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WATCH: “India Attaches The Highest Importance To Full Development Of Wide-Ranging Ties With Israel”: Israellycool, Jan. 18, 2016
Normalizing Iran: Bret Stephens, Wall Street Journal, Jan. 18, 2016
Our New Ally Iran: Elliott Abrams, CFC, Jan. 14, 2016
The Roots of Anti-Israel Attitudes: Efraim Inbar, ISGAP, Jan. 6, 2016
WEEKLY QUOTES
“If it weren’t for our efforts leading the way in enforcing the sanctions on Iran’s nuclear program, Iran would have had a nuclear weapon long ago…Israel’s position is, and remains exactly as it has always been — to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. What’s clear is that Iran will now turn its resources toward its terrorist activity in the region and rest of the world, and Israel is prepared to handle that threat.” — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a day after the implementation of the landmark accord and the removal of sanctions from the Islamic Republic was announced. The premier, who has been perhaps the most vocal opponent of the deal on the global stage, called on world powers to reinstate “severe” sanctions on Iran if it breaches the terms of the nuclear agreement. Netanyahu said that Israel would continue to monitor the implementation of the deal and would notify the international community of any Iranian violations. (Times of Israel, Jan. 17, 2016)
“I decided that a strong, confident America could advance our national security by engaging directly with the Iranian government…We’ve seen the result.” — U.S. President Barack Obama. Obama hailed the implementation of an agreement that had “cut off every single path” for Iran to build a nuclear bomb. “Whereas Iran was steadily expanding its nuclear programme, we have now cut off every single path that Iran could have used to build a bomb,” he said. (Telegraph, Jan. 17, 2016)
“The nuclear negotiations which succeeded by the guidance of the Supreme Leader and support of our nation, were truly a golden page in Iran’s history…The nuclear deal is an opportunity that we should use to develop the country, improve the welfare of the nation, and create stability and security in the region.” — Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. In an address to parliament, Rouhani noted bitter opposition to Saturday’s lifting of economic curbs from arch foe Israel, some members of the US Congress and what he called “warmongers” in the region – an apparent reference to some of Iran’s Gulf Arab adversaries. Rouhani told parliament the deal was a “turning point” for the economy of Iran, a major oil producer which has been virtually shut out of international markets for the past five years. In a dramatic move which coincided with the scrapping of the sanctions, Tehran also announced the release of five Americans including Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian as part of a prisoner swap with the United States. (Telegraph, Jan. 17, 2016)
“I haven’t seen any excitement…They speak of billions of dollars coming, but as in the past, I don’t expect those dollars to reach my pockets.” — Ali Shoja, an office cleaner in Tehran. On the day that crushing international sanctions against Iran were to be lifted there were no cheering crowds on Tehran’s streets, just the usual Saturday morning rush hour, the start of the Iranian workweek. The low-key reception given “implementation day,” when the nuclear deal was finally completed and Iran was freed to rejoin the international economy, reflected the disappointments Iranians have experienced in the two years the negotiations dragged on. While the government talked up the deal to lift people’s hopes, few expected to see any improvement in their lives. (New York Times, Jan. 16, 2016)
“We were horrified to see the sight of 10 American sailors on their knees with their hands on their head. In that state of the union, President Obama didn’t so much as mention those 10 sailors…It was heartbreaking. But the good news is the next commander in chief is standing on this stage.” — Ted Cruz, a Republican candidate for U.S. President. During last week’s Republican debate, Cruz criticized Obama for failing to mention the ten U.S. sailors who were seized – and later released – by Iranian forces in the Persian Gulf. The Pentagon said that the sailors had entered Iranian waters by mistake after a navigational error. But Cruz said that the sailors’ treatment – including the release of footage that showed them with hands on their heads as they were taken into custody – would have drawn a sharper response from a President Cruz. “Any nation that captures our fighting men will feel the full force and fury of the United States of America,” Cruz said. (Washington Post, Jan. 15, 2016)
“Violence of man against man is in contradiction to every religion that merits the name, in particular the three monotheistic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam)…Every human being, as a creature of God, is our brother regardless of his origins or religious belief.” — Pope Francis. Francis denounced all religiously inspired violence during a visit to Rome’s main synagogue Sunday, joining the oldest Jewish community in the diaspora in a sign of interfaith friendship at a time of Islamic extremist attacks around the globe. Francis also rejected all forms of antisemitism and called for “maximum vigilance” and early intervention to prevent another Holocaust. Francis joined a standing ovation when Holocaust survivors, some wearing striped scarves reminiscent of their camp uniforms, were singled out for applause at the start of the ceremony. And he elicited an ovation of his own when he acknowledged the survivors in the synagogue. (National Post, Jan. 17, 2016)
“Today, the sad novelty is that after two centuries of disasters produced by nationalism and ideologies, violence has come back and it is fed and justified by fanatic visions inspired by religion…meeting of peace between different religious communities, as the one that is taking place today here in Rome, is a very strong sign against the invasion and abuse of religious violence.” — Rome’s chief rabbi, Riccardo Di Segni, to the Pope. Francis’ visit to Rome’s main synagogue is meant to continue the tradition of papal visits that began with St. John Paul II in 1986 and continued with Benedict XVI in 2010. It also highlighted the 50th anniversary of the revolution in Christian-Jewish relations sparked by the Second Vatican Council, the 1962-65 meetings that brought the church into the modern era. Among other things, the council document “Nostra Aetate” repudiated the centuries-old charge that Jews as a whole were responsible for the death of Christ. (National Post, Jan. 17, 2016)
“I think the Saudis have really in the last couple of years, really become a problem country…The degree of oppression against women and dissidents in Saudi Arabia is becoming almost epidemic.” — Lloyd Axworthy, who served as Canada’s foreign minister between 1996 and 2000 under former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien. Axworthy is calling on Justin Trudeau’s government to review a controversial $15-billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia, saying he doesn’t think Canada should be deepening relations with a Mideast country notorious for human rights abuses. Axworthy said a recommendation to “cozy up” to Saudi Arabia is “about the last piece of advice I would give.” The country is notorious for its treatment of women, dissidents and prisoners. This month, Riyadh conducted a mass execution that included a prominent Muslim cleric. The Trudeau Liberals are refusing to cancel a contract to provide hundreds, if not thousands, of weaponized amoured combat vehicles to the Saudi Arabian National Guard on the grounds that it would injure Canada’s reputation to renege on what they characterize as a done deal. Axworthy called the contract “problematic…We’re saying we’ve got to do something about terrorism and extremism and you’ve got a very wealthy country using a good part of its wealth to proselytize,” he said. (Globe & Mail, Jan. 13, 2016)
“I want Justin Trudeau, instead of condemning (the attacks) solely with words and his little mouth, to do it with airplanes…I am ashamed.” — Camille Carrier, mother of Maude Carrier. Maude Carrier (37) was one of six aid workers from Quebec killed on Friday when a group of Islamist terrorists stormed a luxury hotel and cafe in Burkina Faso’s capital city of Ouagadougou. In all 28 people died. Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) claimed responsibility, saying the unprovoked attack was meant to “punish the Cross-worshippers for their crimes against our people in Central Africa, Mali and other lands of the Muslims.” AQIM was an early supporter of I.S., although as recently as November it was joining other al-Qaida affiliates in condemning I.S.’s purported caliphate as illegitimate and accusing the group of “deviation and misguidance” for targeting Muslims instead of Jews and Christians. “I’m revolted to have a prime minister who does not participate in combat…before this I was ashamed of us, I have plenty of friends in France who were ashamed of us,” she said. Carrier said Monday, “I’m revolted … (Justin Trudeau) walks around with his nice hair spouting his empty theories, he’s on television condemning things but he’s not capable of joining in with the others who are supporting the French.” One of Trudeau’s first official acts after winning the federal election was to tell President Obama that Canada would withdraw its six CF-18s from combat operations in the Middle East. The warplanes continue to fly missions, however, pending the drafting of a timeline by Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan. (National Post, Jan. 18, 2016)
SHORT TAKES
CANADIAN KILLED IN JAKARTA ATTACK (Jakarta) — The six Quebeckers killed in the attack in Burkina Faso on Friday were not the first Canadian victims of terror in recent days. One day before that deadly assault in Africa, Tahar Amer-Ouali, a Canadian audiologist who built a long business career outfitting thousands of Quebeckers with hearing aids, died in a raid in Jakarta. Amer-Ouali, a 70-year-old Laval resident, was one of four people killed Thursday in a bomb and gunfire attack on a Starbucks café and police post in the Indonesian capital, family confirmed on the weekend. I.S. claimed responsibility for the attack. (Globe & Mail, Jan. 17, 2016)
PAKISTAN: 21 KILLED IN TERROR ATTACK AT UNIVERSITY (Karachi) — At least 21 professors and students were murdered and dozens of others were injured after a group of gunmen stormed a university in northwestern Pakistan. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the terror attack. The terrorists climbed the walls of the facility, entered the university building and opened fire at the classrooms. Security forces managed to force the terrorists into two buildings and freed the rest of the hostages at the site. Meanwhile, soldiers started searching the evacuated buildings and went class by class in order to ensure that there were no more terrorists hiding. (Jerusalem Online, Jan. 20, 2016)
TEEN PALESTINIAN ARRESTED FOR KILLING DAFNA MEIR IN OTNIEL (Jerusalem) — A Palestinian minor suspected of stabbing and killing mother-of-six Dafna Meir at her home in the West Bank settlement of Otniel on Sunday evening was caught Monday. The suspect was arrested following “extensive operational and intelligence efforts” on the part of the IDF and the Shin Bet security service in a village near Otniel, where he was hiding out, and was taken in for interrogation. He was named as Morad Bader Abdullah Adais, 16. Adais’s father said that he was “proud” of his son for carrying out the attack, according to Palestinian media outlets. (Times of Israel, Jan. 19, 2016)
TERROR ATTACK THWARTED OUTSIDE JERUSALEM SYNAGOGUE (Jerusalem) — Three Arab teen terrorist wannabes intent on a stabbing mission failed at a Jerusalem synagogue when they were stopped Sunday morning. The incident occurred at the packed Heichal Ya’akov synagogue on HaRav Reines Street. All three would-be attackers immediately threw away their homemade knives, sharpened into blades from basic items they took from their mothers’ kitchens, including scissors and a spoon handle. But their suspicious behavior had given them away and they were immediately grabbed and taken into custody. On November 18, 2014, two Jerusalem Arab terrorists carried out a massacre at the Kehilat Bnei Torah synagogue in Har Nof – a Jerusalem neighborhood not far from Kiryat Moshe. The terrorists attacked worshipers praying the morning service with axes, knives and a gun, killing four dual nationals and a Druze Israeli police officer responding to the scene. (Jewish Press, Jan. 17, 2016)
CHINA, RUSSIA TO HELP IRAN BUILD NEW NUCLEAR FACILITIES (Tehran) — The Iran nuclear deal calls on Tehran’s negotiating partners to help develop its civil nuclear program, and longstanding allies Russia and China have wasted little time in offering to do so. The head of Iran’s atomic energy organization, Ali Akbar Salehi, said Tuesday that Iran plans to move ahead with the construction of two new nuclear power plants, with the help of China, and two others with Russian assistance. Beyond China and Russia, Salehi said several other countries, including Japan and South Korea, were also eager to get involved in civil nuclear projects, and portrayed the arrival of JCPOA implementation day as a new dawn for Iran’s nuclear ambitions. (CNS, Jan. 20, 2016)
CANADA SHUT OUT OF IS COALITION MEETING (Ottawa) — Canada has been excluded from a high-level meeting of “significant contributors” to the U.S.-led coalition called to discuss stepping up the fight to defeat I.S. The meeting of defense ministers from the U.S., Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Australia and the Netherlands is set for Wednesday in Paris. Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan’s office acknowledged he wasn’t invited to Paris but denied Canada has lost its influence within the coalition. Canadian CF-18 fighter jets are still conducting bombing missions in Iraq and Syria, even as the new Liberal government decides how to honour Trudeau’s election pledge to end the combat mission. Meanwhile, the federal cabinet is reviewing a series of options presented by the Chief of the Defence Staff, to bolster Canada’s role in the coalition once that mission ends. (Globe & Mail, Jan 18, 2016)
MAN WHO EXTORTED SEX FROM TEENS PLEADS GUILTY TO 24 CHARGES (Montreal) — A Montreal resident who sexually assaulted and extorted sex from several teenage girls brought his trial to an abrupt end after deciding to plead guilty to half of the charges he faced. Walid Mustapha Chalhoub, 33, made the decision while his trial, on 48 charges in all, was in its second week. The guilty pleas apply to all 10 of the victims that Chalhoub was accused of abusing. He sexually abused eight teenage girls after they were lured to his apartment on the promise they’d make easy money for unspecified work. According to court records, Chalhoub, a citizen of Côte d’Ivoire, has resided in Canada since at least 2007 but never became a Canadian citizen. (Montreal Gazette, Jan. 13, 2016)
ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES RE-AFFIRMS OPPOSITION TO BDS (Boston) — In a blow to the BDS movement, the Association of American Universities issued a statement reaffirming its opposition to boycotts of Israeli academic institutions. The statement issued on Thursday began by discussing the annual meeting of the American Anthropological Association that recently passed a resolution in support of such a boycott. The final vote is set to take place in April, where more than 10,000 American Anthropological Association members will cast ballots on whether to boycott formal collaborations with Israeli academic institutions. Should the boycott resolution pass, it will mark the largest association to date to call for a boycott of Israeli academic institutions. The AAU is composed of 62 leading research universities in the U.S. and Canada. The AAU opposition came days after the American Historical Association, the largest organization of historians in the U.S., voted down a resolution criticizing Israel at its annual meeting in Atlanta, Georgia. (Jerusalem Post, Jan. 17, 2016)
ISRAEL TO BAR SWEDEN FROM ANY ROLE IN FUTURE DIPLOMATIC PROCESS WITH PALESTINIANS (Tel Aviv) — Sweden will not have any role to play in the Israeli-Palestinian diplomatic process as a result of Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom’s hostility toward Israel. Last week Wallstrom called for an investigation to determine if Israel was guilty of extrajudicial killings of Palestinians during the current wave of terrorism. “It is vital that there is a thorough, credible investigation into these deaths in order to clarify and bring about possible accountability,” she said. The PA, meanwhile, praised Sweden and called on all countries to endorse “this courageous and humane” position, saying it is aimed at preserving the peace process. The PA ministry condemned Israel’s “ferocious campaign and political terrorism” against the Swedish foreign minister. It said the campaign was designed to cover up Israeli “crimes” against the Palestinians. (Jerusalem Post, Jan. 13, 2016)
NGO MONITOR HOPES FOR TRANSPARENCY WITH DATABASE (Tel Aviv) — NGO Monitor, an organization seeking to promote accountability and transparency of NGOs dealing with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, is providing the public with an online database displaying the amount of foreign support for 27 Israeli NGOs, from 2012 to 2014. “The information in this database is crucial for the advancement of democratic transparency and accountability,” said President of NGO Monitor, Professor Gerald Steinberg. In light of an already high level of awareness among the Israeli public to the phenomenon of foreign governments financially supporting and influencing a number of Israeli NGOs, NGO Monitor aims to shed some more light on the subject. NGOs in Israel received a total of NIS 261,122,525 in grants and donations from 2012-2014, at least 65% (NIS 169,728,500) of which came from foreign governments. There are 21 governmental and intergovernmental entities that financially support the Israeli NGOs among which include the European Union (EU). (Jewish Press, Jan. 19, 2016)
EXPOSED: SWITZERLAND’S SHAMEFUL CAPITULATION TO PLO TERRORISM (Zurich) — Switzerland and the PLO agreed on a secret deal in 1970, whereby the latter would no longer carry out bloody attacks against the Swiss, Swiss media reported. According to the report, a delegation led by Foreign Minister Graber met senior PLO officials in Geneva to negotiate a pact offering diplomatic support for the Palestinians in return for assurances there would be no more attacks. Palestinian terrorism in Switzerland began in 1969, when a PLO squad attacked an El Al plane in Zurich killing one of the crew members. One year later, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) blew up a Swissair plane killing 47 passengers and crew, including 15 Israelis. On September 6, 1970, a Swissair plane on its way to the US was hijacked. (Jewish Press, Jan. 20, 2016)
EX-AUSCHWITZ MEDIC, 95, TO STAND TRIAL FOR 3,681 DEATHS (Berlin) — A 95-year-old man who worked as a paramedic at Auschwitz will stand trial next month as an accessory to the murder of 3,681 death camp inmates, a German court announced Monday. Hubert Zafke, accused by prosecutors of serving as an SS sergeant in Hitler’s killing machine, is set to face justice Feb. 29 in state court. Zafke was stationed at Auschwitz in 1943 and 1944. While Zafke allegedly worked as a medic, prosecutors said, his real role had little to do with caring for sick or wounded inmates. Instead, his unit was responsible for maintaining and administering the poison gas that murdered prisoners, prosecutors said. Zafke himself doesn’t deny serving at Auschwitz but has said: “I heard nothing, saw nothing, killed no one.” Last year, 94-year-old Oskar Gröning — known as the “bookkeeper of Auschwitz” — was sentenced to four years for his role in the prison camp. (New York Post, Jan. 18, 2016)
NEW PLAY ABOUT THE MURDER OF ‘STERN GANG’ LEADER (Paris) — Seventy-three years after Avraham Stern (Yair) was killed by British detectives, a new English-language play is bringing Stern’s ideas and poetry to the stage. “The Ghosts of Mizrachi Bet Street” by Zev Golan will premiere at the Jerusalem Theater on January 20. Golan says that after the performances in Jerusalem, the Lehi Heritage Association, which is sponsoring the play, plans on taking it to other venues with English-speaking audiences. During his life Stern wrote dozens of poems, heavily influenced by Russian and Polish poetry, especially Vladimir Mayakovsky’s, embodying a physical, almost sensual, love for the Jewish homeland and for martyrdom on its behalf. (Jewish Press, Jan. 19, 2016)
OPERATION FRENCH KISS: 200,000 FRENCH JEWS PLANNING ALIYAH (Paris) — Well before the November 13 Paris terror attack and the recent incidents in which Jews across France have been attacked by violent Muslims, many French Jews were already considering Aliyah to Israel, polling service Étude IFOP discovered in a survey. The survey offers a peek at the views of the French Jewish community, the largest in Europe and third largest in the world. According to the survey’s findings, as many as 43% of French Jews are planning to make Aliyah. As the commonly accepted figure for the size of the French Jewish community is 500,000, then Israel is about to be conquered by as many as 200,000 French Jews. A full 43% of the French Jews surveyed said they had been attacked for being Jewish, and 18% reported being attacked several times. (Jewish Press, Jan. 17, 2016)
INDIAN FM IN JERUSALEM (Jerusalem) — India attaches “the highest importance” to the full development of ties with Israel, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, on a three-day visit to Israel and the Palestinian Authority, said Monday. Sarwaj, who visited Israel once before she became foreign minister in 2014, is only the third Indian foreign minister to visit the country. Her visit is seen as an indication of the flowering of ties between the two countries and as a precursor to an expected visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This would be the first-ever visit to Israel by an Indian prime minister. (Jerusalem Post, Jan. 18, 2016)
PERES, DISCHARGED FROM HOSPITAL AFTER HEART ATTACK (Jerusalem) — Former Israeli President Shimon Peres was discharged from the hospital after suffering a mild heart attack. “I feel rejuvenated and I am ready to return to serving our wonderful country that I love so much,” Peres, 92, said as he left the Sheba Medical Center. Peres was taken to the hospital Thursday morning after feeling chest pains. He underwent a cardiac angioplasty to open a blocked artery. Before his heart attack, Peres had been planning to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where he had scheduled some 15 meetings with world leaders and international figures. Peres retired as president of Israel in 2014 after more than half a century in public life. (JTA, Jan. 19, 2016)
WATCH: “India Attaches The Highest Importance To Full Development Of Wide-Ranging Ties With Israel”: Israellycool, Jan. 18, 2016— Sushma Swaraj is on her first visit to West Asia as India’s External Affairs Minister. She’s currently in Israel and, judging by her words, India and Israel are about to be besties.
Normalizing Iran: Bret Stephens, Wall Street Journal, Jan. 18, 2016— In Syria, Bashar Assad is trying to bring his enemies to heel by blocking humanitarian convoys to desperate civilians living in besieged towns. The policy is called “starve or kneel,” and it is openly supported by Hezbollah and tacitly by Iran, which has deployed its elite Quds Force to aid Mr. Assad’s war effort.
Our New Ally Iran: Elliott Abrams, CFC, Jan. 14, 2016— This photo tells us a great deal about American foreign policy today. Human Rights Watch, not known as a right-wing group, has noted that it appears to violate international agreements prohibiting the use of photos or videos of military detainees for propaganda purposes.
The Roots of Anti-Israel Attitudes: Efraim Inbar, ISGAP, Jan. 6, 2016 — Israel is demonized and singled out by the media and international bodies. Israel is accused of excessive use of force, despite its great efforts to minimize collateral damage, while the massacres by the Assad regime or the heavy collateral damage resulting from Saudi attacks in Yemen are hardly mentioned.