CIA: Iran capable of producing a nuclear bomb in a week

CIA: Iran capable of producing a nuclear bomb in a week

    Tuesday, October 08, 2024   No comments

CIA Director William Burns said that Iran is capable of producing a nuclear bomb within a week, but there is no evidence that it has decided to do so.

NBC quoted Burns - during a security conference in Georgia - as saying that Iran has made progress in its nuclear program by accumulating depleted uranium to levels that allow for the manufacture of nuclear weapons.

As a result, Burns continued, Iran may be able to quickly obtain enough fissile material to make an atomic bomb if it chooses to do so, and there will be less time for the outside world to respond.

He added that there is no evidence that Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has reversed his decision taken in late 2003 to suspend the nuclear weapons program, and said that American intelligence agencies believe that Iran has suspended its program in accordance with Khamenei's declaration last year.

The US intelligence chief explained that Tehran has developed "conception methods" by building a missile arsenal, noting that Iran has become closer to producing a nuclear bomb since the US withdrawal from the nuclear agreement in 2018.

In response to recent rumors that an earthquake in Semnan province near the capital Tehran was related to a nuclear test, the Nour News website, which is close to the Iranian National Security Council, stated that "the suspicious rumors spread by foreign media about the first Iranian nuclear test are completely false and contradict Iran's nuclear and defense doctrine."

Burns' statements and talk of a nuclear test came amid Israeli threats to bomb Iranian nuclear facilities in response to Tehran targeting Israel with dozens of missiles after the assassination of Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah and Abbas Nilforoushan, deputy commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, in Israeli raids on Beirut, and the assassination of Hamas Political Bureau Chief Ismail Haniyeh on Iranian soil.

The CIA confirms similar statements by US officials that essentially concluded that building a nuclear weapons is now in the hands of Iranian leaders. In July of this year, the head of the State Department, Blinken, also stated that Iran was a week to a week and half from the breakout stage for developing nuclear weapons. Other Western officials confirmed that US assessment is accurate. Given the timeline, this means that the decision for building a nuclear weapon is entirely in the hands of Iranian leaders. The developments and threats since July 2024 can only push them to building a weapon. Alternatively, and absent in Western assessment of Iran capabilities, is whether Iranian leaders have thought of using depleted uranium in their rockets, especially after reports that Israel may have used depleted uranium bombs in its assassination of Hassan Nasrallah and Abbas Nilforoushan in Beirut last month.

Also, if Western assessment about Iran's nuclear capabalities is true, restoring the 2015 nuclear deal that Trump withdrew from in 2028 becomes moot. The starting point for any new deal will start with the Iran preserving what it has achieved and what the West can offer to limit increased nuclear activities.

Media review: World reacts to the unprecedented terrorist attack using pagers that took place today in Lebanon

Media review: World reacts to the unprecedented terrorist attack using pagers that took place today in Lebanon

    Tuesday, September 17, 2024   No comments

If a state actor is behind this attack, it represents an unprecedented indiscriminate attack that killed people as they shopped, played with their children, sat in classrooms, or interact with any other person while carrying a pager. The Lebanese government and other governments from around the world are now reacting to this terrorist attack. Here is an update based on news reports from around the world.

Lebanese Health Minister on Pager Blow-up: What Happened Was a "Real Massacre" (Press Conference)

Lebanese Parliament Speaker: What Israel did (blowing up pager communication devices) is a "war crime and its continuation of this crime will drag the region towards widespread evil" (statement)

Jordanian Foreign Minister confirms in phone call with Mikati the Kingdom’s support for Lebanon’s security, sovereignty and stability, and expresses its condemnation and rejection of any action that threatens the safety of the Lebanese (statement)

After a cyber attack that left 9 dead and thousands injured, the King of Jordan directs to provide any assistance needed by the Lebanese medical sector (statement by the Jordanian Foreign Ministry)

The sabotage of communication systems in Lebanon points to Israel's intent to escalate military operations in the Middle East, according to a statement from the Syrian Foreign Ministry.

U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller: The U.S. is not involved in the pager explosions in Lebanon and was not aware of the incident beforehand.

"I can tell you that the U.S. was not involved in it, the U.S. was not aware of this incident in advance and, at this point, we're gathering information," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters at a press briefing Wednesday.

Miller did however go on to say the U.S. supported the action to carry out Tuesday's attacks.

"Going back to Lebanon, you said that you consider targeting terrorists as a legitimate act. Then Hezbollah is a terrorist organization by the U.S. Does that mean that you support such operation that happened today and that targeted Hezbollah?" he was asked at a news briefing on Tuesday.

"So again, when I gave that answer, I said I want to be very clear that I'm not answering with specific, with any specificity regarding this incident, because we're continuing to gather facts on it," Miller replied. "But in general, yes, of course we support operations to target Hezbollah militants, who continue to launch terrorist attacks against civilians. Israel has a right to defend itself against terrorism and a right to carry out legitimate attacks against terrorists, not civilians, but terrorists. So as a general proposition, yes, of course," the U.S. State Department spokesman said.

Miller added: "We would urge Iran not to take advantage of any incident, any instability, to further increase tensions in the region."

Others in the US seem to support the attack. Pennsylvania Democratic Senator John Fetterman tweeted on Twitter celebrating the bombings, saying, “I fully support efforts to target and neutralize any existential threat like Hezbollah.” AIPAC, the largest pro-Israel lobby in the United States, retweeted the tweet, thanking the senator for his support for Israel.

The organization reminded its audience that Hezbollah is “a terrorist organization and proxy of Iran,” and noted its role in supporting the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) after October 7 of last year, arguing that “Israel is fully entitled under international law, including but not limited to Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, to exercise its right to self-defense.”

The Wall Street Journal editorial also celebrated the Israeli operation, saying that “the explosion of pagers carried by Hezbollah members across Lebanon and Syria on Tuesday was a ‘daring display of modern technological warfare. ’ It also considered it a ‘warning to Iran’s proxy Shiite militia of the human price it will pay if it continues to bombard northern Israel. ’” The conservative newspaper, known for its closeness to Israeli positions, added that “at best, this pager operation will convince Hezbollah leaders that their lives are at grave risk if a wider war breaks out, and they cannot say they did not receive a message to that effect.”

...

In his interview on CBS News Sunday Morning (9/22), Former CIA director Leon Panetta  said that Israel’s actions are “a form of terrorism”. He also warned that these actions could lead to more deadly operations as the conflict continues.

“The ability to be able to place an explosive in technology that is very prevalent these days. And turn it into a war of terror. Really, a war of terror. This is something new,” said Panetta.

“I don’t think there’s any question that it’s a form of terrorism…This is going right into the supply chain, right into the supply chain. And when you have terror going into the supply chain, it makes people ask the question, what the hell is next?” added Panetta.

...

The widespread, and seemingly indiscriminate attack was triggered simultaneously when hundreds or thousands of pagers, mostly across Lebanon, but also in Syria, exploded. If the instigator was not believed to have been Israel, it would have been uniformly described as a mass series of terrorist attacks.

Other world governments condemned the attack, and some called it an act of terrorism.

Belgium has designated the mass explosion of pagers across Lebanon and Syria as a terror attack.

"I strongly condemn the massive terror attack in Lebanon and Syria, which injured thousands of people. A brutal escalation of violence," Belgium's Deputy Prime Minister Petra De Sutter posted on X on Wednesday.

"Silence is not an option. An international investigation is called for. The bloodshed must end," she added.

"We consider this incident to be another act of hybrid warfare against Lebanon, which has affected thousands of innocent people," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement.

"We strongly condemn the unprecedented attack on friendly Lebanon and its citizens, which is a gross violation of its sovereignty and a serious challenge to international law using unconventional weapons," she added.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expresses sorrow over pager explosions in Lebanon, saying Israel's attempts to spread conflicts in the region are extremely dangerous 

EU's Borell: pager detonations had 'heavy, indiscriminate collateral damages among civilians'

The EU’s top diplomat has described the pager detonations in Lebanon as “extremely worrying”, and said they had caused “heavy, indiscriminate collateral damages among civilians.”

In a statement, Josep Borrell said:

Following yesterday’s series of explosions in Lebanon, I called the Lebanese foreign minister Abdallah Bou Habib. He briefed me on the explosion of a high number of electronic devices in many areas across the country. Thousands of people were injured – hundreds in critical condition – hospitals are collapsing.

Even if the attacks seem to have been targeted, they had heavy, indiscriminate collateral damages among civilians: several children are among the victims

I consider this situation extremely worrying. I can only condemn these attacks that endanger the security and stability of Lebanon, and increase the risk of escalation in the region.

The European Union calls on all stakeholders to avert an all-out war, which would have heavy consequences for the entire region and beyond.

UN high commissioner for human rights demands accountability for Lebanon pager blasts

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, said on Wednesday that those responsible for the bombing of Hezbollah’s communications devices “must be held accountable.”

“The simultaneous targeting of thousands of people, whether civilians or members of armed groups, without knowing who was in possession of the targeted devices, where they were located, and the environment in which they were located at the time of the attack, constitutes a violation of international human rights law and international humanitarian law,” he said in a statement.

Türk called for an “independent, serious and transparent investigation” into these events to find those who ordered and carried out the attacks.

He said that the bombings of the communications devices, “which killed 12 people, including two children, and injured thousands, are shocking and their effects on civilians are unacceptable, and the fear and horror they cause are profound.”

“In this volatile period, I call on all influential states in the region and beyond to take immediate action to avoid further escalation of the current conflicts,” he added, stressing that “it is time for leaders to act to save the right of everyone to live in peace and security.”

Those responsible for a deadly wave of explosions across Lebanon targeting paging devices used by members of the Hezbollah militant group “must be held to account”, the UN high commissioner for human rights said on Wednesday.

...

Irish foreign minister Micheál Martin: pager detonation showed 'wanton disregard' for civilian lives in Lebanon

Irish foreign minister Micheál Martin has said that the pager detonations in Lebanon showed a “wanton disregard” for the lives of civilians, and said it was a “logical conclusion” that Israeli forces were behind the incident. Israel has not claimed responsiblity for the attack, which injured nearly 3,000 people and killed at least 12 people, including two children.

The tánaiste said “The nature of the attack illustrates a wanton disregard for the lives of people because these pagers with explosives put into them went off in public areas and supermarkets and around people going out about their daily lives. It meant that many innocent civilians – men, women and children – were caught up in this.”

PA Media reports that asked if he considered it to be a breach of Geneva conventions rules on indiscriminate attacks, Martin replied: “In my view, yes, absolutely.”

Martin continued:

I would appeal to the Israeli Government to desist and not to engage in war in Lebanon and likewise to Hezbollah to desist and not to do anything to further escalate the situation. That kind of warfare and the creation of that terror in the midst of communities, commercial areas and normal human behaviour is unacceptable.

The Problem is not Netanyahu, it is Israel's next generation of leaders like Bezalel Smotrich

The Problem is not Netanyahu, it is Israel's next generation of leaders like Bezalel Smotrich

    Monday, September 09, 2024   No comments

Hundreds of thousands protest weekly in Israel these days, wanting to bring down Netanyahu and his government, accusing the former of being an obstacle to making a deal that would end the war in Gaza, and saying that he is doing so for purely personal reasons--fear of being charged and convicted with crimes. If that is true, that would make him less dangerous to the region than other members of his government who are against any deals, not for personal reasons, but for ideological and religious reasons. And the future of Israel will be in the hands of people like Bezalel Smotrich, who hold the belief that Israel will be secure only when Palestinians are erased.

“I believe that the village of Hawara should be wiped out, and I believe that the State of Israel should do it, and not, God forbid, private individuals.” These words escaped the lips of Bezalel Smotrich, Minister of Finance and Minister of Civil Affairs in the Ministry of Defense in Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, during a conference organized in Tel Aviv in March 2023 by the Israeli economic newspaper The Marker. 

The minister, who heads the “Religious Zionism” party and is known to be a licensed lawyer and carefully calculates his words, did not expect, in the context of his comment on the settlers’ barbaric campaign against homes and property in the village of Hawara, south of Nablus, (in revenge for the killing of settlers by Palestinians), that this statement would bring upon him the wrath of the US State Department, whose officials called for a boycott of him. The US ambassador to Tel Aviv, Tom Nides, went on to call Smotrich “stupid,” prompting the latter to try to minimize the damage during a televised news program, saying, “Whoever can attribute to me the intention of wiping out the village, that is up to their obsessive mind. The intention is to be more proactive and aggressive in the war against terrorism, because people are being killed here… Perhaps this was said during a fit of emotion… I stumbled over my tongue.” 

But "the cat's out of the bag", and Smotrich’s words and actions, past and present, have come under scrutiny, given that he has been the third pillar of the ruling coalition in Israel since December 2022, after Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Galant, and the guardian of settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank, in its new form.

Smotrich is not an outlier who represents no one in Israel, he has been elected consistently for years. Smotrich entered the Israeli political arena after being elected to the Knesset in March 2015, and was re-elected for five subsequent terms. With the formation of Netanyahu’s sixth government at the end of 2022, Smotrich was given the Finance Minister portfolio, which was previously held by Avigdor Lieberman, controlling the budgets of ministries and state institutions, including the army, in addition to controlling the movement of funds received by the Palestinian Authority under the 1994 Paris Agreement, especially the tax funds that must be handed over to the Authority, known as the clearance revenue, which is considered the backbone of public revenues in Palestine. In addition to this important and sensitive portfolio, another portfolio was added, the Ministry of Civil Affairs within the Ministry of Defense. In addition to the two portfolios, the leader of the Religious Zionism Party, Orit Struck, was appointed Minister of Settlement.

Smotrich first ran for the 18th Knesset in 2009, coming in ninth place on the National Union list. According to the Knesset Elections Law, he was exempted from serving in the IDF for three months, after which he returned to complete his service. At first, Smotrich opposed entering politics, but he did so on the instructions of his elders - headed by Rabbi Haim Druckman - who decided that this was a necessary step.

On June 23, 2019, he was appointed Minister of Transportation and a member of the Political-Security Cabinet in the transitional government.

Ahead of the 24th Knesset elections, he split from the Yamina list, according to him, against the backdrop of Naftali Bennett's willingness to enter the government in cooperation with left-wing parties. Smotrich ran as head of the "Religious Zionism" list in the technical bloc of the National Union parties: "Takuma", "Otzma Yehudit" and "Noam". The list won 6 seats in the elections, 4 of which went to Smotrich's party.

Where did this settler, haunted by the doctrine of "religious Zionism", come from?

His biography published on social media platforms says that he was born in 1980 in the settlement of "Haspin", built on the ruins of the village of "Khasfin" in the southern occupied Syrian Golan, to a Ukrainian family of religious nationalist zealots. In the settlement of "Beit El" north of Ramallah, he grew up in schools that combine the Jewish religion and Zionist thought.

Smotrich is the son of a settlement rabbi. He was born in one settlement, raised in another, married and lived in a third, from the Golan Heights to Hebron in Kiryat Arba, and then to Kedumim near Nablus. When he was 28, Smotrich volunteered in the Israeli army, and served for a year and a half in the central square in the operations department of the General Staff, a special period of service for religious people.

A leader for the future who is putting roots settlements he is determined to expand

Although he holds a bachelor’s degree in law and is licensed to practice law, Smotrich does not believe in international law, peace agreements with neighboring countries, or any Israeli laws that contradict the “Greater Israel” doctrine that aims to impose sovereignty over all of the Palestinian territories and parts of Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon.

The man currently lives with his settler wife and seven children in the Kedumim settlement, built on Nablus land in the northern West Bank, after he seized private Palestinian land and built his home on it without a permit even from the occupation authorities.

The Israeli investigative website "Shomrim" revealed some features of the doctrine of "religious Zionism" and its impact on Smotrich's statements and speeches, in a report published by the Arabic version of the "Madar" website on September 4, 2023.

The report says: Regarding the conflict with the Palestinians, Smotrich often repeats phrases: There is no such thing as "two states for two peoples" and "The land of Israel is ours, and what is ours cannot be stolen," and another refrain that clearly reflects his quest for a single state or the implementation of a transfer. In 2015, he said in a speech he gave before the Knesset General Assembly: "There is only one state here, a Jewish state, and there will never be a Palestinian state alongside it. Whoever wants to live with us is welcome, but whoever does not want to either leave or we will see him in the crosshairs" (rifle aim). A year later, Smotrich wrote on Twitter (then X now): “All that remains now is to move from words to deeds: turn off the lights in the Palestinian Authority, impose sovereignty, and do everything that any self-respecting independent state would do.” As for the idea of ​​voluntary transfer, Smotrich calls it “encouraging immigration,” explaining that “those who do not want or cannot put aside their national aspirations will receive assistance from us to immigrate to an Arab country or to any other destination in the world.” This is not immigration on rickety boats, but rather the modern phenomenon of immigration on a plane to an organized future. 

Smotrich: My life’s mission is to thwart the establishment of a Palestinian state

Smotrich has declared just this week that his life mission is to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state. Smotrich, leader of the Religious Zionism party, made these remarks via social media, further emphasizing his commitment to expanding Israeli control over the occupied West Bank.

Smotrich stated, “My life’s mission is to build the Land of Israel and thwart the establishment of a Palestinian state that would endanger the State of Israel.” He framed this goal as not merely political but “national and existential,” highlighting the deep ideological commitment that drives his agenda.

Smotrich also highlighted his policies to entrench Israeli control in the occupied West Bank. “This is why, in addition to my role as Finance Minister, I took on the responsibility for civilian affairs in Judea and Samaria (the Israeli biblical name for the West Bank),” he added, reinforcing his intent to expand and support illegal settlements.

Smotrich’s rhetoric, which explicitly rejects Palestinian statehood, further highlights the ongoing challenges Palestinians face under Israeli occupation. His pledge to protect the “half a million settlers on the frontline, under fire,” is seen as a direct message to Palestinians threatening of subjecting them to ethnic cleansing.

Recently, Israeli settlers in the West Bank have escalated their violent attacks on native Palestinians, emboldened by Israeli leaders like Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir.

Senior Israeli military officials have even accused Smotrich and Ben Gvir of fueling unrest and “provoking a regional war.” According to reports in Israeli media, their extreme policies are seen as the “direct cause” of what is described as an increase in Palestinian resistance across the West Bank.

Smotrich also said that while the Israeli political leadership aims to control the aid entering Gaza, the Israeli military refuses to take responsibility for managing it.

The minister’s insistence on Israeli control over aid comes at a time when the besieged Gaza Strip is suffering from an Israeli-made famine and humanitarian crisis.

 Smotrich's Messianic "Revolution"

“A few weeks ago, I met with one of the settler leaders in the West Bank, a Likudman. I asked him what grade he would give Smotrich and Ben-Gvir. The man said, ‘I’m disappointed with Ben-Gvir. He talks more than he does. I’m very satisfied with Smotrich,’” Yedioth Ahronoth political analyst Nahum Barnea wrote in his report on the radical changes that Finance Minister and Defense Minister Smotrich have brought about in the West Bank. Although the report did not provide anything new in this regard, it explained, in some detail, how the extremist minister, founder of the Regavim movement, was able to bring about a qualitative shift in the settlement project in the West Bank towards actually annexing the latter to Israel, which enabled him to obtain the “mark” he deserved. 

According to Israeli law, the army is the supreme authority or sovereign in the West Bank, “but in reality, Israel’s sovereignty in Judea and Samaria was handed over to a closed, extremist political sect, which obeys the command of one person and advances according to one messianic plan,” according to Barnea, who adds that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “supports that sect or does not obstruct it. What it currently lacks is completed by the government revolution within the Green Line, with weak opposition from the army.” 

The writer explains that Smotrich took control of the West Bank using a pincer tactic, the first jaw of which is represented by his position as Minister of Finance, and the second by his powers derived from his position as Minister of Defense, adding that “the goal he set in the decisive plan he published in 2017 has not changed: to cause the collapse of the Palestinian Authority, prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state, and present the seven million Arabs living between the Jordan River and the sea with one of these options: death in battle, emigrate abroad, or remain second-class citizens forever.” In this context, Smotrich froze or delayed the transfer of clearance revenues that Israel collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority from customs and taxes, in order to pay the salaries of its employees. 

Not only that, but he also activated “Article B of the Terror Victims Compensation Law,” which was approved last June at the behest of Justice Minister Yariv Levin and the chairman of the Constitution and Law Committee, Simcha Rothman. It stipulates that “any person injured in a terrorist act who sustains a permanent disability is entitled to compensation of up to five million shekels,” which is the money that Israel deducts from the clearance revenues, and is equivalent to the allocations that the Palestinian Authority pays to the families of Palestinian martyrs and prisoners. 

According to the new law, Israel can deduct it twice. Also, since October 7, the issuance of work permits within the Green Line has been suspended; Barnea points out here that “the Shin Bet, which feared the consequences of the economic crisis and its impact on the escalation of resistance operations, prepared a plan for the supervised entry of a portion of the workers into permanent workplaces,” while “the army supported this plan, but Smotrich and his colleagues exerted pressure that led to its rejection, and the Palestinian population was left with no choice but to rely on foreign aid, including money sent by Iran to the Hamas and Islamic Jihad movements.”

The second arm of the “Smotrich empire” is Hillel Rot from the Yitzhar settlement, who, after being appointed deputy head of the Civil Administration for Civil Affairs by Smotrich, became the de facto governor of the West Bank. In this context, Barnea quotes Professor Dan Turner, a settler in the Kfar Adumim settlement on the Jerusalem-Jericho road, as saying that “all the powers of the head of the Civil Administration were given to Rot, who is subordinate to the Settlement Administration, a political body in Smotrich’s ministry in the Ministry of Defense.” 

Among these powers is the appointment of department heads in the Civil Administration; Rot “appoints activists in the Religious Zionism Party to it, and thus an engineer from the Revava settlement was recently appointed director of the planning office in the Civil Administration, which is the highest authority in the field of planning and construction (in the West Bank).” The “Smotrich revolution” also affected the “legal advisor for Judea and Samaria,” who is subordinate to the military prosecution; He was fired and his department was closed, while “Smotrich appointed more than 20 lawyers whose mission is to quickly change the regulations to allow the development of the area for Jews only,” according to Turner, who explains that “everything is managed by civilian officials, politicians. Civilizing services is one of Smotrich’s means of freeing himself from the control of the army and implementing de facto annexation.” 

He explains that “over the past year and a half, there has been no planning for the 300,000 Palestinians living in Area C, and they have not been granted a single building permit, while demolitions, including the demolition of water wells and schools, have become routine.” In contrast, the declaration of lands as “state land” has quadrupled, as have building permits, and the establishment of unauthorized outposts has accelerated. According to Turner, “There are more than 100 small outposts and farms on Palestinian pastures. 

Unauthorized construction by Jews is not enforced, with Smotrich’s encouragement.” For its part, the “Judea and Samaria Police are acting in accordance with the policy of (National Security Minister Itamar) Ben-Gvir; they refrain from stopping Jewish violence and terrorism. If a settler is arrested, he is immediately released.” In fact, all of the above “will not help us in the court hearings against us in The Hague,” according to Turner, which intersects with what Barnea reported from Israeli security officials, who expressed their fear of “the impact of Kahanist measures (terrorism derived from the doctrine of Rav Meir Kahane, founder of the terrorist Kach movement) in the West Bank on the escalation of terrorism (resistance operations), and of a ruling that may be issued by the two international courts in The Hague.” 

According to Barnea, what is happening in the West Bank “seems to be a convenient pretext for issuing arrest warrants for government ministers, including its prime minister,” and “the American administration is concerned about the changes taking place in the West Bank, no less than it is concerned about the stagnation in Gaza. What happens in the West Bank does not stay in the West Bank.” Yesterday, Smotrich renewed his defense of what he is doing in the West Bank in a post on X, saying that “my life’s mission is to build the Land of Israel and thwart the establishment of a Palestinian state that would endanger the State of Israel. 

This is not political, but rather national and existential. That is why I have taken upon myself, in addition to my position as Minister of Finance, responsibility for civil affairs in Judea and Samaria.” He added, “(I) will continue to work with all my might so that the half a million settlers living on the front lines and under fire enjoy the rights of every citizen of Israel, and to establish facts that prevent the establishment of a Palestinian terrorist state, which will be (…) an Iranian forward base for the next massacre in Kfar Saba, Raanana and the entire center of the country.”

...

  These are not the views of an outlier, Israel's leaders are elected, and Bezalel Smotrich was not elected once or twice, he was elected many times and he, like leaders of other Zionist parties, represent a majority of the Israeli society, which means it represents the popular view of Israel. When Western governments, and Arab leaders address the place of Hamas and other religious groups in Palestinian societies, they often say, Hamas does not represent the Palestinians. The problem for Western leaders, is, what do you say about the Israeli Hamas-like, based on Western reasoning, like the groups that elect Bezalel Smotrich, who represent the majority of society, and are calling for genocide, forced population transfer, and ethnic cleansing? Does their being elected make them less subject to the principles of justice upon which the Palestinian claim to statehood is based?

  

Media review, compiled by Ali Hafez, B. Hamoud et al.

In a 'Difficult' call, Netanyahu told Biden: "as Prime Minister of Israel, I act solely according to the security needs of the State of Israel"

In a 'Difficult' call, Netanyahu told Biden: "as Prime Minister of Israel, I act solely according to the security needs of the State of Israel"

    Friday, August 02, 2024   No comments

Axios reported that US President Joe Biden asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during a "difficult" phone call between them on Thursday, to stop escalating tensions in the region, following the assassination of Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah military commander Fouad Shukr. One US official said that Biden warned Netanyahu that if he escalated again, he should not rely on the United States to save him.

Axios quoted a senior Israeli official as saying that Biden raised his voice during the call and told Netanyahu that he wanted him to reach an agreement within a week or two.

A source familiar with the matter told the website that the US president told Netanyahu that the region is currently at a turning point and that every effort needs to be made to end the war in Gaza and achieve regional stability, even if the agreement is not ideal.

In contrast, the website quoted Netanyahu’s office as saying that the Israeli prime minister assured Biden that he is only working according to Israel’s security requirements. His office reported that "Prime Minister Netanyahu told President Biden that he appreciates the American support, and as Prime Minister of Israel he acts solely according to the security needs of the State of Israel."

Meanwhile, the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation said that great tension dominated a meeting Netanyahu held with the Israeli negotiating team on Wednesday.

The head of the Shin Bet internal security service, Ronen Bar, was quoted as saying to Netanyahu during the meeting, “We feel that you are sending us to negotiate, and then you are making changes to the outlines of the deal.”

Meanwhile, The New York Times published a dramatic editorial declaring "Netanyahu has Gone Rogue",  and explaining that by "Ignoring the condemnation of allies, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel is forcing the pace of the war and feeding the revolt of the far right."

Media review: How did Israel track and assassinate leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah?

Media review: How did Israel track and assassinate leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah?

    Friday, August 02, 2024   No comments

There are many theories now being floated by both government sources and media outlets trying to explain the surgical strikes Israel undertook to assassinate leaders of Hamas and other armed factions. Here is a review of what is now circulating in news outlets and on social media platforms.

Iranian agency: Haniyeh was assassinated by a shell that hit his residence

The Iranian Fars News Agency confirmed that the assassination of the head of the political bureau of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), Ismail Haniyeh, was carried out by a shell that hit his residence, destroying part of its roof and windows. 

It added that investigations confirmed that Israel planned and carried out the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh.

The New York Times reported that American officials secretly admitted that Israel assassinated Haniyeh in the Iranian capital, Tehran, yesterday, Wednesday.

The newspaper explained that the American officials’ statement came despite the fact that Israel did not announce its adoption of the assassination and refused to comment on the incident publicly.

In contrast, Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari claimed on Thursday that the army did not launch any airstrikes on Iran or any other country in the Middle East on Wednesday.

In response to a question about the assassination of Haniyeh, he said in a press conference, “We did not attack Iran from the air.”

He added, “We killed (the prominent Hezbollah leader) Fouad Shukr in Lebanon, but there was no other Israeli airstrike in the entire Middle East after that.”

However, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards said in a statement that technical investigations show that Haniyeh's assassination was carried out with a short-range projectile with a warhead weighing 7.5 kilograms, fired from outside the place where the martyr Haniyeh lived.

Was a third country involved in the assassination? 

Initially, an Iranian source revealed that the martyrdom of the head of the political bureau of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran "was carried out by a missile launched from one country to another, not from within Iran."

For his part, the spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Nasser Kanaani, confirmed that the relevant Iranian authorities are continuing "the necessary investigations to determine the dimensions and details of this incident."

Kanaani said: "There is no doubt that the pure blood of this mujahid, who spent his life in jihad and honorable struggle against the usurping Zionist entity, and on the path to liberating holy Jerusalem and liberating the Palestinian people, will not go in vain."

He added: "Haniyeh's martyrdom in Tehran will strengthen the deep and solid relations between Iran, Palestine and the resistance even more."

Western Sources' explanations

In parallel, the New York Times and the American website Axios published another story, confirming Israel's responsibility for Haniyeh's assassination, but claiming that the assassination was carried out by an explosive device planted by Mossad agents in his room, and detonated remotely.

Public Data Analasys based explanation

The competing explanations open the door to speculations given the precision and the timing of the assassination. An alternative theory based on available information that is in the public domain suggest that Israel is using the phones of associates to track the persons Israel has placed on its assassination list. Such analysis suggests that, in its recent assassinations, Israel's security forces targeted the leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah by tracking the phone numbers of their companions. Because the high value targets who know that they are on the assassination list are not allowed to use mobile phones, Israel was unable to locate and assassinate them in the past. 

However, a security lapse happened after Israel assassinated the children and grandchildren of Ismail Haniyeh few months ago. Hamas sources broadcasted a video of the moment when Haniyeh received the news of the murder of his family members. In the clip, it showed him receiving the call on someone else's phone and listening to it. 

As the primary leader leading the investigation, Haniyeh used his aid's phone to keep in touch with the Qatari leaders. That number was likely used to track Haniyeh's movement.

The same strategy was replicated elsewhere, Israel stopped trying to locate the persons it wanted to assassinate directly, and focused on tracking their aids who are often in close contact with the targeted person.

This theory explains the precision and speed with which Israel carried out the recent assassination.

 Theories that suggest the use of human intelligence and agents presence on the ground cannot explain the speed and precision. The above theory is bolstered by the unusual step taken by the Israeli government limiting the use of phones by government officials, as reported in Israeli media.

Israel distributes special phones to ministers

The Israeli government has decided to distribute satellite phones to ministers and senior officials. The move aims to limit security threats and to ensure that ministers stay connected in the case of damage sustained by the regular communications network during an attack from Iran and Hezbollah. The latter explanation was opined by the media. The government did not comment.

The Maariv newspaper said: "The government is taking an unusual step, for fear that the communications networks will be damaged in an Iranian attack."

  

Media review: 'You criminal, you murderer': Residents berate Israeli official at site of deadly rocket attack in Occupied Golan Heights

Media review: 'You criminal, you murderer': Residents berate Israeli official at site of deadly rocket attack in Occupied Golan Heights

    Sunday, July 28, 2024   No comments

As Israeli leaders try to use the deaths among the Druz community to widen its attacks on Hezbollah, Majdal Shams residents expel Smotrich...and refuse to receive Netanyahu. News media reported that the families of those killed in occupied Golan Heights are refusing the meet with Israeli leaders and warn against more violence. Media outlets in the region provided wide coverage of this development which can trigger a regional war. Here is a summary of regional and global media reports on this matter.

The families of the victims of Majdal Shams refused to meet with the Prime Minister of the occupation, Benjamin Netanyahu, today, Sunday, according to Israeli media.

The Israeli Channel 13 reported that residents of the town of Majdal Shams "attacked members of the Israeli Likud party who participated in the funeral of the victims of the attack that the town was subjected to yesterday, Saturday."

The Israeli website "Walla" reported that Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich faced protests upon his arrival in the town of Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights to participate in the funeral of the victims.

The participants' protests against the Israeli minister's presence continued until he was expelled from the funeral.

The people of Majdal chanted slogans against Smotrich, saying: "Leave here.. We don't want you here, you murderer. You want to dance on the blood of our children."

Jumblatt commenting on the Majdal Shams incident: We are on the lookout for the occupation’s sedition alongside the resistance

Former Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt stressed on Saturday the need to be aware of what the Israeli occupation is doing to ignite sedition, offering his sincere condolences to the families of the martyrs who died in the occupied Syrian Golan.

Jumblatt said that, in light of Hezbollah's statement denying the Islamic Resistance's involvement in what happened, everyone must be aware of what the enemy is doing to sow sedition, calling on everyone in Lebanon and the occupied Golan to beware of "any slippage or incitement in the context of the enemy's destructive project."

He pointed out that the occupation has been working for a long time to ignite sedition, fragment the region, and target its components, adding: "We have previously thwarted the Israeli project," but "it is rearing its head again, and we are on the lookout for it alongside the resistance and all the resistance fighters."

Jumblatt pointed out that the history and present of the occupation are full of massacres against civilians, adding that what is required is "not to expand the war, and an immediate cessation of aggression and shooting."

He stressed that targeting civilians is unacceptable and condemned, whether in occupied Palestine, the occupied Golan Heights, or in southern Lebanon.

This statement comes after the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon - Hezbollah - categorically denied the allegations reported by several Israeli media outlets and various media platforms regarding the targeting of Majdal Shams in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights.

The incident that took place in the town of Majdal Shams in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights yesterday, Saturday, and resulted in the death of 12 people, sparked numerous international and regional reactions ranging from condemnation and calls for restraint to warnings of the expansion of the war in the region.

Despite Hezbollah's denial of responsibility for the incident and its statement that an Israeli interceptor missile fell on Majdal Shams and that it had informed the United Nations of this, Tel Aviv insisted on holding the party responsible and threatened it and Lebanon with "paying a heavy price."

The White House spokesman also accused Hezbollah of carrying out the attack, noting that Washington has been holding ongoing discussions with the Israelis and Lebanese since the incident occurred yesterday and is working on a diplomatic solution to stop the attacks on the Lebanese-Israeli border.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken had confirmed earlier today that the United States does not want the conflict to expand, saying "we are in dialogue with Israel" on the matter.

He added, "All indications point to the rocket that struck the Golan Heights being from Hezbollah," stressing his country's commitment to supporting Israel's right to defend its citizens against what he described as "terrorist attacks."

He also said that the ceasefire in Gaza would be an opportunity to achieve lasting calm along the Blue Line between Israel and Lebanon.

Avoiding escalation

France, in turn, announced its condemnation of the attack, and called on all parties to exercise restraint and avoid any military escalation.

French President Emmanuel Macron stressed - in a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - that Paris is "fully committed to doing everything possible to avoid a new escalation in the region," according to the Elysee.

For his part, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy condemned the raid on the occupied Golan Heights, expressing his "deep concern" about the risk of further escalation.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry also warned of the risk of opening a new war front with Lebanon following the Majdal Shams strike.

Iran warns

With the escalation of the Israeli threat and intimidation of the Lebanese Hezbollah, and the raids launched by the Israeli occupation army on the Bekaa and southern Lebanon yesterday evening and today at dawn, Iran warned Israel today, Sunday, against attacking Lebanon.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a statement issued by its spokesman Nasser Kanaani that Tehran "warns of unexpected repercussions of any new adventures by the Zionist entity towards Lebanon under the pretext of the Majdal Shams incident."

The statement added that "any foolish step by the Zionist entity could lead to the expansion of the scope of the crisis and war in the region."

The Iranian Foreign Ministry continued that Israel seeks, through presenting imaginary scenarios, to confuse public opinion regarding its crimes in Gaza, noting that the Lebanese Hezbollah denied responsibility for bombing the village of Majdal Shams in the occupied Golan.

Netanyahu and Galant authorized to respond to Hezbollah after Majdal Shams incident

Hebrew sources reported that the Israeli security meeting to discuss the response to Hezbollah has ended, indicating that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Galant have been authorized to make the decision to respond.

This meeting comes in the context of the incident in the Druze town of Majdal Shams in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights yesterday, Saturday, where 12 boys were killed in a missile attack that Hezbollah denied any connection to.

According to the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, the security cabinet has determined the target that will be attacked in Lebanon, and said that estimates indicate that it will be limited but its impact will be strong.

Israeli Army Radio reported that security officials have confirmed to the political leadership that the plans in place can be implemented immediately.

It added that Israel is not interested in a comprehensive war with Hezbollah, but rather in dealing it a painful blow only.

Israeli Army Radio had previously said that the army had formulated several possible scenarios for an attack on Lebanon and presented them to the political leadership.

In the same context, the municipal councils of the Upper Galilee and Western Galilee advised residents to stay near shelters after the developments in Majdal Shams.

Türkiye: Erdogan denounces Congress' reception of 'Hitler of our time'

Türkiye: Erdogan denounces Congress' reception of 'Hitler of our time'

    Friday, July 26, 2024   No comments

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan denounced the US Congress' hosting of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Erdogan said on Friday during an introductory meeting on the high-tech promotion program at the Ataturk Cultural Center in Istanbul, "Imagine that Congress applauds a murderer who has killed nearly 40,000 children, women and elderly people," in full view of the entire world.

He described Netanyahu as "a murderer and perpetrator of genocide against the Palestinian people," in the war that the occupation has been waging for nearly 10 months on the Gaza Strip.

Erdogan added that those who "have always taught the world lessons in democracy and human rights" "did not feel an ounce of shame while celebrating the Hitler of our time."

On Wednesday, Netanyahu delivered a speech before Congress amidst mass demonstrations against his visit to Washington and denouncing the Israeli war of extermination against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Netanyahu focused on attacking the demonstrations against him and the war, claiming that "Iran is funding the demonstrators outside Congress now" and that they also want to destroy the United States" during a large part of his speech.

 

Palestinian factions sign 'Beijing Declaration'; agree to form an "interim national reconciliation government"

Palestinian factions sign 'Beijing Declaration'; agree to form an "interim national reconciliation government"

    Tuesday, July 23, 2024   No comments

The Palestinian factions announced at the conclusion of meetings held in China their agreement to reach a "comprehensive national unity" that includes all forces within the framework of the Palestine Liberation Organization, and to form an interim national consensus government.

The factions participating in the meeting: Fatah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the Palestinian People's Party, the Palestinian Popular Struggle Front, and the Palestinian National Initiative Movement.

The meeting was also attended by the Popular Front - General Command, the Palestinian Democratic Union (FIDA), the Palestine Liberation Front, the Arab Liberation Front, the Arab Palestinian Front, and the Vanguard of the Popular Liberation War (Sa'iqa Forces).

The factions said in a statement: "The national factions agreed during their meetings in China to reach a comprehensive Palestinian national unity that includes all Palestinian forces and factions within the framework of the Palestine Liberation Organization, and to commit to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with United Nations resolutions, and to guarantee the right of return in accordance with Resolution 194."

She added: "Based on the National Accord Agreement signed in Cairo on May 4, 2011, and the Algiers Declaration signed on October 12, 2022, the factions decided to continue following up on the implementation of the agreements to end the division with the help of Egypt, Algeria, China and Russia."

The factions specified in the statement four items related to following up on the implementation of the agreements to end the division, the first of which is the commitment to "the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with the relevant United Nations resolutions, especially resolutions 181 and 2334, and ensuring the right of return in accordance with resolution 194."

As for the second, according to the statement, it stipulates "the right of the Palestinian people to resist and end the occupation in accordance with international laws and the United Nations Charter and the right of peoples to self-determination and their struggle to achieve this in all available forms."

The third is based on "forming a temporary national accord government with the agreement of the Palestinian factions and by a decision of the president based on the Palestinian Basic Law in force, and for the formed government to exercise its powers and authorities over all Palestinian territories in a manner that confirms the unity of the West Bank, Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip."

The statement said that the expected government "will begin by unifying all institutions in the territories of the Palestinian state and begin rebuilding the sector, and preparing for holding general elections under the supervision of the Palestinian Central Elections Commission as soon as possible in accordance with the approved elections law."

In the fourth item, the factions said in the statement: "In order to deepen the political partnership in bearing national responsibility and in order to develop the institutions of the Palestine Liberation Organization, the agreement was confirmed to activate and regulate the temporary unified leadership framework for partnership in political decision-making, in accordance with what was agreed upon in the Palestinian National Accord Document signed on May 4, 2011, until the practical steps to form the new National Council are implemented in accordance with the approved elections law."

In this context, the factions agreed in Beijing to "resist and thwart attempts to displace Palestinians from their land, and to emphasize the illegitimacy of settlements and settlement expansion in accordance with the resolutions of the Security Council and the General Assembly of the United Nations and the opinion of the International Court of Justice."

The factions also agreed to "work to lift the brutal siege on Gaza and the West Bank, and the importance of delivering humanitarian and medical aid without restrictions or conditions," in addition to "supporting the families of martyrs and the wounded and all those who lost their homes and property."

The statement indicated that the factions agreed on "a collective mechanism to implement the provisions of the declaration in all its aspects," without announcing this mechanism.

The factions also considered "the meeting of the secretaries-general a starting point for the work of the joint national teams and decided to set a timetable for implementing this declaration; without mentioning it," according to the statement.

For his part, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi confirmed on Tuesday that 14 Palestinian factions have reached an agreement to form an "interim national reconciliation government" to manage the Gaza Strip after the war.

Wang explained, during the signing of the "Beijing Declaration" in the Chinese capital, that the most important point in the agreement is the formation of this government. He also pointed out that "reconciliation is an internal matter for the Palestinian factions, but at the same time it cannot be achieved without the support of the international community."

The Chinese minister expressed China's keenness to play a constructive role in "maintaining peace and stability in the Middle East."

The secretaries-general of the factions held two meetings during the past few years, the first in the Lebanese capital Beirut on September 3, 2020, and the second in the Egyptian city of El Alamein on July 30, 2023.

The Chinese government spokesperson, according to Chinese media, supported and guided the work to the meeting. Foreign Minister Wang Yi stated in his speech, the most important consensus of this dialogue is achieving grand reconciliation and unity among all 14 factions. The core outcome is the clear recognition that the PLO is the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. 

The most notable highlight is the consensus reached on post-war governance in Gaza and the formation of a temporary national reconciliation government. The strongest call is for the genuine establishment of an independent Palestinian state based on relevant UN resolutions, the spokesperson said.

Wang also proposed a "three-step" initiative in response to the current Gaza conflict. 

The first step is to achieve a comprehensive, lasting, and sustainable cease-fire in Gaza as soon as possible, ensuring smooth access to humanitarian aid and relief. 

The second step is to jointly promote post-war governance in Gaza, adhering to the principle of "Palestinians governing Palestinians." 

The third step is to push for Palestine to become a full member of the United Nations and begin implementing the "two-state solution." These three steps are interlinked and indispensable.

Media Review: The key to calm with Lebanon is in Gaza, and Israeli plans to divide the Strip

Media Review: The key to calm with Lebanon is in Gaza, and Israeli plans to divide the Strip

    Tuesday, July 02, 2024   No comments

International newspapers and news websites have highlighted Israeli plans to divide the Gaza Strip into separate security zones, the repercussions of an open war between Israel and Lebanon if it breaks out, and the way to calm down on that front.

The American newspaper "Wall Street Journal" spoke about Israeli plans to divide the Gaza Strip into islands and separate security zones in which unsuspecting Palestinians live, allowing the Israeli army to move freely.

The newspaper indicated that retired Israeli officers, academics, and politicians participated in formulating these ideas, and pointed out that these plans reveal harsh facts, including that the Palestinians may remain besieged indefinitely in narrow areas of the Strip.

In turn, the French newspaper "Le Monde" discussed Britain's efforts to prevent the International Criminal Court from issuing arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Defense Minister Yoav Galant.

The newspaper wondered about London's intentions in doing so and whether it was a maneuver to buy time, noting that Attorney General Karim Khan's request to issue an arrest warrant for Netanyahu and Galant was not welcomed in Western capitals, especially Washington.

While the National Interest website believes that all the scenarios proposed between the Lebanese Hezbollah and Israel indicate that war has become inevitable, the website quoted writer Alexandre Langlois warning that if war breaks out, it will drag the United States into it and destroy the entire Middle East.

Meanwhile, the Swiss newspaper Le Temps editorial said that the key to calm in Lebanon lies in Gaza, explaining that the war between Israel and Hezbollah seems imminent, but the solution to avoid it is also clear, which is to put an end to the war in Gaza.

The newspaper added that the Americans know this and are trying to bypass Netanyahu in favor of his political rival Yoav Galant, and the Europeans are also aware of this but are content with warning their citizens of the dangers, according to the newspaper.

A report by the Washington Post also addressed the conditions of the Palestinians in Gaza who were able to flee to Egypt, and said that they survived the war but are unable to build a future for themselves, adding that most of them live in a state of confusion without a clear legal status and without hope of reaching another destination.

Regarding the situation in the West Bank, an investigation published by the New York Times revealed the great panic and terror that Palestinians are subjected to at the hands of settlers, noting that this violence, unlike what is prevalent in many parts of the world, is supported by the state and carried out with American weapons.

Media review: NYT's Friedman, "Biden must push Israel to accept Hamas' demands"

Media review: NYT's Friedman, "Biden must push Israel to accept Hamas' demands"

    Tuesday, June 18, 2024   No comments

American journalist Thomas Friedman confirmed that the Israeli occupation entity is currently living in "existential danger", at a time when the axis of resistance has managed to "tighten its grip on Israel", while "the latter has no military or diplomatic response".

In an opinion piece he wrote in the American newspaper "The New York Times", Friedman warned of the danger of war with Hezbollah on "Israel", noting that the Islamic resistance in Lebanon is armed with precision missiles capable of destroying large areas of the Israeli infrastructure.

Friedman explained that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "leads Israel, while he must remain in power, in order to avoid the possibility of being sent to prison on corruption charges", at a time when the occupation faces the possibility of war breaking out on several fronts.

According to him, Netanyahu, in order to remain in power and avoid prison, "sold his soul in order to form a government with right-wing extremists, who insist that Israel must fight in Gaza until Hamas is eliminated, in order to achieve complete victory", as they claim.

Now, the Israeli "war cabinet" has collapsed, due to "Netanyahu's lack of a plan to end the war and safely withdraw from the Gaza Strip," while "extremists in his government coalition are looking forward to their next steps to reach power," according to Friedman.

While the American journalist pointed out that these extremist ministers "caused a lot of damage," he warned that "no friend (of Israel) should participate in this circus," as he described it.

In this context, Friedman stressed the need to form a new government in "Israel" and remove Netanyahu from the position of Prime Minister, through new elections.

The American journalist also expressed his support for what former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak confirmed in the American newspaper Haaretz last Thursday, which is that "Israel is facing the most serious crisis in its history."

In light of this, Friedman warned that "every American should be concerned about this matter," explaining that it represents "a recipe for dragging the United States into a war in the Middle East to help Israel."

In this context, Friedman believed that US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken "should not make another trip to the Middle East without the agreement of both Israel and Hamas on a clear plan to end the war."

While acknowledging the need for US President Joe Biden to push the occupation to submit to Hamas's conditions to stop the war, Friedman stressed that "Biden must tell Israel that it must accept Hamas's main demand: to end the war completely now, and withdraw from the Gaza Strip, in exchange for the return of all Israeli prisoners."

Friedman believed that ending the war in the Gaza Strip would "lead to reaching an agreement mediated by the US with Hezbollah, in order to calm the war on the northern border."

He added that Netanyahu's idea that some Palestinians, who do not belong to Hamas or the Palestinian Authority, will run the place for "Israel" is "a fantasy." In light of all this, the American journalist stressed that "Israel must leave Gaza," while the head of the Hamas movement in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, continues to run the Strip.

Friedman argued his point of view without even mentioning the human cost of this reckless war that civilians in Gaza have endured for more than 250 days and that may last for months more.

Arab rulers’ summit in Bahrain, the Tradition of Irrelevance

Arab rulers’ summit in Bahrain, the Tradition of Irrelevance

    Thursday, May 16, 2024   No comments

Today, Thursday, in the Bahraini capital, Manama, the work of the Arab League Council began at the summit level in its thirty-third regular session, in the presence of a number of Arab leaders and foreign guests. No matter what kind of events are happening around the world, the Arab rulers have always maintained a record of inaction even when action is most needed. The Arab rulers do what they have done in previous 32 meetings, give speeches.

Summary of Arab rulers speeches and statements

Mahmoud Abbas: The new Palestinian government did not receive any financial support

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said that the new Palestinian government did not receive any financial support, as expected, despite the world welcoming it. He added that "Israel" continues to kill the Palestinian people in Gaza with American support.

He pointed out that "our priority is to stop the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip immediately and facilitate the arrival of aid," expressing his praise for the movements of the peoples of the world, "which have proven that they adhere to human rights standards more than their countries and institutions."

Bin Salman calls on the international community to work to stop the aggression against Gaza

At the opening of the Arab Summit in Bahrain, the Saudi Crown Prince called on the international community to carry out its duties in stopping the aggression against the Gaza Strip and delivering aid, reiterating “the firm position regarding the rights of the brotherly Palestinian people to establish a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with Jerusalem as its capital.”

He added that Saudi Arabia stresses the security of the Red Sea and stopping any activity that affects maritime navigation.

Comoros President: We all have a historic responsibility to stop the Gaza war

Comoros President Gazali Othmani said, “The systematic genocide against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip arouses consciences, violates morals and religions, and challenges humanity,” adding: “We all have a historical responsibility to defend the oppressed, act immediately, and stop this war that children, women, and the elderly are exposed to.” In Palestine," expressing his appreciation for the efforts of Qatar and Egypt to reach a ceasefire.

Othmani called for unifying efforts to achieve a just and quick solution to the Palestinian issue by establishing a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders.

President of Iraq: What the Zionist entity is doing constitutes genocide

Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid said that what the "Zionist entity" is doing in the Gaza Strip is genocide by all standards, reiterating "Iraq's standing with the Palestinian people and the establishment of the Palestinian state with Holy Jerusalem as its capital."

In another context, Rashid called on all conflicting parties in Sudan to engage in dialogue in order to resolve the crisis, expressing at the same time his support for any steps for the Yemeni people to achieve stability. He pointed out that "Iraq rejects the violations that affect its territory or the use of it to attack others."

Al-Sisi: “Israel” continues to evade its responsibility

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi said that Israel continues to evade its responsibility for the ceasefire, and is moving forward with its operation in Rafah, adding that Egypt will maintain its position of refusing to displace the Palestinians, or create conditions that make life in Gaza impossible.

He went on to say: "The critical situation requires joining our hands together to immediately end the war against the Palestinians, and grant them their rights to establish their independent state."

The Jordanian King: We reject the separation between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip

Jordanian King Abdullah II expressed his rejection of the separation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip and the displacement of Palestinians from their lands, noting that “achieving security and peace in the region requires intensifying efforts to support the Palestinian government to carry out its tasks, (as well as) supporting the Palestinians to establish their independent state on the June 4 borders.” ". King Abdullah stressed the need to support UNRWA and increase its financial allocations to continue carrying out its humanitarian role.

In another matter, the Jordanian King affirmed that “Jordan will continue to defend its sovereignty and repel armed groups, especially those that intend to smuggle drugs across the border.”

Head of the Libyan Presidential Council, Mohammed Al-Menfi:

We renew our condemnation of the brutal Zionist aggression against the Gaza Strip and our support for South Africa's efforts at the International Court of Justice to convict the occupation of committing the crime of genocide.

Aboul Gheit: The Arab peoples will not forget the blind Israeli violence

Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, said that the Zionist aggression against Gaza is “savage,” and the Arab peoples will not forget this “blind violence.”

He added that occupation and peace do not go together, and the path to peace (settlement) in the region requires a different approach and that the occupation abandon its illusions of retaining the land and controlling people.

He continued, saying: Forced displacement is rejected Arably, internationally, humanely and morally. Israel continues its ethnic cleansing operations in Gaza by force of arms.

The President of the African Commission calls on the world to stop the Gaza war

The President of the African Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, appealed to the world to stop the war on Gaza, praising the efforts of Egypt and Qatar in this regard. He added in another matter that the Sudan war must stop, "and the people of Sudan must sit together to resolve differences."

Guterres: The world is suffering because of what is happening in Gaza

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said, "The world is suffering because of what is happening in Gaza and we hope that the conflict will not spread to other places," adding that "nothing justifies collective punishment against the Palestinians... and the attack on Rafah is unacceptable." In another matter, Guterres said, "The war in Sudan is destroying its people and impeding the delivery of aid while millions are suffering from famine."

Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki:

We denounce the unprecedented destruction in the Gaza Strip and once again demand an end to the war in the Strip.

We demand the implementation of the two-state solution, stopping the Gaza war, and providing humanitarian aid.

The situation in Sudan and the war must stop immediately and the people of Sudan must be brought into direct dialogue far from any external interference.

- We support Libya in national reconciliation to move their country to safety.

Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Hussein Amir Taha:

We call for an international conference to address what is happening in the State of Palestine.

- To make the decision to enable the Palestinians to remain on their land, and we exercise all responsibilities to stop the bloody war.

- To mobilize all legal and judicial means to ensure the protection of the Palestinian people and hold the perpetrators accountable.

Bashar al-Assad participates in the Arab summit without giving a speech

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad arrived today, Thursday, in the Bahraini capital, Manama, to participate in the Arab Summit, without giving a speech.

The Syrian government delegation included Foreign Minister Faisal Al-Miqdad, Deputy Foreign Minister Bassam Al-Sabbagh, Assistant Foreign Minister Habib Abbas, the Syrian Ambassador to Bahrain, Muhammad Ali Ibrahim, and the Permanent Representative to the League of Arab States, Hussam Al-Din Ala.

The Algerian president is absent from the third Arab summit

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune is absent from the third Arab summit in a row, to be represented in Bahrain by Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf. The Foreign Ministry announced that Attaf will represent Algeria at the summit at the level of Arab presidents and leaders, after his participation in the preliminary ministerial meeting of foreign ministers held last Monday.

Here are the most prominent points of the final statement of the 33rd Arab Summit in Bahrain

The Bahrain summit statement stressed the necessity of the Israeli army’s withdrawal from Gaza and lifting the siege on the Strip, stressing the need to enable UNRWA to work and provide financial support.

The statement added: “Belief in the importance of joint Arab action in preserving the security and stability of the Arab countries, cooperation and integration in all fields, and emphasizing the importance of dealing with a unified strategic vision with the challenges and requirements of sustainable development for the good and benefit of the Arab peoples, and in awareness of the strategic importance of the Arab nation on the global arena, And its economic potential and human resources, and the necessity of creating conditions to enhance cooperation, build economic partnerships, and achieve comprehensive development based on common interests and mutual benefits, in a way that meets the aspirations of our Arab peoples and achieves growth and prosperity, and out of an interest in adhering to solidarity, solidarity, and synergy to deal collectively with the current circumstances, and in devoting the importance of communication, cooperation, and integration to enhance The collective progress of our countries in all fields towards a safe, stable and prosperous region that meets the interests and aspirations of its people. We, the leaders of the Arab countries collectively:

1- We express our condolences to the State of Kuwait and its brotherly people on the death of the late Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the late Emir of Kuwait, may God rest his soul, and we congratulate His Highness Sheikh Meshaal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, as His Highness assumed the reins of government in the State of Kuwait, wishing His Highness success and the people of Kuwait. Goodness, growth and prosperity.

2- We express our appreciation for the good efforts made by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during its presidency of the thirty-second Arab Summit, and the good endeavors it is undertaking to unify efforts, support joint Arab action, enhance regional security, and defend the interests of the Arab countries and their peoples.

3- We stress the importance of the Joint Arab-Islamic Ministerial Committee continuing its targeted efforts to stop the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip and end the humanitarian catastrophe from which more than two million and three hundred thousand Palestinian citizens are suffering, and to mobilize an international position supportive of the right of the brotherly Palestinian people to live in security, safety and freedom in their independent state. Sovereignty over its national territory. We thank the Committee for its efforts on the regional and international arenas, expressing appreciation for the efforts of the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States in preparing and arranging to hold the thirty-third summit.

4- We stress the need to stop the Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip immediately, withdraw the Israeli occupation forces from all areas of the Strip, lift the siege imposed on it, remove all obstacles, open all crossings to the entry of sufficient humanitarian aid to all parts of it, and empower United Nations organizations, especially the United Nations Agency. Relief and Works for Refugees (UNRWA) from work, and to provide financial support for it to carry out its responsibilities freely and safely, reiterating our categorical rejection of any attempts to forcibly displace the Palestinian people from their land in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. We call for urgent measures to be taken to achieve an immediate and permanent ceasefire, end the aggression in the Gaza Strip, provide protection for civilians, and release hostages and detainees.”

The statement stressed: “In this context, we strongly condemn Israel’s obstruction of ceasefire efforts in the Gaza Strip, and its continued military escalation by expanding its aggression against the Palestinian city of Rafah despite international warnings of the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of that. We also condemn the Israeli forces’ control over the Palestinian side.” From the Rafah crossing with the aim of tightening the siege on civilians in the Gaza Strip, which led to the cessation of the crossing’s operation, the flow of humanitarian aid, and the loss of the Palestinian people of Gaza’s main lifeline. In this regard, we call on Israel to withdraw from Rafah, in order to ensure safe humanitarian access.”

Qatar's threat to abandon mediation between Hamas and Israel opens the door for an increased role for Iran and Turkey

Qatar's threat to abandon mediation between Hamas and Israel opens the door for an increased role for Iran and Turkey

    Sunday, April 21, 2024   No comments

With Qatar announcing its intention to re-evaluate the mediation role it plays between Hamas and Israel and the US pressure on Qatar to force it to coerce Hamas to accept the deal of face terrorism charges for its fund transferred to Hamas, other states opened their door to Hamas political leaders.

After Iran's official reception of Palestinian leaders, now Turkish leaders formally welcomed the head of Hamas in Ankara.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's reception of the head of the political bureau of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), Ismail Haniyeh, on Saturday sparked the anger of Israeli politicians and newspapers.

 It also signals an end or a diminished roles for Qatar and Egypt in any future negotiations to not only end the war, but also to arrange for post war Gaza and Palestine. It also reveals new realignments and emerging future coalitions in the new Middle East, after Jordan participated in the first direct military confrontation between Iran and Israel--as noted by some observers.

Andreas Craig, an expert on Middle East affairs at King's College in London, pointed out that Doha played a "decisive role" in concluding the truce last November, and it is "dissatisfied that everyone, especially Israel, does not acknowledge this."

However, in his opinion, it is unlikely that it will “withdraw from mediation efforts” after it “took control of the relationship” with Hamas, and he said that Qatar is “indispensable” in mediation efforts.

Qatar has become the main communication channel with Hamas, which has maintained its political office in Doha since 2012.

On the other hand, Dorsey believes that “if Qatar withdraws from the talks, it will be subject to more pressure to expel Hamas from its lands.”

The expert wondered if the political office moved to Iran: “To whom will the Americans and Israelis turn to reach Hamas?”

Unlike Jordan, which admitted to shooting down Iran's missile heading to targets in Israel, Turkey, despite it being a member of NATO, came strong in refuting any insinuation that it participated in the interception of the missiles. 

The Anti-Disinformation Center of the Turkish Presidency’s Communications Department said in a statement on Saturday evening that the allegations in this regard “do not reflect reality.”

The statement pointed out that the allegations related to the radar base in Koracik, which were circulated following Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s meeting with the head of the Hamas Political Bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, on Saturday, had previously been denied by the Anti-Disinformation Center.

The statement stressed that “the allegations are baseless, and were deliberately put forward for circulation again.”

“Information taken from the radar system in Koracek is only shared with Allies within the framework of NATO procedures,” the statement read.

He stressed that “it is not possible to share this information with countries that are not NATO allies, such as Israel.”

He added: “Turkey has always stood by the just cause of our Palestinian brothers and will continue to do so in all circumstances,” and stressed the need not to pay attention to “misinformation campaigns.”