Peloni:  Witkoff suggests that the deal he pushed thru was the product of Trump’s Peace Thru Strength, when in fact, the peace he chose to push thru was one which he admits he never tried to influence, having simply used the template supplied by the previous administration which Trump was supposedly critical.  By doing so, he abandoned the support which Trump promised to Israel while campaigning and complaining that America’s ally had been treated so badly by Biden, only to have his own Middle East Envoy force the Biden peace proposal forward.  This was not done with the interests of Israel in mind, nor was it achieved using the premise of Peace Thru Strength, which would have used the threat of US force against those parties who hold leverage over the Hamas terrorists to dislodge the terrorists from power and release the hostages which are being held.  Doing so would have required Witkoff to pressure, not Israel, but Qatar, over which Witkoff  continues to praise for their communication skills instead of condemning for their complicity in harboring and funding the Hamas terrorists who slaughtered and kidnapped their victims on October 7.

In just one interview, Trump’s Middle East envoy manages to:

??Express a willingness to reach “understandings about everything” with Hamas

??Admits that he and Trump’s team didn’t even try to get any additional hostages out

??Fawns over the Qatari leadership (again) pic.twitter.com/j84wLPk37u

— Eitan Fischberger (@EFischberger) January 22, 2025

Peloni:  Wurmser describes how Trump is being sand bagged into adopting Biden’s strategy in the Middle East, and how he should respond to avoid doing so.

David Wurmser | The Editors | Jan 21, 2025

Transitions of presidential administrations are tricky, and all the more so when, as from Biden to Trump, control is passing from one political party to another. There is much change, and there is much effort to avoid change. From my experience in previous transitions, this is especially true for transitions that pass from a left-leaning government to a conservative-leaning government. The majority of the government’s employees identify more with the left than right—Harris won more than 90 percent of the vote in D.C., 74 percent in Montgomery County, Maryland; more than 65 percent in Fairfax County, Virginia. This is especially true as a conservative government that defines itself against the Washington establishment comes into power. So this particular transition, even more than most others, features a mad race by those loyal to the ideas of the previous administration to lock the new administration into policies of the outgoing administration.

Read more…

By Martin Sherman | Wednesday, 22 January

“I think there’s something … unique about this relationship: Israel is the Jewish state … Azerbaijan is a Muslim state … Here you have an example of Muslims and Jews working together to secure a better future for both of us.” — Benjamin Netanyahu, Dec. 13, 2016

As the Trump administration takes over the reins of government, much of its attention will doubtlessly be soaked by issues that have dominated the limelight — such as soaring crime rates, waves of illegal immigration, and spiraling inflation at home; and China, Ukraine, Middle East conflict, and Iran abroad.

On the Fringes of Media Focus

However, despite these pressing matters, there are other topics, albeit on the periphery of the media spotlight, to which the incoming White House should pay attention and whose strategic significance should not be obscured.

Read more…

Avi Abelow Tweeted the Following:

Don’t act surprised. Hamas held our hostages in United Nations facilities in Gaza.

The United Nations, and the Hamas run and infested UNRWA must be disbanded, but they won’t.

We are on our own. Not only do Western leaders not really care, they are complicit.

Not to worry, we… pic.twitter.com/RndIrSbDT3

— Avi Abelow (@aviabelow) January 22, 2025

Don’t act surprised. Hamas held our hostages in United Nations facilities in Gaza.

The United Nations, and the Hamas run and infested UNRWA must be disbanded, but they won’t.

Read more…

Peloni: For those who put their faith in polls in a country where the presidential election was rigged.  In any event, this is just a single data point, and as such, it will be interesting to see if this polling result is repeatable in other polls and in future polling.

Something stunning in Harvard-Harris Poll – support for Israel is 79% among 18-24 age group, higher than all age groups other than 55+. Maybe the deranged Jew-hating grifters with large bot followings don’t reflect “the real America”. pic.twitter.com/wuFXLrFjJ4

— William A. Jacobson (@wajacobson) January 20, 2025

Peloni:  This was long overdue.  Too long.

Resignation to go into effect on March 6

All Israel News Staff | Published: January 21, 2025

IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi attends a state ceremony marking the Hebrew calendar anniversary of the Hamas attack on October 7 2023 which sparked the ongoing war in Gaza, at Mount Herzl military cemetery in Jerusalem on October 27, 2024. Photo by Chaim Goldberg FLASH90

IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi on Tuesday announced his intention to resign his post on March 6, citing the failures of the army under his command on Oct. 7, 2023.

Read more…

Is Trump being used to build out the superstructure of a digital system that could later be weaponized by some future ruler? Just as 5G and Warp Speed were weaponized?

Leo Hohmann | Jan 21, 2025

Peloni:  This is an important article.  This shameful deal is an early stain on Trump’s call for a Golden Age.  The manner in which Trump’s envoy, Witkoff, abused and disrespected America’s greatest ally, all by itself should have earned him a sharp rebuff from Pres. Trump, if not earning him a spot next to Ramaswamy out of Trump’s administration.  Instead, Trump has praised this deal and highlighted the manner in which his envoy, acting as if he were some local Enforcer, got things done, when, in fact, neither the ends of this deal, nor the means by which this deal was achieved, are justified, beneficial, nor sustainable.  Israel should pull out of this deal, and Trump should as well.

The ceasefire deal means spending $50 billion to rebuild Gaza.

Daniel Greenfield

The disastrous ceasefire deal proposed by the Biden administration and rubber stamped by Steve Witkoff, Trump’s Middle East envoy, doesn’t just free thousands of Islamic terrorists while letting Hamas reclaim power, it also commits America to a 5-year rebuilding of Gaza.

Read more…

Peloni:  In recent decades, the West has morphed into becoming a cheerleading squad of despots and a funder of terrorism as it has set focused its efforts upon imposing totalitarian limitations within the only democratic nation in the Middle East.

When the 89-year-old Palestinian Authority chief looks around him, he must be astonished at how the international community has acquiesced in his brutal dictatorship.

Moshe Phillips

It was 20 years ago this week that Mahmoud Abbas was elected to a single four year term as chairman of the Palestinian Authority. I suspect he’s having a very happy anniversary.

When the 89-year-old looks around him, he must be astonished at how the international community has acquiesced in his brutal dictatorship.

Read more…

Peloni:   Carice Witte offers insights into how Trump’s second term will likely impact Western Asia.  Among the many topics which Witte addresses is that she has heard that Trump is working on a very creative plan for the Middle East region.  She also addresses the topic and challenges of IMEC in the region, which has the potential of transforming the Middle East’s foundational structure from being one based on conflict to being one based on shared connectivity.  She also explains that it is hard to grasp if Trump would either act to eliminate Iran’s nuclear program or to allow Israel to do it alone.  Many other topics discussed as well.

WATCH

U.S. UN Ambassador-designate Elise Stefanik believes that Israel has a "biblical right to all of Judea and Samaria (West Bank)" pic.twitter.com/OZqiyvCiri

— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) January 21, 2025

By Andrea Widburg | Am Thinker | Jan 21, 2025

Image: YouTube screen grab.

All evening, my X feed updated me on the executive orders and pardons Trump has issued. We know that some will be contested, but on the whole, they’re solid and wonderful. Here’s an overview of just some of what he’s done so far.

Read more…

The most straightforward jihadism to deal with is the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Eric R. Mandel | Jan 20, 2025

Members of the Iranian Basij paramilitary force march during the force parade during military maneuvers in Tehran on Jan. 10, 2025. Photo by Majid Saeedi/Getty Images.

How do America, Israel and the moderate Muslim nations who share the common interest of advancing security and prosperity in the region shape the Middle East? It begins by acknowledging the fundamental problem of the area is jihadism, whether of the Iranian Shi’ite variety or the Muslim Brotherhood Sunni variation, with all its permutations ranging from ISIS to Hamas to Al-Qaeda to Turkey and Qatar.

Read more…

Peloni:  It is vital that Trump succeed in bringing about his Golden Age.  The world has looked to America for leadership and support and this need has for too long been answered by corruption and misgovernance.  The consequence of this malfeasance has been multifaceted, including manufactured plagues and unending needless wars.  The slaughters must be ended, but they must be ended in such a way that consent of the governed and equality under the law is finally returned to the civilized world which is still governed by the primacy of nation states.

Nicole Silverio | Daily Caller | January 20, 2025

[Screenshot/CNN]

President Donald Trump declared a new “golden age” in America as he promised to undue former President Joe Biden’s policies during his Monday inaugural speech inside the Capitol Rotunda.

Read more…

New ‘Operation Iron Wall’ follows months of fighting between terrorists and PA

All Israel News Staff | Published: January 21, 2025

Israeli army vehicles seen in the West Bank city of Jenin, following a major Israeli aerial and ground offensive in Jenin, in one of Israel’s biggest military operation in the Palestinian territory in years. July 4, 2023. Photo by Nasser Ishtayeh/Flash90

The Israeli army and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the launch of a large-scale counterterror operation in the city of Jenin in Samaria on Tuesday.

Read more…

Peloni:  I have warned previously that Russia has no interest in agreeing to a frozen conflict.  In fact, Russia has always remained focused upon securing a pan-European security arrangement which is not weaponized against Russian interests such as is the case with NATO.  Let us not forget that American interests in any settlement in Ukraine would be to not only end hostilities, but to create a foundation upon which Russia might be less inclined to remain within China’s sphere of influence.  So there is a great deal to be gained by both the US and Russia in ending the Ukrainian war, but neither will likely be satisfied with the formation of a armistice.  ?

The New York Times reports that US officials are planning to propose an “armistice” for Ukraine allegedly similar to how the Korean war ended in 1953. However, an Armistice Agreement like the Korean does not align with Russia’s goals and probably can’t be achieved if limited to a ceasefire.