(March 13, 2023 / JNS) Media pundits spend a lot of time “explaining” to the rest of us why some political or social development just occurred. Last week, The New York Times presented what it claimed are the real reasons behind the controversy over Israeli judicial reform. The recent election results, which brought Israel a new government—and the judicial reform plan—are part of a “rightward drift” that goes back a number of years, according to the Times’ Jerusalem Bureau Chief Patrick Kingsley.

Read more…

T. Belman. Ritter just commented on this. He believes that Georgia will not comply.

T. Belman. Since this Report, I have gotten a number of emails which support the idea that the Abraham Accords are not what they are cracked up to be especially regarding the UAE.

Jafaj Intelligence  January 6, 2023

1. Summary: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has issued a very harshly worded press statement protesting a visit to the premises of Al-Aqsa Mosque by Itamar Ben-Gvir, the Israeli Minister of National Security. In the statement, UAE emphasized the need for “the comprehensive protection of Al-Aqsa Mosque and that stopping the serious and provocative violations therein, and to respect the role of the sisterly Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in caring for Sanctities and Waqf in accordance with international law and the existing historical situation.”

Read more…

by Avi Abelow, ISRAEL UNWIRED March 14, 202

The facts are clear. This judicial reform is about strengthening Israeli democracy after former Chief Justice Barak’s judicial activist coup 30 years ago. After decades of a judicial dictatorship, Israel’s government is finally working to return checks and balances between the three branches of government to strengthen Israel’s democracy, not weaken it,.

Read more…

Read more…

What the reaction to a rare Jewish riot in Israel says about Jewish liberals.

by Daniel Greenfield, FPM   13.3.23

One Sunday, two brothers, Hillel and Yagel Yaniv, young men with a bright future ahead of them were murdered while stuck in traffic in the Muslim village of Hawara in Israel. The locals celebrated their crime by singing, handing out candy and shooting off fireworks in the air.

Shmuel Sackett, the head of a tree-planting foundation, wrote:

Read more…

T. Belman. Netanyahu didn’t go far enough.  He and all government Ministers should stand in solidary with Smotrich and Ben Gvir and refuse to meet with American officials until the ban on meeting with Smotrich and Ben Gvir is lifted.

‘Following the humiliation of Smotrich’s visit, that’s not such a bad idea,’ responds Yair Lapid.

Israel National News    Mar 14, 2023, 9:29 PM (GMT+2)

Three months have passed since the current government was established, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has yet to receive an invitation to the White House to meet with U.S. President Joe Biden.

On Tuesday, after receiving the requests of several government ministers to travel to the United States, Netanyahu allegedly issued a response clarifying that they were not to make the trip until he himself has received an official invitation.

Read more…

By Hezki Baruch, INN       Mar 14, 2023, 11:38 PM (GMT+2)

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who is currently on a visit to the United States, responded on Tuesday evening to opposition leader Yair Lapid, who called Smotrich’s visit to the US “embarrassing and horrifying”.

“In the pages of the history of the State of Israel, you will only be remembered as one who did everything to lead us into a civil war. You also tried to recruit American Jews for your BDS campaign against the State of Israel. We will not allow you to succeed. We will mend the fractures, heal and unite, we will fix what needs fixing in our beloved country, and we will leave you disgruntled to shout from the opposition for many years,” Smotrich responded.

Read more…

The Caroline Glick Show #iran #israel #reforms #saudiarabia

T. Belman. This analysis is very informative but it leaves out the Palestinian question as a factor. Surely the Saudis and the Americans will demand the protection of the TSS i.e., no annexation of any parts of Area C and probably more.

Despite the renewal of ties between Riyadh and Tehran, there is still the possibility of rectification and there are still important things to offer the Saudis, mainly from the US, but certainly also from Israel.

By  Jacob Nagel, ISRAEL HAYOM   13.3.23

Israeli National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer have recently held very important meetings with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and his team, with the participation of Deputy National Security Advisor Gil Reich and other senior representatives from the Ministry of Defense, the Foreign Ministry, the Mossad, and the IDF. Despite the fact that the meeting was held during a tense period in Israel’s relations with the US, it carried utmost importance for the joint progress on some important issues. According to the joint statement that came out after the meeting, there is an understanding between the parties, although there are still disagreements regarding the required course of action and especially the pace.

Read more…

BY STEPHEN GREEN, PJ MEDIA  MARCH 13, 2023

By Thomas Lifson, AM THINKER

The shocking announcement that China had brought together bitter rivals Shiite Iran and Sunni Saudi Arabia to resume diplomatic relations in a deal negotiated in Beijing is a stunning defeat for America, threatening the basis of our Middle Eastern and world diplomatic power.

Iran and Saudi Arabia announce the resumption of diplomatic ties in Beijing

If, as it appears, Saudi Arabia is no longer a reliable ally that can be counted upon to keep the Armageddon-mongering mullahs in Iran at bay while warming up to Israel, then the entire power calculus of the Middle East is shattered.

Read more…

By Raymond Ibrahim, AM THINIKER

What’s worse: physical evil from an open enemy or clandestine evil from a supposed friend?

One need look no farther than to Islam and the so-called “left” — in this case, the U.S. Department of Education — to appreciate the distinction.
Read more…

Kim Iverson, 8 minutes.

Scott Ritter. At his best. He explains Bukhmut and Georgia in great detail. Georgia will not join the war against Russia as America wants.  He referred to the Kissinger quote: “Its bad to be an American enemy. Its fatal to be an American friend.” Ask the Afghans, ask the Kurds. Ask the Israelis. Ask the Germans. Ask Ghadaffy. Ask the Ukrainians.

He also said that the G7 is on a downward trend whereas BRICS is richer and on an upward trend.  Everyone, including Saudi Arabia, is joining BRICS which is wealthier than the G7 Nations.

He also explains where China stands. China can be the peace broker here just as they were between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

By Maurice Hirsch, Adv., Palestinian Media Watch   | Mar 13, 2023

A comparison of the aid provided by the United States to the Palestinians over the period 2011 through 2022, with the number of people murdered as a direct result of Palestinian terror provides a glaring insight: US aid to the Palestinians fuels terror, not peace.

Read more…

Likud MKs tell PM coalition is losing the argument on the judicial reforms, needs to moderate reforms and deal with right-wing minister.

Israel National News    Mar 13, 2023, 8:57 PM (GMT+2)

There are growing concerns in the Likud party that the efforts to pass Justice Minister Yariv Levin’s judicial reforms as well as the behavior of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir could cause the government to fall.

Channel 12 News published quotes from the Likud faction meeting Monday in which party MKs demanded that the judicial reforms be moderated or even halted in order to create the opportunity for dialogue with the opposition on the reforms.

Read more…

Why is Yisrael Beytenu presenting bill for sovereignty, when Netanyahu has promised it multiple times?

By Shimon Cohen, INN

In January of this year, it was announced that Likud MK Danny Danon was drafting a plan to apply Israeli sovereignty over the Jordan Valley, a key campaign commitment of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prior to national elections in recent years. However, this Wednesday it will be Avigdor Liberman’s Yisrael Beytenu party placing a bill to apply sovereignty over the Jordan Valley before the Knesset. Undeterred by the results of a ministerial committee vote rejecting his bill, Liberman has vowed to move ahead and is scathing in his criticism of the Likud-led coalition for failing to do so.

Read more…