8/13/21

 * Israel will pay a price for being on wrong side of the US-China fight America's greatest adversary is not Iran, Islamic terrorism, or even Russia. It is China, and Israel is on the wrong side of those battle lines.

* Bennett cut down plans for new settlement homes to avoid angering US — report According to Kan, PM took number of houses set for approval down by 1,000 ahead of planned first meeting with Biden.

* Israel seeks to coordinate "Plan B" with U.S. on Iran if nuclear talks fail Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett told CIA Director Bill Burns in a meeting on Wednesday that the U.S. and Israel should start working on a joint strategy for a scenario in which Iran elects not to return to the 2015 nuclear deal, Israeli officials told me.

* GOP Lawmakers Blast EU for Sending Senior Official to Iranian President’s Inauguration EU touts support for human rights while legitimizing election of Ebrahim Raisi.

* Afghanistan faces CIVIL WAR as rival factions & Al-Qaeda seek foothold in country, UK defence secretary says Internal conflicts in Afghanistan could lead to civil war and create a breeding ground for terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda, British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has warned, as a Taliban offensive closes in on Kabul.

* The Abraham Accords a year later: Challenges and hope The Abraham Accords were announced a year ago, in August 2020.

* Tehran: Nuclear diplomacy is contingent on a new agenda. New Anti-West FM tipped by Raisi “The continuation of [nuclear] negotiations based on the past pattern will not be considered,” DEBKAfile quotes this new decision reached this week by the Iranian leadership, led by the head of the National Security, Adm. Ali Shamkhani, a top adviser to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

* Problem Child From the headlines, one would think Poland is at war with the European Union.

* EU foreign policy chief urges Afghan government to work with Taliban The Afghan government should engage with the Taliban to reach an inclusive settlement, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Thursday as the militant group made rapid gains amid spiralling violence and worries of a refugee crisis.

* Afghanistan: Taliban offensive puts Iran in a bind The situation along the border between Afghanistan and Iran remains tense as more and more Afghans, including soldiers, flee to escape the Taliban offensive.

8/12/21

 * Recent Israel-Lebanon escalation shows Iran and Hezbollah are interlinked...an attack against one is seen as an attack against both Israel has started talking tough about going to war with Iran. Then Hezbollah sent a reality check.

* Palestinians: Israel not doing a ‘favor’ by authorizing homes The Civil Administration is expected next week to advance plans for building the new homes in Area C, which is exclusively controlled by Israel.

* Israel preparing to resume settlement building in West Bank Minister says there are plans for 2,000 new housing units for Jewish settlers in Palestinian territories.

* Fatah official brags that 12% of jihad terrorist prisoners are from Palestinian Security Forces Jibril Rajoub’s brag that 12% of jihadi prisoners are from the Palestinian Security Forces should be a further reminder that the “Palestinian resistance” has always been an Islamic jihad against the State of Israel, presented as a “resistance” to gull the Left.

* Israel gives CIA chief Burns dossier claiming Iran's Raisi is 'demented extremist' US foreign intelligence chief visits ME at time of great tension between Jewish state, Islamic Republic.

* In Sheikh Jarrah, anonymous actors and an absent state have created a powder keg Israel sees a real estate dispute hijacked by propagandists; Palestinians say it’s part of an Israeli policy to erase them in Jerusalem. Who’s right? And why does it resonate so?

* The Radicalization of the Israeli Arabs The May 2021 riots by the Israeli Arabs, like their October 2000 precursor, were not an act of social protest but a nationalist/Islamist insurrection in support of an external attack.

* What is in store for the world? Based on Rabbinic sources: The true intentions of the ruthless Islamic State of Iran-Persia at this time in history.

* Europe: Mass Protests Against Covid-19 Vaccine 'Passports' Protests are erupting in cities across Europe in response to government efforts to impose so-called Covid passports, documents that show proof of immunization against Covid-19.

* If no more two-state solution, then what? - opinion ENCOUNTERING PEACE: THIS IS not a shallow argument of one state or two states; the political solutions of the future will probably be much more complex.

8/11/21

 * Hezbollah’s Rocket Fire on Israel Reveals Iran’s Hand Hezbollah’s recent escalation is a product of Iran’s ongoing mission to leverage its position amidst the nuclear negotiations and prop up its image domestically.

* Iran’s Raisi taps minister wanted for role in Buenos Aires Jewish Center bombing New interior minister Ahmad Vahidi sought by Interpol; the president’s pick for top diplomat, Hossein Amirabdollahian, is an avowed anti-Westerner with ties to IRGC, Hezbollah.

* Iran Fantasizes That It Has Israel On the Run Iranian leaders have a rich fantasy life. Possibly It has something to do with their deep belief in the Return of the Hidden Imam.

* Iran’s General Salami (Again) Says ‘Decline and Collapse’ of Israel Is Imminent Major General Hossein Salami, commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC), on Tuesday again boasted the demise of Israel is fast approaching, adding it is “not a wish anymore, but a reality that will come true in the near future.”

* No Persian Empire: Why Iran Is Far From America's First Priority It would make little sense to commit heavy resources to offset a secondary worry such as Iran—especially if the opportunity costs were losing out in the Western Pacific, the Mediterranean, or elsewhere around the Eurasian periphery.

* China: Crisis-Testing US Presidents China has tested the mettle of all recent US presidents, usually early in their terms of office, and China's Communist Party (CCP) has already certainly been testing President Joe Biden.

* Russia, China Hold Joint Military Exercise for First Time: A Precursor to Gog-Magog War, Says Rabbi On Monday, China and Russia held joint military exercises and for the first time, they were hosted on Chinese soil. 

* Pro-interfaith Norwegian imam said Jews should be killed In one post from 2019, Noor wrote that Jews “put the world in danger” and it is “necessary to kill them.”

* US pressures Israel to open Palestinian consulate in Jerusalem Administration officials have worked to delay a bill proposed by Knesset member Nir Barkat, which if passed into law would essentially prevent the move from materializing.

* Afghanistan Fallout Could Lead to Three Million Migrants Trying to Reach Europe German humanitarian development worker Sybille Schnehage has predicted as many as three million Afghan asylum seekers could head to Europe in the near future.

8/10/21

 * The Address for a Response to the Lebanese Attacks on Israel Is Gaza, Not Beirut Even if Hezbollah is responsible for the latest rocket attack on the Galilee, Hamas is culpable for the security deterioration in southern Lebanon due to its efforts to expand its terrorist activities to the territory of neighboring Arab states.

* Iran’s new president meets with Hamas, Hizballah, Houthis, and jihadis from Iraq Raisi is wasting no time in getting to work to aid and abet the global jihad, while Biden’s handlers are doing all they can to ensure that Raisi will have billions to finance his jihad activities.

* Iran’s pre-emption doctrine against Israel, UK, US - analysis Heat up northern Israel, to show it can strike anywhere it wants if it is pressed about the tanker attack.

* In Jerusalem, Bahrain’s Top Diplomat Slams Obama’s Iran Deal for Creating Middle East Havoc On a visit to Israel, a top Bahraini diplomat said the Obama-led 2015 Iran nuclear deal had done nothing but leave the region with more turmoil, violence, hatred and death.

* Thousands of Russian, Uzbek and Tajik troops rehearse turning back enemy offensive on Afghan border amid fears of Taliban incursions Large-scale wargames have been held in Tajikistan, bringing together soldiers from three former Soviet republics to practice targeting enemy combatants and securing the border with neighboring Afghanistan, as the US withdraws.

* Chinese cyber spies 'posed as Iranians while targeting Israeli government' According to threat intelligence researchers, the hackers attempts to conceal their origin was more likely an effort to slow down response efforts than actually frame Iran.

* Levite Sings 'Song of Ascents' On The Stairs Leading to Holy of Holies Echoing his ancestors from 2,000 years ago, a Levite musician ascended to the Temple Mount and in the face of Muslim opposition, sang the Song of Ascents in the same spot his ancestors sang the same verses in the service of the Temple.

* ‘We may lose US’ if liberal Jews continue backing BDS, BLM — Diaspora minister Nachman Shai conflates Israel boycott movement with Black Lives Matter, which was criticized for antisemitic remarks made by some of its leaders but won support of many US Jews.

* Bennett's Rosh Hashanah Threat: If People Don't Get Vaccinated, They Won't Hear the Shofar Did Naftali Bennett just threaten to cancel the Messiah?

* For anti-Zionists, ‘Palestine’ does not stop at the Green Line When Israel’s enemies speak of “Occupied Palestinian Territory,” they don't mean just the Gaza Strip, Judea and Samaria. Op-ed.

8/9/21

 * Hezbollah could escalate attacks on Israel, Nasrallah says Hezbollah 'wanted to show that Israeli air strikes would be responded to and in an appropriate manner'.

* Iran’s Ruthless New President Takes Over As Supreme Leader Calls for ‘Competent, Jihadi, Intelligent Management’ Ebrahim Raisi, who is one of the people responsible for the murder of 5,000 dissidents in Iran in 1988, became the president of the Islamic Republic on Tuesday.

* Iran's Raisi sets sight on Palestinians, Yemen and Iraq - analysis Iran has a tendency to use proxies, pushing others to defend and die for it in its regional wars. 

* Israel Hopes Qatar Will Help Keep Gaza Peaceful While Israel used to be more critical of Qatar’s role, it appears the new government in Israel is taking a new stance on this issue publicly.

* Biden's hope of renewed Iran nuclear deal gives way to tensions Slow pace of talks between the WH and Iran about reentering the nuclear deal and recent tensions point to a possible change in US strategy.

* Empowering Iran Paves the Road to Disaster Iran recently rejected a draft proposal from the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, China, and Russia, under which the U.S. would return to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA) in exchange for Iran’s full compliance with the limitations of that deal.

* IRGC on alert for possible US/ Israeli retaliation for drone strike on ship Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps is braced for a possible US or Israeli strike in reprisal for the drone attack on the Israeli-operated Mercer Street on Aug. 3 and the death of two crewmen.

* Opinion: Why does the media ignore the only true democracy in the Middle East? Israeli democracy has been quietly improving for years, even according to the media’s own metrics.

* Jihad murder is having a successful trial run in Nigeria- and the media are ignoring it All the news that’s fit to print? Ignored by the media, the 43.000 Christians killed by Jihad in Africa are not deemed newsworthy. Op-ed.

* "Their Goal Is Really to Eradicate Christianity": Persecution of Christians, June 2021 A Muslim father of four abducted a 13-year-old Christian girl, forced her to convert to Islam, and then "married" her.

8/7/21

 * Why the next major war is likely to start in Taiwan If the United States and China get into a shooting war, there is a good chance it would start in Taiwan, which the Chinese communists view as a renegade province.

* Don't do 'anything foolish,' Iran warns Israel 'In another brazen violation of Int'l law, Israeli regime now blatantly threatens Iran with military action'

* Iranian Defense Minister threatens to raze Tel Aviv and Haifa Iran's Defense Minister: If Israel launches a preemptive attack on Iran, we will raze Tel Aviv and Haifa to the ground.

* Palestinian factions applaud Hezbollah rocket attack on Israel Hamas welcomed the Hezbollah attack and said that it fully supports the "resistance in Lebanon" in its fight against "the Zionist aggression."

* Growing Number of Saudis Declare Jerusalem Israel's Capital, 3rd Temple Construction The Trump initiated Abraham Accords is still enjoying ripple effects to this day.

* Turkey Signals Sweeping Regional Ambitions A nationalist Turkish television station with close ties to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has dug up a 12-year-old map that projects Turkey’s sphere of influence in 2050 as stretching from southeastern Europe on the northern coast of the Mediterranean and Libya on its southern shore across North Africa, the Gulf, and the Levant into the Caucasus and Central Asia.

* ICC prosecutor gave PA advance notice but asked to “keep secret” her decision to open an investigation The response of the Palestinian Authority to the decision of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) again exposed the level of collusion between the two.

* PA Leaders Continue To Deny Existence of Jewish Temples Tisha B’Av is a Jewish day of mourning commemorating the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem (586 BCE and 70 CE) and the forced exile of most of the Jewish people from the land of Israel.

* Hizballah joins Iran offensive with 19 rockets against N. Israel – most knocked out by Iron Dome and Patriots The Lebanese Shiite Hizballah joined Iran’s offensive against Israel on Friday morning, Aug. 6, by letting 19 rockets fly from Lebanon against Upper Galilee population centers and IDF posts on Mt. Hermon, drawing retaliatory IDF air strikes against “the rockets’ launch sources.”

* Iraqi convert to Christianity: ‘Muslims are triumphantly declaring that the pope has surrendered to Islam’ Well, yeah, and long before he went to Iraq, too. See, for example, here and here.

8/6/21

 * Hezbollah claims rocket barrage towards Israel from Lebanon The Iron Dome missile defense system intercepted 10 rockets, with 6 falling in open areas The others fell inside Lebanon.

* IDF conducting 'extensive' attacks in Lebanon Defense establishment is preparing 'additional options' for response to rocket fire, source says.

* Sons of Jethro Pevent Hezbollah From Firing Rockets at Israel On Friday, Hezbollah fired 19 rockets at Israel. There were no injuries in Israel from the rocket attack but the attack could have been even worse.

* After Gantz threatens attack, Iran warns Israel: ‘Don’t test us’ ‘ANY foolish act against Iran will be met with a DECISIVE response,’ tweets spokesman for Tehran’s foreign ministry.

* Middle East Mayhem: Israel and Russia Could Be at War Within the Decade Could Israeli air strikes in Syria trigger war between Israel and Russia?

* Jordan’s “Incitement Force” on the Temple Mount The Jordanian Minister of Religions recently revealed that 850 Jordanians are working at the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem on behalf of Jordan’s Ministry of Religion.

* Israel, Iran and the West Both the U.S. and the U.K. have announced that they are convinced Iran attacked the Israeli-linked ship, the MV Mercer Street, in the Gulf of Oman. 

* Turkey and the West: Drifting Further Apart In theory, Turkey is a NATO ally. In theory, also, Turkey is in negotiations with the European Union for full membership. In reality, both are illusions.

* Polish minister suggests country could quit EU due to ‘blackmail’ over judicial reforms Poland’s justice minister, Zbigniew Ziobro, has indicated that his government could consider leaving the EU bloc over “illegal blackmail” attempts by its top court amid a dispute over proposed judicial reforms.

* Egypt Could Face Extreme Water Scarcity Within The Decade Due to Population, Economic Growth According to the Joseph narrative in the Book of Genesis, the sons of Jacob who were living in Hebron experienced a severe famine that lasted for seven years.

8/5/21

 * Israel is ready to strike Iran, says defense minister, amid simmering tensions with enduring foe Israel’s defense minister has said the country’s armed forces are ready to strike Iran should it become necessary, as tensions rise further after an Iran-linked attack on an Israeli tanker killed two people.

* First Israeli air strike in Lebanon in 15 years after rocket attack Israeli jets struck “terrorist targets’ in the Marjayoun region of South Lebanon early Thursday, Aug. 5, in retaliation for a three-rocket salvo against the Galilee town of Kiryat Shemona a day earlier.

* 'Israel needsIsraeli airstrikes against Lebanon are a dramatic shift in policy - analysis It is said that no one blinks in south Lebanon without Hezbollah knowing — how could it not have known about a Palestinian group's plans?

* Dismantle Iran now "The Iranian supreme leader makes Hitler look good." Iran spreads "havoc and destruction" in the Middle East. 

* Iran's new hardline President Ebrahim Raisi sworn in Iran's new president, Ebrahim Raisi, has been sworn into office, following his election victory in June.

* Why Jordan is pushing to normalise ties with the Syrian regime Analysis: King Abdullah's recent covmments to US media reflect Amman's latest overtures to the Syrian regime, with the push to normalise economic ties a prelude to re-engaging politically.

* What did you learn in camp today? To “praise” terrorists, admire “Martyrs,” and erase Israel A youth camp organized by Fatah’s Shabiba high school committees featured pictures of arch-terrorist Abu Jihad, who planned attacks in which at least 125 were murdered; mass murderer Dalal Mughrabi, who led the murder of 37 including 12 children in 1978; Abu Iyad, who headed the terror organization Black September and planned the murder of 11 Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics in 1972 among other attacks; and Abu Yusuf Al-Najjar, who was the Commander of Operations of Black September.

* Door is 'ajar' for diplomacy with Iran but inauguration of new president is 'crossroads' moment, says Dominic Raab London accused Tehran of attacking an Israeli-linked tanker off Oman last week, killing a British national and a Romanian - but Iran has denied involvement.

* Israeli defense minister threatens Iran with military action Israel’s defense minister warned Thursday that his country is prepared to strike Iran, issuing the threat against the Islamic Republic after a fatal drone strike on a oil tanker at sea that his nation blamed on Tehran..

* Disastrous Idea: A European Army Is Destined To Fail "I would rather fight a coalition than be a part of one," said Napoleon Bonaparte, a man who knew how to lead French armies to victory against multiple coalitions over nearly two decades.

8/4/21

 * Iran's Revolutionary Guard drone commander behind ship attack Saeed Ara Jani, head of Iran's IRGC Drone Command, was behind the attack on the Israel-linked Mercer Street ship, Gantz and Lapid revealed.

* Britain says UN Security Council ‘must respond to Iran’s destabilizing actions’ UK foreign secretary says he wrote to head of international body, along with Romania and Liberia, over Tehran’s ‘lack of respect for international law’ with deadly attack on ship.

* Saudi Arabia Says Sees an Emboldened Iran Around Middle East Saudi Arabia's foreign minister said on Tuesday he sees an emboldened Iran acting in a negative manner around the Middle East, endangering shipping, arming Yemen's Houthis and contributing to political deadlock in Lebanon.

* Gantz: Iran is 10 weeks from breakout to a nuclear weapon "Israel had warned the US that Iran would use a break in JCPOA talks to advance its nuclear program."

* PA leaders continue to deny existence of Jewish Temples Tisha B’Av is a Jewish day of mourning commemorating the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem (586 BCE and 70 CE) and the forced exile of most of the Jewish people from the land of Israel.

* Israel should maintain its Mediterranean alignment, despite signals from Ankara It should be made clear to Israel’s partners in the Eastern Mediterranean that any (unlikely) improvement in Jerusalem’s relations with Turkey will not come at their expense.Op-ed.

* Saudi FM praises Abraham Accords, puts Palestinian statehood first "Without solving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in a sustainable, long-term way, we’re not going to have real, sustainable security in the region."

* Coming soon: America’s own ‘social credit’ system? China is in the process of expanding the “social credit” system they have been rolling out in phases since 2014.

* Ultra-Orthodox histrionics over religion, state may backfire - analysis Both ultra-Orthodox parties have denounced the government as “treif," have accused Bennett of being “a con artist” and repeatedly denounced the government for "destroying Judaism."

* Archaeologists unearth 1st Jerusalem evidence of quake from Bible’s Book of Amos 8th century BCE tremblors recorded by biblical prophet get new proof from current excavations in the City of David; scholars hope it will help them crack the city’s timeline

8/3/21

  * Hamas Ramps Up Terrorism in Judea-Samaria in Bid to overthrow PA Recent reports show that Hamas is increasing its efforts to carry out terrorist attacks inside Israel.

* Bennett Says Israel Able to 'Act Alone' Against Iran Over Ship Attack Israel is rallying global action against Iran over an attack on an Israeli-managed tanker off Oman last week but is capable of responding on its own if necessary, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said on Tuesday.

* NATO and European Commission condemn deadly attack on tanker near Oman Last week, UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab accused Iran of carrying out a "deliberate, targeted" assault which constituted "a clear violation of international law".

* Ebrahim Raisi takes over as Iran’s new president Raisi vows to free Iran of ‘tyrannical sanctions’ receives Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s endorsement.

* Bennett: Iran’s days of setting Middle East on fire are over The prime minister spoke of Israel's efforts to bring the international community to its side but added that “at the same time, we know how to act alone.”

* NYC: ‘Palestinian’ jihad supporters scream ‘Globalize the intifada,’ ‘We don’t want two states, we want all of it’ This would require the total destruction of Israel and the genocide of millions of Jews.

* Khamenei slams door on US nuclear talks, ups regional aggression “We are in very close contact and coordination with the UK, Israel, Romania and other countries, and there will be a collective response,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday, Aug. 2, following the Iranian drone attack on an Israel ship on July 31 that killed two crewmen, a Briton and a Romanian.

* BIt’s Time for Biden to Leave a Bad Deal in the Past A change in Iranian presidents doesn’t change the badness of the Iran deal.

* Caroline Glick: How Putin understands the Lapid-Bennett government Russia’s decision to assist the Syrians in intercepting Israeli strikes on Iranian assets is a major strategic blow.

* 'Violations' the UN Security Council Does Not Care About' At the request of the Palestinian Authority (PA), the United Nations Security Council was again called to hold a session to discuss Israeli "violations" and "aggressions" against the Palestinians. The PA also demanded that the Security Council discuss the professed ongoing Israeli "siege" of the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.

8/2/21

* PM Bennett: Iran Made ‘Grave Mistake’ Attacking Israeli-Owned Ship Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Sunday said Iran was “absolutely” to blame for an attack on an Israeli-operated ship off the coast of Oman that killed two people, adding the regime had made a “grave mistake” in doing so.

* Iran warns it will respond to any action over deadly tanker attack Tehran dismisses UK, US comments linking it to drone strike; Britain summons Iranian ambassador over incident

* Iran warns against any action over attack on Israeli-managed tanker Iran on Monday vowed to respond to any "adventurism", its foreign ministry said, after the US and Britain joined Israel in blaming Tehran for a deadly tanker attack, claims it denies.

* Analysis: Iran strikes hard-line pose ahead of new president Once a protégé of Iran's supreme leader is sworn in as president this week, hard-liners will control all parts of the Islamic Republic's civilian government.

* Iran and the Divisive Rule of the Mullah In an "audience" granted to a number of anti-Shah intellectuals just weeks after seizing power, Ayatollah Khomeini said that the regime he planned to install in Iran would have one guideline: "Doing the opposite of what the cursed Shah did."

* Is Underground Construction Under Jerusalem Preparing For Third Temple? No, But... When Philip Gilchrist, a non-Jewish architect from New Zealand, visited Jerusalem on Tuesday, he was shocked to see what he was sure were the beginnings of construction of the Third Temple.

* Supporting the troops Israel’s defense is our defense, as a Jewish community here in New York and around the globe. Op-ed.

* Facebook Seeks to Replace Religious Gatherings with Virtual Ones Facebook is getting into the business of religion and some people are concerned that the social media giant will try to take the place of God, choosing what the faithful may and may not say.

* 228 Republican Lawmakers Urge Supreme Court to Overturn Roe v. Wade Forty-four Senate Republicans and 184 House Republicans urged the Supreme Court to overturn the landmark abortion ruling Roe v. Wade when the justices review a Mississippi law during their next term.

* Pro-Palestinian Protesters in NYC Call to ‘Globalize’ Violent Uprising: ‘Only Solution’ to Israel Conflict Calls to “globalize” a violent intifada (uprising) against the Jewish state were front and center at a recent demonstration in Brooklyn attended by hundreds of Palestinian supporters, with other chants calling for the demise of the Jewish state and support of Palestinian liberation “by any means necessary.”