Israel and Greece Deepen Ties in Defense and Energy  

Peloni:  The alliance between Israel and Greece will be more relevant than ever as the rise of the Sunni radical axis in Turkey extends its domination in the region with the consent of the US.

From joint military drills to undersea cables, Jerusalem and Athens build a resilient Eastern Mediterranean alliance.

Israfan | May 15, 2025

Meeting of Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Israel, Israel Katz (Athens, 31.10.2019) (State Department, CC BY-SA 2.0)

Amid ongoing instability in the Middle East and shifting geopolitical dynamics in the Eastern Mediterranean, the relationship between Israel and Greece has evolved from basic defense cooperation into a strategic alliance rooted in trust, technology, and shared interests. At the recent DEFEA defense exhibition in Athens, Israel’s Ministry of Defense and 25 Israeli defense companies showcased cutting-edge technology, underscoring the depth of their partnership with Greece.

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May 15, 2025 | 7:36 pm | Comments »

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Qatar & Influence Operations and Saudi Arabia & Influence Operations  

Peloni:  For more on the Saudi influence operations, see Ted Belman’s “Saudi Arabia and the Peace Process” which I reposted earlier today.

Diana W | realDiana West | May 15, 2025

President Donald J. Trump and Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani at the United Nations General Assembly (Photo by The White House from Washington, DC – 21687022_1434965293257866_1733024928180559512_o, Public Domain)

Before there was Qatar & influence operations, there was Saudi Arabia & influence operations. If it is Qatar is in the headlines for buying politicians, media, universities, and for its terrorist connections, Saudi Arabia was making the same headlines and more (anyone remember 9/11?) a few years ago. Don’t look now, but Saudi’s Alwaleed bin Talal is a constant player. For starters, he was Fox’s No. 2 owner then, and he is Twitter’s No 2 owner today. Meanwhile, according to Forbes, Qatar threw a few hundred million dollars into Elon’s Twitter purchase as well. Who knows? Maybe, we are all Qataris now.

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May 15, 2025 | 7:10 pm | Comments »

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Saudi Arabia and the Peace Process  

T. Belman.  The State Department gives birth to all US foreign policy and no president other than Trump defied them. The State Dept has always been pro Arab. It argued in 1948 with Clark Clifford, a Christion Zionist, who was an adviser to Truman,

“There are thirty million Arabs on one side and about 600,000 Jews on the other. Why don’t you face up to the realities?”

By Ted Belman    April 4, 2010

The trouble with the peace process is that it is rigged against Israel. It is a vehicle forced on her by the international community to enable it to impose its will on her.

It all started with UNSC Res 242, which established the principle of land for peace. Just how much land or peace was not described. It was left to the parties to each cut a deal. This resolution in no way threatened Israel because she was left with a free hand to define what she considered to be “secure” borders. In the meantime, she was authorized by the U.N., by virtue of this resolution, to remain in occupation.
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May 15, 2025 | 2:52 pm | 5 Comments »

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Explosive report claims Shin Bet ‘double agent’ helped Hamas deceive Israeli intelligence on Oct 6 before invasion  

Double agent’s assurance that Hamas was not planning operation contributed to lack of preparation

The Israeli intelligence community is reportedly investigating whether a Palestinian agent of the Shin Bet in Gaza was in fact a double agent, who helped Hamas conceal its intentions for the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks according to reports in Hebrew media.

Several interrogations with senior Hamas officials were published this week. In those interrogations, it was revealed that some were actually double agents, feeding Israel information but often doing so in a way that served Hamas’ interests.

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May 15, 2025 | 1:48 pm | 3 Comments »

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Qatar Continues To Finance Terror With U.S. Consent:  

Peloni:  Is this really the policy which the US wants to pursue?  Freeing up funds for a terror regime while cooperating with a state sponsor of terror?  This is every side of a bad idea.  In imbeds instability into a region which has been too long run by policies which prefers instability, something which Trump’s Riyadh speech of 2017 opposed.

Will Fund Syria’s New Regime, Led By HTS Terror Organization, Just As It Funded Hamas

Qatar, Syria | Special Dispatch No. 11975 | MEMRI | May 13, 2025

Qatar, the world’s greatest financer of extremist Islamist elements such as the Muslims Brotherhood and jihadi terror organizations, is now mobilizing to support the new Syrian regime headed by Ahmed Al-Sharaa, until recently known as Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani, leader of the Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) terror organization. Starting next month (June 2025),  Qatar, with U.S. approval, will help pay the salaries of the Syrian public sector, thus enabling HTS to retain its control of Syria amid the deep economic crisis in the country. This move is reminiscent of Qatar’s provision of billions of dollars to Gaza under Hamas, with Israel’s consent, which enabled the terror organization to survive and to build up its military strength.  

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May 15, 2025 | 6:30 am | Comments »

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From Wanted to Welcomed: Trump Meets Syria’s Ahmad al-Sharaa  

Peloni:  Al Shaara, aka Al Jolani, has done nothing to deserve lifting of sanctions beyond making promises of inclusive policies back up by acts of sectarian violence.  This gift of stabilizing Turkey in yet another state to which it has no right reinforces the well established precedent of the US succumbing to Saudi demands.

Ahmad Sharawi | May 14, 2025

Arab League President Costa meets then interim President of Syria (By © European Union, 1998 – 2025, Attribution)

“I will be ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria in order to give them a chance at greatness,” said President Donald Trump on May 13 during a speech at an investment forum in Riyadh at the start of his tour of the Gulf Arab states. The next day, Trump met with Syrian interim president Ahmad al-Sharaa alongside Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan joined by phone. Trump pushed Sharaa to join the Abraham Accords, expel foreign fighters and Palestinian terrorist organizations, and take control of ISIS detainees. Sharaa reaffirmed Syria’s 1974 disengagement agreement with Israel, expressed interest in counterterrorism cooperation, and pitched Syria as a future trade and energy hub open to U.S. investment.

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May 15, 2025 | 2:31 am | Comments »

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Israel Should Declare Three Nos  

Peloni:  The simple statement of “No to a nuclear Iran, No to the Two State Solution, No to a bi-national state” represents Israel’s most basic survival strategies.  Enacting all three limbs of this strategy will eliminate Israel’s greatest threats, while presenting a deterrent for those threats which remain.

No to a nuclear Iran, No to the Two State Solution, No to a bi-national state.

By Ted Belman  (Jan 20,2022)

In June 1967, Israel defeated five Arab armies in what became known as the Six Day War. That war actually began when the Arabs invaded Israel immediately after her Declaration of Independence in 1948. The Arabs had hoped to destroy Israel and “drive the Jews into the sea”.

Three months later, the Arab League met in Khartoum and declared their 3 no’s; no peace with Israel, no recognition of Israel, no negotiations with Israel, Also included was their insistence on the rights of the Palestinian people in their own country.

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May 14, 2025 | 7:00 pm | 47 Comments »

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Securing American With Amb. Yoram Ettinger  

Peloni:  Amb. Ettinger discusses the distictions which set Iran apart from other nations.  With its fanatical, apocalyptic, religious vision of toppling the collective Sunni state, Iran will come to focus its efforts on toppling the West.  He explains that Iran has proxies extending to Mexico and South America with the drug cartels, beyond those in the middle east, which are capable of carrying out this apocalyptic vision directly against the US.  Amb. Ettinger also discusses the threat coming from Tucker Carlson and others who try to trivialize the significant threat from Iran based on a Western perspectives which misconstrue Iranian ambitions.

May 14, 2025 | 5:12 pm | Comments »

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Did Trump Break Up With Netanyahu?  

Janet Levy: PAY ATTENTION! What is Donald Trump’s Israel Du Jour Policy?

Trump arrived in Saudi Arabia with the billionaire globalists in tow for a “Saudi-U.S. Investment Forum.”  Elon Musk, Palantir’s Alex Karp, Blackstone’s Stephen Schwarzman, Larry Fink and others WEFers were present.  Trump ended up signing a $600 billion dollar economic deal with the kingdom.

Trump and the Crown Prince also closed agreements on Energy, Defense, etc.

Regarding the Qatari offer of a luxury jet, DJT said, “It’s a great gesture from Qatar.  I would never be one to turn down that kind of an offer.”  Sounds like a blatant conflict of interest with a terrorist, slave state that jeopardizes policy toward Israel.  (NOTE:  Qatar funds Hamas, Hezbollah, Al Qaeda, the Taliban and ISIS and harbors the Muslim Brotherhood).

Trump now opposes bombing Iran and his displeasure with Waltz and Hegseth reportedly stems from their staunch support for an Israeli attack on Iran, the regime that shouts “Death to America,” “Death to Israel.”

The fact that the president arranged a ceasefire with the Houthis without Israeli involvement after they targeted Ben Gurion Airport is concerning.  He now might allow Iran to enrich uranium for “civilian” use.  The entire free world should be very nervous.

Meanwhile, Trump’s nominee Steve Witkoff was recently quoted as saying, “We want to bring the hostages home, but Israel is not willing to end the war. Israel is prolonging it — despite the fact that we don’t see where else we can go and that an agreement must be reached.”

Emerald Robinson | The Right Way | May 13, 2025

Click link below to read article

https://www.emerald.tv/p/did-trump-break-up-with-netanyahu

 

May 14, 2025 | 4:50 pm | 1 Comment »

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Ted Belman, A Life Of Courage  

Peloni:  The following was written by Ted Belman’s cousin, Yonasan Bender, which his daughter Aliza was kind enough to forward to me to share with his readers.  It the most fitting tribute I have read of Ted, and I am very thankful to his family for sharing it.

Yonasan Bender

I realize since I was late I wasn’t able to say a few words but I had prepared something and I wanted to share them with you.

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May 14, 2025 | 3:37 pm | 3 Comments »

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Particularism Before Universalism  

T. Belman. Seventeen years after I wrote this, my article has become even more relevant.

Are the citizens of a country entitled to preserve their ethnic or religious makeup or their culture? And who is to decide? The Western model says “no”.

By Ted Belman   (First published in July 2005)

Everyone is familiar will Hillel’s quote, loosely translated, “If  I am not for myself, who am I? If I am only for myself, what am I? If not now, when?”

I have always understood this to mean that an individual must make the case for his particular before making the case for the other. Particularism before universalism. Neither should be to the exclusion of the other, but the former, according to Hillel, comes first. One might add that it is only natural to fight for yourself before fighting for others.
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May 14, 2025 | 3:20 pm | 23 Comments »

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A NEW JORDANIAN REPUBLIC FOR ALL JORDANIANS  

Mudar Zahran 

Where a CITIZEN comes first—above any name, title, or position.

WHERE EVERYONE IS TRULY EQUAL: EAST BANK JORDANIANS AND PALESTINIANS, MUSLIMS, CHRISTIANS, JEWS, ATHEISTS, CIRCASSIANS, AND CHECHENS—ALL EQUAL IN RIGHTS, EMPLOYMENT, AND POLITICAL REPRESENTATION.

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May 14, 2025 | 9:36 am | 1 Comment »

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International law and the State of Israel  

By Ted Belman    July 2018

For thousands of years, nations came and went, pursuant to the rule, to the victor go the spoils. This included the right to rape the women, enslave the men, confiscate their wealth and rule the country as they saw fit.

By the beginning of the nineteenth century, this rule had changed considerably but the right of the victor to change borders and transfer populations of conquered countries was enshrined in international law.

So, in accordance with international law, the victors of WWI, Great Britain, France and the US negotiated the Versailles Treaty and forced Germany to accept it. This treaty changed borders of the defeated nations and moved populations. Their right to do so was never questioned.

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May 13, 2025 | 5:07 pm | 16 Comments »

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The Ultimate Alternate Israel-Palestine Solution (Jordan Option)  

T. Belman.  This article was written just a month after Pres Trump was inaugurated.  Six months later I hosted a conference at the Begin Center in Jerusalem called The Jordan Option. All aspects of this option were discussed. The Jordan Opposition Coalition was represented by its founder Dr Mudar Zahran and Abed Amaala, the head of a million man Bedouin clan in Jordan. Close attention to the ideas presented, was paid by the PMO in Jerusalem and the Trump team in DC.

These ideas were further developed in my article, Memo to Kushner, published in Feb 2019.   Dr. Mudar Zahran addressed members of the EU Parliament (video) and debated at the Oxford Union delivering a pro-Israel message.  Be sure to watch both.

I like to believe that it was our initiative and our ideas that lead to the Abraham Accords and their progeny of peace deals yet to be born. Dr Mudar Zahran strongly believes in cooperation, not confrontation, just as King Feisal proposed and the Abraham Accords formalized. Jordan may yet become the Palestinian State under his leadership.

With a new U.S. president, new ideas are emerging on how to resolve the Israel-Palestine debacle. One of the most promising comes from Jordanian Opposition Council who favor a new Palestinian state — in Jordan. 

By Ted Belman, (First published in slightly different form on Apr 1/17)
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May 13, 2025 | 5:00 pm | 160 Comments »

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