WEEKLY QUOTES
“The biggest deal was I ended the Iran deal. You’re not going to have an Israel if that deal goes through… Israel will be obliterated within a period of time.” – former US President Donald Trump
@MariaBartiromo (Twitter, Mar. 2, 2022)
“Iran got much more than it could expect. … Realistically speaking, Iran got more than frankly I expected, others expected. Iranian colleagues are fighting for Iranian national interests like lions,” as well as “every comma, every word. There was no united front against Iran. To my surprise, I find many speculations in Iranian mass media and social networks, claiming that Russia and me personally are extremely hostile to Iran and to the nuclear deal. … Iran is not an alien for us. It is a neighbor with whom we want to develop an active trade and economic relations.” – Russian envoy Mikhail Ulyanov on the ongoing nuclear negotiations in Vienna. (Algemeiner, Mar. 6, 2022)
“The nature of the Biden administration’s approach to Tehran thus far has concerned not just Republicans but members of both parties. Our Democratic colleague, the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, recently exhorted the administration and our partners to ‘exert more pressure on Iran to counter its nuclear program, its missile program, and its dangerous behavior around the Middle East, including attacks on American personnel and assets.’” — Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnellcalling for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to hold “major hearings” ahead of the U.S. reviving its participation in the Iran nuclear deal, (Washington Examiner, Mar. 7, 2022)
“You can rely on it. Germany will continue to be steadfast at Israel’s side.” — Federal Republic of Germany Chancellor Olaf Scholz to Israeli PM Naftali Bennett while visiting the Yad Vashem Holocaust History Center prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Germany is one of the five European countries negotiating a nuclear deal with Iran in Vienna. (Jewish Press, Mar. 2, 2022)
“…The Central Council decided to renounce the commitments of all the agreements with the State of Israel, whether by the PLO or the PA. Currently we are outside the path of Oslo, the security coordination, and the economic Paris Agreement and we have entered a path of resistance in all its forms and a realization of sovereignty.” — Palestinian National Council Deputy Chairman Ali Faisa on official PA TV, From Beirut, Feb. 18, 2022. (PMW, Mar. 6, 2022)
“We did feel that, unfortunately, the alliance does not work properly.” — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a video address to The House of Commons. (Yahoo Finance, Mar. 8, 2022)
“… all the people who will die from this day will die because of you, as well”—Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, after the U.S.-led NATO allies turned down his request for creation of a “no-fly” zone over Ukraine. “A no-fly zone means that Russia loses its tactical advantage, and peace negotiations would immediately go into another framework. Most importantly, it would stop the killing of civilians, including children” –– Mykhailo Podolyak, senior adviser to President Zelensky. (The Globe and Mail,Mar. 6, 2022)
“The authorities of the Republic of Poland, after consultations between the President and the Government, are ready to deploy – immediately and free of charge – all their MIG-29 jets to the Ramstein Air Base and place them at the disposal of the Government of the United States of America.” — Statement of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland in connection with the statement by the US Secretary of State on providing airplanes to Ukraine. Additionally, officials encouraged “other NATO Allies – owners of MIG-29 jets – to act in the same vein.” (Ministry of Public Affairs, Republic of Poland Twitter, ABC News, Mar. 8, 2022)
“Vladimir Putin is beginning to understand the immense difficulty of the war he cavalierly launched in Ukraine. He knows now that his corrupt and time-serving generals lied to him about the effectiveness of the military machine they had built. He knows that the flattering “experts” who reinforced his prejudices about the weakness of Ukrainian national identity were talking through their hats. He knows that even German fecklessness has limits and that Americans still know how to fight cold wars. He has no illusions now about the power of Western economic sanctions, and he knows that families all over Russia will soon be mourning their sons as the death toll mounts in Ukraine. He is no doubt dismayed by the cascade of bad news but appears determined to fight on.” – Conservative political columnist Walter Russel Mead. (WSJ, Mar. 7, 2022)
HUNDREDS OF UKRAINIAN REFUGEES HAVE LANDED IN ISRAEL. THOUSANDS MORE COULD FOLLOW (Jerusalem) — Around 300 Ukrainian Jewish refugees landed in Israel Sunday, among them some 90 orphans between the ages of two and 12, in the first round of what Israeli government officials expect to be a wave of thousands in the coming months. They flew on three planes from Moldova, Romania, and Poland. Israel will also temporarily host non-Jewish refugees among them until matters settle in Ukraine. The Law of Return allows any Jew who wishes to live in Israel to obtain Israeli citizenship. However, Israel has not historically opened paths to citizenship or long-term visas for refugees who are not Jewish, including the thousands of African asylum seekers currently living in Israel. (JTA, Mar. 7, 2022)
‘MORAL OBLIGATION’: BENNETT VOWS TO CONTINUE UKRAINE-RUSSIA MEDIATION DESPITE SLIM ODDS OF SUCCESS (Jerusalem) — Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett vowed to continue mediation attempts aimed at ending the fighting between Russia and Ukraine, even if the odds for success are slim. Bennett’s comments came after a blitz of unannounced meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin and Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin on Saturday to discuss the Ukraine crisis. (Algemeiner, Mar. 6, 2022)
US’S PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS UNIT IN JERUSALEM ACTS AS CONSULATE ‘FOR ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES’ (Jerusalem) — During a meeting between Palestinian Authority (PA) Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh and a delegation of members of Congress in Ramallah, Shtayyeh demanded the opening of the consulate “to promote a two-state solution.” A Palestinian Authority source now says that although a date was not set for the official opening of the American Consulate in Jerusalem, the Palestinian Affairs Unit (PAU) headed by George Noll for all intents and purposes serves as a consulate. (Jewish Press, Feb. 28, 2022)
‘HORRIFIED’: ISRAELI SCHOOL VISITS ARAFAT’S GRAVE – WILL GOV’T TURN A BLIND EYE? (Kabiyah-Tabash-Hajajara) — MK Sharren Haskel of the New Hope party, chair of the Knesset Education Committee wrote an open letter to Education Minister Yifat Shasha-Biton demanding that she take action against employees of an Arab-Israeli school in northern Israel who recently visited the grave of Yasser Arafat in Ramallah. It is illegal for Israeli citizens to visit Palestinian Authority-controlled cities in Judea and Samaria, including Ramallah, but Arab-Israeli citizens frequently do so. (WIN, Mar. 7, 2022)
RUSSIA THROWS MONKEY WRENCH INTO IRAN NUCLEAR TALKS(Vienna) — Moscow cast new uncertainty on the Iranian nuclear talks by insisting the U.S. guarantee in writing that its trade and military cooperation with Iran not be impacted by Western sanctions on Russia. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov broached the linkage, saying Western sanctions had created a “problem,” and that the nuclear agreement with Iran would have to take Moscow’s interests into account. The demand was panned both by Washington and Iran. (United With Israel, Mar. 6, 2022)
RUSSIA RECRUITING SYRIANS FOR URBAN COMBAT IN UKRAINE, U.S. OFFICIALS SAY (Moscow) — An American assessment indicates that Russia, which has been operating inside Syria since 2015, has in recent days been recruiting fighters from there, hoping their expertise in urban combat can help take Kyiv and deal a devastating blow to the Ukraine government. Experts said the move points to a potential escalation of Ukraine’s fighting. (WSJ, Mar. 6, 2022)
MOSCOW PATRIARCH STOKES ORTHODOX TENSIONS WITH WAR REMARKS (Ukraine) — Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, leader of Russia’s dominant religious group, has sent his strongest signal yet justifying his country’s invasion of Ukraine. He described the conflict as part of a struggle against sin and pressure from liberal foreigners to hold “gay parades” as the price of admission to their ranks. Recently, he has held that the war had “a metaphysical meaning”. Kirill, a longtime ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, had already refrained from criticizing the Russian invasion – alienating many in the Ukrainian Orthodox churches who had previously stayed loyal to the Moscow patriarch during a schism in their country. (ABC News, Mar. 8, 2022)
RUSSIA THREATENS TO BLOCK GAS TO EUROPE THROUGH NORD STREAM 1 (Moscow) — Russia threatened to cut natural gas supplies to Europe via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline as part of its response to sanctions imposed over the invasion of Ukraine, a move that could heighten the turmoil in energy markets and drive consumer prices even higher. Russia has the right to take actions that “mirror” the penalties imposed on the Russian economy, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak — who’s also in charge of energy affairs —said in a televised speech. (Business Standard, Mar. 9, 2022)
IRGC PLOT TO ASSASSINATE FORMER TOP U.S. OFFICIALS REVEALED (Tehran) — The U.S. has solid evidence of an Iranian plot to assassinate two former top government officials but is refraining from legal action because the administration is afraid of torpedoing a nuclear deal with the Islamic Republic. According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), American officials uncovered a plan by at least two members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps’ (IRGC) Quds Force to kill former National Security Advisor John Bolton and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. (WIN, Mar. 8, 2022)
U OF T TO WITHHOLD FEES FROM STUDENT UNION OVER BDS SUPPORT (Toronto) — In a precedent-setting development, the University of Toronto announced that it will finally begin withholding fees from the Graduate Students’ Union (GSU) over its policy of forcing students to fund boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) activities. Beginning March 31, the University would withhold $10,918.36 of student fees earmarked for the GSU. This sum represents the University’s calculation of the amount spent annually by the GSU to promote the antisemitic BDS campaign against Israel. The Provost’s decision is the outcome of a lengthy struggle waged by former Jewish graduate student Chaim Katz, with the support of B’nai Brith Canada. (Bnai Brith Canada, Mar. 7, 2022)
SPATE OF ANTI-SEMITIC GRAFFITI FOUND ON TORONTO-AREA SCHOOLS (Toronto) — Anti-Semitic graffiti was found outside of several high schools in the Toronto area last week, days after students at a middle school used a Nazi salute in class. According to local media reports, the graffiti at the three schools—Central Technical High School, Rosedale Heights School of the Arts, and Malvern Collegiate Institute—appeared to be connected. (JNS, Mar. 7, 2022)
KENNEY SAYS ALBERTA’S ‘DEMOCRATIC OIL’ COULD DISPLACE RUSSIA’S ‘OIL FILLED WITH THE BLOOD OF UKRAINIANS’ (Calgary) — Alberta Premier Jason Kenney said that the Keystone XL crude pipeline could be built by the first quarter of 2022 if the Biden administration so chooses. Crude prices have recently hit all-time highs, with President Joe Biden announcing Tuesday that the US will ban imports of Russian oil. (Post Millennial, Mar. 8, 2022)
SATELLITE IMAGES SHOW ACTIVITY AT NORTH KOREAN NUCLEAR SITE (Pyongyang) — Commercial satellite images suggest a resumption of construction activity at North Korea’s nuclear testing ground nearly four years after leader Kim Jong Un declared the site’s closure and invited foreign journalists to observe the destruction of tunnels ahead of his first summit with then-U.S. President Donald Trump. Analysts say it’s unclear how long it would take North Korea to restore the site for nuclear detonations if it intends to do so. The site in Punggye-ri in the country’s northeast was used for its sixth and last nuclear test in 2017. (VINnews, Mar. 8, 2022)
LGBTQ ACTIVISTS HOST ‘NON-BINARY’ SEX ED SUMMER CAMP FOR CHILDREN (Indianapolis) –Billed as an exclusive Indianapolis summer camp for students in third grade through fifth grade, it is devoted to sex education. The camp’s “Our Whole Lives curriculum” offers “a positive, affirming take on puberty, human sexuality, and social-emotional skills without coercive abstinence-based abstinence-based strategies,” the program’s All Events page details. (Post Millennial, Mar. 8, 2022)
