abu Yehuda

I have never understood why Israel grants legitimacy to the so-called ‘Middle East Quartet’ of the US, UN, EU and Russia.

Each of these entities is hostile to Israel to some extent. None of them has demonstrated an understanding of or concern for Israel’s security issues. The UN and EU have sided with the Arabs for decades, while the Obama Administration has tilted US policy away from Israel more than any previous administration. Russia is working closely with Iran, Hezbollah and Bashar al-Assad, all three our deadly foes. A lot has been made of Russian ‘coordination’ with Israel to avoid confrontation in the skies over Syria, but what is in Putin’s interest today may not be tomorrow.
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By Malcolm Dash, ALGEMEINER

The Israeli Zionist organization Im Tirtzu’s campaign was perhaps shrill, inelegant and unsophisticated, but the icons it criticized well deserved to be disgraced for many of their past and present activities.

Im Tirtzu produced a video, labeling activists of the political left as “moles” — agents from foreign countries — and accused them of aiding terrorism. The video begins by showing a terrorist drawing a knife and continues on to suggest that four prolific activists of the Left — B’Tselem Director Hagai Elad, Avner Gvaryahu from Breaking the Silence, Director of the Public Committee against Torture in Israel Yishai Menuhin, and Sigal Ben Ari from HaMoked — as defenders of terrorism.
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HAARETZ

[…]
At the start of the hearing, Netanyahu appeared in person to argue in favor of the gas deal.

“This is the first time I’ve asked to appear before the High Court, and to the best of my knowledge, this is the first time in Israel’s history that any prime minister has asked to do so,” he said. “I asked to appear before you because of the enormous importance I ascribe to developing the gas fields, and because of my assessment that we’re at a critical point in time … We’re at the eleventh hour from the standpoint of our ability to realize our gas potential. Any further delay, any step backward will lead to grave consequences that it’s doubtful we can overcome.”

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Slew of politicians visit Ynet’s new studio for its debut broadcast; Tibi: ‘Holding onto bodies amounts to necrophilia’; Lieberman: ‘Gov’t has no clear policies’; Lapid: Build Gaza port and destroy tunnels when we learn of them.’

By Attila Somfalvi, Moran Azulay, Alexandra Lukash, YNET

“We’ve already separated from the Palestinians, they’re governing themselves,” the Bayit Yehudi leader said at the new Ynet studio’s debut broadcast. “My plan is to actually give the Palestinians a sort of autonomy on steroids in Areas A and B, while in Area C, we gradually start applying our sovereignty. Let’s start with Gush Etzion. We need to start advancing this.”

“I think the government has done a lot,” Bennett said about the ongoing wave of violence. “I remind you there was a very intensive wave of terror attacks in Jerusalem and with the help of the government, this wave has definitely abated, and moved from Jerusalem to the Hebron-Gush Etzion area, where were are currently in the midst of an ongoing wave of terrorism. Look, we’ve been dealing with terrorism in Israel for 120 years, long before the state was founded, long before the Six-Day War. We’ve overcome this before.”
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T. Belman. Just today Mudar Zahran sent me this memo:

“Saudi Arabia is moving inside Syria to attack ISIS.

Saudi Arabia is mobilizing all friends who matter for this: Turkey (a great job bringing Turkey back from Qatar/MB camp)+US+UK+Israeli Knowledge and intelligence through the US but not directly+Canada’s intelligence.

Saudi fears that Russia could obstruct operations because it is afraid pro-Saudi Syrian rebels could take over areas liberated from ISIS.

Saudi’s royals are meeting with Putin, already have and will do more, they are trying to convince him to either help or at least not obstruct.

Russia could do a major chance on the face of history if it chooses to help Saudis by at least fighting ISIS from its side while Saudi and coalition attack ISIS from their side, and for that perhaps Putin could secure Assad’s territories and even end the revolution/civil war all together for Assad’s favor.”

By Lizzie Dearden | The Independent | Feb 13, 2016,

Saudi Arabia is sending troops and fighter jets to Turkey’s Incirlik military base ahead of a possible ground invasion of Syria. The Turkish foreign minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, confirmed the deployment in a statement to the Yeni Safak newspaper on Saturday, days before a temporary ceasefire is due to come into force.

“Saudi Arabia declared its determination against Daesh — the Arabic term for Islamic State (ISIS) — by saying that they were ready to send both jets and troops,” he said. “At every coalition meeting we have always emphasised the need for an extensive result-oriented strategy in the fight against the Daesh terrorist group,” he added.
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T. Belman. According to Europe Has Given Up on Obama, Europe is running scared because they sorely need American leadership and it is not there. So add Europe to the long list of former American allies that can no longer count on Obama. Thus Europe can’t get too uppity with Israel. Neither can Turkey.

“The conversation resolved the tensions and we are, Israel and the EU, back to good and close relations,” says Foreign Ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon, following new agreement that will see EU countries individually determine product-labeling policy.

bY Shlomo Cesana, News Agencies and Israel Hayom Staff

The Foreign Ministry reported that relations with the European Union are “close and friendly” again after tensions arose last year over the bloc’s decision to label Israeli exports manufactured beyond the Green Line.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon said the sides had “overcome the crisis” after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini spoke by phone Friday.
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DEBKA

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan clearly took a calculated risk when he ordered a two-our cross-border artillery bombardment Saturday, Feb. 13 of Syrian army forces positioned around the northern Syrian town of Azaz and the Kurdish YPG militia units which two days earlier took control of the former Syrian military air base of Minagh some six kilometers from the Turkish border.
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Presidential hopeful takes issue with Mike Bickle over whether the Nazi leader was sent by God, but doesn’t reject his endorsement

By Eric Cortellessa, TOI

Republican presidential hopeful Ted Cruz repudiated evangelical Christian leader Mike Bickle’s statements that Adolf Hitler was a “hunter” sent by God to target the Jewish people.

After making headlines last week for touting Bickle’s endorsement, and for defending his backer after Jewish groups pressed him to clarify his position on the endorsement, the Cruz campaign sent The Times of Israel a statement late Saturday declaring that the Texas senator objected to Bickle’s views while at the same time praising Bickle’s service and the work of his ministry.

“Pastor Bickle and the International House of Prayer have devoted decades to promoting prayer, and to improving the lives of those who are suffering,” the statement said. “Nevertheless, the statements from Pastor Bickle concerning Adoph [sic] Hitler are not statements with which Senator Cruz agrees.”
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By Graham Allison, THE NATIONAL INTEREST Sept, 2016

Over a public career that spans six decades, and now in his 93rd year, Henry Kissinger has been cautious about offering presidents advice in public. But the outline of what he would say if Obama asked him about Russia is clear in the interview he gave to Jacob Heilbrunn in The National Interest’s latest issue. Drawing on decades of experience with successive Russian leaders during the Cold War, as well as many hours of quality face time with Putin, Kissinger’s views about how the United States should manage its relationship with Russia could hardly differ more from the bipartisan Washington consensus and Obama administration policy.
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T. Belman. I’m all for good relations but not at the expense of giving Turkey a victory in Gaza by agreeing to “some kind of change in Gaza, where Turkey wants to play savior.”

Unfortunately Israel has granted a role in Gaza to Qatar and so is likely to do the same for Turkey. Their role should be to prevent Hamas from re-arming or building tunnels.

Regional events have conspired to leave Turkey with little choice but to pursue rapprochement with Israel.

By Amotz Asa-El, JPOST

The Turks have no hours to mark the time, and no milestones to mark distances,” reported an amused Austrian ambassador from the court of Suleiman the Magnificent in 1554.

Today’s Turkey has plenty of clocks and milestones, but they indicate that the border is cracking and time is running out.

Never since the abolition of the caliphate 92 years ago next month has Turkey’s international situation been nearly as chaotic and explosive as it has become in recent weeks. This week, as if the conflicts with seven neighbors and one superpower were not enough, even the United Nations joined Ankara’s list of adversaries.
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By Ted Belman

When I told a leftist friend of mine that I supported Putin, she was shocked that I was defending a man who was ruthlessly bombing Syria without regard for innocent civilians. I send her a letter in reply.

The US, Saudi Arabia and Turkey have been waging war to defeat Assad for 4 years. The latest death toll is 450,000  and double the number in injured and 20 times the number in refugees.

Had Obama been as ruthless as Putin, Assad would have been defeated quickly and those grisly numbers would have been greatly reduced perhaps by 80%.
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Dmitry Medvedev criticizes expansion of NATO and EU influence deep into formerly Soviet-ruled eastern Europe

By Frank Zeller, TOI

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said Saturday that strains between Russia and the West have plunged the world into a “new Cold War.”

With tensions high over the lingering Ukraine conflict and Russia’s backing of the Syrian regime, Medvedev said: “All that’s left is an unfriendly policy of NATO against Russia.”

“We can say it even more clearly: We have slid into a new period of Cold War,” he said, speaking at the Munich Security Conference.
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By Granistern, BUZZFEED

German insurance giant Allianz, A.G., refuses to pay claims to Jewish families who hold paid-in-full Holocaust era life insurance policies to this very day.

This past weekend, the PGA Senior Tour event sponsored by Allianz attracted unusual attention on the ground, and in the air.

“I bought a ticket to the event and was merely exercising my free speech rights to show how unfair it is that Allianz is prospering, but so many survivors are living in poverty,” said Dr. Jay Lieberman who was arrested, who is himself, the son of Holocaust survivors.
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WATCH VIDEO Published on Feb 9, 2016 – testimony of a FrenchResident of Calais, describing the appalling situation in the city of Calais due to Muslims’ migrants. This is the death of civilization. Read more…

T. Belman. This is bullshit. The labeling remains and the EU supported illegal construction in Area C remains. Israel agrees to the EU involvement in the “peace process” and EU agrees not to make any other moves. At least the EU says their blatantly political move of labeling was not a political move.

Though the EU agreed that all issues are to be negotiated by Israel and the PA, especially the matter of borders, the EU did not agree to stop publically supporting borders based on the ’67 lines plus swaps.

By Barak Ravid HAARETZ

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini ended the crisis between Israel and the EU on Friday, with the two sides agreeing to resume talks on the Palestinian issue. These were suspended by Israel three months ago in response to the EU’s decision to mark produce from settlements in European markets.

During their phone conversation Friday afternoon, Mogherini invited Netanyahu to visit EU headquarters in Brussels.
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By  William Tate, AMERICAN THINKER

Analysis:Russia’s new strategy to prop Assad up is to destroy rebels’ power base through ethnic cleansing, forcing supporters to flee as refugees to neighboring countries and eventually Europe.

By Ron Ben Yishai, YNET

Russian forces, combined with the Iranians and Hezbollah, have changed their tactics in Syria. With a complete disregard to the international community, they are intensively bombing rebel bases, even at the risk of killing thousands of civilians, and starting a new wave of refugees. The two major focus points in the campaign are the cities of Aleppo and Deraa.

It is becoming apparent that a turning point in the favor of the Assad regime, Hezbollah, and the Iranians has occurred in the Syrian Civil War and they have only Vladimir Putin to thank. More specifically – for his vicious yet effective strategy and the generals he has loaned to the regime in order to direct the campaign against the Sunni rebels.
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By Yoram Ettinger, ISRAEL HAYOM

U.S. President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry intend to advance recognition of an independent Palestinian state by January 20, 2017 — the end of Obama’s second term — regardless of how adversely it will affect national and homeland security. In light of this, the president turned down a request by Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid to commit to vetoing any U.N. Security Council resolution calling for an independent Palestinian state. According to Obama and the U.S. foreign policy establishment, a Palestinian state would enhance stability, moderation, peace and democracy.

But how credible and realistic is this expectation?

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The collapse into insanity that characterizes the US presidential primaries is a function of President Barack Obama’s global retreat.

By David M Weinberg, JPOST

I spent half my week in briefings from top political and military leaders about Israel’s regional strategic situation. The other half of my week was devoted to an analysis of America’s Mideast policy and the tracking of US presidential primaries.

The first half of my week filled me with confidence; the second half with despondency.

It is a time of strategic ascendancy for Israel.

Alas, it is a time of self-inflicted strategic decline for America.
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