The smart thing for Israel to do is to let Turkey’s Islamist president stew in his own juices and suffer the consequences of his own hubris

By Martin Sherman, JPOST

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. (photo credit:REUTERS)

Once the Russian threat has passed, Turkish Islamists… will resume their old ways, including the bitterly anti-Israel dimension.
– Daniel Pipes, National Review, December 20.

[Israelis] have no conscience, no honor, no pride. Those who condemn Hitler day and night have surpassed Hitler in barbarism. – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, July 19, 2014

Lipstick on a pig: An unsuccessful attempt to make something ugly look more attractive –Macmillan Dictionary

There is no way to know for sure how the prospective rapprochement reportedly emerging between Israel and Turkey will play out. It might turn out well – but that would be an extremely implausible outcome, defying all probability, evidence and common sense – a stunning victory for unfounded optimism over sober assessment of prevailing reality. Read more…

North African Turmoil

by Yehudit Ronen, Middle East Quarterly

The overthrow of Libya’s long-reigning dictator Mu’ammar al-Qaddafi by an international coalition in the summer and autumn of 2011 was hailed at the time as paving the way for a “New Libya.” Instead, the country rapidly slid into widespread anarchy and violence as a kaleidoscope of tribal, ethnic, religious, political, economic, ideological, and regional interests, powerfully suppressed by the fallen regime, tore the country apart.
Read more…

By Patrick J. Buchanan

Republican Donald Trump addresses supporters at a campaign rally, Monday, Dec. 21, 2015, in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

“I worry greatly that the rhetoric coming from the Republicans, particularly Donald Trump, is sending a message to Muslims here … and … around the world, that there is a ‘clash of civilizations.'” So said Hillary Clinton in Saturday night’s New Hampshire debate.

Yet, that phrase was not popularized by Donald Trump, but by Harvard’s famed Samuel Huntington.
Read more…

By Tod Beamon, NEWSMAX

The United Kingdom declared the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist group after an 18-month study ordered by British Prime Minister David Cameron — and the Obama administration slammed the document as flying in the face of the Brotherhood’s history as a “nonviolent Islamist group.”

The report, which Cameron presented to the House of Commons on Thursday, described the Muslim Brotherhood as anti-democratic, openly supportive of terrorism, dedicated to establishing an Islamist government — and opposed to the rule of law, individual liberty, and equality.
Read more…

By Ted Belman (first published on Feb 26/12)

Dr. Essam Abdallah, an Egyptian liberal intellectual, in an article published last October in the leading liberal pan Arab, Elaph, refers to certain reports coming out of Washington:

“These reports reveal the depth of the below-the-surface coordination between the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), Hamas, Hezbollah, the Iranian regime and the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, Syria, Tunisia, Libya and Jordan. This bloc of regimes and organizations is now becoming the greatest Islamist radical lobby ever to penetrate and infiltrate the White House, Congress, the State Department and the main decision making centers of the US government. All of this is happening at a time when the US government is going through its most strategically dangerous period in modern times because of its need to confront the Iranian Mullahs regime, which is expanding in the Middle East, as well as penetrating the United States, via powerful and influential allies.”

Read more…

Today’s issues: The plight of Christian Arabs in the PA, the benighted, ridiculous and coercive Shabbat bill, the looming conflict in the north, no need to break the silence, and dancing with tyrants.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The wave of terror will not stop as long as the Palestinian leadership is free to incite, travel and orchestrate terror without personal consequences.

By Shoula Romano Horing, YNET

The time has arrived for Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, to be held responsible by Israel for his involvement in the Munich Olympic massacre and his long history of sponsoring and inciting anti-Israel terror, just as brutal terrorist Samir Kuntar, who was killed in an alleged Israeli airstrike in Syria this week, has been held responsible 36 years after personally smashing a four-year-old Israeli girl’s skull with the butt of his rifle.

In December 2015, for the first time, the public discovered the long hidden cruel, gruesome details of the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre. Eight terrorists, representing a branch of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, broke into the apartments at the Olympic Village where 11 Israeli athletes were staying before dawn on September 5, 1972.
Read more…

After anti-Muslim rant, Miss Puerto Rico gets the boot

Destiny Velez’s impugned tweets directed at filmmaker Michael Moore’s “We are all Muslim” social media campaign.

After tweeting a series of anti-Muslim messages, Miss Puerto Rico has been kicked out of the Miss America competition.

Before Miss Puerto Rico Destiny Velez’s Twitter account was deleted, Latin Times collected the tweets that led to her suspension.

This is a sampling of what the former beauty queen wrote:
Read more…

This report may not include yesterday’s killings.

“Three Israelis were repeatedly stabbed by two Palestinian terrorists outside Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem Wednesday and taken to hospital in serious and critical condition. Two of the three died of their wounds – Ofer Ben Ari, 40, father of two from Jerusalem and Reuven Birmacher, 45, father of seven from Kiryat Ye’arim. The third victim is still in grave condition. Two female border guards on duty halted the attack by rushing to the scene and shooting the two terrorists, killing them both. One of their bullets may have accidentally caused the second Israeli fatality.

Plus two Jews were stabbed in Ariel this morning.

At lunch time, an Arab terrorist tried to stab Soldiers in Hebron until he was killed.

”

Magen David Adom with updated statistics with regards to the current Arab terror wave in Israel.

By Nitsan Keidar, INN

Magen David Adom ambulance (illustration)

By Prof Aviad Hacohen, ISRAEL HAYOM

T. Belman. Is it possible that Bennett, Shaked and Netanyahu after having authorized the violence, had no choice but to support it?

Yaalon said  extremists behind the Duma arson attack to justice would risk “setting the region on fire,” “They could carry out additional terrorist acts and murder innocents, setting the region on fire,”  “We are obligated to fight these terrorist activities. They violate our values and they are dangerous to us all.” With this mentality, it is easy to see why the government supported such extreme measures. But that doesn’t justify them.

Lawyer Keidar criticizes Jewish Home head, noting he has first-hand evidence of torture in Duma case, Shin Bet never denied using violence.

By Ido Ben-Porat, INN

Attorney explains that if ISA is truly abusing suspects, court can rule out admissions; ‘a person will say anything to be allowed to sleep.’

By Benny Tucker, ARUTZ SHEVA

Attorney Ariel Atari, a senior criminal defense attorney, told Arutz Sheva on Tuesday that if the admission of one of the Jewish suspects in the lethal Duma arson case was indeed extracted under torture as has been testified, it can be canceled.

“Reducing the hours of sleep is problematic,” said Atari. “The court will need to clarify how much the admissions reveal the truth, or if they were said under pressure. The more they harm a detainee, the less chance there is that the admission reveals the truth. A person without sleep could say a lot of things just so that they let him sleep.”
Read more…

http://tx.a.yximgs.com/upic/2015/10/03/20/BMjAxNTEwMDMyMDU3MjZfNzYyNTAzNDZfNDAxOTc3MjcxXzJfMw==.mp4

T. Belman. It would appear that the Shin Bet has the full support of the government. Also I am quite surprised that the Government and the legal authorities keep a close watch over what the Shin Bet is doing. So it boils down to the facts. What specifically were the Shin Bet allowed to do? Did they overstep their boundaries? No one has mentioned whether such “pressure” is being videoed. I would expect it to be. The government has gone all in on this and I accept what they say. I don’t purport to be more moral than Shaked or Bennett.

Ministers Bennett, Shaked and Ya’alon also come out in defense of the Israel Security Agency amid allegations of torture of Jewish suspects in Duma arson; 15 protesters arrested during demonstrations against Shin Bet.

Ynet reporters, new agencies

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement of support on Tuesday to the Shin Bet, condemning criticism of the agency surrounding allegations of torture used against the Jewish suspects arrested in connection with the arson in Duma that claimed the lives of three members of the Dawabsheh family.
Read more…

Today’s issues: The dangers of hate speech, the selection of the attorney general, the publication of new civics textbook, and the medical treatment of terrorists and their victims.

The Jerusalem Post comments on a recent video produced by Im Tirtzu, an organization with a far right-wing agenda, depicting an actor posing as a Palestinian terrorist who raises his hand with a knife and proceeds to stab, which then accuses leaders of human rights NGOs of facilitating the murder of innocent Israelis: “In Israel, particularly since the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin, there has been more sensitivity to the real dangers of hate speech, particularly when those doing the speaking are on the Right. The video produced by Im Tirtzu should be protected by freedom of speech. But Im Tirtzu’s heads should have exercised better judgment and re-frained from producing it.”
Read more…

PM defends domestic security service, says investigation of Jewish extremists carried out ‘in accordance with the law’

TOI Staff

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday rejected allegations that Jewish suspects in a West Bank terror attack had been tortured, telling Knesset members all Shin Bet investigations were being conducted “in accordance with the law.”

“The law is the same for Jews, Arabs, Christians and Circassians. Heaven forbid that we deviate from it,” Netanyahu said during a meeting of his Likud party’s Knesset faction, according to Israel’s Haaretz daily.

Likud Member of Knesset Miki Zohar told the prime minister during the meeting that there have been accusations that the Shin Bet security service tortured suspects during the investigation into the murders of the Dawabsha family, whose home in the West Bank village of Duma was firebombed in July. An 18-month-old infant and his two parents died in the attack, while his four-year-old brother was severely burned.
Read more…

T. Belman.The law permits “pressure tactics” but not torture. But the Shin Bet permission to use such tactics. So the question is what tactics are considered to be pressure only and not torture. And did the Shin Bet exceed their permission.

Education minister backs Shin Bet in row over ‘torture’ of suspects in the killing of the Dawabsha family in July

By Stuart Winer, TOI

Education Minister Naftali Bennett on Monday voiced firm support for the Shin Bet security service and its methods in the interrogation of Jewish terror suspects, which some on the right have condemned as torture. He also harshly condemned extremists, accusing them of using “murder” in a dangerous quest to “overthrow” the state.

Bennett, a staunch supporter of the West Bank settler movement, told Army Radio that as a cabinet minister he had personally looked into claims that torture has been used on Jewish suspects held in connection with a deadly firebombing attack in the Palestinian village of Duma.

“I can assert that all the actions that are taken — and they are really extraordinary actions in light of an unusual situation — are under control, and with close legal supervision, and they are aimed at preventing the next attack,” he said.
Read more…

T. Belman. The alleged agreement appears to be smoke and mirrors. Nothing has been agreed upon. No one has changed their position. Also Iran came out yesterday and warned Turkey against it.

Analysis: An agreement between Israel and Turkey has yet to come, but there is a declarative cooperation: The Turkish President needs it as a card he can play in front of the Russians, while Netanyahu can use it to defend the government’s natural gas plan in Israel’s high court.

By Ron Ben Yishai, YNET

The normalization of relations between Israel and Turkey is a welcome occurrence in nearly everyone’s minds. The Turkish willingness to import gas from Israel is also a positive development. That’s why the breakthrough in the negotiations which have been going on for five years now, which was announced by an “Israeli source” and confirmed later by Turkish sources, is good news. But it seems celebrations are premature, and definitely exaggerated – and that the announcement of this progress was publicized mainly because of the interests shared by Netanyahu and Erdogan.
Read more…

Moshe Feiglin in an Open Letter to the Jewish Home and Nationalist Likud MKs

By Moshe Feiglin, JEWISH LEADERSHIP BLOG

I don’t understand how Knesset Members from the Jewish Home and the more nationalist Likud members do not stop the horror of the torture of the Duma suspects. After all, they are severely torturing the children of your constituents. There is no excuse for this. They are not suspected of being ‘ticking bombs’ or anything even similar to that.

In a coalition of 61 Knesset Members, it takes only one person to topple the government and to stop the horror. And you are not doing it.

Not only are the lives of these boys and their sanity on your shoulders. The future of the State of Israel depends on your vote.
Read more…

WATCH:

Woman Who Was Raised Muslim Just Dropped Truth Bomb About Islam EVERY Lib MUST See

For a nation whose commander in chief recently compared potential Islamic terrorists masking themselves as Syrian refugees to the Pilgrims, a much-needed lesson in Islam 101 is now in session.

On a Facebook page called Silence is Consent, an unnamed woman who grew up as a Muslim in the Middle East is presenting the facts about Islam because so many people get it wrong.
Read more…