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Contents: | Weekly Quotes | Short Takes | On Topic Links
What It Takes to Stop Islamic Terror: Max Boot, Commentary, Mar. 22, 2016
ISIS Overwhelming Europe’s Counterterrorism Forces: Thomas Joscelyn, Weekly Standard, Mar. 22, 2016
Erdogan’s Boomerang: Turkey is Now at Total War: Yossi Melman, Jerusalem Post, Mar. 20, 2016
Iraq’s Coming Apocalypse: Daniel Pipes, Washington Times, Mar. 13, 2016
WEEKLY QUOTES
“I send my deepest condolences to the families of the victims of the recent terrorist attacks in Brussels…We’re in a global war against terror…Nothing justifies terrorism – absolutely nothing. In Paris or Brussels or San Bernardino or Tel Aviv or Jerusalem – terror must be condemned equally and it must be fought equally. In all of these places, terror does not develop from injustice. It develops from a murderous ideology, from the desire to destroy the enemy and to take over from him. I have already said many times that terror comes, not from occupation and not from frustration, but from home – the hope of ISIS terrorists who want to create an Islamic caliphate on all of Europe, the hope of Palestinian terrorists to create a Palestinian state on the entire State of Israel.” — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Two explosions at the Brussels airport and another at a busy subway station in the Belgian capital Tuesday morning killed at least 30 people and wounded 230 others. (Arutz Sheva, Mar. 23, 2016)
“Most westerners, including almost all Canadians, still have not begun to understand that they and their way of life are under attack by a lethal army of kamikazes who are convinced they are doing God’s work and that they will soon have a hallowed place in paradise…One need only to have listened to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s tepid response to the multiple terrorist attacks carried out in Paris late last year and his decision to withdraw Canada’s thin combat contribution to the war against ISIL to understand that he does not regard Canadians as being in danger.” — Matthew Fisher. (National Post, Mar. 22, 2016)
“Crusader Belgium (was targeted because it) has not ceased to wage war on Islam and its people, with God granting victory to our brothers, and planting in the hearts of the Crusaders fear and terror at their doorstep.” — I.S. statement claiming credit for the Belgium attacks, translated by the Investigative Project on Terrorism. The I.S. statement contained repeated references to God, praising him for the success of the attacks. The terrorists “killed a number of Crusaders before they exploded their belts amid crowds of them…To God be praised and blessing and grace.” (IPT, Mar. 22, 2016)
“We’ve rewarded the world’s leading state sponsor of terror with $150 billion, and we’ve received actually nothing in return…We must enforce the terms of the previous deal to hold Iran totally accountable, and we will enforce it like you’ve never seen a contract enforced before folks, believe me.” — Republican presidential primary front-runner Donald Trump, in a much-anticipated speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) conference in Washington this week. Trump said that dismantling the “disastrous” Iran nuclear deal would be his top priority as president. Trump also earned an ovation for saying, “President [Barack] Obama in his final year. Yay…He may be the worst thing that ever happened to Israel, believe me…What President Obama gets wrong about dealmaking…is that he constantly applies pressure to our friends, and rewards our enemies…When the United States stands with Israel, the chances for peace really rise, and rise exponentially,” he said. Trump also vowed to move the American embassy in Israel “to the eternal capital of the Jewish people, Jerusalem.” (JNS, Mar. 21, 2016)
“We need steady hands, not a president who says he’s neutral on Monday, pro-Israel on Tuesday, and who-knows-what on Wednesday, because everything’s negotiable…Well my friends, Israel’s security is non-negotiable.” — Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, at the AIPAC conference. Clinton attacked Republican front-runner Donald Trump, depicting him as fickle about America’s commitment to Israeli security. While Clinton did not name a specific candidate, she was clearly mocking Trump, who has suggested that his ability to negotiate real estate deals would lend itself well to resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. (Huffington Post, Mar. 21, 2016)
“Israel is a liberal democracy that shares our values, Israel is a steadfast and loyal ally, and our military aid to Israel is not charity, it is rather furthering the vital national security interest of the United States of America…And there’s one other nation on earth like the United States of America that’s created as an oasis — as a beacon of hope — to people who have faced oppression, who have faced the horrible murder and persecution.” — Republican Presidential candidate Ted Cruz, at the AIPAC conference. (Washington Post, Mar. 22, 2016)
“We are obligated to speak the truth as we see it, and that is what real friendship demands, especially in difficult times…It is important among friends to be honest and truthful about differences we may have…When we talk about Israel and Palestinian areas, it is important to understand that today there is a whole lot of suffering among Palestinians and that cannot be ignored.” — Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. Sanders declined to speak at the AIPAC gathering in Washington. Instead, the Democratic candidate, who is the only Jew in the race, gave a speech detailing his belief in a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict — in Utah. Sanders said that peace would require “compromises on both sides.” He called it “absurd for elements in [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu’s government to say that building more settlements in the West Bank is the appropriate response” to the most recent round of violence in the country. He argued that new settlement construction ultimately undermines Israeli security and predicted that Israel would have to pull back settlements in the West Bank, “just as it did in Gaza.” (Huffington Post, Mar. 21, 2016)
“I don’t see that at a time when the Middle East is characterized by all this trouble, you are going to have an American president say, ‘Gee this is a time we should also have a problem with Israel. I just don’t see that.” — Dennis Ross, who dealt with Middle East issues under George H. W. Bush, as well as under Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. Ross said whoever takes over the White House in January will realize that “you don’t need a problem with Israel when dealing with all the other problems in the region.” Speaking of the political mood in America, Ross said that “There is an image, fairly or not, that the US is not playing the role internationally that creates respect for the United States, and there is a reaction to that.” (Jerusalem Post, Mar. 17, 2016)
“Regardless of what happens inside Iran, President Obama and his supporters will continue to embrace the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. They will never accept the argument that a nuclear agreement that enhances the power of Islamic revolutionaries is so politically counterproductive as to negate the logic of the deal itself.” — Reuel Marc Gerecht (Weekly Standard, Mar. 14, 2016)
“Nobody can imagine that the leader of a country would deny the Holocaust, but there is indeed one such leader, the supreme leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei…Khamenei stated, ‘The Holocaust is an event whose reality is uncertain and if it has happened, it’s uncertain how it has happened.’” — Mount Royal MP Anthony Housefather. Housefather urged his Commons colleagues to unite in calling on Iran to cancel its third annual Holocaust denial cartoon competition, being held in June. “At this deplorable event, participants are rewarded for drawing cartoons that deny the Holocaust in return for a $50,000 cash prize,” he explained. “This competition is an insult to survivors of the Holocaust and to all of those who value common sense in history. I ask my colleagues to join me in urging Iran to cancel this celebration of Holocaust denial.” (The Suburban, Mar. 16, 2016)
“I understand the desire to make this his legacy issue, but there is still a fundamental issue of freedom and democracy at stake…Unless the Castros are compelled to change their dictatorship — the way they govern the island and the way they exploit its people — the answer to this won’t be different than the last 50-some-odd years.” — Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey, a Democrat and son of Cuban immigrants. Critics, including some in Obama’s own party, have dismissed the president’s approach with Cuba as naïve and dangerous, arguing that Obama has embraced a brutal regime and citing the recent increase in Cuba of detentions of antigovernment activists. At the heart of Obama’s policy is a gamble that the thaw will eventually force changes on Cuba’s communist government by nurturing the hopes of its citizens, particularly a younger generation more interested in Internet access and business opportunities than in Cuba’s grievances against the U.S. (New York Times, Mar. 19, 2016)
“Let me be very clear: I am under no illusion whatsoever that what we agreed today will not meet with setbacks — there are after all enormous logistical challenges that we have to contend with.” — German leader Angela Merkel. The EU has reached an agreement with Turkey that it hopes will ease the migrant crisis that has roiled the Continent for the past year. Under the deal, asylum seekers who take clandestine routes to Greece from Turkey are to be sent back, a significant step in the bloc’s effort to deal with the migrant exodus. The plan, which took effect on Sunday, faces many challenges. There are many alternative routes into Europe, and it is unclear how effective the Turkish and Greek authorities will be at rounding up migrants who use boats to cross the Aegean and sending them back to Turkey. Turkey is also in the midst of its own security crisis, raising questions about the country’s ability to implement the deal and cope with the huge numbers of migrants on its soil. (New York Times, Mar. 18, 2016)
“This is a dark day for the Refugee Convention, a dark day for Europe and a dark day for humanity.” — Amnesty International, adding the EU-Turkey migrant deal was “madness” that would only see deported migrants attempting fresh journeys to Europe. For every Syrian that is deported from Greece, one – starting with the most vulnerable – will be sent from the camps directly to EU states excluding Britain by a quota scheme up to a maximum of 72,000. In exchange, Turkey will be handed €6 billion in aid. (Telegraph, Mar. 18, 2016)
“The feeling that accompanies me throughout the conference is that Europe is also gradually recognizing that anti-Semitism is not only the problem of Israelis and Jews, it is a global problem…Europe’s ability to deal with anti-Semitism is directly linked to its ability to deal with the displays of hatred and violence that threaten its stability.” — Israeli MK Aliza Lavie (Yesh Atid). Lavie participated last week in the third conference of the Inter-Parliamentary Coalition for Combating antisemitism in Berlin. The MK noted that during the conference, “more and more parliamentarians are saying in a clear voice: There can be no tolerance or excuses for displays of hatred and incitement. This struggle relates to us all.” (Jewish Press, Mar. 15, 2016)
“This is a highly significant moment in the history of Israel and of Aliyah. From Operation Magic Carpet in 1949 until the present day, The Jewish Agency has helped bring Yemenite Jewry home to Israel. Today we bring that historic mission to a close. This chapter in the history of one of the world’s oldest Jewish communities is coming to an end, but Yemenite Jewry’s unique, 2,000-year-old contribution to the Jewish people will continue in the State of Israel.” — Chairman of the Executive of The Jewish Agency for Israel Natan Sharansky. The final group of Yemenite Jewish immigrants landed in Israel on Sunday, following a complex covert operation coordinated by The Jewish Agency for Israel, thus bringing the historic Yemeni Aliyah to a close. Some two hundred Jews have been secretly rescued from Yemen in recent years as attacks against the Jewish community have increased and the country has descended into civil war. (Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mar. 21, 2016)
“During all the years of my service…I carried with me from place to place the photograph of my grandfather taken a moment before he was murdered by the Nazis. I swore that that would never happen again. I hope and believe that I have done everything in my power to keep that promise.” — Meir Dagan, the Israeli soldier and spymaster who was widely credited with setting back Iran’s nuclear program through covert and daring operations as the director of the Mossad intelligence agency from 2002 to 2011, died on Thursday in Tel Aviv. He was 71. (New York Times, Mar. 17, 2016)
SHORT TAKES
SUICIDE BOMBER IN ISTANBUL STALKED GROUP OF ISRAELIS (Istanbul) — According to Turkish media, security cameras revealed that the terrorist who perpetrated the attack that killed five people including three Israelis in Istanbul on Saturday followed the group before he detonated himself. The attack, in which 36 people were wounded, took place on the popular Istiklal pedestrian mall. Turkish authorities identified the suicide bomber behind the attack as a member of I.S. born in the Turkish city of Gaziantep. Saturday’s suicide bombing was the fourth such attack in Turkey this year, bringing the death toll to more than 80. Responsibility for the past two attacks, both suicide car bombings in the capital Ankara, was claimed by a PKK offshoot. (Jerusalem Post, Mar. 21, 2016)
PARIS TERROR SUSPECT WAS PLANNING NEW ATTACKS, BELGIAN OFFICIAL SAYS (Brussels) — Belgium’s foreign minister, Didier Reynders, said Sunday that terrorism suspect Salah Abdeslam, who was wanted in the attacks that shook Paris in November, was planning more attacks while he was hiding in Brussels. Until police found him Friday in the Molenbeek neighborhood in Brussels, he had been organizing a new “network of people” to launch assaults in European countries, Reynders said. Europe’s most wanted man, Abdeslam, 26, is the last known living operative connected to the Nov. 13 attacks on Paris, where 130 people were killed and many more were injured across the French capital. He eluded authorities for four months. (Washington Post, Mar. 20, 2016)
U.N. CONDEMNS AIRSTRIKES THAT KILLED 106 IN YEMEN (Sana) — The top United Nations human rights official condemned the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen on Friday, citing repeated attacks on civilian targets in airstrikes, including an attack on a crowded village market this week that killed 106 people, including 24 children, making them the deadliest episode in the coalition’s yearlong intervention. The Saudis are backing the contested government of President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi against rebels, known as the Houthis, who are aligned with former President Ali Abdullah Saleh. The Saudis have been pressuring the United States for support in the conflict, saying that their archrival, Iran, is backing the Houthis. (New York Times, Mar. 18, 2016)
RUSSIA COULD REDEPLOY TO SYRIA IN HOURS, PUTIN SAYS (Moscow) — Russia could rebuild its military presence in Syria in a matter of hours and will maintain powerful air defenses in the country for the foreseeable future, President Vladimir Putin said, as he boasted of a deployment that rescued the Syrian President from near defeat. Putin portrayed the combat operation as a success that cost Russia little and demonstrated the country’s “indisputable leadership, will and responsibility” in fighting terrorism. He also issued a warning, saying Russia would respond with force if its remaining military assets in Syria came to harm. (Washington Post, Mar. 17, 2016)
HASBARA BANNED FROM OSHAWA UNIVERSITY’S SOCIAL JUSTICE WEEK (Toronto) — The Student Association at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) in Oshawa rejected the request of Hasbara Fellowships Canada of a table for their Israel Peace Week materials, during Social Justice Week. Hasbara is a student- based pro-Israel advocacy organization. Denise Martins, of UOIT’s Faculty Association, in an email sent to Hasbara Fellowships Director Robert Walker, wrote that since the student association passed a BDS motion at its last annual general meeting, and because Hasbara was closely tied to the State of Israel, it would be “against the motion to provide any type of resources” to Hasbara Fellowships. An Oshawa Against Israeli Apartheid event was included in Social Justice Week. The group, Students for Justice Palestine, hosted an art show which illustrated “what is being done to combat the illegal occupation of Palestine”. (CIJ, Mar. 16, 2016)
OBAMA NOMINATES JEWISH JUDGE TO SUPREME COURT (Washington) — President Obama announced that he picked Merrick Garland, chief justice for the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, to be his nominee to the Supreme Court, replacing the late Justice Antonin Scalia. Obama said, “I’ve selected a nominee who is recognized not only as one of America’s sharpest legal minds, but someone who brings to his work a spirit of decency, honesty, integrity, even-handedness and excellence. Garland, 63 was born in Chicago, Illinois. (Jewish Press, Mar. 16, 2016)
UN: ISRAEL AMONG THE HAPPIEST PLACES ON EARTH (New York) — In case you missed it, Sunday was International Happiness Day. As usual, it was accompanied by a U.N. study of the state of international happiness, including the ranking of countries from most to least. This year’s top ten are pretty much the ones you would expect: Denmark, Switzerland, Iceland, Norway, Finland, Canada, Holland, New Zealand, Australia and Sweden. All are peaceful, long established, prosperous democracies with homogenous populations, located in the calmest regions of the First World. And then, at number 11, comes Israel. Israel’s official National Bureau of Statistics has also reported that in 2013, 86% of Israelis over the age of nineteen said they were “very satisfied with their lives.” (Fox, Mar. 21, 2016)
PURIM CANCELLED IN BRUSSELS (Brussels) — Following the attacks at the airport and subway station in Brussels Tuesday, the Jewish community has cancelled its Purim celebrations at the behest of the police. Over a thousand members of the Jewish community were supposed to attend the megillah reading at the Great Synagogue of Europe followed by a performance by the Gat Brothers who arrived from Israel for the occasion. Instead, the community will hold smaller gatherings in order to hear the megillah reading and fulfill the mitzvah of Purim. Rabbi Menachem Margolin, Head of the European Jewish Association, said that the decision to cancel the events was done at the request of the police due to the police’s fear of additional terrorists in the area. “The police said that they are unable to protect the event while the city is in a state of war,” he said. (Ynet, Mar. 23, 2016)
What It Takes to Stop Islamic Terror: Max Boot, Commentary, Mar. 22, 2016—We have become so inured to suicide bombings that the fact that at least one of the Brussels attackers — the one who hit the airport — sacrificed his own life to kill others can easily get lost in the overall horror of the attacks.
ISIS Overwhelming Europe’s Counterterrorism Forces: Thomas Joscelyn, Weekly Standard, Mar. 22, 2016 —The Amaq News Agency, a propaganda arm of the Islamic State (or ISIS), has claimed responsibility for today’s attacks in Brussels. The claim is hardly surprising: The Islamic State has had Belgium in its crosshairs since at least 2014. Belgian and European authorities knew this day was coming and they couldn’t stop it. Beyond the loss of life, that is the most troubling aspect of today’s bombings.
Erdogan’s Boomerang: Turkey is Now at Total War: Yossi Melman, Jerusalem Post, Mar. 20, 2016 —Israeli diplomatic and intelligence channels are attempting to verify if the attack in Istanbul intentionally targeted Israeli tourists, although it is more likely that the Israelis were caught up as bystanders along with other tourists. Turkey receives 35 million tourists a year from many countries.
Iraq’s Coming Apocalypse: Daniel Pipes, Washington Times, Mar. 13, 2016 —No, it’s not ISIS or rampaging Shi’i militias. It’s the Mosul Dam, Iraq’s largest, and its possible collapse, perhaps leading to millions of deaths. Those in the know worry catastrophe could strike this spring, as snows melt and build an uncontrollable water pressure.