Female Muslim author beaten, sent to mental hospital after praising Rushdie  

By Pyllis Chesler,  BREITBART

South African Author ZP Dala

Zainub Priya Dala, a South African Muslim author and psychologist, was “violently attacked for expressing admiration for Salman Rushdie” the day after praising the author. After countless phoned-in threats to recant, Dala was placed under psychiatric care in which she was “drugged until I could not walk” and advised to adopt a proper Muslim lifestyle.
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April 15, 2015 | 5:30 am | 2 Comments »

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Martin Sherman: From a political solution to a humanitarian solution  

By Ted Belman

A week ago I posted a video under the title Martin Sherman Debunks the Two State Solution and Offers Alternatives

Many people viewed the video but many more asked for the transcript so they could read what he had to say rather than spend 1.5 hours to watch it.

What follows is a synopsis of his talk followed by many articles he has written on the subject.

Rethinking Palestine: The Humanitarian Approach

By Dr. Martin Sherman

1. If Israel is to continue to exist as the permanent democratic nation-state of the Jewish people, it must adequately address two imperatives:

(a) The Geographic ImperativeIt cannot make the territorial concessions in Judea/Samaria necessary for a viable Palestinian state without critically compromising its minimum security requirements and rendering itself geographically untenable; and

(b) The Demographic ImperativeIt cannot incorporate the Palestinian Arabs resident in these areas into its society as enfranchised citizens, without rendering itself demographically untenable.

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April 15, 2015 | 5:27 am | 69 Comments »

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Toward a New Russian Initiative on the Israeli-Palestinian Issue?  

By Zvi Magen , Sarah Fainberg , Ilan Shklarsky, INSS

Putin AbbasThe significance of this week’s visit to Moscow by PA President Mahmoud Abbas should be assessed in the context of Russia’s increasing effort to influence the Israeli-Palestinian political process and advance a settlement of the conflict. This particular effort appears well-suited to Russia’s new Middle East policy, reflected in the decision, announced on April 13, 2015, to supply the S-300 missile system to Iran.

Abbas has stated that he intends to coordinate his efforts with Russia and recruit its support for a renewed Palestinian appeal to the UN Security Council in place of the request that was rejected in late 2014. For its part, Russia has of late been quite active in the Palestinian theater. A letter from President Vladimir Putin to the Arab League Summit that met at Sharm el-Sheikh on March 28, 2015 included various messages about the current challenges in the Middle East. Russia stressed its opposition in principle to external interference in the region, but at the same time, and somewhat in contradiction to this message, Putin declared that the Palestinians were entitled to a viable independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital. The letter noted explicitly that Russia, which attached special importance to this issue, intended to persist in its efforts to achieve this goal through both multilateral channels, including the Quartet framework, and bilateral channels.
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April 14, 2015 | 4:07 pm | 7 Comments »

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The Palestinian Statehood Idea Begins to Crumble  

Moshe Phillips and Benyamin Korn, FPM

A sea change began within hours of the Israeli election returns.

Thomas L. Friedman, who has devoted much of his life to promoting Palestinian statehood, declared in his New York Times column that the idea of a Palestinian state is “not possible anymore.” That was followed by his Times colleague David K. Shipler, another longtime advocate of a Palestinian state, announcing that the “the two-state solution looks dead.”

Just a couple of elite, pro-Palestinian journalists venting their frustration?

Don’t bet on it. The American public is losing faith in “Palestine” too. Friedman and Shipler’s declarations merely echo the latest poll numbers on the American public’s view of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

A new Washington Post-ABC News poll has found that Americans’ support for the idea of creating a Palestinian state has reached its lowest point in twenty years. Just 39% of Americans support it; 36% are opposed.
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April 14, 2015 | 3:56 pm | 5 Comments »

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The Demand for Iranian Recognition of Israel  

By Ephraim Kam, INSS

Iran negotiatorsFollowing the April 2, 2015 statement on parameters toward a comprehensive agreement on the Iranian nuclear program formulated between the P5+1 and Iran, the Israeli government announced its demand that the final agreement include Iran’s recognition of Israel. President Obama was quick to reject the condition, arguing that it amounts to Israel’s demand that no agreement be signed unless Iran undertakes a comprehensive reform of its regime.

If President Obama thought there was a reasonable chance Iran would accept this condition, he presumably would have endorsed it and demanded that Iran recognize Israel as part of the nuclear deal. Acceptance by Iran would be quite a feather in the administration’s cap, because it would help it allay Israel’s concern about Iran’s nuclearization; reduce Israeli criticism of the agreement by demonstrating that there has been a real change in Iran’s stance – not only on the nuclear issue; and provide a partial response to domestic US criticism in Congress and the media of the administration’s conduct in the nuclear talks and of the agreement in the making.
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April 14, 2015 | 1:51 pm | 2 Comments »

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The Middle East Turmoil and Israel’s Security  

by Efraim Inbar
International Relations and Security Network (ISN)
April 13, 2015

http://www.meforum.org/5174/israel-middle-east-security

The Middle East is in great turmoil. The statist order that underpinned the region for a century has collapsed. Several states have lost their monopoly over the use of force and are no longer able to provide law and order. This is especially true of Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, and Syria. Even Egypt, the only historic Arab state, has had difficulties effectively enforcing its sovereignty over its territory.

Many of the militias challenging these state entities have a radical Islamist ideology, reflecting the rise in appeal of political Islam in the Arab world. In contrast to the leaders of these states, who are inefficient and corrupt, the Islamists actually deliver services to the people and have a reputation for being brutal but honest. However, the likes of Al Qaida in Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) or the so called Islamic State (IS) are hardly the proper agents for modernizing their environments and their popularity dooms the Arab world to continuous ignorance and poverty.
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April 14, 2015 | 1:25 pm | 1 Comment »

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Putin and Obama destabilize Mideast  

By Vic Rosenthall
S-300The S-300 air defense system

News item:

The Russian president has repealed the ban prohibiting the delivery of S-300 missile air defense systems to Iran, according to the Kremlin’s press service. The ban was introduced by former President Dmitry Medvedev in 2010. …

The decree enters into force upon the president’s signature.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov commented on the decision, saying that Moscow’s voluntary embargo on S-300 deliveries was no longer necessary, due to the progress in Iran’s nuclear talks made in Lausanne on April 2.

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April 14, 2015 | 1:16 pm | Comments »

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White House Ally Addresses ‘Israel Lobby’ Conspiracy Conference  

Authors, former public officials say Israel Lobby more powerful than any other interest group
By Alana Goodman, FREE BEACON

AP

One of the White House’s key partner groups for promoting an Iranian nuclear deal addressed a conspiracist-laden conference aimed at combating “the power of the Israel Lobby” in Washington, D.C., on Friday.

Reza Marashi, the research director for the National Iranian American Council, which has been meeting regularly with White House officials to help sell the Iran deal, called on the audience to help “create the space for the White House” to pursue diplomacy with Iran.
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April 14, 2015 | 11:56 am | 6 Comments »

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S-300 will not prevent potential Israeli strike on Iran  

Ron Ben-Yishai, YNET

Should Russia give Iran the advanced missile defense system it will undoubtedly effect the possibility of a military strike – but Israel’s air force is well trained in the system’s ins-and-outs.

S-300 in Moscow (Photo: EPA)

S-300 in Moscow (Photo: EPA)
During the time of the initial sale, Israel was reluctant to sell UAVs and advanced weapons systems to Georgia, Russia’s local foe. At the same time, the Russians were training Iranians – including elite Revolutionary Guard forces – in the system’s workings on Russian soil. Should the Iranians receive the system any time soon, it would be operational very quickly. Moreover, it would not be farfetched to assume that some parts of the S-300 system (like radar or some of its controls) have already arrived in Iran, even if the launchers have yet to do so.

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April 14, 2015 | 9:02 am | 1 Comment »

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Expanded Supreme Court gives historic victory to Beduins in land dispute cases with state  

By Jonah Jeremy Bob, JPOST

on Monday that a special seven- justice panel of the Supreme Court has made a landmark ruling overturning decades of precedent which could change the face of litigation over an untold number of land disputes between the Beduin community in the South and the state.

The entire procedure, with the decision actually being handed down Sunday to the Beduin of al-Arakib but announced only Monday, was extremely unusual, as it was a rarely allowed appeal by the state of an earlier Supreme Court ruling, also against the state, by a three-justice panel composed of justices Daphna Barak-Erez, Yoram Danziger and Yitzhak Amit from December 2012.
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April 14, 2015 | 8:42 am | Comments »

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Germany Approves Fifth ‘Special’ Submarine for Israel  

By Hillel Fendel, INN

submarineGermany has approved the delivery of the fifth of six promised submarines to Israel – amid claims that the sub will be outfitted with nuclear weapons. Is this part of Israel’s answer to the US nuclear agreement with Iran?

The German Federal Security Council, which monitors Germany’s export of military goods, has given the green light for the delivery of another submarine to Israel. The news has renewed claims that Israel will fit the sub with one or more nuclear-tipped cruise missiles.
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April 14, 2015 | 8:28 am | Comments »

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Of all the announced GOP candidates, I like Marco Rubio best  

By Ted Belman

I watched Hannity’s interview of when just after he threw his hat in the ring. This is only part of the interview.

Rubio is charismatic, sharp, quick and very intelligent. He is also very strong on Israel.

Newsmax summarizes who he is and why he is a good candidate.

Sen. Marco Rubio announced on Monday that he will seek the 2016 Republican presidential nomination — and there are compelling reasons why the Florida legislator would be a strong candidate in a White House race.
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April 14, 2015 | 8:10 am | 9 Comments »

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Is Zionism Racism?  

Israel is not a normal state. Here’s why.

By Anne Roiphe, TABLET

I am a person of the left and have been ever since I was a girl and Jackie Robinson joined the Brooklyn Dodgers or maybe it began when the Rosenbergs were executed and I knew a great lynching had occurred or maybe it was the photos of Auschwitz that I saw in Life magazine that made it clear I was one of those inside the fence not those waving at passing trains. That is why today the phrase “Zionism is Racism” sends shivers down my spine and sets my teeth to grinding.
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April 13, 2015 | 7:13 pm | 38 Comments »

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Israeli Drone Maker Has $6 Billion Backlog and a Red-Hot Stock  

By by Gabrielle Coppola, BLOOMBERG

droneU.S. military spending may be flat, but that’s not proving to be much of a problem for Israeli defense company Elbit Systems Ltd.

That’s because the company, while long dependent on the U.S. for much of its sales, has been shifting its focus to faster growing markets in Asia and Latin America. Elbit said last month that demand from those regions helped push up its backlog of orders to $6.3 billion at year-end, an 8 percent jump from 2013. The stock has rallied 13 percent since, touching a record $74.55 in New York on April 7.

It’s not that Elbit has turned its back on the U.S. market — the U.S. accounted for 28 percent of sales last year, still the biggest slice from any single country, including Israel. But unlike U.S. defense contractors that focus on large programs like airplanes, ships and tanks, Elbit is succeeding with niche products and services in high demand in emerging markets, like upgrading aircraft systems and enhancing cyberwarfare capabilities.
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April 13, 2015 | 5:25 pm | Comments »

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Likud and Bayit Yehudit at odds over settlement construction, I bet.  

T. Belman. Bibi suckered Bennett and his party by promising that he would form a right wing government and that they would be the first party he would call. It appears now they are the last and even Zionist Union is being considered. Bibi also promised on eve of elections to build in Har Homa then cancelled plans for 1500 units there immediately after. He also promised an undivided Jerusalem yet won’t buil;d in Har Homa or E1 which would make that certain. Bibi’s policy in last government was to freeze settlement construction as Obama and Hillary demanded. I see no change in that basic policy in this government.

Kulanu said to receive finance, housing and environment ministries
Kahlon’s party reportedly forgoes demand for chairmanship of Knesset Finance Committee, inching closer to coalition deal

BY RAHEL JASKOW, TIMES OF ISRAEL, April 13, 2015, 11:27 am 3

A four-hour meeting Sunday night between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Moshe Kahlon reportedly culminated in a decision that Kahlon’s Kulanu party will receive the finance, housing and environmental protection ministries in the next governing coalition.

The meeting focused on resolving Kulanu’s demands with an emphasis on the “professional tools” that Kahlon has been seeking in order to carry out his promised economic reforms, particularly in housing, the daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported on Monday.
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April 13, 2015 | 3:23 pm | 35 Comments »

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Clinton Accuses Israel of Being Occupying Force  

Don’t let her rewrite her record

BY: Adam Kredo, FREE BEACON June 10, 2014 1:21 pm

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton accuses Israel of being an occupying force in her new memoir Hard Choices and claims that the Jewish state denies “dignity and self determination” to Palestinians in the West Bank.

Clinton recalls being surprised by what she termed “life under occupation for the Palestinians,” according to the book.

Pro-Israel officials and insiders on Capitol Hill have called Clinton’s comments tone deaf and said that her claim that Israel is an occupying force reveals a bias against the Jewish state.
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April 13, 2015 | 2:25 pm | 3 Comments »

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Netanyahu’s good answer for an alternative  

THE BLAZE

– Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered suggestions Sunday for ways to improve the current version of the framework agreement over Iran’s nuclear program, a move apparently designed to answer a challenge set forth one day earlier by President Barack Obama to come up with “a good answer” for an “alternative.”

In an on-camera statement delivered in English Sunday, Netanyahu said a better deal would shut down once-illicit nuclear facilities and link the lifting of sanctions to Iran halting its support of terrorism.

FAX BLAST SPECIAL: Impeach Obama NOW!


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April 13, 2015 | 2:08 pm | 2 Comments »

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Iran Says US Conceded on All Its Red Lines in Nuclear Deal  

Iranian Revolutionary Guards Commander Jafari accuses US of ‘psychological warfare’ in faking nuclear fact sheet to dupe its allies.

By Dalit Halevy, Ari Yashar, INN

Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander General Mohammad Ali Jafari

Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander General Mohammad Ali Jafari

Iranian leadership continues to state clearly that the framework deal announced in Lausanne, Switzerland earlier this month constitutes a major achievement of the Islamic regime, which didn’t give up on its nuclear program at all and forced the US to fold.

Iranian Revolutionary Guards chief General Mohammed Ali Jafari, who is considered to be one of the most influential men in Tehran, said that Iran’s enemies tried to cause a change in the regime’s policy through the negotiations and sanctions, but those efforts were in vain.

Jafari stated that the US in practice conceded to all of the red lines of Iran regarding its controversial nuclear program.
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April 12, 2015 | 6:17 am | 4 Comments »

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Martin Sherman Debunks the Two State Solution and Offers Alternatives  

By Ted Belman

Martin Sherman delivered this lecture a year ago. I was there. It is essential for any person interested in the the Arab-Israeli conflict to watch the whole thing, perhaps more than once, particularly if you are one who, for one reason or another supports the Two-State Solution. It is imperative for anyone, particularly American Jews, who support the Two State Solution, to understand that it will not bring peace but war and that the majority of Israelis who reject it, do so, for good reason.
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April 11, 2015 | 10:41 am | 104 Comments »

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