MEDIA-OCRITY
The West Hoped Lula Would Be a Partner. He’s Got His Own Plans.: Moriah Balingit and Meaghan Tobin, Washington Post, Apr. 13, 2023
“In his first months in office, Brazilian President Luiz Ignacio Lula da Silva has declined to join President Biden in condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine, allowed Iranian warships to dock in Rio de Janeiro, and dispatched a senior adviser to meet with Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro. On Friday Lula will head to Beijing, the finale of a three-day trip to China, at a time when relations between Washington and Beijing have grown increasingly tense. . . [and] will meet with Xi Jin-ping. . . [His electoral victory last year] dover Jair Bolsonaro, the dictatorship-admiring former military officer who aligned himself with President Donald Trump and the global right wing, buoyed optimism that Latin America’s most populous nation could be a partner in protecting democratic norms in the Western Hemisphere.
But instead, Lula is reminding the world of his approach to foreign policy—which, in keeping with his first stint in office, prioritizes pragmatism and dialogue, and in 2003-2010 Lulu pursued a multipolar world order [and] attended the first summit of BRICS—the large and developing economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa—which cast themselves as a foil to the Group of Seven most advanced economies. . . none of the BRICS countries [now including the UAE, Uruguay, Bangladesh, and Egypt] impose sanctions on Russia. . .Brazil’s central bank announced that a Brazilian branch of a Chinese state-owned bank had settled its first cross-border transaction in the Chinese currency [the yuan]. . .
[On Ukraine] Lula has repeatedly suggested that Ukraine also bears responsibility for the war—by defending itself. ‘If one doesn’t want to, two can’t fight,’ said Lula at a January news conference with German chancellor Olaf Scholz. . . Lula’s government believes in dialogue and leading by example, Lula’s former foreign minister said.” — [This six-column-long article manages entirely to omit identifying Lula da Silva as a radical leftist, founder of Brazil’s Workers’ Party, President for several terms, he leads an anti-American foreign policy in which Brazil cooperated with Cuba, Venezuela, and other leftist-socialist governments. He was convicted of money-laundering charges in 2017 and sentenced to nine and a half years in prison, spending 580 days in jail before being released by a (disputed) Supreme Federal Court judgement that ruled his imprisonment unlawful. For a radically different view of Lula, see Lula Cozies Up to America’s Enemies: Mary Anastasia O’Grady, WSJ, Apr. 16, 2023. O’Grady notes that “Lula built his political career as an advocate for left-wing totalitarianism during the Cold War —Ed.]
“Unfortunately, when the mother died just a few hours ago, they [the Dee family] donated the organs to save other people’s lives. And on the other side, the terrorists – do you know what they’re going to get from the Palestinian Authority? A million dollars for the rest of their lives – for killing innocent Jews. That’s the difference between living as Jews, seeking life and making a better life for other people, and the terrorists, who all they seek is death. That’s all they seek.” — Israeli Economy Minister Nir Barkat to CNN about the terrorist murders of Lucy Dee and her daughters Maia and Rina. (United With Israel, Apr. 13, 2023)
“It sounds strange to us but in conversations between Israelis and Western diplomatic officials, there are deep concerns emerging of the possibility that if the coup d’etat in Israel succeeds, a messianic dictatorship — that possesses nuclear weapons and fanatically wishes for a confrontation with Islam centered on the Temple Mount — will be established in the heart of the Middle East. In their eyes, it’s really frightening. It’s not going to happen. Have a happy holiday.” – Former prime minister Ehud Barak tweeted. He warned of the dangers of the government’s plans for judicial reform given the makeup of Likud’s right-wing coalition. (WIN, Apr. 8, 2023)
”Iranian [nuclear] breakout, meanwhile, would be immensely destabilizing to the region. It would provide Iran a nuclear umbrella under which it could intensify its proxy activities. It would trigger regional proliferation—Saudi Arabia would doubtless sprint to a nuclear weapon, the UAE would likely join it, and Turkey and Egypt would strongly consider following suit. The intervening period would involve intense proxy confrontation, airstrikes, sabotage, and cyberattacks. . . the Strait of Hormuz and the Suez-Indian Ocean route, would be continuously disrupted, thus destabilizing global trade. The most critical impact, however, would be on Iranian prestige. As a nuclear power with links to Beijing and Moscow, Tehran would become a bona fide international force. It would be capable of dealing as a near-peer with the other authoritarian powers on the Eurasian landmass, thereby contributing to its goal of regional Islamic revolution. The United States would thus face three major power threats in Eurasia, not two. The window for an independent Israeli strike with a high probability of success likely closed in 2019 or 2020.
“However, Israel’s strategic incentives have not changed. The military cost to it of an Iranian nuclear breakout would be high—Israel has every rational incentive to attempt some sort of strike to delay or disable Iran’s nuclear program. Given the altered landscape today, an independent Israeli strike is unlikely to do more than delay the breakout by a few months, if at all. In the best scenario, Israeli deception, electronic warfare, direct action by Special Operations Forces, and cyberattacks disable Iranian air defences and disrupt Iranian and proxy positions in the Levant, clearing a corridor for multiple strike waves. Nevertheless, Israel has only eleven tankers and its fighter fleet is not optimized for strikes deep into Iranian territory. Naval power would help, but the only real strike implements Israel could use are its submarines, which exist for strategic deterrence. A botched strike, meanwhile, would spark a legitimate regional conflagration. Israel would lose a significant number of its combat aircraft and immediately face a major retaliation from Hezbollah and Hamas, along with violence in the West Bank. Iran would unleash its missile arsenal on Israel, the Gulf States, and Western bases and assets in the region. Further horizontal escalation is foreseeable, particularly if Russian assets are caught in the crossfire or if Turkey or Azerbaijan choose to exploit the confusion for territorial gain in Syria and Nagorno-Karabakh, respectively. This provides the United States with three options. . . .” — Seth Cropsey. (American Purpose, Apr. 14, 2023)
“[For the [Russian] authorities and for society as a whole, today it is necessary to put a decisive end to the [war]. The ideal option is to. . .inform everyone that Russia has achieved the results that it planned, and in a sense we have actually achieved them. [The head of Russia‘s shadowy mercenary force The Wagner Group is recommending a strategy in Ukraine once proposed by U.S. officials for the bogged-down war in Vietnam: Just declare victory and call it quits.]” – David R. Sands. Yevgeny Prigozhin, whose fighters have fought alongside Russian regular troops even as he has criticized their performance in the nearly 15-month invasion, wrote on his blog over the weekend that the Kremlin should just declare its objectives achieved and call a halt to the fighting. He has a close but complicated relationship with President Vladimir Putin, and warned that a long, draining war could be disastrous for Russia and for the reputation of its military. He also accused many top Russian officials and elites of having already written off the war as a lost cause. (Washington Times, Apr. 16, 2023)
SHORT TAKE
MINISTER CALLS TO PUT SUPREME COURT CHIEF, PROTEST LEADERS ON TRIAL OVER ‘COUP ATTEMPT’ (Jerusalem) — Minister of Regional Cooperation Dudi Amsalem (Likud) said that Supreme Court President Esther Hayut and former court president Aharon Barak should be charged with “a coup attempt,” and called for a probe into the organizers of the protests against the government’s judicial reform plan. He also said an “elitist minority in Tel Aviv” was holding the country hostage, and that Israel is currently “not a democratic country” as a result. “I am fighting for democracy. Today, there is no democracy in the state of Israel. Everyone who led this protest, including [former prime minister] Ehud Barak, Aharon Barak and the Supreme Court president, are people who should be charged with an attempted coup,” he told Channel 12’s Meet the Press. (WIN, Apr. 15, 2023)
NETANYAHU SAYS ECONOMY IS ‘ROBUST’ AFTER MOODY’S DOWNGRADES ISRAEL’S CREDIT RATING (Jerusalem) — Bond credit rating agency Moody’s Investors Service on Friday changed the outlook on Israel’s credit ratings from positive to stable, prompting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to issue a statement calling Israel’s economy “robust and stable.” The news followed an earlier report released by Moody’s in early March warning that if the government’s plans for judicial reform were implemented in full, they would “materially weaken the strength of the judiciary and as such be credit negative.” Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich released a joint statement in response to the downgrade, saying “Israel’s economy is stable and robust and will remain so.” (WIN, Apr. 15, 2023)
CHINA OFFERS TO FACILITATE ISRAEL-PALESTINIAN PEACE TALKS (Beijing) — China’s foreign minister told his Israeli and Palestinian counterparts that his country is ready to help facilitate peace talks between the two sides, in its latest effort at mediation in the region. In separate phone calls to the two officials on Monday, Qin Gang expressed China’s concern over intensifying tensions between Israel and Palestinians and its support for a resumption of peace talks, the Foreign Ministry said in statements issued late Monday. (VIN News, Apr. 18, 2023)
SAUDI OFFICIALS, HAMAS LEADERS SET TO MEET IN JEDDAH TO DISCUSS RE-ESTABLISHING TIES (Riyadh) — Saudi officials prepared to meet representatives of Hamas, the Palestinian terror group, on Sunday, to discuss renewing diplomatic relations broken in 2007, after Hamas violently wrested control of the Gaza Strip from rival Palestinian faction Fatah). Mousa Abu Marzak, a Hamas official attending the talks, said “We have relations with all forces in the region. . .except for the Zionist enemy.” Saudis indicate the renewed relations reflect their drive to demonstrate regional leadership—the Saudis, with Chinese and Russian assistance, have already re-established relations with Iran and Syria. (Wall Street Journal, Apr. 16, 2023)
ISRAEL’S NETANYAHU MEETS EXILED IRANIAN CROWN PRINCE IN JERUSALEM (Jerusalem) — Reza Pahlavi, the son of the Iranian Shah exiled in 1979 after the Islamic Revolution, on Monday evening met with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sarah in Jerusalem. Pahlavi attended a ceremony held at the National Holocaust Memorial and Museum, Yad Vashem, in honor of Holocaust Remembrance Day during his historic visit to the Jewish state. He stood alongside Netanyahu and Israel’s President Isaac Herzog, but did not deliver a speech. Pahlavi, in exile for 43 years, resides in the United States. He is a fierce opponent of the Iranian regime. (i24, Apr. 17, 2023)
REPUBLICANS WANT TO END TAXPAYER FUNDING FOR ACTIVIST GROUP BEHIND ANTI-NETANYAHU PROTESTS (Washington) — Four Republican senators—Ted Cruz (Texas), Marco Rubio (Fla.), Tom Cotton (Ark.), and Bill Hagerty (Tenn.)—blasted the State Department for funneling taxpayer funds to the Movement for Quality Government (MQG), a left-wing Israeli nonprofit that is leading nationwide protests against Netanyahu’s government over plans to reform the country’s historically powerful Supreme Court. Those plans that are on standby as a result of mass protests led by MQG. The left-wing group has received more than $38,000 in funding from the United States since 2020. (WIN, Apr. 11, 2023)
‘JEWS AGAINST DESANTIS’! JEWISH ANTI-ISRAEL ACTIVISTS DISRUPT SPEECH (New Hampshire) — Activists from the anti-Israel Jewish group IfNotNow disrupted a speech by Ron DeSantis at a GOP fundraiser in New Hampshire on Friday evening, and later posted on Twitter that the Florida Governor was antisemitic and that his “actions and policies both support Israeli apartheid and put Jews in danger.” (WIN, Apr. 15, 2023)
MOSCOW SUPPLIES IRAN WITH ADVANCED CYBER WEAPONS (Moscow)— Moscow is helping Iran with advanced digital surveillance capabilities as Teheran seeks deeper cooperation on cyber warfare. Iran has supplied Russia with drones for use in Ukraine, and is requesting dozens of attack helicopters, jet fighters, and help with its long-range missile program. (Wall Street Journal, Mar. 27, 2023)
INTELLIGENCE LEAKS SPOTLIGHT U.S.-RUSSIA RIVALRY IN MIDDLE EAST(Moscow) — Increasing contacts and contracts between U.S. allies (including Turkey) and Russia involving military equipment Indicate a growing role for Moscow in the Middle East and North Africa. This reflects the ability of Russia to evade Western Ukraine-related economic sanctions, a fact which is creating Increasing American concern. (While Washington remains the overwhelmingly major arms supplier in the region, Russian arms exports to Egypt increased 44% from 2018 to 2022; 19% of Turkey’s arms purchases were from Russia, and the UAE signed a subsequently cancelled contract for Moscow to build a military base.). (Wall Street Journal, Apr.15, 2023)
PENTAGON DOCS ALLEGEDLY LEAKED BY JACK TEXEIRA REVEAL AT LEAST 4 ADDITIONAL CHINESE SPY BALLOONS: REPORT –– Classified documents allegedly leaked by Massachusetts Air National Guardsman Jack Tei xeira reveal that US intelligence officials were aware of as many as four other Chinese spy balloons apart from the one that floated across the country earlier this year. (New York Post. Apr. 17, 2023)
MINNEAPOLIS OKS DAWN MUSLIM PRAYER CALL, 1ST FOR BIG US CITY (Minneapolis)—Minneapolis will allow broadcasts of the Muslim call to prayer at all hours, becoming the first major U.S. city to allow the announcement or “adhan” to be heard over speakers five times a day, year-round. The vote came during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. “The Constitution doesn’t sleep at night,” said Jaylani Hussein, executive director of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, after the vote. Minneapolis has had a flourishing population of East African immigrants since at least the 1990s, and mosques now are common. Three of the 13 members of the council identify as Muslim. The decision drew no organized community opposition. Mayor Jacob Frey is expected to sign the measure next week. (AP, Apr. 14, 2023)
TWITTER LABELS CBC AS ‘GOVERNMENT-FUNDED MEDIA’ (San Francisco) —Twitter labelled the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) as a “government-funded media” on April 16. The social media platform under the leadership of business tycoon Elon Musk had recently applied similar labels to the National Public Radio (NPR) in the United States and the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in the UK. According to Twitter, the label is used in cases where “the government provides some or all of the outlet’s funding and may have varying degrees of government involvement over editorial content.” CBC rejects Twitter’s labelling. (Epoch Times, Apr. 16, 2023)
FOR FURTHER REFERENCE
