By Annika Hernroth-Rothstein, ISRAEL HAYOM

One year ago, U.S. President Barack Obama signed a trade measure into law that contained landmark legislation combating the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement in Europe. Proponents of the legislation hoped it would discourage European governments from participating in BDS activities by leveraging the powerful incentive of free trade with the U.S.

So far it seems the measure has not only been effective, it has also resulted in other countries and institutions following suit, with two recent, noteworthy examples.

This week, the Paris city council adopted two resolutions condemning attempts to boycott Israel following the popular “Tel Aviv Sur Seine” festival that celebrates Israel in the City of Lights, issuing a statement saying that the council “opposes publicly all attempts to isolate Israel from the collective of nations,” and that it stands by the city’s “commitment to the promotion of a peaceful solution to the Palestinian-Israel conflict.”
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By J Robert Smith, AMERICAN THINKER

Remember realpolitik? In modern America, it’s most associated with Henry Kissinger. The dictionaries say it’s an approach to foreign affairs and national security that’s “based on a country’s situation and its needs rather than on ideas about what is morally right and wrong.”

The U.S. and Russia face existential threats from militant Islam. The West in general does. When threats become “existential,” ideals and ethics become — shall we say — more pliable. They don’t become disposable, however. An entente with the Russians to suppress militant Islam makes sense, yet it doesn’t come without strings. There are perils.
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By Selcan Hacaoglu, BLOOMBERG

There’s only one major group of combatants in the Syrian war that’s backed by both Russia and the U.S. — and now Turkey is attacking it.

For a fourth day on Tuesday, Turkey unleashed its 155-millimeter heavy guns across the border with Syria. The targets were Kurdish forces, whose recent advance is a key part of the Russian plan to restore President Bashar al-Assad’s control over Syria.
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Bill Targeting Israeli Arab Lawmakers for Suspension Has Full ‘Coalition Support,’ Netanyahu Says
‘Democracy must defend itself,’ prime minister says after Constitution, Law and Justice Committee suspends planned meeting on controversial legislation.

What bothers me about this bill is that a super majority of 90 MKs are needed to suspend anyone.I believe such a number is unattainable.

Netanyahu in Berlin calls French plan ‘surprising’ as Merkel puts brakes on diplomatic efforts
Netanyahu said the only way to promote peace was “through negotiations without preconditions, directly between the two sides.”

Of course nothing was mentioned Germany with its government and NGO’s are at the forefront of supporting the Arab “resistance” in the territories a la To Catch a Jew by Tanenboim.

Merkel to Netanyahu: Worried About Effect of ‘NGO Bill’ on Israeli Civil Society
The so-called “transparency bill” has become a key issue for Germany because many leftist NGOs in Israel receive donations from six foundations belonging to various political parties in Germany, whose activities are funded by the German taxpayer.

Hypocrites. Butt out. Israel can pass any law it wants, democratic or not. Germans do not have the right to enter Israel or its territories other than with our permission and subject to our laws.

http://www.onepoliticalplaza.com/t-64359-1.html

“All of a Sudden—-MUSLIMS ARE TRYING TO CONQUER AMERICA

Wake up America, the hour is very late!  Look at the king’s action, not his words……

“All of a Sudden before Obama there was virtually no outlandish presence of Islam in America.

• All of a sudden, Islam is taught in schools.  Christianity and the bible are banned in schools.

• All of a sudden we must allow prayer rugs everywhere and allow for Islamic prayer in schools, airports and businesses.

• All of a sudden we must stop serving pork in prisons.

• All of a sudden we are inundated with law suits by Muslims who are offended by American culture.

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By Ambassador Arye Mekel February 16, 2016

BESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 329

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: From an Israeli perspective, the recent strengthening of alliance ties with Greece and Cyprus constitutes a win-win situation. A new geopolitical bloc is emerging that has military and political significance, and stands as a counterweight to Turkish ambitions. Stronger Israeli relations with Greece and Cyprus may also serve to encourage Turkey to show more flexibility in negotiations regarding normalization of ties between Ankara and Jerusalem.
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Plans for French peace conference support PA demands, include thinly veiled ultimatum to Israel.

By David Rosenberg, ARUTZ SHEVA

The French government is planning an international peace conference to reach a final status agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) – and it appears that France is placing the burden of reaching a settlement on Israel.

On Tuesday French officials met with representatives of both Israel and the PA to present the basic framework of the peace conference. According to an AP report, the conference is being planned for this summer.

France’s proposed peace conference would include not only Israel and the Palestinian Authority, but the US, European powers, and other Arab states. Should the effort fail to produce a negotiated final status agreement, France says it will act unilaterally to recognize a Palestinian state; a thinly veiled ultimatum to Israel.
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T. Belman. US aid to Israel should be part of their defense budget not their Foreign Aid budget. As part of the former the money that comes to Israel, of which Israel must spend 75% in the US, is way less than 1% of their defense budget. In many cases if the US doesn’t strengthen us they will have to strengthen themselves. That’s because they rely on our military strength and our human intelligence which costs a lot of money.

By Zalman Shoval, ISRAEL HAYOM

In his recent brief to the government on the delays in the negotiations for U.S. defense aid to Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not criticize the Obama administration, and he certainly did not “threaten” it, as some in the Israeli media suggested. He simply said that if the proposed aid package failed to meet Israel’s security needs, negotiations would have to continue, even if it meant they stretched beyond the current administration.

Meanwhile, talks between American and Israeli security officials are continuing as usual, and in recent days American officials met with their Israeli counterparts in the National Security Council, the Defense and Foreign ministries and the Israel Defense Forces.

The real reason for the delay stems from budgetary developments in the U.S., which have no direct link to Israel.
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Officials say they will wait to see if a planned ceasefire transpires and for a sign-off from the US-led coalition.

By Ted Belman

This is idiotic. It sends a very weak message.

What should happen instead, is that the US led coalition should proceed as quickly as possible to enter Syria from Jordan and begin the fight against ISIS, especially in Raqqa, the headquarters of ISIS. This will be easily done since Russia is pre-occupied with re-taking Aleppo.

Once Russia has accomplished her goal, she will be ready to negotiate. The US Coalition will then be in a very strong position to oppose Russia in the rest of Syria. Thus a saw off.

Russia won’t attack the US and the US won’t attack Russia.

By Dan Gordon, WND

Presidential elections are the breeding ground for hyperbole, but with regard to the foreign policy legacy that will be left to the next president by the current occupant of the White House, I believe it is fair to say we are facing one of the most dangerous periods in living memory.

Though born in the United States, I am a dual American and Israeli citizen, having been raised and grown to manhood in both countries. When I was of draft age I lived on a Kibbutz in Israel, where I had gone to high school, and was drafted into the ranks of the IDF in time to serve in the Yom Kippur War in October of 1973. Read more…

By Alex Grobman, Ph.D.

One of the greatest concerns of the Jewish people is how to counter the attempts to delegitimize the state of Israel. The goal of these attacks is to isolate Israel from the West, criminalize her actions and expose her as an international war criminal, an occupier of Arab lands and a rightwing religious theocracy. They want to deny her the fundamental rights of self- defense and security in an asymmetric war, and gradually erode her stature, and turn her into a pariah state through demonization, lies, disinformation and double standards.  To succeed in undermining the legal, political and moral justification for the Jewish state, Israel must be seen as the impediment to peace, and an oppressive government with no historic or legitimate claim to the land of Israel or to Jerusalem her capital.
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Financial Times

Tension between Russia and Turkey has reached a new peak as the two countries step up military action in Syria in support of opposing sides, edging closer to direct confrontation in the country’s increasingly internationalised war.

The growing rift between the two countries — with each now attacking rebels the other supports — has alarmed Western diplomats amid fears Russia is seeking to undermine Nato by ramping up its clash with Ankara.
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Clandestine ties with Jordan, secret coordination meetings in Moscow, encrypted conference calls with the Americans, joint drills with the Greeks, and relations with military attaches from over 30 countries. 

By Alex Fishman, YNET

IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, right, with US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Joseph Dunford (Photo: Yariv Katz)

There was another report this week of an alleged Israeli airstrike in the Damascus area. Israel isn’t touching the subject, the Russians are quiet, the Americans are quiet, and even the Syrians are quiet. This quiet isn’t a coincidence – behind this silence lies a complicated web of agreements and understandings serving the interests of the strongest and most influential actors who are involved in the region: the US, Russia, Iran, and Israel.
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All these posts were on Sputnik which is a mouth piece for the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Moscow has no plans to create an alliance with Syria, Iran and Hezbollah, a Russian Foreign Ministry official said.

A deal is possible between Russia and Israel on Moscow not supplying the Hezbollah group with weapons, Israeli Ambassador to Russia Zvi Heifetz

Moscow has developed a plan that will bring an end to the brutal struggle which has cost hundreds of thousands of lives and displaced millions more in Syria; however, the West should ensure that Turkey won’t undermine all efforts to resolve the crisis, former chairman of the NATO Military Committee Harald Kujat said

Washington has to admit that both countries will benefit from cooperation and start supporting Moscow’s strategy in Syria, a US analyst wrote.

Schroeder: NATO Expansion Toward Russia Destroys Basis of German Ostpolitik and said that the West should lift anti-Russian sanctions as they harm both Moscow and Europe.

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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