By Robert Spencer | Dec 18, 2024

The Biden-Harris regime wants the “moderate” Palestinian Authority of Mahmoud Abbas to take over Gaza once the war there is over.

“Palestinian Authority calls for ‘Islamic awakening’ to save Al-Aqsa from the Israelis,” by Nan Jacques Zilberdik, Palestinian Media Watch, December 15, 2024:

During a sermon on official Palestinian Authority TV, a preacher called on Allah to “remove” Israel and “purify the Al-Aqsa Mosque and its surroundings” – i.e., the entire Temple Mount – the holiest place for Jews. Official PA TV has broadcast many sermons with similar content:

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“If Israel concludes that it cannot effectively strike the Iranian nuclear program alone and needs the United States, its options become much more limited.”

By ERIC R. MANDEL |  DECEMBER 17, 2024

Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump raises his fist during a “Fighting Anti-Semitism in America Event” with Dr. Miriam Adelson and Jewish leaders in Washington, U.S., September 19, 2024.  (photo credit: REUTERS/PIROSCHKA VAN DE WOUW)

According to Michael Mandelbaum, professor emeritus at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, if “the Islamic Republic should acquire nuclear weapons, as it is actively seeking to do, its capacity to harm America’s friends and American interests would expand dramatically. The most important task for American Middle East policy is…to prevent that from happening. This is especially the case insofar as the American government actively discouraged Israel from hitting Iran’s nuclear installations.”

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Peloni: Shame on Fox

Amin Saikal | Australian National University | Dec 17, 2024

The Conversation; Mohammed Badra (EPA), Maxim Shemetov (Reuters Pool/EPA), Stoyan Nenov (Reuters Pool/AP)

The fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria has opened a new front for geopolitical competition in the Middle East.

Now, however, instead of Iran and Russia playing the most influential roles in Syria, Israel and Turkey see an opportunity to advance their conflicting national and regional security interests.

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Peloni:  This is a very important and highly recommended video.  Mike Doran makes a detailed and emphatic case for the support of Turkey’s moves in Syria as being not only in Turkey’s interests but also in Israel’s interest.  He makes the point that Turkey’s eminent and utter victory over the Kurdish YPG forces in northern Syria are not a major victory over a Iranian allied force, but that it would also be nearly impossible to prevent this victory from taking place, and will likely be supported by the incoming Trump administration.  In regards to  concerns of Erdogan being an Islamist leader, Mike argues that Erdogan’s Islamist nature is only secondary to his pragmatic nature, and that he has basically ceded national security control over Turkey to the establishment which has only Turkey’s national interests in mind.  Consequently, he argues that should Israel support Turkey’s conquest over the Kurds, Israel and the Turks could move forward together while turning Syria into a buffer state, but if Israel should show support for the Kurds, the pragmatic nature of the Establishment will see Israel as a threat and act accordingly.

Mike’s arguments, however, seem to ignore Erdogan’s interest in recreating the Ottoman Empire, which will only be encouraged evermore by Turkey’s expansion into Syria.  He also downplays the import Islamist nature of Turkey, which now hosts the Islamist Hamas political elites, and helped finance and arm the Islamist forces which toppled Assad’s regime.  In fact, the Turkish backed, Islamist rebels in Damascus should be seen as little more than a sword of Damocles wavering overhead of Israel, with the ultimate control emanating from Ankara, leaving Syria to appear far more like a Turkish proxy state than as a buffer state as Mike describes it will be.

The problem of anti-Israel bias has become much worse, in part because it has become an accepted part of mainstream journalistic culture.

Moshe Phillips

Portrait of longtime writer for “TIME” magazine Lance Morrow. Photo by James Keyser/Getty Images.

Obituaries for journalist Lance Morrow, who passed on Nov. 29 at the age of 85, heaped praise on his “elegance” and “beautifully constructed” essays. They neglected to mention the antisemitic essay he once wrote—and the award it received from a prominent liberal Jewish organization.

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According to Reuters, the Trump Transition Team is becoming increasingly concerned about Tulsi Gabbard’s chances of being Approved by the Senate for her nomination to Director of National Intelligence (DNI); with at least 8 Republican Senators having told the Transition Team… pic.twitter.com/29s0jDiWly

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) December 18, 2024

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Because America’s problems aren’t big enough yet.

by Daniel Greenfield | Dec 17, 2024

Are you a criminal or some sort of illegal alien from those parts of Israel controlled by Islamic terrorists?

Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Tim Kaine, Sen. Dick Durbin, Sen. Chris Van Hollen, Sen. Raphael Warnock, Sen. Tammy Duckworth, Sen. Peter Welch and Sen. Brian Schatz have some good news for you.

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Peloni:  Ettinger offers an important review of what the West is facing as they seem ready to support the rise of Muslim Brotherhood forces in Syria based on inexplicable pronouncements of literally overnight becoming a voice of toleration and multiculturalism.

Contrary to some Western policy makers, journalists and academics, the pro-US Arab leaders do not take HTS’ moderate statements at face value. They know who they are dealing with. Opinion.

Amb. (ret.) Yoram Ettinger | Dec 16, 2024

Abu Mohammed al-Julani   screenshot

Peloni: Fantastic speech by Beatrix Storch of AfD addressing the German Bundestag

WOW. Every single word.

This is a ???? ????? and a ???? ?????.

“First the synagogues will burn and then the churches. They are burning already”

“First the Kippah wearers will be beaten, then anyone who will not submit”

Wake up people.

An incredible speech… pic.twitter.com/Tgip3tEnEs

— Kosher?? (@koshercockney) December 16, 2024

Peloni:  As Turkey stands poised to completely dominate the Kurds, the question remains what will Trump do to stop them?  Of course, Trump has notably voiced that what is taking place in Syria has nothing to do with the US, but the reality is that it does, and as Turkey takes on a dominating role in the Middle East, it will degrade any opportunity for peace in the region. Furthermore, Erdogan’s recent comments heralding the fall of Western society demonstrates his interest in farm more than the regon itself.

By Hugh Fitzgerald | Dec 16, 2024

The Kurds have been the most effective ally of the U.S. in the campaign to destroy ISIS in Syria. The Kurds in Iraq also helped the American military to defeat ISIS in that country as well. Now the Kurdish militia (YPG) in Syria are threatened with destruction by Erdogan, who backed the jihadist rebels of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and has already been seizing Syrian territory where the population is predominantly Kurdish. Antony Blinken tried to dissuade the Turks from attacking the Kurds at his recent meeting with Turkey’s foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, but to no avail. And now the Kurds have had to divert their forces from fighting ISIS to defending themselves from attacks by the Turkish army. More on Turkey’s announced “strategic goal” to destroy the Kurdish militia, YPG, can be found here: “Turkey seeks to purge pro-US Kurdish force that helped defeat Islamic State in Syria,” by Benjamin Weinthal, Fox News, December 13, 2024:

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Brig. Gen. (Res.) Amir Avivi is the founder and chairman of IDSF. During his service, Amir held a series of senior roles in the IDF, including Deputy Comptroller of the Security Forces, Director of the Office of the Chief of Staff, Deputy Commander of the Gaza Division, Commander of the Sagi Division, Commander of Battalion 605 and Commander of the School of Combat Engineering.

Some Suggestions for Mr. Trump Going Forward

Jonathan M. | Weapons & Strategy | Dec 16, 2024

Expert Stephen Bryen on the Oreshnik: The US does not have a similar weapon. We don’t know how the Russians did it

Sundance | Dec 16, 2024

Those who followed the details of the U.S, Mexico and Canada trade agreement, can easily see how Chrystia Freeland was never going to be the right person for Canada to have as Finance Minister while they attempt to navigate President Trump’s economic policy again.

In fact, I would not be surprised if someone in Mar-a-Lago told Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau he needed to ice her out if Trudeau wanted to stand a chance of a relationship with Donald Trump. As many people noted during her gleeful confiscation of funds from the trucker protests, Deputy Prime Minister/Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland is a conniving, scheming, and all-around nasty piece of work.

In a posture akin to that sideways stare from Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction (“I’m not going to be ignored, Justin”) today turned some of that internal spite toward her boss, Justin Trudeau.

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Peloni:  It gives me no joy to see this award handed to someone who has held a significant place among conservative voices over the past decade.  In fact, her rising tide of vile antisemitic banter has guided far too many towards sharing in her obsessive fantasies of Jew Hatred.  So credit to whom credit is due, and in all fairness I believe this award was well earned by Owens, so well earned that she might have difficulty finding someone who merits it more next year.

StopAntisemitism | Dec 15, 2024

Candace Owens in her full antisemitic glory ??? pic.twitter.com/HFshWTYqe9

— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) December 15, 2024

Disgraced political pundit Candace Owens has been crowned 2024’s Antisemite of the Year after a poll with over 30,000 votes!

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Peloni:  Schanzer has deep dive conversation with RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery regarding the capabilities of either Israel or the US eliminating the Iranian nuclear threat, the way to deal with the Houthis, the Israeli-Iran cyber war, Chinese Info Ops, US weapons provisions capacity, and more.  The Montgomery interview begins at 7 min 35s, after the morning brief of current headlines.